I am eating less calories and not loosing weight

AliciaPascutto
AliciaPascutto Posts: 3 Member
edited October 4 in Introduce Yourself
I am in a 1,200 calories a day. I am exercising, drinking water and counting every calorie I eat, but my weight lost is almost stuck. I lost 5 pounds in 2 months. I see that sometimes I eat less of the calories I am suppose to consume. However , sometimes even though I still have calories I go over on my protein intake. What can I do to accelerate my weight lost. Please help.

Replies

  • MrsCupCakeBoyle
    MrsCupCakeBoyle Posts: 259 Member
    Eat More
  • april_beth
    april_beth Posts: 616 Member
    you need more calories. 1200 is NOT the magic number for everyone - and it is only the magic number for like 1% of the US.
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    Eat More

    this
  • mpcass
    mpcass Posts: 86
    Eat More
    [What she said!!/quote]
  • Pepper2185
    Pepper2185 Posts: 994 Member
    It sounds contrary - but you probably need to eat more. Set your weight loss goal to lose 1lb per week. With the increase in calories, you will probably lose more than this.

    Worked for me.
  • TinaDay1114
    TinaDay1114 Posts: 1,328 Member
    Eat More

    this

    In case no one said it enough -- EAT. You gotta eat more than 1,200 a day, and you gotta eat back every workout calorie. The longest / worst plateau I had was when I set the activity level too low on here and was trying to live on 1,290 + workout calories. You need FUEL.
  • betzeross
    betzeross Posts: 161 Member
    It seems crazy but it's true - eat more! They know what they're talking about. :)
  • savismommy
    savismommy Posts: 56
    Eat More.


    ^^^^ This. ^^^^
  • KatieJane83
    KatieJane83 Posts: 2,002 Member
    Have to agree with all the previous posts...eat more!
  • bry_all01
    bry_all01 Posts: 3,100 Member
    with only eating 1200 calories AND working out, you are creating a deficit. Basically, eat more.
  • melianne125
    melianne125 Posts: 90 Member
    I agree. Eat more. I faced the same problem and eating more has started working for me :)
  • mashanda
    mashanda Posts: 120 Member
    sounds crazy but EAT MORE! You may just need more fuel in your body. I think we all have a magic number. It is kind of likke how weight watches used to make people to a 6 weeks maitenance to find the amount of "points" was their magic number to maintain their weight.
  • byjillian
    byjillian Posts: 5
    That is kind of interesting, because you would think eating less would be the answer. Everyone says to eat more...I believe it. Right now I too am at a plateau, but I set my workout goals more within what I was doing and guess what happened? My total went from 1200 calories per day to over 1350 calories!
  • Misiaxcore
    Misiaxcore Posts: 659 Member
    Eat More
  • mvandommelen
    mvandommelen Posts: 71
    Check your carbs? I did not go over calories ever but had higher carbs. I cut my carbs down to 150 or less and lost 10 pounds over 45 days, which is a safe way to do it. Just a thought.
  • Scoobies87
    Scoobies87 Posts: 379
    Everyone is different. My maintenance is 1,600 calories so if I ate more then 1,200 I would only maintain and not lose. I have tried it, therefore I know.

    I would suggest having a couple of days off to eat at maintenance to kick start your metabolism again. Eating more is an option but remember it is what works for you.

    Try adding some different exercise to surprise your body.
  • andrewchurchill
    andrewchurchill Posts: 1
    It's more about what you are eating. If you are getting most of your calories from carbs you will have a problem loosing weight. This summer I rode my bike over 1700 miles and walked ,jogged, and X/C skied an additional 500 miles.

    I religiously tracked my calorie consumption daily and averaged 2100 calories and in the end I lost no weight. I was getting about 60% of my calories from carbohydrates.

