Consistently under 1200 but not hungry... thoughts?

F00LofaT00K

Hello!!
Last Wednesday afternoon I started a goal to lose excess weight and maintain healthy eating habits for good. Aside from day one, I only exceeded my 1200 calories once and that's just because I went out with friends and had 2 beers. Every other day I've been under but I don't feel hungry, I feel very satisfied and full. If I were to eat more, I would be forcing myself to eat when I'm not hungry. I realize that under 1200 is not recommended, but I'm out of work with a broken foot and I literally sit on the couch all day about 5-6 days a week. While I was at work (in a warehouse doing a lot of lifting, standing and moving 8 hours a day) I was able to eat a lot more. If I get hungry, I eat. I'm not ignoring my body asking for food... I guess what I'm asking is whether or not it's a big deal to be a bit under 1200 if I'm the most sedentary creature on the planet right now. I opened my food diary if anybody wanted to check it out before giving advice.

SezxyStef

I took a look at your diary.

You wont find a lot of support for under 1200 (even if you don't feel hungry) and even if you are on the couch all day...you are not bedridden.

I am not going to chastize or anything but you can eat more then 1200 and still lose weight.

Just don't beat yourself up if you do go over as well don't lower them if you don't lose weight...and I say this because you don't weigh your food so the calories are a bit iffy in your items that are not liquid.

cwolfman13

My first thought is that you're probably underestimating your intake. My second though is that if you really are eating that little then your leptin levels are in the toilette.

Leptin is the hormone that signals your brain that you're hungry...when you restrict calorie intake your leptin levels decrease to protect the body against the discomforts of not enough food.

My third thought is that you say that you want a permanent, healthy lifestyle..but your actions say otherwise.

beachlover317

My first thought is that you're probably underestimating your intake. My second though is that if you really are eating that little then your leptin levels are in the toilette.

Leptin is the hormone that signals your brain that you're hungry...when you restrict calorie intake your leptin levels decrease to protect the body against the discomforts of not enough food.

My third thought is that you say that you want a permanent, healthy lifestyle..but your actions say otherwise.

This - if our bodies were giving us healthy hunger signals - this website would be shut down. Eat to fuel your body.

F00LofaT00K

You wont find a lot of support for under 1200 (even if you don't feel hungry) and even if you are on the couch all day...you are not bedridden.

Thank you for being polite. I'm aware that I can eat more and still lose weight and I am not concerned about going over so much as I'm concerned about whether or not I'm getting enough food. I'm not looking for support for under 1200, I'm looking for advice. I was asking if it was a big deal or if it's normal for my low level of activity. I know generally speaking that's not enough food, but I'm not a dietitian so I don't know the specifics. I didn't want to eat not enough and screw myself over in the long run. I want to be healthy.

My third thought is that you say that you want a permanent, healthy lifestyle..but your actions say otherwise.

Can you maybe explain to me what you mean by that? Because I bet the explanation would be more helpful to me in place of your vague comment. I'm not familiar with the functions of leptin, would levels drop in a matter of one or two days? About how off could my estimates be if I'm measuring everything? I know a scale for weight is more accurate but I don't have one and I'm not able to get one any time soon. I assumed I was being pretty accurate for most items other than things I would need to measure by weight like meat.

I probably should have mentioned that I'm depressed from sitting around inside all the time. I can only get out when other people are available to take me out. I figured I was either getting enough since I'm sitting around or the depression is making me have no appetite. Judging by the responses, it's probably from feeling depressed. I'll force myself to eat more.

cwolfman13

What is your height, weight, and age? Being sedentary would most definitely require less calories...but you have to consider that getting proper nutrition is very difficult on few calories. Everyone thinks of proper nutrition as getting plenty of veg and what not...vitamins and minerals from fruit and veg are great, but they're only one aspect of proper nutrition. You need a balanced diet and adequate protein and fats for proper nutrition. Most people don't get enough fat when they're restricting calories this much...a lack of dietary fat leads to all kinds of hormonal imbalances, moods swings, anxiety, depression, etc.

