I've been making changes since beginning of November, now I drink 2 liters of water a day and I track my calories on daily plate for 1200 almost all good food like oatmeal, fruit and veggies, whole grains and chicken/fish/turkey. Usually I also workout in the mornings 20-40minutes (not counting warmup and cooldown) 5-6 days but I've only gotten 2 mornings the past weekend because my kiddo is on break and she won't tolerate it.
I was doing really good and after Christmas I was surprised to see 186.6 my lowest so far, but since then even though I started tracking again it's been creeping the wrong way 187.7 today ><
I am probably overreacting and I am going to just keep tracking and making good choices and get back to working out this weekend but I really wanted to hit 185 for the new year and I don't understand how I can be gaining on such a deficient. Maybe I am eating too little calories? Some days it seems hard to eat 1200 I'm just not as hungry anymore... I never thought I would say that lol

There could be a million factors to this, I'm sure.

I haven't been eating healthy/losing weight for too long, so I don't even know my own body's patterns too well yet. But, an interesting tip I got is to vary your calories day by day. Eat 1200-1400 M/W/F/Sun and 1500-1800 Sat/T/Th. Or something of the sort. I know that seems like a lot of calories, but it's going to keep your body guessing. If you eat 1600cals, the body feels well fed and will liberally burn energy. The next day, you're only eating 1200 but the body is still burning calories quickly.

I have lost between 1.5 and 2.9lbs every single week since October except for one week. The week that I really limited calories and only ate 1100-1200 everyday, I only lost .8lbs. Still a loss, yes, but it had slowed down considerably on less calories. I now eat between 1200-1800 and see an average of 2lbs off every week.

Your body needs nutrition to burn energy properly. 1200cal/day is generally considered the very minimum you should eat during weightloss.

And of course, if it was this only interval that you saw a gain in, it could very well just be a natural fluctuation. Your body may be storing a pound or two of water after a workout or eating a salty food or whatever else.

We're all different, that's for sure. Different things work for different people. And the only one we really know for sure about are ourselves, sometimes not even that. I personally never had to keep my body guessing. I liked (still do) eating pretty much the same things with slight variances day after day. My calories were (still are) the same from day to day and I've never experienced a stall of any kind.

I've also gone below 1200 calories from time to time. But 1200 is what I mainly stick to. That would be 1200 HIGHLY nutritious calories, because where my calories come from really matter, especially given that calorie count. I get more nutrition and energy from my 1200 calories now than when I was consuming triple and quadruple that.

Okay. To the OP. If you're talking about seeing a raise in the scale from after Christmas till now, well that's really only a few days and I think it's most likely a normal fluctuation. Try to not let it get to you. Stick with your plan. Stick with your plan. STICK WITH YOUR PLAN and I'm sure the scale (your body in actuality) will be back down and then some within a few days.

Fluctuations are perfectly normal. As you will learn and see as you monitor your weight. You will see this and then you will know it and then you won't *overreact* to it.

Keep up the great work!

There are so many reasons for such a slight fluctuation in your weight. It's most likely just water retention. Do you keep track of sodium? Have you done an intense strength training work out which left your muscles sore? Where are you in your cycle? Some women retain extra water during their time of the month, others during ovulation.

You're doing great! Keep going!

Just curious about how you chose 1200 for your calorie level. Try some of the online calculators, like at freedieting.com or FitDay.com, and see what they say you should be eating for a 1 to 2 pounds per week loss.

Jay

I just wanted to say that when I got on the scale this morning, I also saw a gain. I'm in the same boat as you because I have my kids at home and it's hard to get to the gym for a workout, so yesterday, I was quite a bit more sedentary than usual. I think that as long as you stick with your plan, the weight will come back down. I think this type of inexplicable fluctuation is the reason many people don't stick with their weight loss and just give up. They become frustrated and feel like what's the point, when, in fact, this is just a normal fluctuation. Regardless of any formulas, our bodies are quite complex and aren't always perfectly predictable. But, if we stick to this long enough, we'll get to our goal. By the way, I'm telling this to myself as much as to you!

Irene

Close to TOM? That's always a gainer for me.

Don't get discouraged and keep up the good work

Are you working out on the 1200 calories a day? I stop losing after a few weeks at this calorie level when I work out for more than 30 min. or so. How the biggest loser contestants continue to lose with so much exercise and calorie restriction baffles me.

They're creating a calorie deficit. Exercise + calorie restriction = calorie deficit. As long as you've got fat to lose and you're creating that deficit - it stands to reason that you will indeed continue to lose. That is *usually* the case with *most* people. By creating that deficit, your body is forced to use your excess (stored) fat for energy and you shed the pounds.

I believe the "Biggest Loser" contestants are also doing a lot of muscle building. One problem with restricting your calories too low is that your body begins to use your own muscle tissues for the protein amino acids and you end up losing muscle. Muscle needs energy. That's why when you lose it, your weight loss will likely slow down just because you are not burning as much energy.
I am not particularly fond of "The Biggest Loser" because I think that what they are doing is not very healthy and is completely unsustainable long term, but they do have trainers who know how to build muscle. Don't get me wrong, the show can be very motivational and inspirational. But they are not really in the business of helping people lose weight, they are in the entertainment business. They would not have as many fans and wouldn't sell as many books/products, etc. if they were encouraging people to lose at a slow, but healthy 1-2 pounds per week.
So it stands to reason that people trying to lose weight at home in their normal lives can't expect the same results as "The Biggest Loser". They do offer some useful information and a lot of personal stories (that they like to drag out to make us feel more invested with the contestants), but we must always remember that what they have is an artificial "bubble" designed to make people shed pounds for the entertainment of the masses, and what we all have is a real life with stresses and obstacles and adversities. Watch the show if you like it, but take it for what it is - TV.

Whenever I see an "all time low" on the scale (I weigh often personally) I NEVER expect to see the number go down again next time I weigh. The all time low is usually a combination of (fat loss hopefully, low water/waste).

80% of the time the next time I weigh it is higher, maybe by half a pound, maybe 2 pounds.

But usually I am hitting a new all time low 3-4 days later which might be a full 1-2 lbs below my previous all time low.

Remember to not expect it to be linear (if you weigh more than say once a month) but many peaks and valleys with the overall trend going down.

Wow this is really good advice and Im gonna try it. So what about Sunday is this a free for all day? or do you have a calorie limit for that day?

Any "free for all days" can really wreak havoc with your weight loss. Any deficit you've created the other six days can totally be wiped out and then you would stand to not only not lose weight, but perhaps even gain.

Also remember that the scale weighs ALL of you, not just the fat you want to lose, so numbers going up and down can mean all sorts of things are happening. Really, the scale is a poor tool for the job, but it's the easiest to use we have. Stick to your plan, find other ways to measure your progress, and don't give the scale too much power over you.

I think mkendrick listed that Sunday is 1200-1400.

Jay