1200-1400 Calorie Range. Are you hungry?

tempehforever

At 1200-1300, I don’t feel “hungry” per se, in that don’t I crave food or feel physical hunger pangs (I eat mostly nutritious foods that keep me feeling pretty full).

However, I do feel weak, light-headed, headache-y, and sometimes dizzy. I can't work out to my full potential. Worst of all, I feel like I develop a sort of mental fog (this is even when I eat back my exercise calories and consume plenty of protein and carbs). I have a job that requires me to be mentally “on” for 8+ hours a day, so this just was not sustainable for me. The mental effects of calorie deprivation were SO much worse than the physical ones, to me.

At about 1400 and up, however, I feel much better. Right now I’m set at 1450 before exercise. I am pretty active—work out 4-5 days a week and live in a walkable city where I don’t need to own a car—so this is what I need to not feel weak and spacey. I probably don’t lose weight as quickly this way but supporting all my activity and being able to function at a decent intellectual level is more important to me!

lisalsd1

If I ate 1200-1400 cals a day, I would feel like I was going to die. I read a lot of posts about people eating in this range, and I have know idea how they are even functioning.

I'm down to my goal weight (129); MFP recommends about 1500-1600 cals for maintenance for me now. I workout 5 days a week. When I do cardio, I shoot for about 400-500 cals burned (which is about 45+ minutes of moderately intense cardio for me). I've been lifting weights 2 days a week, and I don't worry about cals in/out on those days.

I don't eat back ALL of my exercise cals. Usually on cardio days, I eat about 1800-2000 cals; so if I've burned 400-500, I figure I'm coming in at maybe 1400-1600 for the day.

Eating more protein does help me stay fuller longer, drinking more water helps; honestly, if you are struggling with eating 1200-1400 cals (which I know I would), try to burn more cals instead. I find it easier to workout longer or harder than to cut back on cals.

Letje_Lux

Yes, I'm hungry, but that's because I just started counting calories again yesterday. I don't know about everyone else, but my body adjusts in about 2-3 weeks so it's not so bad. I'm ok with being hungry sometimes.

I eat back exercise calories, but wear a HR monitor so I don't overestimate.

Lyby

I'm at day 5 of officially 1200 daily limit, following 5 days of stomach flu in which I was lucky to be able to keep down 1000 calories a day (broth & warm jello). MFP always said I needed to eat at 1800/day and I would trim it to 1500/day, but I would gain anyway. A long conversation with my doctor (tears and everything) and we agreed on a 1200/day limit for now with a commitment to start some kind of morning activity that will increase my heart rate.

I find keeping the diary of what I eat daily to be a painful chore. When I'm home, I cook a lot and it gets overwhelming to have to enter each new recipe I come up with, so I estimate based on what others have entered (not the most accurate, I know). When I travel for work, I tend to eat exotic foods which are hard to quantify in the diary (any other bulgogi lovers out there) but are generally healthier than the standard american take-out food (no breading, less deep-fat frying, more fish & whole grains).

I am post-surgical-menopausal so my metabolism shut down nearly 3 years ago. MFP yells at me every day that I'm not eating enough calories, but I'm where my doctor suggests I be for weight loss and maintenance. Twelve hundred calories is not very much food most of the time But the diary is forcing me to make better choices.

I quit soda several months ago and drink water with every meal as well as throughout the day. I find water helps my hunger --- I'm not really hungry but my brain doesn't yet know how to communicate with me. I'm always amazed when I stop to get a drink of water at the sink and I drink the glass nearly dry ---- I am always thirstier than I realize.

I will not "eat back" my exercise calories once I start getting them. I have been carrying around 60 pounds of dead-weight for years now, if exercize were all I needed to lose weight - then I'd already be skinny. For me and my metabolism, it's all about the intake, intake, intake.

WalkingAlong

If I ate 1200-1400 cals a day, I would feel like I was going to die. I read a lot of posts about people eating in this range, and I have know idea how they are even functioning.

