Not loosing weight despite serious calories reduction

[ScubaAlex]

When I started out, I needed to loose about 12-13 lbs. I know that doesn't sound like much but that is what makes it all the more difficult. 

Of course the first 3 lbs came right off in barely a week or so, the rest has been a true struggle.

This past week, I have been exercising daily if not even twice a day, eating around 1000 calories (so a defiicit of 750-1000 calories per day!), no alcohol, drink an average of 100 fl oz of water per day, and I got the scale this morning to only see 1.2lbs gone.  WTF!  The week before, when I had my period and with an average of 800 calorie deficit per day, I didn't loose anything!!   This is totally depressing. 

I don't see how I can eat even less and still be functional.  Thoughts?

(I'm now 139lbs, 5'6, 45 y/o and aiming for 132lbs). 

[kristhebooklady]

You are exercising really well. I think that going back and forth from 500 calories back to normal confuses your metabolism. I am eating about 1500 calories everyday and am trying to keep my exercise points 1,000 more than my food intake calories. I should lose one to two pounds each week. Even if I don't lose the weight, I just keep on going. I'm possible, not impossible. If you keep your calories at about 1500, and don't alternate to 500, your body won't feel it is starving and you will lose weight. Good Luck

[Chess]

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@kristhebooklady wrote:

When you go below 1200 calories the body see you are starving yourself and won't lose weight. It takes eating calories and not skimping on calories. If I burn 1000 more calories exercising thanI eat, I will lose two lbs a week. I 'm possible, not impossible. Slow and steady wins the race. I hope this helps.

kris:)

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That is absolutely FALSE.

[Ven]

Wow! I am glad to hear someone in the same situation as I. I have 11 more days to lose 8.5 more #s, at the maximum effort.  I can't see how that might happen but I will "stay the course", but maybe ramp up my exercise. My weight has fluctuated a bit. I am reading Prevention magazine and may consider doing a liver detoxing in a desperate effort get to my weight goal.  It might extend my date goal by a week or so but I figure to give it an honest try. Any suggestions?

[Heybales]

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@Ven wrote:

Wow! I am glad to hear someone in the same situation as I. I have 11 more days to lose 8.5 more #s, at the maximum effort.  I can't see how that might happen but I will "stay the course", but maybe ramp up my exercise. My weight has fluctuated a bit. I am reading Prevention magazine and may consider doing a liver detoxing in a desperate effort get to my weight goal.  It might extend my date goal by a week or so but I figure to give it an honest try. Any suggestions?

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Reset your expectations.

Time based goals are doomed to failure unless you are generously easy with it - which you aren't.

Weight loss isn't linear, and unless you want to truly just lose weight because you'll be walking around with a scale tied to your neck with current weight for all to see, and a sign saying what goal weight is desired - people will only be looking at you.

Sadly the usual result of time based goals is getting to do it again and again, because you'll gain it right back easier, because you lost muscle mass in the attempt. And it'll be harder to lose next time.

If you want that 8.5 lbs to be just fat in 11 days (because going in to a diet already lost water weight), that would mean the following would have to happen.

8.5 x 3500 cal in lb of fat = 29750 cal deficit / 11 days = 2705 cal deficit daily between what you eat and what you burn.

Now, you could just burn 2705 daily and not eat - think you'll make it 11 days?

I know, eat 1200, so you'd have to burn 3905 daily - how long you think you could make it?

That much exercise better be mainly fat burning too since you won't have the carbs to support anything intense. How long will it take walking at what pace to accomplish that burn?

If you want something truly foolish to burn off some muscle mass (which only provides 600 calories per pound used as energy source) - say the word and I'll lay it out.

No one has taken me up on challenge yet - or they did attempt it and failed miserably and hence didn't report back.

[Ccl33]

I was just reading an article about eating a little protein with every meal kicks up the metabolism along with building muscle. I think it said about 58 grams per day. I am going to try that because I exercise several times a week and not happy with the way things are going. I track on weight watchers (26 points) and track on my fitness pal. I wear a fitbit so I am very aware of steps. One other thing, I am in my 70 's .

