Help please!! a question about exercise and calories

I know it is approx. that for a woman you should eat a MIN of 1200 cal/day. But what if according to my calculated daily calories to lose weight I would have to dip below that? I know I could eat that and then exerise away the difference...but wouldn't that be the same thing as eating below 1200?? I don't want to go into starvation mode, but I've been at a plateau for a while now..

If you're at a plateau one of the most effective fixes is to eat more rather than less.   If your 'maintenance' calories are 2000, for example, then go with that for a day or two.  Straight afterwards return to the 1400-1500 or whatever level you're currently at.  If you do some regular exercise and raise your maintenance calories from 2000 to 2200 a day, then you can lose weight on 1500-1600...

You would not want your deficit to take you below, 1200, either; that's what you need to maintain nutrition and metabolic functions. So, for example, if you eat 1400, don't burn more than 200 in exercise. But 1200 is an absolute minimum and almost should really be "living" at that for any length of time, because it IS a minimum.

A plateau is a challenge, but your instinct--to break the rules and go below 1200, is dangerous--although very normal!! In my time here, it seems that I've learned plateaus are caused by one of two things: undereating or poor logging (eating more than you think b/c you are not weighing/measuring carefully, etc.). If it ain't one, it's the other, so you can decide which "sin" you are likely to be guilty of and adjust accordingly.

Good luck!

Your body may be retaining water. Water weighs more than fat. Avoid salt! Sucks because I love salt.

Here is what I did:

Have a half grapefruit for breakfast & 1 Egg or 1/4 cup  Egg substitute  for Breakfast.

3.5 oz white fish for lunch. Cooked spinach for lunch(1/2 cup cooked). 1/2 grapefruit. Also, if desired, salad of  2 cups of lettuce and low sodium, low calorie, low carb dressing.

Also for dinner the same as lunch. White fish (3-4 oz), cooked spinach and 1/2 grapefruit. If you are worried about carbs, skip the 1/2 grapefruit for dinner.

Before bed, squeeze 1/2 lemon and dump lemon shell (rind) into boiling water and drink (with or without non calorie sweetner). 

If you hate fish you can substitute real egg whites or chicken breasts (no skin) for lunch or dinner. Egg substitute has sodium. For lunch once, I made an egg  white and cooked spinach frittata to "vary" the diet.

When I did this I also had the 15 calorie, 0 carb, no sugar jello when I was hungry for a snack.

I know it is boring but this supposedly releases water from your "fat" cells and also can help you out of a "plateau". Don't do this for more than 3 days. It should help with plateau and water retention. I tried it and it worked! I was stuck at the same weight for 3 weeks and this jump started my weight loss again. 

Oh ya, don't forget to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. If for a medical reason you cannot have grapefruit you can substitute a small tangerine for the grapefruit. 

I was told this diet works to release water because of some sort of enzymatic reaction.Good luck.

Tasha

(I've lost 24 pounds since August and have 1.5 pounds to reach my goal weight-- been thru several "plateau's"- don't give up!!).  Not sure what the calorie count is on this 3 day diet, but if it is not enough have more protein (fish, egg whites or chicken). For me it worked in one day. For my roomate, she dropped a 4 pounds after three days after a 4 week plateau.

Original Post by mkculs:

You would not want your deficit to take you below, 1200, either; that's what you need to maintain nutrition and metabolic functions. So, for example, if you eat 1400, don't burn more than 200 in exercise. But 1200 is an absolute minimum and almost should really be "living" at that for any length of time, because it IS a minimum.

A plateau is a challenge, but your instinct--to break the rules and go below 1200, is dangerous--although very normal!! In my time here, it seems that I've learned plateaus are caused by one of two things: undereating or poor logging (eating more than you think b/c you are not weighing/measuring carefully, etc.). If it ain't one, it's the other, so you can decide which "sin" you are likely to be guilty of and adjust accordingly.

Good luck!

I've been confused about this too!  For the past couple of weeks I've been eating 1400, and exercising -300 cals (which puts me under light activity).  This is what CC suggests, but my weight really hasn't moved at all. 

Technically, my "intake" would be below 1200 (1100 to be exact).

Could this be why I'm not losing!?  That measly 100 calories??

(btw, I'm 5'2" and 126 lbs)

I'm unsure as to where to go now! Also, if I'm not losing if I try to increase to maintainence, does that mean I will gain weight back? I've tried researching, but I seem to get a lot of very broad answers. I'm 5'3'' 122 lbs