Logging for a few weeks, 1200 calories, Help!

stitchvalkyrie

Hello everyone,

This is my first post here and I really need some help. I am 5ft 4, or 162 cm, and weigh about 60 kg. According to myfittnesspal my calorie intake should be 1200 just to lose a couple of Kgs. I want to be around 56/57 max. Granted I try and do exercise when I can, but im just having a real issue sticking to the calorie intake. Is anyone else having this problem? Most days im about 300-500 over, some days is like 900-1000. I know I know, it all comes down to your eating but Ive read that 1200 is quite low.

So basically i'll have some toast for breakky, or a handful of nuts with some goji berries. And then lunch time I would TRY to make a nice healthy salad, but normally depends if my partner is around I might go and have coffee club. Dinner is normally the hard one, take away, or chinese, fish and chips, or say sausages mash and veggies. But it just adds up too much. I need to literaly just have toast in the morning, salad for lunch, and for dinner to be about 1200

Im guessing the only solutions are just exercise more right? I try to run once a week, would like to more outside but its starting to get quite hot where I live and I struggle to wake up before 8 since im on holidays. But I do try and do nike Kinect training - which believe me does give you a workout, as its a personal trainer working you out. I am completely buggered afterwards, moreso than when I normally go to the gym and do weights and cardio (Still tired but not PT session)

I just wanna know if you have any tips? I don't really drink softdrink now, I have it once in a while, as I know its empty calories. I have 3-5 green teas a day, and then just water. I really have bad motivation at times, to try and get up to exercise - I am on holidays but even when I do my shift work I struggle to get up and go to the gym. ....I think if everyone just had motivation and determination, there wouldn't be a need for this particular forum lol

AlongCame_Molly

You could eat a lot more than that and still lose weight. Search "TDEE calculator", enter in your info, and eat 20% fewer calories than the number it gives you. MFP is great, except that it consistently gives unrealistically low calorie goals for people. I'm 5 feet tall, and am still losing on 1850 cals.

stitchvalkyrie

Well the thing is, I weigh normally about 59 but the past few days ive gone up to 60 kgs. I know it can fluctuate easily, but its surely not helping me lose weight me going over. So it must be true that im on a 1200 cal deficit

ladynocturne

Since you are already a healthy weight and have very few pounds to lose, I'd recommend setting your goal to lose .5lbs a week and try to at least get a walk in everyday

Doing these two things should give you around 350-400 calories more to eat a day and you will still lose 2lbs a month. I realize that may seem extremely slow, but when you are already a healthy weight, weight loss simply takes longer because a smaller deficit is needed to be healthy.

3dogsrunning

Don't choose 2 lbs a week as a weight loss goal. It is not a realistic goal for you with that little weight to lose. It should be .5 lbs a week.

stitchvalkyrie

TDEE Calc, exercise 1-3 times a week: 1940 cal I should be THIN AS

dawlschic007

Since you do not have a lot of weight to lose, you should not have such a large deficit. It might be best to change your settings from losing 2 pounds a week to 0.5 pounds per week. Also, are you working out at all? If so, make sure you are eating your exercise calories back or change your settings so that it includes your correct activity levels. Depending on how active you are, you can change your activity level from sedentary to light active, etc. so that it gives you more calories to work with.

stitchvalkyrie

Nah im not doing 2 pounds a week, I am doing 2 kgs to lose over a month or just over. So that's why myfitnesspal said 1200 a day

3dogsrunning

Nah im not doing 2 pounds a week, I am doing 2 kgs to lose over a month or just over. So that's why myfitnesspal said 1200 a day

So you chose 1 lb/ .5 kg a week?
Switch it to .5 lb a week. And choose lightly active. Few people are truly sedentary.

stitchvalkyrie

Nah im not doing 2 pounds a week, I am doing 2 kgs to lose over a month or just over. So that's why myfitnesspal said 1200 a day

So you chose 1 lb/ .5 kg a week?
Switch it to .5 lb a week. And choose lightly active. Few people are truly sedentary.

Just checked it out, my goal is apparently 56 kgs, and I have it set to 1 pound per week, with 2 workouts a week and 30 min workout :O

3dogsrunning

Nah im not doing 2 pounds a week, I am doing 2 kgs to lose over a month or just over. So that's why myfitnesspal said 1200 a day

So you chose 1 lb/ .5 kg a week?
Switch it to .5 lb a week. And choose lightly active. Few people are truly sedentary.

