I have eaten no more than 1600 calories each day

[Forkin]

... for three weeks. Averaged 1450. Logged it, weighed and scanned packets. Did it properly. I’m pretty active, 5ft 9. Mainly sensible food choices, with some crap within the calories some days. I’ve done yoga everyday, a walk of some length. Swum and down a long bike ride each week once.

I started at 75.5, today I weighed... in 75.7.

How bloody disappointing - what about body shape, clothes fit, etc - have you seen a change there?

How old are you

OP, this is me as well. I have to cut down to 1200 cal per day max if I want to lose any weight despite being very active. It’s so frustrating and makes dieting even more difficult.

Try upping to 1600-1800 cals net. Often when you don’t eat enough you retain water. At your height and with your activity levels you should be able to comfortably lose weight on over 2000 calories net.

To really see any weight loss I have found I have to drop intake to 1000 per day. Fluid retention as part of the female hormone cycle does us no favours either.
It can really feel as if just looking at a biscuit keeps the weight on the belly!

Is that your normal level of exercise?

To be honest, with me I prefer to measure my body as opposed to weight myself when it comes to getting back in shape!

OK possibilities

• If you weighed everything religiously and you're sure the calculations for food are OK, then you are possibly overestimating the calories you're burning with activity. You may need to cut the number of calories you're eating down to 1400 to see results without upping exercise.
• Are you premenstrual? I find that I retain a lot of water just before a period and it skews the figures. I lost a massive amount of weight a few years back, and I would find that every month I would plateau in the week before a period, and then suddenly lose 4lbs in a day. (Of course, I wasn't losing it in a day - the water weight was masking the weight loss)

It is frustrating but 3 weeks just isn't long enough to see a trend - your weight will fluctuate so your previous weigh in might have been on a light day. Unless you are very overweight it's a long slow game which is what makes it so hard. You are doing better than me op I am still trying to motivate myself to start logging everything.

Calorie counting is not really effective as each body treats foods slightly differently. Healthy, fresh, non-processed foods until you are full and then stop, is what works. Cut out alcohol and sugar as much as possible. No fizzy drinks or fruit juices, they are the biggest cause of weight gain. In the beginning to once a week. Try and make it a lifestyle and not a mission to get through for a few weeks.

I've been there. So disheartening. I was trying so hard but nothing. Then I'd give up and overeat for a couple of days.

I've decided not to weigh myself for a while.

Work out your TDEE. I’m the same height as you and to maintain weight I have to eat under 1500 cals, to lose I have to eat 1300

tdeecalculator.net

I’m 5ft 9 too. Mfp says 1356 calories a day for me to lose weight.

or at ur height your body could be keeping hold of everything becasue your not eating enough for your body to function.so it wont lose and ull just do damage instead to your vital parts before you lose

Are you weighing yourself every day? Do this for a few weeks (3 minimum) and then work out the average loss over that time. The likelihood is that you have lost weight; but weight fluctuates so much day-to-day that you can't get a clear picture when only weighing yourself once a week or so.

I bet you are in your 40s. I'm in a similar position. I've never struggled to lose weight before (except when breastfeeding). Nothing I do will shift the extra pounds now though.

is your scale working properly?

1600 Is plenty. To loose weight, less is more. Also, fast.

This is me too. I’ve been tracking all food I’ve been eating and keeping to 1200 calories. I’ve been walking more and swimming a couple of times a week. I’ve barely drink any alcohol all year and I don’t think I’ve lost any weight at all although I feel fitter and healthier.

I find my weight fluctuates and I'm at my heaviest just before my period is due. Could it be something like that?
Weighing weekly helps give a better idea of any patterns.
Frustrating isn't it!

How. Dry disappointing for you OP.

Have you worked out your tdee?

Try to eat to the tdee of the weight you desire to be iyswim.

Huh ... how disappointing for you.

Same. I'm 5"9, weigh 15.3 stone and have put 2lbs on with 1600 calories a day and 3 hours fast walking every day. It's making me so unhappy. I used an online calculator to work out how much I should be eating, if I eat less I get faint.

I'm 28 and have been eating 1200 calories a day, strictly measuring and not eating back exercise calories since the start of March... and I've lost a few lbs.

It's so disheartening.

It usually takes at least a month for me to see the results so give it more time.

If you are exercising, muscle weighs more than fat. Are your clothes fitting any better?

1600 would be more of a maintenance target for me tbh, I would use 1200 if wanting to lose weight in 3 weeks, though it would usually take longer