Not loosing weight despite serious calories reduction

[ScubaAlex]

When I started out, I needed to loose about 12-13 lbs. I know that doesn't sound like much but that is what makes it all the more difficult. 

Of course the first 3 lbs came right off in barely a week or so, the rest has been a true struggle.

This past week, I have been exercising daily if not even twice a day, eating around 1000 calories (so a defiicit of 750-1000 calories per day!), no alcohol, drink an average of 100 fl oz of water per day, and I got the scale this morning to only see 1.2lbs gone.  WTF!  The week before, when I had my period and with an average of 800 calorie deficit per day, I didn't loose anything!!   This is totally depressing. 

I don't see how I can eat even less and still be functional.  Thoughts?

(I'm now 139lbs, 5'6, 45 y/o and aiming for 132lbs). 

[Annie-NH]

After losing 21 lbs on July 20 I went into a phase where I was up 4, then down 2, then 1, then back to the low end, then back up  4 for almost 6 weeks.  All while staying with my food program and exercising.  So many said I wasn't eating enough and that is such a difficult thought to wrap my head around, but I started eating closer to the Fitbit goal of 1000 cal per day deficit, and low and behold, I am back to losing at a nice steady rate, and i feel great.   Maybe it depends on the person, I am 60, female, and work full time on a computer all day, I get in  10-14K steps per day.  

[SunsetRunner]

When you eat too less calories, your body starts to lose muscle instead of fat

[Mermaid3011]

Yes I have heard that too.

Actually as soon as you eat with a deficit your body burns about 30% muscle tissue and 70% fat tissue to make up for the deficit.

That's why it's so important to feed your body w good, real food to minimize the muscle loss.

Sent from my BB.

Moderator Edit: format

[Kikai]

Hi all,

These forums should be a place of safety to those of us who are struggling with weight loss, food addiction, everyday life or whatever. It's not a place to put others down or make people feel ridiculed. No one will have all the answers, and some incorrect information might be perpetuated, but that is what discussion is all about. Being able to express opinions and have people suggest alternatives, or agree, or share their experiences. 

We all need to practice some loving kindness with ourselves and others, and realise we are all human and in this struggle together. Everyone has a bad day. 🙂 Forgive and move on. 

[divedragon]

You can prevent the loss of muscle tissue by ensuring your protein requirements are met first.  This is the primary benefit of the low carb diet craze and many studies have shown that high protein leaves the body more saited with few calories resulting in fat loss while maintaining muscle mass.  Here is a good study on how that works:  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1373635/

High protein and resistance exercise can help you maintain muscle mass while restricting calories. 

[Raviv]

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@RunsWScissors wrote:
Very aware kettle. I have an advanced medical degree and do peer reviewed clinical studies on Metabolic Syndrome etc.
And, nice attitude. I was responding to a link that obviously didn't attach. But thanks for the assumption, really very nice! Too bad, some of your other posts seemed to suggest you had a clue. But perhaps you think you have more of a clue than is necessarily true. Nice kettle, nice...

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With all of your training and education, maybe you could contribute something different.

You have five posts on this forum.  One is telling us that an idea is "nonsense" and a myth, and the remaining four are arguing over how someone disagreed with you.

Maybe something more constructive?

[Katsomm]

RWS, This is intended to be a supportive environment.  Even if you are smarter than all of us, as you allude to be,  your attitude does not help anyone.  Please be kind to people - people need support when losing weight and messages should be delivered with positive attitude.

[EdsonFitbit]

Hello everyone. Thanks for taking a break from stepping to visit the Community. I wanted to stop by and remind all users to keep a friendly tone every time you visit the Fitbit Community. We work every day to maintain a friendly environment here in the Community and will highly appreciate if you help us and follow the Community Guidelines when posting a comment. Thanks for being part of the Fitbit family. Catch you later. 

