No results at all... DESPAIR

How long have you been at it? have you been drinking enough water? Litle enough sodium? Have you tried measuring yourself, rather than relying on the scale?

They say 1200 cals is the minimum you should be eating a day. So maybe try upping your cals?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

And most specifically:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

:frown:

After eating 1000 cals a day and doing exercies - nothing on the scale. Plus, I put on 4 LB (2 kg) when I started at the gym, not even those I have lost... so, when I was on my happy fat diet, I weighed less.

well, that sucks!

First off you're eating too little. Second, when starting exercise it's NOT UNCOMMON to gain weight since the body WILL retain water for repair and to store glycogen with the assumption that it will be taxed again for another future workout.
Don't use this as negative influence to quit. Results don't happen overnight.
If you planted a seed in your garden watered it, gave it nutritious soil, sunlight, and perfect conditions, would you expect to even see a sprout the next day? Patience is key when it comes to weight loss.


A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

This is what happens when you undereat.

I've been where Vino is. I did MFP all last summer, using a 1350 calorie program designed by a nutritionist.I was doing Zumba and a high intensity deep water class. I didn't lose a thing, but the previous summer while using the 1350 cal.program, I did.So I'm back at MFP again. Now I'm still doing the water class but have switched to spinning 3x a week, trying to create some sort of momentum.Now, I weigh more than I've ever weighed in my life.

Kimdbro... there isn't a magic number that causes a body to go into starvation mode. Just because you eat 1200 or under 1200 doesn't mean your body with go into "starvation mode". It depends on the person. The brain doesn't need 1200 to function properly... this amount is dependant on each person based on their size .. etc.

From everything I've read the best amount to base your calories on is your BMR which is the amount of calories your body needs in a day/burns in a day just to make your organs function and allow you to be alive. Anything more than just laying in bed or sitting in a chair requires more calories.

You are misinformed. I have a medical background, I've read countless MEDICAL journals... my information isn't from reading SHAPE magazine hunny. 1200 calories IS the MINIMAL amount suggested MEDICALLY to maintain basic functioning for an average person, just as the health guide is always based on a 2000 calorie intake - average. If you're 4 foot 3, you're NOT AVERAGE and the numbers would be different for you, true, but since she didn't post her stats my comment is based on the AVERAGE individual. I wasn't suggesting she eat 1200 calories either, using the BMR can give a better judgement of how many calories she burns just by being alive in a day. I was simply stating that medically speaking, if 1200 calories is a bare minimum to not begin breakdown, then her 1000 calories surely wouldn' t be sufficient, again, assuming she's of AVERAGE build. But by all means, don't listen to my comment which comes from medical knowlege, continue reading what you see on the internet.

Kimdbro... there isn't a magic number that causes a body to go into starvation mode. Just because you eat 1200 or under 1200 doesn't mean your body with go into "starvation mode". It depends on the person. The brain doesn't need 1200 to function properly... this amount is dependant on each person based on their size .. etc.

From everything I've read the best amount to base your calories on is your BMR which is the amount of calories your body needs in a day/burns in a day just to make your organs function and allow you to be alive. Anything more than just laying in bed or sitting in a chair requires more calories.

You are misinformed. I have a medical background, I've read countless MEDICAL journals... my information isn't from reading SHAPE magazine hunny. 1200 calories IS the MINIMAL amount suggested MEDICALLY to maintain basic functioning for an average person, just as the health guide is always based on a 2000 calorie intake - average. If you're 4 foot 3, you're NOT AVERAGE and the numbers would be different for you, true, but since she didn't post her stats my comment is based on the AVERAGE individual. I wasn't suggesting she eat 1200 calories either, using the BMR can give a better judgement of how many calories she burns just by being alive in a day. I was simply stating that medically speaking, if 1200 calories is a bare minimum to not begin breakdown, then her 1000 calories surely wouldn' t be sufficient, again, assuming she's of AVERAGE build. But by all means, don't listen to my comment which comes from medical knowlege, continue reading what you see on the internet.

"Hunny" my information does not come from Shape magazine nor does it come from things I read on the internet so please, don't make assumptions on things you don't know - such as what background others have and where they get their information as I too have read countless medical journals. However, we all know even medical journals can be wrong. The majority of my information comes from Doctors and nutritionists themselves which are for the most part much more reliable. It would also be nice if people were a little bit more polite here.

However, this is not a "let's discuss our differences" thread so I'm ending this subject.

To the originally poster, you ultimately need to find a balance for what works for your body. It may be more calories, it may be changing up what you eat, etc. Experiement but don't give up.

Thank you all for your tips and comments! I am so surprised by how many took their time and effort to help a fellow-dieter... thanks so much!! Here is to you all :drinker: (it is light!)

I will take your tips and test them. I will up my cals intake to 1200 a day (that should be easy...) and I will see how it goes! Many thanks all! :flowerforyou:

Make sure to eat back the calories you burn from exercise as well. 1200 is pretty low even for someone that spends all day sat on their butt, and although I don't throw around the word Starvation, I do see this complaint a lot from people who are eating very little and exercising hard - your body requires a certain amount of intake before it will release existing stores. The trick is finding the sweet spot where it releases more than you're taking in