Advice please - speeding up weight loss.

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Opheliac_Xx
Opheliac_Xx Posts: 32 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm really fed up of my weight loss being so slow... Apparently I can only lose half a pound a week, even though I have MFP set to 2lbs. MFP recommend 1200 calories a day, if I go to the gym then I eat back some of those calories because I am scared of losing muscle. My BMR is only about 1200. I only need to lose about 9lbs in total but I feel really discouraged not seeing much improvement every week (my scales are not digital so I can only roughly guess the weight). I don't have much of a deficit every day because I am scared of eating too little and losing muscle.

Last time I lost a lot of weight quickly, but I was eating a lot less calories (<500 a day, not healthy), and I also lost most of my muscle because I was eating so little and exercising a lot.

So my question is this - can I lower my calorie intake without losing much muscle to get faster weight loss? I hate my body and it makes me more depressed being stuck in a body I don't like.

Thanks for your help :)

Replies

  • Opheliac_Xx
    Opheliac_Xx Posts: 32 Member
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  • shakybabe
    shakybabe Posts: 1,578 Member
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    If your BMR is 1200 and your eating 1200 AND eating back exercise calories where is your deficit?

    Maybe as your BMR is so low and you shouldn't go below 1200 cals to eat, maybe don't eat back your exercise cals and try and burn an extra 500 cals a day to lose 1 lb a week?

    If you make weiights your exercise you shouldn't lose any muscle?
  • ishallnotwant
    ishallnotwant Posts: 1,210 Member
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    If you only have 9 pounds to lose, it is probably going to take you a bit longer. It seems like the last few pounds are always the hardest to get off. :0)
  • AwesomelyAmber
    AwesomelyAmber Posts: 1,617 Member
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    I may have read this wrong... LAST TIME you lost it quickly? Maybe, don't get mad, but just maybe...that is why you are doing this again? Slow is ok, slow means it is coming off.
  • re08scue
    re08scue Posts: 71 Member
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    I agree - the last few pounds are the toughest. But you've come this far, so don't get discouraged!

    Maybe you are building up muscle and that weighs a little more...but that's a good thing.

    Is it possible to have a look at WHAT you are eating and see if you can change it up a bit? Such as a reducing sodium or increasing fibre - that kind of thing?

    Hang in there!
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
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    If you are consistently losing 0.5lbs per week. Go with the flow.

    The scale is moving in the direction you want. So it is just an issue of focus, determination and patience.

    Also, my experience is that I approach my goal the amount of weigh I lose per week has gone down. It now takes me around 2 weeks to lose 1lb. While last summer my average was 2 lbs per week.

    Also, I have read that a consistent weight loss in the range of 0.5 - 1 lb per week has the least chance of being added back once the person starts to maintain their target weight.
  • dawgn49
    dawgn49 Posts: 15
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    You can try changing your macro ratios. You could try eating more protein and fat and less carbs and still remain at the same calories etc. I changed mine to 40c/25f/35p for example. If you are trying to keep muscle and on a caloric deficit you should be getting 1g protein for every 1lb of LBM.
  • purpleipod
    purpleipod Posts: 1,147 Member
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    You only have 9 pounds to lose, what's the hurry? The less you have to lose, the slower it goes, just accept that and do it in a healthy manner, you might keep it off that way.
  • deekaydee
    deekaydee Posts: 158 Member
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    If your BMR is 1200 and your eating 1200 AND eating back exercise calories where is your deficit?

    Maybe as your BMR is so low and you shouldn't go below 1200 cals to eat, maybe don't eat back your exercise cals and try and burn an extra 500 cals a day to lose 1 lb a week?

    If you make weiights your exercise you shouldn't lose any muscle?

    Don't listen to this. PP is confusing BMR with TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). Your BMR is what your body needs to sustain itself if you had literally ZERO activity (think: in a coma). As soon as you open your eyes and get out of bed in the morning, you'll be expending more calories than your BMR.

    I'm not sure how you calculated your BMR or what your stats are, but I'll assume you are correct.

    If you only have 9 lbs to lose, you cannot and should not set your goal to lose 2 lbs per week. Your goal should be 1/2 lb. Sorry, that's just the way it is. When you're this close to an ideal weight, your body fights weight loss stubbornly. You have to take it slow.

    Reset your goal to 1/2 lb per week. You'll probably get to eat more, but you'll lose at the same rate you are currently.

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