I read posts sometimes where a person hits a plateau for like 3 months before they start losing again. I certainly hope that won't be me! That's such a depressing thought.
I'm seriously right there with you. I only eat 1200 calories a day and have been being active and going to the gym and I haven't lost any weight in over a week. It's obnoxious really. I tried upping my calories for a few days to 1500 and then I gained. UGH! It's so frustrating.
I'm seriously right there with you. I only eat 1200 calories a day and have been being active and going to the gym and I haven't lost any weight in over a week. It's obnoxious really. I tried upping my calories for a few days to 1500 and then I gained. UGH! It's so frustrating.
I'm not going to tell you you should or should not eat more, but let's think about this one for a moment. If you upped your calories for a few days to 1500, then even if 1500 was maintenance for you you wouldn't gain real weight. It's water weight, food weight, etc. Now, true, sometimes it's real weight because your body is adjusting to the increased calories, or because you happen to be that person who maintains on 1,200 calories (and it's hard to imagine you would be that person at your current weight), but even then, it would be—what?—900 more calories in three days? That's barely 1/4 of a pound. That's all the real weight that could possibly be gained. The rest is the weight of food, drink, water weight from sodium, etc.
The point here is that a few days is not an effective period of time to determine how much you should be eating. If your body can lose at 1,500, it will adjust to it and the weight will come off. If it can't, you will know soon enough. But a few days can't tell you for certain either way.
Again, I'm not weighing in on what you should or shouldn't do. But weight loss is about experimentation, about finding what works for you. Don't be afraid to do that, and to give the experiment long enough for the results to be conclusive. If for some reason you were that person who maintained at 200+ pounds on 1,200 calories, then the most real weight you could gain in two weeks on 1,500 calories would be about 1.2 pounds.
I know it can be disheartening, even scary, to experiment. I've done it and seen the weight go up: I know. But sometimes you just have to give your body a chance to work things out. For me, upping calories worked—with time. For you, it may not. But a few days will not tell you conclusively one way or the other.
This holds true for changes to macros, exercise, etc. Give it a little time before you pass judgment on the change. Switching exercise around can result in water weight gain, for example. You have to wait it out to see if the change is effective.
Last edited by Petite Powerhouse; 05-26-2010 at 05:40 PM.
I'm not going to tell you you should or should not eat more, but let's think about this one for a moment. If you upped your calories for a few days to 1500, then even if 1500 was maintenance for you you wouldn't gain real weight. It's water weight, food weight, etc. Now, true, sometimes it's real weight because your body is adjusting to the increased calories, or because you happen to be that person who maintains on 1,200 calories (and it's hard to imagine you would be that person at your current weight), but even then, it would be—what?—900 more calories in three days? That's barely 1/4 of a pound. That's all the real weight that could possibly be gained. The rest is the weight of food, drink, water weight from sodium, etc.
The point here is that a few days is not an effective period of time to determine how much you should be eating. If your body can handle 1,500, it will adjust to it and the weight will come off. If it can't, you will know soon enough. But a few days can't tell you for certain either way.
Again, I'm not weighing in on what you should or shouldn't do. But weight loss is about experimentation, about finding what works for you. Don't be afraid to do that, and to give the experiment long enough for the results to be conclusive. If for some reason you were that person who maintained at 200+ pounds on 1,200 calories, then the most real weight you could gain in two weeks on 1,500 calories would be about 1.2 pounds.
I know it can be disheartening, even scary, to experiment. I've done it and seen the weight go up: I know. But sometimes you just have to give your body a chance to work things out. For me, upping calories worked—with time. For you, it may not. But a few days will not tell you conclusively one way or the other.
This holds true for changes to macros, exercise, etc. Give it a little time before you pass judgment on the change.
I'm aware that it is probably water weight, and some irregularity has made me bloated some days too which isn't helping. All in all, even if I know the causes of the extra weight, I'm still working hard and it's not showing on a scale or inches which is frustrating.
I'm aware that it is probably water weight, and some irregularity has made me bloated some days too which isn't helping. All in all, even if I know the causes of the extra weight, I'm still working hard and it's not showing on a scale or inches which is frustrating.
I weight 4 lbs less than you and I eat more calories than you. I am losing weight pretty significantly.
Zigg-zagg your calories for 2 weeks and see what happens.
Don't go any lower than 1200 on your low days and don't go any higher than 1800 on your highest days.
I feel the same way...I have tried numerous things....and I just can't seem to lose weight. I am counting calories1700 /day. and exercising each day .. i would be happy to buddy with you robin from new orleans
0 lb loss again
