"Just Fit it in to your Daily Allowance"

kelziemba

Hi,

I've been using MFP for a couple weeks now. I find the forum really interesting and helpful. I'm really curious about a statement that I read quite a lot; "eat whatever you want as long as it fits within your allowance".

I'm on 1200 calories a day, so realistically I don't have a lot of calories to play around with. Even with making my meals better 'value for calories', I just have not got spare calories kicking around to treat myself to an indulgent dessert or a full takeaway or a bag of sweets or a bowl of coco pops at the end of the day.

I'm eating well and don't feel hungry for the most part so that's all good. I just know I'm on this weight loss journey for the long haul and at some point I'm going to want to have 'treats' without having to sacrifice a meal.

So I guess I'm wondering how people on 1200 calories do it?

Serah87

We eat more and still lose weight. Me, to lose weight I eat around 1700-1900 calories, 45 years old and 5'2!!

jnv7594

Do you exercise? You can always use any earned exercise calories back for treats. I think that's what some do. Me personally I will never drop my calories to 1200. It's just too restrictive. When I get to the point where my calories are too low (right now they are at 1600, but they increase when I exercise usually to between 1800 or 1900), I will adjust the amount of weight to lose per week.

And OP, it says you still have over 100 pounds to lose. You could be eating way more than 1200 and still lose weight. Pace yourself so that you don't burn out. I've lost almost 90 pounds, but when I started I was eating over 2000 a day and losing, now this many pounds down I am still eating at least 1600.

rejectuf

1200 calories is a pretty low calorie goal for most. Reevaluate your daily calorie allowance.

Also, avoiding carb heavy items goes a long way.

IsaackGMOON

I still don't get why people go to 1200 calories a day... it seems so low.

rkcampbell

I tried the 1200 thing for awhile but was always hungry. I switched it to 1500 plus any workout and find I am still steadily losing. (5'7" female 183lb)

jnv7594

IsaackGMOON wrote: »

I still don't get why people go to 1200 calories a day... it seems so low.

I always wonder the same thing. My 1600 even seems low to me on the days I don't exercise to earn more.

hgycta

I'm in maintenance at 1,600 calories a day, but I understand how difficult this must be for you. Focus on a lot of nutrient-rich dense foods lower in calories to fill you up (such as spinach with fresh grilled chicken), then a cup of frozen yogurt low in calories or some other reduced calorie version of a snack you like. Generally the higher calorie treats are probably for people who consume more calories, or maybe if you wanted to take a break and maintain one day so you could enjoy them. But in my opinion, one day off will lead to more inclinations towards days off and make weight loss much slower, but everyone is different and some people need those "days off," so to speak.
If you feel like you NEED chocolate, try to fit a piece in here and there. If you don't, don't force yourself simply because you CAN, focus on other healthier foods you enjoy just as much!

TimothyFish

Exercise gives you more calories you can consume. Also, as long as you are below maintenance, you will lose weight. If you are trying for a 3500 calorie per week deficit, you can use some of those for a treat, as long as you don't do it every week.

zoeysasha37

I don't know what your stats are, but I lost while eating 1800 per day. I ate cupcakes, candy, whatever I wanted, as long as it fit. Just be sure to weigh and measure everything you consume to be sure your logging accurately. ( without weighing and measuring, you can add on tons of extra calories without knowing it. What looks like one serving can actually be four servings sometimes. So be accurate and you'll be able to still enjoy treats while losing weight)

hobbeskastiel

Exercise. If you burn more calories you can eat more. Plus you feel better when you workout.

SezxyStef

hgycta wrote: »

I'm in maintenance at 1,600 calories a day, but I understand how difficult this must be for you. Focus on a lot of nutrient-rich dense foods lower in calories to fill you up (such as spinach with fresh grilled chicken), then a cup of frozen yogurt low in calories or some other reduced calorie version of a snack you like. Generally the higher calorie treats are probably for people who consume more calories, or maybe if you wanted to take a break and maintain one day so you could enjoy them. But in my opinion, one day off will lead to more inclinations towards days off and make weight loss much slower, but everyone is different and some people need those "days off," so to speak.
If you feel like you NEED chocolate, try to fit a piece in here and there. If you don't, don't force yourself simply because you CAN, focus on other healthier foods you enjoy just as much!

Why not?....

I never "need" chocolate but I can eat it everyday so why not? It's yummy.

I think most who think their maintenance is low or feel they have to eat 1200 to lose are misinformed and need to get informed.

Most people are eating more than they think anyway as most don't use a food scale...

