Anyone having a hard time reaching 1200 cal?
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No matter how hard I try, by the end of the day, I have 200-400 calories left! I usually burn around 300 calories in exercise. After dinner, I'm just never hungry. I'm never hungry through out the day.
Does anyone else have this problem?
No I never have this problem. I eat at least 1400 and usually more. How did you gain weight???0 -
I don't understand all the posts here acting like it's insane you have trouble reaching 1200. I've been through the exact same thing, and I'm sure lots of others on MFP have too. Sometimes after 900 I'm just not hungry anymore and it feels like a waste to eat 300 unwanted calories at 10pm just to say I hit the number. Anyways, what I did is increase the amount I eat at breakfast to about 400-500 cals and just go through the rest of my day like normal (after I started strength training my appetite went up, too).0
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When I start watching what I eat, I often have trouble eating enough for the first two weeks or so. I'm so paranoid about going over that I bypass calories all day, and by the time ti gets to night, I just am not that hungry. I joke that I'm good at eating either 1000 calories or over 2500 but not so much hitting the middle of that range. For me it passes, and I generally have no trouble going over 1200 (and then some) calories on average over the course of a week.0
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I don't understand all the posts here acting like it's insane you have trouble reaching 1200. I've been through the exact same thing, and I'm sure lots of others on MFP have too. Sometimes after 900 I'm just not hungry anymore and it feels like a waste to eat 300 unwanted calories at 10pm just to say I hit the number. Anyways, what I did is increase the amount I eat at breakfast to about 400-500 cals and just go through the rest of my day like normal (after I started strength training my appetite went up, too).
Allow me to break it down for you. The majority of MFP users join MFP because they are overweight and want to lose weight. In order to become overweight, you would have had to eat above your TDEE for a fairly long period of time depending on the actual surplus. So since the OP wants to lose weight, we know that she must have been consuming much more than 1200 calories per day for an extended period. Suddenly being unable to consume 1200 calories, a pithy amount if I am being totally honest, is very very odd. As I said earlier, it is usually the result of someone trying to eat nothing but "healthy" foods which are usually very low calorie compared to their actual mass.
And 1200 calories is considered low enough as it is. Eating several hundred calories below that for an extended period is definitely not recommended.0 -
Allow me to break it down for you. The majority of MFP users join MFP because they are overweight and want to lose weight. In order to become overweight, you would have had to eat above your TDEE for a fairly long period of time depending on the actual surplus. So since the OP wants to lose weight, we know that she must have been consuming much more than 1200 calories per day for an extended period. Suddenly being unable to consume 1200 calories, a pithy amount if I am being totally honest, is very very odd. As I said earlier, it is usually the result of someone trying to eat nothing but "healthy" foods which are usually very low calorie compared to their actual mass.
And 1200 calories is considered low enough as it is. Eating several hundred calories below that for an extended period is definitely not recommended.
Let me throw in my 2 cents. When I started dieting I chose to do a paleo diet.
At first I was struggling to hit 1,200 because I was eating lots of healthy foods with low calories.
I was very full but knew this wasn't enough calories. So I added things like avocado, almonds, flax seed, tuna.
Higher calorie stuff.
The reason why it's hard to eat enough calories eating paleo or vegetarian is because most things like veggies and chicken breast are filling but low calories.0 -
all the doubters need to just keep it to themselves.
i have trouble, too... it's usually around the 250 mark, but i just don't want to eat anything else. when that happens, i grab a glass of wine before bed lol... not filling, and definitely adds on the calories.
i didn't gain 25 pounds by eating too much. i gained it by eating too much *for my lifestyle*. i used to be a runner, even completed a marathon in 4:11:44 back in the day, but then I stopped...
last january i went on unemployment after having worked at a sit down job for two years. here came the weight.
1200 calories is a LOT for me.0 -
all the doubters need to just keep it to themselves.
i have trouble, too... it's usually around the 250 mark, but i just don't want to eat anything else. when that happens, i grab a glass of wine before bed lol... not filling, and definitely adds on the calories.
i didn't gain 25 pounds by eating too much. i gained it by eating too much *for my lifestyle*. i used to be a runner, even completed a marathon in 4:11:44 back in the day, but then I stopped...
last january i went on unemployment after having worked at a sit down job for two years. here came the weight.
