Not losing weight--coudl I be eating too few calories?

Has anyone had trouble losing weight because they are eating too few calories? I am 5'6'' and weigh 160, trying to get to 135. I eat about 1400/calories a day (I cycle calories but am religious about keeping a food diary so know I am not cheating). I also work out minimum 3/week and am losing NOTHING! I have been doing this for at least 8 weeks and literally the scale does not seem to be moving--nor am I losing inches. I've had the doctor check me for thryoid problems, etc. b/c I was concerned it was a medical problem and luckily there is no issue there, but in some ways this is even MORE frustrating as there seems to be no explanation for why I'm not losing. The only thing I can think of is that maybe I'm eating too few calories. I read an article a few months ago in Shape magazine about that...does anyone remember that article and know what month it appeared? Any help would be appreciated as I'm so frustrated I don't know what to do! Has anyone else had this problem and actually had success when they upped calories??? Its the only explanation I can think of at this point...

Fri. Aug 31, 11:24pm

This topic has been covered about 8 times in the past 4 pages. Go look for the answer.

Friday, August 31, 2007, 11:42 PM

You will have lots of people say 'yes! eat more!' and maybe that's exactly what you need to do. In my experience I have never, ever stalled my weight loss by eating too few calories (I don't go below 1200) - it always comes down to underestimating what I'm truly putting into this pie hole of mine. I know there are people out there who will say just the opposite, so it's definitely worth considering.

I journal, too, but I wonder if you are counting EVERY SINGLE bite and sip of what goes in your mouth? Are you measuring portions or eyeballing? Do you sample while you do meal prep? Do you count liquid calories? Do you grab one more bite of this or that after a meal/snack, etc.?? My calorie intake easily goes up by several hundred calories if I don't measure, weigh, or add alll the extra bites I take - enough to easily keep me in maintenance mode. Are you doing the same exercises at the same level of intensity as you were 2 months ago? I'm reminded of an article of 3 women who were doing 'everything right' but could NOT lose the weight. Turns out each were eating and drinking things they didn't count and for whatever reason it didn't occur to them that these things were a factor. They were just convinced they couldn't lose weight.

If nothing else I'm impressed by your willingness to keep on keepin' on despite not seeing the results! Most people would've given up weeks and weeks ago!! Hope you get to the bottom of whatever is keeping you at the same weight!

Saturday, September 01, 2007, 10:24 AM

I agree with the previous poster. Extra bites here and there often is what is really preventing weight loss.

But also-you haven't been eating 1400 calories for that long of a time and lost weight and plateaued . . .so your problem isn't that you aren't eating enough. It takes a while for your body to register that you aren't getting enough calories and the fact that you haven't lost any weight tells me that you are taking in enough . . .for your current activity level.

Up your activity. Workout 4 or 5 times a week instead of 3. And you don't have to go the gym to do that! Make time by going in your room, slapping on your sneakers, putting on some music and doing some aerobic moves, punches, kicks, pushups etc in front of a mirror. Even if it's just for 20 minutes. At work-take the stairs, park farther away when you go shopping and walk, do more around the house . . .do anything to get yourself moving!

Saturday, September 01, 2007, 2:18 PM

OP here. Thanks for the advice. I truly have been RELIGIOUS about my food journal and am not missing extra bites here and there. Of course I have to eyeball some portions b/c I eat a lot of fresh food and not prepared, but I am really religious about weighing food, etc. If I go over one day, i cut back the next day to make up for it (never going under 1200 of course). I've tried upping the activity factor too. For example, this week I worked out for an hour on my elliptical 5 times, weight lifted twice and went for 4 mile walk on one of the days I didn't get on the elliptical. Weighed myself this morning for my weekly weigh in and NOTHING, not one pound gone. This is SO FRUSTRATING I"M ABOUT TO SCREAM!!! I guess I just need to keep trekking on, but since I have 25 pounds to lose its so frustrating not to see the weight loss I want. I previously lost the same 25 pounds about 10 years ago and am so mad I let them creep back on...b/c now I'm working my butt off and can't seem to get them to go away!!

Sunday, September 02, 2007, 11:07 AM

At this point I think I'd be seeking out professional help from either a nutritionist or physician. I see immediate results when I'm religious about keeping the food intake down and with all the exercise you're doing you should be seeing some movement on the scale. Maybe you have some weird metabolism thing going on. Just on Discovery Health there was a story about a guy who had an extraordiarly efficient metabolism, which meant he needed very few calories. So, eating 'normally' for him meant extra pounds. This is extremely rare, mind you - he's now a guinea pig for scientists and medical professionals, but who knows - maybe there's something going on with you! There's a test you can take - you breathe into an apparatus and it tells you how many calories you need to maintain your weight (exercise level not factored in.) Maybe you're needs are exceptionally low!

Sunday, September 02, 2007, 1:04 PM

11.41

Don't be so rude, so what if the topic has been covered before - perhaps new posters will offer up new information. Isn't the point of this type of forum for advice and support. Why is there always people that have to be mean? If it's been covered so many time why didn't you help by offering the thread titles or extracts from what had been said rather just telling them to go do thier own research.

Monday, September 03, 2007, 7:43 AM

I understand, I've been going through the same thing. I went to the doctors last wk and am waiting on blood test results just to make sure it isn't medically related (e.g. thyroid) - I doubt it is but thought I should look into it. I get how you feel though, I've been really good for about 6wks - counting EVERYTHING, exercising at least 4-6 times a week but it's just not happening. One thing I have considered for me though is that I'm doing too much resistance exercise and not enough cardio. I love yoga but need to do more cardio based stuff. The problem is I don't enjoy it as much though. I've recently started body combat though and find this works and now need to find a seconf cardio class - I'm not sure about spinning.

Monday, September 03, 2007, 7:48 AM

Doing Everything Right and Not Losing Weight

sometimes it simply comes down to the very next decision you make:

How To Make Good Choices Today

Friday, December 10, 2010, 11:43 AM

I agree with the other posters.
The amount of food you are currently eating is maintaining you at your current weight.
Suggest you keep cutting back on food intake until you see weight loss.
(Of course, you need to maintain your exercise level.)

Friday, December 10, 2010, 6:28 PM

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