having a hardtime eating 1200 cals

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geneva042
geneva042 Posts: 51
in Getting Started
Ok I am now puzzled !
I've been seriously counting my calories since yesterday, measuring everything with cups and being very careful with the protein portions (I don't have a scale yet, should get here next week!)
I make sure I find the most official/honest calories info on here as well.

Yesterday I got 1123 cals, I'm curious because I wasn't that much hungry...
(making sure I go get snacks as well)

I know its really bad to eat under 1200, heck, MFP says I should eat 1600 to lose weight (since I'm already fat and all)
Today, if everything goes as planed, I should be around 1150.

I drink a lot more water now

Are those numbers too low, or since it's ''borderline'' it's not catastrophic?
I don't want to slow down my metabolism either!
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Replies

  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    Read this OP: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    Read this OP: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
    yes. this.
  • geneva042
    geneva042 Posts: 51
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    will do!

    Now though I changed my snack for pears instead of tomatoes :P got the 1200 :P
  • cuckoo_jenibeth
    cuckoo_jenibeth Posts: 1,434 Member
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    Those numbers are too low! You need to strive for your calorie allotment each day, as MFP already places you at a deficit for weight loss. One of the easiest ways to bulk up the calorie count is to not eat low fat/fat free dairy or add some peanut butter into your day! Fat is not the enemy here; it is an important macro! And don't be unnecessarily restrictive (the freedom that MFP allows is great and allows for long term sustainability)...so, if you have the calories left over, plan a treat into your day!
  • cuckoo_jenibeth
    cuckoo_jenibeth Posts: 1,434 Member
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    will do!

    Now though I changed my snack for pears instead of tomatoes :P got the 1200 :P
    Great...now get it to the number set by MFP! Surely you can think of some way to get that to the 1600??
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    when all else fails add peanut butter and/or ice cream
  • boredlimodriver
    boredlimodriver Posts: 264 Member
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    Oh, it's this thread again
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    I can't see your diary....so this is just a guess......

    Calorie dense foods are your friend. Nuts, nut butters, avocado, olive oil...all healthy fats and necessary for so many bodily functions. Dietary fat doesn't make you fat. Instead of diet salad dressing or fat-free dairy.....eat some fat.
  • LisaPower123
    LisaPower123 Posts: 1,837 Member
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    when all else fails add peanut butter and/or ice cream

    ^^This & don't worry you will get hungry & tired of eating so little soon enough.

    I get hangry when I eat only 1200 calories!
  • tibby531
    tibby531 Posts: 717 Member
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    when all else fails add peanut butter and/or ice cream

    what is this "or" you speak of? ;)
  • ruffnstuff
    ruffnstuff Posts: 400 Member
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    Serious question - if MFP suggests 1600 cals a day to lose weight, why are you only striving for 1200? No offense, but there;s no way a 250 lb woman is "having a hard time " eating 1200 cals. I know, cuz that's where i started. Let me give you some advice. As you lose weight, you are supposed to lower your cal goal a bit, because your body burns things more efficiently the less you weigh. So if you're starting off only eatin 1100-1200, where the heck do you have to go from here?!

    Also, a couple posts up is correct - you WILL get very tired and hangry very soon. You have what I like to call the newbie high of just starting out. I promise this whole thing is much better if you eat more.
  • hearthwood
    hearthwood Posts: 794 Member
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    The good news is you're not hungry "yet". I doubt it will last. Most of us experience that uncomfortable feeling while losing weight. It will subside when your brain and stomach get accustomed to your new calorie intake.

    I won't eat if I am not hungry, and have been very successful using MFP. Many days I fall under my calorie count too, but not by much.

    You want to eat a minimum of 1200 calories a day to keep your metabolic rate from shutting down.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
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    Serious question - if MFP suggests 1600 cals a day to lose weight, why are you only striving for 1200? No offense, but there;s no way a 250 lb woman is "having a hard time " eating 1200 cals. I know, cuz that's where i started. Let me give you some advice. As you lose weight, you are supposed to lower your cal goal a bit, becasue your body burns things more efficiently the less you weigh. So if you're starting off only eatin 1100-1200, where the heck do you have to go from here?!

    Also, a couple posts up is correct - you WILL get very tired and hangry very soon. You have what I like to call the newbie high of just starting out. I promise this whole thing is much better if you eat more.

    No, your body does not get more efficient the less you way. You can't eat as much because your BMR number becomes smaller.
  • squishycatmew
    squishycatmew Posts: 151 Member
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    Yesterday I ate less than 1200 calls. I also sat on my *kitten* in my apartment all day - I mean, I literally did nothing physical. I took a shower, I knit, I played computer games. I was focused enough on what I was doing that I didn't feel much hunger, and given my activity level, I didn't need to eat much.

