Help! Regarding Calorie Intake

Ok...New to this calorie counting. Started last week and inputted weight/height etc and myfitnesspal gave me 1200 calories and in my first week I lost 7lb, which I was over the moon with. Today I put 1/2 pound on. The only thing I can think of, is I haven't been drinking enough fluid. I know I don't drink enough, or should I increase my calories to 1600 a week. Because I thought you only started on 1200 for the first week to rev your metabolism?? I need to loose 1.5 stone by September otherwise I wont fit in my wedding dress, someone please help me xx (ps I know I should take my measurements too)

Replies

  • kateish417
    kateish417 Posts: 6 Member
    From my experience, you definitely need to be drinking lots of water. Sometimes the small fluctuations in the scale are just water retention, and lucky for us as women, we can retain water just because of our cycle! This is my second time doing the calorie counting with my fitness pal, and the last time I did it, I ate between 1200 - 1500 calories each day and I lost over 60lbs in just over 3 months. I've put some of that back on now, and I too am getting married, so I need to get back into a leaner version of myself! You touched on the other thing I was going to say - don't be too focused on the scale. Sometimes I would gain weight and lose a half an inch, so it's just your body finding its new shape. Keep it up!
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    You can be losing fat, but still "gain weight" in water or glycogen, due to exercise (muscles hold on to water to repair/grow), hormones (time of month), salty food, lots of lovely carbs, and stress.
  • tibby103
    tibby103 Posts: 9 Member
    I set my goal to loose 1lb a week, didn't want to be in-realistic and to loose it to fast either. A few years back I dropped 4 dress sizes, 36 inches but still only lost 1 stone...so this weekend I am going to take my measurements, and in the office I am swopping tea's for water now! so hopefully, I shall see a change.... When I got my wedding dress it didn't fit, I think that's why I'm stressing lol xx
  • gvizzle74
    gvizzle74 Posts: 123 Member
    tibby103 wrote: »
    started on 1200 for the first week to rev your metabolism??

    That's a myth. If you're ok with 1200 - keep eating 1200. Your weight fluctuates daily and is affected by a lot of things: stress, hydration, sleep, sodium, ovulating, etc. Look for trends, not just a one day blip.
  • cshern
    cshern Posts: 55 Member
    Hi Tibbie, please don't worry. You will lose at approximately the rate the app explains. Twenty-one pounds should take you roughly eleven weeks. And it will take a little time for your body to "recognize the weight loss and kind of "shrink" into your new size. You have plenty of time and could even decide to consume a few more calories each day, as long as you continue to use your food diary. Just write down everything you eat. Stop weighing yourself everyday and do drink plenty of water and get as much exercise as you can. I am extremely sedentary and had a huge amount of weight to lose. So I have lost 45 pounds in 90 days. But your case will undoubtedly be different, because you haven't so much to lose so, after your initial drop of water weight, you will see the pounds drop off week by week.

    Please try to stress over planning your everlasting relationship to the dear man you plan to marry, if you must stress over something :-)
  • turnerjwr
    turnerjwr Posts: 75 Member
    Try not to focus too much on small weight fluctuations. Your body will vary by a few lbs throughout the day. To test this, you can weigh yourself right before bed, and again when you wake up. For ongoing day over day weight tracking, make sure you're weighing yourself at the same time of day each day. This will help reduce the deviations due to normal daily fluctuations.
  • mikeandlindasept15
    mikeandlindasept15 Posts: 15 Member
    As my husband says, the scale is just one tool to use during your weight loss journey.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Your weight is going to go up and down constantly. As long as the overall trend line is going down, you're on the right track.

    This thread talks about a lot of different things that can impact your weight from day to day: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634529/why-did-the-number-on-the-scale-go-up-this-week-heres-why#latest
  • AnnetteJones4
    AnnetteJones4 Posts: 7 Member
    I used to think it was bs but I actually believe it is smart to take your measurements because sometimes the scale doesn't do much but the tape measure does.
  • tibby103
    tibby103 Posts: 9 Member
    cshern wrote: »
    Hi Tibbie, please don't worry. You will lose at approximately the rate the app explains. Twenty-one pounds should take you roughly eleven weeks. And it will take a little time for your body to "recognize the weight loss and kind of "shrink" into your new size. You have plenty of time and could even decide to consume a few more calories each day, as long as you continue to use your food diary. Just write down everything you eat. Stop weighing yourself everyday and do drink plenty of water and get as much exercise as you can. I am extremely sedentary and had a huge amount of weight to lose. So I have lost 45 pounds in 90 days. But your case will undoubtedly be different, because you haven't so much to lose so, after your initial drop of water weight, you will see the pounds drop off week by week.

    Please try to stress over planning your everlasting relationship to the dear man you plan to marry, if you must stress over something :-)

    Thankyou...believe me planning a wedding is stressful.
    So far I have lost 9lb in 4 weeks, but I think I'm loosing inches just by the comments I'm getting.
    I set MFP goal to loose 1lb aweek and occasionally I may eat over the 1200, but I'm doing ok and haven't felt hungry that I've needed to eat more.
    Hopefully as time goes on, I will see the results. Still struggling with the fluid intake though! How do you guys drink so much lol xx

  • tibby103
    tibby103 Posts: 9 Member
    turnerjwr wrote: »
    Try not to focus too much on small weight fluctuations. Your body will vary by a few lbs throughout the day. To test this, you can weigh yourself right before bed, and again when you wake up. For ongoing day over day weight tracking, make sure you're weighing yourself at the same time of day each day. This will help reduce the deviations due to normal daily fluctuations.

    I cant be jumping on the scales every day, lol I wouldn't eat anything.
    I get weighed in work once a week and have started taking measurements too
    x
  • tibby103
    tibby103 Posts: 9 Member
    I used to think it was bs but I actually believe it is smart to take your measurements because sometimes the scale doesn't do much but the tape measure does.

    I'm going to try my dress on in a few weeks, so hopefully I will see the difference compared to last time. x
  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,099 Member
    Heck, my weight fluctuates 6lbs a day sometimes. Listen to the people here, I wish I had known about this community before i nearly destroyed myself.