Eating the "wrong" things but staying at 1200

nicolacx

Just wondered peoples opinions on the above. I have put on 3 stones in the last 6 months through eating badly and not excising.

I have increased my exercising now and decreased my calories to 1200 but still not eating healthy - example

Breakfast - Bacon Roll
Lunch - microwave meal under 400 cals
Dinner - Salmon and veg
During the day 3 cups of tea with sugar.

This comes to just over 1200 but doesn't look very healthy to me - is eating this rather than less carbs more protein going to increase my weight loss - or does it not really matter as long as its in the 1200 range?

Boofuls

Honestly that doesn't look that bad to me - is there any veg in the lunch? Could you swap the roll out for a couple of eggs at breakfast time? Or just add the eggs actually.

For weightloss it doesn't matter what you eat as long as you are in a calorie deficit.

nicolacx

thats good then

so therotically i could have 2 mars bars duos = 1200 calories and I would still lose weight

Francl27

thats good then

so therotically i could have 2 mars bars duos = 1200 calories and I would still lose weight

Yeah if you don't mind starving and having no energy, lol.

VelveteenArabian

thats good then

so therotically i could have 2 mars bars duos = 1200 calories and I would still lose weight

Just go on the Twinkie diet.

bmqbonnie

I'm a big fan of baby steps. You've already taken a couple huge steps by cutting back your calories and by getting more active. I wouldn't fret too much about the details at this point or you may overwhelm yourself.

That said, I'm eating like 1340 a day and I would be STARVING if I wasn't filling up on a ton of veggies and lean protein and having lots of snacks.

nicolacx

Lol that's what I was thinking on the Mars bars diet - ok then for now i will just eat what i want as long as i stay in the 1200 boundary - i'm tending to excercise every day and weigh everything - wouldn't it be nice if it all came off as easy as it went on lol xx

missrussia74

I am the same way. Sometimes i fell off track, and eat couple "bad" things. But as long as I eat no more than 1200 calories-I am still losing weight

erickirb

Lol that's what I was thinking on the Mars bars diet - ok then for now i will just eat what i want as long as i stay in the 1200 boundary - i'm tending to excercise every day and weigh everything - wouldn't it be nice if it all came off as easy as it went on lol xx

You will lose weight on just 1200 cals, but keep in mind it is difficult to get the required micro and macro nutrients on anything less than 1200 cals (Fat, Protein, vitamins and minerals), meaning if you only eat 1200 of crap you will most likely be deficient on most of what your body needs, you can get away with it much easier at 2000 cals, but at 1200 you should be eating nutrient dense foods. Malnutrition and/or muscle loss are not fun to deal with.

So for weight loss yes, health no.

chivalryder

Don't forget to eat back your exercise calories.

echofm1

Are you also eating back the calories you burned exercising, or 1200 total calories a day? 1200 is pretty low for most of the population, so it's suggested you eat your exercise calories back (for a net of 1200, rather than a total 1200 a day) to keep your body healthy.

SoDamnHungry

thats good then

so therotically i could have 2 mars bars duos = 1200 calories and I would still lose weight

Yes.

You might want to eat some more filling foods with nutrients, but it'll work.

NeverCatchYourBreath

Law of conservation of energy says calories in must be < calories out to lose weight. Period.

SailorKnightWing

If you eat fewer calories than you burn during the day, you will lose weight. At 1200 you are almost certainly eating at a deficit, and possibly at a bigger one than you need to.

For your health, you would want to be more concerned about hitting your macro goals (protein, fat, carbs) and your micro goals (fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc). It won't make the weight come off any faster, but would make the process more pleasant for you. That being said, if you need 23g of protein and would rather have a cheeseburger than a chicken breast and can afford it with your calories and fat, etc., there's no reason not to.

WhoHa42

You could eat 1200 calories of straight fat and lose weight but your body composition would be terrible and you'd feel terrible

mcibty

I think the main misconception with this topic is that there's those screaming calories in versus calories out (which I subscribe to), and those screaming about clean eating, and the problem is that they're not mutually exclusive. Yeah, eat your Mars bars and lose weight, that will work. What you eat affects how you feel **and function**, not how your weight gets distributed.

lauraspberry

I think the main misconception with this topic is that there's those screaming calories in versus calories out (which I subscribe to), and those screaming about clean eating, and the problem is that they're not mutually exclusive. Yeah, eat your Mars bars and lose weight, that will work. What you eat affects how you feel **and function**, not how your weight gets distributed.

