Not as simple as calories in and calories out?

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catatmwc
catatmwc Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've been very carefully counting calories for a week and a half now. I eat around 1,200 calories a day and I've upped my cardio. Unfortunately the scale hasn't budged! I thought that if I burned more calories than I took in that would automatically equate to weight loss. Am I doing something wrong?

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  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,667 Member
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    To a point it is. If you consume too little and your deficit is too big for your weight, then you may not lose due to your body trying to conserve energy. How much are you trying to lose a week and are you eating back your exercise calories?


    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer/Group Fitness Instructor
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  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
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    I've been very carefully counting calories for a week and a half now.

    A week and a half is not long enough to make any reasonable conclusions about anything.
  • Javajunkie67
    Javajunkie67 Posts: 167 Member
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    Give it at least 4 weeks, then adjust if you need to. If you were working out already and ramped up the cardio or body weight exercises, the loss could be masked by water coming to help with repair. if your new to working out, it might take all 4 weeks to get the body to loosen its death grip on those pounds.

    You dont have much to lose and those last 10-15 lbs can be very stubborn. Hang in there. You're doing it right.
  • potluck965
    potluck965 Posts: 529 Member
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    I've been very carefully counting calories for a week and a half now.

    A week and a half is not long enough to make any reasonable conclusions about anything.

    A week and a half? Seriously, this is a lifestyle change, a marathon, not a sprint. If you are truly recording calories and exercise and basing your consumption on a real formula, not just what you think you need to eat, then you will lose weight.

    You can't be hit or miss, though, you have to be precise.
  • stephconduit
    stephconduit Posts: 2 Member
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    what types of things are you eating?? it's really not as easy as calories in calories out its the types of food you eat and the way your body proesses them
  • luv_lea
    luv_lea Posts: 1,094 Member
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    I've been very carefully counting calories for a week and a half now.

    A week and a half is not long enough to make any reasonable conclusions about anything.

    My thoughts exactly.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    When you have a significant amount of weight to lose (say, more than 15-20lbs), it is as simple as calories in/calories out. I agree that a week and a half is not enough time. Weight loss takes time, you may not see results right away. It doesn't mean you're failing.
  • jennifer52484
    jennifer52484 Posts: 888 Member
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    You could be doing everything right... but the body needs time to adjust. You need to give it more than a week and 1/2. When I first started I didn't lose any weight the first month. then I lost a bunch. just give it time. you will see results.
  • realme56
    realme56 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Additionally you are going from 118# to 105#, I am going to assume you are 5' or less. Eating healthy is a lifestyle thing not a quick fix, there are no quick fixes.
    If you are even moderately active you probably need more than 1200 calories.
  • tomhancock
    tomhancock Posts: 100 Member
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    Wait at least a month and make sure that (1) you don't have any hidden calories, like the oil you used to cook that healthy chicken breast, or something similar and (2) that your carb/protein/fat ratios are in a good place.

    I wouldn't listen to the "up your calories to 1800" crowd until you've tried more traditional dieting. Your metabolism will slow as you reduce your caloric intake but numerous double blind peer reviewed medical studies have shown that until your body fat hits about 5%, your metabolism will not slow down to the point where it "catches up" to the caloric reduction.

    Be patient!
  • catatmwc
    catatmwc Posts: 6 Member
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    I'm 5'2 and I'm trying to lose at least 5 pounds in 5 weeks (I'm going to France and I want to be able to enjoy what I eat there).

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