5ft 2, 1500 kcal and 10,000 steps - why aren't I losing weight?

[Asterope]

As above, it's not budging!

Water retention? I'm on new medication that's made me put on 6kg in 4 weeks. Usually I am very stable of weight.

How long for? How much do you currently weigh? That is pretty much maintenance for me - I would lose on it probably slowly - and I average over 15K steps per day and have done for a long time. In order to kick start weightloss I have to go more like 1200 per day or at least under 1500 on average, which is a bit too painful for me at the moment.

Eating too much? Not being difficult I’m of a similar build and perimenopausal and the weight just doesn’t shift unless I’m closer to strict 1000-1200c plus weight training to build more muscle. It’s never linear more like 1lb off then nothing the next week, then 0.5lb it’s SO depressing!

1500 calories is quite a lot unless you’re very active. I lost 3 stone to get down to 9 stone (am an inch taller than you) on 1200-1400 calories a day and a lot of exercise- running c.30km a week and walking everywhere.

Curses I as worried I'd have to go to 1200!

Go down to 1200. I've never failed to loose weight on that.

It's been 2 weeks

What is your frame? If you're Keira Knightley-sized, as has been suggested above, is probably maintenance. Aim more towards an Atkins sort of diet, taking up more of your diet with veg and meat, but lower on carbs, potatoes, pasta etc.

10,000 steps of 'normal' activity isn't enough to do a great deal. If you're brisk walking and raising your heart rate then it will make some difference, but if it's just 10k normal steps, then it's not going to burn many calories. So 1,500 calories in and an 'average' amount out isn't going to lead to much of a deficit.

I am 5ft 2, have lost a stone since Christmas. I am now 10st- my aim is 8st 5 ish.

I have been calorie counting- but properly. Weighing my food etc. you'd be surprised at how many think they are calorie counting (me included) but not doing it properly.

I try to do 10k steps a day.

I am going to the gym three times a week to do spin or legs bums and tums.

I am on low calories.... 800-1100 a day.

It’s worth intermittent fasting if you can go 14-16hrs overnight then the first meal of the day high protein I’ve found helps reduce morning snacking I just can’t find a cure for the 3pm snacks…

I think your age might have an affect on this also. I maintain at 1500 - I struggle a lot to eat less than this

Depends on your age, and whether your life is otherwise sedentary but that may be your maintenance calories.
How much were you eating before you started calorie counting? Do you feel you've cut down a lot? Are 10,000 steps significantly more active than you were before?

One easy thing to try is just walking a lot quicker. Burns more calories, helps your cardiovascular system and takes less time.

It depends on what weight you are right now...

what;s your starting weight? I htink 1500 is a bit high, you're probably maintaining at that number of calories. Try 1200 for the week and see how you go.
make sure you log everything, drinks too.

Two weeks isn’t very long.

There could be so many factors. Water weight, if you haven’t been doing many steps before you might have built muscle and have water weight, hormones, salt/carbs would increase the water weight, were your scales in the same place, have you been 100% tracking and weighing everything and double checking your drink calories?

I find I need to do 15k steps and other exercise to be able to loose without going too low on my calories unfortunately

www.jamessmithacademy.com/macro-calculator/

This will give you a realistic calorie target to start at

Im 5ft 4, and since I hit mid 30s I have to stay under 1200 to lose.

Oh lord I was hoping to have it all and lose while not feeling too restricted but I think I've been too optimistic!

Starting weight : 10 stone 2; want to aim for 9 1/2 stone. Wouldn't say I'm sedentary - always get a minimum of 10,000 steps if not more (admittedly less at weekends). I'm 42 so hormones...yes

I'm 5'7 and would struggle to lose weight on 1500 and 10000 steps

You need to either up your exercise or reduce your calories. I always assume as well that there's a few calories I forget like milk in tea, the odd nibble when cooking. So 1500 is actually more like 1700

If you arent losing weight you arent in a deficit.
Make sure you are tracking everything properly.
Id say you will need to nudge cals down another 150 or so and give that a couple of weeks then reassess. Make sure you are hitting a minimum of 100-120g protein daily. Rest of your cals should then be put to carbs and fats. Fats need to be a minimum of 0.8g per kg bw for hormone function.
Oh and consider how often you weigh yourself. Once a week wont be enough. Minimum 3 times then take the average. Its how i work with my clients.
Also consider introducing some resistance training. Really important as we get older esp for the ladies.

Thanks so much for all this useful advice, seriously

For reference I'm 5'3 and 9st 3 and my BMR is 1186, so 1500 is actually quite a lot! I'm doing fast 800 ish - probably more like 1100 and its slow going. Its hard for us shorties!

I only lose when on less than 1000 calories consistently