Not losing weight on <1200 calories
Sam29a
Posts: 201 Member
For the last month, I keep gaining and losing the same 2 lbs. I desperately want to lose the last bit of weight, but my weight loss has stalled and it's making me very depressed. I don't have a lot to lose now, maybe 7 lbs or so, but in the last month I've ended up gaining a lb, instead of losing. Feeling down about it and realising how far I still have to go, just makes me want to give up - but I just can't allow that to happen!
I don't exercise (except walking) and have lost 56 lbs in total by just eating a bit less and avoiding takeouts or other oily foods. I'm thinking perhaps I've now come to the stage where I won't lose any more weight unless I exercise. I can't join the gym yet but will do so in about 10 days.
I was losing weight on 1300 or so calories which was perfect, then I went abroad for three months and was eating closer to 500 calories (due to the heat and not liking the food there). I returned last month and increased my calories to 800 initially, then 1000 and the last couple of days to 1200. But I'm no longer losing anything. I feel like I've messed up by restricting so much lately, but surely I should still be able to lose weight on 1000 calories. I can't eat less than 1200 now as I just feel super hungry and would love to increase my calories further once I start at the gym. Ideally to 1300, perhaps even 1350. Is this ever going to be possible without me gaining weight?
Sorry for the long post! Thanks for reading.
P.s.Yes, I weigh everything on an electronic food scale - even packaged items, spices etc.
I don't exercise (except walking) and have lost 56 lbs in total by just eating a bit less and avoiding takeouts or other oily foods. I'm thinking perhaps I've now come to the stage where I won't lose any more weight unless I exercise. I can't join the gym yet but will do so in about 10 days.
I was losing weight on 1300 or so calories which was perfect, then I went abroad for three months and was eating closer to 500 calories (due to the heat and not liking the food there). I returned last month and increased my calories to 800 initially, then 1000 and the last couple of days to 1200. But I'm no longer losing anything. I feel like I've messed up by restricting so much lately, but surely I should still be able to lose weight on 1000 calories. I can't eat less than 1200 now as I just feel super hungry and would love to increase my calories further once I start at the gym. Ideally to 1300, perhaps even 1350. Is this ever going to be possible without me gaining weight?
Sorry for the long post! Thanks for reading.
P.s.Yes, I weigh everything on an electronic food scale - even packaged items, spices etc.
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Replies
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Go outside for a walk or run or look up some exercise videos you can do from home. Don't wait to start the gym. Once you do start look up some books and videos on how to do some weights. That should help a lot with gaining muscle and losing the last few pounds you want to lose.
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That 1 lb 'gain' is likely just glycogen replenishment and extra food in your belly. If you were losing on 1300 before I'd go back to that and just wait it out a bit longer. If you're not already using a trending app to track your weight, I highly recommend it (Trendweight, Happy Scale, Libra are a few of the available ones - Trendweight is web-based and requires a Fitbit account linked to it, but you don't need a Fitbit).7
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You are weighing all food?
Unless your maintenance is 1200 you should be able to lose on 1200, if you are tracking honestly.
I think exercise is good, but you need to do it smartly and fuel your body appropriately. I highly recommend strength training.
Also, adjust your mfp to .5 lost per week, if you haven't already. Also, look into recomping.2 -
You are weighing all food?
Unless your maintenance is 1200 you should be able to lose on 1200, if you are tracking honestly.
I think exercise is good, but you need to do it smartly and fuel your body appropriately. I highly recommend strength training.
Also, adjust your mfp to .5 lost per week, if you haven't already. Also, look into recomping.
I'm tracking absolutely everything, have been for over a year now. Even the milk in my tea is weighed out. Nothing is estimated - I never eat out or eat meals cooked by others, so like I said, every single thing is accounted for.
MY BMR currently is 1100 or so according to this site https://www.iifym.com/tdee-calculator/ and TDEE is 1300. Exercise is something that I do want to do, I've never enjoyed it but I know I have to start exercising now. I plan on doing about 35-40 minutes of cardio 5 days a week and a beginner strength training routine 4 days a week. It's Ramadan this month and my local gym is closed, I will hopefully join after Eid. I was losing about 2 lbs a month before I went abroad (eating 1300 calories), so I'm more than happy losing 0.5 lb a week - but I'm not losing anything yet.
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Nony_Mouse wrote: »That 1 lb 'gain' is likely just glycogen replenishment and extra food in your belly. If you were losing on 1300 before I'd go back to that and just wait it out a bit longer. If you're not already using a trending app to track your weight, I highly recommend it (Trendweight, Happy Scale, Libra are a few of the available ones - Trendweight is web-based and requires a Fitbit account linked to it, but you don't need a Fitbit).
I don't think I can lose weight without exercise on 1300 calories any longer. My BMR is 1100, TDEE is 1300 or so. I'd maintain my weight at best. Plus, I wanted to gradually increase my calories back up, not all of a sudden.0 -
Go outside for a walk or run or look up some exercise videos you can do from home. Don't wait to start the gym. Once you do start look up some books and videos on how to do some weights. That should help a lot with gaining muscle and losing the last few pounds you want to lose.
