Please Help...

The funny thing I discovered this week was that I was eating less 1100 calories on WW even though I was eating all my points.

I also tracked both for a while but always MFP first so I when i would input all my points I was going way over my points.

Right now I stand completely and hopelessly lost and confused and it's ticking me off.

I hope you get some good ideas and maybe I'll get some from your thread myself!

I think your body is going into starvation mode. With your low calorie intake and with the calories you are burning during workouts, you do not have enough calories needed for energy. You body thinks it is starving itself and any calories it does receive, it is storing it as fat to be used when needed. Try changing your weight loss goal on MFP. Rather than 40lbs goal...change to 10.
Work on getting that first 10. Once you hit that, change your goal for another 10 pounds loss until you reach your target weight. Your calorie restriction won't be so great and you should hopefully see a change. Plus, you won't be STRESSED. This is a major factor in keeping weight on. Food is meant to be enjoyed...so enjoy it...just the right kind. And definitely drink your water. It helps keep your body hydrated, keeps your body alkaline, gives your metabolism a boost and it helps flush out fat and toxins...throw a little lemon in there while you are at it.
Hope this helps.
Good luck.

If I eat 1343 calories, I won't lose.....

Wrong, you will still lose as it's less then your TDEE (amount of energy you expend throughout the day). Next, you have to include exercise into your TDEE. So that 1612 now becomes 2112. And then the deficit of 20% (much better as 500 is a catch all) is 1689.

So there are two options here. On days you work out, you can eat 1689 calories and 1289 calories on days you don't or just eat 1600 calories every day.

How active are you during the day? Did you multiply the BMR number correctly? Depending on what site you used some take into account your daily exercise, some don't.

1lb a week may be too much for you since you are smaller and have such a low BMR. Maybe try aiming for 0.5lb? Just because you have your calories set to lose a certain amount doesn't always mean you will... weight loss is weird like that.

Your calories usually decrease as you lose weight so you might find it a bit harder down the road since you started off eating too little.

How active are you during the day? Did you multiply the BMR number correctly? Depending on what site you used some take into account your daily exercise, some don't.

1lb a week may be too much for you since you are smaller and have such a low BMR. Maybe try aiming for 0.5lb? Just because you have your calories set to lose a certain amount doesn't always mean you will... weight loss is weird like that.

Your calories usually decrease as you lose weight so you might find it a bit harder down the road since you started off eating too little.

I have to go along with this. Being short makes losing weight a lot harder. For me, add that to being in my mid-40s to make it even tougher. I ate at 1250 plus my exercise calories to lose the weight I lost. I can't lose eating much more than that, but my BMR is under 1200 AND I sit at a desk all day. It also took me cutting out most carbs on a daily basis to see real results, but that's just me.

Give the calorie intake at .5 pound loss per week a try for a few weeks. You really need to give one approach a try for longer than a week or two to see if you're going to get results. Weight loss doesn't happen overnight but then, we didn't put it all on overnight, either.

To Mallory3411,

I went on a site to do my BMR. It was 1343.. (because I am so short) Then they said to times it by 1.2 and it was 1612. That's what I need to maintain my weight. If I want to lose 1lb a week. I was to submtract 500 calories from that. So I am to eat 1112 (sorry, not 1120) to lose. That's how I came up with these calories. Does this make sense to you guys??? If I eat 1343 calories, I won't lose.....

It isn't generally a good idea to eat below your BMR for an extended period of time. Your BMR is the minimum calories your body needs to just exist lying in bed all day not moving. For you to safely lose a pound a week, you should set your calories to 1343ish and exercise to burn 231 (1343-1112) calories a day. And don't eat those back ;-). If you burn say, 500 calories you can eat the extra 269 back and still be on track to lose a pound a week.

I have not been on WW bit I can tell you MFP if you ask for support you will get it! So here are some suggestions for you take them as you wish. If you are COMMITTED then go all out by completing About me, Why I want to get in Shape and what are your inspirations. These topics help others provide you support and have some idea of what you might need to get there. The other thing is Even if you eat 1100 calories, 1200 calories or 1300 calories show your diary let people know you want constructive feedback that will support your efforts in losing weight. It sounds as if your ready to make the changes to support your efforts it makes it easier to know what your about to provide you support. No doubt you are in the right and if your emotionally ready then let’s do this!! Losing weight is a marathon and not a sprint it’s not about how fast you get out of the blocks but how consistent you are over the long haul..

I am trying to work out and burn 400-500 calories Mon-Friday. Maybe if I start out with 1200 calories and on those days eat back the 400-500 calories back. On the days I don't work out, just eat 1200???? I just don't want to lose 2-3 lbs a month. I would like, at least 5lbs a month. Any other 40lbs over weight short people (4'7) here????? Thanks everyone for giving me good advice. I am so tired of failing........Sorry for talking so much.....

This sounds like a good plan with one caveat. Don't set yourself up to try to lose a certain amount of weight in a certain amount of time. You will most likely be disappointed. Keep in mind that you're going to lose weight more slowly the closer you get to a "normal" weight for your height. Weight loss is not a linear line on a graph. You might be able to lose a pound a week now but when you have 10 pounds to go, it'll be measured in ounces, not pounds. You didn't gain 5 pounds a month when you put the weight on, it's really not realistic to think you're going to take it off in even amounts, either, especially not that much each month.

The goal here is to lose the weight you need to lose and keep it off, right? That's for life, not the short term. Use that mindset and you'll be happier in the long run.

I agree with the people who mentioned you are NOT eating enough food per day.

