Why cant I loose 1lb a week?

ChallengeChick · January 2012

I am new to MFP and when I signed up my goals I put the recomended 1lb a week. But then it said I would loose .5lb a week at 1200 calories. In order to get up to 1lb a week I would need to eat 960 calories.

I am 5'0", medium boned, weigh 125lbs and about 25% body fat -- so I am by no means at my target weight. I was hoping to loose 10 lbs in 90 Days which seemed reasonable at 1lb a week. I bought an elliptical machine and have been doing 20-30 minutes 1-2 times a day, in addition to 20 minutes of abs and arms, with hopes of burning the fat.

As long as I am working out, wont my metabolism keep from going into "starvation mode" and allow me to burn the excess fat so I will lose the weight faster?

Samantha020691 · January 2012

I am 5'0 too! about 120.. I am set at 1200 calories a day too because MFP wont let anyone go below 1200. However, I recently talked to a friend who is majoring in fitness sciences and she said that people who are smaller, such as us shorties actually can get by with less calories. I keep it at 1200, however, I try not to go over 1000 with what i log. I know I am probably eating more than logging because I don't have a food scale... soo i'm sure its really around 1100. Also, to lose more fat, I would up your cardio workout. I am no expert but try to get at least 45 minutes of HARD STRONG cardio in if you want 1lb a week results. Also notice that it may not be 1lb a week, but maybe 2lbs the next week.... if that makes sense... HIIT as well!
hope this helps!

ChallengeChick · January 2012

Thanks Samanatha. I just started working out so I figured something was better than nothing at this point! I will try to increase my work out, but I burn about 300 calories for 30 min on the elliptical. If I up that to 45 minutes I would then have to eat even more calories to try and stay around 1000-1100. Does it matter what the calories are? Should I maybe add another protein shake to my day -- its only 160 calories, but it would be better than eating junk just to hit calories -- right? I was also short about 6 grams of protein, in the grand scheme of things, is that really a big deal? Is it more important to eat all the protein or hit the calories?

hottottie11 · January 2012

Unfortunately, it may be unrealistic to lose 1 lb per week because you are already pretty lean. I suggest changing your settings to 1/2 a lb per week. When you go too low in calories, you risk losing muscle mass. That can result in a reduced metabolism. In addition, while you may see a reduction on the scale, your body fat percentage may stay the same or get higher.

Consider a higher intake.

Jendulin · January 2012

Also keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat so if you gain weight it may be muscle your gaining at first and not fat especially if you are just starting to work out and you are lean to begin with. Just something to chew on.

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heathersmilez · January 2012

I was also short about 6 grams of protein, in the grand scheme of things, is that really a big deal? Is it more important to eat all the protein or hit the calories?

Is your protein set automatically by MFP? If so, it is incorrect, wayyyyy too low! Change it to at least 25%.

The calories are the most important part hence why it’s possible to lose weight on “The Twinkie Diet” but not recommended. The macronutrients are great guides and will become even more important as you reach your target weight when it is hard to lose the last few lbs often due to overconsumption of carbs and under eating on fat.

heathersmilez · January 2012

Also keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat so if you gain weight it may be muscle your gaining at first and not fat especially if you are just starting to work out and you are lean to begin with. Just something to chew on.

WRONG! A lb is a lb... fat takes up more space. To the OP, just do a quick search on MFP for hundreds of others who have quite the pet peeve about incorrect statements like this.

ShannTron · January 2012

Your BMI is in the normal weight range. so 1 pound a week might not happen...you have to consider inches you will lose with working out, instead of the weight itself. I would do 45 min of cardio, light lifting, and make sure you are stretching etc. You need to take in at least 8 cups of water a day...but you are already lean. You can crash your metabolism by under eating and over exercising. Find a balance. Since you are small, 10 pounds might take longer for you to lose...it is those last 10 pounds that take the longest to get off. I would increase fiber, water, and cardio...watch how the inches come off and put away the scale for a while.

breebiitchx13 · January 2012

muscle weighs more than fat! if you're doing all muscle work outs you may be gaining muscle but losing fat.. do more cardio.

maryjay51 · January 2012

i go through weeks and have gone months without losing weight.. when i started weight training i couldnt lose weight to save my life ..however i did go down a whole size and my bmi went down 8% in two months so i realized i was losing body fat but gaining muscle.. that made me feel better

mjbrenner · January 2012

Also keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat so if you gain weight it may be muscle your gaining at first and not fat especially if you are just starting to work out and you are lean to begin with. Just something to chew on.

