What regiment are you on that has lost you weight?

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steveman99
steveman99 Posts: 27
in Food and Nutrition
I am supposed to eat 1800 calories per day, so I try and eat less and go way under the 1800, generally 1200 per day.
BUT, I have only lost minimal amounts of weight over one month. I guess, over the entire one month eight lbs is not that bad, keeping in the scheme of things, but I want to know what has worked for you all out there, and maybe I can incorporate what you have had success with, to my lifestyle.
Thank you.
Stephen
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Replies

  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    You are not eating anywhere near enough, which is why you aren’t losing. I am a 5’7” woman and 1200 isn’t enough for me. Your body needs enough fuel to function properly and you aren’t doing that, hence it is hanging on to every calorie you feed it. You do not want to eat below your BMR- which essentially how many calories your body needs to keep up organ functions while in a coma. I am guessing you are eating well below that level.

    You didn’t get overweight quickly and you won’t slim down quickly. Follow what MFP tells you to eat (the 1800 calories) and give it a chance to work.
  • cngeike
    cngeike Posts: 305 Member
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    How do you make yourself eat more when YOu don't feel hungry to eat more. I struggle with this all the time. I only lost 5lb and then thanks to Easter gained 1lb back since Feb. WTH? So I am curious too
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    How do you make yourself eat more when YOu don't feel hungry to eat more.

    How do you normally cook vegetables or meat? If you cook them in cooking spray, use a tablespoon of healthy oil (olive, walnut, whatever kind) instead. Bam, there is 120 calories. One tablespoon of peanut butter is 100 calories and certainly isn't filling. There are many calorie dense healthy foods that you can fit into your day that won't make you feel stuffed.
  • cngeike
    cngeike Posts: 305 Member
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    How do you make yourself eat more when YOu don't feel hungry to eat more.

    How do you normally cook vegetables or meat? If you cook them in cooking spray, use a tablespoon of healthy oil (olive, walnut, whatever kind) instead. Bam, there is 120 calories. One tablespoon of peanut butter is 100 calories and certainly isn't filling. There are many calorie dense healthy foods that you can fit into your day that won't make you feel stuffed.

    I don't know why I didn't think of using my coconut oil. Love that stuff. Good thinking
  • mommymeg2
    mommymeg2 Posts: 145 Member
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    I would have to go with you aren't eating enough. I'd up it to the 1800 they recommend, give it a month and then see where you are. Good luck :)
  • IveLanded
    IveLanded Posts: 797 Member
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    Dude, 8lbs is actually REALLY good for a month!

    I did a weight loss challenge at my gym for 3 weeks, and the average loss was about 8lbs, and those people were on a strict diet and working out an hour a day at least. You seem to be doing just as good as them.........
  • sonyachan
    sonyachan Posts: 518 Member
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    Yep, your body is in starvation mode, holding on to everything because you are not feeding it enough. Eat the 1800, minimum, and I bet you will see a loss. Lot's of us have realized this and are now losing weight and have stronger, healthier bodies. Good luck!
  • 10KEyes
    10KEyes Posts: 250 Member
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    Eating primal. 2000 Calories a day. Sometimes I find it hard to eat that much. I started the week of Feb. 20th 2012.
  • InIt2WinIt
    InIt2WinIt Posts: 68
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    MFP recommends I eat 1300 cal per day and I eat every morsel of that 1300 cal, plus I exercise and burn at least 300 cal everyday & I clocked a 16 lb weight loss last yr when I did this. I am back again this yr to do the same and I am doing everything the exact same way I did it last yr. If nothing else, eat the recommended MFP amount of calories and still exercise.
  • all4derby
    all4derby Posts: 55
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    I definitely agree with the previous posters - you are not eating enough. I recently hit a plateau and it was basically because I was eating too little, I upped my calories and lost 2 lbs instantly.

    From my blog (http://all4derby.blogspot.com/2012/04/great-practice-great-weigh-in.html):

    My regular food goal with no exercise is 1450 calories.
    My estimated exercise expenditure was 538 calories.
    The actual number of calories consumed was 1902 calories.
    My net calories (food - exercise) aka the only calories that count was 1364.

    And I got to eat ALL THAT FOOD! And I dropped 2 plateau pounds like nothing.

    You can lose weight fast AND eat. Make sure your net calories are always at your calorie goal!
  • Becky_Boodle
    Becky_Boodle Posts: 253 Member
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    Running...
    and lifting weights...
    and drinking lots of water...
    and eating more nutrient dense foods...
    and not eating processed crappy foods...
    and hitting my calorie goal after exercise :)
  • Stacyanne324
    Stacyanne324 Posts: 780 Member
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    I agree with the others... 8 pounds in a month is great! I'd keep doing what you are doing!

    I do agree that staying on a 1200 calorie a day diet for long term can cause problems but I don't think it happens overnight. Or you could do a plan like I'm doing. I follow the Spike diet. The suggestion of the plan is to figure your bmr and eat at that level 3 days, eat 500 minus bmr 3 days (but never under 1200), and eat twice your bmr one day a week to keep your metobolism going. This way you will reset your body and leptin levels weekly and won't go into starvation mode.

