CommunityBrowse groupsBlogEtiquetteInvite Your friendsSuccess Stories

Lounge
Community 


1700 cal/ day. working out. seven days. the scale is stuck. thoughts?

For the past week I have been averaging 1700 cals/ day. I am working out as well (swimming or running) - total of 17 miles run and 5 km swim (also, I walk to work and generally have a pretty active lifestyle). My scale is EXACTLY where is was one week ago. Any advice/ thoughts/ help etc. It would be MUCH appreciated!

Wed. Jul 12, 1:03am

Add comment  
increase your calories in.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 6:36 AM

Add comment
Conversley, I think decreasing may help as well. BUt I am living the mantra you can't gain what you don't eat

Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 8:05 AM

Add comment
1 - Give it time. It doesn't happen overnight, or even in a week.
2 - Take measurments. Muscle is more dense than fat. Perhaps you have actually lost lost two pounds of fat and gained two pounds of muscle, thus the scale is the same but your body is smaller.
3 - Maybe you are underestimating your calorie intake. Measure everything.
4 - Vary your calorie intake and exercise to keep your body guessing.


Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 8:58 AM

Add comment
good points last poster

here is one website to estimate number of calories per day. It is a guide and everybody's body is different. But at least you would have a place to look at to see if you are getting close to the right amount of calories. Then the other thing is look at the type of calories you are getting make sure they are well rounded if you are eating all fat calories that is not good... a well balanced "diet "is still the best in my book!

Link

Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 9:06 AM

Add comment
Change workout, calories, and take a day off

Your body becomes used to your workout and calories -- that is why we hit plateaus. The body normalizes to that standard after 4 months. So ... to change you need to change.

1. Change workout,
2. Change calories -- probably up not down as down makes the body think you are starving,

3. Take a day off --

Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 9:33 AM

Add comment
1 week of the scale not moving isn't very unusual. I know we don't like to hear this, but it's true! It's the trend over time, over several months, that counts. Good luck, and don't give up!!!

Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 10:11 AM

Add comment
Ditto

Take one day off per week at least (your body needs rest to recover)

Change your workout (how about some weight training or circuit training?)

Vary your calories

Eat more protein - a bit with every meal and snack

Make sure you're drinking lots of water, especially with all of your activity


One week is such a short time, if the scale isn't moving in a month, you could always talk to an expert. I would suggestion someone who has both a background in nutrition AND exercise. Nutritionists alone, in my experience, just don't ever 'get it' when it comes to being extremely active yet faced with the challenge of losing weight and their advice (in my experience) has never worked.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 10:16 AM

Add comment
Plus if you are a female it could very well be that you are retaining fluid due to hormonal flucuations - 1 week is about the right amount of time for retention - if this is the case you should see the scale dip soon (alternately have you been eating lots of salt?). If it doesn't budge after 2-3 wks then by all means examine your intake and exercise carefully, but there are so many things that can cause little plateaus so don't get discouraged!

Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 12:41 PM

Add comment
You have to have crazy low (500 or under) calories to make your body think your starving and for a prolonged period of time. I think a lot of people are affraid to go low cal because they can't actually do it or that it's tough. 1000-1200 is safe. Sure if you're used to eating 3500 cals per day it's gonna feel like your dying, but I assure you, you are not.

They say that 15% of what we eat is keeping is alive. That means 85% is things we may or may not need.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 12:43 PM

Add comment
12:43 poster - dangerous advice?

Especially if you don't know the person's weight and for someone who weekly does 17 miles running and 5 km swimming.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but for some people, 1000-1200 calories per day with that level of activity would be a sure-fire way to totally f*ck up your metabolism.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 2:08 PM

Add comment
I agree with the above. Your body and mind will both be starving if you kept that up for long, and it could lead to binging as your body's way of telling you to get some more calories.

You could try alternating something like 1400 calories one day with 2000 the next. That way, you are getting enough calories but your metabolism is guessing rather than just slowing down.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 4:46 PM

Add comment
Here's a link to a calculator for caloric needs - this is what you would need to maintain your weight, based on height, weight, age and activity level. To lose a pound a week, drop 500 calories from this amount. Losing much more than a pound or two a week means you may be losing lean muscle rather than fat.

