1200 Calories A Day and I'm Hungry All the Time

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  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    I would say 1200 cals a day is bordering on dangerously low. Obviously it depends on your age, height, activity level etc, but i would aim for something around 1800 - 2000. That is more than enough for 3 decent sized (not mountains - that was my problem!) nutritious meals, plus either 1 or 2 snacks, depending on what you choose. If you're used to eating a lot then this might be a struggle, but it's because of the habit/psychological cycle not because your body needs it, so after a week or two, you should find it gets easier. Also, don't listen to people that harp on about cutting out certain food goups (fad diets). It's about healthier eating and having a bit of everything in moderation. Obviously saturated fat is the one to watch, but my diet mainly turned out (unintentionally) to be high protein (mainly fish and roast chicken with skin removed) and high carbs (lots of potatoes, pasta, rice) with a lower fat intake, and i lost 22lbs in 7 months. I used to think i had no will power whatsoever, but since i've lost the weight it has boosted my confidence. I was quite strict with myself but i found using MFP more helpful than willpower alone. I put in absolutely everything i consumed and it turned into a bit of a game with myself! Have some belief in yourself and you'll succeed. Best of luck! :smile: Matt

    You can get the OP's stats from her previous posts. Her TDEE is going to be in the 1700s if she's sedentary. 1800-2000 calories would not be a good idea for her.
  • kitlynnJ
    kitlynnJ Posts: 78 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    ^this

    Also as others have said you could try a slower approach to weight loss. Losing .5 lbs a week might seem really, really slow, but if it is something you can stick with you will be 4 lbs down in a couple of months instead of back where you started because you couldn't stick with the 1200 plan.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    I would say 1200 cals a day is bordering on dangerously low. Obviously it depends on your age, height, activity level etc, but i would aim for something around 1800 - 2000. That is more than enough for 3 decent sized (not mountains - that was my problem!) nutritious meals, plus either 1 or 2 snacks, depending on what you choose. If you're used to eating a lot then this might be a struggle, but it's because of the habit/psychological cycle not because your body needs it, so after a week or two, you should find it gets easier. Also, don't listen to people that harp on about cutting out certain food goups (fad diets). It's about healthier eating and having a bit of everything in moderation. Obviously saturated fat is the one to watch, but my diet mainly turned out (unintentionally) to be high protein (mainly fish and roast chicken with skin removed) and high carbs (lots of potatoes, pasta, rice) with a lower fat intake, and i lost 22lbs in 7 months. I used to think i had no will power whatsoever, but since i've lost the weight it has boosted my confidence. I was quite strict with myself but i found using MFP more helpful than willpower alone. I put in absolutely everything i consumed and it turned into a bit of a game with myself! Have some belief in yourself and you'll succeed. Best of luck! :smile: Matt
    Interested in knowing how you managed to come up with that the OP should eat 1800-2000 calories and be able to lose weight without knowing her current weight, height and activity level.

    Also, you are comparing yourself to a 51 year old female. Make sense much?

    Thank you for pointing out the OP's age (I should have looked myself). OP - I AM 53 years old & a past yo-yo dieter.

    Find your BMR (it may be fairly low.....age doesn't help us there).....it won't be great, but 1200 sounds low. Don't assume eating 1200 is okay.....1200 is just MFP's lowest default value......it has nothing to do with your height, age, etc.

    BMR is zero activity (ie: sleeping).....TDEE is maintenance. This IS tailored to your height, age, etc.

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    Yo-yo dieters lose weight.......and regain it. The problem is that unless you took care to lessen muscle loss the first time (1200 is not taking care) .......you (and I) lose fat AND muscle.....but just regained fat. This left me (at least) with a higher body fat % than is healthy. This time around I need to "take care" to reduce muscle loss while losing weight.

    Tips for maintaining as much muscle as you can...........
    1. Lose weight at a slower pace
    2. Eat plenty of protein
    3. Strength train
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
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    I would say 1200 cals a day is bordering on dangerously low. Obviously it depends on your age, height, activity level etc, but i would aim for something around 1800 - 2000. That is more than enough for 3 decent sized (not mountains - that was my problem!) nutritious meals, plus either 1 or 2 snacks, depending on what you choose. If you're used to eating a lot then this might be a struggle, but it's because of the habit/psychological cycle not because your body needs it, so after a week or two, you should find it gets easier. Also, don't listen to people that harp on about cutting out certain food goups (fad diets). It's about healthier eating and having a bit of everything in moderation. Obviously saturated fat is the one to watch, but my diet mainly turned out (unintentionally) to be high protein (mainly fish and roast chicken with skin removed) and high carbs (lots of potatoes, pasta, rice) with a lower fat intake, and i lost 22lbs in 7 months. I used to think i had no will power whatsoever, but since i've lost the weight it has boosted my confidence. I was quite strict with myself but i found using MFP more helpful than willpower alone. I put in absolutely everything i consumed and it turned into a bit of a game with myself! Have some belief in yourself and you'll succeed. Best of luck! :smile: Matt

    I train for triathlons and if I ate 1800 per day on a rest day I'd gain weight!

    You're right about tracking though, MFP works wonders. Read more posts, a few thousand should do it before advice is taken seriously here!
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
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    How many calories were you eating before dropping to 1200?
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
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    I've been yo yo dieting for a long time and now I want to get serious about losing 30-40 lbs.

