Down to the last few pounds. 1200 calories made me feel like crap, but not losing weight if I ate any higher. Advice please?

[inquirer2016]

Ladies, I’ve been feeling frustrated lately. Probably you can help me by providing fresh perspective. Wall of text below for full backstory, scroll down for tl;dr.

I’m F/27/5’2”

Current weight: 119-120lbs

Goal weight: 110-112lbs

Backstory

At my heaviest I was 132lbs. Lost 7 pounds sporadically throughout the years by reducing sugary drinks and fast foods. Fast forward to November 2016, I weigh 125lbs.

December 2016 - January 2017: Dietbet

Took on Dietbet challenge on December 2016, got down to 116lbs by January 2017 by eating 1200 calories and strict low carb (

 

[micahissaved]

@inquirer2016 Hi! So, I think maybe part of your issue is that you are over-focused on weight as opposed to body composition. You really probably want to lose inches - not pounds, to get to your true goal.

You probably have heard the phrase before that muscle is denser than fat. And it really is! Two people can weigh the same at the same height and even on the same frame... but look really different depending on how much of that weight is made up of fat vs muscle mass. The more of your composition is muscle instead of fat, the thinner you will look at the same weight.

When you diet by restricting calories, your body will break down fat and muscle for energy. Over time, you can end up losing a lot of muscle mass. But muscle will burn calories even when you are not using it, so the more muscle you lose, the less calories you burn and the less calories you need to eat to continue being at a deficient. This is part of why people may gain more back after a diet than they originally lost - losing muscle mass lowers your BMR (how many calories your body uses up just to maintain weight) significantly. This may be part of why you are finding you have to eat so few calories to continue seeing your weight drop - your body is burning less and less calories because it has less and less muscle to do so with..

So my advice, is, at least for now - stop worrying about losing pounds! Eat 1,500+ calories of healthy foods to nourish your body (and include plenty of protein!), and keep working towards those strength gains. Let your body rebuild muscle mass - and recognize that it needs more than your BMR to do that. It can take around a month even to see a full pound of muscle gained (although water retention during muscle building can drive your weight up a pound or two more during the process, too), but that pound of muscle isn't going to look like a pound of fat, and it's going to burn ~50 extra calories for you every day even if you do nothing after putting that pound of muscle on. So don't be afraid of "gaining" what in the end is "good" weight! You can cut calories again, later, after you put some muscle back, but it will be different because you'll have a different composition. The more muscle you start the process with the more calories it will burn throughout it and the more muscle you'll have relative to fat at the end.

 

[inquirer2016]

@micahissaved Thank you for the thorough respond. This thread has been a huge eye-opener for me. I'll definitely look into recomposition while keeping my training routine (because I LOVE training, and I want to see muscles!). Once again, thank you

 

[ianh]

@inquirer2016 1200 calories is starvation mode for anyone who's doing anything more than laying in bed. If you exercise, you probably need to eat closer to 2000 calories.

Your BMI is healthy. To look more like what you want, it's probably a matter of gaining muscle, and for that you need to eat.

It's incredibly dangerous to train without eating enough - it can wreak havoc on one's reproductive system and lead to bone loss. Look up Female Athlete Triad.

I hate that 1200 calories is used as a baseline so much in the fitness world. It's literally the amount of calories needed so your body doesn't just shut down. The Minnesota Starvation Experiments even used 1500 calories (for men, yes, but still). Please eat. A little extra body fat is far better than brittle bones.

 

[inquirer2016]

@ianh I've looked at the Minnesota Starvation Experiments - very interesting. Also you got a point. A few years back, I did low carb (

 

[ianh]

@inquirer2016 Good luck! It does sound like that will help you reach your goal.

 

[dawn16]

@ianh

It's incredibly dangerous to train without eating enough - it can wreak havoc on one's reproductive system and lead to bone loss. Look up Female Athlete Triad.

I hate that 1200 calories is used as a baseline so much in the fitness world. It's literally the amount of calories needed so your body doesn't just shut down.

This is a good point.

I think your post is getting downvoted for mentioning starvation mode. While eating low cal for an extended period can lead to metabolic changes, it has to be a LONG period of time, like years, before it really changes ones metabolism.

Your point about eating too little but working out a lot is valid IMO. It absolutely can lead to the female athlete triad.

Us women should really all focus on being healthy not necessarily skinny!