[pcobb8]

People get passinate about what they believe and some time it comes across poorly in these forums.  From my personal experience, you dont have to eat more to lose as long as you are getting your basics.  This may vary from person to person but I will share my personal experience.  I am currently eating a healthy diet that is made up of fruit, veggies, lean proteins and whole grains/nuts. I eat small protions frequently and try to eat more calories early in the day vs later.  I maintain a daily calorie deficit of 1500-2000  calories on average(2000-2500 avg intake and 4000 avg burn).  And averaged out, I have been losing about 3.5 lbs a week since I have corrected my eating habits.  I have been going to the gym and my muscles ae stronger then they have been in a very long time. 

[Nana2015]

I eat a lot of fruits, veggies, high fiber foods and little or no fat. I do not sleep well at all, 68 to 70 % avg. I lost 19 lbs since April. I have hit a no lose zone. My scale will be up 3-4 lbs a wk (fluid I am guessing) and back down.....I am still losing some inches, I wore a tight 22 last July and just got a size 14 yesterday. I am 5'2", I need to lose at least 23 lbs. My bloodwork is above average good. so what am I doing wrong????

[Raviv]

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@Nana2015 wrote:

...and little or no fat.

I do not sleep well at all, 68 to 70 % avg... 

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That's probably not the whole problem, but it's certainly not helping.

Quality fat (oily fish, nuts, olives, avocados) is good for you and helps your brain function better.

Lack of sleep is a HUGE problem when it comes to weight loss, and it's usually pretty easy to fix if you're willing to do the work.

Plan to turn out the lights and go to sleep earlier (get a Tivo or a Roku if it helps) and put away all electronics at least an hour before you plan to sleep.  Exercise all out for at least a little bit during the day so you're tired at night.  Try taking magnesium before bedtime if you have trouble falling asleep in the first place.  Avoid all caffeine after noon - even decaf, which still has caffeine, just in much lower amounts.  So that means coffee, tea, chocolate.  Also avoid alcohol a few hours before bedtime.  It helps you fall asleep, but it's terrible quality.

Are you waking up in the middle of the night because you have to go to the bathroom?  You could try lowering your carbs a bit, especially in the evening, so you don't have the blood sugar drop halfway through the night.

[Mach5mom]

I know this was an old post but want to offer some input - You may not be eating enough. I was in the same spot, eating 1000 to 1100 calories a day and desperate to see the scale shift down even an ounce - I was actually gaining weight. Even with a trainer it didn't budge. Then the trainer reviewed my food logs,  said I wasn't eating ENOUGH (I know, it sounds INSANE). She said my body thought I was starving it so saved EVERY CALORIE as fat. She had me bump up my calories to between 1500 and 1700/day and bingo, it all started falling into place. I've lost over 30 pounds. I am 56, work out 3-4 times week and log food and activity through Fitbit. Everyone is different, but just another idea. Good luck!

[I-train-hard]

Nana you might not be doing anything wrong at all.

Lock of sleep, stress, worries, an anxiety etc. have tremendous impact on human body.

The safest and the easiest way to help yourself would be an exercise. Not just walking, running – please start lifting weights. It would recommend to get some help if you don’t know how to begin. You need to get really really tired almost to the point that you can’t do anything else. It is hard to do but I promise you will sleep like a baby. That should also help with stress etc.

Endorphins will become your friend and you be much happier and healthier. Good luck!

[Nana2015]

I take a magneisum pill at night , plus 2 melotonin pills. No caffeine, and usually read about an hr before I go to sleep. I get about 3-4 miles in a day .. Work full time as a bank teller, go up and down stairs 3-4 X  a day (36 steps )...live alone, so not much stress... I do have Hash;s Thyroid which is a contributing factor. I drink about 60 oz H20 daily.

[CurlyGirlSJ]

Eat six meals balanced throught the day of 200 calories each.  Three of these meals can include liquid meals made of fruit and vegetables, make your own so you can control the content.  Dont use purchased shakes. Add a little chia seed to fill you up without filling you out.  Keep a good watch on the hidden calories and make sure you write everything down.  Its surprising what sneaks in and adds up.

If you are not eating enough, your metabolism will shut down, you have to eat enough of the correct foods to keep your body healthy and lose weight.  Also dont over exercise, make sure you do your strength and endurance work.  Walking alone is not enough.