    News flash.. still yo yo dieting.
  • wbatten2
    wbatten2 Posts: 25 Member
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    That was helpful. Wow really.
  • murdledoe
    murdledoe Posts: 98 Member
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    I have worked with a cardiologist and a dietician on my diet. I am on a 1200 calorie diet and with the meals and snacks I have been having, it is working for me and I am rarely hungry. I have lost 17 in 2 months. You are more then welcomed to add me as a friend and look at my food diary. One of the things that I do is get away with unnecessary calories, which allows for more substantial food.

    Good luck.
  • ravenmiss
    ravenmiss Posts: 384 Member
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    Age?
    Height?
    Current weight?
    Activity level?
    What do you eat daily?

    Without answering this no one can help you.
  • kat_howell
    kat_howell Posts: 16
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    I have been dieting for 3 months. I do atleast 30-45 min of cardio 4-5days a week. I ride my bike in the evenings. I stay under 1200 calories a day. I drink 8 or more glasses of water a day. And i have lost 1lb!!!! I am giving it 1 more month then I quit!!! if I am going to be fat I might as well eat a cheeseburger!!! :mad:
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    I have been dieting for 3 months. I do atleast 30-45 min of cardio 4-5days a week. I ride my bike in the evenings. I stay under 1200 calories a day. I drink 8 or more glasses of water a day. And i have lost 1lb!!!! I am giving it 1 more month then I quit!!! if I am going to be fat I might as well eat a cheeseburger!!! :mad:
    if you aren't losing, then you aren't in a calorie deficit.
    staying under 1200 calories is going to do you absolutely no good.. but here's the thing, you're probably eating more than you think you are.

    are you actually weighing your food on a scale? logging everything... literally everything as accurately as you possibly can? down to the gram measurement, etc?
  • MrsCZM138
    MrsCZM138 Posts: 116
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    I've been yo yo dieting for a long time and now I want to get serious about losing 30-40 lbs.

    News flash.. still yo yo dieting.

    I was going to say the same thing.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
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    I have been dieting for 3 months. I do atleast 30-45 min of cardio 4-5days a week. I ride my bike in the evenings. I stay under 1200 calories a day. I drink 8 or more glasses of water a day. And i have lost 1lb!!!! I am giving it 1 more month then I quit!!! if I am going to be fat I might as well eat a cheeseburger!!! :mad:

    You will probably get better advice if you start your own thread instead of hijacking others. Most of the people who post in this thread will be trying to address the OP's specific needs.

    To point you in the right direction, these are three threads that I really think anyone new to the boards should read:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1234699-logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide
  • wbatten2
    wbatten2 Posts: 25 Member
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    I've been yo yo dieting for a long time and now I want to get serious about losing 30-40 lbs.

    News flash.. still yo yo dieting.

    I was going to say the same thing.

    Such helpful comments!
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    I've been yo yo dieting for a long time and now I want to get serious about losing 30-40 lbs.

    News flash.. still yo yo dieting.

    I was going to say the same thing.

    Such helpful comments!
    you wouldn't believe how many people here actually do need the obvious pointed out. You don't have to like it, but it appears that it's apt. Check the links that dianne posted and stop the yoyo.
    Getting angry/upset over someone pointing out the fact that you're doing what you admit to doesn't help.
  • Nice2BFitAgain
    Nice2BFitAgain Posts: 319 Member
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    I've been yo yo dieting for a long time and now I want to get serious about losing 30-40 lbs.

    News flash.. still yo yo dieting.

    I was going to say the same thing.

    Such helpful comments!

    No one can help you with the amount of info you provided. If you don't want to provide the info then you'll have to look it up using the links provided. Lots of good info there.

    Good luck!
  • wbatten2
    wbatten2 Posts: 25 Member
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    I was actually trying to point out that someone saying "Newsflash Still YoYo Dieting" and there was no link that I could see attached to that post. Then the post "I was going to say the same thing" how is that helpful? I appreciate the links and I am checking them out that were provided. I just don't think that obnoxious remarks are of any help to me at all and if that is what this site and forum are about, I just won't post any longer. I appreciate everyone's comments and advice, links etc, but I think the short curt obnoxious posts are unnecessary and not what I was looking for from this site.
  • LinnySquare
    LinnySquare Posts: 8 Member
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    Why is it important to eat back your exercise calories? I'm trying to create a 7K a week calorie deficit to be able to lose 2lbs per week. To do so, I need to have both a significant deficit from reducing intake as well as an additional expenditure of calories through exercise. If I eat back some of the exercise deficit I create, aren't I just negating the extra deficit I've worked hard to create via exercise?
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    "At the end of the day I feel hungry and deprived."

    That's probably because eating only 1200 calories you are deprived. Your body is telling you to eat more and you probably should.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    Why is it important to eat back your exercise calories? I'm trying to create a 7K a week calorie deficit to be able to lose 2lbs per week. To do so, I need to have both a significant deficit from reducing intake as well as an additional expenditure of calories through exercise. If I eat back some of the exercise deficit I create, aren't I just negating the extra deficit I've worked hard to create via exercise?

    This is true. If your goal is to make the number on the scale go down as quickly as possible then you are correct. If your goal is to be fitter, healthier and more aesthetically pleasing to the eyes then eat your exercise calories back and view the weight loss as a long term goal that you aren't going to attain now now now.

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