1,200 calories is too much

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  • choppie70
    choppie70 Posts: 544 Member
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    You are right, we don't know what you are eating when you enter things like 600 quick calories for dinner! How did you get that number? Did you weigh your food? If you just had spaghetti for dinner and said, "hmmm.. I had a helping of spaghetti, that is about 600 calories." then there is a possibility you are eating more than you think. Unless you are under 4 ft. or have an extremely slow metabolism that needs a dr. attention it is impossible to gain weight eating less than 1200 calories a day.
  • whatatime2befit
    whatatime2befit Posts: 625 Member
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    You are eating more than you think. Weigh your food, and enter the grams. You are going to be very surprised at the calories you are actually eating.

    For instance, for breakfast you entered 6 medium strawberries. What's a medium? That could be someone else's large. That is too subjective. Weigh it out instead, seriously you'll see a difference.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    OP, you are currently a healthy weight for your height and wish to diet down to an undesirable, underweight goal.

    I think you need to speak to a doctor.
  • lrachel011
    lrachel011 Posts: 34 Member
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    choppie70 wrote: »
    You are right, we don't know what you are eating when you enter things like 600 quick calories for dinner! How did you get that number? Did you weigh your food? If you just had spaghetti for dinner and said, "hmmm.. I had a helping of spaghetti, that is about 600 calories." then there is a possibility you are eating more than you think. Unless you are under 4 ft. or have an extremely slow metabolism that needs a dr. attention it is impossible to gain weight eating less than 1200 calories a day.

    It was takeaway food for dinner, I checked the website and it wasn't an option on here so I just added 600 calories :)

  • lrachel011
    lrachel011 Posts: 34 Member
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    whatatime2befit wrote: »
    You are eating more than you think. Weigh your food, and enter the grams. You are going to be very surprised at the calories you are actually eating.

    For instance, for breakfast you entered 6 medium strawberries. What's a medium? That could be someone else's large. That is too subjective. Weigh it out instead, seriously you'll see a difference.

    Ok thanks that's a good idea I'll do that :) I had already eaten the strawberries before I put it in my food diary which is why I just put medium :)

  • lalepepper
    lalepepper Posts: 447 Member
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    PeachyCarol wrote: »
    OP, you are currently a healthy weight for your height and wish to diet down to an undesirable, underweight goal.

    I think you need to speak to a doctor.

    While I'd be inclined to agree if OP were seeking a weight around 100, a goal of 110 at 5'4" places her at the bottom end of healthy weight range according to the National Institutes of Health. Depending on her frame or body fat %, it could be a reasonable weight for her. In any case, you should always visit your doctor and discuss plans for diet/exercise before beginning a new program.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    lrachel011 wrote: »
    Guys just to be clear here I've been dieting for 2 weeks now, but just kept a diary in a notebook. And I love how you all think you know exactly what I'm eating, I'm not eating more than I think I am because I've lost 5lbs in not even 2 weeks

    You've lost five pounds in two weeks? How long has this gain occurred over? Sounds like it's just a natural fluctuation. But what everyone has said still stands...you do need to tighten up your logging.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Can you provide your stats please?
    slide_321105_3009299_free.gif
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    lrachel011 wrote: »
    Guys just to be clear here I've been dieting for 2 weeks now, but just kept a diary in a notebook. And I love how you all think you know exactly what I'm eating, I'm not eating more than I think I am because I've lost 5lbs in not even 2 weeks

    You've lost five pounds in two weeks? How long has this gain occurred over? Sounds like it's just a natural fluctuation. But what everyone has said still stands...you do need to tighten up your logging.

    I don't think she's actually had a gain. (Unless I totally missed something.) She's just worried that if she eats more that she'll gain.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    lalepepper wrote: »
    PeachyCarol wrote: »
    OP, you are currently a healthy weight for your height and wish to diet down to an undesirable, underweight goal.

    I think you need to speak to a doctor.

    While I'd be inclined to agree if OP were seeking a weight around 100, a goal of 110 at 5'4" places her at the bottom end of healthy weight range according to the National Institutes of Health. Depending on her frame or body fat %, it could be a reasonable weight for her. In any case, you should always visit your doctor and discuss plans for diet/exercise before beginning a new program.

    As you said, that's IF she has a small frame. She might not. Weight/height targets are frame-specific and that context can't be ignored. Given that she's not eating properly, I'm not convinced of this fact that the goal isn't too low.

