Why? 1200 C a day and still no weight loss

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DoctorDreaUSAF
DoctorDreaUSAF Posts: 2
in Introduce Yourself
Hi, I am a college student new to myfitnesspal. I am kind of frustrated because I am pretty new to this whole dieting thing. I am really busy, like 16 credits, two jobs, and two sports kind of busy. I am 128 pounds and 5'2" tall. Through tracking my calories I found out that I literally only eat about 1200 calories a day, maybe, if I am lucky. Last spring I gained about ten pounds and that has scared me. I now have a 25" waist, 35" hips, 20% body fat. I just can't seem to lose any weight. I am supposed to be around 115. Should I make myself eat more even when I am not hungry? I'm just confused. any suggestions would be really appreciated
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  • mommymegz
    mommymegz Posts: 33 Member
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    I would carry 100 cal. snacks with you and try to eat something every 2 hours even if it is just a couple bites...You need to find away to trick your body so you can lose...or you can just try and focus on toning and Im sure the weight wont matter! GOOD LUCK to you!
  • Juliebean_1027
    Juliebean_1027 Posts: 713 Member
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    Yes, eat more.
  • Fochizzy
    Fochizzy Posts: 505 Member
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    There could be so many reasons, open your diary. Give it some time, you may not be eating enough, your sodium could be too high, lots of reasons. No way to tell without more information.
  • suprfast
    suprfast Posts: 49
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    probably the wrong 1200 calories. As a college student how much of it is beer?
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    Why are you supposed to be 115? I'm your same height. 128 isn't overweight. The top of normal BMI is something like 137.

    It's far more important to eat nutritious food and keep yourself as healthy as possible.
  • Jovialation
    Jovialation Posts: 7,632 Member
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    Youre not supposed to be 115. *kitten*, my goal weight is higher than your weight now
  • Slugsasarus
    Slugsasarus Posts: 76 Member
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    You may be at 1200 calories, but make sure they're good calories! 1200 of ice cream sure won't make you lose weight (I'm sure you're not just eating ice cream but I'm just saying...)

    Make sure you're not going over on fat or sodium. Do more cardio, drink more water, and eat clean! You don't necessarily have to eat more though, just make sure that the calories that you're getting are good calories.
  • DonnaRe2012
    DonnaRe2012 Posts: 298 Member
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    What type of food makes up your 1200 calories? That makes a big difference.
  • KelliHarrison
    KelliHarrison Posts: 9
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    From my experiences (new as well), make sure you drink LOTS AND LOTS of water. It will help your body not retain whatever calories you are eating.

    Make sure you are eating the right calories and not just a little of the bad and filling stuff!
  • sbeisel1
    sbeisel1 Posts: 181
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    I would carry 100 cal. snacks with you and try to eat something every 2 hours even if it is just a couple bites...You need to find away to trick your body so you can lose...or you can just try and focus on toning and Im sure the weight wont matter! GOOD LUCK to you!

    great advice, i would add, make sure to drink lots of water, avoid fake sugars(they trick your body the bad way) avoid salts and over processed foods. never drink pop of any kind. eat more natural fiber from veggies, fruit, cereals etc and eat more protiene. If you drink coffee, watch out for added sugar/creme or fake sugars. also coffee can in some people cause blood sugar crashes and hunger pangs. great 100 cal snacks: #1 a hard boiled egg, its actually less than 100 cals, a great source of protein and energy. raw veggies, granola bar or fiber bar, no sugar added fruit bars, special K bars, cheese and crackers, yogurt ther are so many just watch the salt.
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
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    Make sure you're logging every single thing you eat or drink, and the portion sizes are accurate. You could be underestimating.

    What do you have your activity level set to? If it's sedentary, make sure you log all the physical activity you get with your job, sports, walking around campus, etc. Try to eat most of those exercise calories.

    If you're only been doing the 1200 calories/day thing for a few weeks you'll need to wait longer to see results, but it sounds like you've been eating this way for a while. It's really tough to lose anything when you're small to begin with-- it took me 4 months to lose 3 pounds with a 1200 calorie diet and lots of exercise.
  • adidrea
    adidrea Posts: 275 Member
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    I think 1200 calories is too low for your busy lifestyle. If you're taking 16 credits you're probably walking a lot on campus, and with your two jobs your activity level might be higher than you think. Creating too large of a deficit will make your body hang on to whatever it can.

    If I were you I'd try eating a little bit more. You could try it for a week or two and see if it helps!
  • katcod1522
    katcod1522 Posts: 448 Member
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    actually..you can eat 1200 calories of cake and ice cream..and lose. A calorie is a calorie. But youre going to feel better and your body will like you better if you eat that 1200 in better choices :)

    And..you may be at your goal...give your body a break :)
  • kimmie185
    kimmie185 Posts: 550 Member
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    Remember, is the quality of your calories, not always the quanity.
    Don't just concentrate on counting the calories, there are many other things to consider such as..

    -Are you getting enough lean healthy proteins?
    -Are you limiting fats and carbs
    -Do you and how often to you exercise?
    -Are you getting in 8 servings of water a day?

    I follow (or try to on most days) to follow a high protien diet. When my protien count is high my carbs and fat tends to be lower and I have enough energy to get through my days which is very helpful since I'm a mother and full time college student.

    Good luck on your journey!:flowerforyou:
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
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    Youre not supposed to be 115. *kitten*, my goal weight is higher than your weight now

    How exactly would you know? 115 is perfectly healthy for someone who's 5'2". My goal weight is even lower.
  • sbeisel1
    sbeisel1 Posts: 181
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    Youre not supposed to be 115. *kitten*, my goal weight is higher than your weight now

    BMI is height/build dependant, im 5' 1" my goal weight is very different from my friend who is 5' 4" . staying in the healthy range is what is most important being at the bottom of the healthy zone probably not a great idea.
  • sdailey4
    sdailey4 Posts: 56 Member
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    Everyone is different, no one can answer this for you...Try adjusting it to a higher/lower, play around w/it until you see results for yourself...it's frustrating sometimes, but different things work for different people. Just focus on eating the right things, and drinking water......there are different studies to prove everything helps/hinders weight loss...basically all of our bodies function differently...one thing I found helpful is this: http://www.dadamo.com/
  • Jovialation
    Jovialation Posts: 7,632 Member
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    Youre not supposed to be 115. *kitten*, my goal weight is higher than your weight now

    How exactly would you know? 115 is perfectly healthy for someone who's 5'2". My goal weight is even lower.
    I know it's healthy, but she's fine where she is would be my point. I'm 5'2" with a huge frame so I entered myself as 5'3"
    and really, she's just fine where she is.
    And so are you
  • stephevers1227
    stephevers1227 Posts: 175 Member
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    Ok, I'm in your ballpark. I started this thing at 136, same height. I've lost 19 lbs so I'm at 117. Of course I'm 42 and not in college so I had definite metabolism issues to overcome. I started out with 1200 calories and walking 45 min on the treadmill every day. The weight started coming off...then I plateaued at around 121. I started adding an evening workout including strength training and different cardio machines besides incline treadmill. The scale has started moving again. You said you play sports, but make sure you are getting regular exercise...have to do both sides of the equation. Cutting calories alone could just leave you unhealthy on the inside.
  • suprfast
    suprfast Posts: 49
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    Screw the BMI. Im 210lbs and roughly 12% BF. I should be 165lbs at 5'9". RIGHT.

    BMI makes about as much sense as the food pyramid. Lets eat 300g of carbs a day and wonder why we are fat. Healthy WHOLE GRAINS. Spikes insulin as much as sucrose.

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