THIS :flowerforyou:

"eating the "wrong" things but staying at 1200" is what I call as cheat day
Most days I eat clean at 1200 + some exercise cals and it's been working out well for me :drinker:

tddevlin

All calories are not equal in the weight loss scheme. If you eat 250 cals of veg it won't result in weight gain in the same way 250cals of chocolate would. Because one is made up of protein and fibre and some carbs, the other is sugar and fat and will be stored as suce.
I would maybe change the breakfast to a slice of grilled bacon with a couple of scrambled eggs and not have the bread. Heat up a meal but make it one you have previously cooked yourself if you can so you know what is in it. Your dinner sounds fine though, but you could add veggies to make sure you are really full if you need to

MityMax96

Staying below caloric needs will allow you to lose weight.

But making poor food choices will not make you a "healthier" lighter you......

So if you can get in some veggies (and some fruit) I would encourage that.

kellybellyjellyn

Yeah, Yeah you will still lose weight.

When I first started counting calories I didn't pay much attention to the food I was eating, I lost weight but I was cranky and irritable and always tired !!!

Since then I am still eating 1200 most days but I try fill it up with low calorie nutrient rich foods and I feel better than ever !!! SOOOO much more energy.

Also when I was simply eating 1200 calories worth of food, I often binged because the food choices I made weren't filling enough!

Now I hardly ever binge !!

Good Luck ! x

midnight_dazzle

Is staying below the the 1200 goal line the net calories or total calories consumed in the day? I'm doing hour runs everyday which burn average 500 calories from my total caloric intake. So my net is usually around 600-700 calories a day, but in reality I actually consume around 1200 a day.

MityMax96

All calories are not equal in the weight loss scheme. If you eat 250 cals of veg it won't result in weight gain in the same way 250cals of chocolate would. Because one is made up of protein and fibre and some carbs, the other is sugar and fat and will be stored as suce.

Only when you go over your caloric needs will fat get turned into body fat/adipose tissue.
If you are below caloric needs, then your body will be in deficit, therefore all energy consumed will be oxidized.

gamerkiwi

Calories in < Calories out = Weight loss.

Besides, your diet's perfectly healthy. I'm not sure what's in the bacon roll, but bacon's not really unhealthy in and of itself. Not sure what kind of microwave meal you eat, but I would say swap it out for a real meal. (A sandwich or something if your looking for something quick) Dinner's perfectly healthy. Also, try drinking your tea with nothing in it.

Docpremie

You could eat 1200 calories of straight fat and lose weight but your body composition would be terrible and you'd feel terrible

Exactly! Weight loss is done through a calorie deficit, but it doesn't mean you'll like the results. "What you eat" is what gives you the body composition you desire--thus you need to also hit your macro goals! If you're going to use MFP to give you your calorie goal, then you MUST eat back your exercise calories. MFP has already calculated a calorie deficit for you, you don't want to add exercise losses on top of that. So eat back the exercise calories.

For macro, you need take in 1 gram/pound of lean body mass (LBM), which is 100-125 grams of protein/day for most women. If you are really tiny, then you may be able to get by with 90 grams/day. Fats should be 0.4 grams/kg/day and carbs are what is left over. The higher protein goal is to spare loss of LBM (muscle), while you burn fat. Throw in weigh training/resistance training & you should look good at the end of your journey.

Here's a research study showing the benefits of a higher protein goal:

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/133/2/411.full

Abstract:
"Claims about the merits or risks of carbohydrate (CHO) vs. protein for weight loss diets are extensive, yet the ideal ratio of dietary carbohydrate to protein for adult health and weight management remains unknown. This study examined the efficacy of two weight loss diets with modified CHO/protein ratios to change body composition and blood lipids in adult women. Women (n = 24; 45 to 56 y old) with body mass indices >26 kg/m2 were assigned to either a CHO Group consuming a diet with a CHO/protein ratio of 3.5 (68 g protein/d) or a Protein Group with a ratio of 1.4 (125 g protein/d). Diets were isoenergetic, providing 7100 kJ/d, and similar amounts of fat (∼50 g/d). After consuming the diets for 10 wk, the CHO Group lost 6.96 ± 1.36 kg body weight and the Protein Group lost 7.53 ± 1.44 kg. Weight loss in the Protein Group was partitioned to a significantly higher loss of fat/lean (6.3 ± 1.2 g/g) compared with the CHO Group (3.8 ± 0.9). Both groups had significant reductions in serum cholesterol (∼10%), whereas the Protein Group also had significant reductions in triacylglycerols (TAG) (21%) and the ratio of TAG/HDL cholesterol (23%). Women in the CHO Group had higher insulin responses to meals and postprandial hypoglycemia, whereas women in the Protein Group reported greater satiety. This study demonstrates that increasing the proportion of protein to carbohydrate in the diet of adult women has positive effects on body composition, blood lipids, glucose homeostasis and satiety during weight loss."

You don't have to "eat clean," but hitting your macros is important!

tigersword

Lol that's what I was thinking on the Mars bars diet - ok then for now i will just eat what i want as long as i stay in the 1200 boundary - i'm tending to excercise every day and weigh everything - wouldn't it be nice if it all came off as easy as it went on lol xx

You will lose weight on just 1200 cals, but keep in mind it is difficult to get the required micro and macro nutrients on anything less than 1200 cals (Fat, Protein, vitamins and minerals), meaning if you only eat 1200 of crap you will most likely be deficient on most of what your body needs, you can get away with it much easier at 2000 cals, but at 1200 you should be eating nutrient dense foods. Malnutrition and/or muscle loss are not fun to deal with.

So for weight loss yes, health no.

This.

nm212

Just take a multi-vitamin. That will ensure you get any nutrients you may be deficient in, but your meals really don't sound that bad. Salmon and veggies for dinner is great. Add more veggies and fruit to your diet and you should be fine. Yes, whole grains and lean protein is good too, but you're at a good start. Keep going. Your diet will change naturally as you begin to become more conscious of what you are eating.

VincitQuiSeVincit

Technically, YES, you can do this.
However, anyone who has had long term success understands that a calorie isn't just a calorie...It's fuel.

Do you think your body will run more efficiently on 1200 calories of chocolate or of a balance of protein and carbs?
I have found far more success in the quality of the food instead of looking only at calories, but to each their own.

Just make sure you don't NET under 1200 calories...if you work out, make sure you are eating those back!

Confuzzled4ever

1200 calories is hard to lose weight and keep it off on.

you really need to figure out what your BMR and your TDEE is and then eat in between those 2 numbers, esp if exercising.

I found out I burn between 2600-3000 calories everyday.. It's no wonder i collapsed when I was eating under 1,000.

(yes I am set at 1200 calories, but my calories adjust automatically when I upload my exercise and i eat back my calories)

DoingitWell

The Mars and Twinkies are both highly unhealthy, please add in some Fruit Rollups, Gummi Bears or kool-aid for vitamin C.

QuietBloom

Just take a multi-vitamin. That will ensure you get any nutrients you may be deficient in, but your meals really don't sound that bad. Salmon and veggies for dinner is great. Add more veggies and fruit to your diet and you should be fine. Yes, whole grains and lean protein is good too, but you're at a good start. Keep going. Your diet will change naturally as you begin to become more conscious of what you are eating.

Definitely a multivitamin would be a good idea. But it is no replacement for healthful eating (not that you are suggesting that).

ldula88

Personally, I do not believe the "a calorie is a calorie" hype. Yes, a calorie is a set amount of energy, but calories from carbs react differently from calories form fat react differently from calories from protein. And the way they are combined in a meal makes a difference, as does the % intake from each category of calorie. Of course, eating at 1200 means you should lose weight, no matter what the macros are, but how you feel will vary greatly. I'm Paleo myself, so I really believe that whole foods should be the majority, if not the entirety, of a healthy lifestyle. Processed foods have chemicals that really affect how the body operates. If you build the majority of your diet from lean meats and vegetables, with healthy amounts of fruit and good healthy fats (avocados, nut butter, etc.) you will feel so much better and will be less hungry than living off of microwave meals and such.

Obviously, I don't expect everyone to go Paleo if the lifestyle isn't for them. But I do think everyone should try more of a "whole foods approach." It's amazing how different you feel Whatever you choose, I wish you luck on your journey!!!