Stupid brain!

ninerbuff

Dieting and eating "clean" just to lose weight doesn't usually last long for a lot of people. If you're always going to think about food you miss, then it's actually better to add those foods in and fit it into your calorie limit. It shouldn't have to be a battle to lose weight. You just need to eat less than you burn to do it.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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enterdanger

I agree with @SezxyStef. I am a mom of 2 with a 3rd on the way. 1200 with your current stats is low. MFP probably assigned it to you because you chose a 2lb a week weight loss. I had similar stats when I got on here after #2 son was born. I lost 40lbs in 5 months, but then I just couldn't sustain the 1200 calories anymore and I literally plateaud for a year. It wasn't a real plateau...it was ME! I was eating "ALL THE FOOD."

When you overly restrict your calories, then you are hungry and you have to rely 100% on willpower. I would drop your weight loss goal to 1lb a week so you aren't as hungry. It will be more likely that you won't binge if you get to eat a bit more. If you are always running with your boy I'd also pick that you are "lightly active" on MFP instead of sedentary. If you switch and aren't losing a lb a week you can always re-adjust your calories, but it's not worth it to think about food all the time because you are super hungry.

Tattoos_and_Tea

Thank you, I'll change them and see what it suggests

enterdanger

I feel your pain though. I wanted to lose weight fast too and now that is on hold. I'm expecting son #3 and I'm ravenously hungry today. I try to stick around my maintenance calories most days as I'm already overweight and I'd like to gain 20lbs or less....but today I just have to eat.

I skipped dinner last night because it was hot and I wasn't feeling good...today I've been up for 5 hours and I've already had tea, cottage cheese, strawberries, raisin toast with butter, coffee (yep, just hit my caffeine limit today, so sad), and a HUGE blueberry muffin at work. Feeding frenzy. I'll probably eat lunch in an hour too...lol. It's ok though. If I'm this hungry I need to eat. Plus, this baby hates food after like 4pm. Every night I feel sick around dinner.

Listening to your body is a good thing.

luv2shimmy

The problem with not eating enough is that your body will eventually go into starvation mode and hold on to every single calorie you eat to ensure that your brain and other vital organs have the glucose and other nutrients that they need to function. Additionally, because you're not exercising, your body will also tear apart your muscles for those nutrients, so you'll be losing weight, sure, but it's muscle mass, not fat.

If you want tomato soup, have tomato soup. You just have to make sure that it fits into your calorie goals for the day - maybe make it with lowfat milk instead of cream. It takes time to do research and learn how to change the things you like to eat so that they fit into the new normal for you. I echo what the poster above said about making sure that you're eating all 1200 calories and that they're nutrient dense foods (also, maybe you might need to increase your calories - if you're moving as much as you say you are, maybe 1200 really isn't enough).

As far as exercise goes, it doesn't have to mean joining a gym or doing exercise DVD's.... could you go for a long walk with him? When my kids were small, we'd go to the track at the local high school and they'd play in the grass in the middle while I either walked or ran (sometimes they'd run with me, other times they'd just run around in the grass). Sometimes I'd get up early before they were up and go for a run while my husband was still home. And sometimes, I'd play at the park with them, trying to cross the monkey bars or climb the climbing wall with them...

sllm1

I was interrupted as I was posting earlier. I know the tendency is to get the weight off as fast as you can, but do what is sustainable long-term or you'll eventually say, "Forget it" and eat everything under the sun (the backlash). I have done this many times. I lost and gained and lost and gained and lost and gained. At this point, I understand that eating enough is also important. Enough, but not too much. Your body will thank you and you'll reach your goal if your eating habits are sustainable.

I haven't read all of the posts, so this may have been mentioned, but if you're set at 2 pounds per week, I would suggest changing it to 1. You'll be happier. Your body will be happier. You'll be hungry but not starving, and ultimately, you'll be able to stick with it for the long haul.

Two pounds per week seems more exciting and seems like it would get you to your goal more quickly, but it won't if you can't sustain it.

42firm03

sazzle1983 wrote: »

Whoa hold up love, I don't sit down for anymore than 5 minutes when my son is awake! all day I'm playing, climbing, walking, looking etc with him! So don't you dare presume I do nothing with him. I just don't have enough money to join a gym or have enough energy once he goes to bed to do an exercise DVD. Do u have children? If so, you'll understand how knackered you feel come the end of each day!