I do walk an hour or so, sometimes two hours, every other day. It's Ramadan and I find it difficult to exercise whilst fasting. Fasts open past 9.30pm by which point I can't think about exercise. I will be joining the gym after Eid which is in abut 8 days time. I will definitely be strength training along with a little cardio.0 -
Your metabolism is probably not burning like it should.
For the next few weeks bump the calories up again and monitor your weight. Yes you may put on a pound or 2 but your metabolism will be a lot higher and you will start to feel like you need the extra food. This is a good thing.
This gives you the option to drop the food of gradually and then your body fat will drop.
Eat more!!!
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Your metabolism is probably not burning like it should.
For the next few weeks bump the calories up again and monitor your weight. Yes you may put on a pound or 2 but your metabolism will be a lot higher and you will start to feel like you need the extra food. This is a good thing.
This gives you the option to drop the food of gradually and then your body fat will drop.
Eat more!!!
I will definitely increase my calories to about 1300-1350 once I start exercising. I will be aiming for 1200 until then. Do you think that's okay?
I know I will see some weight gain once I up my calories, but I get so disheartened seeing the weight go up after trying to lose weight for so long.0 -
I'm 5'2, currently 108 lbs and sedentary. My BMR is 1155 and TDEE 1328 when 107 lbs.0 -
I'm 5'2, currently 108 lbs and sedentary. My BMR is 1155 and TDEE 1328 when 107 lbs.
And you're 65 years old? That's the age I had to plug into the calculator to get those numbers.
You're at a BMI of 19.6 at 107 pounds, so any weight you want to lose will have to come off really really slowly (and I'm assuming you're very close to goal weight; goal is 105 or so?). Sounds like you've been doing the right thing - maintaining a small deficit and losing slowly.
Realistically, you're going to have to increase your activity level to get that TDEE up. That can mean "working out" or it can mean increasing your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) by incorporating more walking, stairs, carrying things, etc. into your daily life. If you don't like working out, that's fine. Find some physical activity that you do like - hiking, cycling, climbing, maybe a team sport that would be social?
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I'm 5'2, currently 108 lbs and sedentary. My BMR is 1155 and TDEE 1328 when 107 lbs.
Hmmmm...
https://imgur.com/a/7DqIv1 -
just going to put this out there.
Why is a 5'2 108lb woman trying to lose weight? you are at the bottom of your range for healthy, almost into unhealthy.
Whoever put it into your head to lose weight is an *kitten*.8 -
I'm 5'2, currently 108 lbs and sedentary. My BMR is 1155 and TDEE 1328 when 107 lbs.
Hmmmm...
https://imgur.com/a/7DqIv
Sorry, I should add, according to this site https://www.iifym.com/tdee-calculator/. Obviously different calculators will give slightly different results, but this is the one I'm sticking with.0 -
All the calculators are approximations. The further one is from average, the more error in the approximation, and at your size you're a good distance away from "average".
*If* your logging is as meticulous as you say, and you're not losing weight, then your deficit isn't where you think it is. Which means you're using an incorrect TDEE. It's one or the other...either you're burning less than you think, or eating more than you think...there is no other real option.
Another possible source of error is that even with the best possible logging, the reality is the numbers we have on packages and in the database also have error bars, sometimes as high as 20%. Since you're in a place where accuracy is so important, it might be worth going over what you're eating very very carefully to see is some foods are more error prone than others.
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SusanMFindlay wrote: »
I'm 5'2, currently 108 lbs and sedentary. My BMR is 1155 and TDEE 1328 when 107 lbs.
And you're 65 years old? That's the age I had to plug into the calculator to get those numbers.
You're at a BMI of 19.6 at 107 pounds, so any weight you want to lose will have to come off really really slowly (and I'm assuming you're very close to goal weight; goal is 105 or so?). Sounds like you've been doing the right thing - maintaining a small deficit and losing slowly.
Realistically, you're going to have to increase your activity level to get that TDEE up. That can mean "working out" or it can mean increasing your NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) by incorporating more walking, stairs, carrying things, etc. into your daily life. If you don't like working out, that's fine. Find some physical activity that you do like - hiking, cycling, climbing, maybe a team sport that would be social?
No, I'm not quite that old yet! I work in an office and I'm also studying in the evenings and weekends, so I spend a fair bit of my time sitting down. I will hopefully join the gym and increase my TDEE that way. Thanks for your input.0 -
I've just gone and put your stats into a few TDEE calculators, using a 30 year old as i dont know your age, and they are all coming out at around 1500ish calories to maintain your weight.2
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It sounds like you're at a perfectly healthy weight. If you're still unhappy with what you see in the mirror, you might benefit a lot from a recomp in the gym.5
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