Hey lady, ok weight fluctuations are so very normal...if you are bouncing around the same five lbs that means your body is using the calories and adjusting. Did you take a look at the topic what to expect when upping calories? That will help you.

Are you doing any strength training? I tell you I eat my tdee - 15% every single day and I do 3 days of strength training and one of those days I do zumba as well (if I am not wiped out for my lifts) and another day of walking...nothing heavy. Strength training helps you to build muscles and those muscle burn fat.

Are you at least netting your BMR? That is important.

Another thing, it has only been 2 wks...I tell people give it at least 4-6wks minimum, it takes your body a while to believe that you are not going to starve it any longer. You lost a 1/2 off your waist...that is significant...give it time...the inches will come off and if you can start a strength training program.

Take a look at the " Before/Progress/After" there are some transformations there that will encourage you.

Remember this is a program that is maintainable after you hit goal...not a quick drop the weight quick and regain because the metabolism has slowed. Plus, eating 1200 cals isn't achievable forever. Please be patient...I was right where you are...I ate 1200, 1350, 1500 and NOTHING...I started eating 1800 weight started coming off, then I went up again when the weight loss plateaued and it started moving again...I too had moments of frustration and do once in a while now...BUT, the one thing I keep in the front of my mind is that I was miserable on the restricted diet...had hardly any energy...was fatigued...and down right grumpy...AND the weight loss halted...so the thought of going back...NEVER. I rather lose fat with minimal muscle loss nice and slow then to drop weight quick, be flabbier and regain as soon as I start eating a normal amount of food.

Oh yes, stay encouraged just in knowing that this is maintainable...those that lose quick gain quicker...who wants that! You can do this...once you add in some strength training you will see changes in your physique that will offset your need to see movement on the scale...it sure did for me:-)

I am discouraged also. Stepped on the scale this morning and I have gained almost 4 pounds this week since I upped my calories
I received The New Rules of Lifting yesterday so it will take a day or so to read it completely through. I walk from 45 min to 1 hour a day and do 30 minutes of a beginners exercise routine. I used to use my Total Gym but hurt my shoulder. When I stopped working out is when I gained the 20 pounds back from an initial loss a few years ago of 90 pounds. I refuse to be fat like that again and it is so frustrating.
I am 58 and have fibromyalgia and arthritis with some bursitis in my hips and shoulders. I can work through the pain but gaining that weight this week is tough
I have been eating 1300 to 1350 calories a day for 5 years now. Seeing the weight gain after eating more is playing with my head

Shelley

I am discouraged also. Stepped on the scale this morning and I have gained almost 4 pounds this week since I upped my calories
I received The New Rules of Lifting yesterday so it will take a day or so to read it completely through. I walk from 45 min to 1 hour a day and do 30 minutes of a beginners exercise routine. I used to use my Total Gym but hurt my shoulder. When I stopped working out is when I gained the 20 pounds back from an initial loss a few years ago of 90 pounds. I refuse to be fat like that again and it is so frustrating.
I am 58 and have fibromyalgia and arthritis with some bursitis in my hips and shoulders. I can work through the pain but gaining that weight this week is tough
I have been eating 1300 to 1350 calories a day for 5 years now. Seeing the weight gain after eating more is playing with my head

Shelley

I found the mindgames the worst with the "resetting" phase. I wanted to throw in the towel every week the scale went up... But have faith in it. Your body will thank you!! I finally went right up to my Cut value this past week, after eating only BMR for the three weeks prior and the scale finally DROPPED almost 4 pounds. It DOES work. just have faith, keep eating your cut value, and put the scale away for a few weeks. Believe me, I will never again eat 1400 cals and try to lose weight on it.

You can do it, and it does work. Let your mind go, and your body will thank you:)

Wow, Ryann, I know you said you had a loss, but I didn't know it was a 4lbs...WOW...that is awesome.

Shelley be encouraged, it is a process you have to reverse the damage done and let your body know that you will be consistent in feeding it and it will stabilize and then the loss will happen. I know it is hard seeing the number on the scale, but it is just that a number filled with water weight...you will start to lose. I can't say when, but at some point the body just starts to release the fat. As you workout, you will start to see a difference in the mirror and with measurements...get the tape out hun and get ready for inches lost.

You can do it! Stay strong! You don't have to eat 1300 to lose weight trust me!!!

Thanks for the encouragement. The first thing my brain wanted to do was not eat breakfast and have a shake for lunch. So many bad ideas are programmed in there!
Maybe I should up my calories. I believe I am set at 1600 but according to the NRFL book, that is what I should eat on non-workout days and I should be up to 1867 on workout days.
My TDEE is 1912 and 15% of that is 1626. That is why I chose 1600. But I guess using the book numbers you do not eat back exercise calories and if you use the TDEE, you do? So I should be eating between 1600 and 1800 calories?

It is tough to up my food intake when I seem to be getting fatter every day *lol*

Shelley

Shelley,

What is your BMR and what activitly level did you choose? It sounds like maybe you chose sedentary. If so, please recalculate using moderate.

Once you have that number, I would suggest eating 15% from that number. I too did the NRFL calcs at first when I got started, which had me at about tdee - 20% which I had to finally go up in cals to get to the 15% cut value. I stalled after a while at the lower number, went up and got weight going again. I am pretty close to goal, so not so much worried about the scale, but fat loss...I mean who cares what the scale says if you are getting into your goal size and see visible fat disappearing.

My BMR is 1397 and I think I chose moderate but I will check. My pants are tighter too. I have gained 6 pounds in a week

I'm off for my walk even though my legs and arms are sore from the workout yesterday. I have to keep moving

Thanks for the help,

Shelley

Ok, so your tdee at mod is 2165. So your daily intake should be 1840 and if you burn over 440 then you start to eat the excess. Sounds like you are lifting and you can hold water because of water retention due to muscle repair...