Struggling to eat 1200 Calories a day

KaitlinChapman12

Hey all,
I'm having a really hard time "netting" 1200 calories a day after exercise. I've been eating extremely healthy the past month and have lost weight! Super excited about this, but I also want to make sure I keep it off in the long run.

I am comfortable eating around 1200 then with my workouts I usually net about 800. I know I should eat my calories back, but I'm having a hard time trying to find other foods to eat since I've been eating a lot of veggies and lean proteins (which I Love)

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for snack ideas to up my caloric intake everyday that are healthy. Thanks!

manicautumn

Honestly, I tend to treat myself to a glass or two of wine or a chocolate bar.

You could try upping your portion sizes.

1200 is actually pretty low for most people, so if you're concerned about keeping it off- you may want to evaluate if that's right for you. Different numbers work for different people.

kgeyser

1200 seems really low for someone with 100lb weight loss goal who is exercising regularly. You want to make sure you are eating enough food, especially protein, so you retain lean body mass (muscle) and lose fat.

You can increase calories by increasing portion sizes and adding calorie dense foods into you diet. Are you weighing foods and measuring liquids, including condiments?

SamLD88

You might consider investing in an activity tracker like the JawboneUP (I have this one) or the Fitbit. It would help you get a better idea of daily calorie burn even with exercise, so if MFP is overestimating your burn, you might not really *need* to eat back the 800 cals of exercise.

vismal

I would suggest that anyone who is finding trouble eating 1200 calories a day should probably look at the accuracy of their calorie counting. 1200 calories is not a lot of food, even if you eat zero processed food. Are you weighing all your food on a scale or estimating portion sizes? Are you using things like cups or tablespoons to measure solid food (they are meant for liquid only)? Do you do cheat days or meals? Are you good at logging everything or do you often forget to track things? Do you eat out or have food you did not prepare/weigh yourself on a regular basis?

pleasurelittletreasure

Try adding some PB2 to yogurt - get a little more protein and calories without having to stuff yourself. Also, I don't know if you've ever seen it, but Justin's Almond Butter is amazing stuff. I've tried it on rosemary cranberry crackers and on apple slices and it is equally as good. (Makes an amazing 'PBJ', too.) What about fruit? I always try to have some fruit before bed. Keeps me from feeling hungry in the middle of the night for some reason. Find what works for you. Add some friends with open diaries. You can send me a FR if you like - mine is open to friends.

WalkingAlong

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for snack ideas to up my caloric intake everyday that are healthy. Thanks!

I think the best snack suggestion is to think about what you ate before this diet and what you really miss from that, and add some back in moderation. 1200 is 'easy' at first, then it can get really hard if you're not allowing yourself any wine, chocolate, nuts, pizza, or whatever it was that was a favorite food before.

Is there a restaurant you like? Have a dinner out. You don't have to hit your goal dead-on every day, just do so on average. If you were 400 under yesterday, you can be 400 over today and it's the same thing to your body, pretty much.

Good luck!

smarieallen85

1200 was easy for me when I was fine with eating the plainest salad every day but now I want to eat all the things and it's much harder. I had a bunch extra tonight so I had 2 servings of mozzarella and more avocado than I usually allow. And I get a really gross made in Brooklyn gluten free chocolate bar.

ElyseL1

I would suggest that anyone who is finding trouble eating 1200 calories a day should probably look at the accuracy of their calorie counting. 1200 calories is not a lot of food, even if you eat zero processed food. Are you weighing all your food on a scale or estimating portion sizes? Are you using things like cups or tablespoons to measure solid food (they are meant for liquid only)? Do you do cheat days or meals? Are you good at logging everything or do you often forget to track things? Do you eat out or have food you did not prepare/weigh yourself on a regular basis?

what he said. I did 1200 in the beginning but witht he harder workouts i do now its not nearly enough food.

AmyRhubarb

Nuts, peanut butter, avocado, use olive oil, coconut oil, butter, full fat dairy, dark chocolate.....small portions pack in good cals. I often eat 1200 cals before dinner.

