Why am I not losing weight? :(

I'm 5ft2, weight 120lbs and I wanna lose a few pounds.  I've started counting calories and exercise for the past 2 weeks.  Everyday I have around 970 - 1200 calories and I go on the elliptical 4 times a week (speed 5.0, level 10 on a Life Fitness elliptical.. I think my heart rate is 145/min).  However, I haven't even lost a pound so far!!! What did I do wrong???? :(

Here's my Typical day of food log:
Breakfast
KELLOGG'S ALL-BRAN WITH EXTRA FIBER  26g 50cal
Skim Milk 245g 86cal

Lunch
kelloggs All-Bran Yogurt Bites  56g 190cal
Skim Milk 245g 86cal
 
Dinner
Bok Choy  140g 20cal
Mushroom, Oyster - Raw  148g 55cal
Tofu, Firm 126g 97cal

Snacks
Coffee (Filter)  237g 10cal
Tea  30g 0cal
Popcorn, Air-popped  8g 31cal
Nutrisystem Blueberry Lemon Dessert Bar  41g 140cal
All Bran Fruit Bar  100g 240cal
Skim Milk 245g 86cal
Apples  138g 72cal

 

 

The short answer is that you're not eating enough.
It may seem ass-backwards to have to eat to lose weight, but its true. I'm not going to go into the science behind it, but basically your body is in starvation mode.
You should be eating NO LESS than 1200 calories incl. what you burn with cardio/weights.
Therefore, if you burn 300 calories at the gym you should be eating 1500 a day at least.

Okay...I'm a little new to this myself but first I would say you aren't eating enough calories and secondly I think you are taking in too much fiber.  I was really hooked on the same Bran cereal youa re eating.  I was having two small bowls a day and couldn't figure out why I wasn't losing weight...and then I started gaining.  When I was done with the box, I didn't buy it again.  Once it all processed throug my system I was back down to my normal weight...

So my advice...more calories (maybe protein) and less fiber!

Sunny

For sure don't eat less than 10 times your bodyweight in calories. If not, you'll just cause your metabolism to be sluggish. And how long are you doing your cardio for? Shoot for 45min-60min sessions. Also are you doing any weight lifting? That kicks the metabolism in high gear.

Your not eating enough and you need more healthy fats and protein.  Maybe 2% milk instead of skim, salad with evoo, Yogurt, etc.

1200 cals is the bare minimum on the days you don't exercise.  You need to eat more on the days you do exercise to make up what you burn.

why does eating more fiber causing me not losing weight? I thought fiber is good carbs..

How can I find out if I'm in starvation mode or not?

why does eating more fiber causing me not losing weight? I thought fiber is good carbs..


Because you need a certain amount to keep your body 'regular'.  Too much and you can cause your system to get 'backed up' or not so regular. 

How can I find out if I'm in starvation mode or not?


If you've been eating under 1200 calories a day for more than a few days, you are most likely in starvation mode.  This is NOT something you want to shoot for as a goal.  As others have said you need to have at least 1200 calories - more if you are doing exercises.

For some awesome, solid information about smart dieting check out this thread put together by our own hkellick.  Pay special attention to section 4.2, about metabolism.

Ok.. so after reading some articles on this forum, I'm suspecting that my metabolism is screwed up because I've always been taking very few calories.  So now I'm going to take 1300 calories a day + the calories I burn from exercise.  Do you know how long it will take to gain back my metabolism?  How am I able to tell if my metabolism is good or not?  What other things I should do to improve my metabolism?

eat more foods containing digestive enzymes...like factor in pineapples, apples in the morning.  don't mix with other foods, because fruit by itself won't cause you to gain weight.

also, eat at least 1200 base calories. add on X number of calories for how much you exercise. otherwise your body will enter famine mode and it tends to keep all your lovely fat and handles to survive for the "famine" you are creating.

don't eat so much fiber.  yes, it helps you go, but it also caused me to get BLOATED and just felt nasty.

The time it takes depends on your body.  You may actually gain a little weight in the short term, but will lose that weight again once your body figures out that you will be feeding it the food that you need.

