Losing, but very slowly...

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snowbab
snowbab Posts: 192 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I've been on here since the beginning of September and i've only lost 3 pounds so far :S I just wonder why it's so slow?

This week i gained 2 pounds back but I don't see how as I've only been eating 1500 or a bit under. I know it is probably water weight but it's been like that for 3 days?

I am 19 and I don't exercise much but I walk around a lot during/to and from college. I also go rowing/dance sometimes.

i thought of maybe decreasing my intake to 1200, but I don't want my metabolism to slow down as it does that very easily. I used to be able to eat around 1500 (anorexia recovery) and maintain before I almost relapsed and went down to 400-800 a day. I stopped losing weight from this after a few weeks because of my metabolism and increased back to 1800, gaining it all back again and more. This was triggering but I've kept it up and my metabolism eventually got back to normal on this amount.

Then i decided to lose the healthy way and went down to my current 1500, sometimes less because it can be hard to eat enough, but never less than 1200.

What am I doing wrong to lose so little weight?

Replies

  • kneeki
    kneeki Posts: 347 Member
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    You're not exercising.
  • _Khaleesi_
    _Khaleesi_ Posts: 877 Member
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    Honey, if that's a current picture of you then there is no way you should be having a goal to lose 18+ lbs.
  • papastu
    papastu Posts: 737 Member
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    Honey, if that's a current picture of you then there is no way you should be having a goal to lose 18+ lbs.


    well said , maybe thats why its so hard

    just saying
  • brk_1982
    brk_1982 Posts: 125 Member
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    Honey, if that's a current picture of you then there is no way you should be having a goal to lose 18+ lbs.


    well said , maybe thats why its so hard

    just saying

    I just read her profile and it says the pic is her AT her goal weight.

    Maybe do just a teeny a bit of digging before giving your 2 cents.

    Just saying.
  • tish30930
    tish30930 Posts: 77 Member
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    Her profile picture is of her at her goal weight (not what she weighs now).

    Seeing as you said you are trying to recover from a very serious eating disorder, my first thought is that you should consult your physician and have he/she answer your questions. You don't want to risk having an unhealthy relationship with food and your body image again. And I hope you will please not compare yourself to your friends. You are you! You are unique and special and beautiful because of that.

    On another note, I am not losing weight very quickly myself, and I am not being a consistent exerciser. Maybe that could be it for you as well.

    Take care!
  • _Khaleesi_
    _Khaleesi_ Posts: 877 Member
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    Good to hear that that isn't you now. I was worried a bit when you had mentioned an ED.

    I agree with the poster that mentioned talking to a doctor. I'll throw in a few helpful tips (that have helped me at least): Eat at LEAST your BMR, drink a ton of water, eat back your exercise calories.

    I used to be losing .2 - .4 lbs a week. Now it's more like 1- 1.5 lbs.
  • its_betty
    its_betty Posts: 104 Member
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    Please, talk to your doctor about your weight loss goals. Your doctor can help you set a reasonable, healthy goal.

    If the doctor says it's reasonable and healthy for you to lose weight at this time, then here's my answer: slow is fine, even 1 pound a MONTH or less. Eat to fuel your body, do some exercise to get strong (but don't over do it), have a treat once in a while. Live.

    With a history of anorexia, you should get an outside opinion from a qualified professional, not a group of random strangers on the web.
  • papastu
    papastu Posts: 737 Member
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    well said Brk + point taken
  • KayteeBear
    KayteeBear Posts: 1,040 Member
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    I would say because of the ED background try focusing on exercise right now instead of calories and try to balance that out. Don't
    obsess over calories...that is probably not going to help with an ED background.
  • snowbab
    snowbab Posts: 192 Member
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    Thanks everyone! I'll try exercising a bit more I think (just did a session on just dance 3 haha-1000 sweat points! (no idea what that uis in calories though haha)

    Because my calorie intake is 1480 WITH light exercise should I include exercise in that or add it on top? Or should it depend on how much I exercise? Sorry I'm just a bit unsure and want the best, but healthiest results :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    The best thing you can do is working on building muscle, so working out will yield those results. Have you look into doing some weight training? I know it can be hard but if you make it a priority, then it will be possible. Also, if you can provide your weight and height, we can do an estimate on your BMR and figure out your caloric needs (if you want, send it over private message).
  • grace1611
    grace1611 Posts: 55
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    You don,t need to lose weight.
  • snowbab
    snowbab Posts: 192 Member
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    My current weight is 137 (it was 135 last week lol), and my height is 5"8 last time I checked :)
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    My current weight is 137 (it was 135 last week lol), and my height is 5"8 last time I checked :)

    I would seriously look into building muscle, which will help decrease your overall body fat. More muscle means a higher metabolism and a tighter, more lean body. See what I mean below. You are already in a good weight range though.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/392784-skinny-fat-vs-fit-photo?hl=skinny+fat&page=2#posts-5441852


    BTW, you should be aiming to lose .5 lb per week. You are below 20 lbs of your goal. If you do that and start heavy weight training, you will turn fat into muscle.

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