Those who do and log accurately and consistently are the one's who know you can fit it in and still lose weight.

doktorglass

They cheat. Which means that they enjoy the treat and move on.
If you however want to enjoy a treat while keeping yourself on 1200kcal, you can for a 500kcal treat:

1. eat ~70kcal/day less for 7 days
2. expend an extra 500kcal in form of exercise. Such as walking for a couple of hours.

Francl27

Well first, pretty much nobody should be on 1200 calories. You're supposed to eat back exercise calories, or at least some of them. I've lost 80 pounds and I'm one of the 'fit it in your daily allowance' people and I've never eaten under 1650 calories (total). If I had to eat 1200 calories, I would have failed.

Then there's portion control. I pretty much never have an indulgent dessert (ok I did today, but will also be a bit over) or a bag of sweets or a full takeaway. I'll have 200 calories of ice cream, 140 calories of cookies, 100 calories of chocolate, one 100 calories serving of cereal... and the days I end up with 350 calories of sweets, I often go to bed hungry, but I guess it's my choice. I also eat a bit less in general so that I can fit a 400 calorie treat if I want and it's not a big deal if I go a little bit over once a week.

Bottom line is that no, I can't fit everything in my calories so easily, and I've had to give up on some things because they never fit (or I save them for days when I'm not really hungry instead of during PMS when I'm starving). But I don't need a 1200 calories piece of cheesecake... I can go to a local shop that has some 350 calories ones and have one once a month or something. I don't need a 2500 calories takeaway meal either - if I'm craving pizza, I'll have two slices (and cheese pizza, typically). If I want fries, I'll make my own, baked with a little bit of oil. If I want a burger, I make my own... I just probably won't have fries and burger the same day I'll have a 300 calories bowl of ice cream.

But yes, even if I eat at maintenance (2200 calories for me), I have to make sacrifices. I'll have a burger without bun and will skip the rice at dinner so I can have some ice cream, for example. It's about making choices and saving calories for what you really want. It gets easier once you find a few 200-300 calorie meals that really fill you up, or substitutions that actually work for your cravings, or ways to make something you crave for less calories etc...

minties82

I decided to eat more. 1200 sucks. So I upped to 1350 and also do very low carb as it massively curbs my appetite, is full of yummy foods, and keeps my blood sugar levels really stable.

LaurenAOK

I agree with what others have said, consider re-evaluating your goal. 1200 is very low and unnecessary for 99% of people.

Check out this thread, really helpful for that sort of thing: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

Also, remember that it's not the end of the world to go over your goal every once in a while. Like you said, you're in this for the long haul. Realistically you are not going to eat 1200 calories every single day. Special occasions happen, or sometimes you just really want a treat that you can't fit into your daily goals.

Think of it like this: One pound is 3500 calories. So if you're aiming to lose a pound a week, you should be at a 3500 calorie per week deficit. If you go over your goal by 500 calories one day that week, you're still at a 3000 weekly deficit... you'll still lose close to a pound. It's really not going to impact your goals in any huge way.

sympha01

OP, you say you've been around here for a couple of weeks and that you're eating 1200 calories. So people are (rightly) telling you that fitting stuff in is easier at a higher calorie level.

You've probably seen a few flam-y threads about eating so few calories. What you haven't seen is what the long-timers have: people who eat 1200 calories a day rarely last long. It's hard to keep up your motivation on such a low calorie intake.

People who are just starting out calorie counting (not necessarily for the first time; this also includes people who've counted calories successfully in the past and are "back to it") often tend to start with these very low calorie goals for a number of reasons. Though I think the biggest reason is that when we're "out of practice" counting calories, we tend to not have a very clear idea of how much fuel that is and how our bodies feel and perform on it, not to mention how it feels psychologically. Also, people who aren't in practice calorie counting (in my observation, anyway) also may not be in practice measuring portions, and may tend to actually be eating more than their target level based on a few simple but critical faulty assumptions.

But answering your question more directly, one way to "fit in" treats is by measuring portions very accurately, and vigilantly keeping portion sizes low. 10 peanut M&Ms is easier to "fit in" than a bag of them. But also, eating 170g of potato at dinner instead of 280g of potato leaves 85 calories on the table -- which is enough for a 4 oz glass of wine or almost two squares of my favorite chocolate. Etc. etc.

eta math

kelziemba

Hi all, thanks for the replies. As for 1200 I'm going by what MFP calculated for 2 lbs a week loss. I am 38, female, 5'4", and started 2 weeks ago at 17 stones or 238 lbs. I don't usually excersise, though I started at the gym today and am taking it slowly building up my fitness. I know that once I weigh less I shouldn't expect to lose 2 lbs a week but for now I figured it was a realistic goal given me being obese.