WRONG! A lb is a lb... fat takes up more space. To the OP, just do a quick search on MFP for hundreds of others who have quite the pet peeve about incorrect statements like this.

I do not understand why people harp on this. Muscles does weight more than fat per unit volume. A pound is a pound, but I do not think that most anyone who claims muscle weighs more than fat thinks otherwise. Whenever we claim X weighs more than Y, it is inherently implied that this is per unit. The only unit that makes sense in the muscle vs. fat argument is volume.

Muscle is denser than fat, so it weighs more when occupying the same quantity of space on your body.

ChallengeChick · January 2012

Unfortunately, it may be unrealistic to lose 1 lb per week because you are already pretty lean.

I am only 5' tall and 125lbs -- not "lean" at all! According to many I should be closer to 105-110 range. i have 25% bf ... I expected lean to be around 18%

Yes, muscle and fat weight the same. My understanding is that 1lb of fat is the size of a grapefruit and 1lb of muscle is the size of tangerine. Both weigh the same, but muscle takes up less space. Also look at like a 1 lb of feather vs. 1 lb of lead -- the feathers take up a much larger space to reach 1 lb.

Is your protein set automatically by MFP? If so, it is incorrect, wayyyyy too low! Change it to at least 25%.

My protein is set at 45g per day -- does that sound right? I was under by 6g yesterday. I could have drank another shake which would have added 12g of protein but still wouldnt have hit my target calories. I wasnt hungry so I didnt, should I do that in the future?

So if I increase my cardio, that just means I have to eat more... seems like I could just eat less and do the same cardio I do now?

hottottie11 · January 2012

Unfortunately, it may be unrealistic to lose 1 lb per week because you are already pretty lean.

I am only 5' tall and 125lbs -- not "lean" at all! According to many I should be closer to 105-110 range. i have 25% bf ... I expected lean to be around 18%

Yes, muscle and fat weight the same. My understanding is that 1lb of fat is the size of a grapefruit and 1lb of muscle is the size of tangerine. Both weigh the same, but muscle takes up less space. Also look at like a 1 lb of feather vs. 1 lb of lead -- the feathers take up a much larger space to reach 1 lb.

Is your protein set automatically by MFP? If so, it is incorrect, wayyyyy too low! Change it to at least 25%.

My protein is set at 45g per day -- does that sound right? I was under by 6g yesterday. I could have drank another shake which would have added 12g of protein but still wouldnt have hit my target calories. I wasnt hungry so I didnt, should I do that in the future?

So if I increase my cardio, that just means I have to eat more... seems like I could just eat less and do the same cardio I do now?

I should say "relatively lean" . Your BF is in a healthy range. And you only want to lose 10 lbs right?

The "ideal" weight for my weight is 108-136 and even at a BF of 18%, I'll still be about 10 lbs heavier. I'm at 23% now

In terms of protein, you should aim for about 1 gram for every lb of lean body mass. So for you (at 125lb and 25% BF) that's about 94 grams.

sbeisel1 · January 2012

You are a healthy weight your BMI is the same as mine and my end goal is 120, I think you need to focus more on building lean muscle and toning than losing lbs at this point.

ChallengeChick · January 2012

Ok, I will bump up my protein and add another shake to my day to hopefully reach the new numbers. Thanks!

