Struggling to hit 1200 calories!

xarra
xarra Posts: 128 Member
edited February 7 in Food and Nutrition
I'm doing the slimfast thing and it's working (3kg in about a month) but sometimes I'm struggling to hit the 1200 calories.

Shake for breakfast (230)
Meal bar for lunch (230)
Cereal bar snack (70)
Homemade tea or similar for 450-ish calories...

Should I just add on fruit and similar until I hit just over 1200? (BMR is 1658 currently but I am extremely sedentary...)

Tonight I have 277 spare, can I have an ice cream cone (252) or is that bad because sugar? Or should I have an extra slimfast shake? Or 2 bananas?

Not generally feeling hungry, just started losing weight (medical condition that needs me to lose 11kg to help 'fix' it) and a bit bemused?

Replies

  • xarra
    xarra Posts: 128 Member
    Because then at least I'll eat/drink something for breakfast and lunch instead of snacking on chocolate and sweet stuff all day and totally failing to lose weight...

    It's working for me? Except the whole getting high enough!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,231 Member
    edited February 7
    xarra wrote: »
    I'm doing the slimfast thing and it's working (3kg in about a month) but sometimes I'm struggling to hit the 1200 calories.

    Shake for breakfast (230)
    Meal bar for lunch (230)
    Cereal bar snack (70)
    Homemade tea or similar for 450-ish calories...

    Should I just add on fruit and similar until I hit just over 1200? (BMR is 1658 currently but I am extremely sedentary...)

    Tonight I have 277 spare, can I have an ice cream cone (252) or is that bad because sugar? Or should I have an extra slimfast shake? Or 2 bananas?

    Not generally feeling hungry, just started losing weight (medical condition that needs me to lose 11kg to help 'fix' it) and a bit bemused?

    Eat the 1200. 1200 is already very low. You're already losing quite fast. Fast loss is a trap, hard to sustain, long term counterproductive.

    Have an ice cream. (Bonus news, ice cream has nutrition, a little protein, some calcium.) Or have some bananas. Or have a small sandwich. Whatever.

    Generally, eating nutrient-dense foods will serve a person better than calorie-dense but nutrient poor ones. Yes, there's better nutrition, but the nutrient-dense foods are also usually more filling, and make it easier to stay energized and on course. But we don't have to give up treat foods entirely. (That can cause deprivation-triggered over-eating eventually.)

    Think long term.
    xarra wrote: »
    Because then at least I'll eat/drink something for breakfast and lunch instead of snacking on chocolate and sweet stuff all day and totally failing to lose weight...

    It's working for me? Except the whole getting high enough!

    Sooner or later, if you want not only to reach a healthy weight but also stay there (which is the Really Big Prize IMO), you will need to figure out some eating patterns that give you overall adequate nutrition, keep you mostly full and happy, and that add up to appropriate calories for your ongoing activity level.

    Is this eating routine going to be that for you? If it is, great. If not . . . well, someday start working on that. If you eat in this way, but can't stick with it forever, that will be a problem eventually.

    If you can limit yourself to these supplements for now, why can't you limit yourself from "snacking on chocolate and sweet stuff all day"? That's a sincere question, not a snarky one. You obviously have the ability to change. You may have more scope of power than you believe. Faith in your ability would be merited (and useful).

    Think long term.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm/p1
  • xarra
    xarra Posts: 128 Member
    Because I'm autistic, this is the first time in a looooong time I've had breakfast, and I usually skip lunch during the week - but I've put on weight due to a combo of medication and eating chocolate, whole tubs of ice cream, and snacking...

    I know it's probably not brilliant long term, but I may well keep up the breakfast shake as I'm actually having something, and then maybe figure out something bigger for lunch...
  • phx92
    phx92 Posts: 87 Member
    The other posters have made good points about Whole Foods and being sustainable, definitely think about if your trying to lose weight for a health problem as your overall nutrition will probably help too

    That said, I have used Slimfast and similar before and it can help to be told exactly what to do if you aren’t used to eating regular meals. For your example being short and wanting an ice cream cone - go for it! As long as you can limit to a serving and not a whole tub, don’t feel like you can’t ever have treats. If you graze or binge on sugary foods often the sugar can be a problem, but unless your doctor has advised you differently a single portion as a treat once in a while isn’t a bad thing.

    Definitely add more fruits and vegetables to your “meals” though and make sure your main meal has lots of nutrients. If you have a portion of fruit/veg with each shake/bar/snack, you’ll get a lot more nutrients and fiber which can be lacking. And you’ll add on some of the extra calories you need every day.
  • carley_marie83
    carley_marie83 Posts: 59 Member
    Add a piece of fruit to your slim fast meals and have a small dessert, that could easily 400/500 calories.

Categories