Sued0nim

I ate 1200 for a couple of weeks, then added my exercise, then reduced my goal weight loss

I lost the majority netting 1600

Now I eat 2100-2300 on maintenance

Plenty of room for splurges

vgnfarmer

Even with all the low cal veggies I eat i'd be hungry at 1200! I accept a slower rate of loss in order to eat higher calories daily. Also you can "fit in everything" but it may be infrequently. I know that each weekend I'm going to have one meal of whatever I want, usually pizza and 1 dessert. I don't eat the leftovers the next day, its just 1 meal. Knowing that I have that meal makes it easier to stay within my goal during the week.
Also even if you want to stay at 1200, There are some lower cal treats you can fit in. Today I had 65g lite icecream (130cal) and small cone(20cal) Yummy dessert just 150cal Also like others have said you may want to eat back exercise calories. Good Luck!

macgurlnet

I'm a little bit of a thing (5 feet tall even) and even with a 0.5 lb/week deficit my grand total of calories is 1260 since I have MFP set to Sedentary. I'm leaving it that way until I know I can consistently be more active and then I'll adjust accordingly.

I have a Fitbit to track my steps. Once I get in ~2000 steps, I start earning more calories because I'm more active than the level I set on MFP. I'm at ~5000 steps right now and have gotten an extra 134 calories. If I get in 10,000, I'll earn something like 400 extra calories for the day.

I fit in foods that are higher in calories by making sure I move more and going for a smaller portion of the food. If I go out for lunch/dinner, I may only eat half of my meal and save the rest for later. If you want treats, get individually wrapped chocolates - those are often ~70 calories per piece, and you can fit that in even if you just have 1200 calories to use.

Food for thought

~Lyssa

shadowfax_c11

While I have pulled off a day here and there eating close to 1200 I would find it impossible to succeed if I tried to do it long term. I don't know what your stats are that put you at such a low number but would say consider a less aggressive restriction if you have the option. Also start adding in some exercise and use those bonus calories for your treats. I often gain myself 600-1000 extra calories from exercise. While I don't eat many of them back, there are days when it is nice to have the option.

LaurenAOK

kelziemba wrote: »

Hi all, thanks for the replies. As for 1200 I'm going by what MFP calculated for 2 lbs a week loss. I am 38, female, 5'4", and started 2 weeks ago at 17 stones or 238 lbs. I don't usually excersise, though I started at the gym today and am taking it slowly building up my fitness. I know that once I weigh less I shouldn't expect to lose 2 lbs a week but for now I figured it was a realistic goal given me being obese.

Thanks for adding your stats, it's helpful! I used this website to calculate your TDEE given zero exercise:

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

And it came out to around 2200 calories per day. That's how much you'd need to eat to maintain your weight if you don't exercise at all. Given that, MFP has rightly told you to eat 1200 a day to lose two pounds a week (1000 calorie deficit a day = 7000 calories a week = 2 pounds a week). However, this is including NO exercise at all - not even basic activities like walking around at work or grocery shopping. Unless you are 100% sedentary (unlikely), your TDEE is higher than this.

Here's my suggestion. Aim for 1.5 pounds a week, which gives you 1450 calories a day. Try to add some exercise in there, even a walk around the block, and make sure to eat back those extra calories you burn. That should give you a more comfortable amount of calories to eat, while still producing a fairly quick weight loss.

Good luck!

Sarasmaintaining

kelziemba wrote: »

Hi all, thanks for the replies. As for 1200 I'm going by what MFP calculated for 2 lbs a week loss. I am 38, female, 5'4", and started 2 weeks ago at 17 stones or 238 lbs. I don't usually excersise, though I started at the gym today and am taking it slowly building up my fitness. I know that once I weigh less I shouldn't expect to lose 2 lbs a week but for now I figured it was a realistic goal given me being obese.

I just ran your numbers through freedieting's calculator (one I used during my weight loss phase, before I found MFP), and for little/no exercise, to lose weight it gives you 1,904 calories a day. http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm
I'd up those calories

Francl27

doktorglass wrote: »

They cheat. Which means that they enjoy the treat and move on.
If you however want to enjoy a treat while keeping yourself on 1200kcal, you can for a 500kcal treat:

1. eat ~70kcal/day less for 7 days
2. expend an extra 500kcal in form of exercise. Such as walking for a couple of hours.

Cheat what? It fits in our calories.

