I don’t understand how some people stick to 1200 calories per day diet,

rheddmobile

anechka1981 wrote: »

LounMoun. Yes, I try to have balanced division between protein, fat and carbohydrates. However, the percentage of good carbohydrates is higher then fat and protein intake in my diet. I just don't like that much meat, especially chicken or turkey.. I usually have carbohydrates in my breakfast: two brown breaded toast with eggs, or some fruits or berries with oats. I also have sometimes natural yogurt for a snack. About 20 g fat per pot per day (or handful of any nuts - talking about good fat) It the day time, it depends on what I want, it can be carbohydrate meal, like buckwheat porridge. Or some piece of meat with whatever vegetable that have at canteen at work. By evening I always have vegetable and fish (salmon and cod), or some seafood. I've read someone wrote yesterday that they eat as many vegetables as possible. And this is exactly what I did yesterday. I've cooked twice as more cod the usual, and twice as more veggies. . Two very large chunks of cods, and lots of asparagus, green beans, and broccoli. (the only veggies that I like) . I ate them until I felt super full,.. and it worked! I went to bed, slept like a baby, woke up without hunger.

The only minus, I'll become a bankrupt with this type of diet. These veggies cost a lot! Especially asparagus. If anyone can give me an idea what other vegetables I can eat? Obviously not potato. I also eat endless amount of tomatoes and cucumbers, but they like water to me. Doesn't matter how many I eat, I just don't satisfy my hunger.

Do you like zucchini?

Since you like a lot of seafood, a vegetable I like with fish is fennel bulb. I made a pasta the other day with carmelized fennel, garlic, and onions over zucchini noodles, with lemon zest.

Some inexpensive, low calorie, and filling vegetables include turnips and various types of cabbage - bok choy, napa cabbage, kale, red cabbage. Also broccoli. Spaghetti squash is another good one.

VeronicaA76

Depends on the person, someone who is 5' tall in heels is going to need a lot less calories a day than someone who is an easy 6' tall. Also, dietary habits play a big part. Some people consume half thier calories in "junk foods": soda, candy, chips,. While others stick to a very disciplined healthy diet in which 1200 calories provide a lot more nutrition.

Machka9

anechka1981 wrote: »

I also have sometimes natural yogurt for a snack. About 20 g fat per pot per day (or handful of any nuts - talking about good fat)

I'll also mention that while those things may be good for us, they are also high in calories.

When I decided to lose weight, the only change I made to what I ate between the time I got up in the morning and time I got home from work was to drop my handful of cashews ... my 400-500 calorie handful of cashews.

This was revealing ... a visual guide to 100 calories of nuts.
http://www.thekitchn.com/a-visual-guide-to-100-calories-of-nuts-snack-tips-from-the-kitchn-201778

As you can see, 100 calories of cashews works out to 13 or 14 cashews. I was eating easily 50-60 cashews in a handful.


Another thing I dropped was pears. Turns out they are quite high in calories compared with some other fruit. I only eat them when I'm taking a diet break now. Mango is high too, so I limit myself to just a few of them when I can fit them into my calorie goals.


Cereal was an eye-opening choice. 1 serving is 45 grams. So when a box of cereals says it has xxx calories per serving, it is talking about the calories in 45 grams of cereal. 45 grams of cereal is a dusting on the bottom of the bowl. I stopped eating cereal ... it just wasn't worth it.


So it does take a little while to sort out what is worth it, and what isn't. It is a good idea to go to your grocery stores and markets, have a good look, and figure out what your possibilities are.

Lounmoun

anechka1981 wrote: »

LounMoun. Yes, I try to have balanced division between protein, fat and carbohydrates. However, the percentage of good carbohydrates is higher then fat and protein intake in my diet. I just don't like that much meat, especially chicken or turkey.. I usually have carbohydrates in my breakfast: two brown breaded toast with eggs, or some fruits or berries with oats. I also have sometimes natural yogurt for a snack. About 20 g fat per pot per day (or handful of any nuts - talking about good fat) It the day time, it depends on what I want, it can be carbohydrate meal, like buckwheat porridge. Or some piece of meat with whatever vegetable that have at canteen at work. By evening I always have vegetable and fish (salmon and cod), or some seafood. I've read someone wrote yesterday that they eat as many vegetables as possible. And this is exactly what I did yesterday. I've cooked twice as more cod the usual, and twice as more veggies. . Two very large chunks of cods, and lots of asparagus, green beans, and broccoli. (the only veggies that I like) . I ate them until I felt super full,.. and it worked! I went to bed, slept like a baby, woke up without hunger.

The only minus, I'll become a bankrupt with this type of diet. These veggies cost a lot! Especially asparagus. If anyone can give me an idea what other vegetables I can eat? Obviously not potato. I also eat endless amount of tomatoes and cucumbers, but they like water to me. Doesn't matter how many I eat, I just don't satisfy my hunger.

