1200 calories for ten weeks and not much change

[Realitea]

I’m getting a bit fed up here. I’ve done my fitness pal for about ten weeks and lost a pound a week since starting. It’s just so slow. Why?
I’m really active aswell. I haven’t had a gain since starting but was hoping I’d lose 2.5 stone by August.
Anyone have any advice or tips?

[Slippery]

Firstly, how tall are you and how much do you weigh? Are you recording everything you eat? Milk in tea/coffee etc?

[BIWI]

Well, you have lost 10lbs though! 1-2lbs a week is considered sensible weight loss.

However, a calorie is not a calorie is not a calorie. What are you eating?

If your calories are coming mainly from carbs you're making life much more difficult for yourself than if they were to come from protein and fat.

[KingIrving]

A calorie is not a calorie.
99 calories from a packet of crisps or 99 calories from steamed fresh asparagus will induce different chemical reaction, enzymes and insulin level.
Sweeteners also have been proved to cause weight gain, not gain loss, so if you are having no sugar snacks such as yogurt, hot choc, ... here is another reason.
If you really want to kick you weight loss, eliminated all processed food, from biscuit (even the 55 cal one in the evening in from top telly) , ready meals, and go fresh . Have rolled oats for breakfast or eggs if you like them, such and dinner, fresh vegetable and some cooked one (spinach, cauliflower, ....) and a piece of chicken, tuna, chickpeas, ...
Watch your drinks and snacks. Snack on frozen berries, piece of watermelon, kale chips (home made) , think of soups..

Following this should kick your weight loss

[Timeforabiscuit]

Do you use the exercise calories and top up your food with these?

I found the exercise calories calculation was wildly optimistic and have just stuck to 1200.

BUT a pound a week is really good going! Yes its slow, but its coming off!

[QueenOfMyWorld]

Really ?I'm surprised at that if I drop to that amount I usually lose at least 2 a week after a month

[PaddyF0dder]

That’s a dangerously low calorie intake.

If your aim is to be healthy you’re doing it wrong. That’s basically an eating disorder.

[Timeforabiscuit]

Also echo whatKingIrving says, i did far better when i kicked all the rubbish out of my diet and ate the same as my kids.

[QueenOfMyWorld]

KingIrving I thought sweeteners made you hungrier which meant you gained weight because ate more

[KirstenRaymonde]

QueenOfMyWorld everyone’s bodies are different. Your gut microbes will react completely differently to foods than someone else’s.

10lbs in ten weeks is a pretty good loss, but I can see why you’d expect more. How many calories are you burning? A Fitbit can help get an idea of that.

[Timeforabiscuit]

paddy no, it really fucking isnt, its called being nearly forty and female!

You may be blessed with an excellent metabolism , but alot of us aint

1200 calories is as follows

2x wheetabix and semi skimmed milk

Bread thin with chicken
Apple
Carrot sticks
50g hard cheese

Chicken thigh fillets with butternut squash and sweetpotatoes in tomato sauce (home made) brocollie and asparagus on the side with a ciabatta roll

Im full, and less than 1200 calories, and DO NOT HAVE AN EATING DISORDER

[KirstenRaymonde]

PaddyF0dder it’s really not. 1200 is fine for many people for a fair amount of time, particularly smaller ones.

[Realitea]

Thanks all! Yes I suppose 10lb is pretty great really I’m just wishing it would hurry up!
I’m 5ft 2 and now weigh 11 stone 2. My target is 9 stone 8.
I burn about 500 - 700 calories a day at work and also walk everywhere and go to the gym or go jogging. Is that enough exercise? So I’m eating more like 1500 but the exercise burns off to make it still 1200.

I eat slimming world kind of stuff so hardly ever any bread, I have overnight oats every morning and lots of eggs and protein. I am quite big on carbs having rice or potatoes with every meal. I try to have fish three times a week for dinner.
I live on diet lemonade too. That’s not great but I just love it! I don’t have many sugary snacks or sweetener. I can’t stand those chemical tasting muller lights and I never have ready meals.
Maybe I should up the fruit and veg instead of carbs?

[saltedliquorice]

I am trying to be healthier and loose weight I am doing it myself increasing exercise monitoring this with FITBIT (which is a recent addition as is increased activity).
I am not having bread at all, small portion of granola for breakfast with Alpro Almond or coconut yogurt, snack on grapes, strawberries, apples, carrots it hungry. Have salad and chicken or jacket potato for lunch and M&S count on us meals as can’t face cooking after gym or salad or chicken with veg and a tiny amount of potatoes. I have almost lost a stone in just over a month which I am really pleased about. Still another 4 stone odd to go and can’t belive how good I am doing (touch wood). Does this sound ok?

[Mrschainsawuk]

Swap breakfast to porridge lose bread in an afternoon ok for lunch as you have time to burn it as you have another carb on your dish more water based fruit and veg but congratulations on the weight loss losing slower help keep it off better

[Realitea]

Sounds perfect to me saltedliquorice!

[Slippery]

How can you live on diet lemonade but say you don't have sweetener? The lemonade will be full of it.

I agree with others - cut down on the carbs and switch to fizzy water with a squeeze of lemon in.

Good luck, it's tough to keep going but it's the only way to get there.

[Grasslands]

don't eat back the calories.

[BIWI]

Cut back on the carbs (especially the rice and potatoes!) and knock the diet lemonade on the head.

[thenightsky]

You say you are eating 1200, but then admit you are eating nearer to 1500 calories.

I would gain on 1500 and maintain on 1200.

I have to drop to 1000 to lose and even then it takes a week for a pound to drop off.

Its horrible being 50 something.

[PaddyF0dder]

No, 1200 calories per day is dangerous. It is not possible to eat that and also be healthy.

Find a single dietician or medical doctor who says otherwise. Go on.

[KingIrving]

On sweetener and weight gain
time.com/4859012/artificial-sweeteners-weight-loss/ and they just change your gut bacteria to the bad ones nutritionfacts.org/video/effect-of-sucralose-splenda-on-the-microbiome/

[Dyrne]

Dear lord Paddy don’t go over to the 5:2 board - you’ll have conniptions!

[Imfinehowareyou]

Paddy she's 5:2. Us shorties aren't supposed to eat that much, especially once we hit our forties.

[Imfinehowareyou]

Oops, 5ft 2".

[butlerswharf]

That's my normal maintenance calories so you're doing well to lose weight. Don't be disheartened.