I agree with the person who said that weighing is important though. I wouldn't have lost so much if I wasn't weighing my food, because once you start eating things that are like 200 calories for half a cup or less, it's very easy to underestimate how much you are eating.

chelsmaee7

I tried 1200 and still found ways to eat what I wanted but it is a lot harder. MFP has my recommended calories at just over 1200 but it's so hard to do that so I usually eat between 1300-1400. If I don't exercise at all then I eat on the lower end of it. If I know that im planning to eat something higher in calories for dinner, I exercise more. But at 1300 a day I find that I can easily eat a personal size pizza as a meal or fit in a cupcake or something. Sometimes I have a breakfast shake to give myself more calories for later in the day or I don't add cheese to something I normally would.

sympha01

kelziemba wrote: »

Hi all, thanks for the replies. As for 1200 I'm going by what MFP calculated for 2 lbs a week loss. I am 38, female, 5'4", and started 2 weeks ago at 17 stones or 238 lbs. I don't usually excersise, though I started at the gym today and am taking it slowly building up my fitness. I know that once I weigh less I shouldn't expect to lose 2 lbs a week but for now I figured it was a realistic goal given me being obese.

It's not uncommon for newcomers to MFP to choose the 2 lbs a week loss option. You don't have to do that. You really also don't necessarily have to eat 1200 calories a day to lose 2 lbs a week, ESPECIALLY if you are obese. MFP's math (and/or the assumptions to plugged in to their formula: the place most people mess up here is the activity level. When you tell MFP you are "sedentary," it seems to assume you are actually bedridden, so first of all consider bumping that up.) are not gospel.

FWIW, I started out morbidly obese. I have lost >170 lbs. I am in my mid-40s. I got where I am now eating >1800 calories a day, and until quite recently I was losing 2 lbs a week too (I increased my calorie intake to 2000 calories per day specifically to slow my weight loss, which is not everyone's goal, but I'm just including that to help explain my numbers). I do exercise, but my point is simply don't take MFP's assumptions as accurate. Most of us have found otherwise.

Lounmoun

1200 would be pretty challenging to start with because you can't really go lower than that. I would start higher and gradually lower it.
I am 40 years old, sedentary, 5'4", 157 lbs and my current goal is 1270 calories a day to lose 1 lb a week. I started at 179 lbs and 1330 calories to lose 1 lb a week and it got lowered after I lost a bit. I declined lowering it any further.
It is really helpful for me to pre-log food so I can see what fits my day. I eat smaller portions of higher calorie foods. I choose more filling and satisfying food (protein, fiber, fats). I drink mostly water or unsweetened tea so my calories are for food. To get more calories I exercise.
I might get a regular hamburger but pair it with a salad and unsweetened tea instead of fries and soda pop.

faidwen

I don't really understand why 1200 calories seems low? I am doing 1250 and I am full and eat healthily (or so I think). BUT, I prepare meals that are well balanced and are not calorie rich. Of course I love the healthy low calorie vegetables, salads, etc. I never eat bread, and I consume 12+ glasses of water per day.

I use the website Cooksmarts, and a book of 365 Healthy Meals (1 a day) to plan meals on a weekly basis that fit perfectly into this scheme. I exercise about 100 calories worth per day, and I don't eat it back. I now MAKE everything that I eat, from homemade hummus, to homemade pita chips, to broccoli rice.

The key is to have fun with the meal planning, for which I am extremely proud.

1250 isn't ridiculous, at least for me. It is all about planning, and knowing what you can "fill-up" on without adding ridiculous fruitless calories.

Good Luck! -- of course, I've only been REALLY at it for 40 days on MFP but since January I've lost nearly 60 lbs.

MikaMojito

I know I'm going against what everybody else is saying, but it IS possible to fit in treats even at 1200kcal.

Eg my diary today:

Breakfast: 50g pumpernickel bread with jam (it's VERY dark bread and keeps me quite full for a long time)
Lunch: Mixed leaf salad, 3 slices garlic bread and a sausage
Dinner: two big bowls of vegetable and sausage soup.

And now I just had 20g of very good, rich chocolate and I'm actually under 1200. Not because I meant to but because I was so busy all day and when I got hungry, nothing was acailable and now it's too late to eat more. I'll have some extra calories tomorrow.

Francl27

MikaMojito wrote: »

I know I'm going against what everybody else is saying, but it IS possible to fit in treats even at 1200kcal.

Eg my diary today:

Breakfast: 50g pumpernickel bread with jam (it's VERY dark bread and keeps me quite full for a long time)
Lunch: Mixed leaf salad, 3 slices garlic bread and a sausage
Dinner: two big bowls of vegetable and sausage soup.

And now I just had 20g of very good, rich chocolate and I'm actually under 1200. Not because I meant to but because I was so busy all day and when I got hungry, nothing was acailable and now it's too late to eat more. I'll have some extra calories tomorrow.

Yeah I'd be completely starving with that, lol.