Link

Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 7:01 PM

Add comment
i think 12:32 was just saying that eating less then 1000 calories a few times is not going to hurt you that much.

i agree with that in terms of overall well being.

maybe some people are scared of putting themselves in starvation mode and eat more calories then they should.

by making sure you have over 1000 and mixing it up like that one poster said would be good.

none of this advice should be taken 100% for fact anyways.

i know when i read this stuff i take it as what works for some people and their opinion

it would be pretty unwise to take anything thats said on these posts as sound medical/health advice.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 9:03 PM

Add comment
By the way now that there are 2 links on there for checking how many calories your body needs it can be noted....

You don't have to put in the weight you are currently put in the weight that you want to be.... The other thing is try putting in a low activity rate and then a higher one and you will see what you should do a days that you are really active and days that you are not so active. I will be one to tell you though I have found what is working for me right now, it took a few weeks to find an average number for me. One final note your basic caloric needs changes with weight and age....

Wednesday, July 12, 2006, 9:39 PM

Add comment
OP Here

Thanks, everyone for all the helpful advice. In terms of your questions:
I am female
I do vary my calories (1700 was an average.. some days were 1500 and some were 1900)
I do drink a lot of water (about 2.5 liters a day)... and I have a low-salt diet

I have read all of the advice and articles and feel a little better. I will give it another week before I try something totally new.

Thanks so much. I am very very grateful for all your advice!

Thursday, July 13, 2006, 12:37 AM

Add comment
Good luck, OP! I lost a ton of weight about 3 years ago and spent the last year spinning my wheels until very recently. I finally found something that works for me and it took some trial and error. Keep at it and pay attention to your body and you will figure it out.

Thursday, July 13, 2006, 9:26 AM

Add comment
this is the last couple days under 90g of carbs:
8-9-07
Meal 1. 1 scoop protien w/ water
Meal 2. 10.5 oz (w/bone) T-bone Steak
Meal 3. 1 scoop protien w/ water, 1 apple
Meal 4. 14 oz of baked chicken legs (5-6) legs
Meal 5. Apple
Meal 6. 1 cup low fat cottage cheese, 1 Dannon Light and fit yogurt
this came out to:
Calories: 2429
Protien: 278g
carbs: 58g
fat: 115g
Carbs were a little low this day.testking 70-643 I usually try to get closer to 90g. Keep in mind the next day I'll eat around 150-180g of carbs, and the day after that like 250g. I just have to drop the fat some on those two days to keep my calories right. I get 3000 calories on my high carb days. I normally don't lift on my days under 90g carbs. testking 642-892 may do sprints or GPP that day. Oh yeah...refeed definitely. 60-90g of carbs per day is really low. Personally, I don't think it's necessary to go that low unless you want to go keto. Even on my low-carb days, testking 1z0-042 I'm still taking in 160g which ends up being 30% of the calories.


Thursday, September 03, 2009, 2:14 AM

Add comment








Related Content:

How To Lose Weight- The Basics
Weight Watchers Points System
The Fat Smash Diet
The Eat To Live Diet
The Beck Diet Solution
How To Get The Motivation To Lose Weight

 

How To Be Successful Using PEERtrainer

How To Burn Fat
Online Weight Loss Support- How It Works
Does Green Tea Help You Lose Weight?
Tips On Using PEERtrainer
Visit The PEERtrainer Community
Diet and Fitness Resources

Fitness

Weight Watchers Meetings
Learning To Inspire Others: You Already Are
Writing Down Your Daily Workouts
Spending Money On A Personal Trainer?
How I Became A Marathon Runner

 

Preventive Health

How To Prevent Injuries During Your Workout
Flu Season: Should You Take The Flu Shot?
Are You Really Ready To Start PEERtrainer?
Super Foods That Can Boost Your Energy
Reversing Disease Through Nutrition

New Diet and Fitness Articles:

Weight Watchers Points Plus
How To Adjust Your Body To Exercise
New: Weight Watchers Momentum Program
New: PEERtrainer Blog Archive
Review Of The New Weight Watchers Momentum Program
 

Weight Loss Motivation by Joshua Wayne:

Why Simple Goal Setting Is Not Enough
How To Delay Short Term Gratification
How To Stay Motivated
How To Exercise With A Busy Schedule

Real World Nutrition and Fitness Questions

Can Weight Lifting Help You Lose Weight?
Are Protein Drinks Safe?
Nutrition As Medicine?
 

Everyday Weight Loss Tips

How To Eat Healthy At A Party
How To Eat Out And Still Lose Weight
The Three Bite Rule
Tips On How To Stop A Binge