What am I doing worng?

Question

I have stuck rigidly to a diet of 1000 - 1200 calories per day for over 3 weeks now and I still have lost NOTHING. I have been drinking 2 litres of water a day, have stopped drinking tea and coffee. I can't take much exercise because I have 2 very small children. I have made sure my food choices are healthy (e.g. raw fruit and veg) and have had no biscuits, chocolate etc. What am I doing wrong, I feel immensely deflated. I know it is not my thyroid because I had it checked, what else could be wrong?

Answer 1

eat 4 small healthy meals a day instead of three.....keeps you metabolism running......
Just go outside and run around with the kids everyday..

Answer 2

You are probably not getting enough calories. When you eat too little, your body goes into "starvation mode" and will hold onto weight more stubbornly. I have tried this; once I went on 600 calories each day, and it did me no good (wow, that was foolish of me). For women,1200 is the minimum you can live off of; for men, it is more like 1500 (I read that somewhere). Just don't go beyond 2000 calories; try 1500, which (depending on how your body is) is probably enough to keep your body from panicking (and you probably won't feel very hungry). You will know if your body is in starvation mode if you happen to eat just a tiny bit too much...and it all gets stored immediately.

Still, it doesn't matter how or what you eat if you do not get exercise. It is very important to excercise if you want to lose weight. The idea is to burn more than you consume. There are also numerous other benefits. I understand how it is with tiny children, but I hope you can find the time -- half an hour a day is the minimium, which wouldn't be too much, eh?

Answer 3

3 weeks is still a reasonably short space of time to have seen results. Also, your body shape may have changed, but you haven't noticed because like all of us do, you look at yourself in the mirror every day. Take a picture of your body now and another one in a month. Continue with the diet (which sounds excellent anyway) and get as much exercise as you can with the small children. There will be a difference in the 2 pictures, I'm sure of it. Hopefully then you won't feel so deflated!

Answer 4

eliminate all carbs and sugar. eat small portions. only eat lean meat. keep dairy to a minimum.
i am on a portioned diet where every day i eat:
breakfast. 1 ounce oatmeal with 2 spoonfulls of splenda and a little cinnimon. 8 ounces of nonfat yogurt with 6 ounces fresh fruit
lunch: 4 ounces wild rice(no white rice) 4 ounces of lean meat 6 ounces of a cooked veggie and 6 ounce salad with 1 tbl spoon of dressing(usually low or nonfat)
dinner: same as lunch but an 8 ounce salad instead.

make sure what you buy from the store that any form sugar is at least the 5th ingrediant. and you can change the flavor of each meal by simply using different spices. should you ever go out to eat make sure that what you are eating isnt made with any sugar or carbs. and only eat what would be proportionate with the diet plan.

i have been on this diet for 3 weeks now and have lost almost 20 lbs.

hope it helps

Answer 5

I've been doing that as well. I got the Calorie King book and based it on the 3 hour diet. 1200 calories a day, 30grams of fat, and 120 carbs. I already lost a pound in less than the first week and I haven't exercised that much. P.S. Take your kids to the park or run around the house with them, also housework burns calories.

Answer 6

It is because of genetics, some people are genetically prone to having slow metabolisms that don´t efficiently burn off energy from food, thus storing it as fat. Some people eat loads and don´t put on any weight, its down to the efficiency of one´s metabolism.

The recommended diet of 1000 - 1200 calories a day does not necessarily mean you will lose weight, it only states the average recommended daily intake of calories for women.

This is a very general statement, not individually specified by a dietition, as everyone is different and not everyone falls under the classification of ´average´. If you are prone to gaining weight then the only solution is to help your body process calories by burning them off during excercise, but anything, even going for a long walk with your children burns off loads of calories, pushing children in heavy prams burns off even more! Or even doing a bit of light aerobics at home, anything will help you the metabolise the calories that you take in on a daily basis and thus allow you to directly manage your weight loss.

Answer 7

Maybe you are eating too few calories. And your body is storing the fats for later use.

First, make sure you cut or reduce sugar intake, cut out all simple carbos and switch to complex carbos. Stick to your veggies and some fruits. Eat protein as they fill you up, give you energy and satisfy you so that you do not go searching for food.

I did that, and I am able to eat low fat yoghurt, ocassional dark chocolates, cheesecake and home made oat cookies and still lost 14 kg in a year. I am now maintaining between 40 to 51 kg. My blog tells you my experiences and what I eat. http://lowcarblowfathighfibrehighprotein.blogspot.com

P/s: drinking too much water can harm your kidneys. Chinese tea (without sugar) can help in your weight loss provided your diet is right.

Hope this is helpful to you.....

Answer 8

I know this is sooooooo hard so u should stick with your diet...if you have to leave your house to go somewhere walk it if its less than a mile a way if you don't need to be driving so where walk run... do it with the kids. You can even get an exercise tape from the library and do it when the kids are taking naps, eating or just playing in the house.

Answer 9

im not sure it sounds good to me but heres some advice that will work :0)
to be honest the best way is not to go on a diet as ive tried them all and diet pills and they dont work lol but just change your diet and go swimming 4-5 times a week for about an hour each time it tones your tummy and all your body up wonderful too ! i lost 2 1/2 stone since may its great and i eat loads too im just eating the right foods but instead of swimming try aqua arobics its great and really fun ! great question goodluck !

Answer 10

Don't ask for too much too quick!
I went on a diet and it took me 3 months too lose 17pounds.
Try and have 4 small meal:
@ 8am
@12pm
@4pm
@8pm - last meal should be a chicken salad or fruit salad.
Have 3-4 cups of warm water or lemon tea a day.
between meals eat oranges, grapefruit, strawberries and any other low sugar fruits.
If you are starving yourself your body will store FAT even if you keep a diet.
Send me an e-mail if you want because i lost in the last week 2pounds and we can speak about it.
[e-mail]

Answer 11

I know it sounds weird but: ...if your not eating enough the metabolism slows right down because it's in semi-starvation mode.

I know it's hard to actually get your head round the idea of increasing your intake by a few %, but this could be the answer.

I'm not an expert but I did lose 48lbs and got to my ideal weight by eating sensibly.

Exercise is VITAL and two small children needn't stop you from creating your own regime at home, it should be non-strenuous, i.e something your happy to stick to and gradually increase.