    Guess what? Yesterday was a fluke. An anomaly. I don't do that every day - I don't even do that once a month. And any other day, even 1200 calories wouldn't fill me up or give me enough energy for normal life. If you're having trouble hitting 1200, I would guess you're probably early in your MFP days and within a week or two, the fatigue and massive hunger will hit. (I did it, too, my first week - I was so terrified of going over my calorie goal (which was above 1200, because no one who is not very petite and also very inactive can comfortably sustain themselves on that for long) that I under ate consistently. And then I realized that was not going to work. I won't advocate eating if you're not hungry, but make sure that you genuinely aren't hungry - and don't be afraid of foods that are calorie dense and also nutrient dense (or even the occasional not-so-nutirent-dense treat). If the goal MFP gave you is 1600, you really, really don't need to tiptoe around higher-calorie foods - just make sure it fit in your day. Your 1600 calorie day.
  • geneva042
    geneva042 Posts: 51
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    I can't see your diary....so this is just a guess......

    Calorie dense foods are your friend. Nuts, nut butters, avocado, olive oil...all healthy fats and necessary for so many bodily functions. Dietary fat doesn't make you fat. Instead of diet salad dressing or fat-free dairy.....eat some fat.

    I though some cheese was enough
    I don't take diet salad dressing, they taste like crap :P However, i'll get some nuts to snack on during the day ^-^
    thanks for the input
  • squishycatmew
    squishycatmew Posts: 151 Member
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    Serious question - if MFP suggests 1600 cals a day to lose weight, why are you only striving for 1200? No offense, but there;s no way a 250 lb woman is "having a hard time " eating 1200 cals. I know, cuz that's where i started. Let me give you some advice. As you lose weight, you are supposed to lower your cal goal a bit, becasue your body burns things more efficiently the less you weigh. So if you're starting off only eatin 1100-1200, where the heck do you have to go from here?!

    Also, a couple posts up is correct - you WILL get very tired and hangry very soon. You have what I like to call the newbie high of just starting out. I promise this whole thing is much better if you eat more.

    No, your body does not get more efficient the less you way. You can't eat as much because your BMR number becomes smaller.

    Also, if you start at a fairly high deficit, you won't need to drop your goal to keep losing. As you lose, you are naturally going to begin to lose more slowly, which is the healthy way to do it. I actually started at 1400 and recently bumped it up to 1500 - still losing. Might bump up to 1600 in a month or so.
  • geneva042
    geneva042 Posts: 51
    Options
    Serious question - if MFP suggests 1600 cals a day to lose weight, why are you only striving for 1200? No offense, but there;s no way a 250 lb woman is "having a hard time " eating 1200 cals. I know, cuz that's where i started. Let me give you some advice. As you lose weight, you are supposed to lower your cal goal a bit, becasue your body burns things more efficiently the less you weigh. So if you're starting off only eatin 1100-1200, where the heck do you have to go from here?!

    Also, a couple posts up is correct - you WILL get very tired and hangry very soon. You have what I like to call the newbie high of just starting out. I promise this whole thing is much better if you eat more.

    who said I was striving for that? o,0 I'm actually aiming more for the 1500-1600
    I've been stupid before and didn't eat enough, been there, done that, it sucks and I'm actually nervous about doing that **** again.

    Yesterday I just wasn't hungry at all, and yes it's not normal for me.
  • ruffnstuff
    ruffnstuff Posts: 400 Member
    Options
    Serious question - if MFP suggests 1600 cals a day to lose weight, why are you only striving for 1200? No offense, but there;s no way a 250 lb woman is "having a hard time " eating 1200 cals. I know, cuz that's where i started. Let me give you some advice. As you lose weight, you are supposed to lower your cal goal a bit, becasue your body burns things more efficiently the less you weigh. So if you're starting off only eatin 1100-1200, where the heck do you have to go from here?!

    Also, a couple posts up is correct - you WILL get very tired and hangry very soon. You have what I like to call the newbie high of just starting out. I promise this whole thing is much better if you eat more.

    No, your body does not get more efficient the less you way. You can't eat as much because your BMR number becomes smaller.

    BMR = Basal Metabolic Rate; The rate at which energy is used by an organism at complete rest, measured in humans by the heat given off per unit time, and expressed as the calories released per kilogram of body weight or per square meter of body surface per hour. (so, ya know, kinda like how your body burns cals!)
  • geneva042
    geneva042 Posts: 51
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    when all else fails add peanut butter and/or ice cream

    Or candy bars and chips. Also, how is the OP 70lbs over her goal weight but yet is baffled on how to get more calories??

    ever wondered that -maybe- ye know, just maybe, I was trying to eat healthy for a change?

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