Having trouble losing weight -- calorie limit may be too low?
caitlingorevin
Posts: 3 Member
I'm a woman: 5'5" and 139 lbs. I have 19 lbs to go. I have MFP synced to my Fitbit and I do at least 20,000 steps per day. My calorie limit is set to 1,200 and I'm still having trouble losing weight. Is it possible that my calories are set too low and that's sabotaging my progress?
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Replies
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If you eat little enough you will lose weight. So no, it's not very likely that your calories are set 'too low'.
How long have you been in a plateau?
Is it near that time of the month?
What proportion of your exercise calories are you eating back?
How strictly do you weigh and log?5 -
Iv lost 3 stone , but my weight has been stuck for weeks now , my doctor is testing me for hormone imbalance , so I'll just have to see what the results are and take it from there1
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I found my fitbit to be a bit generous with what Calories i'm supposedly burning. Could it be that you're not burning as many as you think?
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You are very active, your MFP settings should be set to Active and 'enable negative adjustment' function should be on.
I was an avid 20k+ steps a day gal for a number of years (until knee pain set in), I'm smaller than you and needed a minimum of 1800 calories a day - and that was to lose 0.5lb/week.
Eating too low cal means you are losing too much muscle along with the fat, that is not ideal at all.
The end of day calorie burn Fitbit gives you is your TDEE - eat at 10-15% deficit of that number.
e.g If it gives you 2300 cals, eat 1955 cals which would result in a loss of 0.75lb per week which imo would be adequate for someone with less than 20lbs to go.
If you are not losing weight, how long since you last lost?
How are you tracking your intake?1 -
I've lost 61 lbs over the last 340 days. I've been flip-flopping over this particular plateau since May 25th. It is not that time of the month. I try to only eat about 200 of my exercise calories back. I am very strict about logging (although I do not own a food scale) and I weigh myself once a week on Wednesdays in the morning.2
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caitlingorevin wrote: »I'm a woman: 5'5" and 139 lbs. I have 19 lbs to go. I have MFP synced to my Fitbit and I do at least 20,000 steps per day. My calorie limit is set to 1,200 and I'm still having trouble losing weight. Is it possible that my calories are set too low and that's sabotaging my progress?
The reason for not losing weight is not because you are eating too little. It will never be because you are eating too little.
Instead, look for other reasons you are not losing weight:- Not properly weighing food and logging correctly.
- Overestimating your exercise burns.
- Not patient enough, not keeping at this long enough to see change on the scale.
Start weighing your food and use correct database entries. Evaluate how many calories you are adding back in from exercise. Stick with things a little while longer (another 3-4 weeks), then evaluate and adjust.
Good luck!14 -
1200 calories is generally the lowest you can go per day while staying healthy. Anything under that can hurt your body. If you walk 20.000 steps per day (and great job by the way!), it's possible that the low calorie goal slows down your metabolism because your body isn't getting enough energy to take all those steps. The body needs energy to burn fat - otherwise the weight you lose will most likely be loss of muscle (and in some cases it can also make your bones brittle). If you raise your calorie goal later, it might cause a temporary fluctuation in your weight (you might gain a few pounds if your body has gone into starvation mode because of the calorie habit right now) before you start losing weight again.
Maybe you are set on losing those pounds a little too quickly?
I know the feeling! Wanting to reach your goals quickly is only human, but remember; slow and steady wins the race! 
If you want to create a calorie deficit, do it with exercise, NOT with nutrition. Throw in some HIIT workouts with your walks to speed up your metabolism.17 -
caitlingorevin wrote: »I've lost 61 lbs over the last 340 days. I've been flip-flopping over this particular plateau since May 25th. It is not that time of the month. I try to only eat about 200 of my exercise calories back. I am very strict about logging (although I do not own a food scale) and I weigh myself once a week on Wednesdays in the morning.
I would put money on that being the reason. Buy a food scale and start to log accurately!15 -
VanillaRosePetal wrote: »1200 calories is generally the lowest you can go per day while staying healthy. Anything under that can hurt your body. If you walk 20.000 steps per day (and great job by the way!), it's possible that the low calorie goal slows down your metabolism because your body isn't getting enough energy to take all those steps. The body needs energy to burn fat - otherwise the weight you lose will most likely be loss of muscle (and in some cases it can also make your bones brittle). If you raise your calorie goal later, it might cause a temporary fluctuation in your weight (you might gain a few pounds if your body has gone into starvation mode because of the calorie habit right now) before you start losing weight again.
Maybe you are set on losing those pounds a little too quickly? I know the feeling! Wanting to reach your goals quickly is only human, but remember; slow and steady wins the race!
