Losing less than a pound a week

Tjs8819
Tjs8819 Posts: 33 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
On 1300-1500 cals a day. Shouldn't I be losing more? It's been coming off very slowly since I've dropped the first 20lbs

5'5
SW 180
CW 161
GW 140

Replies

  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
    Do you know your TDEE? (how many calories you need to maintain) If you are logging on average 500 below that per day consistently and are not losing a pound a week your logging either needs to be tightened up a bit (make sure you're using digital scales for food and measuring your sauces with measuring spoons and liquids with measuring jugs) or you may be slightly overestimating your work out burns.

    How long have you been on MFP in total and how long have you been losing less than a pound, what rate did you lose before? Also how much are you losing per week now? Could it be water weight fluctuations? Have you started a new workout routine (which means you'll be retaining water for muscle repair) or perhaps it's that time of the month?

    Also half a pound a week is good progress when you don't have much to lose. x
  • grammageegee
    grammageegee Posts: 78 Member
    I am in the same boat eating 1200 calories a day. I recently upped it to 1275 to see if that would make a difference.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Tjs8819 wrote: »
    On 1300-1500 cals a day. Shouldn't I be losing more? It's been coming off very slowly since I've dropped the first 20lbs

    5'5
    SW 180
    CW 161
    GW 140

    About how much energy do you use per day? I don't know your age, but for 30 years old your BMR would be about 1520. If sedentary and little/no exercise you would use about 1900 per day. So 1300-1500 would mean 1 pound per week on average. And if you are estimating your portions, then you think you're eating 1300-1500 but could easily be eating more.
  • justkeeprunning91
    justkeeprunning91 Posts: 96 Member
    The exact thing happened to me, with similar stats (5'4", sw: 170, cw: 150, gw: 135). The first 20 lbs came of at about 1.5 lbs a week, but I haven't been able to dip below 150, and I can barely tell if I'm losing at all any more because the water weight fluctuations can mask a lot at half a pound a week. One thing I've found helpful is to average my weight for the week over the past couple of months and compare those. If now is less than 3 weeks ago, I'm getting somewhere. But I understand it can be so frustrating when the margin for error is so much smaller and everything is so much slower.
  • markswife1992
    markswife1992 Posts: 262 Member
    animatorswearbras wrote: »
    Do you know your TDEE? (how many calories you need to maintain) If you are logging on average 500se. x

    can you tell us where you might find a reliable calculator?
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    markswife1992 wrote: »
    animatorswearbras wrote: »
    Do you know your TDEE? (how many calories you need to maintain) If you are logging on average 500se. x

    can you tell us where you might find a reliable calculator?

    Google will lead to many.

    You can also go very basic and start by looking up your BMR. Then multiply that by 1.2 to 1.25 to get a basic daily energy use for sedentary, no exercise. That would be the most basic TDEE. WIth extra daily activity (such as active hobbies, job) or cardio exercise: burning more.
  • animatorswearbras
    animatorswearbras Posts: 1,001 Member
    edited June 2017
    markswife1992 wrote: »
    animatorswearbras wrote: »
    Do you know your TDEE? (how many calories you need to maintain) If you are logging on average 500se. x

    can you tell us where you might find a reliable calculator?

    Google is your friend and trial and error after that since it's an estimate
  • markswife1992
    markswife1992 Posts: 262 Member
    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »
    markswife1992 wrote: »
    animatorswearbras wrote: »
    Do you know your TDEE? (how many calories you need to maintain) If you are logging on average 500se. x

    can you tell us where you might find a reliable calculator?

    Google will lead to many.

    You can also go very basic and start by looking up your BMR. Then multiply that by 1.2 to 1.25 to get a basic daily energy use for sedentary, no exercise. That would be the most basic TDEE. WIth extra daily activity (such as active hobbies, job) or cardio exercise: burning more.

    thank you :flowerforyou:
  • cqbkaju
    cqbkaju Posts: 1,011 Member
    edited June 2017
    Losing around 1/2 lb a week is fine, especially if you are weight training to preserve muscle mass.

    People didn't gain the weight overnight but they seem fixated on losing it in a week.
  • VeggieBarbells
    VeggieBarbells Posts: 175 Member
    A good trick is to switch to: a) Weekly photos (the camera never lies), b) measurements (the tape is your friend) and c) and body fat percentage. For me at least the scale is only one indicator of progress. Good luck and keep at it. :)
  • cqbkaju
    cqbkaju Posts: 1,011 Member
    edited June 2017
    VeggieBarbells wrote: »
    A good trick is to switch to: a) Weekly photos (the camera never lies), b) measurements (the tape is your friend) and c) and body fat percentage. For me at least the scale is only one indicator of progress. Good luck and keep at it. :)
    To me, if the scale on average is trending towards what I am aiming for and my body fat is in line with my goals then I stick with it.
    If not then I make adjustments. Not much else to it, really.

    If you do not have a reliable and consistent way of tracking your body fat then measure your waist at the navel.
    It should be trending downward if you are trying to lose "weight", at perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 inch every couple of weeks depending on how much extra fat you are carrying.