[Heybales]

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@Ccl33 wrote:
I was just reading an article about eating a little protein with every meal kicks up the metabolism along with building muscle. I think it said about 58 grams per day. I am going to try that because I exercise several times a week and not happy with the way things are going. I track on weight watchers (26 points) and track on my fitness pal. I wear afitbit so I am very aware of steps. One other thing, I am in my 70's .

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Eating food, or more protein, doesn't "kick up your metabolism". There is just more energy expended digesting and processing food - it's very different and measurable from metabolism. Once that process is done, your burn rate at that moment goes right back down to low level where it was prior to eating.

Fact is, it'll expend the same energy if you spread all your meals out, or ate all the calories at once.

Not different than fact you get up and walk around the house you burned more, sit down the burn rate drops again. That didn't kick up your metabolism.

Now - lifting weights until failure and causing your body to need to repair - yes that does kick it up for 24-36 hrs later. But without doing that, just eating protein isn't going to magically add any muscle mass, or strength for that matter, which are 2 different things too.

Now, protein with each meal can help some people feel more satisfied with the calories eaten, more satiety to it.

And as far as a gram amount of protein, that is based on you and your needs, and in a diet, to help retain muscle mass you need 3 things - reasonable deficit, enough protein, resistance training.

Protein in a diet is best at 0.82 grams per pound of bodyweight. Studies of lifters that diet to show weight have showed this is max amount that is needed to prevent muscle mass loss. More isn't useful, unless it helps you be full, and you have no liver problems eating more. But that above figure is goal to reach.

[Traciei]

very good point!  I am also a lifetime member and would like to lose 5 - 7 pounds.  though I love the fitbit, I am struggling between what worked for me on WW and what the results of my logging have shown me.  first, I am astonished at how much sodium is in broccoli!!!  I lived on broccoli before 🙂  Have you found a balance between ww and the fitbit program?

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@AuntyT wrote:

     Have you examined your foods for hidden calories and percentages of fat and sodium? I never thought of calories within watermelon or sodium in my fat free milk yet there they were!  

    I have lost 60 lbs - the last 40 via Weight Watchers but as a lifetime member I struggled with motivation while on maintenance. Now I gained around 25 lbs. back and am using the FitbitOne, but not Weight Watchers . I have having similar problems with losing the weight and dealing with the calories but today I did some digging deeper into my food logs and exercising and noticed some trends. After seriously cutting calories while exercising such as cardio and weight training 3xs per week, my weight goes up.. I have lost around two pounds and inches however I discovered my body fat went up a percentage!! Low and behold my diet - I mean that to be the way I am eating, not eating to lose weight- was higher in fat% that I thought and so was my sodium.

    By the way, a slow and steady weight loss allows for your body to adjust for the new routine and weight. 

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[blkberrypoet]

A doctor and a nutritionist told me that weight loss is 80/20...80% what you eat and 20% excercise. I agree with the people on here who say that weightloss starts in the kitchen and fitness begins at the gym. Diets do not work and cutting too many calories will just make you store fat. It all makes sense. One more thing that is important to have during weightloss (something I struggle with)...PATIENCE!! Good weightloss doesn't happen overnight.

[yldthng]

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WendyB wrote:

You Lose weight in the Kitchen, but you get fit in the gym

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I have never heard it put quite like that. I like that. 

[divedragon]

Agree with Jwilburn - you're restricting yourself too much and body is refusing to let go in fear of starvation.  Conventional wisdom says you should not eat less that 1200-1400 calories a day, but consume them over 6 meals in a day.  This helps the body realize it is getting something on a regular basis and is more willing to let go of the stored fat. 

[divedragon]

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@Chess wrote:

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@kristhebooklady wrote:

When you go below 1200 calories the body see you are starving yourself and won't lose weight. It takes eating calories and not skimping on calories. If I burn 1000 more calories exercising thanI eat, I will lose two lbs a week. I 'm possible, not impossible. Slow and steady wins the race. I hope this helps.

kris:)

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That is absolutely FALSE.