No they do understand. That's why they are encouraging you to eat more. Eat to your goal. Not under it. Re-assess your goal with a reasonable loss per week with your activity level dialed in.

Eat your activity calories, your loss comes from the deficit MFP has already calculated for you.

As a busy, at home Mom of a toddler, your activity level will not be sedentary and you can likely eat more than 1200 and still lose. That's what folks are trying to share with you. No one wants you to be miserable, which craving a healthy soup sounds like a symptom of, to me.

ninerbuff

t_tullius wrote: »

The problem with not eating enough is that your body will eventually go into starvation mode and hold on to every single calorie you eat to ensure that your brain and other vital organs have the glucose and other nutrients that they need to function.

Actually "starvation mode" isn't a real thing. What actually happens when your deficit is too high is that your metabolic rate will adjust for the calories given. In other words it slows down more to compensate. That's why people who undereat stall alot in weight loss.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

lemurcat12

In addition to what others have said, one way to think of it is that it will be easier and you will end up losing more consistently if you stick consistently to a smaller deficit (like 1400 or 1500) than if you struggle to stick at some lower number (like 1200 or, as it seems you are, even lower), and with the latter the likelihood is that you will end up overeating more often or give up before goal or think of dieting as miserable so have a harder time adjusting to a sustainable way of eating at the end.

Also, chances are the 1200 goal is based on you saying "sedentary" and few people actually are, especially not someone caring for a small child and active with him as you reported. I'd do lightly active at least.

leejoyce31

sazzle1983 wrote: »

So I've lost 11lb so far but have another 38lb to go to reach my goal weight. I'm mentally finding it very difficult though. My brain keeps telling me to eat all the things I shouldn't and I'm craving things so bad, not chocolate surprisingly! I really want tomato soup! Lol. Anyway! No matter how much I try to distract myself I just keep coming back to thoughts of food! The food I am eating and counting just doesn't seem to satisfy me. Hope I'm not approaching a wall, I don't want to fail and ruin my 11lb loss hard work but my stupid brain just won't turn off! Help!

It looks like you are not eating enough calories, which is contributing to the cravings, and constant thoughts of foods. Also, I am sure that someone else will also suggest that you purchase a food scale and measure everything in grams and measure liquids. If your intake is correct as indicated in your diary, it is very clear why you are struggling. Please eat more.

LivingtheLeanDream

Your brain is clever and you should listen to it... you are active and can lose eating more than you do.

vespiquenn

I'm not going to repeat what others have said because they are right.

What I do want to mention is that approaching weight loss so drastically can do more harm than good in the long run. Do you plan on ignoring cravings for the rest of your life? If the answer is yes, I bid you good luck at that. I hate to say it, but weight loss is the easy part. Getting to your goal weight and maintaining can be much more difficult because you may be allowed more calories, but if you do not eat in moderation, you risk falling back into old habits. This is the reason so many people come back after gaining everything they lost. And I have seen many admit to tackling weight loss like you currently are.

Only make changes you can sustain for the rest of your life. You want tomato soup? Find a low calorie recipe as one user suggested, or make your favorite and eat just a portion. You will did it much more enjoyable if you don't make it so difficult on yourself.

JILLCLI4D

Drink a bottle of water when you have cravings- then you won't have enough room in your stomach for anything else!

babypunkprincess

Honestly I have found when I was eating 1200 calories in was craving sooooooo much junk. I have a 6 week old and I'm up all day attending to him. I do workout tho but looking after a 3 yo will keep u extremely busy!

So I upped my calories to 1500-1700 and feel amazing and am still losing weight. I researched "under eating" and it opened my eyes that in order to lose weigh u need to eat enough.

SezxyStef

JILLCLI4D wrote: »

Drink a bottle of water when you have cravings- then you won't have enough room in your stomach for anything else!

why not just eat what you are craving in a reasonable portion????

this isn't a punishment for being overweight...it's a decision to not be overweight any longer...you shouldn't be hungry, you shouldn't give up the foods you love and want ie crave and you should not give up food groups cause it is in some book you read.

bethannien

I'm a stay at home mom of two, myself. I don't think anyone was trying to say that you were not busy keeping up with your toddler. In fact just the opposite. You need to fuel your activity. My 11 month old just started walking and between chasing him down and keeping my 4 year old entertained, living on 1200 calories would be a recipe for a binge in no time. I feel your pain. I weigh about 15-20 pounds more than you and I want the weight gone like yesterday. But I've been on this roller coaster ride for too long and I finally know better.