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?

Check out team RH on Facebook. They have loads of free videos. Sounds like you might have metabolic adaptation where your body has got used to such low calories.

A simple plank is really great for getting your core muscles - tummy and lower back. How long can you plank for?

Your body automatically alters itself to your behaviour to keep its energy reserve. I think you need to shock your system. Options are- intermittent fasting. Carb cycling or a macro non calorie based diet. Hope that helps and any questions, feel free to PM me

I eat 900-1000. It's tough some days but it's what works for me and never had an issue. I use my fitness pal to make sure I get a balanced diet and eat a tonne of veg (I'm vegetarian so it kinda comes with the territory!)
I eat 2 meals a day, sometimes with an additional snack if allowed, you learn to spend them well and value fibrous filling and protein rich foods. I had pizza today and a lot of naked glory chicken tikka bites currently on less than 800 and I wont bother with anymore. When I can go to the gym I give myself an extra 300ish if I burn more than 500kcal.

Ab workouts are pointless if you're not eating enough!!
You can't grow muscle if you're not eating enough.
Losing weight makes people slimmer but building muscle is what makes people look better naked!!

If you're not eating enough and adding in more workouts then you're not going to build the muscle....AND your body will just eat into your existing muscles to get the fuel for the workout!!

I log my food and my daily calories are between 1200-1500 a day but I'm just maintaining, even with exercise

Are you logging your food AND logging your exercise, which then, seemingly, increases the calories you can have?

I’m asking because logging your exercise on My Fitness Pal is a trap.

DO NOT EAT BACK YOUR EXCERCISE.

Eat your daily total, do your excercise and you will lose weight.

If you eat your daily total, do your exercise, log your exercise, think you have extra calories, eat them ...then you will NOT lose weight.

Ye, but the OP hasn't mentioned any core exercises - so she runs, that should keep your core in shape, but I dunno - you need to do extra the older you get. You don't mention your age or waist measurement or weight - just your BMI?

Get on my fitness pal. Log all calories. It’s all about in vs out. As long as you have more going out (exercise) than in (consumed cals) you will lose weight. I’m no expert but I’d say you’re not eating enough. I’m on 1660 a day and don’t gain, lose a bit most weeks, in maintain and I’m nowhere near as active as you are. I’d say increase calories (1500) , mainly protein based (cottage cheese, eggs, skyr yoghurt, lean meat/fish) for two weeks and review from there. HTH

@chocaholic73

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.

Muscle most definitely does not weigh more than fat! Scientifically impossible. Muscle is more dense than fat. 1kg of muscle weighs exactly the same as 1kg of fat, it just takes up less space.

...I’m not sure how you are excising on so few cals. Not healthy or maintainable on 900 cals

Agree with NathanNathan, Dr Jason Fung makes so much sense.

claireb - you know what she meant - unless you're as dense as muscle.

1 sq. cm of fat, weighs less than 1 sq. cm of muscle.

A simple plank is really great for getting your core muscles - tummy and lower back. How long can you plank for?

3 minutes normal plank, 4 minutes high plank, 2 mins if I'm doing hip dip planks.

Are you logging your food AND logging your exercise, which then, seemingly, increases the calories you can have?

No I don't log my exercise.

Or a cubic cm even.

I’m not sure how you are excising on so few cals. Not healthy or maintainable on 900 cals

I think some people have misunderstood. I currently eat 1200-1500kcals a day, and was asking for advice before restricting to 900.

Are you drinking a lot of alcohol? Eating a lot of salt? How old are you? Menopause? Children? C-section? Walking outside of the exercise? Thyroid? Fluid retention?
You sound fit as a fiddle.
What's your waist measurement and hip/butt measurement?

@GimmeAy

claireb - you know what she meant - unless you're as dense as muscle.

1 sq. cm of fat, weighs less than 1 sq. cm of muscle.

You would be surprised at what some people think. Thinking something is the same is not the same as it being the same.

I am a scientist so am most definitely not dense, but it really pisses me off when people spout the muscle weighs more than fat line. Its physically incorrect whether she meant it or not

Well I'm a linguist and it's semantics.

Check out rebelfit on Facebook. Makes so so so much sense and will get your loving your body again.

I am a bit taller (167cm) and don't run but I do cycle a lot. I maintain on 2000 calories a day and am losing on 1850. If you run as much as you say you do then I don't think you are eating enough!

900 calories a day is ridiculous. You need to fuel. As long as you are in a calorie deficit you will lose weight.

As other have said, intermittent fast days, low carb, would help. I’ve just started reading the Obesity Code, really interesting.

That’s ok...not judging... just would suggest you move closer to the 1500 cals area for a week or two and see what happens. Personally I think 900 is a dodge level at your level of exercise but fully understand why you might want to drop to that to ‘kick start’ metabolism. I calorie count At 1660 every day....5ft 8 and on 31/12/19 was 11 st 4...I’ve shifted quite a bit since then counting at that level. Walk 10,000 steps a day, reasonable active, exercise class twice a week. Just don’t get caught up on low calories, that’s all

@GimmeAy

Well I'm a linguist and it's semantics.

That's crap and you know it!

There is so much evidence of disordered eating on MN. So much. OP, you're not overweight, your body is fine. Try working on your mind rather than obsessing over getting smaller and smaller.

I'd recommend booking a couple of Personal Trainer sessions - ideally one on nutrition, one on a workout designed to hit that problematic middle area. A full blood count wouldn't go astray either.