First of all I suggest you FIRST see your doctor and a nutritionist if you are on a health plan. Your doctor if he/she is good is going to take into account many different factors for your weight loss based on your current health and health concerns you may not be aware of (vitamins you can/CAN'T take, Supplements you should take/SHOULDN'T take).

Second I can personally recommend Weight Watcher to START you on your journey. In 2001 I ballooned to nearly 300lbs from 225lbs because I was laid off and felt depressed. I'd always been an athlete so I decided to see my doctor before I began working out again. She prescribed something for hypertension (high blood pressure which I incidently didn't know I had) and put me on more calories than I'm on currently. It was a Weight Watchers program based on my desired weight and my workout commitments. For me it was specific, my Weight Watchers caloric count was 2500 calories with ONLY 400 of those 2500 calories being fat. On this weight watchers program I lost 40lbs in 3 months.

My workouts on that Weight Watchers program was intense nearly 2 hours every day, no rest day with a balance of Whey Protein, Creatine, and other supplements.

Realize this however... Weight Watchers is a good program, but very hard to LIVE on it.

To Psulemon.

I'm sorry if I sound stupid, but the site I was on (Mayo clinic) Its says to maintain eat 1612 calories. I don't want to maintain. I want to lose 1lb. So I have to eat 500 calores less to lose 1lb = 1112. They said my BMR is 1343. And because I am sedentary, (I don't always work out) they said to times it by 1.2 . That's where I came up with 1612. So to lose eat 1112. I am so confused. That's why I need help. I'm scared that (because I am so short) if I eat 1200 calories, I will only lose .04 a week. On myfitnesspal, they said I am to short to lose 1lb a week because they do not suggest going under 1200 calories. I know I am not making sense.... I am trying to work out and burn 400-500 calories Mon-Friday. Maybe if I start out with 1200 calories and on those days eat back the 400-500 calories back. On the days I don't work out, just eat 1200???? I just don't want to lose 2-3 lbs a month. I would like, at least 5lbs a month. Any other 40lbs over weight short people (4'7) here????? Thanks everyone for giving me good advice. I am so tired of failing........Sorry for talking so much.....

Being short has only has one disadvantage, you don't have as much surface area to have lean muscle mass. Here is the thing. You might be sedentary during the day, but exercise counts just as much as your daily life. If you include your exercise in your TDEE calculation, the number will change. What I showed you was a concept of including your exercise into your tdee calcuation. With your method, you would eat back your exercise calories which come up to the same numbers I posted. So you either include exercise into your TDEE or you eat back your exercise calories, it's your option. Also, just because you are short, doesn't mean weight loss concepts don't apply. My wife is pretty "bite size" as I call her, but she still eats 1400-1500 calories to lose weight.


The best thing for you and everyone else, is start lifting heavy weights. You want to increase or maintain the amount of lean muscle mass that you have. By weight lifting, you will not only burn calories during the workout, but continue to burn calories while your body repairs itself.

You said lift heavy weights... How much should I start off with????

Lifting heavy means you can only do about 8-12 reps and then your muscles fail.

I am so upset with myself. I need to lose 40lbs. If one diet doesn't work, I bounce to another one. I've been on Myfitnesspal, but, because I'm short, I was only eating 1120 calories a day (to lose 1lb). It seemed hard. So I went back to Weight Watchers. You get all fruits and veggies free. So, to me that was easier. But the weight is not coming off. (probably because fruits/veggies have calories too). I am 4'7 and need to lose 40lbs. I really want to lose 1lb a week. What is better Myfitnesspal or Weight Waters. Has anyone tried both?? Myfitnesspal is so much easier to log. The bar scan is fantastic. But I don't get that much to eat. I did start to work out and burn 400-500 calores 5x a week. So maybe I can do the 1120 calories and eat the 400-500 work out calories back. I will still lose weight, right?? If someone has been on myfitnesspal for a while, please help me. Thanks Issy

I've been on MFP for a while, lost 20 lbs. When I started I ate 1200 calories and didn't see a lot of results. Then I started eating back my exercise calories and the weight came off pretty fast. You should be eating 1120 plus the 400 you burn in exercise...if those numbers are right, you will lose the weight.

hi im phyliis and need some help understanding this diet, are we counting calories, cabs or fat?? if i stay under the carbs then im not eating all the calories and it tells me i maybe in starvation mode. if i eat all the calories i go over the cabes??
i think im so woried about the hole thing that i dont eat. you cant tell me that there is balance to stay under the calories and carbs at the same time.

Start eating stuff like eggs, chicken, cheese, nuts, avocado or having a protein bar or shake. And it's ok to go over your calories. Most of the time, people undereat their calories, so it adds stress to your body; yes, a calorie deficit is stress. The add stress release cortisol which is a mechanism that will maintain body fat as a source of energy. Also, if you under-eat, you risk the chance of slowing your metabolism (if eating below BMR) and losing lean body mass (which controls a lot in your body: metabolism, immune system, insulin control, etc..)

hi im phyliis and need some help understanding this diet, are we counting calories, cabs or fat?? if i stay under the carbs then im not eating all the calories and it tells me i maybe in starvation mode. if i eat all the calories i go over the cabes??
i think im so woried about the hole thing that i dont eat. you cant tell me that there is balance to stay under the calories and carbs at the same time.

If you're just starting out, there's no real reason to worry about anything but calories. Later on, when you get more comfortable with focusing solely on eating less calories, you may find you want to tweak how much carbs/fat/protein you're eating. Leave that for a later day, though.