Why am I not losing weight eating 1200 calories?
F/34/5'4", 155 lbs. I've been eating 1200 calories for a month and the scale has barely moved. This is so frustrating. Am I broken? Is my metabolism damaged?
You're almost certainly not broken. The most common explanations in order of likelihood:
- You're eating more than 1200 — tracking errors are extremely common
- Water retention is masking fat loss
- Your NEAT (non-exercise activity) has decreased because your body is conserving energy
Also 1200 is very low for your stats. I'd actually recommend increasing to 1500-1600 and being more patient.
Second this. "Metabolic damage" is not a real thing in the way diet culture portrays it. Your metabolism adapts to some degree (adaptive thermogenesis) but not enough to explain zero weight loss at 1200 cals.
The most likely answer is tracking error. Studies show people underreport by 30-50% on average.
When I was stuck at 1200, I weighed EVERYTHING for a week. Turns out my "tablespoon" of peanut butter was more like 3 tablespoons and my "cup" of rice was closer to 2 cups. The difference added up to like 600+ extra calories per day.
1200 is also really low and might be causing your body to compensate by reducing NEAT — you move less, fidget less, take fewer steps without realizing it. This can offset a surprising amount of your deficit.
Have you considered using a photo-based tracker to double-check your logging? Sometimes a second set of "eyes" (even AI ones) can catch things you're missing.
These replies are really helpful. I think you're right about tracking errors — I don't use a food scale. Going to invest in one and maybe try a photo tracker too. And I'll bump my calories up to 1500.
Been there!! I thought I was eating 1200 but was actually closer to 1800 once I started weighing food. Cooking oil was the biggest culprit.
Please be kind to yourself. 1200 is a very small amount of food and it's not sustainable for most people. Focus on a moderate deficit you can maintain long-term rather than the most aggressive approach.