I am so confused and discouraged this evening. I did my BMR and found out that I should eat 1426 calories a day to MAINTAIN my weight! In order to lose 1 lb a week, I would have to cut it back 500 calories a day which is 926 and to lose 2 lbs a week, I would have to eat a mere 426 calories a day! HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE? I haven't loss more then a few lbs in the last 6 weeks or more and I am frustrated. I tally my calories and average about 1200 a day and now I find out that it has to be so much lower and I already think I am barely eating,,well not barely but nonetheless truly eating light in comparision. I can't imagine cutting back this much is healthy but can this be true?? It says you have to cut back 500 calories a day (3500) a week to lose l lb. Well this is crazy! I am 15 lbs from goal weight and not budging and I don't know what to do! I know I don't exercise like I should but this is very confusing. Some sites say at least 1200 calories a day to be healthy and then the BMR site says this??? Any input please!!! Since 11-10 I have lost 6 lbs none of which were in the last 5-6 weeks. HELP!

Thanks to all

Susan :whoo:

You will have to step up the exercise.

I have also had my resting metabolic rate taken at the doctor's office. I had to sit hooked up to a computer with a clothes pin type thing on my nose, then breathe in and out of my mouth for 20 min. I wasn't allowed to exercise for 48 hours before the test, and the test had to be done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

My point is that I don't think anything online can give you an accurate reading of what you burn without doing this test I did at the doctor's office.

If you aren't losing, you need to exercise more and burn more calories. I am in the same boat. I don't think I can exercise anymore than I already am doing. I exercise 6 days a week.

I would have to agree, step up the exercise a little because if you go to about 500 cals and/or lower your body starts to go into “starvation” mode and that will only make things worse.

Your BMR is what you are going to burn if you sit all day on your butt and do nothing. If your job has you walking around, moving, chances are you are going to burn more than that. Also as Denise said, exercise.

You have to increase your acitivity to burn those calories. That will also give you more room to eat a little more.

Yep - if you don't want to cut more calories then it has to be exercise. I eat around 700-900 calories a day. If I go over 1,000 then I stop losing.

I have just now started exercising - it wasn't something I was looking forward to. I can see a difference in my tone and it's only been 2 weeks. I haven't lost any weight but I know I'm gaining muscle :eek:

Good luck to you!!

wombat

I haven't lost any weight but I know I'm gaining muscle :eek:

Good luck to you!!

wombat

I'm confused. I always thought that muscle is heavier than fat. If that's true, then more muscle=more weight. Is that correct?

Yep - so I'm technically losing weight because my clothes are looser but the scale doesn't show a weight loss because I gained muscle.

I am 2 pounds from goal and that hasn't budged in weeks. I know I have to up my exercise as much as I don't want to admit it. But it is a fact. I will not lose weight unless I exercise hard.

You are only 10-15 pound from goal, your body needs to have something mixed up. Sad but true. lol

Thanks for all your replies. I walk up and down hill 4 miles today and I will exercise 4 days a week and see what happens. I know this is what i need to do,,it is just self sabatoge. I have gone from 221 to 161 with too much exercise. I was eating about 900 a day during that weight loss. I can't seem to eat down to that now. I am going to give it more effort and thank you all for your support!

Susan

When I cut calories I don't lose. But exercising above BMR doesn't seem to be helping either. I had my third fill (5.3cc in 10cc band) and I can eat more and I am more hungry than before. I am at a loss. I don't know what to do. The only thing I can think of is to go on South Beach phase 1 and try and jump start things again.

Maybe our bodies just need time to adjust before we finish our journey! :wink: What does ONEderland mean?

susan

onederland is when you break the 200 barrier and your weight starts with 100 and something

JFran, don't be discouraged. I would go on plateaus that would last for months. Then all of a sudden, I would drop 5 lbs.

I think our body does take some time out to adjust to it's new weight before it wants to drop again.