Maintaining weight on 1200 calories?

DamePiglet

You should go to a "registered" dietician as most doctors do not understand what food does to your body. I know this because I used to work in a nursing home and would frequently have doctors change a patients diet to one that was not suitable for them and we'd have to speak to him. A registered dietician goes to college for 6 yrs to learn how food works with the body. That's all they study. If you want to maintin your weight loss you really need to find one to talk to. A therapist would help if you're having issues with eating and depression but you need to see a dietician for food advice, Check your local hospital they ALL have one employed with them and you can make an appt. with him or her and they'll go over your medical history and sit down with you and have a long talk about what you've done and how to fix it properly.

I thought I should also explain the difference between a nutritionist and a registered dietician. A nutritionist education is not regulated. Students do not need to attend a school with any accreditation, no nationwide certification agency or organization regulates the nutritionist profession to provide a standard for educational requirements.

Registered dietitians, on the other hand, need to attend a college or university accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) of the American Dietetic Association (ADA). These schools provide a regulated standard of education necessary for students to pursue the RD credential. Coursework typically includes economics, psychology, sociology, statistics computer science, mathematics, business, nutrition, foods, chemistry, biology, biochemistry, institution management microbiology and physiology.

Find one at your local hospital you can make an appt with him or her there. While there maybe great advice here you need to seek professional help to get your exact nutritional needs.

Thank you for this - great info

guessrs

I'm 5'6 also and 130. I maintain through exercise. At your weight you need to do more than walking. Pick any activity you enjoy, lose more calories through movement and you'll maintain your weight. Exercise has enabled me to get to 130 while eating 1500 to 2000 daily.

paulei1975

Over the past six months or so I've lost 60lbs, going from 190lbs to 130 at 5ft 6.

I won't lie, I didn't lose the weight particularly healthily - I was on a very, very low calorie diet (around 800-1000 at first, but as I became more and more unhappy it ended up being around 400-500).

Over the past few weeks I've been looking to slowly increase my calorie intake to maintain my weight, and have been doing it in instalments of 100 calories a week. However, I'm currently eating 1200-1300 daily and maintaining (have been for about three weeks).

If I were shorter and weighed less then I would perhaps understand maintaining at this amount - however, I'm farily active (walking for about an hour 5-6 days a week) and have a BMI of 21. I realise I've probably broken my metabolism but I don't know where to go from here - if I start eating more than 1200/1300, will I begin to gain weight?

Really would appreciate some help because the amount of calories I'm consuming at the moment is still making me pretty tired and unable to concentrate, and I haven't had a period since May which is also worrying.

If my stats are relevant: 18 y/o female, 5ft 6, 130lbs

I read your other post from June. I truly feel you need to talk to a therapist and a medical doctor. Reading between the lines, I think a therapist would be very helpful so that you can establish a new and healthy relationship with foods.

And just remember as you try to find your perfect maintenance intake you very likely will gain a bit of weight. And it's OK if you do. Taking care of yourself first on the inside, will do wonders for where you appear to emotionally be right now.

This is great advice that I would recommend you seek. Good Luck

upscalelifedownscalebutt

Yes, registered dietitian is the way to go. If you live in Canada, didn't look at location sorry, it is covered if you go to your regional health clinic. I'd also go to your doctor about the missed period. Dollarama has lovely pregnancy tests for a preview, but there are other issues that can cause period loss and it likely has nothing to do with your weight loss.

Also your weight loss was dramatic, the train of thought could have gone wrong, but you pulled it out of the fire in time. You don't deserve the hostility in some of these comments.

Your metabolism will bounce back fairly quickly. It's not like you broke it forever. You will likely see a pound or so of gain before you stabalize again. No big deal. Once you get a better overall calorie intake then you can lose them again if it really bothers you.

zoeysasha37

This is tricky, I did something similar (about 700 calories a day), gained 10lbs after increasing my calories to a normal amount, but was able to maintain on 1500-2000 calories a day after my gain.

Could I ask how you increased to a normal amount? Was it something similar to a 100 calorie increase weekly or did you just jump to a normal amount?

I don't know how much exactly, but it was very moderately... It took about 9 months.

Don't get into the weeds on this one. You dieted too hard and now you're probalby going to gain some back as a result, as you get back to healthier levels. You need to be concerned with your health before your weight.

Now I don't mean this in a disrespectful way at all, but it occured to me. If you're only eating 1200 and maintaining now, and haven't had your period since May, is pregnancy a possibility? I really don't know enought about pregnancy to be honest, maybe that's a stupid question, but there could be a correlation there.

Again, regardless, go see a doctor to get real advice. Nobody here is an expert or qualified to help you with this.

This^^^^^^

ProudMomNY

You need to see a therapist or a doctor, not ask for advice on an internet forum.

Agreed. Weight loss advice is one thing, Eating disorders is another, but then again when I was losing weight I got very anal about what I ate, but I wouldn't consider it' pre-anorexic.

Hezzietiger1

Just keep adding slowly and don't fret a gain of 5-6 lbs. If you put on muscle, who cares. You are not going to be putting on fat, if your diet is correct and you continue working out.