Help! Only 2 lb loss in 6 weeks...I'm at my cals and working

cariliz
cariliz Posts: 82
edited October 6 in Health and Weight Loss
Sooooo, I've been on MFP for about 6 weeks and am trying to lose 60 lbs. My current calories are set for 1200/day....I've have stayed close to my calories almost everyday. The first 2 weeks I lost 4 lbs and then a week or two later gained 2 lbs back. I've been doing cardio(jogging/walking & elliptical), circuit interval training and 30 Day Shred. The only break I took was this past week for 3 days for a lower back strain. I'm drinking atleast 8 glasses of water a day and some times more.

I know I have the body type that gains muscle fast.....but this is starting to piss me off. I'm getting frustrated and I am wanting to quit. My diary is open so feel free to give me some pointers. I'm at my heaviest now.....however, 6 years ago I did go from 175 to 135(my current goal as well) and I was taking in the same amount of calories. TIA.
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Replies

  • mandyc1018
    mandyc1018 Posts: 1
    I know how you feel. I am also having this same struggle. I work out, eat what I should be eating for the most part and the weight is not coming off as fast as I would like. Very frustrating.
  • Omar1978
    Omar1978 Posts: 22 Member
    don't pay much attention to the scale. What about the waist size? are you fitting into smaller clothes?
  • cariliz
    cariliz Posts: 82
    don't pay much attention to the scale. What about the waist size? are you fitting into smaller clothes?

    Nope, not fitting into smaller clothes. :grumble: Haven't retaken my measurements.....I wanted to wait until I atleast saw some type of "measureable drop" in the scale.
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    might i suggest eating your exercise calories? when you have such a low goal its very important to fuel your body properly.. while you stay close to the 1200, some days you are actually netting 116 calories - thats not enough to live on.
  • Laura_Ivy
    Laura_Ivy Posts: 555 Member
    I feel your pain! I'm going on 5 weeks and lost 2 lbs the first two weeks and then gained one of pounds back and cannot for the life of me get them off! I researched and a lot of articles are saying to eat at least your bmr....so perhaps you can do the same? i'm so tired of being stuck in the same damn place with no reward at the end of the week! GRRR :grumble:

    Good luck and definitely up your calories even if it's just 100 calories at a time and consider it a science experiment .
  • skb32881
    skb32881 Posts: 105 Member
    I've had the same problem for a few months so I've been reading forums like crazy and the general concensus seems to be that 1200 calories isn't enough. I've read quite a few people say there were eating 1200 and not losing and everyone told them to eat more sooooo that's what I'm going to try :)
  • alisma73
    alisma73 Posts: 21 Member
    Hi, am also about same weight as yourself and have lost weight consistently in past week by eating 1250-1400 cals a day and gaining approx 200-300 by exercise a day. You seem to only be eating just over 1000 cals some days, have you tried upping it, incase your body thinks your're starving. Good luck, I'm sure you'll get there. Sal x
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    You are seriously undereating. You say you have your cals set to 1200, but in the last six days you have undereaten - sometimes by a little, but mostly by a lot.

    Eat the exercise calories.
  • brookeg20
    brookeg20 Posts: 54
    I was having the same problem. I lost three pounds the first week, and then I couldn't seem to lose anymore. I was actually putting weight on even though I was running about 15 miles a week and staying under my calories. I started uping my calories, and then I started to see some weight loss. Try eating more and see if that helps.

    Don't get discouraged, eventually you will start to lose. You just have to figure out what's going to work for you. You can do it, hang in there!
  • Apazman
    Apazman Posts: 494 Member
    Try IF (Intermittent fasting for a week and see if that kick starts everything!

    http://www.theiflife.com/intermittent-fasting-101-how-to-start-part-i/
  • JulsDiane
    JulsDiane Posts: 349 Member
    Are you weighing and measuring your food or eyeballing? So many times if you aren't a stickler about the amounts you are under estimating the calories you are taking in daily.
  • geekymom57
    geekymom57 Posts: 176 Member
    I feel your pain! No matter what I do, I lose at a painfully slow pace. For me, part of it is my hypothyroidism is hard to control--up, down, etc.--so I often stay at the same weight for a month or more, even if my calories and exercise *should* result in a substantial weight loss. It's tempting to give up, but then I think what would be happening if I wasn't watching my calories so closely, etc.
  • natalie1872
    natalie1872 Posts: 53
    For the entire year I was working out more and more, eating 1200 cals and I gained 6 kg.
    At the start of October I stopped taking the pill, I dont count calories now, I eat 8 meals a day, I work out less and I have lost 3 kg.
    I can tell you what I eat if your interested.
    Nat.
  • realme56
    realme56 Posts: 1,093 Member
    Definitely undereating, your body needs fuel. This has been my mistake in the past.
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
    You have to eat to lose weight. You're not eating properly.
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    Another vote for eating more. You need to eat all of your goal calories at the very least, and probably your exercise ones too.
  • bogle34
    bogle34 Posts: 107 Member
    I KNOW HOW U FEEL, I AM ALSO FRUSTRATED!! DONT GIVE UP THOUGH...
  • 8bitAlina
    8bitAlina Posts: 353 Member
    I'm with everyone else who says to eat more. You're definitely under-eating IMHO.
  • hyde1977
    hyde1977 Posts: 476 Member
    I am going to have to agree with some of the comments! Most days you are not eatting enough! I know the concept of eatting more is hard but for me personally when I got over it and started eatting back 50-60% of my exercise calories I started losing 2-3 pounds per week.

