why am i not losing weight?

i'm 5'2" and 139 pounds. i've been "dieting" for the about 2 weeks. by dieting, i mean eating about 1200-1300 calories a day, mainly healthy foods, and exercising. sometimes i just take 10 minutes and exercise a little, and other times maybe 30 minutes. i walk a lot (i have been taking 10,000-13,500 steps a day) and swim a lot, but i haven't lost a pound so far. i thought by doing what i am doing i would lose maybe one or two pounds a week because my bmr is like 1770 calories, and that's not including the exercise. i think i'm not not eating enough. i don't see what could be doing wrong. but even without the exercise i should be losing a pound per week, and i am already becoming unmotivated. ):

The main reasons for failing to lose weight are... 'eating too much' and 'not doing as much exercise as you think'.  So do make sure you're measuring everything you eat and drink carefully rather than guessing.  However, there can be a third reason which is 'crash dieting'.... a deficit of more than 1000 cals between your total energy needs and your total intake.   However, usually people that crash diet will see some kind of loss week 1, 2 or even 3 before they hit a brick wall.

Use the CC calculator to work out a suitable intake based on a 'moderate' activity level for your gender & size.  If you're under 21, add 300 cals to any recommendation.

How are you working out how many calories you eat?  Are you:

• Estimating based on appearance?
• Using measuring cups?
• Weighing portions? 

If estimating, you may be eating more than you think.  Even cup measures aren't very good ways to measure stuff like cereal.  Also, are you counting *everything*?  Drinks, condiments, etc. can really add up.

If you're sure that you really are consuming as little as 1200-1300 calories a day, I'd try increasing the calories a bit.  My personal rule of thumb is not to eat below my BMR and, with your activity level, that would probably be a good idea for you too.  If you have too big a deficit - particularly at a healthy weight - it confuses and frustrates the body so the body fights your attempts to lose fat.

This isn't the nicest subject but one that goes hand in hand with diet.......... it could be your poo's. When you make a change in your eating habits it can make you become irregular. Whether the change is from bad eating to good, or vice versa. Even from eating 3,000 calories a day to only 1,500. Being a dieter for several years now I notice it all the time. Often, one birthday party with cake and pizza can make me irregular for 2 weeks when my body has been used to salad and fruit and low fat whole grain healthy things.... Even if you are still going you might not be evacuating everything. If you stick to your diet things should all work themselves out and I bet you'll see a drop any time now. It's always the hardest in the beginning. ...... And in the end....... When they say the last ten pounds are the hardest they mean it, I've been stuck there forever! 

Original Post by aftonmae:

This isn't the nicest subject but one that goes hand in hand with diet.......... it could be your poo's. When you make a change in your eating habits it can make you become irregular. Whether the change is from bad eating to good, or vice versa. Even from eating 3,000 calories a day to only 1,500. Being a dieter for several years now I notice it all the time. Often, one birthday party with cake and pizza can make me irregular for 2 weeks when my body has been used to salad and fruit and low fat whole grain healthy things.... Even if you are still going you might not be evacuating everything. If you stick to your diet things should all work themselves out and I bet you'll see a drop any time now. It's always the hardest in the beginning. ...... And in the end....... When they say the last ten pounds are the hardest they mean it, I've been stuck there forever! 

I couldn't agree more. I read somewhere (so I don't know how true it is) but depending on weight, someone could have anywhere between 10-30lbs of feces in their colon (higher number is for people that are more overweight) that is just sitting there..rotting (gross i know, but its true). Its so important to be regular and get a lot of fiber. An unheathly colon can lead to an array of health problems, and can definitely hinder weight loss.

Original Post by amphoto87:

 I read somewhere (so I don't know how true it is) but depending on weight, someone could have anywhere between 10-30lbs of feces in their colon

It's not true at all...  

