HELP; DISCOURAGED
rclifton76
Posts: 3 Member
I have been dieting & exercising 1.5 hrs a day on average for 4 weeks & I've only lost 4 lbs. I maintain on average a 800 cals/day & maintain 40/40/20 on macros. This last week it's more like 50/30/20. I do 30-45 min cardio (eliptical) & 30-45 min weights (circuit) 5-7 days a week. Weight is almost unchanged, inches unchanged as well. I'm at a loss. Any advice would be appreciated! I eat no sweets, soda, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, & very few fruits. My main diet is fresh veggies, fish, poultry, eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, protein bars.
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Replies
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You maintain on 800 calories a day? I believe you are not counting your calorie intake correctly.
Do you use a food scale to weigh everything you eat?21 -
You are not logging what you eat as your first visit to mfp was today.
Start logging by weight everything you eat and drink and all the exercise you do.
Fyi no way you are eating 800 calories and exercising and not starving.
Age ,gender, current weight, mfp suggested calories to lose 1 lb per week.10 -
You aren't eating 800 calories a day and exercising 1.5 hours a day. Start logging everything as acccurately as possible.
That said, losing 4 pounds in 4 weeks is not "almost unchanged". That's exactly what you should be aiming for with an appropriate calorie intake (unless you have less than 15 pounds to lose).8 -
rclifton76 wrote: »I maintain on average a 800 cals/day & maintain 40/40/20 on macros.rclifton76 wrote: »I do 30-45 min cardio (eliptical) & 30-45 min weights (circuit) 5-7 days a week.
No you don't. That's basically impossible, you'd never have the energy to exercise on that few of calories. Women shouldn't eat less than 1200 a day, and Men shouldn't eat less than 1500 a day.
Macros means nothing for weight loss. Whether you eat chocolate or salad, you will lose the same amount if you actually count calories correctly.
1 pound a week is within reasonable expectations of weight loss, if you want to lose faster you need to be way more accurate with counting.
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rclifton76 wrote: »I have been dieting & exercising 1.5 hrs a day on average for 4 weeks & I've only lost 4 lbs. I maintain on average a 800 cals/day & maintain 40/40/20 on macros. This last week it's more like 50/30/20. I do 30-45 min cardio (eliptical) & 30-45 min weights (circuit) 5-7 days a week. Weight is almost unchanged, inches unchanged as well. I'm at a loss. Any advice would be appreciated! I eat no sweets, soda, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, & very few fruits. My main diet is fresh veggies, fish, poultry, eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, protein bars.
If you were eating 800 cals per day while exercising 1.5 hrs a day for 4 weeks, that would be incredibly unhealthy. Luckily, there is no chance you are actually eating 800 cals or you would have been losing a ton of weight and probably would have passed out by now.
Having said that, you have lost an avg of 1 lb per week, which is kind of a perfect rate of loss. If you would like to get a better grasp of what is going on, I'd suggest:- Get a food scale and use it for as much as possible for the time being.
- Double check that the database entries you are using are correct.
- Log accurately and consistently every day.
- You don't need to eat such a restrictive diet to lose weight. I ate literally every one of the foods you said you cut out while I was losing weight. Eating the right amount of calories is the key.
- There is no need to kill yourself working out to lose weight. By all means, exercise for health and fitness though.
- Get a realistic handle on your expectations. I don't know how much weight you have to lose, but 1 lb per week is what most people should be aiming for. If you are obese, you may be able to safely lose 1.5 or 2 lbs per week, but weight loss isn't linear and you won't always see a loss on the scale, your weight always fluctuates.
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I agree with all of the above. You are eating way more than you think you are because you aren't accurately weighing your foods. And, by the way, you are losing at a totally respectable rate, so you are at a deficit. what did you want, 10 lbs a week? That is only on the Biggest Loser and is extremely dangerous.7
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I got more red flags going on here than Monza on race day.