Just checked it out, my goal is apparently 56 kgs, and I have it set to 1 pound per week, with 2 workouts a week and 30 min workout :O

The workouts on that equation are just a time goal. It does not affect your calorie goal.

stitchvalkyrie

Nah im not doing 2 pounds a week, I am doing 2 kgs to lose over a month or just over. So that's why myfitnesspal said 1200 a day

So you chose 1 lb/ .5 kg a week?
Switch it to .5 lb a week. And choose lightly active. Few people are truly sedentary.

Just checked it out, my goal is apparently 56 kgs, and I have it set to 1 pound per week, with 2 workouts a week and 30 min workout :O

The workouts on that equation are just a time goal. It does not affect your calorie goal.

So does that mean it should be working or no? Because say even if im eating 1700 cal a day (500 cal over 1200) I should still be losing some weight overtime, not putting a kg on or keeping steady. :S So I still change it to 0.5lb a week?

I really just don't get the mathamatics for it, if after 3 weeks ive been logging, and my start weight was 59 kgs and im now 59-60... after being over my calorie limit of 1200 by 600-800 cals most days... then truly I need to be at about 1300 a week so to lose any weight at all?

RobinsEgg

You could help control your hunger if you ate more protein in the morning meal - just a suggestion - upping protein makes a great difference in satisfying hunger.

stitchvalkyrie

You could help control your hunger if you ate more protein in the morning meal - just a suggestion - upping protein makes a great difference in satisfying hunger.

Yeah normally most of the week i'll have a handful of nuts. say like 8 cashews, 8 almonds, 8 walnuts and handful of goji berries with a green tea. Full of protein. Does keep me full but yes by lunch im still hungry. Its normally after lunch in the afternoon dinner time ill snack or still feel really hungry. Even if I have coffee club or something for lunch, something fatty. Like yesterday I had red rooster (I know.......) and that lunch was just 1000 calories with just the normal wrap and small chips with water. How about that. I could have that one meal, and say a piece of toast or two, and cant eat the rest of the day based on the 1200 cal diet. geesh, crazy stuff.

CEThornton

my best advice... Cook!! and measure everything!! I'm shocked by how many dissatisfying empty calories are hidden in "healthy" pre prepared foods. I've also seen the suggestion made to eat more protein throughout the day, and I have to agree!! Good luck in your fitness journey!

3dogsrunning

You could help control your hunger if you ate more protein in the morning meal - just a suggestion - upping protein makes a great difference in satisfying hunger.

Yeah normally most of the week i'll have a handful of nuts. say like 8 cashews, 8 almonds, 8 walnuts and handful of goji berries with a green tea. Full of protein. Does keep me full but yes by lunch im still hungry. Its normally after lunch in the afternoon dinner time ill snack or still feel really hungry. Even if I have coffee club or something for lunch, something fatty. Like yesterday I had red rooster (I know.......) and that lunch was just 1000 calories with just the normal wrap and small chips with water. How about that. I could have that one meal, and say a piece of toast or two, and cant eat the rest of the day based on the 1200 cal diet. geesh, crazy stuff.

That isn't full of protein at all. Nuts are a great source of fat.

How are you measuring your food?
Can you open your diary?
Have you started or increased your exercise in this time?

lilacinfinity

Eat more. Do some strength/resistance training. You can do bodyweight exercises at home, any time. 30 minutes 3-4 times a week.

Seriously. 2kg in "weight" isn't going to make a lick of difference. I imagine you've more got in mind some 'trouble zones' that you'd like to 'fix' - losing 2kg isn't going to fix them.
Yes fluctuation is normal, expect up to a 5kg range - i.e 2.5 kg either way from your normal weight

Everything said so far, in that 2kg in a month isn't a realistic target for you, is correct. Change your goal to 0.25kg per week, but don't expect it. It could take 2 months or more for any real change.
If you do do some more exercise, expect your weight to *increase* temporarily (2-3 weeks)

Opening your diary would help people give some more advice too - but it's great that you're logging it.

maguariento

I'm 5'11", weigh 140 lbs (so about 64kg). At a one lb per week loss goal, I get only 1260 cals, so we're on a similar level. I know one lb per week loss is a bit high, and I also usually go over. I keep in mind that this number has a built in 500 cal per day deficit. So if I go over the 1260 but not over 1760, I'm still losing.

