Not lost anything in 2 weeks, 800 calories

[Nahna]

Hi everyone!
I've been doing 800 calories 5 days a week, with 2 rest days (1800 calories) for 1 month now. I'm exercising 40 mins a day 7 days a week. I'm very overweight, starting weight was 17 stone. In 2 weeks I lost 1 stone but in the last 2 weeks I've not lost even 1 pound! I religiously weigh and calorie count everything so I am absolutely certain I'm not exceeding 800 calories 5 days a week. Will I continue to lose weight? I just feel so despondent and shocked that in 2 weeks on so few calories, that I've not lost anything at all when I'm so fat. I eat at normal times, never later than 8pm. Only drink water. Help!

YABU - You should have lost weight
YANBU - Don't panic, this is normal, stick at it and you will lose weight

Thanks!

[NameChangeChronicPain]

@NoMontaguesOrCapulets

Is it possible that you're not getting enough calories and your body has gone into panic mode so is clinging on to the weight?

This isn’t a thing. It’s a myth :)

[BlueVelvetStars]

@Nybble

I'm coming to the end of a 12 week programme, not VLCD but 1200 per day with exercise. Yours is 7,600 per week vs my 8,400.

The first 2 weeks I lost loads of weight, slowed for the next two, then plateaued for nearly 4 weeks, then sped up again - I was doing exactly the same each week!

To the point of other posters, if I average out over the 12 weeks it will be 1kg (2.2lb) per week, bang on target, despite the frustration at that plateau!

Stick with it OP, it's frustrating but you will get there on the plan you are on, particularly if you are measuring and tracking your food. Good luck too!

this is inspiring...

it's been 4 weeks plateau for me.. fingers crossed for next week ..

OP I hope you're still going.. and motivated 🌸

[Nybble]

I'm coming to the end of a 12 week programme, not VLCD but 1200 per day with exercise. Yours is 7,600 per week vs my 8,400.

The first 2 weeks I lost loads of weight, slowed for the next two, then plateaued for nearly 4 weeks, then sped up again - I was doing exactly the same each week!

To the point of other posters, if I average out over the 12 weeks it will be 1kg (2.2lb) per week, bang on target, despite the frustration at that plateau!

Stick with it OP, it's frustrating but you will get there on the plan you are on, particularly if you are measuring and tracking your food. Good luck too!

[BlueVelvetStars]

@bstokegirl

thank you

Im sticking with it but feel low 🌸

[bstokegirl]

@BlueVelvetStars

Zero again for me.. plateau continues sadly 🥺

It is quite normal unfortunately. I found drinking plenty of water and being very strict about the amount of carbs I ate really helped. I still struggled to lose more than a stone though, but I wasn't very overweight anyway. I found doing HIIT workouts better than longer ones, and I generally feel better for it.

[BlueVelvetStars]

Zero again for me.. plateau continues sadly 🥺

[Passthewinebottle]

@fishonabicycle

'Starvation mode' is a load of rubbish.

Could NOT agree more

[fishonabicycle]

'Starvation mode' is a load of rubbish.

[Passthewinebottle]

[quote LadyOfLittleLeisure]@Passthewinebottle I did! I'm going to try it when I get some willpower [/quote]
Hahaha - are you me?!

[LadyOfLittleLeisure]

@Passthewinebottle I did! I'm going to try it when I get some willpower

[Passthewinebottle]

@LadyOfLittleLeisure Agreed! Did you watch the Michael Mosley documentary series about the Fast 800 diet? I thought it was great!

Lots of PPs seem to think OP us intending on 800 cals for life, not the case that is advocated at all, have a read of Fast 800, it's enlightening.

Well done OP - 800 cals is tough but as you know it's only short term, smash it missus! 💪🏼

[WillWonderer]

Weight loss isn't linear. You'll have a plateau usually around now and usually around 8-12 weeks as well. Completely normal - it's just because your body will be retaining water due to hormones or adjusting or building muscle. Just keep going and it'll hit at some point soon.