Supertact

You didn't get fat struggling to eat 1200 calories a day.

Eating more calorie dense food does not mean it is bad food.

(Hint: there is no bad food)

6ftamazon

You didn't get fat struggling to eat 1200 calories a day.

Eating more calorie dense food does not mean it is bad food.

(Hint: there is no bad food)

This. Once in a while, even now, my breakfast can be 1200-1400 calories, so I'm not sure how you find that difficult to do. Food should not be the enemy.

jemhh

Nonsense. I'm sure you netted at least 1200 calories before trying to lose weight. What did you eat then that you aren't eating now?

simplydelish2

My GO TO snacks to add some cals:

an apple with peanut butter - adds a 200-300
a potato with dinner - adds about 200-300
a couple of pieces of chocolate - adds about 200
a PB&J sandwich

I agree that 1200 net is very low for some people - especially younger folks.

Remember you can eat anything you want - just do it within your calorie count. This is a lifestyle. You are going to eat like this for the rest of your life.

lolly2414

Like a few others have said, peanut butter w/celery or apples, or just a tablespoon or two on a spoon is a fave of mine to get me near the calories I should be eating (in fact I just ate 2 tablespoons of pb to get me over 1200 calories tonight). Dark chocolate (Dove or York snack size) is another thing I will "cheat" with if I'm low on calories at the end of the day. Like you I'm eating mostly lean meats, veggies, and a serving or two of fruit per day and there are definitely days where I've eaten plenty but I'm struggling to break 1000 calories because of so many low calorie veggies or fruits. If I need to I cheat (although I'm eating no grains except a little corn so I don't eat anything with wheat, oats, rice, etc even if I'm cheating) and eat some lower fat ice cream or frozen yogurt or cheese. Dairy food in general is an easy way to add calories.

rachel_cherie22

http://www.losebabyweight.com.au/weight-loss/body-mass-index/

BMR..

I eat 1569cals a day and lose between 0.5 - 1kg a week

5ft 4 and 72.5kg exercise 3x a week

BornxVillain

Always remember, too quick of weight loss results in weight coming back on quicker than before due to an ill metabolism rate. Try your best to keep it up. Handful of nuts, piece of pretty chocolate - even some avocado and sour cream can add some well needed calories. I admire your ability to eat such a low caloric rate while still feeling great- I wish I could myself!

Kevalicious99

I eat 700 cal for breakfast ... so honestly sunshine, I am not buying it. And I eat no junk .. none.

I agree with the person above, you are not doing yourself any favors eating so few calories. The only thing is that now with a lot to lose as per your ticker, you are probably fine for a while. But you are in for a big train wreck as you get closer to your goal and into maintenance.

It is not a good thing and you need to learn how to have good eating habits for the long term (or else the weight will just go back on). I think right now you are learning how to lose weight .. and somewhat starving yourself at the same time but there is more to it than losing weight.

ASH2038602

Lately I have been adding half a cup of black beans to my lunch to up my calories and protein. I have also added sweet potato to dinner. Hummus, yogurt, and peanut butter are good ways to up the calories some at snack time. And like others have suggested use a food scale if you aren't already. Chances are if you aren't hungry on 1200 calories that you are already eating more than you think.

WalkingAlong

I eat 700 cal for breakfast ... so honestly sunshine, I am not buying it. And I eat no junk .. none.

I don't understand what any man's breakfast size has to do with it. (And is breakfast size indicative of penis size or something because it sure seems to be a popular brag among men here?)

And I really don't get how these threads can come up practically hourly on every diet board that exists and people still think people are lying about it or something. It happens. You diet, you focus on food more, you eat healthier, you're motivated, you see losses, you get full easier. Is that really more outlandish than all these people just spontaneously coming up with the same weird lie?