OP, are you deliberately trying to aim for 800 cal? If so, you really need to see a doctor or some kind of professional help because this is veering into eating disorder territory.9 -
When I had an eating disorder, my metabolism was so severely compromised that I couldn't eat 800 calories a day without gaining weight. It was an absolutely miserable, desperate time in my life. Given some of the details in your post, I worry that you might be experiencing something similar. If that's the case, I am so very sorry. You deserve way better. As scary as it is, the best (only, I'm afraid) way to increase your metabolism - and also start feeling less stressed out in general - is to eat more. I know that might feel impossible. If I can support you in any way, please let me know. Glad to PM with you. Hang in there.
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If you were truly eating (or should I say undereating!) 800 calories a day then you would be losing weight. You are eating more than you think.4
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In order for your metabolism to function properly, you need to eat 1200 cal per day. Otherwise your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism slows way down. It may seem counter-intuitive, but if you are really eating 800 cal per day then you need to up your intake. As other have said, logging accurately and consistently is key to getting a handle on true progress in your fitness journey. Best of luck and feel free to friend me.37
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In order for your metabolism to function properly, you need to eat 1200 cal per day. Otherwise your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism slows way down. It may seem counter-intuitive, but if you are really eating 800 cal per day then you need to up your intake. As other have said, logging accurately and consistently is key to getting a handle on true progress in your fitness journey. Best of luck and feel free to friend me.
no, no, no. there is no such thing as starvation mode as you are meaning it. if she were truly eating 800 calories per day she would be losing weight like crazy - have you not seen people who are actually starving? they don't gain/maintain weight! fortunately for the OP, she is likely eating much, much more than she thinks.13 -
In order for your metabolism to function properly, you need to eat 1200 cal per day. Otherwise your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism slows way down. It may seem counter-intuitive, but if you are really eating 800 cal per day then you need to up your intake. As other have said, logging accurately and consistently is key to getting a handle on true progress in your fitness journey. Best of luck and feel free to friend me.
I'm sorry but this is simply not true. Eating too little over a long period of time, like for months and years, can slow down your metabolism gradually over time. But it is not going to drop a grown woman's maintenance to less than 800 calories in a month.6 -
rclifton76 wrote: »I maintain on average a 800 cals/day & maintain 40/40/20 on macros.rclifton76 wrote: »I do 30-45 min cardio (eliptical) & 30-45 min weights (circuit) 5-7 days a week.
No you don't. That's basically impossible, you'd never have the energy to exercise on that few of calories. Women shouldn't eat less than 1200 a day, and Men shouldn't eat less than 1500 a day.
Macros means nothing for weight loss. Whether you eat chocolate or salad, you will lose the same amount if you actually count calories correctly.
1 pound a week is within reasonable expectations of weight loss, if you want to lose faster you need to be way more accurate with counting.
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In order for your metabolism to function properly, you need to eat 1200 cal per day. Otherwise your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism slows way down. It may seem counter-intuitive, but if you are really eating 800 cal per day then you need to up your intake. As other have said, logging accurately and consistently is key to getting a handle on true progress in your fitness journey. Best of luck and feel free to friend me.
There are many reasons to not be eating 800 calories, but starvation mode isn’t one.12 -
In order for your metabolism to function properly, you need to eat 1200 cal per day. Otherwise your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism slows way down. It may seem counter-intuitive, but if you are really eating 800 cal per day then you need to up your intake. As other have said, logging accurately and consistently is key to getting a handle on true progress in your fitness journey. Best of luck and feel free to friend me.
I need a "head hitting the desk" gif. This is sooo wrong.
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rclifton76 wrote: »I have been dieting & exercising 1.5 hrs a day on average for 4 weeks & I've only lost 4 lbs. I maintain on average a 800 cals/day & maintain 40/40/20 on macros. This last week it's more like 50/30/20. I do 30-45 min cardio (eliptical) & 30-45 min weights (circuit) 5-7 days a week. Weight is almost unchanged, inches unchanged as well. I'm at a loss. Any advice would be appreciated! I eat no sweets, soda, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, & very few fruits. My main diet is fresh veggies, fish, poultry, eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, protein bars.