    Water intake- you should be drinking 1/2 your body weight....so 8 cups is often not enough if you are greater then 128 pounds.

    Take your weight and divide it by 2- that is how many ozs you need- take that number and divide by 8 and it will give you how many glasses you need! Make sure you increase that if you are working out...

    Really no one on here can tell you what will work as you have to find what works for your body.....but a common thing said is treat your body you like your car....you need fuel to make it function......you are eatting some really great foods! Try adding more protien to up the calories you are taking!
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
    I agree to look at measurements other than the scale. Try body fat percentage and measurements.

    Also, are you making sure you're tracking everything? There are hidden calories everywhere, like the oil you cook in, etc. Make sure you're not missing anything. That being said, there is merit to eating a little more too. You may be keeping your calories too low for your body, so it's hanging on to weight. Also, make sure you are taking days to recover from working out. I know it feels bad skipping the gym, but I always give myself at least one day off. Fat isn't burned while you work out, it's burned while your body is recovering, which can happen up to 24 hours later. If you're not seeing results, it may be because your body is working too hard. Also, try eating your work out calories.
  • Learning2LoveMe
    Learning2LoveMe Posts: 1,430 Member
    I think you need to eat more. 1200 calories is a base line for the body, and you don't really want to go below that. Depending on what your exercise burns are I would bump up your calories by at least 200. It's okay to have a day under 1200 net every so often, but you need to net 1200 consistently to keep your body from going into starvation mode and holding onto everything it can. Once your body realizes it's getting fuel and plenty of it, it will start releasing its grip and allow you to lose weight.
  • seasonalvoodoo
    seasonalvoodoo Posts: 380 Member
    Definitely eat your exercise calories...or at least most of them. I do and have lost 63 lbs. My goals were only set to 1200 for about 4 weeks. I have eaten between 1500-1800 for the past 9 months or so.
  • baristanatorLL
    baristanatorLL Posts: 34 Member
    Why types of food are you eating? Make sure you eat more protein and fat than sugar/carbohydrate. And lots of fiber can help, too. Meat and vegetables are the two best things for losing weight in my experience, and some high protein dairy. If you have trouble getting all of your fiber you could also take supplements or they make mix-in products that you can't taste when you combine them with your food/drinks. Good Luck!
  • cariliz
    cariliz Posts: 82
    Are you weighing and measuring your food or eyeballing? So many times if you aren't a stickler about the amounts you are under estimating the calories you are taking in daily.

    Thanks, I weigh everything......to the put where my husband is shaking his head. ;)

    Yes, I know the past week I was under my 1200 cal quite a few times.....but because I couldn't exercise due to my back injury, I felt like I shouldn't eat all of my calories.....plus I wasn't as hungry.

    You are all probably right,.....I should up my calories.....maybe to 1400??? I know it's a hard concept for me grasp that if I eat more, I may lose more. And I guess because I lost the weight 6 years ago on 1200 cal/day, I was thinking I could do the same.....but my metabolism is 6 years older as well. Just FYI, I did have a series of tests done 7 weeks ago....no thyroid issues, etc. Thanks everyone. Just another reason why I love MFP....the support is fabulous.
  • snailrunner
    snailrunner Posts: 215 Member
    Sounds like you've taken the advice on board. Glad to hear that there are no health issues acting as a barrier to your weight loss. This is a bit controversial but I don't think calorie counting is the be all and end all of weight loss...I've lost 6lbs in three months but achieved the same in three weeks when I followed an alternative regime in the summer of last year! I love MFP not for the calorie tracking but the accountability, the incentive to make healthy food choices and exercise, as well as the wealth of knowledge and support on here. I'm tempted to return to that style of eating (message me if you want to find out more) as I know it works, but I would still log everything on here.

    I put my calories up to 1300 and if I eat 1400-1500 once a week I don't worry about it.
  • anniewinter
    anniewinter Posts: 35
    What I suggest, take it or leave it. before you eat or do anything weigh yourself in the same clothes each day, then as you start seeing a drop in the scales then you extend it out. It's because you are on 1200 and eating back your exercise, and some it is probably water weigh as well. You don't have to take what I say just a suggestion
  • rochey1098
    rochey1098 Posts: 285
    might i suggest eating your exercise calories? when you have such a low goal its very important to fuel your body properly.. while you stay close to the 1200, some days you are actually netting 116 calories - thats not enough to live on.

    This.
  • BobbyClerici
    BobbyClerici Posts: 813 Member
    Your calories are TOO LOW!

    You did great at first before you messed up and stifled your metabolism.
    This is text book.

    Set your goals for a 1lb weight loss, eat back the calories your burn and get into the real work of fitness by working smart AND hard. You can do this.
  • LisaMariaCallow
    LisaMariaCallow Posts: 170
    Don't give up!! The weight will come off!! You may be building muscle-how do your clothes fit? Stay with the program...there are so many amazing people here with truly inspiring stories who will walk this with you!!

    Add me if you need a buddy!! :drinker: (that's my coffee!!)
  • hlouisej
    hlouisej Posts: 45
    If I were you I would definately take measurements. I have seen only a small drop on the scales over the past month but big changes is measurements that I might not have noticed if I hadn't been tracking them.
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