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). 

[TandemWalker]

---

@Grumpy1 wrote:

Using my Surge to see my daily caloric burn, shows me that I rarely burn 2100 cal/day or more, but my nutrition coach wants me to eat 2100-2300 every day-----she knows that my goal is to lose weight, but I don't see how this will work if there is not a DEFICIT...........She doesn't think the Surge is accurately detecting my calories burned- I exercise 2 -3 times per day (CrossFit, running, yoga usually, with 2 rest days per week).....I don't think she really knows how slow my metabolism is!!!  It took 21 months of 1200 cal/day and 1 hour of exercise daily to lose 97 pounds.....Have kept that off for 6 years now & want to finish the job with losing the last 20 pounds that are stuck on my tummy below the belly button.  A rest day shows I only burn 1450-1500 cal/day.........

---

First, I want to congratulate you on your achievement so far. Not only is 97 pounds in 21 months commendable, but to have the determination and tenacity to keep the weight off for 6 years is even more of a testament to your strength and perserverance. I thought I had done good losing 45-50 pounds in two years... Had I done as well as you did, I wouldn't be trying to lose that extra 10 pounds!

It's normal for weight loss to get tougher as you get leaner. With exercise, not only are you shedding fat, but you're also toning up, gaining muscle mass; and that's why at some point on this weight loss path, we reach a plateau. You have a professional coach, so I have no doubt that your metabolism is being challenged. If you're used to a certain amount of exercise, at a certain level of exertion, you have to kickstart your metabolism to pay attention again, by fooling it into doing something diffirent. You can do this by introducting other types of exercises and interval training. 

Regarding the burn rate reported by your Surge, if you're using the information directly from the Surge to log the non step-based activities, your coach might have a point. One way to find out is to compare what you have logged for the last few days with this web site Calorie Calculator. I usually check with this web site whenever I introduce a new activity, to confirm that the fitbit calculation is in the ballpark. If not, I will check with one or two reliable web sites, just for good measure; and if confirmed, then I overrude what fitbit suggests with my own burn number.

For me, I know that my burn rate is fine - not perfect, since everything is an estimate, but in the ballpark. I also know that my food intake is reasonably documented. What's lacking is the willpower to keep the pantry and refrigerator doors closed! Until I do this, no matter how hard I work out, the last few pounds will not come off, unless I worked out to exertion!

Hope this helps.  Please don't be too hard on yourself - you're an inspiration to many of us here, I am sure.  Have a great day.

    TW     

[staceyc1966]

I just started with the fitbit for a little over a week now and I seem to always get under target.  I'm not quite sure what I am doing wrong.  I walk a lot on the treadmill but sometimes do not take in all the calories and have a fairly large deficit between the two but the weight is not coming off. 

[jwis86]

Are you weighing your food?  If not you are underestimating the calories from them, I can almost guarantee it.  A week is also to soon to start noticing results.  Stick with it and you should see them.  

[kamiller]

That's so cool. I was able to notice the need for calories as you lose, especially when you are burning 2700 calories/day. I work out with Shaun T too, varying his level of workouts. I also do resistance band workouts. I have been started doing some of the PRT workouts for Basic Boot Camp for the ARMY. There is an app on iPhone-US ARMY Physical Readiness Training. It is fun to work out with my son's Military Explorers battalion. 💪💪💪

[kamiller]

That's what I'm doing. My doctor is so amazed at the change in me. I love the energy I have. I've lost 20.6 lbs. and 5 inches from my waist. My coworker measured me. I was 44" on Feb 3rd and now I'm 39". I have dropped from size 18-20 to 14-16. So exciting.

[cutie]

Been using my fitbit for 300 days.  basically same weight as the day I started.  Gain a pound then lose a pound. That's it.

[TandemWalker]

---

@cutie wrote:
Been using my fitbit for 300 days.  basically same weight as the day I started.  Gain a pound then lose a pound. That's it.

---

Well, if you want advice from your fellow fitbitters, I am sure that you will get plenty here. But you first would have to add some detail to your post. You started with a diet goal and an exercise goal and a planned deficit, right? So what happened after one or two weeks? Any way, the point I'm tring to make here is that I would very much like to help, but I don't know where to start because of the lack of details.

TW

[Mermaid3011]

If you want to lose weight of course that's very frustrating. If you want to add healthy activity to your life, then you have definitely made your goal!

Did you know that the average person GAINS 3-4 lbs per year. Every year! So staying the same is actually not bad!

And if you would like to lose some weight, 80% of losing weight happens in the kitchen. The way you eat, what you eat, how much you eat, how happy you are with your lifestyle, good sleep....

[Heather0324]

i have been working out consistantly for 8 weeks i just got my fit bit 2 weeks ago i stay at or under the amount of calories and i eat pretty healthy i walk 5 miles everyday and 3 days a week do tabata for an hour. i have actually gained 3 lbs, i know muscle weighs more than fat but i am getting extremely discouraged.

[Heybales]

---

@Heather0324 wrote:

i have been working out consistantly for 8 weeks i just got my fit bit 2 weeks ago i stay at or under the amount of calories and i eat pretty healthy i walk 5 miles everyday and 3 days a week do tabata for an hour. i have actually gained 3 lbs, i know muscle weighs more than fat but i am getting extremely discouraged.