Original Post by gi-jane:

Original Post by amphoto87:

 I read somewhere (so I don't know how true it is) but depending on weight, someone could have anywhere between 10-30lbs of feces in their colon

It's not true at all...  

never mind then

You should never eat below your BMR. That is the amount of calories your body needs to properly function, at your weight, height, and activity level.  You do not need to starve yourself to lose weight.  Eat a little more, and maybe exercise a little more ...do 20 minutes instead of 10, things like that. Incorporate weights.

ralovic, you and I have very similar stats. I'm 5'1" and started at 136. I don't know about your age but I'm 46. I'm now 116 lbs and I average ~1400-1500 calories/day. I've been at this since mid-Jan so a little over 1 lb/week so slightly more than a 500 cal deficit/day. I exercise 1 hour per day more or less.

I don't really have an answer for you but just wanted to share my stats and experiences to give you something to compare with. Obviously we are all different and respond to things differently.

I did find the first 6 weeks to be excruciating though. I didn't really see any sort of steady progress during this time period. I attribute that to not really having a handle on food yet (ate too little at first and still too much processed stuff), my body adjusting to regular physical activity and not quite dialed into what calorie numbers worked for me which developed over time with some experimentation and education.

The other thing I had to adjust was my mindset. I wanted the fat loss to happen YESTERDAY! Once I accepted that it took time for the fat to accumulate and would take time for the fat to go away I was able to surrender, for lack of a better word, to the process.

jturnex, I'm 5-0 and weigh 135. I started at 158 in January, so we've had the same weight loss! Anyway, you're at my goal weight. So, I'm jealous and hate you just a little. Did you average 1400-1500 throughout your weight loss or is that just what you do to maintain now? Did you ever hit  a plateau and how did you overcome it?

ralovic, I'm not as "expert" as some of the people here, but have you been watching your salt? Exercising, especially in the early stages, can make you retain water. This is not a bad thing, but your body will lose the extra in time. Also, measure yourself. Sometimes, those numbers will show progress when the scale does not. Hang in there!

Another shorty with similar stats here.  I am 5', 42, and weigh (at the moment) 129.  I started out at 152 in December.  I do a similar amount of walking as the op but not much else.  My current diet is 1500-1700 cals.  I have been losing 1-1.5 lbs every week.

But I did not start out so well.  I started on the 1200-1300 plan.  I lost weight at first but after a few weeks I stalled out. 

Two things were going on - too high of a deficit and NOT weighing my food.  I had a scale and I knew better too! 

In any case I strongly suggest weighing your food.  When you read a package and it tells you the gram weight of a serving this amount is really the only serving size the manufacturer can guarantee.  Measuring cup sizes actually vary a lot. It works out OK in cooking because cooking is not precise.  Recipes can be altered quite a bit without noticable change in quality.  But that is not true of dieting.

Once I got smart and started to weigh my food (and figured my real burn rate) I started to lose weight well.

But in some ways it is still a guessing game that will need adjustment as you go on.  I think you are probably closer to a moderate activity level.  Lightly active would be someone who just does enough to get by and get the job at hand done.  But add more and you are closer to moderate. 

In any case - if you choose to up your calories commit for two or three weeks.  Where are you in terms of your loss then?  Did you gain or lose?  You will only know how well it will work for you over time so don't dump the idea until you have given it a real try out.

Original Post by tomatotomata:

jturnex, I'm 5-0 and weigh 135. I started at 158 in January, so we've had the same weight loss! Anyway, you're at my goal weight. So, I'm jealous and hate you just a little. Did you average 1400-1500 throughout your weight loss or is that just what you do to maintain now? Did you ever hit  a plateau and how did you overcome it?

When I first started I was at 1200-1300 but didn't really stay there long and I upped it to 1400-1500 in March and I've pretty much stayed there since. I'm not at maintenance yet. My goal weight is 110 so I'm still in losing mode. I've yet to hit a plateau (knock on wood). Really the roughest part was the beginning mostly because of my general cluelessness. I often felt more like a science experiment during Jan/Feb as I tried to get a handle on things. But since March I haven't needed to fiddle with anything and it's been a steady downward slope and cross fingers it continues for another 6 more pounds. lol

To the OP I'll second what madamq said about weighing everything. It really does make a difference and now it's just a habit with me and I don't really even think about it when I'm cooking food anymore. It's just part of the routine.