That said, it seems clear your dinners are your downfall. I get it - mine can be, too. Avoid take out! Take up cooking. Stir frys are great. You can even use frozen mixed veggies. Get a jar of black bean paste or curry paste or something like that - not a big jar of gloopy sauce. Dilute with water, stock, or low fat coconut milk. Stay away from those bangers!!! Use chicken or shrimp or just veg most nights. Use a non stick pan so you can do little or no oil (use water; of course it's not the same, but it'll get that calorie count down!). Pasta with marinara sauces are also good. And salads don't only have to be for lunch!! I do a southwestern salad with black beans (canned), corn (frozen), red onion, salsa (from the deli). Stuff it in a whole wheat tortilla! Dressing is non fat plain yogurt, lime juice, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, chili powder; water to dilute. Creamy and almost no cals!

Anyway, the trick will be pre planning meals, for sure. Check out other forums and other sites. There are endless possibilities! My personal plan to get on top of this is to make and freeze meal kits for weeknights, when it's too easy to turn to junk.

Oh yes, and exercise daily!!! That will give you more to eat. And at your BMI, you are more than safe to "eat back your exercise calories." Just walk half an hour a day. It helps. Just make sure you log it to get the calorie "credit."

Also, if you have a desk job, yes you should pick sedentary. It still gives you plenty of cals. Just be sure to log your "cardio," even if it's just a walk.

Good luck!!!

dawlschic007

Nah im not doing 2 pounds a week, I am doing 2 kgs to lose over a month or just over. So that's why myfitnesspal said 1200 a day

So you chose 1 lb/ .5 kg a week?
Switch it to .5 lb a week. And choose lightly active. Few people are truly sedentary.

Just checked it out, my goal is apparently 56 kgs, and I have it set to 1 pound per week, with 2 workouts a week and 30 min workout :O

The workouts on that equation are just a time goal. It does not affect your calorie goal.

So does that mean it should be working or no? Because say even if im eating 1700 cal a day (500 cal over 1200) I should still be losing some weight overtime, not putting a kg on or keeping steady. :S So I still change it to 0.5lb a week?

I really just don't get the mathamatics for it, if after 3 weeks ive been logging, and my start weight was 59 kgs and im now 59-60... after being over my calorie limit of 1200 by 600-800 cals most days... then truly I need to be at about 1300 a week so to lose any weight at all?

The less you have to lose, the harder it is. Some weeks I won't see any change at all, regardless of how many calories I'm consuming. Other weeks, it just falls right off. You can try bumping your calories up slowly, like 100 calories more per week until you reach about 1550 to 1600 calories and see if that helps and change your macro goals to 40% carbs/30% protein/30% fat). Are you tracking sodium? That always makes a big difference on the scale for me if I go over the recommended sodium levels.

Also, have you been eating your exercise calories back now?

samedame

Make it easy on yourself to get started and get some adkins bars, diet meals, all the calories done for you already. That makes it easy to stick within the calorie limit.
The other trick is to get canned pumpkin and canned black beans, make soups out of it, it is very fiber-full and you feel like you ate a lot more than you did.
For example, make some chicken broth with boullion cube, add some pumpkin puree, some onion, and some curry powder and red pepper. It seems like you just ate a big creamy bowl of soup but actually it is very low cal.
Also, eggs are good for bfast!

stitchvalkyrie

You could help control your hunger if you ate more protein in the morning meal - just a suggestion - upping protein makes a great difference in satisfying hunger.

Yeah normally most of the week i'll have a handful of nuts. say like 8 cashews, 8 almonds, 8 walnuts and handful of goji berries with a green tea. Full of protein. Does keep me full but yes by lunch im still hungry. Its normally after lunch in the afternoon dinner time ill snack or still feel really hungry. Even if I have coffee club or something for lunch, something fatty. Like yesterday I had red rooster (I know.......) and that lunch was just 1000 calories with just the normal wrap and small chips with water. How about that. I could have that one meal, and say a piece of toast or two, and cant eat the rest of the day based on the 1200 cal diet. geesh, crazy stuff.

Actually I am studying an adv. dip. in Nutrition, and I do know that nuts are a good source of protein, hence the reason why I also feel fuller than normal toast. And the reason why I only have less than 10 of each nut... which isn't much at all, all up a handful, so its not so fatty.

That isn't full of protein at all. Nuts are a great source of fat.