1200 calories is a LOT for me.
Who is doubting what? :huh:0 -
The OP has logged for 4 days. She's probably excited to start her "diet". We all know what will happen after a couple weeks and a major holiday.
completely inappropriate.0 -
all the doubters need to just keep it to themselves.
i have trouble, too... it's usually around the 250 mark, but i just don't want to eat anything else. when that happens, i grab a glass of wine before bed lol... not filling, and definitely adds on the calories.
i didn't gain 25 pounds by eating too much. i gained it by eating too much *for my lifestyle*. i used to be a runner, even completed a marathon in 4:11:44 back in the day, but then I stopped...
last january i went on unemployment after having worked at a sit down job for two years. here came the weight.
1200 calories is a LOT for me.
Who is doubting what? :huh:
it just seems like a lot of people are claiming that the OP is not tracking everything. even if she misses a glass of milk or something, there *are* those of us who have trouble fitting in all the calories, particularly if we're new to it, like I am. I don't know what "costs" how many calories, etc, so it's kind of play it by ear.
i eventually intend to plan out a menu for a few days or even a week, but right now i'm eating low calorie foods and it's very difficult for me to make 1200 calories.0 -
So stop eating such low calorie foods thenall the doubters need to just keep it to themselves.
i have trouble, too... it's usually around the 250 mark, but i just don't want to eat anything else. when that happens, i grab a glass of wine before bed lol... not filling, and definitely adds on the calories.
i didn't gain 25 pounds by eating too much. i gained it by eating too much *for my lifestyle*. i used to be a runner, even completed a marathon in 4:11:44 back in the day, but then I stopped...
last january i went on unemployment after having worked at a sit down job for two years. here came the weight.
1200 calories is a LOT for me.
Who is doubting what? :huh:
it just seems like a lot of people are claiming that the OP is not tracking everything. even if she misses a glass of milk or something, there *are* those of us who have trouble fitting in all the calories, particularly if we're new to it, like I am. I don't know what "costs" how many calories, etc, so it's kind of play it by ear.
i eventually intend to plan out a menu for a few days or even a week, but right now i'm eating low calorie foods and it's very difficult for me to make 1200 calories.
thats kind of the point everyone is getting at. 0 -
obsidian, i see that you're been here a while. i, for one, have never had to lose weight before. i could polish a double quarter pounder and still be fine, because i was so active. if counting calories and choosing a healthier lifestyle is new to a person, as it may be to the OP, it can be tricky until you get the hang of what's okay.
for example... it's been only two weeks, but two WHOLE weeks i've had a pack of 280 calorie bagels in my freezer... i was scared to eat one. this morning for breakfast i slapped about 3 TBSP of cream cheese on that sucker and ate it.
it's a process. maybe you've forgotten, since you've been trying to lose weight for so long.0 -
Nope.....because eating = losing weight. See ticker below. Eat to fuel your body.0
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I'm usually well past that by 8:00 a.m.0
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Nope.....because eating = losing weight. See ticker below. Eat to fuel your body.
lookin' good, mama!0 -
Uh.....no.0
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Are you tracking accurately? It is VERY easy to underestimate your calorie intake. You really have to track EVERYTHING that you eat. Also, portion sizes play a role: it can be the difference between eating 700cals a day vs 1200 cals "according" to your record. The ideal amount of calories to eat varies from person to person, based on your goals and other factors. The best way to gauge if your average intake is about right is to see if you are making progress towards your weight loss goal. If your calories are WAY too low, you are probably going to feel it: in the form of hunger and fatigue. Listen to your body.0
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I don't understand this....To my knowledge if you are honestly not getting full it is because your metabolism has slowed down due to not consuming enough food. I have my calories set at 1850 and I am hungry all the time if I don't eat junk. I've done my share of research and have slowly added calories forcing my metabolism to speed up since I slowed it down by not eating enough. I love food, hence why I need to loose some still but if eating 1850 cals a day has helped me loose 40lbs and gain muscle them some part of that has to be true.0
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it's a process. maybe you've forgotten, since you've been trying to lose weight for so long.
