1200 calories a day

Gozomalta28
Gozomalta28 Posts: 18 Member
edited December 3 in Food and Nutrition
I am a runner and had to stop for a couple of months due to a stress fracture. I am trying to stay at 1200 calories a day; but I am finding it hard to stay on track. The calories add up quick and I am usually still hungry. What do you eat to stay at this level?

Replies

  • caryespinal
    caryespinal Posts: 3 Member
    HI I just stared last week and I'm at 1304 goal and I don't get to my total carbs or calories during the week. I eat veggies such as spinach and broccoli. I avoid bread or anything with flour. I hope this helps. I went over my cal on Sunday by 23 I think
  • aprilzabeth
    aprilzabeth Posts: 18 Member
    edited September 2016
    I just started this and am having the same problem. But I found that air popped popcorn helps and also making home made soup. Bananas, peanut butter, and eggs help fill me up as well. But yeah it's really easy to be so hungry on 1200 calories. At least for me.

    Warm things seem to help like warm tea and oatmeal.

  • pontious11349
    pontious11349 Posts: 105 Member
    I guess the first question is why you set the bar at 1200? What's the goal - fat loss?

    It may be a bit deeper than you want to delve into things but if you track your macro nutrients you will soon learn the calorie dense foods.

    For example bacon is high calorie but turkey bacon is not...

    You can get pretty full on 1200 but honestly that target seems low for anyone - particularly active people
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    edited September 2016
    Are you really small? Do you really need to eat 1200 calories? While you aren't running perhaps you might think about switching your focus a bit. Otherwise, what you're planning to do is going to lengthen your recovery time and cause you to lose muscle. Look into strength training that won't aggravate your stress fracture and eat 250 calories under maintenance. Work on building up strength and doing a little recomp rather than eating so little and risking muscle loss.
  • LoraMartyn
    LoraMartyn Posts: 41 Member
    MFP had me on 1200 calories after I lost a bit of weight. I tried, I really did, but could not do it. I upped my calories to 1400 and felt much better, and I am still losing!
  • delboy604
    delboy604 Posts: 116 Member
    I'm on 1200 set by mfp. Although I am worried I may not be having enough. I feel okay atm. I'm only day 2 into it!!! Any thoughts?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    What are your stats OP? I lasted 4 days on 1200 calories before i lost the plot, I can say with 100% certainty that i can NOT do it! I was doing zero exercise at the time and still couldn't hack it.
    I'm not short or light though, I'm 5"8 and around 147lbs.
  • delboy604
    delboy604 Posts: 116 Member
    I'm male, same height 5"8 and weight approx 17 stone. I'm not particularly active although am starting to get walking again. ??
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    delboy604 wrote: »
    I'm male, same height 5"8 and weight approx 17 stone. I'm not particularly active although am starting to get walking again. ??

    Yeah but being a male and at your weight you wouldn't be eating 1200 calories though, right?
  • delboy604
    delboy604 Posts: 116 Member
    I send my apologies. I am on 1500 a day. I just checked there. I'm new to all this. Currently this 1500 is going well and hopefully I can keep up walking too
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    delboy604 wrote: »
    I'm on 1200 set by mfp. Although I am worried I may not be having enough. I feel okay atm. I'm only day 2 into it!!! Any thoughts?
    delboy604 wrote: »
    I send my apologies. I am on 1500 a day. I just checked there. I'm new to all this. Currently this 1500 is going well and hopefully I can keep up walking too

    Two days in is too early to tell, really, if you're eating too little. Your body will put up with it for a little while but will start to let you know over time if you aren't giving it enough energy. You'll be tired, hungry, irritable and maybe mentally foggy. If you start to notice those things, change your rate of loss in MFP so you're losing less per week and your calorie goal will go up to match.
  • delboy604
    delboy604 Posts: 116 Member
    Thanks all for the chat.
  • aprilzabeth
    aprilzabeth Posts: 18 Member
    Well this thread inspired me to up my calories. I have been getting cranky and just thinking about food all the time.

    I don't know about you, OP, but I'm 5'3, 118 pounds (last I checked a few days ago) and I walk around 60 minutes a day. I was having such trouble losing these last few pounds, nothing helped. But I joined this site and started losing weight again. But I think 1200 is too low for me. Maybe for you as well.
  • Gozomalta28
    Gozomalta28 Posts: 18 Member
    Thank you all for the support. So I am 5'5, about 133. I decided to go on 1200 calories because I am very scared to gain weight while I am not running. I am biking and doing elliptical together with some strength training. My BMR shows I should be eating 1385 calories a day to maintain. I am doing the 1200 calories a day to maybe loose a pound or two. I have 2 more months of no running.
  • rebel_26
    rebel_26 Posts: 1,826 Member
    edited September 2016
    1200 and 1500 seem low unless you sleeping all day. I'm 5'8" and set for semi active (Im actually more active than that) and my reco TDEE is 2450 calories a day. Also to stay satiated implement calorie dense foods. You can google that term for a list. Invest in a fitbit or something of the likes to help calculate the actual calories burned.Its not perfect but it helps. Good luck
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    delboy604 wrote: »
    I'm on 1200 set by mfp. Although I am worried I may not be having enough. I feel okay atm. I'm only day 2 into it!!! Any thoughts?

    1200 (before exercise) is a default minimum based on "I want to lose xx pounds per week." You got 1200 (before exercise) because you are very petite, elderly, or set and aggressive weekly weight loss goal.

    Pound per week goals
    75+ lbs set to lose 2 lb range
    Between 40 - 75 lbs set to lose 1.5 lb range
    Between 25-40 lbs set to lose 1 lb range
    Between 15-25 lbs set to lose 1 -.50 lb range
    Less than 15 lbs set to lose 0.5 lbs range

    When we lose weight we lose fat+lean muscle mass. Aggressive weight loss makes it harder for your body to fuel existing lean muscle. There's a trade-off for fast weight loss.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited September 2016
    Gozomalta28 wrote: »
    Thank you all for the support. So I am 5'5, about 133. I decided to go on 1200 calories because I am very scared to gain weight while I am not running. I am biking and doing elliptical together with some strength training. My BMR shows I should be eating 1385 calories a day to maintain. I am doing the 1200 calories a day to maybe loose a pound or two. I have 2 more months of no running.

    BMR = basal metabolic rate. These are the calories to maintain.....if you stayed in bed all day.

    Find your TDEE instead (total daily energy expenditure).....that's maintenance for sedentary, lightly avtive....whatever.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • rebel_26
    rebel_26 Posts: 1,826 Member
    rapid weight loss is not a good plan in other words. Most who do it end up gaining it back and than some.
    Gozomalta28 wrote: »
    Thank you all for the support. So I am 5'5, about 133. I decided to go on 1200 calories because I am very scared to gain weight while I am not running. I am biking and doing elliptical together with some strength training. My BMR shows I should be eating 1385 calories a day to maintain. I am doing the 1200 calories a day to maybe loose a pound or two. I have 2 more months of no running.

    use semi active for your TDEE if your doing the above mentioned activities. You're doing more than 30% of the world more than likely with that list.
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