    1/2 inch off the waist in a month is nothing to sneer at.
  • markswife1992
    markswife1992 Posts: 262 Member
    cqbkaju wrote: »
    Losing around 1/2 lb a week is fine, especially if you are weight training to preserve muscle mass.

    People didn't gain the weight overnight but they seem fixated on losing it in a week.

    this is how i am. LOL
  • Hearts_2015
    Hearts_2015 Posts: 12,031 Member
    Taking measurements is a good way to be able to see changes. Scales fluctuate, tape measures never lie! As long as you or a friend is always taking them in the same place each time.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Tjs8819 wrote: »
    On 1300-1500 cals a day. Shouldn't I be losing more? It's been coming off very slowly since I've dropped the first 20lbs

    5'5
    SW 180
    CW 161
    GW 140

    I am an inch taller but otherwise your starting stats and goal are very similar to mine and that rate sounds completely normal to me.
  • everher
    everher Posts: 909 Member
    Tjs8819 wrote: »
    On 1300-1500 cals a day. Shouldn't I be losing more? It's been coming off very slowly since I've dropped the first 20lbs

    5'5
    SW 180
    CW 161
    GW 140

    I'm the same height, started out heavier, am sedentary, and am a few pounds heavier (169) now eating 1400 calories a day to lose a pound a week.

    What do you have MFP set up? This sounds like a pound week numbers, but if you aren't using a food scale your logging could be inaccurate.
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  • llwolford
    llwolford Posts: 109 Member
    Hi stick with it!!! I would suggest switching up your exercise. I am the same height as you my starting weight 1/16 was 173.6 and my current weight is 122. My pant size went from a 12/14 to 0/2. It took 18 months to drop 50 pounds. Make sure you are doing a variety of exercises cardio mixed with strength training 5 to 6 days a week. Eat clean...I know a generic word. By that I mean, preparing most of your own meals. Eating fruits and vegetables, healthy fats like nuts, avocado, good sources of protein lean meats, fish, beans. I mainly eat quinoa, rice, veggies, for my carbs. Eat open faced sandwiches or cut 1 slice in half if you need a top and bottom. I increase my calories on intense work out days, but still leave a deficit. I only increase my calories if I am hungry though....otherwise you are eating just to eat. Watch your snacking....this was my downfall. Stress eating. Also, remember this is not just a physical journey it is an emotional, mental, and spiritual one too.

    With all that said .5 pound to a pound of weight loss is really perfect. Be patient....you are doing fantastic.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »
    trigden1991 wrote: »
    grammageegee wrote: »
    I am in the same boat eating 1200 calories a day. I recently upped it to 1275 to see if that would make a difference.

    It will make a difference!

    It will make you lose slower as you are eating more.

    My theory...

    Logging 1200 and estimating portions, the 1200 is probably like 1500+.
    When someone 'increases' their calories they panic at the idea. So aiming for 1275, but being more accurate, and actually eating 1275: may result in weight loss as intended.

    Missed the bit on estimating portions. Absolutely agree with you if that is the case.

    If you are estimating, you literally have no idea how many calories you are consuming.
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    It's not a race. Slower but steady will work for you much better in the long run.
  • VeggieBarbells
    VeggieBarbells Posts: 175 Member
    allyphoe wrote: »
    VeggieBarbells wrote: »
    Weekly photos (the camera never lies)

    https://shapescale.com/blog/monday-myths/transformation-photos/

    The camera totally lies.

    Taking weekly pictures on my phone was one of the biggest motivators I had. Good luck with your journey :D
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    Tjs8819 wrote: »
    On 1300-1500 cals a day. Shouldn't I be losing more? It's been coming off very slowly since I've dropped the first 20lbs

    5'5
    SW 180
    CW 161
    GW 140

    since you have less than 25lbs to lose you should be losing less than a lb a week(0.5 lb/week),the less you have to lose the slower it will be and should be.
  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
    .5 is my average and I'm down about 34 pounds now. Quick weight loss is harder to do and more importantly to maintain than quick weight loss.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,272 Member
    I dont think Op needs to change anything she is doing - so her estimating counting and whatever calories she is actually eating is just fine - since she is losing at rate of 1/2 lb per week and that is what she should be doing with her amount to lose.

    All she needs to do is adjust her expectations and realise this is normal.

    (incidentally OP, I had total of 10 kg to lose - around 22lb. I lost the entire lot at 1/2 lb per week - ie 10kg in 10 months.)
  • puzzledstill
    puzzledstill Posts: 67 Member
    I have found this series of posts very interesting. I'd never heard of bmr and tdee - but now calculated.
    For what it's worth my thoughts are when deciding a target weight listen to your body. I got to my target (not using MFP) but had set it too low so was unrealistic to maintain and lead a normal life in the way I want.
    So this time I'm aiming to lose about 10 - 14 lbs - I will accept it when I plateau.
    And yes it's coming off slowly - and at times my weight lose journey is taking the scenic route. The detours are called holidays and parties. But all recorded and echoing previous comments guesstimated as best I can.
    At home everything is recorded, weighed and measured - even weigh the dogs food as don't want her carrying extra weight !
    So thank you for the info. Onwards and downwards.

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