"Just Fit it in to your Daily Allowance"
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I'm at 5'0", and average around 1,200 calories a day, no problems with hunger or denial of what I like:
Breakfast is at around 350, sometimes even 400 calories, and I vary it: cereal and banana some days; egg and potato tots other days; bagel and peanut butter maybe. (Always coffee!!). I try for fiber and often, whether I like it or not, my sugar stats are fairly high in the morning.
Lunch is a nice salad, with meat and/or beans. Kale is nice for bulking the tummy and for potassium. Lunch is where I deliberately make sure I'm getting a nice bunch of protein. It also averages between 350 or 400 calories. And always some nice hot green or herbal tea.
So now I'm at around 800. That gives me around 400 to play with for dinner.
Dinner is usually pretty small - meat and/or cheese, with vegetables - round out protein. And then comes my evening treat of frozen yogurt, or ice cream (I try to keep it at not more than around 160 calories). If I've gone over board on sugar for the day, maybe I'll make a little nut mix, or have an almond butter half a sandwich.
Have not suffered so far.
I try to stop ingesting at around 8:00 pm. I drink my 8 helpings of water. Walk between 8,000 and 10,000 a day, give or take. A lot more walking now that spring is here! And very light weight lifting. I average between 200 and 400 exercise calories a day.
Started out in December at 134 pounds and around 34% body fat. As of today, it's 114.6 pounds with around 27% body fat. I'm aiming at 110 for a goal weight.0 -
I am on 1,200 cals. I only have about 4kg left to lose and eating that gives me less than 0.5kg loss a week.
For me the answer is no, I can't "eat whatever I want" on that number of cals. I can only eat 3 healthy meals a day and semi-skimmed milk in my tea.
But I also can't live treat free, so every Sunday I go over my cals for Sunday lunch and probably a Friday or a Saturday I go over as well. I still log and I think of those days as "maintenance" days, a day off, rather than ruining my diet. So it would be one meal only where I would eat or drink a bit extra, not the whole day.
This evening I am going to a party and I only have 350cals left for it- not going to happen, I just try not to go CRAZY and each 4,000cals0 -
snarlingcoyote wrote: »MFP is full of food bullies who simply don't understand that some of us, who are short female people past a certain point in our lives, can exist on less than 1200 calories a day most days and be quite happy with our lots in life. My RMR was recently tested at 1460 in a weight clinic, where it had previously been tested at 1060ish many moons before I started running hard 3 times a week and I was called a liar and the integrity of the clinic (which is attached to our hospital) was called into question.
Wow. Just because people answer in a way you don't like doesn't make them bullies.
And 9.5 out of 10 times those "food bullies" are talking to the 5'6" female, whose profile indicates they're "18", are eating 1200 calories a day, not eating exercise calories back, are trying to lose the last bit of vanity "fat" (not pounds), all while wondering why they're so hungry.
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I am set at 1200 cals also. How I continue to eat things I want is I work out. I love work out days because I get to eat more. On days I don't workout I don't have those indulgences, because I don't have room. Or for example if I really want ice cream and its on a rest day I will not have a potato or rice during dinner, just veg and meat. On days I workout I eat back at least half of my cals and I use those calories to have something I really want like a dessert or whatever.
I'll also add that I only have 40lbs to lose so my calorie allowance is what it is to keep me at a deficit. If you have a lot to lose your calorie intake should be higher than 1200.0 -
People on 1200 calories generally don't have that much to lose. I only need to lose 10 pounds, and because I'm at 146 it won't come off with a higher calorie count. I could not do it every day without eating back some of those calories after exercise. I do have small treats, but only after a day of 8-mile hiking, for example. I have to be super diligent if I'm not exercising. And I don't stress out if I go 50 or even 100 calories over. You just have to realize that everyone is in a different "program" and their advice may not work for you.
not so much
I only have 10 to lose and do it on 1800 a day.
It's all based on stats no how much you have to lose.
Plus, I've got 40 to lose and I get 1200 even at 1 lb/week.
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Hi all, OP here again. I can't tell you how helpful it has been to read and consider all the different posts and the variety of opinions and advice.
