Frustrated - not losing weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been having the same problem losing weight. Part of it, I’m sure, is hormones. But, I also think 1500 calories is probably too much unless you are very active. That might be a good maintenance amount, but not low enough to lose. Try to add more activity throughout your day like short walks. I used to think I would be miserable at 1200-1300 calories, but it only took me a day or two to adjust. You may also try an eating plan bc sometimes NOT knowing your calories helps you eat less. I for one am prone to looking at MFP, seeing I have a 100 calories left in the day, and simply eating it because I can, not because I’m hungry.

^^PP meant to add that when I say “very active” I mean that you have a job that keeps you on your feet all day AND you work out for more than 30-40 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous[b wrote:]OK so let's say your goal weight is 130 lbs[/b]. You would need to eat between 1300 (which is a very low end and 1560 to lose weight. 1560 is the high end and would mean a slower rate of fat loss, but also more sustainable over the long term. So your current rang is not too par off.

So my big questions for how you are currently eating are:

1. How accurately are you really tracking? Are you weighing and measuring EVERYTHING? Are you counting things like little snacks you grab her and there? Are you measuring out all portions or eyeballing it?

2. How consistently are you sticking to your calorie range? Best way to track this is to take a calendar and every day you hit your range or below you get a red X, every day you go over you get a big black O. At the end of the month you should have Xs at the very least 80% of the time and really more like 90% if you are eating at the high end of where you need to be to lose weight.

3. You say you are too hungry if you eat under 1500 calories. What do your calories consist of? Are you eating high protein (at least 0.7 x goal body weight) and high volume foods? I can eat 1500 calorie of bread and lose weight, but I will be a lot more hungry than if I eat 1500 calories of protein and vegetables. I also find that too much cardio makes me really hungry so maybe reduce cardio and focus more on strength.

Np I wouldn't go this low yet. Make your goal to get to 150 or 155 just to give you an attainable goal. Eat 500 fewer calories per day and that should have you lose one pound a week. Maybe lessen your exercise so you are not so hungry? Drink more water? Try to get 150 minutes of exercise a week.

[Anonymous]

You are eating too many calories. I would try Alternate Day Fasting and eat at your TDEE on your eat days until you reach your goal weight.

[Anonymous]

I find it absolutely crazy that people are claiming 1500 calories are too many. I have lost 10 pounds of fat (DEXA measured) in 10 weeks eating on average 1700-1800 calories. I started the diet at 139 lbs and ended it at 132 lbs shredded. Based on my Fitbit my calorie expenditure was about 2100 calories on rest days and 2500-2700 on workout days. I was doing no cardio except walking, just lifting heavy stuff. Point being, you don’t need to starve and spend days on a treadmill to lose weight. With regard to OP, if you are measuring your food correctly, you should be losing. If you are not, it might be that the scale is not showing it due to water shifts or that you simply aren’t in a calorie deficit. If that is the case either cut your calories further (would not recommend, 1500 is already quite low) or increase activity without adding more stress for your body by adding long walks for example.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I find it absolutely crazy that people are claiming 1500 calories are too many. I have lost 10 pounds of fat (DEXA measured) in 10 weeks eating on average 1700-1800 calories. I started the diet at 139 lbs and ended it at 132 lbs shredded. Based on my Fitbit my calorie expenditure was about 2100 calories on rest days and 2500-2700 on workout days. I was doing no cardio except walking, just lifting heavy stuff. Point being, you don’t need to starve and spend days on a treadmill to lose weight. With regard to OP, if you are measuring your food correctly, you should be losing. If you are not, it might be that the scale is not showing it due to water shifts or that you simply aren’t in a calorie deficit. If that is the case either cut your calories further (would not recommend, 1500 is already quite low) or increase activity without adding more stress for your body by adding long walks for example.

Are you 5"2"?

[Anonymous]

OP, people here are giving you terrible advice.

Eating 1500 calories is not too many, especially if you’re working out hard. If you restrict your calories too much, any weight loss you experience will not be sustainable because eventually you’ll just get too hungry and will compensate for the lost calories by binge eating.

I’d suggest find a nutritionist who can help design a diet and exercise program specifically for you.

[Anonymous]

1500 calories is not too much for any adult. So much sad disordered wackadoodlery going on in this thread. It’s depressing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, people here are giving you terrible advice.

Eating 1500 calories is not too many, especially if you’re working out hard. If you restrict your calories too much, any weight loss you experience will not be sustainable because eventually you’ll just get too hungry and will compensate for the lost calories by binge eating.

I’d suggest find a nutritionist who can help design a diet and exercise program specifically for you.