Oh boy, there is so much wrong in this. 800 calories??? First of all, if that were true, you're killing yourself slowly. For one, you are not getting enough nutrients and fiber and worst of all, you are getting little food for your body to function properly. However, I highly doubt you are eating 800 calories, I am sure your miscalculating something or not weighing food properly. You say you lost 4 lbs, if you truly ate at 800 calories, you would be losing a lot more than that. You are eating supposedly at a very huge and risky deficit. Oh and the foods that you eat don't mean anything. You can still lose weight by eating junk food, just like you can gain weight with only healthy foods. Food selection makes no difference, calories do when it comes to weight loss. The issue right now is the accuracy of the food you log and weigh. You seem not to know how it all works by the look of it.
Just don't take it the wrong the way, we all start somewhere, but I would start to learn the basics.3 -
rclifton76 wrote: »I have been dieting & exercising 1.5 hrs a day on average for 4 weeks & I've only lost 4 lbs. I maintain on average a 800 cals/day & maintain 40/40/20 on macros. This last week it's more like 50/30/20. I do 30-45 min cardio (eliptical) & 30-45 min weights (circuit) 5-7 days a week. Weight is almost unchanged, inches unchanged as well. I'm at a loss. Any advice would be appreciated! I eat no sweets, soda, bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, & very few fruits. My main diet is fresh veggies, fish, poultry, eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, protein bars.
Oh boy, there is so much wrong in this. 800 calories??? First of all, if that were true, you're killing yourself slowly. For one, you are not getting enough nutrients and fiber and worst of all, you are getting little food for your body to function properly. However, I highly doubt you are eating 800 calories, I am sure your miscalculating something or not weighing food properly. You say you lost 4 lbs, if you truly ate at 800 calories, you would be losing a lot more than that. You are eating supposedly at a very huge and risky deficit. Oh and the foods that you eat don't mean anything. You can still lose weight by eating junk food, just like you can gain weight with only healthy foods. Food selection makes no difference, calories do when it comes to weight loss. The issue right now is the accuracy of the food you log and weigh. You seem not to know how it all works by the look of it.
Just don't take it the wrong the way, we all start somewhere, but I would start to learn the basics.
I agree with this.^^^
I want to just add that your numbers weight wise may be off (higher) for many reasons including constipation and edema.
800 kcals a day along with a lot of excercise, is underfeeding your body dangerously. This will backfire on you if it hasn't already. Your body needs enough fuel to do all of its functions in keeping you healthy and alive. Malnourishment is not a sensible weight loss plan.
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So you lost 4 pounds in 4 weeks (congrats!!) and you feel frustrated because you didn't lose anything in a week since (relax it's only been a week weight does fluctuate). I've gone up 3 pounds one week, and lost it all within the next 2 weeks before it's normal. Chill also I don't think you're really eating 800 calories for obvious reasons, but I think what's wrong is you have a mentality that you have to eat that few calories to lose weight.
What's your current height and weight? Also I'd reccomend you use a food scale, and eat the calories reccomended by MyFitnessPal eat the intake provide not 800 calories once you start tracking your intake better.
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Lesscookies12 wrote: »So you lost 4 pounds in 4 weeks (congrats!!) and you feel frustrated because you didn't lose anything in a week since (relax it's only been a week weight does fluctuate). I've gone up 3 pounds one week, and lost it all within the next 2 weeks before it's normal. Chill also I don't think you're really eating 800 calories for obvious reasons, but I think what's wrong is you have a mentality that you have to eat that few calories to lose weight.
What's your current height and weight? Also I'd reccomend you use a food scale, and eat the calories reccomended by MyFitnessPal eat the intake provide not 800 calories once you start tracking your intake better.
