I have been on a 1,000 calorie diet for three weeks and cannot lose any weight, why?

Question

My daily intake consists of breakfast 1/2 grapefruit and 45 calorie nonfat yougart. Lunch Salad W/ 35 calorie dressing and 250 calorie lean cuisine. Snack Celery and 1/2 grapfruit, Dinner lean cuisine and apple. I work out 5 time a week. Where am I going wrong? I have not lost one pound yet.

Answer 1

I, too, have experienced this problem, and it's very frustrating. It took a month for me to see results!

First, is 1,000 calories a day right for YOU? If you are 18 years old and very tall (for example), this might not be ENOUGH calories. If you are not getting enough, you body will go into starvation mode and try to conserve as much weigh as possible by slowing down your metabolism. So make sure you are eating the right amount of calories.

Secondly, perhaps you are gaining muscle weight from going to the gym. You may be losing fat and gaining muscle, thus your scale isn't tipping. Try getting a BMI or body fat scale, they're not too expensive. Also, are you working out correctly? Do 2 days of weights and 3 days of cardio (40 minutes each session, make sure you are reaching your target heart rate, and switch up the machines you are using), making sure to ALTERNATE your days (don't do 2 days of weights in a row).

Third, your diet isn't very good for losing weight. You need more fiber in your diet. For breakfast, have a bowl of oatmeal (no sugar added), 1 or 2 egg whites (boiled), and a multivitamin. The Lean Cuisines are okay, but try something else. Remember, it's not just the calories you take in, it's the FAT. For lunch, a salad with more veggies than lettuce and fat free dressing, an apple, and a protein such as fat free cottage cheese or a turkey/veggie burger on whole wheat with mustard (not ketchup, cheese, or mayo). For a snack, have an apple with 2 tabelspoons of peanut butter OR a whole wheat English muffin with hummus OR a banana sliced into fat free yogurt. For dinner, whole wheat pasta with fat free spaghetti sauce (no cheese), and small salad. Try to eat your dinner as early as possible (without becoming hungry before bedtime).

And last, but CERTAINLY not least, drink LOTS an LOTS and LOTS of water. Carry a large water bottle (at LEAST 20 oz.) with a wide brimmed mouth (easier to chug as opposed to taking dainty sipps) with you everywhere you go, and drink 3 or four bottles a day, and have a glass of water with each meal.

Good luck!!!

Answer 2

Well, for starters you body thinks you moved to a famine area and has slowed your metabolism down. There's also a good chance that the workouts have caused you to build muscle, which would outweigh the fat you may have lost. You would have better luck by eating more calories at breakfast and lunch, and having the salad for supper. If you have kept tabs on your measurments, you might do some comparison to see if you have lost size and not weight. Also, depending on exactly what your body fat/muscle ratio is, you may be sitting on the low end of body fat. When a female body hits below 20%, the body tries to conserve to preserve function and it is hard to lose more. Try upping the calorie intact a little and swapping around the lunch/dinner menu, so you consume the majority of calories when you are doing the most work.

Answer 3

BECAUSE 1000 CALORIES IS TOO LITTLE TO BE ON AND YOUR BODY IS SCREAMING "FEED ME."

Essentially, working out sucks all the calories you eat and your body has little for everyday functioning. You won't lose one pound. Either you'll maintain or gain weight.

Find the Harris-Benedict Formula, do the equations, and subtract 500 calories. The number you come up with is what you should be eating daily in order to lose weight. You can subtract up to 1000 calories ONLY if you have more than 75 pounds to lose. When you get closer to your goal, you need to subtract 500 calories maximum or risk losing no weight or gaining weight.

The least amount of calories recommended for women is 1200 calories and even that is way too little. 1500 is much better. For men the least amount is 1800 calories.

Answer 4

You need more calcium. Drink 2-3 glasses of skim or 1% milk everyday in addition to what you are already eating. You need these extra calories, too, because 1000 calories is too low and I'm not sure you are really getting 1000. Add another fruit, too.

And like others have said, you may be losing fat and gaining muscles so that may be why you still weigh the same.

Answer 5

Eat only when hungry and not more than thrice a day. Nothing other than water in between. Include plenty of uncooked vegetables and fruits in each meal, preferably 50%. Chew each morsel at least 32 times to activate ur body to generate signals of hunger/fullness. Obey these signals.

Take light exercises and brisk walks regularly preferably twice a day.

U will achieve what u have not even dreamt and that too in a reasonable time. Do not be in a hurry. It is however to be noted that one cannot change the shape or size of different parts of the body.

Answer 6

Yes, you should.
Maybe you should try something else that might work for you.

I am on low carb, low fat, high fibre, high protein and a hour brisk walk 5 times a week, and I have lost 31lbs and gain better health. I am now maintaining my 108lbs for more than a year.

Details such as my experience, meals, recipes, walking as an exercise and to shape the body etc etc, are in my blog
Xiaozhen

Answer 7

1,000 calories sounds like a lot, but its not when it comes to what your body needs. If you don't eat enough calories, your body goes into "starvation mode" and stores everything as fat. Plus you are working out 5 days a week. You need to talk to a doctor or a nutritionist before you do any real damage to your body.

Answer 8

I feel your pain. It took me fou weeks of strict dieting before I dropped a pound, but then I lost four fast.

Make sure you're doing cardio exercise. If you don't lose any weight after a week, I'd go to your doctor to get your thyroid checked.

Answer 9

Yes you have lost about 5 lbs. of fat, but your body has added an equal amount of water.

Answer 10

Your body has said "Screw you, Amanda." and is slowing its metabolism to live with the 1000 calories. It does not want to lose any of its weight so it is simply running at a lower speed. You have to cut down to 500 calories and starve the thing to death.