Something I would suggest is maybe trying the Special K cereals- Special K with Strawberries, Berries, etc.  I did this my senior year of high school and I lost 6 lbs in about 2 1/2 weeks, and I've never gained back that weight even after I stopped eating the cereal two meals a day- so that is a thought.  Along with that you might want to use 1% milk instead of skim- 1% is still very low in fat, but give you a good, healthy source of fat.  Also, you might want to incorporate a little more lean protein into your diet- tuna is an easy option, but fish is good in general, or chicken.  You can also get good proteins from things like beans (some have more/better protein than others) or nuts (almonds are a great source of protein, especially for runners or those doing lots of cardio exercises). 

Another thought is staying away from the processed snack bars, and focusing on snacks like carrot sticks dipped in a reasonable amount of lowfat/fat-free dressing, celery sticks with peanut butter, etc.?  For the amount of calories that you get in one snack bar you could eat a lot more of a naturally healthy snack.  I know its easier said than done-

Lastly, I would add some weight lifting exercises to your work out routine- Cardiovascular exercise is great and plays an important role in reaching your goal weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, however, once you stop the exercise you stop burning calories as well.  With weight lifting you not only burn calories while doing the exercise but continue burning calories even after you've stopped lifting.  You might try different types of cardio too- The elliptical is great, but you can switch it up as simply as pedalling backwards on the elliptical, or splitting your exercise time between the elliptical and the treadmill, stationary bike or stair climber.  Plus, switching it up will keep you from getting bored with your exercise routine, and each cardiovascular exercise works different muscles so you'll see results a little sooner too. 

Good luck and hang in there-

Brooke

chaue,

Im having the same issue right now .. ive been consuming less than 1200 calories a day and have put my body into starvation mode.  its really frustrating.  I work out at Lifetime Fitness 4-5 times a week and switch it up on the machines - but believe it or not i actually gained weight from working out so much!  I try to eat more good calories like carrot sticks and things like that but can't help feel guilty when i consume too many calories.
If you are able to break your body out of the starvation mode please let me know how you did this!

If you are able to break your body out of the starvation mode please let me know how you did this!

You need to consistently have your net calories be over 1200 calories a day.  Falling under the 1200 will put/keep your body in starvation mode.  There really is no other way around getting out of starvation mode.

Note I said *net* calories.  If you are eating 1300 calories, and burning 300, you are now netting 1000 calories, which is not going to help.  Your body will still be in starvation mode.

so is there a way to check my metabolism or to check whether I'm in starvation mode or not?

When you're eating very little and you don't lose weight, that's starvation mode.

Since you only have a few pounds to lose, try some of these tips

Tips for Boosting Metabolism

You might want to think of getting your body really toned instead of losing a couple of pounds.  Muscle does weigh more than fat, but it takes up less room and makes your body look terrific.

STILL NO PROGRESS :(

So for the past week, I've increased my calorie intake to 1200 + the calories burned from workout (so varies from 1200 - 1500) and I still can't lose a pound!! What did I do wrong? 

Now I try to eat 40% carb, 40% protein and 20% fat everyday, and I workout at least 3 times a week.  I either walk at 2.5 Mph on Level 15 incline for 50 mins, or go on elliptical for 40 mins at 5Mph.  Every night I do 5 sets of 15 sit-ups and some weights for my arms before I go to bed.  What did I do wrong???  :(

your body may think it is starving and therefore has lowered your metabolism resulting in very little to no weight loss. you have to be sure to eat enough "good" calories (ie lean protein, fiber, whole grains, veggies/fruits) and drink plenty of h2o (8-10 8oz servings daily). exercise is important but do it to be healthy and remember that muscle is much more dense than fat so it weighs more. if you have not lost inches, then you may need to modify your workout routine to meet you individual body needs. speak with a trainer at you gym. keep your spirits up and stress down. you will each your goal in time!

 

someone said that eating fruit itself won't make you gian weight? so eating it after dinner will?  can you elaborate more on that?  how does eating fruits combining with other nutrients like fats and protein make you gain or harder to lose weight?

Original Post by justice4me:

someone said that eating fruit itself won't make you gian weight? so eating it after dinner will?  can you elaborate more on that?  how does eating fruits combining with other nutrients like fats and protein make you gain or harder to lose weight?

It doesn't

There is only one way to gain weight and that is by having a caloric surplus.

There is only one way to lose weight and that is by having a caloric deficit.

Everything else is bulloney

Original Post by willowraven:


How can I find out if I'm in starvation mode or not?


If you've been eating under 1200 calories a day for more than a few days, you are most likely in starvation mode. 

 

....ummm, a few days? Since when.

edit: oopsiessss, dead post...didn't realize, sorrrrrrry :(