HELP please :)

teee12
teee12 Posts: 93 Member
When I started being serious about calorie counting and losing weight last week, I lost nearly 3 kilos. This week, I haven't lost anything! it's really frustrating me, because I've been eating fairly healthy and exercising 3-5 days a week. Feel free to check out my diary and give me some feedback, as to what you think...

Replies

  • angleu
    angleu Posts: 140 Member
    You are not eating enough. I assume you have it set to make you lose 2lbs a week at 1200 calories a day. I went back one week and you did not net 1200 one day. You have to make sure you eat your work out calories. But you should at least do the recommended 1lbs a week and eat more period.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    eat the entire amount of calories, not fewer. What you're doing right now is underfeeding. Your body then adjusts to the lesser amount by adapting your metabolism slower. You seriously can't succeed that way.

    Don't fall prey to the idea that you have to starve to lose weight -- that's what yo-yo dieters do.

    When your body adapts to too few calories, you'll gain EVERY time you splurge, but you won't be able to lose those splurge pounds effectively.

    Check this out:

    From one of my old posts from a similar topic:

    OK. I'm gonna give this a shot. I am an avid lifelong athlete. I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

    It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

    It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

    1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

    2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


    That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

    Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

    Are you getting the picture?

    EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.
    --

    There are many people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories. Before you take their advice, you might want to see whether they are at goal, have EVER been at goal, or have ever been able to maintain at goal. If anyone says to you 'THE LAST TIME I LOST WEIGHT", just stop listening right there.

    Ask some athletes whether or not they replenish their bodies with food equal to the calories they burn. Ask people who are fit and have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for some years. Don't ask people who count walking across a parking lot as exercise.

    Here's an interesting case study about how to stay fat while consuming only 700 calories a day. Take a moment, you'll be glad you did:

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

    blessings.
  • angleu
    angleu Posts: 140 Member
    What she said ^^ =)
  • ka97
    ka97 Posts: 1,984 Member
    Your calorie total some days are very low. Unless you are not logging everything, you need to eat more. Eat all of your 1200 calories, which I think is very low but if that is your daily goal then at least eat all 1200. Eat more at breakfast. If you are not already doing so, incorporate strength training. Keep in mind that losing weight is a process, and it is not always linear. You might lose a little every week, or you might lose nothing for a week or two and then all of a sudden lose a lot. Stay positive and keep at it.
  • tbetts23
    tbetts23 Posts: 303 Member
    Okay, so more than 6lbs in your first week. Bravo! But...and there is always a but, you are not eating all you are allotted. This will not help over the long haul. There is no quick fix. Eat healthfully and exercise and you will get there. It will not happen in six weeks.
  • teee12
    teee12 Posts: 93 Member
    Thanks guys! it's so hard to eat when you aren't hungry though! but, I will try my best :)
  • teee12
    teee12 Posts: 93 Member
    Thanks:)
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
    Thanks guys! it's so hard to eat when you aren't hungry though! but, I will try my best :)

    Please do click that link above in my post on the 700 calories article to read about why you don't feel hungry, why that's dangerous, and how to correct it.

    blessings.
  • QuintinV
    QuintinV Posts: 28
    Thanks guys! it's so hard to eat when you aren't hungry though! but, I will try my best :)

    I thought it was too much either and was struggling when I started off following this advice. Not just eating a lot more than what I'm used to, but the entire concept of eating more had me really worried during the first week. My MFP pals have not let me down yet, so I decided to take the plunge and have increased my calories at the time as suggested (not even fully there yet) and I actually started to lose again!
    Like me, you might be thinking that it kinda makes sense what these guys are saying, but you aren't 100% sure ~ the doubt sits in the back of your mind, but take it from someone that went through this... it actually works.

    All the best for you on your adventure!
  • teee12
    teee12 Posts: 93 Member
    thank you :) I will make sure I eat 1200 calories a day! :)
  • QuintinV
    QuintinV Posts: 28
    thank you :) I will make sure I eat 1200 calories a day! :)

    ....at least....