Thank you very much for your pleasant response! It was extremely disheartening to read the rude responses I received when all I was looking for was advise! People can learn a lot from you, Bravo. I'm 5'1, weigh 170lbs. I do weigh my food, measure everything and scan all bar codes through this app. I do eat 800-1000. calories per day. My average is 800. I do work out 1.5 hrs 4 days a week & 2 hrs sat & sun. I eat all day 6 small meals a day.
I agree with you that I should chill. I'm not happy with only 4 lbs but I'll get there. Thank you for your support, keep being awesome.13 -
I re-read your OP, you were venting I guess. Patience is what you need. Best wishes1
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rclifton76 wrote: »Lesscookies12 wrote: »So you lost 4 pounds in 4 weeks (congrats!!) and you feel frustrated because you didn't lose anything in a week since (relax it's only been a week weight does fluctuate). I've gone up 3 pounds one week, and lost it all within the next 2 weeks before it's normal. Chill also I don't think you're really eating 800 calories for obvious reasons, but I think what's wrong is you have a mentality that you have to eat that few calories to lose weight.
What's your current height and weight? Also I'd reccomend you use a food scale, and eat the calories reccomended by MyFitnessPal eat the intake provide not 800 calories once you start tracking your intake better.
Thank you very much for your pleasant response! It was extremely disheartening to read the rude responses I received when all I was looking for was advise! People can learn a lot from you, Bravo. I'm 5'1, weigh 170lbs. I do weigh my food, measure everything and scan all bar codes through this app. I do eat 800-1000. calories per day. My average is 800. I do work out 1.5 hrs 4 days a week & 2 hrs sat & sun. I eat all day 6 small meals a day.
I agree with you that I should chill. I'm not happy with only 4 lbs but I'll get there. Thank you for your support, keep being awesome.
Not sure if it was aimed at me, I wasn't being rude, I just don't believe your maintenance is 800 calories, you have to be basically a sedentary dwarf (which you are not) to have that number as a maintenance.
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I don't know where all this negativity comes from? When I have made the mistake of giving into my rebellious inner child, I have eaten this many calories (to make up for the binge-eating) and STILL exercised. Not everyone has the same body composition and one shoe definitely does not fit all. I'm with you, rclifton76, where there is a will, there is a way.........add me as a friend, if you want.14
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rclifton76 wrote: »Lesscookies12 wrote: »So you lost 4 pounds in 4 weeks (congrats!!) and you feel frustrated because you didn't lose anything in a week since (relax it's only been a week weight does fluctuate). I've gone up 3 pounds one week, and lost it all within the next 2 weeks before it's normal. Chill also I don't think you're really eating 800 calories for obvious reasons, but I think what's wrong is you have a mentality that you have to eat that few calories to lose weight.
What's your current height and weight? Also I'd reccomend you use a food scale, and eat the calories reccomended by MyFitnessPal eat the intake provide not 800 calories once you start tracking your intake better.
Thank you very much for your pleasant response! It was extremely disheartening to read the rude responses I received when all I was looking for was advise! People can learn a lot from you, Bravo. I'm 5'1, weigh 170lbs. I do weigh my food, measure everything and scan all bar codes through this app. I do eat 800-1000. calories per day. My average is 800. I do work out 1.5 hrs 4 days a week & 2 hrs sat & sun. I eat all day 6 small meals a day.
I agree with you that I should chill. I'm not happy with only 4 lbs but I'll get there. Thank you for your support, keep being awesome.
I don’t see anyone who was being rude. 800 calories is way too low unless you’re on a medically-supervised diet. If that’s your true amount, you are doing some serious damage to your body.11 -
rclifton76 wrote: »Lesscookies12 wrote: »So you lost 4 pounds in 4 weeks (congrats!!) and you feel frustrated because you didn't lose anything in a week since (relax it's only been a week weight does fluctuate). I've gone up 3 pounds one week, and lost it all within the next 2 weeks before it's normal. Chill also I don't think you're really eating 800 calories for obvious reasons, but I think what's wrong is you have a mentality that you have to eat that few calories to lose weight.