Original Post by madamq:

Another shorty with similar stats here.  I am 5', 42, and weigh (at the moment) 129.  I started out at 152 in December.  I do a similar amount of walking as the op but not much else.  My current diet is 1500-1700 cals.  I have been losing 1-1.5 lbs every week.

But I did not start out so well.  I started on the 1200-1300 plan.  I lost weight at first but after a few weeks I stalled out. 

Two things were going on - too high of a deficit and NOT weighing my food.  I had a scale and I knew better too! 

In any case I strongly suggest weighing your food.  When you read a package and it tells you the gram weight of a serving this amount is really the only serving size the manufacturer can guarantee.  Measuring cup sizes actually vary a lot. It works out OK in cooking because cooking is not precise.  Recipes can be altered quite a bit without noticable change in quality.  But that is not true of dieting.

Once I got smart and started to weigh my food (and figured my real burn rate) I started to lose weight well.

But in some ways it is still a guessing game that will need adjustment as you go on.  I think you are probably closer to a moderate activity level.  Lightly active would be someone who just does enough to get by and get the job at hand done.  But add more and you are closer to moderate. 

In any case - if you choose to up your calories commit for two or three weeks.  Where are you in terms of your loss then?  Did you gain or lose?  You will only know how well it will work for you over time so don't dump the idea until you have given it a real try out.

 How did you figure your real burn rate?

I gained weight this week; I went from 120 to 123 even with the 3500 calorie deficit. But I lost an inch in all my trouble spots so I gained muscle. This is my first week on a diet and exercising in a while since I have an inner ear disorder; it's impossible to be on a very low salt diet along with working out. I had surgery to correct it and now I feel a lot better. Have you been gaining muscle?  I don't really think I'm going to weigh myself anymore; I will just go by how my pants fit. Be patient with yourself; ask yourself do you feel better? Do you have more energy? Do your clothes fit better? If the answer is yes to these questions you are doing a great job!

Hang in there ralovic!  Its hard at first, but its doable.  At least your not as bad off as I am.  I'm 5'2" and I weigh 150!  I was 118 in October but I have a hectic schedule with school, two jobs, internship, etc. Now that the semester's over, I plan to lose weight.  I work out, but I haven't lost anything.  I didn't gain any weight lately, so I guess the exercise has helped in that sense.  Just try to take it one step at a time and have fun while you exercise.  Take a walk with a friend, walk around a mall, climb stairs at your house, school, job.  I remember when I lost weight, most of my exercise was walking.  I used to take breaks at my job and just climb the stairs from the ground floor all the way up to the eleventh and then go back to my office.  Very simple things to do, they add up.  Have a convenient lunch and walk during your lunch break.  Walking really does help, but other types of exercise are important if you have the time. 

. I don't know about your age but I'm 46. I'm now 116 lbs and I average ~1400-1500 calories/day. I've been at this since mid-Jan so a little over 1 lb/week so slightly more than a 500 cal deficit/day. I exercise 1 hour per day more or less.

---------------------------------------

I turned 40 in November and, no joke, it's like someone flipped a switch. I gained fourteen pounds from November 14 to the first week in January!

So I made a vow to start watching what I ate and lost - nothing.

So I started really watching - food diary, brisk walk for at least an hour a day (averaging about 3 miles).

The first week I dropped four pounds and thought ALRIGHT!

The following week it all came back and I struggled to lose a mere pound a week (That stinks because I should be able to lose THAT on calorie deficit alone without the stupidity of walking every night).

This week I'm two pounds HEAVIER than I was last Monday :(

Nothing fits better.

I don't "feel" better - I feel worse because I'm starting to fear there is something really wrong with me.

It's really freaking me out because it just shouldn't be this darned hard to lose weigt when you are doing everything "right."

So I feel your pain and wonder if it isn't time to see a doctor to rule out any underlying cause or concerns?