226Muriel · January 2012

CAN'T SEE YOUR DIARY...SO REALLY CAN'T HELP:flowerforyou:

cee134 · January 2012

always talk to a doctor before you go below 1200 cal. Do not listen to anyone else, their body is not yours even if they are similar height and weight. It would really suck for you to be wrong, if you decide go below 1200.

sarahnicole218 · January 2012

Your BMI is in the normal weight range. so 1 pound a week might not happen...you have to consider inches you will lose with working out, instead of the weight itself. I would do 45 min of cardio, light lifting, and make sure you are stretching etc. You need to take in at least 8 cups of water a day...but you are already lean. You can crash your metabolism by under eating and over exercising. Find a balance. Since you are small, 10 pounds might take longer for you to lose...it is those last 10 pounds that take the longest to get off. I would increase fiber, water, and cardio...watch how the inches come off and put away the scale for a while.

This!

avk9802 · January 2012

Are you getting enough cardio in? Cardio is ALMOST just as important as your dieting. I lose approx. 3lbs a week but my calorie intake is 1000. I don't recommend that for you though.

tennillewade · January 2012

muscle mass is greater than fat mass. I would say it has to be what you are eating. all calories are not equal. start changing your diet and see if it helps.

SassyCalyGirl · January 2012

your stats are very similar to mine. I run 6 miles daily and do 60 minutes of circuit training. I do NOT eat burned calories back. I am using Herbalife protein/meal replacement shakes twice a day and loosing 1 lb per week. But more importantly I have lost 3 inches in my waist-friend me if you like

kellybug123 · January 2012

Also keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat so if you gain weight it may be muscle your gaining at first and not fat especially if you are just starting to work out and you are lean to begin with. Just something to chew on.

WRONG! A lb is a lb... fat takes up more space. To the OP, just do a quick search on MFP for hundreds of others who have quite the pet peeve about incorrect statements like this.

Thank you so much for pointing that out. It's a myth that people just can't seem to let go.....lol.

lyddsmom · January 2012

Your BMI is in the normal weight range. so 1 pound a week might not happen...you have to consider inches you will lose with working out, instead of the weight itself. I would do 45 min of cardio, light lifting, and make sure you are stretching etc. You need to take in at least 8 cups of water a day...but you are already lean. You can crash your metabolism by under eating and over exercising. Find a balance. Since you are small, 10 pounds might take longer for you to lose...it is those last 10 pounds that take the longest to get off. I would increase fiber, water, and cardio...watch how the inches come off and put away the scale for a while.

Smart advice.I am 5'3" and have never according to BMI never actually been considered overweight, but I was approaching the upper border when I joined MFP. After losing 13 lbs. I could not lose anymore. I was eating only 1200 calories a day, I had increased my activity and my weight would not budge. I became discouraged and decided to take a break from dieting. I have been eating at maintenance level calories and have lost inches, but no weight. Inches mean a whole lot more to me. Who cares what the scale says. I wish I could measure my body fat % but don't have the resources. But the measuring tape has been a great way for me to see my progress. Keep working at it. You WILL see results.

nomena · January 2012

Muscle DOES weigh more than fat. Take a cup of muscle and a cup of fat. The muscle is going to weigh more.

missfluffyuk · January 2012

Also keep in mind that muscle weighs more than fat so if you gain weight it may be muscle your gaining at first and not fat especially if you are just starting to work out and you are lean to begin with. Just something to chew on.

WRONG! A lb is a lb... fat takes up more space. To the OP, just do a quick search on MFP for hundreds of others who have quite the pet peeve about incorrect statements like this.

I do not understand why people harp on this. Muscles does weight more than fat per unit volume. A pound is a pound, but I do not think that most anyone who claims muscle weighs more than fat thinks otherwise. Whenever we claim X weighs more than Y, it is inherently implied that this is per unit. The only unit that makes sense in the muscle vs. fat argument is volume.

Muscle is denser than fat, so it weighs more when occupying the same quantity of space on your body.

This.

It's like, "What weighs more, a lb of steak or a lb of feathers?" In terms of lbs they're the same, but if you say "A 2x4x6in box full of steak weighs more than a 2x4x6in box full of feathers" then you're correct. And the latter is what is implied and understood by "muscle weighs more than fat".

Why cant I loose 1lb a week?

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