[lunameow]

I set up a FitDay journal and added in the foods I've eaten in the last three days. The calories for each day were less than 1000. I even added in things that I didn't eat, but that I might on a normal day. Still less than 1000. I don't have a car, so I do get a reasonable amount of excercise trekking to and from bus stops and walking the length of the building at work several times a day. So it's not like I'm just sitting around all the time. At less than 1000 calories a day and "normal" activity, why wouldn't my weight change at all?

[andoreth]

My first suggestion would be to try another calorie guide and see if you get the same numbers. I know that several people have stated that FitDay can be kind of difficult to work food-wise. Then, make sure that you are being very accurate with your portions. You might want to invest in a kitchen scale if you haven't already.

If you still find the same numbers, I'd suggest that you increase your exercise (especially muscle-building) rather than reduce your calories even further. Not only do you get into the danger of not getting enough nutrition at lower than 1000 cals a day, I'd think you'd feel a bit deprived of food.

I know some people (myself included) have had success with increasing their calorie intake (I do an average of 2000/day) while also increasing their activity level to compensate. My theory is that it keeps the "engine" running better.

[Glory87]

Maybe you're eating too little? It just seems like simple math, if you want to lose some weight, cut some calories. It seems easy to take that thought and expand on it, if I want to lose a lot of weight, cut a lot of calories.

In my experience (20+ years of dieting) it rarely works like that. I found I was the most successful at weight loss when I created a small calorie deficit. I found a calculator online that gave an estimate of how many calories a person of my height/weight/gender/activity level needed to maintain every day. I cut calories slightly and did a little aerobics tape 3 times a week. I ate as many whole foods as possible while avoiding as much processed foods as possible.

For the first time in 20 years, I lost weight and kept it off.

Eat more. People in comas get more than 1000 calories a day!

Good luck!

[lunameow]

Thanks for the suggestions. I do think maybe the calories are just too low. It's not that I cut calories to lose weight, this is just normal for me. I really don't eat very much at all, and never have. And with my recent PCOS diagnosis comes the knowledge that my body isn't processing carbs properly, which makes me wonder if maybe it's because the body isn't getting enough fuel to do the things it needs to do.

I'll try upping the calories a bit with healthier foods (and I SO need to add more protein). It just never occurred to me that less calories could cause weight gain except in the case of the body storing fat because it thinks you're starving (definitely doesn't appear to be the case here).

[RobertW]

Originally Posted by lunameow

I set up a FitDay journal and added in the foods I've eaten in the last three days. The calories for each day were less than 1000. I even added in things that I didn't eat, but that I might on a normal day. Still less than 1000. I don't have a car, so I do get a reasonable amount of excercise trekking to and from bus stops and walking the length of the building at work several times a day. So it's not like I'm just sitting around all the time. At less than 1000 calories a day and "normal" activity, why wouldn't my weight change at all?

Stick with it. You might have lost a pound or two of fat and it is being masked by water retention. My weight fluctuates by around 7#, due to water retention, and it must be much worse for women. It is probably best to compare your weight at 1 month intervals to get the real picture.

[Less of Lena]

Even though I use Fitday(PC), I'm not an expert at analyzing other people's Fitdays. Some of my daily choices are somewhat unconventional (I include my massive amounts of gum chewed per day, for example ), so I tend to not give advice about what others should or shouldn't be doing, calorie-wise.

That said, there are a lot of folks here on 3FC who ARE expert at analyzing others' Fitdays and making recommendations for change. Unfortunately, they have to be able to see your Fitday.

When I clicked on yours, the link was broken. You'll need to check how you linked it. I think you have to use your user name, but I'm not sure -- we FitdayPC users can't link our Fitdays, so I'm not sure what the procedure is. Once you get it up and running, I'm sure there will be lots of input from other 3FCers as to how you can tweak it!

Good luck!