When I eat 1200 cals I put on weight

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Replies

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    If I eat 1200 cals I put on weight about 1-2kg per week.
    Doubt it.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    If I eat 1200 cals I put on weight about 1-2kg per week.
    Doubt it.

    There lots of user error going on. Gain 2 pounds per week on a 1200 cal diet.

  • chadya07
    chadya07 Posts: 627 Member
    for those saying inaccurate logging... it would have to be really extremely inaccurate for someone with her stats to be eating so much overestimated that she gains that much per week. not losing maybe, but even overestimating doesnt explain that much gain on a 1200 calorie diet. even if oversitimated by 400 calories she would probably at worst maintain. if what she says is the truth about actually gaining that. but i dont see this post as a question of why am i gaining, to me it looks more like the question is "am i justified eating a very low calorie diet?"

    to me the whole thing screams pre-eating disorder or eating disorder, which is why i suggest going to a doctor with your concerns. because you are not gaining weight on a 1200 calorie diet, either you are sick, your scale is broken, or you are not eating 1200 calories, and not just undersetimating but say, binging thousands of calories a week. i guarantee you if you go to a doctor and say "i am eating 500 calories a day to lose weight" if they are a good doctor they will not agree.

    i suggest you rethink your approach to weight loss, and do some research about how the body processes what you eat and gains and burns fat. and how much you should be eating.

    the best way to lose weight is to arm yourself with information.



  • josul75
    josul75 Posts: 41 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    You got to go see a doctor. Although I do also doubt the validity of some entries, like today (half a cup of potatoes? one chicken breast?), but I'm guessing you were eating out or something?

    But yeah chicken 4 wraps at only 590 calories total... VERY unlikely. Ham and cheese panini at 470, unlikely too, considering bread is often 300 calories, cheese 130, then you have to add the butter... I'm also curious about what kind of sausage is only 110 calories (from Wednesday) and where I can find that magic sausage (regular sausages are closer to 190 calories).

    So yeah... I doubt your entries are correct. You could be eating way more than you think, even if you seem to barely eat some other days.

    There are loads of different types of bread and sausages on the market. 2 slices of bread usually average out at about 200 calories (mfp and the product details on packaging confirm this). The bread I eat is an Irish slimming brand which are only 60 calories a slice. Yes, a panini would be more like 250 calories unbuttered, but sliced bread is less than that.

    I have frozen sausages from Aldi which are 110 calories each (as stated on the pack itself) and there are low fat, gluten free ones from Tesco which are only 45 calories each (they are thin though!).

    OP, looking at your diary, your eating habits are rather erratic. Some days you overeat and other days you really undereat. Try to mantain a healthy balance of meals throughout the day and try to avoid the empty snacky stuff as much as you can. You can limit yourself to 1200 calories a day and still enjoy good, filling food. I'm on 1200 calories and it's easier than you think, once you get used to how much things weigh and you log EVRYTHING that goes into your mouth (things like spices, condiments and sauces count too!). After a while, it becomes habit and you'll find your new eating plan second nature. There's always room for treats here and there, but they should be supplements to your daily meals, not meals themselves.

    Good luck :)

  • luluinca
    luluinca Posts: 2,899 Member
    It takes approximately 800 calories for a female adult just to keep her organs functioning....think about that. And candy isn't a meal.

    It's time to seek professional help.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    josul75 wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    You got to go see a doctor. Although I do also doubt the validity of some entries, like today (half a cup of potatoes? one chicken breast?), but I'm guessing you were eating out or something?

    But yeah chicken 4 wraps at only 590 calories total... VERY unlikely. Ham and cheese panini at 470, unlikely too, considering bread is often 300 calories, cheese 130, then you have to add the butter... I'm also curious about what kind of sausage is only 110 calories (from Wednesday) and where I can find that magic sausage (regular sausages are closer to 190 calories).

    So yeah... I doubt your entries are correct. You could be eating way more than you think, even if you seem to barely eat some other days.

    There are loads of different types of bread and sausages on the market. 2 slices of bread usually average out at about 200 calories (mfp and the product details on packaging confirm this). The bread I eat is an Irish slimming brand which are only 60 calories a slice. Yes, a panini would be more like 250 calories unbuttered, but sliced bread is less than that.