Starvation Mode is not a thing.12 -
I hit a plateau after dieting for a year at 1200 calories and it lasted 3.5 months! It was very frustrating. Finally someone on here suggested eating at maintenance for a couple of weeks. I did that for only a week because I was terrified of gaining. After that the weight loss started up again but much slower. I added back 150 calories a day and just accepted that it would take me a bit longer to lose the last 20 or 25 pounds. I am now about 10 pounds away from my goal. Interestingly enough I am the same height as you are. I am not as active however and I'm 60 years old. Don't give up. Make sure your goal of 120 is reasonable though. I'm shooting for 135.4
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How are you tracking everything without a food scale?8
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The doctor said between 120 and 128 is best; that's the range I'm shooting for and I'll stop when my body feels at its best. I know this is not a fast process and I think the fact that I've done this for almost a year speaks to that. I'm only trying to lose one pound a week.0
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Well hang in there. Your doc knows best. My doctor thought I looked great at 155, lol. I can still tell I have to lose more tho. You've done amazing losing that much and perservering for a year.1
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Hi I'm the exact same height and weight, I would definitely recommend the maintenance break for a fortnight if you've been at this a year non stop. Starvation mode isn't a thing but adaptive thermogenesis can make things harder, a maintenance break can come some way into giving your metabolism a little kick up the *kitten*. Apart from that get some digital food scales, I personally under estimate everything, I double checked the other day how much peanut butter I was having for breakfast (one of the few things I haven't bothered weighing because I was losing but thought I'd double check) it was double the weight I thought! Also with a BMI of 23 things are gonna be slooooooooow, so don't expect much more than 1/2 pound a week to come off at this point unless you want to lose a whole bunch of muscle too
Good luck. x2 -
You're eating more than you think11
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It's important to look the glycemic index and load of your foods, too much glycemic index and you got problems.
Take care of protein intake. Drink enough water. And limit or avoid flours.caitlingorevin wrote: »I'm a woman: 5'5" and 139 lbs. I have 19 lbs to go. I have MFP synced to my Fitbit and I do at least 20,000 steps per day. My calorie limit is set to 1,200 and I'm still having trouble losing weight. Is it possible that my calories are set too low and that's sabotaging my progress?22 -
TavistockToad wrote: »You're eating more than you think
^ This is most likely the case. When you have more weight to lose, you have more wiggle room. Once you get down to the home stretch, precision is key. My humble suggestions:- Get a food scale. Amazon or Walmart will have good ones for $15-$20.
- Start weighing everything you possibly can. Whole food, packaged food, fruit, nut butters, everything. When I started using the food scale, I found I was eating 300-400 more calories per day than I thought I was!
- Double check the entries you are using in the database to USDA numbers. Most entries are user entered and flat out wrong. Avoid using existing generic or homemade item entries. Even if you are scanning, double check.
- Some people get psychologically tired of logging, and can end up letting things slip through without even realizing. If there is any chance this might be the case, now is a great time to give yourself a break for a week or two. Just eat mindfully, don't push yourself as hard while exercising, and refocus before getting back in the game.
I'm 5'5 too, currently 128 and thinking of getting down to the low 120's to see how it feels. Once I got down into the 130's, it was a slow crawl down at maybe 1 lb a month, but I'm not as active as you are. Patience and accuracy will be required. Good luck!8 -
you have less than 20lbs left to its time to get a food scale and be tight as tight can be with your logging11
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caitlingorevin wrote: »I'm a woman: 5'5" and 139 lbs. I have 19 lbs to go. I have MFP synced to my Fitbit and I do at least 20,000 steps per day. My calorie limit is set to 1,200 and I'm still having trouble losing weight. Is it possible that my calories are set too low and that's sabotaging my progress?
the less you have to lose the slower its going to be and you should have it set to lose .5lb a week. also get a scale because at this point you are going to have to be spot on with your calorie counts.3 -
Your calorie limit may be set too low, and thus be a contributing factor, but eating too little isn't why you're having trouble losing weight. It can't be, because eating less is what causes weight loss, and the less you eat, the more you lose. So it's not that.
It may be that you're having unrealistic expectations. You can't lose more than 1/2 - 1 pound per week at your weight. (A whole pound may well be too much.) It may be that you can't see your loss through the day-to-day fluctuations. How often do you weigh yourself?
It may be that you're eating more than you think. You can't possibly be strict about logging unless you use a food scale, all the time, and double check all the entries you use.
It may be that a too low calorie intake makes you tired, so you can't perform normal day activities at optimal vigour. It may be that trying to eat too little makes you resentful and rebellious, and subconsciously eat more to feel better. Appropriate calorie goal and better logging, and strategical allocation of your calories, taking care to get in proper nutrition as well as eating food you like, prevents this.5 -
caitlingorevin wrote: »The doctor said between 120 and 128 is best; that's the range I'm shooting for and I'll stop when my body feels at its best. I know this is not a fast process and I think the fact that I've done this for almost a year speaks to that. I'm only trying to lose one pound a week.
Ok, so you've been at this for awhile now and you're still not where you want to be. Time to try something different then, right?
I started here in 2015 to lose 20 pounds. The first 10 dropped off easily. Then it was time to get serious so I got a digital scale and hit my goal weight without any trouble after that. I'm 5'9" and have been maintaining at 145 for 1-1/2 years. I continue to use my food scale every day.
Spend $15 and get a food scale. With just a little to lose, you need to be accurate with your intake.