As I said previously I am only a couple weeks in to this journey, so I really value the experience of people who've been at this longer than me. Interestingly there are people who say they have done fine and coped well on 1200 and there's people who feel 1200 is doomed to terrible hunger and inevitable failure and there's people somewhere in the middle. There's people who've recommended upping the calories by a small bit up to quite a bit. There's also been many who've pointed out one of the keys to more calorie allowance is more exercise.
I'm definitely not feeling hungry on 1200 calories and I find that if I plan well I can really make that 1200 stretch for me. In some ways I actually feel I'm eating more than when I was previously eating total crap, as I could go all day without eating and then binge on very high calorie food and blow like 3500 calories at once, yet be hungry again by bedtime (so time for some cheese on toast and a hot chocolate....and maybe some biscuits too lol). I actually love all the healthy foods that I can fill up on within 1200 calories a day. I feel grateful that I'm open to any kind of food and not trying to force myself to like veggies and the like.
I am also realistic to accept that now and again I will want a treat. I think I now need to re - teach myself how to treat myself. So for example I don't need 3 pieces of cheese on toast AND hot chocolate AND countless cookies as a bedtime snack. Maybe instead I treat myself with one of those things.....and really really enjoy and appreciate it.
I am also really motivated to work out in order to 'earn' more calories....so longer term I envisage eating over and above 1200 on a regular basis because I will have exercise calories to eat. This isn't the only reason I want to work out. It is also important to me that I become fit again so I can enjoy a night out dancing without feeling like I'm having a heart attack and so I can play in the park with my son and keep up with him. But knowing that the more I exercise the more I can eat is an incentive for me.
Finally, I'm also flexible enough to know that if things start feeling unpleasant for me on this journey, I will take stock and think about trying out other ideas.0 -
Hi all, OP here again. I can't tell you how helpful it has been to read and consider all the different posts and the variety of opinions and advice.
As I said previously I am only a couple weeks in to this journey, so I really value the experience of people who've been at this longer than me. Interestingly there are people who say they have done fine and coped well on 1200 and there's people who feel 1200 is doomed to terrible hunger and inevitable failure and there's people somewhere in the middle. There's people who've recommended upping the calories by a small bit up to quite a bit. There's also been many who've pointed out one of the keys to more calorie allowance is more exercise.
I'm definitely not feeling hungry on 1200 calories and I find that if I plan well I can really make that 1200 stretch for me. In some ways I actually feel I'm eating more than when I was previously eating total crap, as I could go all day without eating and then binge on very high calorie food and blow like 3500 calories at once, yet be hungry again by bedtime (so time for some cheese on toast and a hot chocolate....and maybe some biscuits too lol). I actually love all the healthy foods that I can fill up on within 1200 calories a day. I feel grateful that I'm open to any kind of food and not trying to force myself to like veggies and the like.
I am also realistic to accept that now and again I will want a treat. I think I now need to re - teach myself how to treat myself. So for example I don't need 3 pieces of cheese on toast AND hot chocolate AND countless cookies as a bedtime snack. Maybe instead I treat myself with one of those things.....and really really enjoy and appreciate it.
I am also really motivated to work out in order to 'earn' more calories....so longer term I envisage eating over and above 1200 on a regular basis because I will have exercise calories to eat. This isn't the only reason I want to work out. It is also important to me that I become fit again so I can enjoy a night out dancing without feeling like I'm having a heart attack and so I can play in the park with my son and keep up with him. But knowing that the more I exercise the more I can eat is an incentive for me.
Finally, I'm also flexible enough to know that if things start feeling unpleasant for me on this journey, I will take stock and think about trying out other ideas.
Great! Sounds like you have a very sensible approach. Wishing you the best of luck.0 -
I've never been that low but before exercise calories are added in, I'm at 1370 so I do understand how it is to be in the under-1400 daily allowance "club"...my biggest saving graces are no snacking, and breakfasts around 200 calories, then I feel like I have plenty of cals for lunch and dinner even when I indulge. Hope this helps in some small way, you've just gotta find what works for you!0
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I think some people are good at skipping meals to accommodate that. I see diaries where people eat fast food for lunch but then no dinner. Or a 100-calorie bag of popcorn for dinner. I can't do that, so I have found the "eat whatever you want as long as it fits" method to not work for me.0
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I don't skip meals but have something lighter, like just a salad with very little, light dressing. Or if I'm actually not hungry, I will skip a meal and eat an apple or something....but I'm not depriving myself.