    I have frozen sausages from Aldi which are 110 calories each (as stated on the pack itself) and there are low fat, gluten free ones from Tesco which are only 45 calories each (they are thin though!).

    OP, looking at your diary, your eating habits are rather erratic. Some days you overeat and other days you really undereat. Try to mantain a healthy balance of meals throughout the day and try to avoid the empty snacky stuff as much as you can. You can limit yourself to 1200 calories a day and still enjoy good, filling food. I'm on 1200 calories and it's easier than you think, once you get used to how much things weigh and you log EVRYTHING that goes into your mouth (things like spices, condiments and sauces count too!). After a while, it becomes habit and you'll find your new eating plan second nature. There's always room for treats here and there, but they should be supplements to your daily meals, not meals themselves.

    Good luck :)

    But she's clearly using generic entries for those things, and picking the lowest calories entries for them... not using brands, not weighing etc.

    Once I individually added up what was in a ham and cheese panini I got from a restaurant and it came out close to 900 calories... I mean obviously I can make myself one for 300 calories or less at home, but then I would think she would have entered it properly.

    Assuming OP is a woman, I didn't check.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Woodspoon wrote: »
    Friday October 10
    Lunch
    Twix - Finger, 2 finger
    Ocado - Honey Roast Ham, 2 slice(s)

    Sunday October 12
    Snacks
    Monster - Energy Absolutely Zero Uk
    Waitrose - British Breaded Ham, 3 slice

    Ham on it's own? no bread, salad or accompaniments? looks very much like bad logging

    Genuine day. Love eating ham on its own, and sharing it with the dogs.

    Just more for the safety of your dogs, you shouldn't feed them processed or cured pork like bacon and ham. Not only is the fat content high but it's also full of sodium. Their little bodies find it harder to process. This is widely known knowledge.
    A little ham isn't going to hurt a dog. That is even more widely known.

    OP- I bet you can find your old password. Log out and try to log back in with your original user name and hit "Forgot your password or username" and fill out the form.
  • If your eating just two candy bars a day here and there your going to gain weight like crazy your body is going to go into starvation mode and store all the fat your taking in. If your eating one meal and a snack your starving your body and anything you eat you will store as fat.
  • 2BeHappy2
    2BeHappy2 Posts: 811 Member
    Op, I somewhat understand being in a similar situation but then my circumstances could be much different than yours! 1st, Im 4'2 and Im about 100lbs overweight. I am also an amputee which makes it slightly more difficult to not only exercise efficiently but also to lose weight. As you can see, Ive been on here since late March and Ive lost 20lbs. Surely, you can Not be as or any more sedentary as someone in my position! I have found that I can do chair exercises and once I am able to get myself up from the floor I'll be attempting floor exercises (right now its easier getting down than getting back up)! I dont swim because #1, the school pool is only open in the summer & #2 Its usually used for the the local swim team(s) and when its family fun night. Although I am Not perfect and no, I don't log every lick or scent of a food :lol:, I do make as much of healthy choice as possible in my food selections and I do portion my foods out.
    This is the hot dog that I eat: Louis Rich - Premium Hot Dog 90 cals (no bun, same goes for my burger patties but any & all veggies are encourage and permitted).
    Hillshire farm naturals - Black Forest ham 17 cals in 1 slice
    I eat 35 cal bread
    To make plain air popped pop corn put a couple Tbsp kernels in a brown bag, fold down a few times and pop in your microwave! 1 cup is only like 15 cals :relieved:
    Sweet Potato Pop Chips are like 52 cals for 10 chips...portion some out and just take the time to really enjoy them.
    Make some sugar free jello and if that's not enough, add a Tbsp of fat free cool whip for an additional 8 cals.
    Sugar free fudgsicles are only 40 cals (for 1)!
    Find a low cal cheese stick and take the time to string it...it'll last longer!
    Hope this helps :yum:
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    Honestly? All I see in this discussion is EXCUSES. Tons and tons of excuses. I can't eat healthy because I gain weight? BS.

    For the cost of one 250 calorie candy bar, you can insert 2 pieces of fruit, a serving of high quality dairy, at least 2 servings of vegetables and a small portion of lean protein. All far better than a choice that is full of sugar/carbs and empty of vitamins. You bring your diary in to the doctor, this is one of the first things they will point out.

