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Exercising and eating less than 700 calories but no weight loss

595 views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  highclasstrash  
#1 ·
I recently started swimming laps again. I swim over a mile 4 x a week. I'm eating 700 calories or less, usually more like 300-400, yet my weight is staying the same?

Anyone know why? Is it because I'm converting fat to muscle (hopefully)? Or should I exercise and restrict more. I'm stuck at 147 lbs. I want to get to 120 so I started exercising and I'm still 147 lbs!
 
#2 ·
Give it time. It's probably a plateau. You need to push yourself. If I can't increase the INTENSITY (not length) of my workout I decrease (or stop) for awhile then start again. It might mean gaining a pound or two but once it's out of the way it should be easier to lose.
 
#4 ·
If you try raising your calories slightly for a day or two, you'll most likely trick your body into breaking the plateau. Even if it's just 800-900 calories for the next couple days, while the thought may be scary, won't make you gain. It'll boost your metabolism and will most likely make you start dropping weight again.
 
#5 ·
Probably water retention from the excessive amount of exercise. If you rest for somedays the weight should go down.

It's physically impossible to build muscle while being on a deficit, and you're not eating enough to maintaing, so it's either water weight or food weight.
 
#7 ·
Are you staying hydrated? It could be water/poop weight.

The other possibility is that you're overestimating calories burned/underestimating calories eaten - but even if you were off by a couple of hundred (hypothetically) you'd still be losing weight.....

So it's probably a plateau or water weight

TLDR: Stay hydrated, avoid highly processed foods, don't panic.