:-( Less calories, more exercise ≠loose weight!! :-(

≠ means not equal to....

Just need to AHHHHAHAHH!!

Ok so I reduced calories.... upped my movement... loss very very slow.
Gained access to an exercise bike :-) found it easer to use up calories... lost a few more lbs...
then it stopped... thought ok been though this before where its a sticking point...

Carried on, used the exercise bike more than I thought I could :-)
Loose more weight - no

Friend looked into it and may need to up calories (roll eyes) the starvation mode thing
- so I am now gaining weight! and gaining more than is logical for what I am eating!

Why why why is this so complicated all I want to do is loose the excess fat, tone up and get in my old clothes.

This should be simple, eat less (cut out treats) and move more BUT its NOT that simple!!

Why do programs show that when they have a group of people and do this for them it works but when I try it, its a mess!

Any ideas.... could this be a
- not loosing for a while but keep strict
- starvation mode need to have more calories and it will drop off
- something else

REALLY fed up! Experienced help appreciated... esp if there is a 6 week plan as that is one of my key dates!

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Starving people do not have trouble losing weight.

How long were you at the same weight before upping your calories?

Are you using a food scale? Logging accurately? Choosing the correct data base entries and verifying them?

What are your current stats? How long have you been trying to lose weight? How many calories are you eating?

Your post is lacking a LOT of important information.

Also, please open your diary.

It's not complicated , Bro.

Calorie Deficit Over Extended Time.

It couldn't be simpler.

HINT: "Starvation Mode", as you know it, does not exist. Eating more when you're not losing is never the right answer.

CICO is the formula for weight loss, but sometimes other factors can play into the formula.

Are you using a food scale to weigh out all your food?
How many calories are you consuming a day?
How long have you been stuck at the same weight?
If you had a meal high in sodium, it could cause you to retain some water weight.
Depending on where you are in your monthly cycle you could be also holding onto some water weight.

How many calories are you eating, how sure are you of your logging and how do you estimate calories burned?

I suspect you may not be logging accurately and/or are eating back 100% of the calorie burn estimate that bike is giving you (it's likely quite over generous).

I'm particularly wondering if "cut out treats" is the only way you are really "reducing calories." Because, seriously, that won't do it. You need to weigh and log EVERYTHING accurately and reduce your calorie total. Whether you do that by eliminating "treats" or reducing portion sizes across the board is up to you, but most MFP users find that simply getting rid of "treats" isn't enough...and many also find that removing the foods they enjoy altogether only leads to binges and guilt.

Short-term (2 to 3 weeks), weight gain can occur due to water retention. If you're still gaining weight after three weeks, there is little doubt that it is due to overeating.

TimothyFish wrote: »

Short-term (2 to 3 weeks), weight gain can occur due to water retention. If you're still gaining weight after three weeks, there is little doubt that it is due to overeating.

This is probably a fair statement.

HeySwoleSister wrote: »

I suspect you may not be logging accurately and/or are eating back 100% of the calorie burn estimate that bike is giving you (it's likely quite over generous).

I'm particularly wondering if "cut out treats" is the only way you are really "reducing calories." Because, seriously, that won't do it. You need to weigh and log EVERYTHING accurately and reduce your calorie total. Whether you do that by eliminating "treats" or reducing portion sizes across the board is up to you, but most MFP users find that simply getting rid of "treats" isn't enough...and many also find that removing the foods they enjoy altogether only leads to binges and guilt.

this^

until I started weighing and measuring my portions I was overeating and was not losing weight. Especially those calorie dense foods, pasta, rice, potatoes. I don't exercise every day, but when I do, only eat back a small portion of calories burned.

Don't give up. Slow and steady will get you there.

When you increase you activity in the attempt to drop pounds your body will automatically go into hungry mode and this sometimes leads you to consume a little more food than you should. I'm not saying if your hungry don't eat but, you should be mind full of the amount/type of food your eating after exercising. Always ask yourself before eating something am I really hungry or could it be possible that Im just thirsty ? Sometimes it's thirst that drives us to eat. If your constantly eating "Peanut Butter" for instance after every workout this could be a culprit and overtime causing you to consuming more than you need which will result in a weight gain....... Don't give up look at your food diary and see if you can drop some unnecessary foods.