How are you measuring your food?
Can you open your diary?
Have you started or increased your exercise in this time?

stitchvalkyrie

Eat more. Do some strength/resistance training. You can do bodyweight exercises at home, any time. 30 minutes 3-4 times a week.

Seriously. 2kg in "weight" isn't going to make a lick of difference. I imagine you've more got in mind some 'trouble zones' that you'd like to 'fix' - losing 2kg isn't going to fix them.
Yes fluctuation is normal, expect up to a 5kg range - i.e 2.5 kg either way from your normal weight

Everything said so far, in that 2kg in a month isn't a realistic target for you, is correct. Change your goal to 0.25kg per week, but don't expect it. It could take 2 months or more for any real change.
If you do do some more exercise, expect your weight to *increase* temporarily (2-3 weeks)

Opening your diary would help people give some more advice too - but it's great that you're logging it.

Thanks yeah, I am logging it. And no I don't really have trouble zones so to speak, I am thin, but I used to be 55 kgs most of my life, and then I quit smoking a few years ago and put it on, so I lost a fair bit but would like toget back down near that range, just for peace of mind. and working on toning after I lose some weight, and I know muscle weighs more than fat, but normally all this time ive focused on strength training at the gym. Im trying to finally do more cardio now for my cardiovascular health

lilacinfinity

nuts are a good *source* of protein, yes. But a handful doesn't contribute considerably much of your protein needs

3dogsrunning

That isn't full of protein at all. Nuts are a great source of fat.

How are you measuring your food?
Can you open your diary?
Have you started or increased your exercise in this time?

Actually I am studying an adv. dip. in Nutrition, and I do know that nuts are a good source of protein, hence the reason why I also feel fuller than normal toast. And the reason why I only have less than 10 of each nut... which isn't much at all, all up a handful, so its not so fatty.

I'm out.
Good luck with your goals :flowerforyou:

stitchvalkyrie

I'm 5'11", weigh 140 lbs (so about 64kg). At a one lb per week loss goal, I get only 1260 cals, so we're on a similar level. I know one lb per week loss is a bit high, and I also usually go over. I keep in mind that this number has a built in 500 cal per day deficit. So if I go over the 1260 but not over 1760, I'm still losing.

That said, it seems clear your dinners are your downfall. I get it - mine can be, too. Avoid take out! Take up cooking. Stir frys are great. You can even use frozen mixed veggies. Get a jar of black bean paste or curry paste or something like that - not a big jar of gloopy sauce. Dilute with water, stock, or low fat coconut milk. Stay away from those bangers!!! Use chicken or shrimp or just veg most nights. Use a non stick pan so you can do little or no oil (use water; of course it's not the same, but it'll get that calorie count down!). Pasta with marinara sauces are also good. And salads don't only have to be for lunch!! I do a southwestern salad with black beans (canned), corn (frozen), red onion, salsa (from the deli). Stuff it in a whole wheat tortilla! Dressing is non fat plain yogurt, lime juice, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, chili powder; water to dilute. Creamy and almost no cals!

Anyway, the trick will be pre planning meals, for sure. Check out other forums and other sites. There are endless possibilities! My personal plan to get on top of this is to make and freeze meal kits for weeknights, when it's too easy to turn to junk.

Good luck!!!

Thanks heaps, yeah I agree with all of that. I do not cook as much as I should, but ive found when I do sometimes its more calorie ridden than take out foods. When I take away, depending on what it is, I don't have a whole lot to eat, knowing its going to cost me. But you are right. I prefer the fresh veggies You open my fridge, and that's all that's in it, veggies and fruits everywhere

stitchvalkyrie

nuts are a good *source* of protein, yes. But a handful doesn't contribute considerably much of your protein needs

Yep, but it keeps me fuller for a bit longer. And considering what I eat the rest of the day (providing its not just salad lunch and salad dinner) I don't need to worry too much about protein source Ill have chicken, or whatever for dinner, some form of meat. And too, on every salad, I put on hemp seeds, flax seeds and chia seeds bob's ya uncle!