Minimally, you should really be hitting that 1200 goal. You don't have to stuff your face either...my guess is that if you can't hit 1200 you've probably eliminated a lot of fat from your diet. As I also stated earlier...it is also highly likely that you are eating more than you think you are. I can pretty much guarantee that if you're just eyeballing and you do not use weights and measures then you are underestimating intake and eating more than you think you are.

Start doing some research on proper nutrition and nutritional requirements. Look for actual studies, not articles in fitness magazines that have you running scared of an apple because it has sugar and what not. It's really pretty simple...lots of nutrient dense whole foods...fruit, veg, lean meats (proteins) and healthy fats from things like nuts, avocado, olives, olive oil (just don't douse your meal with it, it's calorie dense), etc. I shop primarily the outer areas of my super market...this is where the whole, natural foods are. I'm not opposed to processed foods entirely and eat my fare share of minimally processed foods, but I try to keep my diet as "whole" as possible. And don't forget balance...and jelly beans.

Also, you did pretty fine on Sunday...just try to get it around 1200. Eating well below that (like you are so far today) isn't good or healthy. Also make sure you're keeping an eye on your macros and other micronutrients to make sure you're getting adequate nutrition. The biggest issue with low calories is malnutrition.

F00LofaT00K

lol I don't like jelly beans OR fitness magazines.

I am 5'4", 196lb and 24 years old. I doubt I have a lack of fat and protein in my diet. I'm more focused on meeting my macronutrient goals for fat, fiber and protein than carbs. I'm not restricting carbs or afraid of carb, I just know that they don't make me feel full and I'm left feeling hungry. I'm definitely not afraid of healthy fats! Despite my weight, I'm actually pretty well informed about what a healthy diet entails, I'm just not well-read on all of the science behind it. Since I'm out of work, I might as well learn about it though. Thank you for elaborating about what you meant, I appreciate it.

McCall89

I have a similar problem. When I’m watching what I’m eating I tend to cut right back and struggle to get over 1200, even though I burn at least 3,000 calories most days (according to my Ki Fit anyway) which in the long run isn’t healthy and tends to mean I stumble a lot and fall back in to my old eating habits. I completely understand the not feeling hungry and not wanting to force yourself to eat thing. When I was on my normal unhealthy diet I tended to skip breakfast and lunch, I mostly worked late shifts so I didn’t tend to feel hungry at all until around 4/5pm and then I would usually have a pizza or something which could give me 1200 calories right off the bat, add in chocolate bars and other snacks to get me through work and I was overeating by far.

I’ve been trying to tackle this by having 3 or 4 smaller meals spaced out through the day, even if I’m not particularly hungry during the mornings. I’m trying to retrain myself in to eating the right amount at the right times. I find that planning my meals for the week tends to help too, so I’ll make a meal plan Sunday night of what to have all week and then I can spot straight away if any particular day looks high or low on calories. I try to bulk up on my calories when I need to with stuff like salmon, Greek yoghurt, homemade bran muffins etc.

I’ve recently gone back to working full time after a couple of months off with issues with my knees, so I know what it’s like to go from being really active at work to being stuck inside all day. I went from working 40-60 hour weeks and averaging 10,000 steps a day to being lucky if I could make it out of my street! It got me really down at the time and I didn’t feel like eating much either (though when I did it tended to be sugary junk). You just have to remember that the situation is only temporary and you’ll eventually get back on your feet. Even if you’re not hitting 1200 every day right now, you’ve still made the decision to be more conscious of your health. Logging food and making healthy choices now will help set you up for when you do get back to work and feel like you could eat more. Best of luck!

heatherloveslifting

From what I can see you've been logging about 6 days. The first day was "normal" and then you've been under 1200 for 5 days. Quite honestly, if I were you I'd eat some nuts or some ice cream or something to make up the difference. I find I can do low cals for a week or two if I'm in a zone, and sometimes not even feel hungry. And then out of the blue one day I'm ravenous. It's better to keep cals at a consistent and reasonable level. (I know, easier said than done).

gigglesinthesun

I had a look on your profile and since you have struggled with an eating disorder in the past (although you don't say which one) I really think that it would be better for you to prelog all your food so that you reach your 1200 calories and then eat it all.

Normally I would say a few days under don't matter (considering you are quite inactive right now), but with your history it might be different. Generally I would perhaps work on a better relationship with food. You didn't get to 196lbs without seriously overeating, especially since you suggested that you started with a low weight due to an eating disorder in your teens and you are only 24 now.