What's your current height and weight? Also I'd reccomend you use a food scale, and eat the calories reccomended by MyFitnessPal eat the intake provide not 800 calories once you start tracking your intake better.
Thank you very much for your pleasant response! It was extremely disheartening to read the rude responses I received when all I was looking for was advise! People can learn a lot from you, Bravo. I'm 5'1, weigh 170lbs. I do weigh my food, measure everything and scan all bar codes through this app. I do eat 800-1000. calories per day. My average is 800. I do work out 1.5 hrs 4 days a week & 2 hrs sat & sun. I eat all day 6 small meals a day.
I agree with you that I should chill. I'm not happy with only 4 lbs but I'll get there. Thank you for your support, keep being awesome.
I don’t see anyone who was being rude. 800 calories is way too low unless you’re on a medically-supervised diet. If that’s your true amount, you are doing some serious damage to your body.
Yup. You can easily eat double that and lose weight. I'm five feet tall, 133 pounds and can lose 0.5 lb/wk on 1700 calories.
Eat more. By the time you start to see the effects of low calories, it's too late to quickly turn it around.
~Lyssa4 -
rclifton76 wrote: »Lesscookies12 wrote: »So you lost 4 pounds in 4 weeks (congrats!!) and you feel frustrated because you didn't lose anything in a week since (relax it's only been a week weight does fluctuate). I've gone up 3 pounds one week, and lost it all within the next 2 weeks before it's normal. Chill also I don't think you're really eating 800 calories for obvious reasons, but I think what's wrong is you have a mentality that you have to eat that few calories to lose weight.
What's your current height and weight? Also I'd reccomend you use a food scale, and eat the calories reccomended by MyFitnessPal eat the intake provide not 800 calories once you start tracking your intake better.
Thank you very much for your pleasant response! It was extremely disheartening to read the rude responses I received when all I was looking for was advise! People can learn a lot from you, Bravo. I'm 5'1, weigh 170lbs. I do weigh my food, measure everything and scan all bar codes through this app. I do eat 800-1000. calories per day. My average is 800. I do work out 1.5 hrs 4 days a week & 2 hrs sat & sun. I eat all day 6 small meals a day.
I agree with you that I should chill. I'm not happy with only 4 lbs but I'll get there. Thank you for your support, keep being awesome.
im 5'1, 40 years old and wouldnt be able to FUNCTION, much less WORK OUT on 800 calories a day. i lose a consistent 2 pounds per week on 1200. BEFORE work outs and eating back some of those calories (about half to account for over estimations). on work out days i eat around 1500 cals.
get help.4 -
MonaRaeHill wrote: »I don't know where all this negativity comes from? When I have made the mistake of giving into my rebellious inner child, I have eaten this many calories (to make up for the binge-eating) and STILL exercised. Not everyone has the same body composition and one shoe definitely does not fit all. I'm with you, rclifton76, where there is a will, there is a way.........add me as a friend, if you want.
One day at 800 would even it out; consistently eating 800-1000 is a serious problem.8 -
MonaRaeHill wrote: »I don't know where all this negativity comes from? When I have made the mistake of giving into my rebellious inner child, I have eaten this many calories (to make up for the binge-eating) and STILL exercised. Not everyone has the same body composition and one shoe definitely does not fit all. I'm with you, rclifton76, where there is a will, there is a way.........add me as a friend, if you want.
There's nothing negative about pointing out when someone is under-eating and over-training. With the exception of doctor-monitored VLCDs, 800cal is in no way healthy. It doesn't matter if you feel good at the start, you'll feel good until you don't, and by then a lot of damage has been done. Obviously at the end of the day it's someone's choice what they do and if they chose to wreck their health, but it's certainly not negative for people to point out it's wrong and one shouldn't be doing it for obvious reasons.7 -
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