    5 weeks ago I stopped eating grains, processed sugar and dairy. I only work about about 3 times per week for 45 minutes, eat 2200 calories per day on average and I have been loosing 3 pounds per week.
  • MercedesV
    MercedesV Posts: 70 Member
    From my research, if your body has a calorie deficit for more than 6 days it releases chemicals that tell itself to go into starvation mode, thus keeping on the weight. Cheat days actually make me loose more because it stops my body from going into starvation mode. I cheat every Friday. With that said, after the cheat day I have to get right back on. (can be hard on a Saturday!) By cheating I'm talking about 500 or so calories over. A peice of cake on a cheat day is good. A whole cake is bad. :)
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
    I'm not sure what your settings are, but you could try to set it to lose 1/2 or 1 lb a week to give you more calories to eat. 1200 is low for most people and if you don't have a lot of weight to lose 1/2 a lb a week is a good goal to have.
  • McAlyna
    McAlyna Posts: 123 Member
    This is interesting. I eat 4-6 times but trying to be at my 1200ish. My water intake is at 8+ glasses. I notice that I don't loose as I am expecting (1 lb/week). I'll change this up a little higher and hope it'll do better for me. Thanks for the post.
  • nacs246
    nacs246 Posts: 93 Member
    What did MFP set your target goal as to loose weight? MFP calculates a deficit for you according to your height and weight and the expected goal you have set for your self. However if you eating below it then you starving yourself hence your body will hold onto every bit you eating and as a result you will not loose. There could be a few reasons you not loosing weight. Maybe for your height you don't need to loose anymore weight??? Maybe you just need to tone???

    Here is a very good article to help you if you have hit a plateau.http://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness-specialist/dealing-with-weight-loss-plateaus.aspx?xid=nl_LosingItWithJillianMichaels_20111025.

    Hope this helps.
    You welcome to friend me:)
  • diane1029
    diane1029 Posts: 2
    I agree, you need to EAT MORE. Eat your 1200 k/cals and log your exercise. Eating too much protein can also turn into fat if unused, so stick to your numbers and add more calories rather than less. If you don't already do so, add resistance training into the mix (weights) that is a huge fat-burner!
  • adk88
    adk88 Posts: 143 Member
    I had the same problem I lost 23 pounds in the first three months and then lowered my calories to 1200 and plateaued for the next three weeks straight. I raised my calories again about a week and a half ago and I have lost 2 more pounds since.

    I'll have to start having a cheat day once in a while too, I've heard on quite a few different occasions that it can actually help with losing.
  • embersfallen
    embersfallen Posts: 534 Member
    very interesting thread... I have been at a plateau for 3.5 months... so finding this very informative... I did up my calories the last 2 days ( and it was actually sooooo hard to do. Was interesting to see how my mindset about food has changed over the last 2.5 years! ) ...today is my back in track day...so will see what works....
  • MzFury
    MzFury Posts: 283 Member
    Also watch the quality of what you're eating, and watch whether you're losing inches but not weight (an indicator that you are burning fat but gaining a bit of muscle, which weighs more, all of which is desirable). Quality of food, in case you're not already with me on this, means cut out processed foods, learn to read labels, shop the perimeter (whole foods: produce from fruit to leafy greens to peppers to starchy veg; bulk for, whole grains, simple cereals (low sugar, no artificial sweeteners, no HFCS) and beans (though canned, low-sodium plain beans are a great pantry staple); meat and fish counters; dairy department for some cheese, skim or lowfat milk, bakery for breads without preservatives and high fructose corn syrups. Oh, and coffee, of course :D But seriously, if you're not already with me on this one, you should educate yourself about omitting processed foods with preservatives and additives and getting whole foods, and knowing how to cook them so they taste nice (and don't take all your time). If all of your 1200 calories, or most, are very wholesome, your body will know what to do with them.
    But watch your waistline...
  • AliciaPascutto
    AliciaPascutto Posts: 3 Member
    WOW!!! Let me see if I got this right.... I definitely have to increase my calorie intake and Decrease carbohydrates and have cheat days once in a while!! it sounds great!! I am not that hungry as it is now so i guess increasing my 1200 calories a day to 1300 is not that bad. I want to loose 25 ponds by sometime next year. Lets see how this works out for me.

    Thank you all :)
  • efarrar13
    efarrar13 Posts: 78
    Agree with everyone else...bump up your cals. If that doesn't work then maybe see your doctor and get your thyroid checked.
  • Shirley61
    Shirley61 Posts: 7,758 Member
    I did the same thing when I started here. I ate the 1200 and was starving. So I bumped
    my calories up to 1390 it seems to work.
    Also watch out for those snacks you forget to count. :tongue:

    Oh, and don't forget to exercise as much as you can. :bigsmile:

    Good Luck
  • JCassedy
    JCassedy Posts: 9 Member
    EAT YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!!!!! I consume 1280 a day PLUS whatever I burn working out and I lose 1.5 to 2 pounds a week even though I am almost about to goal. I plateau at 150/148 and then I up my calorie intake to 1480. Hope this helps!
  • smlamb33
    smlamb33 Posts: 342 Member
    Glad I saw this post! I too am at a plateu and I will also try to eat all of my exercise calories and see if this helps me too! Lots of great advice here!
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