900 calories a day

[BroadDaylight]

I run around 100 miles a month and do a 30-minute HIIT three times a week, and 15 minute dumbbell workout every morning.

I eat healthily, no junk food, nothing processed and cook from scratch. I log my food and my daily calories are between 1200-1500 a day but I'm just maintaining, even with exercise.

I am still a stone (maybe a little more) overweight and it's making me depressed. I can't shift it.

I've read that because of my height (5'1) I need to reduce my calories to 800-900 per day, has anyone had success this way?

I’d add in some weight training then. Well, I’d start as soon as the gyms are open! That will hugely change your body shape. Your weight might not go down but you’ll look trimmer.

@MumOfDiamonds beat me to it! Team RH are brilliant, honestly look them up, no nonsense advice and explanations.

I’m the same OP. It’s bloody depressing. People who can eat more will come along and tell you it’s impossible or you are starving yourself as if they know your body better than you.

Yep, reverse diet is what if suggest. sounds like you need to restore your metabolism to a higher level. You'll feel better and perform better, too.

Thanks for the help I appreciate it. I'll reduce my carbs (currently eating around 200g a day with banana/oats/quinoa) and will look into all the suggestions.

To answer - not sure about how much muscle I have? My arms have grown a bit and my shoulders are defined-ish and my quads/calves are pretty solid but measurements (apart from arm) are the same as months ago and the awful fat around my middle is exactly the same. Loose and jiggly. I can literally fold it. Wish I could cut it off. :(

@BroadDaylight

Have you read up on The Fast 800 diet? That might be a good place to start. Oh, and ignore all those who dismiss a low calorie diet. Current/new science is very much behind this kind of calorie reduction - as long as it's for a short period of time.

Persistant low calorie eating can cause metabolism to slow down, maybe eat more on one or two days each week, like the intermittent fasting programme.
But maybe you are already at your optimum weight, and you need to make peace with that.

What are your statistics?

From your posts you seem to be veering into disordered eating territory. Please be careful.

Thanks BIWI, I'll look it up :)

@BroadDaylight
So please don’t actually cut it off.
Not sure if that was a joke but please don’t have such a negative attitude towards your own body.

You sound obsessed.

What are your stats?

I came on to say low carb as well. I was stuck at the same weight for ages before I cut my carbs to 50g a day and weight started falling off again.

@BroadDaylight What are your estimated maintenance calories? According to Layne Norton (and Peter Baker) if you are maintaining your weight on much less than your estimated maintenance calories, it's likely your metabolism has adapted to be very efficient on low calories. The best course of action is, as PP have stated, to raise your BMR (basal metabolic rate) until it matches up with your estimated maintenance calories.

For example, if you work out your estimated maintenance calories to be 1,600 but you are maintaining your weight on 1,200 then their advice would be to reverse diet for a while to restore your metabolism before attempting to lose weight.

Thank you @FATEdestiny that's really helpful. Your running distance is inspiring!

OP I'm 5'1 too. 5 months pp and I've lost 7 kg since birth just by reducing calories, no exercise except everyday housework taking care of baby etc. I was initially eating 1200 calories and I lost weight but for the last few pounds I've cut down to 1000 and it's still slowly coming off.

You must be in taking more calories than you think?

Maybe you’re not eating enough, that happened to my partner - he upped his calories and then Weight started dropping off again. He was still under his BMR or whatever it is but upping it helped

You aren’t eating anywhere near enough calories, join Team RH fitness and get your calories and macros sorted and you’ll see a big loss. I’ve lost 8lb in three weeks after years of maintaining and eating not enough calories!

You need to raise the cals for a week and then drop them back down - I lift, do hitt, pole and roller derby. And less cals works against me if I go hire I loose weight

@Time2change2

No or very few carbs. More good fat. Look up Keto and stick to it. Sometimes a switch around will get things moving again

I second this. I went from a size 20 to a size 14 in 6 months on keto and lost all my stomach weight. It took me another 3 months to shift the last bit and get me to a size 10 and my ideal bmi. I’m still on keto now but just for maintaining as I’m at my goal weight. There’s loads of Facebook groups that help.

What's your BMR? Mine is around 1200/1300.

I don't agree that you're not eating enough, 1200-1500 is plenty for people our height.

@groundrightdown my BMR is 1394

Oh yes, so I eat 1200 calories a day, low carb and do intermittent fasting. The combination of all 3 works for me, slowly but surely!

Sounds an incredibly unhealthy lifestyle to me. You are certainly not overweight with a BMI of 24. You may need to do some toning but that is not the same as weight loss. Muscle weighs more than fat as well.

Another Team RH fan here. I lost 4lb in the last two weeks eating 2000 calories a day.

1200-1500 is plenty for people our height.

Yes, it does seem to be my maintenance calories, so if I want to lose then everywhere I read suggests 500 lower each day is the right way to go about it.