disillusioned??

shaggymum
shaggymum Posts: 2 Member
edited October 7 in Health and Weight Loss
hello, I've been doing this for 12 days, exercising (cardio mostly) well each day, but NOT eating my exercise calories, mostly eating an average of 800 cals a day......I started at 69 (12 days ago), dropped to 68.1 in a week (was feeling good), went up to 68.8 3 days later, and for the past two days, despite sticking to the calories emphatically (!), no shift :(....feeling disillusioned.....

Replies

  • Lunatary
    Lunatary Posts: 8
    You're doing good! You will actually gain weight from muscle and water weight. I promise if you stick to it you will see results. Don't give up!
  • ministamper
    ministamper Posts: 1
    you should be eating more than 800 calories a day, especially if you are exercising, what is your calories allowed, around 1200 you are only eating 2/3 of what you should be.
  • SuddenlyPickles
    SuddenlyPickles Posts: 88
    You're eating a total of 800 calories and exercising on top of that? You're starving yourself.

    Someone posted this article today... Might be worth a read. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    If you search, there's also lots of great info on this forum about net calories and weight loss. Good luck...
  • SuddenlyPickles
    SuddenlyPickles Posts: 88
    You're doing good! You will actually gain weight from muscle and water weight. I promise if you stick to it you will see results. Don't give up!

    :noway:
  • Hoakiebs
    Hoakiebs Posts: 430 Member
    You should never be eating that few calories per day. Look @ the bottom of your report for a warning that you are in starvation mode.
  • shaggymum
    shaggymum Posts: 2 Member
    hmmm, I keep telling myself, skinny people don't eat! Seen it with my own two eyes. My PT said 'starvation mode' was a load of crock, that it's basically input/output. So if you don't eat it, and drop your input, and increase your output = weight loss. hmmm, waiting for that 'effect' to happen. too scared to put more food in my mouth, as if I can't lose weight at 700-800 calories a day, then eating more would = weight gain?? maybe I just need more sleep.....
  • Crystal817
    Crystal817 Posts: 2,021 Member
    hello, I've been doing this for 12 days
    Give it more time.
    NOT eating my exercise calories, mostly eating an average of 800 cals a day....

    Eat more.
    hmmm, I keep telling myself, skinny people don't eat! Seen it with my own two eyes. My PT said 'starvation mode' was a load of crock, that it's basically input/output. So if you don't eat it, and drop your input, and increase your output = weight loss. hmmm, waiting for that 'effect' to happen. too scared to put more food in my mouth, as if I can't lose weight at 700-800 calories a day, then eating more would = weight gain?? maybe I just need more sleep.....

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/395881-people-who-lost-weight-eating-more
    skinny people don't eat!

    :laugh:
  • morganadk2_deleted
    morganadk2_deleted Posts: 1,696 Member
    I think you need to eat more, heres why..

    Generally someone with a BMI over 32 can do a 1000 calorie a day (2 lbs a week) deficit
    With a BMI of 30 to 32 a deficit of 750 calories is generally correct (about 1.5 lbs a week)
    With a BMI of 28 to 30 a deficit of 500 calories is about right (about 1 lb a week)
    With a BMI of 26 to 28 a deficit of about 300 calories is perfect (about 1/2 lb a week)
    and below 26... well this is where we get fuzzy. See now you're no longer talking about being overweight, so while it's still ok to have a small deficit, you really should shift your focus more towards muscle building, and reducing fat. This means it is EXTRA important to eat your exercise calories as your body needs to KNOW it's ok to burn fat stores, and the only way it will know is if you keep giving it the calories it needs to not enter the famine response (starvation mode).

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

    Good luck on your journey :flowerforyou:
  • Chairless
    Chairless Posts: 583 Member
    Chin up, if you are disillusioned after 12 days this is going to be quite a struggle.

    Takes time, a lot of time.
  • meggers123
    meggers123 Posts: 711 Member
    I know everyone is saying "eat more", and you think we're crazy. "How can I possibly eat more and lose, if I'm not losing at 800 calories?"

    You know what, I don't know the answer, BUT I've lost 26 lbs so far doing just that. I lost just over a pound this week- eating over 1200 calories, even had chips and pudding :) Aaaaand, I haven't had time to work out this week- just walked to work and took the stairs.