PinkkCamel

I'm on 1200 a day, check out my diary (: I don't eat out much anymore. When I first started I was having a lot of difficulty with it but after a while it became pretty easy. The trick is to make your own food and stick to things as close to their natural form as possible. Also all 'healthy' foods like nuts, avocado, olive oil etc. may be healthy but in reality your body treats fat like fat. Calories like calories. And fat has double the amount of energy contained in the same weight of carbs/protein. So just watch portion sizes (:

lilacinfinity

nuts are a good *source* of protein, yes. But a handful doesn't contribute considerably much of your protein needs

Yep, but it keeps me fuller for a bit longer. And considering what I eat the rest of the day (providing its not just salad lunch and salad dinner) I don't need to worry too much about protein source Ill have chicken, or whatever for dinner, some form of meat. And too, on every salad, I put on hemp seeds, flax seeds and chia seeds bob's ya uncle!

Yes but what the other poster was trying to say was, more protein earlier in the day will help with the satiety. Fats, too.
I don't know what your protein goal is, but I would suspect it's not high enough to sustain lean mass on such a caloric deficit.
These seeds, nuts etc may be high in protein, but overall aren't giving you much in total. Sausages have bugger all in the grand scheme of things. Chicken is good, but how much of it are you having?
Protein needs will vary person to person, but generally with such a low calorie goal you should look at at least 1.5g per kg of bodyweight - so 90g. PinkkCamel there is doing over 100.



This post explains it better than I can http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

Your downfall though is probably the eating out & takeaways - and I expect you know this. Those Coffee Club meals can be a killer, like one of their sandwich meals (the chicken/bacon club from memory) is over 1,000 calories.
If you've selected 1lb/week that's a 500 calorie deficit (or less, if MFP has just bottomed-out at 1200 - it won't go below this so if your mfp-calculated maintenence is say 1500 (possibly likely at your weight if you're rather sedentary - remember you add on exercise after) then its only a 300 calorie deficit) . It can be easy to put away an extra 500 calories with unknown portions, sloppy measuring, neglecting miscellaneous things like cooking oil and condiments... sugar in drinks (a typical heaped "spoonful" is 10g, NOT a 4g teaspoon measure, for example)

stitchvalkyrie

Thanks for the replys,

Ive checked out my reports for protein on the last 30 days. The goal is apparently 57, there is only a few that are well under, whether I forgot to log or ... I don't know what happened. 5 days were within 5 grams under or so. and 12 days were all over or on the money for the daily goal. So yeah its normally not too bad. Most days its the carbs that Im well over - more in particular its sugar.

But yeah I know that protein gives you energy, but then so does carbs and fat. Some people focus on different areas, but again if I don't use all the protein it just gets coverted into fat anyway. I rarely have sausages, my main sources of protein are chicken. I don't eat a lot of red meat, I try not to. I eventually wanted to be a vegan. Anyway, I normally have chicken breasts with no skin. Im not big on avocados but I really should be incorporating it into my diet. And considering im studying nutrition I really need to adhere to the fact that a healthy variation of foods in a diet makes one healthy, not the amount of calories one consumes - if you know what I mean.

If I go to coffee club lately its just for the toast in the mornings if im out, but if its lunch, normally its chicken salad sandwhich with avocado (Fills me up for ages its great!) or used to be BLT, but I try lighter options now



EDIT: I just made my diary public! Keep in mind im on holidays at the moment, the past couple of days I was visiting family in the city, so last week would be a little more accurate. Guess im all over the place atm

roflskates

I'm on 1200 a day, check out my diary (: I don't eat out much anymore. When I first started I was having a lot of difficulty with it but after a while it became pretty easy. The trick is to make your own food and stick to things as close to their natural form as possible. Also all 'healthy' foods like nuts, avocado, olive oil etc. may be healthy but in reality your body treats fat like fat. Calories like calories. And fat has double the amount of energy contained in the same weight of carbs/protein. So just watch portion sizes (:

Agreeing with above. I'm also on 1200 a day and have limited eating out as the portions are always much bigger than I actually need to eat.
Drinks other than water are limited too.

stitchvalkyrie

Yeah I do have terrible times NOT eating out though now. I don't know where this all came about to be honost? Take away used to always be a once a fortnight thing when I was younger and lived at home, now after moving out several years ago its like I didn't cook (didn't know how really? nothing fancy anyway) and so I resorted to eating out all the time. And now its such a bad habit.

My main issue is Slackness. Really. Im slack. Get slack to exercise, get slack to go out and do stuff that may be motivating. Get slack to cook? I like going out, getting some food, and shopping (haha typical female) I think i'd save a lot of money if I was just able to eat at home. But I really cant be bothered half the time, im always then forever washing up and that's apart of the dred really I suppose. Hope im not the only one in this boat.