    You have asked for guidance, and more than one person has pointed out that it's physically impossible to do what you are claiming when you are keeping accurate numbers. Seems to me that you just don't want to hear this.

    As many people know, I'm a hardcore spokesperson for eating disorders. If you managed to gain what you claim on 1200 calories a day, the only possible way I can imagine this is occurring to any near extent is that you've completely destroyed your metabolism and your body is trying to recover. It sounds as if you are eating on par with the typical anorexic and using the excuses for the anorexic in denial. Eating under 900 calories a day every day for a long extended time can have major impact on your body's ability to metabolize foods. Eating further under that puts you into the anorexic category.
    Me, I gained a huge amount of weight when I moved from anorexia levels to 1500 a day, despite my "natural" TDEE being an average of 2200 a day. It was simply because my metabolism no longer worked because I'd convinced my body that I was dying of starvation. I got no nutrients, not enough calories, and would have binges that I would hide from everyone (which I suspect is the case here as well).

    Just go to the doctor and get yourself a therapist. You need it.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
    Did your dog gain weight also? Maybe it's the sodium in the ham?
  • 7aneena
    7aneena Posts: 146 Member
    Here's my suggestion, cook your own meals for at least a week and see if things change.
    You said you weigh things, so you do own a food scale. Great, use it.
    Weigh everything that goes into a meal and make a recipe out of it, don't eat at restaurants for this week to eliminate any guessing. Restaurant foods are notorious for being very high in fat, carbs, and sodium.
    At least this way, when you go to your doctor you will have a healthy food plan to present
  • TweedAddict
    TweedAddict Posts: 53 Member
    7aneena wrote: »
    Here's my suggestion, cook your own meals for at least a week and see if things change.
    You said you weigh things, so you do own a food scale. Great, use it.
    Weigh everything that goes into a meal and make a recipe out of it, don't eat at restaurants for this week to eliminate any guessing. Restaurant foods are notorious for being very high in fat, carbs, and sodium.
    At least this way, when you go to your doctor you will have a healthy food plan to present

    Thank you and everyone else.

    I'm going to aim for 1600 healthy cals this week and see if my body has gone into savatation mode. No eating out or packets.

    Should of come on here last week to ask but never mind. Hope doctors just don't turn me away, I've a fair few syptoms that are pointing in the direction of thyroid issues, I do have a brain cyst which I'm not 100% sure where that lies in relation the thyroid or part of that system so that's something to go armed with tomorrow.

    So thank you all for the help. May venture back on here when I'm brave enough to take it, but we will see
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    packet?
  • happyfeetrebel1
    happyfeetrebel1 Posts: 1,005 Member
    Starvation mode doesn't exist, so don't 'up' your calories to get out of it. I still suspect you are eating a LOT more than you think; if you're gaining on what you're eating, you're not going to lose on MORE.

    Seriously, you need to step back and take a good look at how you're logging things, and modify it.

    Good luck
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
    edited October 2014
    Francl27 wrote: »
    josul75 wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    You got to go see a doctor. Although I do also doubt the validity of some entries, like today (half a cup of potatoes? one chicken breast?), but I'm guessing you were eating out or something?

    But yeah chicken 4 wraps at only 590 calories total... VERY unlikely. Ham and cheese panini at 470, unlikely too, considering bread is often 300 calories, cheese 130, then you have to add the butter... I'm also curious about what kind of sausage is only 110 calories (from Wednesday) and where I can find that magic sausage (regular sausages are closer to 190 calories).

    So yeah... I doubt your entries are correct. You could be eating way more than you think, even if you seem to barely eat some other days.

    There are loads of different types of bread and sausages on the market. 2 slices of bread usually average out at about 200 calories (mfp and the product details on packaging confirm this). The bread I eat is an Irish slimming brand which are only 60 calories a slice. Yes, a panini would be more like 250 calories unbuttered, but sliced bread is less than that.

    I have frozen sausages from Aldi which are 110 calories each (as stated on the pack itself) and there are low fat, gluten free ones from Tesco which are only 45 calories each (they are thin though!).