I'm learning that just because it's "supper time" doesn't mean I actually *have* to eat, if I'm not that hungry and if I had a bigger lunch or did some heavy snacking during the day (again I am always trying to meet my macros). My husband frequently foregoes supper when it's hot - he does not feel like eating and does not want to eat...and doesn't. And he's never been more than maybe 10 lbs overweight his entire life.
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I think some people are good at skipping meals to accommodate that. I see diaries where people eat fast food for lunch but then no dinner. Or a 100-calorie bag of popcorn for dinner. I can't do that, so I have found the "eat whatever you want as long as it fits" method to not work for me.
That is not the eat whatever you want as long as it fits way...
I don't skip meals...I might not eat lunch if I sleep till 9am on a Saturday due to a late breakfast but that breakfast is bigger than normal.
IIFYM...look at my diary. Good healthy meals but there is room for chocolate everyday...or ice cream or chips...notice I said OR...not And. But sometimes I can fit all 3 in.0 -
snarlingcoyote wrote: »MFP is full of food bullies who simply don't understand that some of us, who are short female people past a certain point in our lives, can exist on less than 1200 calories a day most days and be quite happy with our lots in life. My RMR was recently tested at 1460 in a weight clinic, where it had previously been tested at 1060ish many moons before I started running hard 3 times a week and I was called a liar and the integrity of the clinic (which is attached to our hospital) was called into question.
My advice is to ignore those voices and pay attention to those of us who are saying that it is quite easy to live on 1200 calories a day. It's doable and comfortable and not that hard long term. (I can still wear my wedding dress and I got married 25 years ago, so yeah. Not a big deal. Appetites should correlate to size and metabolism, after all.)
Right now I have my counter set to 1000 net calories a day at the moment, but I know I'll go 1800 on the weekends, which averages out to 1230, more or less, per day, which, because I'm using a fitbit and have my settings done that way (so that every bit of physical activity I get, even getting up from my chair at work to go gossip in someone else's cube, earns me calories), means I'm at a setting to lose slowly. I can pop that up 200 calories a day and maintain, but I kind of want to be in a size 6 in September for some purely vain reasons and because the thinner I am the lower my diabetes risk is and the easier time my joints have supporting me when I run.
Your RMR is 1460. That's what you burn just being alive. Your TDEE includes your activity, and is probably 1600 even if you're sedentary... add exercise, and there's no need to eat as little as 1200.
You basically have no idea what you're talking about... but hey, if you don't like eating and are happy with little food, whatever works I guess.0 -
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!
Everyone needs chocolate!
OP, earn more calories through exercise.0 -
Oops made an error...can't quote properly lol
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I just looked at your diary and stopped at Timmies coffee. I'm in the UK now but oh how I miss my Canadian Timmies every morning lol
It's always baffled me how Tim's has become a point of pride in Canada. Really, their coffee is mediocre at best. I'd rather drink dishwater.
*Ducks* Don't take away my Canadian citizenship!0 -
snarlingcoyote wrote: »MFP is full of food bullies who simply don't understand that some of us, who are short female people past a certain point in our lives, can exist on less than 1200 calories a day most days and be quite happy with our lots in life. My RMR was recently tested at 1460 in a weight clinic, where it had previously been tested at 1060ish many moons before I started running hard 3 times a week and I was called a liar and the integrity of the clinic (which is attached to our hospital) was called into question.
My advice is to ignore those voices and pay attention to those of us who are saying that it is quite easy to live on 1200 calories a day. It's doable and comfortable and not that hard long term. (I can still wear my wedding dress and I got married 25 years ago, so yeah. Not a big deal. Appetites should correlate to size and metabolism, after all.)