    I don't study nutrition, I'm not a physical trainer, but this has been working for me. I'd say give it a try for a month- sticking to 1200 calories, and if it doesn't work, then go back to your 800. You've got nothing to lose- but weight. :)
  • goodhealth2012
    goodhealth2012 Posts: 85
    Everybody here is right. You are eating too little. This slows down your metabolism. By eating more (of the good food, don't just eat cake to fill your calorie requirements!) you will speed up your metabolism. I can speak from experience. When I first started on MFP I was going from having 800 calories for a few days than binge, then back to 800 calories. I never lost weight, in fact i gained at an incredible rate, sometimes gaining up to 3kg a week!!! When I started tracking on MFP my main goal was to stick to my calories, whether I need to eat more to do it or rein myself in on that day...lo and behold the second day I was hungry! My PT said this was a sign that my metabolism was speeding up and I was burning food faster, stuck with it and lost 10 pounds in 10 days. (i exercised a few times in this period. Try sticking to your calories for a while and se how you go, exercise to burn fat, not eat less, Good luck!
  • Sabresgal63
    Sabresgal63 Posts: 641 Member
    First.......................eat all or some of your exercise calories...................second................go to any website on the web and it will tell you that if you go below 1200 cals per day your body goes into starvation mode. Stick to your plan that is on here and you will start to see the difference. Good luck
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Weight fluctuates hourly. Weigh yourself once a week at the same time.

    Why are youo only eating 800 calories?
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    You can't expect any results in 2 weeks. It just doesn't work like that. Give yourself 2 or 3 months and if you still haven't seen any weight loss, then perhaps rethink. But I guarantee you will.

    Also you are eating too little which will make you irritable and craving calories, which will make you more susceptible to giving up.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    hmmm, I keep telling myself, skinny people don't eat! Seen it with my own two eyes. My PT said 'starvation mode' was a load of crock, that it's basically input/output. So if you don't eat it, and drop your input, and increase your output = weight loss. hmmm, waiting for that 'effect' to happen. too scared to put more food in my mouth, as if I can't lose weight at 700-800 calories a day, then eating more would = weight gain?? maybe I just need more sleep.....

    Starvation mode as many people understand it (that you will GAIN weight if you don't eat enough) is bullox (Brits, is that spelled right???). But eating too little will slow your metabolism, making weight loss a bigger struggle.

    And skinny people eat. When I was at my thinnest was when I ate the worst in my entire life. Skinny people don't eat every second of the day (no one does), so just because you saw a skinny person not eating doesn't mean skinny people don't eat. That's silly. Anorexic people don't eat.
  • hope516
    hope516 Posts: 1,133 Member
    You have tried your way for 12 days, and have learned personally it is NOT working for you so try a different way. Give it a chance and eat at your recommended level and see what happens. I am willing to bet you will be surprised. And if you are saying things like "skinny people don't eat," then that sounds like an issue more in your head than your body. :flowerforyou: HOpe you start seeing the results you're looking for.
  • TyneeKitty
    TyneeKitty Posts: 39
    hmmm, I keep telling myself, skinny people don't eat! Seen it with my own two eyes. My PT said 'starvation mode' was a load of crock, that it's basically input/output. So if you don't eat it, and drop your input, and increase your output = weight loss. hmmm, waiting for that 'effect' to happen. too scared to put more food in my mouth, as if I can't lose weight at 700-800 calories a day, then eating more would = weight gain?? maybe I just need more sleep.....

    Starvation mode as many people understand it (that you will GAIN weight if you don't eat enough) is bullox (Brits, is that spelled right???). But eating too little will slow your metabolism, making weight loss a bigger struggle.

    And skinny people eat. When I was at my thinnest was when I ate the worst in my entire life. Skinny people don't eat every second of the day (no one does), so just because you saw a skinny person not eating doesn't mean skinny people don't eat. That's silly. Anorexic people don't eat.

    Bollocks :P
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    Starvation mode as many people understand it (that you will GAIN weight if you don't eat enough) is bullox (Brits, is that spelled right???).

    Bollocks :P

    Thanks. ;-)

    I thought it was wrong!
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    You're doing good! You will actually gain weight from muscle and water weight. I promise if you stick to it you will see results. Don't give up!

    First of all,
    you need at least 1300-1500 calories per day. This is NET btw not total!
    Second, muscle takes months to even develop one pound... :noway:
  • lynheff
    lynheff Posts: 393 Member
    "Starvation mode" will make you lose weight---witness pictures of people who survived concentration camps. Not a look most of us want! Unfortunately if you eat too few calories, more of the lost weight will be lean muscle instead of fat. In the long run that will defeat your efforts in the gym and lower your resting metabolic rate. The reason we are encouraged to lose around 2 pounds a week is that is the best rate for your body to convert fat to energy. and spare your muscles. It takes a lot of exercise to gain muscle mass--especially for women. If water weight is a problem, decreasing your carbs can help. Hope that helps. Good luck!
  • TimWilkinson101
    TimWilkinson101 Posts: 163 Member
    As a skinny git (oh and its "bollucks" by the way), I DID used to eat very, very little over the weekends, but that was because I would do very little over the weekends. During the working week, I'd eat a LOT (As I'm discovering now I keep a diary). My problem was I was not eating a consistent decent amount.

