[Michelle Grey]

I read that I'm not eating ENOUGH calories. Can't quite wrap my head around that. However, my calorie goal is 1200 daily and I've been under according to my diary. I believe that it is more like I am equating more burn than the excercise really is according to MFP
Thanks for your thoughts... Happy Easter everyone!

[Amy23]

I can't say I'm any help, but I've been eating far under as well. I gave myself a 1200 cal a day limit and counted in my head. I thought I was eating around that number every day. I decided to do it properly tonight and found I was eating between 850 and 900 a day. I'm so bummed out about this. Obvs I can't count.

[LockItUp]

This is a really good article: http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat...-fat-loss.html
It might help you.

[Larry H]

Here is an excellent article from the highly respected MAYO CLINIC.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/wei...lateau/MY01152

Larry

[JohnP]

Originally Posted by Michelle Grey

I read that I'm not eating ENOUGH calories. Can't quite wrap my head around that. However, my calorie goal is 1200 daily and I've been under according to my diary. I believe that it is more like I am equating more burn than the excercise really is according to MFP

You're going to have to be a lot more specific to get any advice.

How long has your "weight" been stuck?

How many calories are you eating specifically?

What kind of exercise are you doing?

The one thing that I call tell you is that you don't have a lot of weight to lose so trying to lose too much too fast is going to be counter productive.

[Michelle Grey]

Thanks for the articles. One seems to contradict the other, however.
@ John,
I am consuming about 1,200 cals daily, 60-120mins cardio 3x week and strength train 3-4 x weekly.

Plateau is probably not the right word as my weight fluctuates each week.
This has been a problem for over 3 months.

Thanks again everyone for your responses.

[LockItUp]

The Mayo one still explicitly states not to go below 1200 calories, so I think the articles actually complement each other.

[Michelle Grey]

Oh I see now. Sorry about that. I will try to add a few hundred cals. a
day and see what progress I make. Thanks, guys

[JohnP]

That is a lot of exercise. 2 hours of cardio? I would go insane.

If you've only recently started exercising it is entirely possible that you've been losing fat this entire time and under going some bodyrecomposition.

Regardless, with that much activity, I would increase calories a little.

The general rule of thumb when you don't have a lot of weight to lose is to lose it slowly. Right now you could probably lose close to a lb a week but as you're approaching vanity lbs and you're not a big person 1/2 a lb a week might be more reasonable.

In your case you either need to exercise less or eat more.

[Vex]

Good article from the Mayo Clinic, I believe it's right on the money. I like that it states not to go below 1200 because it may not be sustainable, not necessarily because of health reasons.

Sometimes I think varying your calories helps out. Many people shoot for EXACTLY whatever their calorie allotment is for the day and stay there for weeks. When weight loss starts to slow down, it seems some people have success keeping their body guessing just a bit - 1200, 900, 1600 during the week - you get the idea.

I'm pretty sure most people weight loss slows down after they've been restricting calories for a time, so you're normal in that respect. It's just how we get out of that slowness - if we can at all - that varies from person to person I think.

[LockItUp]

I agree Vex. I think it's fine to go below 1200 if it's just every now and then, but I also think it's good to have a range rather than a specific caloric goal. I like to go between 1200 and 1600. I've gone below 1200 a couple times, and a tad over 1600 a couple times, but have still lost consistently.

[Michelle Grey]

Vex & Stephanie, Yes! That is exactly what I have adhered to. Guess I'm one of those high strung individuals? Lol!

I am going to give myself a lot more wiggle room with the calorie counting... keeping a range sounds like a plan.

John, I would go insane if I were doing 120 mins. of cardio without pause . I am doing 2x a day 3x weekly. I've always been active most of my life. Had to have 5 major surgeries over the past 2 years (breast cancer) and all the steroids added to the chemo really blew me up. But I'm doing good, on the mend and looking to just get back to my normal weight recommend by my oncologist. She would like for me to be around 125 for my particular body frame and
height, 5'3. Research suggests a link between certain cancers and weight gain
so I am definitely eating as close to whole, organic foods and keeping up my
exercise. Working out 2x day 3x week vs 1x day 5 days a week will grant you

about the same result.