 

[ianh]

@dawn16 I meant "starvation mode" as in not enough food to feel good, to function normally, to fuel one's body and cells, not necessarily the metabolic theory of starvation mode.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to lose weight to get into a healthy range, but I think "fitness" implies health as well as appearance, if one is within a healthy range, has some muscle, I think one will both look AND feel good. It's really easy to become obsessed with numbers rather than health.

 

[x9310]

@inquirer2016 What is your end goal? Do you want to look different, or have the number on the scale say 110? Any exercise regimen that adds muscle will add pounds. My guess is that for someone already in a healthy weight range, you won't see a ton of weight come off if you're adding muscle - your body will recomp and you'll slowly lose fat, and add weight through muscle. You can use progress pics to measure your progress and check in with the scale on a weekly basis, but remember that lasting progress will be slow. Be patient with yourself.

I'm 5'2" and hover around 118. I don't count calories anymore, but I would estimate 1400-1800 per day. My main form of exercise is running (around 22 miles per week currently), and I work body weight exercises or rowing/machine work in twice a week. I'm happy with my body right now for the first time in a very long time, but it took about two years to reach this stable diet/exercise balance.

 

[inquirer2016]

@x9310 Wow, this is an eye opener as we're the same stats. Your range of intake sounds like a dream come true to me. During my 'loose' days, eating 1800 left me satisfied and happy. I just didn't lose anything, therefore I thought there is something to be 'fixed'. Apparently I just need to gain patience instead. Thank you for sharing

 

[x9310]

@inquirer2016 You're welcome! Best of luck.

 

[lolaorchid]

@x9310

Do yo want to look different, or have the number on the scale say 110?

This is such a good point. I know it's hard, but try to throw the exact number out the window. You can look and feel radically different when the same number is showing on the scale.

 

[inquirer2016]

@lolaorchid I do want to look different. Now that I think about it... If I can see abs while seeing the exact same number as now, I'm okay with it. Probably slow and steady recomp is the best answer for now.

 

[dawn16]

@inquirer2016 Try doing more cardio. Consider starting the morning with a 30-45 min. fasted run, or sub some of your weight training with a session on the exercise bike, elliptical, treadmill. (This ought to allow you to eat a little more food, too.)

 

[marsch]

@inquirer2016 Where are your calories coming from? I just started a low carb (>20g/day), moderate protein, and high fat diet (Keto). It's only been about 3 weeks and I went down from 136-126 (I'm 5'1). Granted that's mostly water weight but I stay at about 1200-1300 calories per day and I never feel miserable or hungry. This diet isn't for everyone and I think you'd have to play around with the macros since you work out. Good luck!

 

[xuanang01]

@inquirer2016 What'd you do wrong? You're aiming for a lower weight, not a healthier weight.

• Go check your basal metabolic rate here. Your BMR is the amount of calories required to keep you alive indefinitely if you don't exercise. Any less than that is unsustainable: either your organs will shut down, or the bits of your brain that don't like dying will override the bits that think 1200 calories is reasonable. For perspective: I'm 5'0, and even my BMR is higher than that.
• Muscles need to be fed too. If you starve your muscles, they won't grow. At this point, if you want to gain muscle, you need to eat a calorie surplus so that your body can spare the resources. Muscles are heavy; this will make the number on the scale go up. That's okay.

The short of it is this: You don't need to lose weight to be fit. You need to maintain a healthy weight, and you're already there. 1200 calories won't let you see your abs; it'll let you see your ribs.

 

[inquirer2016]

@xuanang01

1200 calories won't let you see your abs; it'll let you see your ribs.

Ouch. I don't want to see my ribs :|
My BMR is around 1450 - I've checked it through different calculator.
I will definitely start looking into recomp.

 

[kenlouise]

@inquirer2016 If you are looking for lower calorie foods to keep you full for your calorie goal, check out /r/1200isplenty

It is a great sub, even if you are not interested in sticking to 1200 calories a day.

I have found ways to add a ton of volume to my food for the day so that I am always full and have no problem sticking to 1400 a day (my BMR is 1450 as well.)

 

[inquirer2016]

@kenlouise I have subbed! Probably need to visit that sub more often. Thank you for the reminder!

 

[neliii_br]

@kenlouise Here's a sneak peek of /r/1200isplenty using the top posts of the year!

#1: 1,274 calorie day. Very filling breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks! | 310 comments

#2: An entire day's food for me, 1,239 calories, tasty, healthy, and filling! | 216 comments

#3: Here's how you can eat a whole box of doughnuts and still stay under 1200. | 95 comments

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