I dont eat enough calories even though i eat when im hungry

jelizabeth43001 · January 2016

I get to eat 1200 calories a day and I on average eat between 800 and a 1,000. Is that bad? And how can I improve?

misskarne · January 2016

Yes that's EXTREMELY bad.

You need to eat more.

ElizabethOakes2 · January 2016

What is your height and weight?
How confident are you that your intake recording is correct? How are you measuring your intake? Are you using a food scale and professional grade measuring cups/spoons? Leveling and sifting things like flour, etc?
Are you eating out a lot? Places like Subway, often the portions vary depending on the exact person making the sandwich. They aren't supposed to, but they do.
If you are only eating when you're hungry, you're probably doing just fine, and are probably taking in more calories than you think you are. If you're tired, headachy, fatigued, depressed- you probably need to eat more.

gregwhitley · January 2016

It's not the end of the world. You just need to make some adjustments. If you aren't hitting some certain nutrient goals, find foods that contain them, and add a meal, or add them as a side. You can find some pretty calorie dense healthy foods if you know what to look for.

For instance, if you need fats, peanut butter or avocado are good sources. For proteins, fish and fowl are great. If you're already eating these things, simply eat more of them.

Vetticus_3 · January 2016

I just want to ask - and not necessarily just the OP - how can people eat 1200 cals and not climbing up the walls in hunger?

I measure everything, eat a higher proportion of protein and fats, drink a lot of water, but at 1200 cals I'm eyeing the couch as a potential food source. mmmm fibre.

I keep on seeing these posts - I can't eat all of my 1200 cals, I'm too full on 1200 cals - and I just don't believe it.

I have a sneaking suspicion that these people don't measure their food accurately... can anybody chip in on how to be full at such low calorie intake?

callsitlikeiseeit · January 2016

i would wager you are eating more than you think you are ......

PoundChaser2 · January 2016

Eventually not eating enough will backfire.

Whitezombiegirl · January 2016

Personally i have a small appetite. Im not keen on fats or protein so these are quite small portions. Generally ill have 60g yoghurt with a few mixed berries for breakfast. A salad with 1 slice of thick ham for lunch and about 100g of meat with lots of green veg and a home made low cal sauce for dinner. I dont eat bread, pasta, rice or potatoes as they flare up my ibs. I dont do dessert in the week. I fill in the rest with low cal snacks throughout the day and endless cups of unsweetened tea. I also drink a glass if wine maybe once a month if that.

I do have hungrier days than others though. This week my ibs was bad and i ate at maintenance cals 1300 with no exercise.

workhardtogethard · January 2016

How do you feel on 800-1,000 calories? Is it an everyday thing, or do you eat a bit more on weekends/special occasions? Do you have a lot of weight to lose?

I lost my first 80 lbs by averaging under 1,000 calories a day. Most days were 700-800 and once a week or so, it'd be about twice that. Did it for months. No ill effects came of it. I felt satisfied the entire time because I ate foods I liked, just smaller portions. Now that I'm getting more into strength training, I've upped my calories to get in more protein.

RodaRose · January 2016

You can improve your weighing and logging of food so that the numbers are more accurate .

Danimri84 · January 2016

I'm at a little over 1200 right now. When I did MFP before, I was between 1200-1300. And didn't eat much or any of my exercise calories back. I genuinely was not hungry. I don't know why, because the primary reason I have been overweight most of my life is my ability to eat shockingly large portions. Maybe it is the content of the food I eat when I am in a deficit? Who knows.

ClosetBayesian · January 2016

I have had to work at eating 1200 in a day; I am quite satisfied on 900-1000 a day (that's with weighing everything on a digital food scale). Nuts, nut butters, and olives are a godsend. I started 21 Day Fix immediately after Christmas and found I eat more on that plan (@1300 cals/ day) than I do when left to my own devices.

HutchA12 · January 2016

I understand your confusion. I don't get it either. They are obviously here because at some point they were able to eat enough to need to losecweight. I also see them post about how they eat low cal food during the day. Why? If you need to struggle through eating to hit a good 1200 to 1300 cal just eat higher cal versions of what you eat or denser food in general. My best guess is some measure their food poorly bit still see loss.

tiffkittyw · January 2016

Sure, I weight about 95% of what I eat on my 1,200 calorie days. The exceptions are my 160 calorie protein shake, a 60-100 calorie container of yogurt and a 100 calorie bag of popcorn.

The trick for me is delaying my morning protein shake until about 10:30-11am by just drinking coffee and tea prior. I then am constantly eating between that time and 6:30pm. I also eat a lot of fats (nuts and cheese). I wouldn't say I'm stuffed, but I'm also not hungry. I like to save my exercise calories for Saturday's when I eat about 2,000-2,500 calories.

BoaRestrictor · January 2016

I'm on 1220 cal a day, I have a food scale and properly use it. I measure everything I eat even down to weighing my eggs before I boil them. I weigh/measure everything and when I can't I use the higher cal options in the MFP database to ensure I'm not just picking it because it has the lowest calories because you can.

I can tell you that if you eat like *kitten* you will be hungry. I have completely cut out condiments like ketchup, mayo, and salad dressings. Sauces don't exist, if your food is dry you sip water or suck it up. Cheese, cheese doesn't exist except for the occasional half a sandwich and even then it's a slice of fake cheese by Kraft and it's more like a cheese flavored square for 45 cal. Dessert items are a no, chocolate say goodbye. Any broth based soup can be watered down, 1 cup of soup can usually have 1/2 cup of water added to it without it being flavored water with floating vegetables. Never drink calories. Soda no. Milk, juices, punch, sweetened teas, dolled up coffees are all bad ideas. Protein shakes make an exception because they can usually be part of a meal. Carbs, don't avoid them but don't abuse them, if you crave carbs make room now before craving becomes raging.

