Not eating enough calories...but still chubby!

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mrobin78
mrobin78 Posts: 6 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hola everyone! I have a problem in that I struggle to eat regular meals, too busy bringing up 2 kids on my own, working full time and general life getting in the way. So, am now trying to get in to the habit of eating 3 regular meals with 1200 calories a day, but I also am exercising most days which i think means I have to eat even more?!
I think maybe stress (ex husband is an alcoholic who is in and out of clinics and also wants to spend time with my kids but turned up 3 months ago with them in the back of the car with him drunk and stoned out of his mind, complicated to say the least!) and also I gave up smoking about 2 months ago has contributed to weight gain over the summer. Have been walking/jogging between 7km and 14km a day for about 4 weeks now but not lost a single lb - any tips muchly appreciated! x
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Replies

  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
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    If you haven't lost a single pound in 4 weeks, it means you are eating more than you are burning. You are either not counting calories right or eating too much for exercise calories
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    do you weigh everything you eat with scales?
  • theabsentmindednurse
    theabsentmindednurse Posts: 405 Member
    edited October 2017
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    Being stressed only adds to weight gain, with the added release of cortisol and adrenaline.

    It is difficult to eat well with a busy life, but meal planning and prepping is an excellent way of helping you eat well and having meals on hand.

    Perhaps eating high protein, high fibre small meals regularly would suit you better, rather than three large meals a day.
    Log everything you eat and drink, and stay within your calorie deficit.
    With regard to your exercise calories, if you are hungry, you can eat back some of the additional calories. It is up to you.
    You are the only one who knows your own body.

    Don't forget to remain hydrated and get plenty of rest.
    Just take it a day at a time and try and take the time to look after yourself.
    Your children need a happy and healthy Mum.
  • mrobin78
    mrobin78 Posts: 6 Member
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    Thanks guys, yes I am weighing everything I eat and as I am not going above the 1200 calories per day, I know I am not eating more than I am meant to as I am supposed to be eating 1500 for the amount of exercise I do...

    Drinking more water may be the answer but I am retaining a whole heap of water since giving up smoking - is it possible my body is getting more muscle and that is why there is no weight loss yet? I WILL get there, I know I will, it's just that I am not all that patient!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    mrobin78 wrote: »
    Thanks guys, yes I am weighing everything I eat and as I am not going above the 1200 calories per day, I know I am not eating more than I am meant to as I am supposed to be eating 1500 for the amount of exercise I do...

    Drinking more water may be the answer but I am retaining a whole heap of water since giving up smoking - is it possible my body is getting more muscle and that is why there is no weight loss yet? I WILL get there, I know I will, it's just that I am not all that patient!

    you're not gaining muscle from running
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited October 2017
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    You have to be more patient, and you have to be more accurate. How long have you been eating 1200 calories, are you doing that every day, and why are you not eating 1500 calories if you know you're supposed to do that? Are you checking every entry for errors (or making your own), logging the exact amount you eat (in grams), using the recipe builder the same way, not leaving anything out, no cheating, no estimating? Are you eating back exercise calories?

    Stopping smoking and stress does not make you gain (or not lose) weight, but it might urge you to eat more.

    Regular meals, drinking enough water and moderate exercise is good for you, but it's not important for weight management in the way sticking to an appropriate amount of calories, through correct and consistent logging, correct measuring and interpretation of results, and patience, is important.
  • SusanKing1981
    SusanKing1981 Posts: 257 Member
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    mrobin78 wrote: »
    is it possible my body is getting more muscle and that is why there is no weight loss yet? I WILL get there, I know I will, it's just that I am not all that patient!

    No, I'm, afraid building muscle is not that easy (unfortunately).
  • mrobin78
    mrobin78 Posts: 6 Member
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    brilliant, thanks everyone. Although I started the running/walking 4 weeks ago, I have only just started the counting calories 2 days ago but I am struggling to get to 1200 per day which is what myfitness pal is suggesting. I'm confused about the 'don't eat your exercise' simply because when I add the exercise I have done to myfitness pal, it adds more calories to my daily amount to eat, bringing it to a total of 1500 - or am I reading that wrong? Sorry to sound so dense!
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    bryerangel wrote: »
    Make sure to eat a healthy 1200 a day. Never eat your exercise. And I quit smoking then lost 49 lbs because I can breathe and have endurance now. I see so many people eat 1200 calories of chips cakes and soda try and exercise on the empty calorie junk and barely see results. Munch on veggies and your whole world will change trust me I have been where you are. Just sleep trying and it will all fall in place for you

    So much no here...
    Yes it's important to eat a balanced, healthy diet.
    But it's not necessary to completely cut out foods you enjoy to be successful.
    Eating exercise calories back (especially with a goal of 1200) is how MFP is designed to work. Not doing so means that OP would be netting below the minimum recommended calories (assuming logging accurately) which can have adverse effects like hair loss, fatigue, brittle nails, loss of lean body mass, etc.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    mrobin78 wrote: »
    brilliant, thanks everyone. Although I started the running/walking 4 weeks ago, I have only just started the counting calories 2 days ago but I am struggling to get to 1200 per day which is what myfitness pal is suggesting. I'm confused about the 'don't eat your exercise' simply because when I add the exercise I have done to myfitness pal, it adds more calories to my daily amount to eat, bringing it to a total of 1500 - or am I reading that wrong? Sorry to sound so dense!

