1200 calorie daily allowance and feeling hungry :(

hiphopbunnie · June 2014

I've never kept a food diary before and I'm shocked to see how quickly the calories add up. Anyone have any tips on how to stay satiated on 1200 cal/day diet?

_lyndseybrooke_ · June 2014

Yeah. Eat more than 1200 calories. Of course you're hungry - you're most likely eating below your BMR.

Holly_Roman_Empire · June 2014

How tall are you, and what are your workouts like? Your ticker says you only have 8 pounds to lose, in which case, you should not have selected "Lose 2 pounds a week" when you set up your goals. Eat more.

dannispring240 · June 2014

I feel your pain! I have the same calorie limits. Here are a few tips:

Exercising (even a slow-paced walk) will add to the amount of food you can eat everyday.

Stick to a diet high in vegetables and raw food. You will be surprised the lack of calories in items like lettuce, kale, cucumbers, carrots, etc and you will be able to eat your fill without sacrificing major calories.

Drink at least a cup of water everytime your stomach tells you that you are hungry. This DOES NOT mean to not eat. This means that sometimes the body will send a signal of hunger when really you are just thirsty.

Hope this helps!

Stay strong with your goals and know that the road might be tough, and long, but worth it for a healthier you.

spara0038 · June 2014

1. Eat more calories
2. Eat more veggies/fresh fruit. Cut empty calories (soda, coffee creamer, juices, etc). It's really difficult to feel hungry after 2 cups of broccoli- and it's 60 calories for 2 cups! Also, my salads come to about 200 calories each- well within my 1400 cal/day limit.

brower47 · June 2014

You only have 8lbs to lose, you should set your goals to 1/2 lb a week, not the 2 you likely have it set to. How tall are you? Because if you're taller than 5'4", you should not lose any more weight.

Be realistic in your goals.

amandzor · June 2014

I load up on veggies and protein. Veggies tend to be high in fiber and take up a bunch of room in your stomach, so you get the "I'm full" signals to the brain.

Protein is vital for me, at least, to avoid the hunger pains. I've noticed a serious difference between eating 1 cup of greek yogurt and 1 cup of steel-cut oats for breakfast.

With the yogurt, I can go until 12-1 without feeling hungry. With the oats, I'm starved by 9:30-10. I eat around 7:30-8 most mornings.

Quality over quantity.

Also, drink water. Many of our 'hunger' signals are actually due to dehydration.

That being said, everyone's body is different, so experiment with what works best for you and your body.

Hope this helps.

hiphopbunnie · June 2014

I'm 5'4.5". I usually do about 1 hr of cardio 4-5x a week but I haven't been dieting along with my workouts so I haven't lost any weight even though I feel like I workout quite a bit which is why I decided to join MFP to help me track my eating.

spara0038 · June 2014

Eat at your maintenance but strength train. You'll see better results rather than being "skinny fat".

NancyKhuu · June 2014

At that height 1200 is not enough. I'm 5'2" and I can eat 1500 and still lose weight

spara0038 · June 2014

Same here. I'm around 5'2" also and eat around 1400 calories but have been losing about 1.1 lb/week. I wouldn't even recommend going that low but I can't eat in certain parts of where I work so days like today I have to go 8 hours between meals.

hiphopbunnie · June 2014

Yeah it feels quite low but that is what MFP calculated for me.
You are still losing 1.1 lbs a week? How much do you workout?

ashleyisgreat · June 2014

I agree with this, especially since you have so little to lose. You'll look better than if you eat below BMR and only do cardio. At this stage, inches matter more than pounds, anyway.

NotJustADieter · June 2014

Time for my rant!

1200 CALORIES IS A TERRIBLE IDEA
HORRIBLE
TERRIBLE
NEVER EVER EVER
BAD IDEA

Okay, now that I've got that off my chest (and most likely incoming angry rants), let me explain: firstly, my background. I'm a nursing student. I'm not coming from a place of utter ignorance. I'm also working with a nutritionist and personal trainer. However, I am not a doctor and this is not professional medical advice.

You have what is called a basic metabolic rate, or BMR. Your BMR is how many calories you burn a day just by existing. Even if you were in a coma, your body would burn these calories doing things like making your heart beat, your lungs inhale, your liver and kidneys function, etc. Your BMR is rarely under 1200 - I'm only 5'2 and my BMR is 1464 calories a day.

You also have what is called a total daily energy expendeture, or TDEE. Your TDEE is how many calories a day you expend total normally. Basically, your BMR + what you expend walking around the house, folding laundry, walking from your car into a store or work, typing at your computer, texting, etc.

Usually, TDEE - BMR is a serious cut. Most people advise eating at TDEE = 20%, as long as that number is not less than your BMR. Reguarly eating below your BMR is a very very bad idea and a good way to retain water weight, hurt your immune system, and in extreme cases, make yourself extremely ill.

Here is a BMR and TDEE calculator : http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

TDEE is what you should eat to mantain weight

TDEE + 20% is what you should eat to gain weight, either muscle or fat. Lifting sorts know this as a bulk.

