Even though you’ve been dieting for a month or so, eating low calories and working out, the scale hasn’t seemed to budge. It can be so frustrating when you think your doing everything you can, and you aren’t seeing the results you had hoped for.
Even people who understand that to lose weight, the calories consumed need to be fewer than those that are expended through activity, can have trouble losing weight. In some cases, this is due to reducing the amount of calories consumed too much, resulting in the metabolism slowing down as the body tries to conserve calories.
One thing that happens is you think your eating within the right calorie range to lose weight, but its entirely possible that your eating more than you think. Most Americans underestimate the number of calories they consume. To be sure you’re not one of them, keep a list of every single bite of food you eat-even its just a handful of pretzels or one french fry off your daughters plate. Use a kitchen scale to measure portions when you can, as its easy to make mistakes when you rely just on eyeballing it. A detailed list can help you determine if “picks and nibbles” or underestimating portions is the reason behind your weight loss plateau.
The body needs a certain minimum number of calories for daily activities. If you decrease the amount of calories and fat that you consumer to drastically, the body will think its in starvation mode and slow down the metabolism so you will actually loss less weight than if you ate more calories.
Those who choose to eat 1200 calories a day or less will have a slow metabolism, feel cranky and tired, and make it difficult to have the energy to exercise. You can also be at risk for anemia, low thyroid function, bone loss, decreased immune function, and infertility.
“Your goal should be to eat as many calories as possible and still lose weight. You always want to start high and then come down with your calorie intake. It’s much easier to do this than come up in calories after your weigh loss has stalled and you’ve lost your motivation. There is no perfect number to lose weight because each person’s metabolism is different. Try using a calorie calculator to find your weight loss number.
Weight loss is a patience game! The problem is most people want the weight gone, and they it gone now. It takes time and consistency to make it work. Losing 2 pounds per week is a great goal. It will ensure that the majority of your weight loss is coming from stored body fat instead of muscle.
“So if your progress has stalled, but you think you’re eating the right foods and exercising intensely, more than likely your problem is that you’re not eating enough calories to lose weight. Eat as much as you can, get in as many nutrients as possible, and your weight loss will be moving forward again before you know it!”
Live Fitt!…Be Fitt!