Right now I have my counter set to 1000 net calories a day at the moment, but I know I'll go 1800 on the weekends, which averages out to 1230, more or less, per day, which, because I'm using a fitbit and have my settings done that way (so that every bit of physical activity I get, even getting up from my chair at work to go gossip in someone else's cube, earns me calories), means I'm at a setting to lose slowly. I can pop that up 200 calories a day and maintain, but I kind of want to be in a size 6 in September for some purely vain reasons and because the thinner I am the lower my diabetes risk is and the easier time my joints have supporting me when I run.
There's a reason those numbers were questionable. A quick Google shows that there are variations in readings depending on equipment and they are not always reliable. They're still just estimates.
As to "food bullies" I have never had anyone question my intake. I'm older than you and short. But I keep my intake around 1100-1200 calories.
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My typical day on 1200 would be oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, cheese sandwich for lunch and chicken with loads of veggies for tea. Worked out ok. I am also exercising and on days I do the extra 300 or so calories lets me enjoy treats such as ice cream. I'm now on 1330 as only wanting to lose half a pound and it feels a little easier.
It is doable if you eat lots of veggies otherwise I tended to feel a little hungry.0 -
I think some people are good at skipping meals to accommodate that. I see diaries where people eat fast food for lunch but then no dinner. Or a 100-calorie bag of popcorn for dinner. I can't do that, so I have found the "eat whatever you want as long as it fits" method to not work for me.
That is not the eat whatever you want as long as it fits way...
I don't skip meals...I might not eat lunch if I sleep till 9am on a Saturday due to a late breakfast but that breakfast is bigger than normal.
IIFYM...look at my diary. Good healthy meals but there is room for chocolate everyday...or ice cream or chips...notice I said OR...not And. But sometimes I can fit all 3 in.I just looked at your diary and stopped at Timmies coffee. I'm in the UK now but oh how I miss my Canadian Timmies every morning lol
It's always baffled me how Tim's has become a point of pride in Canada. Really, their coffee is mediocre at best. I'd rather drink dishwater.
*Ducks* Don't take away my Canadian citizenship!
Lol. Oh gosh I miss it so much it's almost enough to make me move back! My Dad (in Canada) swears by McDonald's coffee and won't drink Timmies. I on the other hand used to knock back 3 Extra Large Triple Triples a day (which I now fully accept was obscene!)0 -
Lol. Oh gosh I miss it so much it's almost enough to make me move back! My Dad (in Canada) swears by McDonald's coffee and won't drink Timmies. I on the other hand used to knock back 3 Extra Large Triple Triples a day (which I now fully accept was obscene!)
Meanwhile I'm all about the fresh ground gourmet beans at home, and fancy espresso at the office. The local hipster cafes in St-Henri or the Plateau serve up some awesome coffee, too. I prefer it black or with a bit of lowfat milk, nothing to detract from the flavour.
Food snob here. I admit it.0 -
I think some people are good at skipping meals to accommodate that. I see diaries where people eat fast food for lunch but then no dinner. Or a 100-calorie bag of popcorn for dinner. I can't do that, so I have found the "eat whatever you want as long as it fits" method to not work for me.
That is not the eat whatever you want as long as it fits way...
I don't skip meals...I might not eat lunch if I sleep till 9am on a Saturday due to a late breakfast but that breakfast is bigger than normal.
IIFYM...look at my diary. Good healthy meals but there is room for chocolate everyday...or ice cream or chips...notice I said OR...not And. But sometimes I can fit all 3 in.
I agree. For me, any food item or meal that would mean skipping another meal entirely doesn't "fit". 100 calorie bag of popcorn for dinner is never gonna happen. For me the "making it fit" method is more about SMALL indulgences or having the Philly cheesesteak with pie for dessert only rarely and on the Saturdays I go on a 5 hour difficult hike.
Yesterday my mom really wanted Burger King chicken sandwiches for Mother's Day, which was strange but it did sound good...so I had that 600+ calorie sandwich for lunch. For dinner I had scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, avocado and a sesame ball. Not my usual dinner, and it was low calorie at around 360 cal when my usual dinner is around 600 cal. But it was still a meal, and filling.
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