  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    lrachel011 wrote: »
    Guys just to be clear here I've been dieting for 2 weeks now, but just kept a diary in a notebook. And I love how you all think you know exactly what I'm eating, I'm not eating more than I think I am because I've lost 5lbs in not even 2 weeks

    Well, this explains plenty.

    You weren't accurately tracking. Assumed a low intake, lower than what you were actually eating, and thought that if you went over the artificially low intake, you wouldn't lose.

    The solution is NOT to eat less, the solution is to be MORE accurate.

  • SconnieCat
    SconnieCat Posts: 770 Member
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    lrachel011 wrote: »
    Guys just to be clear here I've been dieting for 2 weeks now, but just kept a diary in a notebook. And I love how you all think you know exactly what I'm eating, I'm not eating more than I think I am because I've lost 5lbs in not even 2 weeks

    You're not logging accurately.

    Simply for the fact that you estimated your takeout food at 600 calories - I guarantee you consumed more calories than you think you did.

    How are you tracking your food? Are you weighing everything you consume? Are you measuring liquids? Are you choosing accurate MFP entries when you log what you eat/drink?

    Take the time to accurately log what you eat and drink. I bet you're actually eating a lot more than you think you are.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    I'd also like to add, on further reflection, that if you've lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks with your stats? You are losing weight at a dangerous rate and losing lean muscle tissue, not just fat.

    A safe rate of loss for you, if you must diet down to the rock-bottom of acceptable BMR for your frame size, would be .5 pound a week.

    You're engaging in unhealthy behavior.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    This is becoming quite a useful link

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=WGLwzbvx4S4
  • lrachel011
    lrachel011 Posts: 34 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Can you provide your stats please?
    slide_321105_3009299_free.gif

    xD sorry about that. I'm 5'4, 120 lbs and want to be 110... Is that what you meant?
  • lrachel011
    lrachel011 Posts: 34 Member
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    You're not logging accurately.

    Simply for the fact that you estimated your takeout food at 600 calories - I guarantee you consumed more calories than you think you did.

    How are you tracking your food? Are you weighing everything you consume? Are you measuring liquids? Are you choosing accurate MFP entries when you log what you eat/drink?

    Take the time to accurately log what you eat and drink. I bet you're actually eating a lot more than you think you are.[/quote]

    I literally just said that I looked on the website to get the takeaway calories, as in the online menu

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Yes, that's what I was waiting for. Okay, first, you're already at a healthy weight. Secondly, your logging needs to be tightened up, to ascertain how much you're really eating. You CAN eat more than 1200 and still lose, its just got to be an accurate 1200.
    Some key points on logging: Try not to use generic (not accurate), use a food scale and don't use quick add.
  • minties82
    minties82 Posts: 907 Member
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    You are already very slim. Do you do any exercise? Even my 69 year old sedentary grandmother who has severe rheumatoid arthritis loses weight above 1200kcal per day.

    Also, your logging looks really slack to me too.
  • SconnieCat
    SconnieCat Posts: 770 Member
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    lrachel011 wrote: »


    I literally just said that I looked on the website to get the takeaway calories, as in the online menu

    Gotcha - I misread what you wrote. My bad.

    Anyway... the points I made previously (as well as the questions) still stand. Liftng's comment (quoted below) seems to be solid advice.
    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Yes, that's what I was waiting for. Okay, first, you're already at a healthy weight. Secondly, your logging needs to be tightened up, to ascertain how much you're really eating. You CAN eat more than 1200 and still lose, its just got to be an accurate 1200.
    Some key points on logging: Try not to use generic (not accurate), use a food scale and don't use quick add.

    I'm also going to echo Peach's concern regarding the rate at which you're losing. It seems dangerously fast.
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
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    PeachyCarol wrote: »
    I'd also like to add, on further reflection, that if you've lost 5 pounds in 2 weeks with your stats? You are losing weight at a dangerous rate and losing lean muscle tissue, not just fat.

    A safe rate of loss for you, if you must diet down to the rock-bottom of acceptable BMR for your frame size, would be .5 pound a week.

    You're engaging in unhealthy behavior.

    My guess is that this rate of loss is water weight, but if it's not and you continue to lose this quickly, you will hurt your body. With only 10 pounds to go, you should not be losing more than half a pound a week to do it in a healthy way.
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