help!!! i'm so confuse?????

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tammyp10
tammyp10 Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've read all kinds of different suggestions on here and i'm confused. I'm 5'3" 158# ....i eat between 1000-1200 calories. Some days I'm under 1000. I'm on the treadmill daily and usually burn 300-400 calories. I've been the same weight for 3 wks now and getting very frustrated!!!!! I checked what my BMR calories say and it's 1336 calories!!! What should I be doing??? Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!!! I don't wanna give up but I'm so frustrated!! HELP!!!!!
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Replies

  • AnisaMG
    AnisaMG Posts: 154 Member
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    you may need to up your caloric intake. If you underfeed yourself your body goes into starvation mode and you won't lose weight.
  • SweetPickle007
    SweetPickle007 Posts: 76
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    You are not eating enough..you should never eat under 1200 cal..you should eat the 1336 ...you have to eat to lose.
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,926 Member
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    You aren't eating enough and to keep up with all the exercise your body is hanging on to your body fat. Eat at your BMR and never go under 1200.

    Everyone believes that eating at a great deficient will increase the speed of weight loss but that's a myth.
  • KrystieNye
    KrystieNye Posts: 123 Member
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    I agree that you are not eating enough....try upping your calories, and I bet that will help. :)
  • tammyp10
    tammyp10 Posts: 17 Member
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    I keep thinking from past weight loss, if I ate 1200 or more calories I wouldn't lose. I'd lose at 1000. I'm actually afraid to eat more than 1200 calories. Obviously i must need to change my way of thinking because what I'm doing just doesn't seem to be working :( Thanks so much for suggestions.....I'll take all the help I can get!!!!!!
  • ellekay22
    ellekay22 Posts: 147 Member
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    Up your calories, but also check the quality of the foods you are eating. 1000 calories of white bread and sugars is very different than 1000 calories of whole grains, protein, and healthy fats. I know there are a lot of theories on this, but I (being no expert) just know I cannot eat a diet of carbs and lose weight.
  • Klamber26
    Klamber26 Posts: 212
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    You need to be eating more for health reasons; however, if you haven't lost weight in three weeks I would look for the cause. Either you aren't logging accurately, or perhaps need to see a doctor for thyroid issues. But don't forget about water weight, especially if you are new to exercise. Just because the scale hasn't changed doesn't mean you haven't made progress. Say your maintenance calories (Including exercise) are around 1600, then you are creating a 1 pound deficit per week. 3 weeks is 3 pounds--which is a very easy number for the scale to fluctuate around. I would stick to 1200 and eat back part of the exercise cals. If another month goes by and there still is no change, then see a doctor.
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
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    Everyone believes that eating at a great deficient will increase the speed of weight loss but that's a myth.

    Not any more they don't!

    These days lots are aware of phrases such as the slightly misleading 'starvation mode'. It was 30 years ago when people thought 'the fewer the calories, the more weight you will lose'
  • KevDaniel
    KevDaniel Posts: 449 Member
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    Up your calories, but also check the quality of the foods you are eating. 1000 calories of white bread and sugars is very different than 1000 calories of whole grains, protein, and healthy fats. I know there are a lot of theories on this, but I (being no expert) just know I cannot eat a diet of carbs and lose weight.

    This!

    You do need to up your claories, but make sure they are nutrient dense foods, like some nuts and keep the carbs at bay and complex.