Peanut Butter ...was killing my weight loss, I dropped it and lost 2 lbs..

When going into starvation mode, your body signals that food is scarce and stores every piece of fat you eat, this is slow metabolism. When you eat healthy every three hours or so, the mind signals that food is in abundance and no need to store fat so you lose weight. This is a fast metabilism.

Totally agree about the peanut butter thing. I will have a spoonful when I'm feeling peckish, and because it looks so small I think I've fooled myself into believing it wasn't too bad for calories. Once I got a scale and actually weighed it, I realized what I was telling myself was about a tablespoon of peanut butter was actually 2 and a half tablespoons. Well, that's a difference of 145 calories, do that once or twice a day and I can see where I'll have a problem when I get closer to goal. I try to weigh everything now because clearly my estimating is off!

You're definitely not starving so for starters get that ridiculous "starvation mode" thing out of your head. You are more then likely eating more then you think you are. I suggest you try to track your calories more accurately. As tedious as that can get, it's the only way to really see how much you're actually eating. You'll be surprised at how much more you're over eating.

Didn't see one useful answer to her question. You automatically assume she hasn't logged her calories right. I lost 45 lbs in 9 months, hit a plateau and have now gained back 14 lbs. Yes I weight my food, I haven't changed the the type of foods I eat, don't snack & swim 3 days a week. My calorie is 1200 per day but often eat less. I've dieted for two years but have been at my current weight for the last six months. I have no intentions to change my calorie intake but have no expectations that my weight will change. So I would appreciate it if you have no useful suggestions for this lady don't say anything.

CarlFenech wrote: »

When going into starvation mode, your body signals that food is scarce and stores every piece of fat you eat, this is slow metabolism. When you eat healthy every three hours or so, the mind signals that food is in abundance and no need to store fat so you lose weight. This is a fast metabilism.

LOL

CarlFenech wrote: »

When going into starvation mode, your body signals that food is scarce and stores every piece of fat you eat, this is slow metabolism. When you eat healthy every three hours or so, the mind signals that food is in abundance and no need to store fat so you lose weight. This is a fast metabilism.

That's not how starvation mode works, and you can easily eat every three hours and gain weight by eating more than you burn.

OP, look into your logging. Make sure you're logging everything you intake, including condiments/drinks/cooking oils that can add up if you miss them, and use a food scale if need be.

CarlFenech wrote: »

When going into starvation mode, your body signals that food is scarce and stores every piece of fat you eat, this is slow metabolism. When you eat healthy every three hours or so, the mind signals that food is in abundance and no need to store fat so you lose weight. This is a fast metabilism.

So much nope here.

LLnotURmommaLL wrote: »

Didn't see one useful answer to her question. You automatically assume she hasn't logged her calories right. I lost 45 lbs in 9 months, hit a plateau and have now gained back 14 lbs. Yes I weight my food, I haven't changed the the type of foods I eat, don't snack & swim 3 days a week. My calorie is 1200 per day but often eat less. I've dieted for two years but have been at my current weight for the last six months. I have no intentions to change my calorie intake but have no expectations that my weight will change. So I would appreciate it if you have no useful suggestions for this lady don't say anything.

If someone isn't losing, that is very often the culprit. If he or she is logging everything 100% accurately, then it's time to look into medical reasons as to why they aren't losing and adjust the calories as needed. It still comes down to CICO.

LLnotURmommaLL wrote: »

Didn't see one useful answer to her question. You automatically assume she hasn't logged her calories right. I lost 45 lbs in 9 months, hit a plateau and have now gained back 14 lbs. Yes I weight my food, I haven't changed the the type of foods I eat, don't snack & swim 3 days a week. My calorie is 1200 per day but often eat less. I've dieted for two years but have been at my current weight for the last six months. I have no intentions to change my calorie intake but have no expectations that my weight will change. So I would appreciate it if you have no useful suggestions for this lady don't say anything.

I saw many useful answers to her question!

Have you seen a doctor? If you are truly doing all the things you say and are gaining weight on 1200 cals/day, perhaps there is something occurring medically that needs to be addressed. Perhaps your thyroid is malfunctioning?

There's a really good article just out today on T-nation.com might be something you want to read. It explains some things about your situation

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