Perhaps you could check into exercises you can do on your couch or floor that do not involve your broken foot as exercise is a mood lifter and might spurn on your appetite as well.

F00LofaT00K

Thanks for all of the advice, everybody.

I was never "officially" diagnosed with an eating disorder, I just stopped eating and would eventually binge then purge after several days of starvation. I lost a lot of weight rapidly and spent a couple of hours at the school gym almost daily. I was at an unhealthy weight and I imagine I was seriously damaging my body. I had a lot of family problems and it was satisfying to know my mother cared about me when she would worry about my eating habits. It was satisfying to have some kind of control over her unpredictability as an alcoholic. My mother kicked me out when I was 18 and I slowly began eating off and on but I always felt like I was doing something wrong if I was feeding myself. I felt like I didn't deserve food.

Around 20 years old a college friend asked if everything was okay and her concern made me realize that I wasn't being normal. I sought out counseling for about a year and it helped me with a lot of issues. I was eating normal, healthy meals and going to the gym a couple of times a week for lighter workouts. I got my weight up to about 135 and had a healthy body. I really didn't like who I used to be and part of me is worried that if I say no to food when I want it, I'm going to slip back into not eating. Part of me feels that it's better to be fat than starving myself. So I stopped saying no EVERY time I had a craving or was offered food. I know that's not a healthy mindset and I know it's irrational to think saying no to a cupcake will put me back to where I was before, but it's difficult to shake the fear.

I would like to go back to counseling. I clearly still have some things I need help working out. Unfortunately, with my income and work schedule counseling isn't feasible for me at the moment so I'm hoping to just do this on my own. I only want to lose a pound or two a week. Any more and not only is it unhealthy, but I worry that it would trigger me to try for more, then more, then MORE each week. Once I get down to about 140-150, I just want to eat for maintenance and hit the gym a couple of times per week. Teenage me would die if she knew I WANTED to weigh 145 but looking back at my pictures, that's where I looked the healthiest.

I'm going to start pre-logging, that's a really great idea. I'll probably start sometime this weekend since I have no idea what's going to be on the table for Thanksgiving. Also, I got my cast off today and the doctor gave me some physical therapy exercises to do over the next two weeks before I see him again... hopefully that will get me a little happier.

MakePeasNotWar

I looked at your diary, and with the exception of the low calorie level, it looks good. Lots of vegetables, well over your minimums for protein and fat. That's actually a pretty big accomplishment in the midst of a depressive episode.

I notice your carbs are very low. Did you know that carbohydrate intake can indirectly stimulate the production of serotonin? If you eat more complex carbs throughout the day you may find that your mood improves, and you will find it easier to meet your calorie goals. You don't have to stuff yourself; an average whole wheat bagel has over 200 calories.

I have linked an article that explains the carbohydrate-serotonin connection, and will hopefully allay any weight gain fears about eating carbs.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-antidepressant-diet/201008/serotonin-what-it-is-and-why-its-important-weight-loss

F00LofaT00K

Thanks for the article!!

edit: I just skimmed over it and it looks fascinating. I bookmarked it to read it in full when I've got the time.

Chibi2Chula

I had that problem too but it was because I was being a lazy butt, waking up at 4:00pm eating only one big meal.
Sometimes I get really full before my calorie mark, but I find I get hungry later on like when I need to go to bed lol.

deksgrl

I'll force myself to eat more.

It is quite easy to bump up your calories without it being a whole lot of volume of food. Nuts/seeds, peanut butter, full fat dairy/cheeses, olive oil, avocado, etc. etc.

F00LofaT00K

It would actually be REALLY easy for me to just use more fats, but I get plenty of fat. I liked that article about the carbs/serotonin. I'll probably eat more carbs. I'm lower than MFP suggests and they're not filling. It should be relatively easy to eat some crackers or something.

F00LofaT00K

I was looking through this for that article about carbs again and realized I wrote "binge then purge." It's habit to put the two words together because I usually see/hear them together. Sorry for presenting it that way. I DID starve myself and then binge, but I never induced vomiting. Just wanted to clear the record. Sorry again!!