Nice assumption there
Yes of course it is a learning process, and by reading the answers in this thread OP is learning. That being said its kind of common sense that it is ok to eat that higher calorie stuff that you are a bit scared of if you can't get to the amount of calories you want by sticking with low calorie things.0 -
Sometimes. There are some days when I'm just not that hungry!0
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NO0
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sometimes you'll just be hungrier the next day. Look at your diet as a weekly thing instead of a daily thing. that way can't reach 1200 days won't bother you and neither will "oops I ate way over too much" because they will average out. assuming that's a reasonable goal for your height and weight and activity level. Good luck :flowerforyou:0
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No matter how hard I try, by the end of the day, I have 200-400 calories left! I usually burn around 300 calories in exercise. After dinner, I'm just never hungry. I'm never hungry through out the day.
Does anyone else have this problem?
Wow, what are you going to do when you've lost enough weight and it's time to increase the calories up to maintenance?0 -
Yesterday I was at 1000 calories (my daily goal is 1630) so I had a double fudge cookie dough blizzard :P. You don't have to eat only "healthy" things to lose weight. I've lost 30lbs so far and I eat "junk food" on a fairly regular basis (along with veggies and lean proteins of course).
Are you just starting your new lifestyle? When I first started I found it tough to reach 1200 too. In my experience it will pass.0 -
obsidian, i see that you're been here a while. i, for one, have never had to lose weight before. i could polish a double quarter pounder and still be fine, because i was so active. if counting calories and choosing a healthier lifestyle is new to a person, as it may be to the OP, it can be tricky until you get the hang of what's okay.
for example... it's been only two weeks, but two WHOLE weeks i've had a pack of 280 calorie bagels in my freezer... i was scared to eat one. this morning for breakfast i slapped about 3 TBSP of cream cheese on that sucker and ate it.
it's a process. maybe you've forgotten, since you've been trying to lose weight for so long.
Your last comment was inappropriate.0 -
I have the same problem. Mainly due to being extra careful (too careful?) around intake. I also think not planning meals ahead of time is also causing this for me - so I'm always focussed on low-calories per meal instead of looking at the 'big picture'...
I'm not seeing any negative symptoms from trending around the 800-1000 calories a day - unless I've burned more than that in exercise, then I get mentally and physically exhausted.
Anyway - a bit of forward planning should help if you're seeing this as a problem.0 -
Whenever I see posts like this, several thoughts immediately go through my head...
1) The OP is trying to get some attention. Maybe even a specific comment such as "OMG, I wish I had that problem! LOLOLOL! OP, you are so amazing!"
2) The OP is actually eating more than they think.
3) The OP is developing (or already has) an ED.
Either way, I hope that the OP reevaluates her plan and listens to those giving her genuine advice.0 -
I think most people here are under-reporting and/or underestimating their caloric intake and not really eating 1200 calories. The few who do weigh and account for everything, and still struggle to hit 1200, likely do so for two principle reasons: 1) they're eating very low-calorie meals and b) they've restricted long enough for serum leptin to significantly decrease and cause hunger cues to adapt to lower caloric intakes.0
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I always wish i had this problem for a single day! Never, i keep fishing for whatever calories i can get and i eat around 1700+ calories everyday :grumble: No wonder my weight loss is going at a snails pace!0
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For those of you who are used to eating it might seem strange to you. But there are some people who aren't used to eating regularly and eating good foods (you know like protein that keeps you fuller for longer) so it's normal for them not to feel hunger. Not every single overweight person eats all the time you know.
Anyway, to the OP, I suggest forcing yourself to eat small meals throughout the day. After a while, your body will get used to it and you will eventually start to want to eat more. As others have said, if you're really logging everything and you're still struggling add some calorie-rich food to your diet.0 -
Not every single overweight person eats all the time you know.
They all eat too much, though, and the idea that they suddenly can't eat enough is ludicrous.
It's a mental error. They think of calorie-dense foods as "bad" and avoid them because they're inherently "fattening."0
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