    That said I've modified my plan a bit. My BMR is 1500. I eat at 1200-1300 Mon-Fri, around 1500 on Saturday, and around 3000 Sundays. It finally got me off a month long plateu and losing again and it's been much more fun. :)
  • all4derby
    all4derby Posts: 55
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    I agree with the others... 8 pounds in a month is great! I'd keep doing what you are doing!

    I do agree that staying on a 1200 calorie a day diet for long term can cause problems but I don't think it happens overnight. Or you could do a plan like I'm doing. I follow the Spike diet. The suggestion of the plan is to figure your bmr and eat at that level 3 days, eat 500 minus bmr 3 days (but never under 1200), and eat twice your bmr one day a week to keep your metobolism going. This way you will reset your body and leptin levels weekly and won't go into starvation mode.

    That said I've modified my plan a bit. My BMR is 1500. I eat at 1200-1300 Mon-Fri, around 1500 on Saturday, and around 3000 Sundays. It finally got me off a month long plateu and losing again and it's been much more fun. :)

    Hmm... I may try this in 6 weeks to change things up. Do you mind me asking what your losses have been on this plan?
  • boggsmeister
    boggsmeister Posts: 292 Member
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    I am supposed to eat about 2300 calories a day, so I eat about 2300 calories a day, more if I exercise. I am losing weight just fine, and I am never hungry. It's your journey, but it doesn't seem that cutting calories more than a 1000 calorie a day deficit provides sustainable results for most people.

    Just my thoughts. I am about 8 weeks into this, and I don't do everything perfect, I don't exercise as much as I should, and sometimes I eat like crap. Still, I am losing weight, and I feel like my energy levels are higher than they were two months ago.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    I ate 1200-1400 cals a day (closer to 1200) every day for 7 months. Plus about 1000 cals of exercise which put me in a 2000 - 3000 calorie a day deficit. I'm not recommending this, it is just what worked for me. I lost 140 lbs in 7 months. Monitored my labs every 4 weeks to make sure I wasn't deficient in anything. I now eat 2700 cals a day and am still loosing 1 lb a week. I'm adjusting up to 3100 next week if I can conquer the mental demon!

    Good luck, just stick with it and you'll succeed!!

    -M
  • cngeike
    cngeike Posts: 305 Member
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    This is great and encouraging. I love this thread. LOL

    I struggle because I feel like if I eat mroe than 1300 calories I am going to gain weight. But my SIL eats normal people food and loses and my BIL. Yet here I am trying to lose weight too and doing the smoothie for breakfast, and a protein shake for dinner and trying to cut back on carbs, but not losing weight. I am also working out most days so burning anywhere from 400-800 calories doing that. I clearly am not eating enough. I am g oing to start eating normal. I don't buy a lot of processed stuff so I am good their, I think I just need to work on not being afraid to eat
  • Saruman_w
    Saruman_w Posts: 1,531 Member
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    Eating bare minimum calories and lots of cardio made me lose a lot of weight. But it wasn't in just fat! I got all scrawny, so I'm in the middle of bulking.
  • Plump2Pump
    Plump2Pump Posts: 25 Member
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    I'm doing Power90 and I try to get net 1500 calories. It's a struggle since sometimes I'm not hungry. I'm going to take the idea that one poster posted about the Olive Oil & Pam exchange though.
  • ladyfingers39
    ladyfingers39 Posts: 335
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    I started my journey on March 3rd. The first month I ate 1400 cals a day or less, because I thought I would lose more weight. Well I would get through like day 3 and be starving so I would eat things I shouldn't. Then back on I would go and starve myself. Horrible cycle. I lost 6 pounds last month. So far this month I upped my cals to 1800 and the weight is falling off me and I never feel hungry.

    Eat your calories people!! your body needs it!! :) I swear it works!
  • Kasia1974
    Kasia1974 Posts: 3
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    If you cook most of what you eat yourself, as opposed to eating out, you can cut calories in all kinds of places. I substitute low fat or non fat versions of dairy products in recipes all the time. I've heard on more than one occasion that the low fat or non fat versions are filled with "fillers" or sugar to compensate, but I read labels and haven't run into this yet. Some of the non fat cheeses don't taste so good, so beware, but in recipes they're usually fine. One example: I use fat free ricotta in Greek Spinach Pie and you can't tell the difference at all. I also have used low fat cottage cheese in lasagna or stuffed shells and even my Italian mother-in-law could not tell the difference. Also, I use minimal olive oil in sauteeing recipes (like a couple of teaspoons) and then use vegetable stock for moisture.
    In the past, eating carbs only in the morning, drinking lots of water, walking 3 times a week for 20 minutes and doing lunges with 5 lb weights and sit-ups with an ab roller 3 times a week worked great for me.

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