TDEE - 20% is what you should eat to lose weight. Lifting sorts call this a cut.

You should not eat back calories burnt. TDEE takes those into account and is figured on your level of activity.
The reason MyFitnessPal has you eat back calories burnt is because the exercises on the site overestimate how many you burn, and you eventually end up eating your BMR over a week. However, someone who doesn't exercise and only diets either hurts themself by doing a severe cut, or overeats and hates themself later. You either hurt your mental or physical health, and that's not cool.

You can eat more to lose weight. Just don't overdo it, consume plenty of protein, and be mindful of what you consume. Don't aim to just lose weight, aim to be healthy- I firmly believe that dieting should not be a thing you do, but rather we should aim to live a healthier lifestyle. If you do, and are mindful of what you eat and moderately active, you will be at a healthy weight and muscle tone (though I have issues with the measurement of weight as health- my scale related rants are for another time, but let me just state that measuring inches lost is far more accurate than pounds lost).

Take care of yourself. If you're constantly hungry, consider seriously looking at what you're eating. If you're doing it right, you shouldn't be.

kgeyser · June 2014

How much did you say you wanted to lose per week when you set it up? And you should be eating back a portion of your exercise calories, that's how MFP is designed.

hiphopbunnie · June 2014

Thanks! I'm gonna try adding more protein and veggies in to see if it keeps me full longer. I do find that carbs from grains aren't as good as proteins and veggies for keeping me full but carbs are just easier heh

KylaDenay · June 2014

MFP calculated 1200 for you, because of your selections. As others have stated, update your goals to lose .5 lbs a week.

brianpperkins · June 2014

What did you tell MFP your height, current weight, and weekly loss goal were? What did you set for your activity level? Are you eating back your exercise calories?

Holly_Roman_Empire · June 2014

Because you enterred the wrong information. You need to reset your goals to "Lose .5 pounds per week." Then MFP will set you up with more calories.

cwoyto123 · June 2014

Nope, no ideas. Most of my meals are far more than that, don't know how people do it.

Grumpsandwich · June 2014

Look for 0 calorie butter substitutes, sugar free preserves and snacks with lower calorie amounts.

Larger portions of veg

break it up into more meals per day

That 1 tablespoon of butter is twice as many calories as a big bowl of veg

When you start to get lower needs in your weight loss and increase your calories reintroduce the fats

Really envious of all you lot that get to eat more calories hehehe Ive been around 1200 cal for close to a year ( LOVE big work out days for that eat back! lol )

Muddy_Yogi · June 2014

You shouldn't have to. You are most likely eating WAY less than you should. Did you set it to lose 2 lbs a week? Most people should not be losing that fast. Calculate your BMR and you TDEE ....eat between those numbers and NOT below your BMR.

katmix · June 2014

4-6 scrambled egg whites over a couple cups of veggies (no cheese or milk) and seasoned with Mrs Dash is a full plate which I can barely eat for less than 200 calories. Add some diced meat, nuts, or cheese and make it a complete meal for a couple hundred more calories or so... So yummy, filling and no hating on yourself afterwards!

Mainebikerchick · June 2014

Eat more calories. Also eat more protein because it helps you to stay full for longer.

ximenia · June 2014

You could always just eat something and excersise the calories back

hiphopbunnie · June 2014

Thank you!!!!! This is what Im kinda looking for. Filling food ideas

emmanap91 · June 2014

This is all you need, really. I'm 5'3" and 131 pounds. I have 0.9 lbs/week on mfp and it is set to 1200 cals. I mainly aim for protein and veggies, but I do think the quaker weight control oatmeal is excellent - it's a quick breakfast, it's tasty with a tsp of brown sugar added (otherwise it's relatively tasteless), and it's filling.
I do 50-60 minutes of cardio 5-6x per week, which adds around 380-450 cals to my daily limit, and sometimes I eat back all of it, sometimes I eat half of it back.

hiphopbunnie · June 2014

Thank you!!! This is the kinda stuff I'm looking for

TeaBea · June 2014

1200 is BEFORE exercise.......add some (log it) and extra calories are your reward.

1200 is MFP's lowest default minimum....it may or may not be appropriate for you. If your weekly goal is too high, bam...1200. If you are older & petite....bam 1200. I would double check your settings.......

Do what is sustainable. It's not sustainable if you feel like chewing your arm off.

Devlyn_P · June 2014

1200 calories?!?! Exercise more so you can eat. Take a jog before you eat, talk a walk after you eat. Be active.

MissNayMalmoe · June 2014

See, this is what I am dealing with. I have 60 pounds to go, and I am set at 1200 calories per day through the MFP calculator. I'm hungry a LOT. Sadly, after my week of 1200 and doing 4 cardio sessions, I gained 2 pounds. I am not sure I understand what in the world I am doing wrong. This is my first time tracking food as well.

1200 calorie daily allowance and feeling hungry :(

Replies

Categories