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Absolutely never say absolutely!  You body is not a steady machine. - it's adaptive.  When you restrict calories too much, your metabolism slows down.  This is not as much as issue with people who have a BMI in excess of 30 (although there is evidence that an uptake of oxygen is significantly reduced), but it does become an increasing risk as your BMI drops.

-People on ultra low calorie diets often develop symptoms such as constipation/diaherra, nausea and fatigue and even Gallstones.  The added issue of ultra low calories diets is the restriction on a diversity of foods for different sources of vitamines and minerals.  Not to mention cannibalization of muscle for protein which in turn affects your ability to burn fat.

The Following is an excerpt from a study in the Journal of international society of sports nutrition.

"Metabolic rate is dynamic in nature, and previous literature has shown that energy restriction and weight loss affect numerous components of energy expenditure. In weight loss, TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) has been consistently shown to decrease [38,39]. Weight loss results in a loss of metabolically active tissue, and therefore decreases BMR [38,39]. Interestingly, the decline in TDEE often exceeds the magnitude predicted by the loss of body mass. Previous literature refers to this excessive drop in TDEE as adaptive thermogenesis, and suggests that it functions to promote the restoration of baseline body weight [13-15]"

[Katkue]

Sometimes it's NOT the scale you need to focus on.  Have you done body measurements?  I suggest you do those and record, once a week.  And take up weight training.  This builds muscle and decreases fat.  It creates a leaner look, even if your weight doesn't change.  You do have to eat in order to lose weight, and maintaining less than 1,000 calores a day is a sure fire way of shooting your metabolism in the foot.  Your body thinks it is starving and starts to burn less calories and lays on the fat.  

[Jessielane]

Did increasing your calorie intake to 1000 help? I am on like 800 and walk my 10000 steps a day and I am stagnent. I weigh 148 -146 back to 148 . I just dont get it. UG

[ScubaAlex]

Sort of.  What I tried was increasing the 1000-1100 on a few days and then going down to 800-900 on other days.  I not only eat health, have light snacks so I don't go too long between meals, drink at least 3 liters if not 4 a day, and excercise regulary. 

Note - as a woman,  you will definitely weigh more certain times of the month so I now factor that in to my weight loss.

The trick is to stick with it (which I certainly did not do over the holidays).  Don't get let down by seeing numbers go up a bit. 

-A

[ScubaAlex]

the scale should not be a main focus but is should be part of what we use to measure progress.  I agree, measurements should be part of that as well. 

I personally work out almost every day and do a mix of cardio (kickboxing, spin), weight training, and yoga.  As I do this quite regularly  I am not building a lot more muscle but maintaining what I have. 

As each person's digestive system is different it is hard to say how many calories are enough but I know that if I eat too much above 1000 I barely loose weight. The other challenge is loosing the last 5-8lbs when I'm 140 trying to get to 132 versus loosing 8lbs when you are 180 and just started your weight loss program.

-A

[Katsomm]

Perhaps the exercise is building muscle which can weigh much more than fat.   I find that when I go into the 'got to loose weight' mode and head out to the gym 2x-3x as much as I typically go, I tend to see the pounds disapear only over some time (6-8 weeks) but inches come off much sooner.  Maybe use a tape measure instead of the scale and keep working out and eating all the right food (many small meals)  It sounds like your doing it right!

[ScubaAlex]

I go to the gym almost everyday and sometimes twice a day on weekends -- whether I'm on a diet to loose weight or not.  So, there is no way that I can increase my gym activity by 2x-3x unless I quit my job and just spent the day at the gym.

I watch the scale as well as measure myself regularly  (well not over the holidays) and just get frustrated when I know I've been eating well and doing all the right things and the needle barely moves.

-A

[Katsomm]

I didn't say you should increase your activity I said that because you increase your activity it might be muscle instead of fat and that you may not see it on the scales but with a tape measure.  

[Katsomm]

BTW I have had the same problem a couple times in the past and it took over 3 months of regular trips to the gym and dieting to loose weight and suddenly it just seems to come off.  Good luck you sound like you are doing all the right things.  

[Ccl33]

I certainly will keep up the diet and the gym and hopefully, I will reach my goal. I stopped beating myself up at the gym and eating. I just do the best I can.