Sticking to 1200 net calories a day. No weightloss. Why?

Options
2»

Replies

  • niknak0508
    niknak0508 Posts: 430 Member
    Options
    Are you switching up your routines? That should give your body a shock and help boost your loss. Having only a few pounds to lose now, your body won't lose as quickly as it did before. I struggle with this EVERY week. One week I will lose the next two I may not. I can always tell a difference in my clothes though. Inches are way better than pounds :-) Don't become discouraged, you are so close. Keep working hard and the scale WILL move. Congrats on your NSV, that's the BEST feeling when losing weight. You are making great progress.
  • Cathleenr
    Cathleenr Posts: 332
    Options
    What's your exercise routine like? Make sure you are drinking lots of water. Eat at least 1200 per day...anything less might put your body into starvation mode.

    No. It doesn't.
  • drlynned
    drlynned Posts: 34
    Options
    I try to stick to a higher protein diet, so I eat protein cereal in morning, salad with chicken for lunch and another salad for dinner or chicken and veggies. I don't drink my calories unless if I run a lot, then I treat myself to low cal starbucks, but other than that, no drinking of calories. I run 3 miles, 3 days a week, more if I'm religiously training for a half marathon.

    Only reason my weight loss goal was 1.5 pounds/week is because at 1200 calories a day, that's what myfitnesspal said I should lose in a week. I will try increasing my calorie intake a couple days a week to see if that has any effect. And honestly, if I lost 1/2 pound a week, I would be thrilled! It would at least be in the right direction, and I would love that as I"m soooo close to my goal. Thanks for all the tips/support!
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
    Options
    I try to stick to a higher protein diet, so I eat protein cereal in morning, salad with chicken for lunch and another salad for dinner or chicken and veggies. I don't drink my calories unless if I run a lot, then I treat myself to low cal starbucks, but other than that, no drinking of calories. I run 3 miles, 3 days a week, more if I'm religiously training for a half marathon.

    Only reason my weight loss goal was 1.5 pounds/week is because at 1200 calories a day, that's what myfitnesspal said I should lose in a week. I will try increasing my calorie intake a couple days a week to see if that has any effect. And honestly, if I lost 1/2 pound a week, I would be thrilled! It would at least be in the right direction, and I would love that as I"m soooo close to my goal. Thanks for all the tips/support!

    are you eating back the calories you burn when you run? If not, you should be doing that ESPECIALLY at a lower calorie level like 1200. I was eating 1450 and not eating my exercise calories and I was exhausted all the time and my metabolism slowed to an absolute crawl. Now I eat between 1700-2100 a day (...and sometimes more but I shouldn't) and I'm actually losing 1lb week (although god only knows why as I REALLY shouldn't be according to the BMR calculations.)
  • Kim55555
    Kim55555 Posts: 987 Member
    Options
    You answered your own question...who cares about the scale if your body composition is changing?

    Way to go girl :D

    that and

    What a lot of you guys have to realise is that weight (as in fat) is not lost every single week. That is not how the body works. You need to average out over set time-frame of say 4-5 weeks to see your average. If your goal is to lose 1 pound a week it wont always happen every single week. You will lose 1 pound in the 1st week, you may gain .3 of a pound in the 2nd week, in the 3rd week, lose .2 of a pound, 4th week stay the same, 5th week, lose 3 pounds. So over the course of 5 weeks you have lost a total of 4 pounds.

    Get it :)

    Dont worry about your weekly weight so much. Your jeans are too loose for you which means you have lost body fat!! you've obviously retained water inside your muscles from exercising. This means that your fat loss efforts are working!! Dont change anything in your diet!!

    Report back to this topic in 5 weeks time with how much you have lost in centimeters and on the scale! Keep doing exactly what you are doing and dont give up.

    Also because you only have a small amount to lose it will take you some time to lose it. Body fat % and inches lost are the most important methods to go by. The pounds will take care of themselves in time.

    Wish everyone would read up and do some research because there is a science behind *fat loss*.

    You just have to develop a lot of patience and determination.... good luck
  • Kim55555
    Kim55555 Posts: 987 Member
    Options
    I try to stick to a higher protein diet, so I eat protein cereal in morning, salad with chicken for lunch and another salad for dinner or chicken and veggies. I don't drink my calories unless if I run a lot, then I treat myself to low cal starbucks, but other than that, no drinking of calories. I run 3 miles, 3 days a week, more if I'm religiously training for a half marathon.

    Only reason my weight loss goal was 1.5 pounds/week is because at 1200 calories a day, that's what myfitnesspal said I should lose in a week. I will try increasing my calorie intake a couple days a week to see if that has any effect. And honestly, if I lost 1/2 pound a week, I would be thrilled! It would at least be in the right direction, and I would love that as I"m soooo close to my goal. Thanks for all the tips/support!

    I'm a bit confused now. I thought you said your calorie intake was 1200 NET? If it is 1200 Gross then this is way to low if you are exercising. You need to increase your calories then. Its far too low IMO.
  • drlynned
    drlynned Posts: 34
    Options
    Yes the 1200 calories a day is NET calories. If I earn 300-400 from running, I end up eating 1500-1600 total. I love running when my net calories has to be around 1200 because I get to eat more for dinner. It's great.

    I've upped my net calories to 1400 calories a day, so we'll see in a few weeks how this works out.
  • FaithHopeBELIEVE
    FaithHopeBELIEVE Posts: 626
    Options
    You answered your own question...who cares about the scale if your body composition is changing?

    Way to go girl :D

    This!
  • rm830
    rm830 Posts: 531 Member
    Options
    I was on 1200 calories a day, and didn't lose much and got mad!! Everybody told me you have to eat at least 1500 to lose so the next week I up it to 1500 calories, and lost 3 pounds! I would try to up your calories some!!!!
    ^^same here....1200 calories wasn't enough.
  • Christi6604
    Christi6604 Posts: 245 Member
    Options
    up your calorie intake by 100 more calories. trust me.

    I totally agree with this....there's a thread for those trying to lose the last ten pounds that you might find helpful. Since joining that thread, I upped my calories from 1200 to 1350-1425 or so and have started dropping again. It was VERY scary to start, but is working.
  • Ruansgirl
    Ruansgirl Posts: 3
    Options
    I was worried about the same thing! I lost 3 pounds last week and this week I gained 1. I didn't know what I had done wrong. I do a few hours of exercise a week and a lot of the time I wouldn't eat to compensate for the calories that I have lost. Maybe I should up my calorie intake as well?? :huh:
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Options
    How old are you? I'm 35, 5'5", 150 lbs now, and I've been losing at 1600 calories just walking 5 miles a day in average. I lost 4 lbs in the last month eating 1600-1700 actually... Just to show that you really don't have to eat as low as 1200 to lose weight.
  • alanlmarshall
    alanlmarshall Posts: 587 Member
    Options
    What's your exercise routine like? Make sure you are drinking lots of water. Eat at least 1200 per day...anything less might put your body into starvation mode.

    1199 calories will put you in starvation mode. 1200 calories is fine, though, no worries.

    Just kidding, starvation mode is a myth. Your scale is just fluctuating.

Categories