---

Sadly, you can't gain muscle that fast and not while in a diet.

Exercise has as side effect weight gain actually, water weight. That happens first, usually while your muscle stores also re depleted of carb with attached wator stores.

Do mean your dail goal you always eat under?

So you are making the deficit bigger.

[ph-62]

you have to eat to lose, eat something good food every 3 hours, try walking for 10 mins after each meal and try drinking 1 cup water each time you eat. its worked for me. basically, i can't eat over 1000 calories a day, so i have 5 small meals, and walk about 10 mins 5 times a day. easy to do, on the weekend i give myself one day to eat normal and i do ok, its like breakfast rasinbran and 1/2 cup whole milk, drink 1 cup water, walk 10 mins. that is around 8am.  11am eat grilled chicken breast 4 oz and stirfry spinach with a very small amount of oo, walk and drink water, 2pm baked sweet potato, small salad, with real buttermilk ranch dressing, 2 talbs only, 5pm 3oz grilled salmon, brocolli 1/2 cup, small w/w/ roll with butter. 8pm snack size popcorn with pam spray butter. its worked for me. sunday is my bad day, no exercise, eat oatmeal with real milk, lunch usually outback, buy 6oz steak and eat 1/2, eat real potato with the works, and a salad with ranch. sometimes eat desert. before bed eat frosted flakes. still drink only water.

[booherflt]

i too am strugling with staying moving -10000 steps so i started to only walk 30 min at a time two or three times daily.i still have a 1000 cal left each day .this is hard  with two hip replacements and a lot of pain but i am going to meet my goal of 200 pounds by october.i started in jan and hve lost 30 pounds i still need to lose about 40 more .so i incourage you to stay at it  you can do this  good luck

[Atomicjoe]

If you are less active you may want to try a low-carb high fat diet. Here's an articalte comparing diffrent appreaches. There is a charts at the end of page 4 with each approach.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/comparing-the-diets-part-1.html/

[LeeLee22]

i bought my flex in jan this year

my goal was 70lbs

i started at 8k steps per day and 1200 calaorie + 1.7 litres of water

i cut out alcahol (apart from wine and takeaway on a friday)

at each plateau i increased my step target

i also bought scales to monitor my fat% (ive gone down 21%)

at a long plateau period i swapped to the HR so that i could be sure i was working at the right pace

my diet is healthy but the only criteria is low sugar and i try to avoid processed food. i also have three meals a day and do not skip breakfast. i track my food in myfitness pal as it syncs with my fitbit.

as you lose weight you are not working so hard and so increasing steps or adding an activity you enjoy (i started aquarobics) will help

i have so far lost 48 lbs (3.5 stone) and am determined to hit my goal

im 50 in a few days time 

you cant go into this half hearted or expecting miracles you have to be realistic and want to do it for you and no one else

oh and you dont need gym membership!  i walk/march in front of my tv to ensure i hit my goal.  i later added aqarobics and a couple of 2n hand workout DVD's 

the point is its not expensive (or doesnt have to be) the best person to motivate you is you!

if i can do it then anyone can x x

[cutie]

Happy 50th, many many more. Good job keep up the great work. God Bless

Sent from my iPhone

[RunsWScissors]

Do some scientific research on "starvation mode". That is completely false, it doesn't work like that at all. Please don't perpetuate and regurgitate common incorrect myths. It's a calorie in vs calorie out equation. That other nonsense is just nonsense.

[RunsWScissors]

You don't need to eat to lose. Your metabolism doesn't actually go up or down depending on food intake. It uses 10% of the calories you eat to metabolize that food. So if you eat 100 calories, it will burn 10 of those of in processing the food. That leaves you at a gain of 90 calories. Since weight loss is dependent on a deficit, this idea is completely backwards. And now that person has an additional 90 calories on top of the deficit they are trying to achieve. Think logically, your body does...

[Heybales]

---

@RunsWScissors wrote:
Do some scientific research on "starvation mode". That is completely false, it doesn't work like that at all. Please don't perpetuate and regurgitate common incorrect myths. It's a calorie in vs calorie out equation. That other nonsense is just nonsense.

---

And of the 5 pages of this topic with all the posts, you would be responding to ......

Not sure if talking about the whole mode being a myth, or the effects commonly claimed to go with it being a myth.

Are you aware that the amount you eat compared to burn can effect the amount your body adapts to burn?

It's called adaptive thermogenesis also - plenty of research on that too. With the real effects.

[RunsWScissors]

Very aware kettle. I have an advanced medical degree and do peer reviewed clinical studies on Metabolic Syndrome etc.
And, nice attitude. I was responding to a link that obviously didn't attach. But thanks for the assumption, really very nice! Too bad, some of your other posts seemed to suggest you had a clue. But perhaps you think you have more of a clue than is necessarily true. Nice kettle, nice...

[Mermaid3011]

Ahhhh so much positivity around here. Almost unbearable.

Don't know what's worse: sarcasm, stupidity or passive agressive behaviour. 

Nighty night everyone

🙂

Sent from my BB.

Moderator Edit: format