I have tried a 1200 cal diet with foods I love like icecream and pizza. You can't. The reason 1200 calorie diet don't work is you have to let go of old foods. My sweet tooth is gone. My grease tooth is too. Pizza is disgusting and whenever I do have it, it tastes like grease. Diet Coke used to be bland, now it's borderline making me sick from how sweet it tastes. I went from cream and sugar in my teas and coffee to black coffee and plain tea.

Carrots taste sweet to me now. I was a sugar addict and now carrots, a vegetable i used to hate, tastes like candy. My taste buds have changes drastically. As for people being stuffed on 1200 kcal, I also suspect they are bad at measuring and weighing and estimating.

I am never ever stuffed. I am never even full. I'm satiated. I'm satisfied until my next meal. I am usually hungry and hour before my next meal. I am usually hungry for breakfast when I wake up. Hunger=/=Starving though. It's okay to have an appetite for your next meal.

TLDR; What you eat matters, eat *kitten* you'll feel like *kitten*. Eat lots of quality food and you can get by.

kshama2001 · January 2016

My working theory from a biological perspective is that when people radically change their diet from hyper-palatable, low fiber food, to one consisting of much more high fiber food, their appetites can radically decrease.

I haven't fleshed out my theory from a psychological perspective enough yet to post it yet.

dolliesdaughter · January 2016

IMHO if you can't eat at least 1200, I doubt you would have much of a weight problem. Incorrect logging of calories and activity.

BoaRestrictor · January 2016

I eat about 44g of fiber a day, if that helps.

dwulet130 · January 2016

Some people just have different appetites. If I eat 1200 I'm not hungry (though definitely nowhere close to full). My problem is that I WANT to eat more than 1200, not that my body is telling me to.

ObsidianMist · January 2016

my calorie goal on here is 1200 and I pretty much always am under it. I'm extremely sedentary other than walking to and from bus stops or my boyfriend's house, as I don't work so I'm always just sitting on my computer or in front of the tv when I'm not at the gym. I find it pretty easy though, I make a pretty thick smoothie in the morning and don't get TOO hungry before lunch, fairly thick cut whole wheat toast and peanut butter for lunch which I find pretty filling, and just a huge serving of vegetables for dinner. it's plenty for me.

oh and I'm extremely careful about weighing and measuring everything exactly. I think for me the overeating was a boredom/stress/ emotional thing so since I've put my mind to losing the weight and am using this site to hold myself accountable, it's been pretty easy to stop overeating. it's an upside to being stubborn and competitive lol.

harrybananas · January 2016

Op, you're able to do something some people on this site struggle with - calorie deficit. Good job.

cwolfman13 · January 2016

I always wonder this and also wonder how in the hell people became overweight and needing to diet if they simply can't bear to eat more than a handful of calories because they're just so full....

I basically chalk it up to they're either not accounting for things properly and are eating more than they think or they've got some kind of ED or at minimum, some majorly disordered thinking.

smcrimmon84 · January 2016

I am set at 1200 calories/day and am comfortable at 1200. Sure, I COULD eat more, like a slice of chocolate cake every night sounds great, but I'm not actually HUNGRY. I weight/measure everything except some prepackaged items like yogurt and applesauce cups. I eat breakfast at 10 - around 150 calories, lunch at 1230 - around 300 calories, afternoon snack at 330 - around 100 calories, dinner at 630- around 400 calories, and a dessert around 9 - usually 100-150 calories.

WinoGelato · January 2016

That really just does not sound that pleasant...

jgnatca · January 2016

My poor stomach has given up in despair when I was in a (medically supervised) VLCD. I was sluggish. No appetite. Especially no appetite for the restricted diet I was on. So I can see this happening.

1200 calories is a target, and if you are having trouble meeting that, have nuts and cheese on hand to eat at the end of the day to make your target.

WinoGelato · January 2016

OP, and others...

Here is a great list of calorie dense foods that can be used to help close the gap if you are short on calories for the day. Regularly eating under your calorie target, especially if you are exercising, may not give you the desired results.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1

kimny72 · January 2016

OP - first things first - are you using a food scale? If not, you are probably eating more than you think. Are you losing weight? If not, then you are probably eating more than you think.

If you are weighing your food and losing weight faster than you should be, then see the quoted post.

WinoGelato · January 2016

Good point. I was thinking of another poster that commented already about using a food scale - so yes, the first step would be to make sure that you aren't already eating more than you think, and if you are still short, then yes, use this list. Thanks for the catch!

kimny72 · January 2016

I know the one you are thinking of. It's weird how some days seem to have themes

BoaRestrictor · January 2016

Yeah it's not pleasant.

ilex70 · January 2016

There are plenty of foods that are high calorie, but not very satiating. I can eat a handful of potato chips or M&Ms and want another handful real quick. My regain wasn't from eating impressive amounts at meals. In fact when stressed/depressed I don't take the time to make real meals...just shove a hand in a bag or box of whatever is appealing at the moment.

A handful of broccoli? Chicken? Almonds? Personally not looking for more within 20 minutes, more like an hour+. I expect sweetened beverages plays into it too, though personally I gave those up quite awhile back.

To stay full at a lower intake - start eating later in the day because once your stomach wakes up it tends to poke at you every few hours, and eat foods that are high in protein, have some fat, and foods that are less calorie dense like fruits and vegetables.

I dont eat enough calories even though i eat when im hungry

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