    OP, looking at your diary, your eating habits are rather erratic. Some days you overeat and other days you really undereat. Try to mantain a healthy balance of meals throughout the day and try to avoid the empty snacky stuff as much as you can. You can limit yourself to 1200 calories a day and still enjoy good, filling food. I'm on 1200 calories and it's easier than you think, once you get used to how much things weigh and you log EVRYTHING that goes into your mouth (things like spices, condiments and sauces count too!). After a while, it becomes habit and you'll find your new eating plan second nature. There's always room for treats here and there, but they should be supplements to your daily meals, not meals themselves.

    Good luck :)

    But she's clearly using generic entries for those things, and picking the lowest calories entries for them... not using brands, not weighing etc.

    Once I individually added up what was in a ham and cheese panini I got from a restaurant and it came out close to 900 calories... I mean obviously I can make myself one for 300 calories or less at home, but then I would think she would have entered it properly.

    Assuming OP is a woman, I didn't check.

    The four chicken wraps for 590 cals definitely jumped out at me. And I think she had a chicken Caesar salad for 220 cals when those things are known to be calorie bombs. I agree with the suggestion to try cooking more of her own meals for a while using the Recipe function to add up ALL the ingredients because something's not right here

    So OP only one meal and one snack most times? You never have any days when you're just like aww screw it I'm gonna eat a ton of food? That would be great if you don't, but if you do, you should log it because it's your long term average deficit that matters, not just the days you're being "good"
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
    edited October 2014
    Duplicate
  • Marie047
    Marie047 Posts: 240 Member
    I agree with everyone here, you clearly are logging accurately, cook more homemade food and put it in the recipe creator (I use this loads and its great because if you amend an ingredient you can go in and amend it), and weigh and measure everything. You clearly aren`t doing this, putting generic items in your diary is a guess, and 1.98 of something isn't accurate. You are eating way over 1200cals per day. Instead of eating chocolate as a meal change it for fruit salad with yoghurt etc. Also do some exercise as well, even a 30 min walk everyday. If you want any help feel free to add me
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    Starvation mode doesn't exist, so don't 'up' your calories to get out of it. I still suspect you are eating a LOT more than you think; if you're gaining on what you're eating, you're not going to lose on MORE.

    Seriously, you need to step back and take a good look at how you're logging things, and modify it.

    Good luck

    Starvation mode very much does indeed exist for the % of the population that eats in anorexic/disordered eating levels. People who suffer such illnesses HAVE to increase calories incrementally until they reach an appropriate level. I'm proof positive of how it can screw everything up. Blood tests will demonstrate it if it's occurring though, which is where people get misinformed. A few days doesn't do it, but a few weeks can, and many years will nearly cement your body into it. *sigh*
  • lisaabenjamin
    lisaabenjamin Posts: 665 Member
    Quasita wrote: »
    Starvation mode doesn't exist, so don't 'up' your calories to get out of it. I still suspect you are eating a LOT more than you think; if you're gaining on what you're eating, you're not going to lose on MORE.

    Seriously, you need to step back and take a good look at how you're logging things, and modify it.

    Good luck

    Starvation mode very much does indeed exist for the % of the population that eats in anorexic/disordered eating levels. People who suffer such illnesses HAVE to increase calories incrementally until they reach an appropriate level. I'm proof positive of how it can screw everything up. Blood tests will demonstrate it if it's occurring though, which is where people get misinformed. A few days doesn't do it, but a few weeks can, and many years will nearly cement your body into it. *sigh*

    Agree Quasita.
    I don't know how it has happened but somehow the idea of "starvation mode" has become severely twisted. Starvation mode DOES exist, but is not likely to be experienced by most people. Genuine starvation mode is when you eat so few calories, for a prolonged period of time, that your body starts using its own muscles as an energy source because it's not getting enough calories from food intake. This is a very dangerous situation to be in and is usually only experienced by people with eating disorders or in famine-striken third world countries.
    The "starvation mode" that frequently gets thrown around these boards does NOT exist. It is a physical impossibility to gain weight if you consume fewer calories than you burn. Your rate of weight loss may slow as your metabolism adjusts, and certain medical conditions may interfere, but you simply cannot gain weight when truly eating at a deficit.