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calories

Hi everyone,

Has anyone else found that they lose weight really slowly despite being in a calorie deficit?

I’m currently eating around 1,500 calories a day and walking 8,000–10,000 steps daily, but the scales are barely moving. I’ve only lost 4lb in 6 weeks and it’s getting frustrating.

Has anyone else been in this situation? Did you change anything that helped get things moving again?

Thanks.

  1. Hi . I am no expert, but from what I understand, your weight loss is spot on for what you're doing.
    It takes a deficit of 3,500 calories a day to burn a pound of fat. Most people need about 1,800 calories a day to maintain (Some need more and some need less. Here is a great article from Mayo Clinic about why that varies and how that variation impacts weight loss: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/calories/art-20048065 ). You've created a deficit of 300 calories a day, which equals a 1 pound weight loss over about 11 days for the average person (Again, if you read teh Mayo Clinic article, you'll see that can vary.). You're burning even more calories each day with the walking, so a 4-pound weight loss over 6 weeks would seem about right.
    If you want to lose more weight faster, you could try reducing your calorie intake a little more (not too much) and/or adding more exercise. If you don't want to add more cardio, you could start lifting weights, if that's safe for you. Weight lifting increases metabolism for several hours after each session plus muscle burns more calories. Here is an article from the University of Maryland about strength training for weight loss that might interest you: https://health.umms.org/weight-loss/strength-training-for-weight-loss/. You don't have to do much to see benefits.
    I know it's frustrating, but the way you are losing weight is super healthy. You are more likely than most to keep it off. I hope this helps and that you are proud of your progress. You might lot be losing weight as fast as you would like, but you are doing great!
    Best wishes. - Lori (Team Member)

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