Sounds like with some small adjustments you will be fine. Experiment to see what types of foods are most filling to you. Some people find a low carb diet works best, others like more of a mixture.

Higher fiber vegetables may be more filling choices for you. http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/features/fiber-groceries
Green beans and broccoli have higher fiber than tomatoes or cucumber.
You can eat any vegetable you like. I like a salad made with spinach or mixed greens with my meal. Cabbage is usually pretty cheap and can be cooked or eaten raw. Carrots are not my favorite food but I munch on them for a small snack sometimes.
Potatoes are nutritious and filling. If you like them, eat them
Frozen or canned vegetables may be much cheaper than fresh.

I would look at increasing your protein a bit.
Are you eating things like peas, beans and lentils? Quinoa? Cottage cheese?
Non-meat protein foods http://www.cookinglight.com/food/vegetarian/protein-for-vegetarians#vegetarian-protein-sources

Polo265

Gisel2015 wrote: »

Not so much of a problem if you are old, short, small boned, and if you were to eat good balanced meals, don't drink, binge, don't eat too many deserts or too often and exercise, and keep snacks to a minimum and under control. Exercise may give more calories to play around with but being old and small wouldn’t make the burn too large.
We are all different and like another poster said, there is not a one size fits all approach. Just worry about you.

I'm old and small boned, but I guess medium height for a woman. MFP has set my calorie goal at 1200. It is still very difficult for me. I try to get an additional 500+ exercise calories so I can eat more.

JennJ323

I eat 1200 a day, some days I eat back my exercise cals, some days I don't (usually it's under 200 cals burned for exercise). I typically have no issues sticking to 1200 or slightly under. I eat 3 meals a day, no snacking, but my meals are planned carefully to always include protein and filling items. I've been sticking with 1200 and really tracking good since beginning of June and am down about 15lb. So it works for me and I am seeing results. Everyone is different though, if it doesn't work for you that's ok.

azulvioleta6

Consider sharing your food diary for feedback.

You may need to be drinking more water. Increasing your fiber, fat or protein could also help.

timtam163

Ugh I feel you. I'm 5' and 120 lbs and get hangry af on 1200. I guess I just go really slowly with weight loss and listen to my body; I also cycle day to day or week to week between high and low amounts of calories. There's also just the injustice of being small and trying to lose weight: margins are slimmer. I've cut out most alcohol and sugar so that I can eat to satisfaction; and I try to reduce fat and cheese intake. But I almost never hit 1200; I'll usually manage a much smaller deficit than that. If it's not sustainable, I won't stay fit anyways; better to keep at small incremental changes.

lorrpb

Most don't, they post threads about why they're so hungry, tired, depressed, etc. I've seen only a small handful of very skilled, petite people succeed over the long haul on 1200 on here.

glitterng

P1NKWARR10R wrote: »

TeaBea wrote: »

P1NKWARR10R wrote: »

I have been getting 900 to 1100 calories a day and cardio 4x a week, strength 3 x week. It takes a lot of discipline.

This is sad......your lean muscle mass is fueling your workouts.

Why is it sad?

TeaBea, because, as I have come to learn too late in life, when your body starts using muscle mass to fuel itself, we forget that the heart itself is a muscle, and therefore becomes part of the muscle mass your body is using for fuel. It results in heart arrythmias and worse. Now, THAT is sad.

glitterng

anechka1981 wrote: »

I don’t understand how some people stick to 1200 calories per day diet, plus exercising and not eating these calories back.

I can barely stick to 1,500 calories intakes, that is to take in to count that I eat back those calories that I loose in the gym.


How does anyone cope with their low calories intake?

Hi! I, too, am a night snacker. Bah. My height is between 5'8 and 5'10, depending on the day and time of day (back problems, I shrink sometimes. LOL), and I have just this week gotten under the 100lbs to lose mark. Woohoo! (Now having to lose 99.6.bs. Started at needing to lose 140lbs.) My calorie requirements to lose 2lbs per week according to MFP is 1560 at the moment. I'm not losing 2lbs a week I don't think, but it is sort of averaging out that way. Some weeks I lose more than 2, some weeks less.

That being said by way of background, there are days when I struggle to get my calories UP enough for MFP to accept that that's what I ate for the day without getting the "you have not eaten enough calories to register" deal. Weird. Here's how that works out.

Breakfast: 2/3cup Special K cereal, 120c. 1/2cup 2% milk, 61c. 5-6 fresh strawberries, 27c. 1/2cup blueberries, 42c, total calories for breakfast, 250.
Lunch, a Gilbert's Aloha Chicken Sausage, 120c, and 1 cup of Uncle Ben's wild rice, 190c, 1 diet soda, 0c. Total lunch calories, 310.
Dinner, Healthy Choice dinner (usually between 250 and 300c, so let's pick the high number here for demonstration purposes) 300c. About 2-4 cups water throughout the day.