[LadyOfLittleLeisure]

@MintMatchmaker

My menstrual cycle plays a part in my lack of weight loss when dieting. I lose weight between period and ovulation, but lose virtually nothing between ovulation and my period. I just stick with it and know I will see a loss eventually.

I'm exactly the same! OP - The 800 calorie diet is backed by many health professionals so I wouldn't worry too much about it making your body go into starvation mode if the diet is only temporary and has medical oversight. Could you also try increasing protein and reducing carbs?

[musicalfrog]

Gotcha @psychomath

[psychomath]

@musicalfrog sorry I didn't word that clearly - what I meant is there's no way anyone's eating enough to maintain their weight on 800 calories a day unless they're already in a coma (or three feet tall), so OP will definitely lose weight eventually. Not that the coma would be the result of it!

@BlueVelvetStars thank you - I'm fine now and have been for ages

[BlueVelvetStars]

a lot of people need to do these diets prior to surgery .. pre-op diets etc..

[lap90]

@musicalfrog

There's absolutely no way you're sustaining yourself on 800 calories a day unless you're in a coma

What the Jeff are you talking about *@psychomath*? Loads of people do the Fast 800 diet for up to 12 weeks at a time. It's a fantastic weight loss programme and the food is healthier than I would usually eat. My partner and I have both done it and I assure you neither of us have been in a coma because of it!

Not sure how 'fantastic' and 'healthier' these 800 calories really are - the NHS website says it is likely the weight is to come back on after the diet ends and are less likely to be nutritionally complete.
www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/very-low-calorie-diets/

[OldEvilOwl]

Keep going. It will come off. I recently lost 3 stone and the weight loss was not consistent. I put it down to bloating etc around my period. I would go weeks without losing anything then seem to drop a few pounds quite quickly.
I know its difficult, but try not to weigh yourself so much. Go on how your clothes feel, if you feel fitter etc

[CornishGem1975]

I am on a calorie-counting diet at the moment, about 1200 calories. I got frustrated at not losing any but I read a really good blog post that said stick with it for 4 weeks, no less than that. If after 4 weeks you've still not budged a lb then you need to change something. So after 2 weeks, I'd just keep going.

It's often advised against, but I weigh daily, first thing in the morning, always just in pants, and I chart my daily weight which gives me a weekly average. I find that really helps me if my weight is fluctuating as even if on 'weigh-in day' my weight is the same or even higher, my average week-on-week is usually lower. That keeps me motivated and shows me things are going in the right direction.

[BlueVelvetStars]

@psychomath

OP I used to have anorexia, so lots of personal experience getting irritated with weight loss plateaus on very low calories! First off, it takes a little over a 3000 calorie deficit to lose a pound of fat. To lose a stone of fat in two weeks while eating 800 calories a day would mean you had a total daily energy expenditure of about 4000 calories - very unlikely unless you're a professional athlete! A lot of that initial weight loss will have been water weight rather than fat, and it's completely normal for that to cause an initial rapid drop followed by a slowing or plateau. There's absolutely no way you're sustaining yourself on 800 calories a day unless you're in a coma (ignore all the 'starvation mode' nonsense, there's no evidence for that at all), so you will still be losing fat, it's just going to be hidden when measuring your total weight because of other factors.

Obvious one first - are you weighing yourself first thing in the morning, naked or wearing very few clothes, preferably after going to the toilet? Sounds stupid but thick clothes can add up to a pound, and you'll gain a few pounds over the day from the weight of undigested food and water.

Water weight is a big one when you first start losing. Counterintuituvely, the way to get rid of it faster is to drink more water - this helps flush out excess salts, which are what causes your body to retain water in the first place. You'll also need to drink more than the average person anyway because a lot of our water intake comes from food, so eating less means you need to get it through some other means. If you get periods they can also cause water retention and you'll probably see a big drop when your period finishes.

Are you 'eating back' the calories you burn during exercise on top of your 800/day? Fitbits and MyFitnessPal tend to overestimate calories burned during exercise by a significant amount. If you are then that's possibly something to bring up with your doctors as they can advise you on how best to manage that.