[Loripeiffer]

Reading all these responses makes me feel less alone,   I have been counting my activity and calories for 6 weeks and I have fluctuation between a 4 lb loss/gain the entire time.  The interesting thing is my clothes are significantly looser.  I attirbute this to power yoga and weights  5 days a week.

I am hypo thyroid, so that doesn't help,  and I eat "around the outside of the grocery store"  I am thinking during all this reading that I am likely needing to 1.  cut back on the sunflower seeds I munch one,  (too much sodium) and 2.  Drink more water. 

My point is,  the fitbit,  is helpful to make me aware of how much I eat, and move which I find informative. I do track my weight and would love to see the scale go down.  But for whatever mystical reason, if I can try on my favorite dress and be swimming in it,  I will push on an focus on that and not the numbers. 

For everyone struggling  I try to remember A trainer I hired once,  she was so tiny,,  like a size 3 or 5  but she weighed 158 Lbs and was 5' 2"  so weight is not everything.

[Richie301]

I wish people who didn't know what they were talking about didn't give advice and it's scary how many people agreed.Buzz words like starvation mode are thrown around,there was an experiment where they starved a man for over 300 days and he went from 230kg to 85kg in a year ,people in 3rd world counties are on a starvation diet and are not complaining of fat

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@Tweety64 wrote:

You must eat more calories because your body thinks it is starving and holding on to the fat.  Our bodies are so cool like that. They know what to do when we don't.   You can't go below 1000 calories especially when exercising and expect to lose weight.  It won't happen.  I don't deprive myself of anything. If I have something high in calories, I eat a very small portion and make sure that I exercise.  I lose weight.  I have lost 21 lbs in 2 1/2 months. Yes, some weeks are better than others but you just keep going and do better next week. I try to eat really good with protein, fiber and fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and fish, Sunday - Friday. On Saturday I allow myself to have a treat of my choosing. Small portions and calorie counting seems to be working.  You might also want to try to eat your fruit before noon.  These things are working for me when Weight Watchers, Atkins, and every other fad diet I have ever tried has failed.  The important thing for me is I am not gaining. I am not feeling deprived.  Good luck and  maybe with a few changes your body will respond. 

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[SjeanM]

I've been having trouble losing weight as well, my body is very sluggish and it's taking longer than when i was in my 20's. On top of dieting and exercise are you getting enough sleep?

I found that a full 8 hours of sleep helps with my weight loss. Also making sure you get enough water and fiber in uour diet. 

[Ccl33]

Maybe you need to eat more.  800 calories isn't really enough and maybe your body is going into starvation mood.  No matter what, it is sooo hard.

[mommy9397]

First ScubaAlex, I want to say congratulations on the effort and loss.  I relate to the disappointment. 

1 year ago I was diagnosed with diabetes (A1C 12.1 fasting glucose 301).  I am 48 and when I started i was 248 lbs. I was taking up to 4 -500 mg Metformin per day to manage it with diet and exercise.  I recently found and article discussing the underlying cause of diabetes (a fatty pancreas) per the articles if I loose 1g of fat from my pancreas, my pancreatic functions will return to normal.  To target the fat loss in the pancreas it is recommended at diet similar to those who have undergone Gastric Bypass at 850 cal/day.  with a total loss of 33 lbs.

I am on week 3. week 1 was great.  I lost 8 pounds that first week.  week 2 was disappointing at 2.4 lbs. and week 3 another just 2 lbs.  (everyone just says wow that is so good, not considering the effort and thus the disappointment.)  BUT ON THE UPSIDE; I am seeing health improvements in other ways.  My resting heart rate has gone from 91 to 72,  I didn't even realize it was elevated.  When i started my blood sugar was 165 (with taking 2 metformin) and now is 103 (with NO metformin).  I see difference in the way my clothes fit.  My DR. recommends no more than 12 weeks at this.  more than that and she fears my body going into starvation mode.  Starvation mode is not an immediate reaction it does take time,  but it is a real thing. and something to be cognitive about.

Like you I am disappointed with the little loss given the HUGE effort.  Hopefully you are measuring in other ways as well, and reaping benefits in other ways.  Clothes fitting better etc.  to boost your enthusiam.

GOOD LUCK!