I think it's important to be aware that someone who is older, less active, female, shorter and not terribly overweight might only burn 1600 -1800 total. So 1200-1400 is actually a pretty mild deficit. It'd be like someone who burns 2500 calories a day eating at 2100. If you burn 2400, 1200 is going to feel harsh. If you burn 1600, much less so. It's not really an absolute you can compare across individuals.

The 1200 common floor value for calories is, I believe, to maintain adequate nutrition and satiety, not so much about the energy needs in overweight people. Body fat is an excellent fuel. It's what it's designed for.

Allup2Me78

yes I do the same! I always wear my hrm when exercising.

Yes, I'm hungry, but that's because I just started counting calories again yesterday. I don't know about everyone else, but my body adjusts in about 2-3 weeks so it's not so bad. I'm ok with being hungry sometimes.

I eat back exercise calories, but wear a HR monitor so I don't overestimate.

Allup2Me78

WOW, the light headed, dizzy, headache, mental foggy feeling I have gotten during and after exercise. That was even when I was on higher than the changes I am making by lowering my calories..Hmmm, does that need we need more food when we get that way?

At 1200-1300, I don’t feel “hungry” per se, in that don’t I crave food or feel physical hunger pangs (I eat mostly nutritious foods that keep me feeling pretty full).

However, I do feel weak, light-headed, headache-y, and sometimes dizzy. I can't work out to my full potential. Worst of all, I feel like I develop a sort of mental fog (this is even when I eat back my exercise calories and consume plenty of protein and carbs). I have a job that requires me to be mentally “on” for 8+ hours a day, so this just was not sustainable for me. The mental effects of calorie deprivation were SO much worse than the physical ones, to me.

At about 1400 and up, however, I feel much better. Right now I’m set at 1450 before exercise. I am pretty active—work out 4-5 days a week and live in a walkable city where I don’t need to own a car—so this is what I need to not feel weak and spacey. I probably don’t lose weight as quickly this way but supporting all my activity and being able to function at a decent intellectual level is more important to me!

BajaDreamin333

I try to stay at 1250 AFTER exercise. So I'm really eating 1750 - 1800 most days because I work out daily. I have been able to stick with 1200 (never below 1,200 - when I did my body went into starvation mode and I actually gained weight!) if I cut out snacking except for veggies and keep my meals to lean protien and veggies. And yes, I eat back my calories - I love to eat and work out so I can. I've been successful at this, and am really happy with 20+ pounds I've lost. Everytime I start getting into trouble it goes back to 1) too many snacks, 2) not enough fresh, raw veggies and the old "just one cookie won't kill me" but i say it four times. If you can't work out everyday, stick to snacks that are hard to digest and take a while to crunch (carrots!) and make sure the calories you are consuming is what your body wants. If you eat 500 calories of crap, your body will still be hungry for real food. Make every single calorie count!

JustMeee333

My biggest problem, to be honest is not the hunger, but wanting to eat these high calories foods like chocolate and candy... I'll eat them, not because I'm hungry, but because I want them...

I have this problem too.
I started losing weight eating at 1,200.. and not eating back exercise calories. I've lost all my weight this way so far. Just lately, within the past 4 to 6 weeks I rarely manage to stay at 1,200. I just can't. I have been feeling so hungry. If I do eat 1,200 the next day I am ravenous, and want to eat everything in sight. Looking into ways to feel fuller, without anymore calories! Which is difficult as I only eat a limited amount of foods. I haven't suffered any headaches, dizziness etc.

avskk

I eat in that range every day (full disclosure: I often fall below that range in practice) and I am rarely hungry. My biggest problem is crazy cravings once or twice a month, but I figure that they happen so rarely it's worth it to try to fit them in.

With that said, I AM actually hungry right now -- I skipped lunch because I'm planning a delicious calorie-bomb dinner!