Finally, a VLCD usually gives you constipation and that can contribute to your total weight. I've never used laxatives because they can be addictive when you have an ED, but again if this is a problem it's something to bring up with a medical professional. Some more natural remedies that worked for me were drinking a tablespoon of coconut oil melted in instant coffee daily (yes it's disgusting, but you get used to it!) and crouching over the toilet bowl instead of sitting on it (ditto).

On that calorie intake most women could expect to lose about 3-4 pounds a week. As a PP said, you've averaged almost exactly that over the last month, so the diet is probably working as expected even if it's not causing your total weight to drop in a linear progression. You also have amazing willpower to stick to such a strict regime, and I'm seriously impressed! I hope you manage to achieve all your medical goals successfully.

great post and very helpful .. thank you for sharing..

I hope you are well now 🌸

[musicalfrog]

There's absolutely no way you're sustaining yourself on 800 calories a day unless you're in a coma

What the Jeff are you talking about @psychomath? Loads of people do the Fast 800 diet for up to 12 weeks at a time. It's a fantastic weight loss programme and the food is healthier than I would usually eat. My partner and I have both done it and I assure you neither of us have been in a coma because of it!

[MarinPrime]

I've never heard of rest days.
Wouldn't they defeat the purpose of trying to get your stomach used to less food?

[psychomath]

OP I used to have anorexia, so lots of personal experience getting irritated with weight loss plateaus on very low calories! First off, it takes a little over a 3000 calorie deficit to lose a pound of fat. To lose a stone of fat in two weeks while eating 800 calories a day would mean you had a total daily energy expenditure of about 4000 calories - very unlikely unless you're a professional athlete! A lot of that initial weight loss will have been water weight rather than fat, and it's completely normal for that to cause an initial rapid drop followed by a slowing or plateau. There's absolutely no way you're sustaining yourself on 800 calories a day unless you're in a coma (ignore all the 'starvation mode' nonsense, there's no evidence for that at all), so you will still be losing fat, it's just going to be hidden when measuring your total weight because of other factors.

Obvious one first - are you weighing yourself first thing in the morning, naked or wearing very few clothes, preferably after going to the toilet? Sounds stupid but thick clothes can add up to a pound, and you'll gain a few pounds over the day from the weight of undigested food and water.

Water weight is a big one when you first start losing. Counterintuituvely, the way to get rid of it faster is to drink more water - this helps flush out excess salts, which are what causes your body to retain water in the first place. You'll also need to drink more than the average person anyway because a lot of our water intake comes from food, so eating less means you need to get it through some other means. If you get periods they can also cause water retention and you'll probably see a big drop when your period finishes.

Are you 'eating back' the calories you burn during exercise on top of your 800/day? Fitbits and MyFitnessPal tend to overestimate calories burned during exercise by a significant amount. If you are then that's possibly something to bring up with your doctors as they can advise you on how best to manage that.

Finally, a VLCD usually gives you constipation and that can contribute to your total weight. I've never used laxatives because they can be addictive when you have an ED, but again if this is a problem it's something to bring up with a medical professional. Some more natural remedies that worked for me were drinking a tablespoon of coconut oil melted in instant coffee daily (yes it's disgusting, but you get used to it!) and crouching over the toilet bowl instead of sitting on it (ditto).

On that calorie intake most women could expect to lose about 3-4 pounds a week. As a PP said, you've averaged almost exactly that over the last month, so the diet is probably working as expected even if it's not causing your total weight to drop in a linear progression. You also have amazing willpower to stick to such a strict regime, and I'm seriously impressed! I hope you manage to achieve all your medical goals successfully.

[fishonabicycle]

Don't worry! Your weight is affected by lots of factors. Don't be discouraged (you didn't put all the weight on in a few weeks, so why should you be able to lose it all that quickly?). Just keep going, eat healthy, exercise regularly and it will happen x

[take2bottlesintotheshower]

What do you think fasting is??? Calorie reduction!!

Actually fasting is going for periods of time without eating, you could eat 2000 calories for a 4 hr window but still be considered to be fasting.

By the way I'm not suggesting that- lowering calories and increasing muscle mass are both the route for weightloss BUT only eating in a short window DOES also promote weightloss by keeping insulin low, as has been proven by study after study