    and while you do want to create a calorie deficit finding that balance is the key.
  • tammyp10
    tammyp10 Posts: 17 Member
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    I try to eat mostly chicken and fish, but sometimes have a hamburger (93/7) I eat more carbs then I should so I'm changing breakfast from oatmeal to 45 cal wheat bread and 2 egg whites fried. Hope that's a better choice. I have salads for lunch with chicken or ham and cottage cheese. I always have some form of potato with dinner. Is that a bad choice?? I'm open to any suggestions anyone has for me!!! I do splurge and have that McDonald ice cream come on my way home form work a couple times a week. I checked and it's 170 cal and 4.5 fat and 27 carbs... I'm sure that's a big "no no" I'll do what ever I need to do to get this weight off so I can start feeling better again. Thanks for all the suggestions. Very much appreciated!!! You guys are wonderful!!!!
  • minkakross
    minkakross Posts: 687 Member
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    not everyone needs to eat more, sometimes you just need to change your routine, yes that could be as little as a cheat day where you over eat your calories but sometimes it means changing your exercise. Muscle burns fat so while the treadmill is a great workout what are you doing for your upper body? When I plateau I usually am losing size. My own pattern is drop a pound or three of weight, plateau for weeks while losing an inch or so, gain a half pound, drop a pound or three of weight, plateau etc.... The bottom line is if you eat more and gain like I do don't be discouraged just try switching it up a bit.
  • rmalford
    rmalford Posts: 58
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    Oh lordy, no wonder you are confused. Isn't the "eat more" concept a little self serving?

    Simple suggestion, google "weight plateau" or something to that effect and check those sites you have heard of, Mayo Clinic and Livestrong both are respected and not just repeating internet nonsense.
  • Ahanaz
    Ahanaz Posts: 353 Member
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    Eat your 1336, never under 1200, and keep up the exercise.
  • Rick_da_Groom
    Rick_da_Groom Posts: 1
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    yeah you need to eat your calories. Your metabolism is like a fire...you keep feeding the fire wood so it keeps burning. You under eat...your fire goes out.
  • kgprice11
    kgprice11 Posts: 750 Member
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    you should eat until your at your net calories (1200) Good luck and enjoy
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    If you're burning 400 calories a day and eating 900, your net calorie intake is 500, and your body isn't getting enough fuel to survive long-term. Eventually, it may be forced to give up fat reserves, but for now, the compensation for receiving too little food (fuel) is lowering your metabolism. This is not what you want.

    Eating less than 1000-1200 calories and exercising heavily is telling your body "you need to figure out how to function while starving".

    You have to eat more if you want to tell your body that it is safe to use your fat reserves as fuel (resulting in weight loss). An active person should not regularly be eating below her BMR.
  • ishtar13
    ishtar13 Posts: 528 Member
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    I try to eat mostly chicken and fish, but sometimes have a hamburger (93/7) I eat more carbs then I should so I'm changing breakfast from oatmeal to 45 cal wheat bread and 2 egg whites fried. Hope that's a better choice. I have salads for lunch with chicken or ham and cottage cheese. I always have some form of potato with dinner. Is that a bad choice?? I'm open to any suggestions anyone has for me!!! I do splurge and have that McDonald ice cream come on my way home form work a couple times a week. I checked and it's 170 cal and 4.5 fat and 27 carbs... I'm sure that's a big "no no" I'll do what ever I need to do to get this weight off so I can start feeling better again. Thanks for all the suggestions. Very much appreciated!!! You guys are wonderful!!!!

    Oatmeal is fine as long as you don't add too much sugar, but combining it with some kind of protein (Greek yogurt, protein powder, eggs) or ground flax seed for good fat would be good.

    Add some onions and/or spinach to your egg whites to add volume and nutrients with low calories.

    Have the ice cream cone once a week or so, but make sure it's in your cals AND carbs for the day.
  • Pedal_Pusher
    Pedal_Pusher Posts: 1,166 Member
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    Just keep on keepin' on.............
  • KenzieVC26
    KenzieVC26 Posts: 1
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    It might not be how much your eating, but what your eating. Make sure to keep everything healthy. Substitute chewy granola bars for a banana, or yogurt. Definitely include fruits and veggies in your diet.. Trust me, it helps. After you work out, you CAN eat after. Keep in mind that your metabolism is high and burning for about 3 hours after working out, so it's okay to eat. Hope I helped, good luck!!
  • punkypenny
    punkypenny Posts: 99 Member
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    Up your calories, but also check the quality of the foods you are eating. 1000 calories of white bread and sugars is very different than 1000 calories of whole grains, protein, and healthy fats. I know there are a lot of theories on this, but I (being no expert) just know I cannot eat a diet of carbs and lose weight.

    This^^ Also, avoid "diet" drinks and any other types of foods with artificial sweeteners. They inhibit your body's ability to burn fat.

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