Agreed and I also find it ridiculous that people are treating 1500 calories daily as if we're talking 2500. PCOS is likely a factor here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:1500 calories is not too much for any adult. So much sad disordered wackadoodlery going on in this thread. It’s depressing.

I find it depressing and disordered that you think a short woman eating 1400 calories a day is problematic. Why are you obsessed with food?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP - I hope that was a typo that you burn 2000+ calories day. You would have to be running ultra marathons for that

Have you considered giving intermittent fasting a try?

OP Here. I meant total for the entire day - as in my TDEE is somewhere around there, not just exercise calories.

Answers to other questions... I track very closely. I use a food scale, and eat pretty simply as I'm not a great cook so everything is basic. I don't track every single day but only because if I prepare a meal that I'm going to eat 2-3x, and I've already put it into My Fitness Pal and I know it's 400 calories per serving, I just count it that way. I don't snack much, because it makes me hungrier - I typically just eat lunch and dinner, with usually a "dessert" after like a greek yogurt or something like that. Meals are usually some kind of meat, a ton of vegetables, and sometimes a starch/carb. Last night for dinner, I had turkey meatloaf, green beans, and a sweet potato. I find that sort of breakdown for meals is pretty ingrained in me.

I already do intermittent fasting, but only because I'm not hungry in the mornings. And it truly comes down to calories, which is what I'm really tracking. I've done Whole30 before, hated it and didn't experience any amazing results, scale or non-scale.

And while I don't exercise for an hour every single day, I use the Madeline app which is 45-60 mins, 5 days/week. Sometimes I will workout 6 and add in something else fun, depending on schedule, etc.

My heart goes out to you OP. I’ve had issues prior with losing weight after my first child. Many of the other posters are right. Calorie intake is high, your body need to be running at a deficit to lose the lbs. Working with a dietitian in the past helped me understand all the things I was doing to roadblock my weight loss goals. One book I’ll recommend for recipes that could be make ahead or frozen (with kids it’s not always easy to cook every night) would be the Mark Hyman, 10-day detox diet cookbook. I don’t follow the diet but do use the recipes regularly to keep on my weigh loss track. Good luck with your goals!

[Anonymous]

Eat more fiber and combine fiber and protein at every meal to remain full

[Anonymous]

What are drinking? May not necessarily be what we are eating but it’s what we’re drinking. alcohol can literally make or break your diet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find it absolutely crazy that people are claiming 1500 calories are too many. I have lost 10 pounds of fat (DEXA measured) in 10 weeks eating on average 1700-1800 calories. I started the diet at 139 lbs and ended it at 132 lbs shredded. Based on my Fitbit my calorie expenditure was about 2100 calories on rest days and 2500-2700 on workout days. I was doing no cardio except walking, just lifting heavy stuff. Point being, you don’t need to starve and spend days on a treadmill to lose weight. With regard to OP, if you are measuring your food correctly, you should be losing. If you are not, it might be that the scale is not showing it due to water shifts or that you simply aren’t in a calorie deficit. If that is the case either cut your calories further (would not recommend, 1500 is already quite low) or increase activity without adding more stress for your body by adding long walks for example.

Are you 5"2"?

NP here. I am 5 foot 1 and can easily lose on 1500-1600. Right now I am losing vanity pounds and eating 1450-1500 a day. I have lost 2.5 pounds in 10 days, 117.5 to 115.3.

The OP has PCOS and that makes losing weight very hard! The responses here have been nothing short of mean and unhelpful. OP, research resources for women with PCOS and check out Reddit xxfitness for a supportive fitness community. I think low carb is usually best for PCOS but opi am not an expert. Take care!

[Anonymous]

OP, consider checking out this book https://store.bodyrecomposition.com/the-womens-book-vol1/
I believe there is a chapter on PCOS. Lyle McDonald is as good a resource as you can find on fat loss in women. There might be some free articles on the topic on his webpage too if you prefer not to invest in the book. He also provides paid consultations over skype if you want to pick his brain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s not just calories. Read The Obesity Code. Women shoot themselves in the foot by messing up their metabolisms with low calorie diets.

This this this!! DCUM is obsessed with telling women that it’s a simple “calories in, calories out” equation. But it’s not. It really isn’t. Read the Obesity Code, maybe some Gary Taubes, and you will feel the scales fall from your eyes. Particularly with PCOS at play. Personally, I have also gotten a lot of mileage out of doing a fasting-mimicking diet for one week out of every six. Even if you don’t lose weight (though it’s almost inevitable that you will), your body gets a chance to clean out a bunch of cellular “garbage” and you feel amazing and motivated to continue.