    No you are supposed to eat back the exercise calories when you use the MFP method, which calculated a calorie goal (1200) for you without exercise built in. When you do exercise, and burn more calories, you should be eating them back (some people eat back about 50-75% to start with to make sure they aren't overestimated) otherwise you can create too large of a deficit and run risk of fatigue, loss of lean body mass and other adverse effects.

    Sounds like you need to be patient and keep at it. What are your stats and how much weight are you trying to lose? What rate of loss did you choose when you set up MFP? I ask because 1200 is the lowest cal target MFP will provide, and it's often not necessary to go that low in order to lose.

    If you are struggling to get to 1200, and keep in mind that you've only been logging for a couple days so that may change, eat more calorie dense foods like full fat dairy, nuts, avocado, etc. You also don't have to cut out all the foods you enjoy, many of us have lost weight and kept it off without cutting things like pizza, Oreos, and wine - in the first text of an overall balanced diet.

    Good luck.
  • sytchequeen
    sytchequeen Posts: 526 Member
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    regarding retaining water - you can combat this by drinking more water. I know it sounds potty, but when you don't drink enough your body holds on to what it's got.
    good luck
  • mrobin78
    mrobin78 Posts: 6 Member
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    I have put on 14 lbs in the last 2 months just by giving up smoking - I thought it would cause me to eat more but it honestly hasn't. I have been eating the same as I did before giving up smoking yet still put on these 14 lbs, without the oreos! I will work it out, slowly but surely! Thanks for all your help so far
  • jules0348
    jules0348 Posts: 12 Member
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    Water!!!
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,874 Member
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    mrobin78 wrote: »
    brilliant, thanks everyone. Although I started the running/walking 4 weeks ago, I have only just started the counting calories 2 days ago but I am struggling to get to 1200 per day which is what myfitness pal is suggesting. I'm confused about the 'don't eat your exercise' simply because when I add the exercise I have done to myfitness pal, it adds more calories to my daily amount to eat, bringing it to a total of 1500 - or am I reading that wrong? Sorry to sound so dense!

    You just started counting calories 2 days ago? There's your answer. Read some of the stickies about common pitfalls in counting to be sure you're not underestimating your intake and give it a couple of months.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,080 Member
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    I'm calling it stress and unfamiliarity with how MyFitnessPal works, as well as not logging calories accurately.

    The ex husband thing stress is going to mess with you, best thing to do is try to eat nutritious food and learn how to log. You have a lot on your plate and increased stress has been proven to cause hormone disruption and weight issues.

    Right now I would just focus on your kids and learning to detach from the mister's crazy.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    mrobin78 wrote: »
    I have put on 14 lbs in the last 2 months just by giving up smoking - I thought it would cause me to eat more but it honestly hasn't. I have been eating the same as I did before giving up smoking yet still put on these 14 lbs, without the oreos! I will work it out, slowly but surely! Thanks for all your help so far

    But you only started counting calories 2 days ago so you don't really know how many cals you were consuming while you were still smoking, and in the last two weeks.

    You're starting a lot of new healthy habits (giving up smoking, running, counting calories) which is fantastic. Just make sure to take it slowly so you don't burn out by taking on too much at once. The no smoking is definitely a keeper, so make sure your exercise routine is not too extreme all at once, and focus on counting cals accurately maybe before you make sweeping dietary changes. A lot of people take on too much at once and flame out on the whole thing.

    Good luck!
  • tinkerbellang83
    tinkerbellang83 Posts: 9,069 Member
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    mrobin78 wrote: »
    I have put on 14 lbs in the last 2 months just by giving up smoking - I thought it would cause me to eat more but it honestly hasn't. I have been eating the same as I did before giving up smoking yet still put on these 14 lbs, without the oreos! I will work it out, slowly but surely! Thanks for all your help so far

    Quitting smoking did not make you gain, eating too much did, you can't have been eating the same as before, fat doesn't appear out of thin air. Smoking does suppress appetite so you have likely had a bigger appetite since quitting and unconsciously been eating slightly bigger portions of the same food.

    Log accurately and eat back at least 50% of your exercise calories to start with (review after a few weeks).





  • mrobin78
    mrobin78 Posts: 6 Member
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    I hear ya! Thanks again x

  • jglhklhgl
    jglhklhgl Posts: 41 Member
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    Actually smoking can speed up your metabolism and when you quit your metabolism slows down so that can contribute to weight gain.

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