So right there, I have only eaten 860 calories. So now I'm scrambling, because MFP doesn't like me when I eat only that. So for afters after dinner and late night snacks, fruits or veggies isn't going to cut it because I'm not THAT hungry enough to eat another 300-600 calories worth of veggies or fruit. So here comes the Terra Exotic sea salt potato chips (150calories), and maybe an ice cream sandwich (190 calories), or maybe some Simply white cheddar popcorn (35calories per serving x 2). LOL

Now, everyone calm down! Yes, I know this is not eating healthful, but it's working for me at the moment. When it stops working, then I'll change it up. Considering how overweight I am and how limited I am in mobility, I am doing the best I can. I've lost over 40lbs since May without any exercise, and I think that's just fine. I feel better, I think I look a little better, and I'm hoping that the weight loss is helping my body a bit better. I am trying to make better choices in my snacks and eating, but when MFP tells me it won't even register what I've eaten that day because it's not enough, then I say fine, and start chomping on stuff just to get the calories up. Only one day did I lie and say I ate more just so it would stop nagging me. LOL

So, yes, you can do 1200 to 1500 calories, eat all three meals, and still do late night snacking, snacking through the day, or having that medium iced caramel mocha decaf from Dunkin's (240calories).

And you know what? I believe you can do it! (((hugs))) Also, don't discount caffeine withdrawal as a possible source of your symptoms if you have limited it in your diet. A lot of those sound very, very similar.

mommygoose1417

I find things that are low in calories and use them as frequent snacks (usually vegetables) I also found an ice cream called arctic zero which helps satisfy my sweet tooth without feeling guilty.

MeganMcK11

rheddmobile wrote: »

You're not really supposed to eat less than 1200, and not eating back exercise calories means you are eating less than 1200. It's uncomfortable because it's unhealthy.

Someone above said they accepted feeling sick and weak and miserable because that's the way it has to be - but it doesn't have to be that way. You can lose weight without making yourself sick.

Yes this! I read the comment she mentions and it really sounds like the beginnings of an eating disorder if not already a full blown one- diagnosed or not.

I'm 5'0 and I have about 50-60 more pounds to lose before I reach my goal of 140ish. That's comfortable for me to be able to maintain. But I'm eating anywhere from 1400-1700 calories a day. I do about thirty minutes of planned exercise and just try to move more the rest of the day. I'm still losing weight and I'm not starving myself. Ive done the 1200 calorie a day thing- when I was in my early 20s. Yeah it works but it was miserable and not maintainable.

Bottom line- you DO NOT HAVE TO BE MISERABLE TO LOSE WEIGHT. I'm 29 now and I just learned within the past 4 or 5 years that I can still eat what I want and still lose weight. It's about consistency and healthier food choices 80% of the time.

ritzvin

ritzvin wrote: »

anechka1981 wrote: »

I don’t understand how some people stick to 1200 calories per day diet, plus exercising and not eating these calories back.

I can barely stick to 1,500 calories intakes, that is to take in to count that I eat back those calories that I loose in the gym.

It would largely come down to how much of a deficit this amounts to. For some of us, this would amount to less than a 200 calorie deficit on a non-exercise day (FYI- I definitely eat them back, and often eat above the 1200 net for a significantly smaller average deficit).. in this case, it's hard because you have to forego the tasty tempting things, not because of actual hunger (as long as you choose your foods somewhat wisely).

ETA: (I'm 4'10" & 115 lbs with a desk job).

adding: I also don't keep snacks in the house, and rarely eat anything starchy. Pretty much every chosen food item has to serve a macro purpose (unless it's a long cardio day). For instance, I tried plain cereal as a greek yogurt mix-in..found the extra calories of pure starch made it much more difficult to fit in desired protein & fat (and went back to using crumbled Clif or protein bars); and rarely have bread/tortillas/rice/potatoes/crackers since I don't need the 'filler calories' (and these are impulse control items for me). Yogurt/cheese for snacks (to up protein, fat) rather than, say, a (very) small helping of chips. Stopped buying butter (or any high-calorie condiment) ages ago. I do indulge on somewhat frequent occasion (but don't need the temptation in the house) - on the last camping trip, there were rolls, butter, and salt and vinegar chips (man, was that chip sandwich amazing after such a long time).

..but like I said previously, I'm (very) petite so 1200 net calories is only about a 200-250 calorie deficit, so if I watch macros at all, I won't be at all hungry. The problem is the temptation of all the yummy things or boredom snacking. not hunger.