    Added to that, I have a relatively high metabolism (my mum is thin) and I worry a lot of it off. I also (to my shame) used to drink a beer when I really should have been having a snack. Surprisingly skipping a meal and drinking instead used to make me lose weight. I've since quit drinking.

    Currently I'm trying to put on weight and I'm getting sick of the sight of food. So, it works both ways. Eating 2 1/2 k calories is a pain in the *kitten* I'm finding, but I need to do it if I want to look more like people class as "normal". I also need to get into fitness training or all these extra calories are just going to make tightening my belt harder.
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member

    Starvation mode as many people understand it (that you will GAIN weight if you don't eat enough) is bullox (Brits, is that spelled right???). But eating too little will slow your metabolism, making weight loss a bigger struggle.



    It's bollocks, not bullox. Not sure what bullox is, actually! It means testicles.
  • DterMined2012
    DterMined2012 Posts: 540 Member
    "Starvation mode" will make you lose weight---witness pictures of people who survived concentration camps. Not a look most of us want! Unfortunately if you eat too few calories, more of the lost weight will be lean muscle instead of fat. In the long run that will defeat your efforts in the gym and lower your resting metabolic rate. The reason we are encouraged to lose around 2 pounds a week is that is the best rate for your body to convert fat to energy. and spare your muscles. It takes a lot of exercise to gain muscle mass--especially for women. If water weight is a problem, decreasing your carbs can help. Hope that helps. Good luck!
    SMART ANSWER!!!
  • acstansell
    acstansell Posts: 567 Member
    eat back what you work off. You are stunting your metabolism and not encouraging your body to burn fat. To do this in a healthy way, you need to eat at least 1200 calories a day...

    Skinny people eat - they just eat smarter, possibly work out, and are blessed with a better metabolism.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member

    Starvation mode as many people understand it (that you will GAIN weight if you don't eat enough) is bullox (Brits, is that spelled right???). But eating too little will slow your metabolism, making weight loss a bigger struggle.



    It's bollocks, not bullox. Not sure what bullox is, actually! It means testicles.

    Oh dear! I don't know, either, but it's not a common US expression so I wasn't sure about spelling. Thanks for the correction, though. In the future, I will spell it correctly. At least I know how to use it!
  • geekymom57
    geekymom57 Posts: 176 Member
    I agree with others' assessments--you're probably eating too little and you need to give it more than 12 days. Weight doesn't just magically disappear- when you "subtract" the amount of calories that should approximate a weight loss--it's a metabolic process and can take time.

    I also caution about relying on nutritional and/or medical/health information provided by personal trainers as opposed to people who have professional and academic training in nutrition, such as registered dietitians. A trainer may have some skill/training/experience in how to guide you in an exercise or fitness plan, how to motivate you, etc., and even some basic nutritional knowledge, but that's not the same as a health care professional.
  • DolceButterfly
    DolceButterfly Posts: 2
    Hello Shaggymum. I actually have "starved" myself the last 3 weeks. I have been doing the 800 calories as well. I have lost 15 lbs. I stay way under my calories and work out. However, I am taking a good multivitamin without iron. It is working. Once I get down another 15 lbs., I will go to 1000 calories and then probably stay there until I lose the additional 30 lbs. I need to lose. Make sure you take a vitamin. If your body feels it isn't getting nutrients, it will retain water and fat to feed it. Take a strong vitamin. I would tell you which one I'm taking but they said not advertisements.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    I also caution about relying on nutritional and/or medical/health information provided by personal trainers as opposed to people who have professional and academic training in nutrition, such as registered dietitians. A trainer may have some skill/training/experience in how to guide you in an exercise or fitness plan, how to motivate you, etc., and even some basic nutritional knowledge, but that's not the same as a health care professional.

    Agreed! I had dinner with some friends Friday night. One of them is a trainer and in the past, I've been quite impressed with his knowledge and sensibility. Then his wife started talking about the diet pills he's now selling.

    All my previous respect ~~~~~> Out the window.
  • Hoakiebs
    Hoakiebs Posts: 430 Member
    ...and you'll find you will be much happier as well.
This discussion has been closed.

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