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caitlingorevin wrote: »I've lost 61 lbs over the last 340 days. I've been flip-flopping over this particular plateau since May 25th. It is not that time of the month. I try to only eat about 200 of my exercise calories back. I am very strict about logging (although I do not own a food scale) and I weigh myself once a week on Wednesdays in the morning.
No you aren't strict about logging if you don't have a food scale. With so little to lose, you have to weigh everything. You are eating way more than you think you are.8 -
caitlingorevin wrote: »I've lost 61 lbs over the last 340 days. I've been flip-flopping over this particular plateau since May 25th. It is not that time of the month. I try to only eat about 200 of my exercise calories back. I am very strict about logging (although I do not own a food scale) and I weigh myself once a week on Wednesdays in the morning.livingleanlivingclean wrote: »I would put money on that being the reason. Buy a food scale and start to log accurately!
Bingo! If you aren't using a food scale, you are eating more than you think.
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OP if you have been at it a year maybe take a diet break for a week or two? that may help to get things going again. but it is easy to eat more than you think if you arent using a scale. I learned that the hard way. its shocking what an actual serving of something really is.opened my eyes for sure.1
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To be honest, if OP has lost 60lbs without logging then she doesn't have to start now... just cut back a bit more to get back in a deficit.
However, OP, you should be aiming to lose 0.5lb per week not a pound as you are a healthy weight and don't have much to lose.1 -
TavistockToad wrote: »To be honest, if OP has lost 60lbs without logging then she doesn't have to start now... just cut back a bit more to get back in a deficit.
However, OP, you should be aiming to lose 0.5lb per week not a pound as you are a healthy weight and don't have much to lose.
thats what I said(aim for 0.5lb a week)0 -
TavistockToad wrote: »To be honest, if OP has lost 60lbs without logging then she doesn't have to start now... just cut back a bit more to get back in a deficit.
However, OP, you should be aiming to lose 0.5lb per week not a pound as you are a healthy weight and don't have much to lose.
That's true. But she says she's eating 1200 calories and as a smaller female I know how depressing it is to feel like you are eating so few calories for nothing. It's not logical, but when I thought I was eating 1400 cals and maintaining it was a huge relief to find out I was eating much more.
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I agree with those that said aim for more realistic .5 lb a week now that you are very close to your goal. In addition, I would up your calories for a bit and bounce back and forth to keep your metabolism guessing. A steady 1200 and your body knows what to expect. I know it seems counterproductive but try to read what Jillian Michaels and some other fitness/nutrition people say about plateaus and putting your body into starvation mode and how to get out of it. Also I would personally recommend weighing yourself every day. I think that will have you less frustrated with fluctuations which happen all the time so if on a wednesday is a bad weight day it will do less to your mojo. Also in my experience i tend to notice which foods/life choices (salty stuff, staying up or out late or skipping water) affect weight gain or loss on a regular and immediate basis and am able to tune into my choices better.
There has been lots of debate on set point over the years and i'm 50/50 on it myself. But i do think from just observing people, myself & weight loss info over the years that lowering your body's natural set point happens in stages. Such as rather than commit to believing that your body has a set point and maybe you've reached it (depressing thought and completely one way on the spectrum of what could be) or that there is no such thing as a set point (hyper optimistic and completely the other way on the spectrum of what could be). I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle (grey area): a person probably has a set point range once they are nearing ideal territory, the body needs to settle into that area before weight loss efforts move the the next set point range, much like moving through the Panama canal, if that makes sense. Good luck21 -
I would also add to use other "measures" rather than just weight to keep yourself motivated. Fitness or clothing goals, etc. Congratulations on your success so far. I think the next stage is also committing to it being a true lifestyle, which is ultimately the key anyway.2
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fitgymbunny wrote: »I agree with those that said aim for more realistic .5 lb a week now that you are very close to your goal. In addition, I would up your calories for a bit and bounce back and forth to keep your metabolism guessing. A steady 1200 and your body knows what to expect. I know it seems counterproductive but try to read what Jillian Michaels and some other fitness/nutrition people say about plateaus and putting your body into starvation mode and how to get out of it. Also I would personally recommend weighing yourself every day. I think that will have you less frustrated with fluctuations which happen all the time so if on a wednesday is a bad weight day it will do less to your mojo. Also in my experience i tend to notice which foods/life choices (salty stuff, staying up or out late or skipping water) affect weight gain or loss on a regular and immediate basis and am able to tune into my choices better.
There has been lots of debate on set point over the years and i'm 50/50 on it myself. But i do think from just observing people, myself & weight loss info over the years that lowering your body's natural set point happens in stages. Such as rather than commit to believing that your body has a set point and maybe you've reached it (depressing thought and completely one way on the spectrum of what could be) or that there is no such thing as a set point (hyper optimistic and completely the other way on the spectrum of what could be). I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle (grey area): a person probably has a set point range once they are nearing ideal territory, the body needs to settle into that area before weight loss efforts move the the next set point range, much like moving through the Panama canal, if that makes sense. Good luck
you dont need to keep your metabolism guessing, it either works or it doesnt. your body does not go into starvation mode when dieting thats a myth9
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