Really slow weight loss despite cutting calories drastically

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Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    serindipte wrote: »
    By the way, as tempting as it is to eat as little as possible for the fastest weight loss.. what you are doing is causing your body to cannibalize your muscle. That muscle loss will lower your BMR which makes it more difficult to lose weight, not to mention that whole bit about needing muscle for things like movement and heart function. :)

    Seriously, get your calories up where they should be, try to hit your protein at about 100g per day to prevent as much muscle loss as possible. Include good fats, they are necessary parts of nutrition.

    Don't aim to lose more than 8-10 lbs per month and that will slow down as your weight decreases. That is healthy. We didn't get fat in a month or two. We won't get down to our goal weight in a month or two.

    And muscle loss is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the effects of eating too little. You can lose your hair, wreck your menstrual cycle, develop illnesses from malnutrition or even organ failure...
  • kroe4
    kroe4 Posts: 111 Member
    edited May 2018
    kls1986520 wrote: »
    I am not really sure how to eat more calories without feeling sick or eating garbage. I weigh 90% of what I eat, but I get full after every meal, to the point where it’s uncomfortable. I’m not sure where to supplement more calories. An average day for me is as follows:

    Breakfast: 5/6 cup full fat greek yogurt/blueberry mix and 1/6 cup organic granola

    Lunch: 1/2 chicken breast and 1/2 cup of veggies or 2 cups salad with lean meat

    Dinner: 4oz lean steak or half chicken breast and 1/2 cup veggies

    After I eat these meals I feel full. Sometimes stuffed. When I started dieting I would get hunger pangs/grumbly stomach between meals, but I don’t get that feeling anymore. My app recommends 1200 calories a day, but that’s almost like wasting another full meal without being hungry. I am trying not to eat when I am not hungry, but I don’t know how to add more calories without doing that or eating food that is “bad for you”. I have been extremely overweight my entire life and have never had a good relationship with food. I don’t know much about nutrition or weight loss other than eat less calories than your body uses


    Okay, so like you I also started off aiming to loose around 130-140lbs.... I've been at it since March 1st and I'm down 36lbs so far. What I've found to have worked is pairing my carbs/proteins to make sure I'm getting enough calories. I had trouble under eating at the beginning because like you I wasn't hungry when I started eating healthier. But the scales didn't budge until I upped my calories.

    Typical Breakfast for me: Premier protein shake, one medium apple, two tablespoons of peanut butter.
    Lunch: Deli chicken sandwich with cheese and mayo, cup of grapes.
    Dinner: Grilled chicken breast, corn, applesauce.
    Snacks during the day might be: Cashews, slim jim, pepperoni and cheese etc etc.
    I average around 1200-1400 a day and have had fantastic results. Also I'm super plain so I eat like a small child lol But as weird as it sounds sometimes you have to eat when you're not hungry. Sometimes during my work day I am no where near hungry but know if I don't have that serving of cashews for 160 calories I'm not getting to my goal, so I eat it.

    Stick with it and up your calories as you can to at least get over that 1200 mark. Even if that means having a serving of applesauce with every meal lol Good Luck! You got this =)
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,292 Member
    OP: easy way to add 100's of calories with very little food. Oil (add oil to soups, sauces, salads), peanut butter, even a little is a lot of calories, eat a teaspoon here and there through the day, boom 200+ calories.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    edited May 2018
    You really do need to eat a minimum of 1200 calories. You are not going to gain fat with 1200 calories. You should probably be eating more particularly if you are not sedentary or exercise.

    Eat more like what you ate before you started your diet a month ago. You were not eating 800-900 calories then so you can eat more.
    You do not have to eat large quantities of food just more calories.
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
    Adding some fats is a way to up your calorie intake. Full fat yogurt, chicken thighs instead of hreast, oil for cooking, butter or cheese on vegetables, salad dressing or condiments.
    Have some bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, beans, banana, avocado.
    If your appetite is small you might try drinking whole milk or a smoothie.

    A food scale will be more helpful for accurate logging than cups.


    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10634529/why-did-the-number-on-the-scale-go-up-this-week-heres-why/p1
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p1
    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    If your meal plan is about 900 calories you only need to add 300 calories to get to the minimum. Since you are easily full on your meal plan I suggest Gatorade. It will help keep you hydrated in your desert locale and you only need a few a day to top you up. Besides it has electrolytes that you need.
  • michelleRKdavidson
    michelleRKdavidson Posts: 18 Member
    OP, let me first commend you for starting your journey on the road to a healthier YOU. I know that taking the first step on that journey seems like jumping off the side of mountain! You are on the right track you just have to find what works for you. Everyone has different bodies, metabolisms, nutrition needs, etc. Keep plugging at it you WILL find what works for you.
    I do think the others posting the advise to up your calories are probably correct. You should not feel dizzy during the day. You drinking water all day is great! Good for you that is excellent!
    The other thing I would advise is if you can't get a workout in try for other ways to burn regular old active calories. If you work at a desk all day set you an alarm on your phone to get up every hour and walk around the office for a couple of minutes or outside if you can. Take the stairs. When you go to the restroom do some simple stretches to work out the kinks in your body. Any little thing you can think of to move around a little more during the day. (I sit for 8 hours a day as well so it is a challenge for me to do these things as well)
    If you have the means I would suggest an Apple watch or some type of fitbit. I love my Apple watch. It keeps track of how many calories I burn, how many steps I take, etc. I use it in combination with My Fitness Pal. I know something like that is an investment but I have really found it to be helpful to me.
    I have also found a couple of apps that help me with quick little workouts I do before I jump in the shower in the AM. My favorite is the 7 minute workout app by Johnson & Johnson. It gets my blood pumping when I know I won't get much exercise for the day. There is also one called Sworkit, for some good stretching/pilates type quick workouts.
    Just remember everything you do, every extra step you take, every pound you loose is a step in the direction to feeling better. You will have set backs but YOU CAN DO IT!
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    jgnatca wrote: »
    If your meal plan is about 900 calories you only need to add 300 calories to get to the minimum. Since you are easily full on your meal plan I suggest Gatorade. It will help keep you hydrated in your desert locale and you only need a few a day to top you up. Besides it has electrolytes that you need.

    Her min daily goal is 1600ish not 1200.