Rockmum75

a gym trainer told me you can eat 1,200 and work your *kitten* off, youll burn more fat so its good,, best of luck,,, my aim is to stick to 1,200 and exercise like crazy

rachel_cherie22

1. I was eating 1200cals for 6 months and working out hard buring 1000 cals x 3 a week
stuck at 77.7kg for those 5 months

2. eating 1569 cals 1 month and working out the same as above now 72.5 loss of 5kg

I wasn't convinced either but I gave it a month and now I wouldn't go back

dunnodunno

a gym trainer told me you can eat 1,200 and work your *kitten* off, youll burn more fat so its good,, best of luck,,, my aim is to stick to 1,200 and exercise like crazy

Are you going to eat your calories back?

Graelwyn75

a gym trainer told me you can eat 1,200 and work your *kitten* off, youll burn more fat so its good,, best of luck,,, my aim is to stick to 1,200 and exercise like crazy

Your gym trainer sounds like a bit of an idiot then.
Good luck trying that for any length of time. But then, his idea of working one's *kitten* off might not match mine.

nkolli8921

Hi Kaitlin, I am having the same issues. I struggle to eat 1200 calories a day too especially on training days. I see some people have posted that you are lying... well I can say I am in the same boat. I am eating more healthier these days meaning, no biscuits, chocolates, cakes, fried foods. At times I was eating all these bad foods and my weight has pretty much stayed the same. Now that I have basically cut all that crap out my Trainer told me to eat 1200 cals a day and on training days I need to eat back my calories which is usually between 400-500 cals. I am having so much trouble eating the calories back. I could do it easily if I eat chocolates, cakes etc but I don't really want to eat junk food. I have at times had half a mini cupcake or one chocolate clinker but that is as far as it goes. Last night after training I had to force myself to eat an extra 500 cals for dinner from what I lost exercising.. I had 250g breast chicken with 2 cups of broccoli and I will tell you I was nearly crying because I felt I was going to explode. I ended up eating a total of 676 calories for the day after burning off what exercise I did. So in the end I didn't get to my 1200 cal target. I am filling up on protein and good fats and trying to keep my carbs under 50%. I am a young 48 year old, 165cm tall and currently weigh 59kg. I only have 5kg to lose and I have been on this challenge for 3 weeks and I have lost at total of 0.9kg. My Trainer said because I am not eating enough and my metabolism is in starvation mode. I get that and maybe I will have to eat a chocolate bar, but I think that is defeating the purpose. I want to be healthy as I also have high cholesterol and chocolate or greasy food is the last thing I need to consume. One poster mentioned he eats 700cal breakfast I bet that entails quite a few eggs and greasy bacon. 700 cals easily reached but I could not possibly consume that many eggs in the morning. I struggled to eat 2 eggs yesterday for breakfast. Everyone's body is different. There is no one size fits all.

paperpudding

These threads come up regularly and no, I do not think people are lying.

I think one of two things is happening.

1. Logging is not as accurate as poster thinks it is and so they are actually eating more than 1200. ( in which case weight loss over time will be slow, as per the person's actual ( not their perceived) intake

2. Person has started eating what they consider ultra healthy and cut all calorie dense items; soda, juice, sweets, bread, pasta, milk, etc and finds that low calorie options are much more filling than they realised and they feel they are eating a lot of volume but not getting to calorie level ( in which case weight loss over time will be faster than a healthy rate)

Best suggestion in both cases is to open your diary so experienced posters can make constructive suggestions.

Just ridiculing the poster and accusing them of lying is not helpful.

diannethegeek

paperpudding wrote: »

These threads come up regularly and no, I do not think people are lying.

I think one of two things is happening.

1. Logging is not as accurate as poster thinks it is and so they are actually eating more than 1200. ( in which case weight loss over time will be slow, as per the person's actual ( not their perceived) intake

2. Person has started eating what they consider ultra healthy and cut all calorie dense items; soda, juice, sweets, bread, pasta, milk, etc and finds that low calorie options are much more filling than they realised and they feel they are eating a lot of volume but not getting to calorie level ( in which case weight loss over time will be faster than a healthy rate)

Best suggestion in both cases is to open your diary so experienced posters can make constructive suggestions.

Just ridiculing the poster and accusing them of lying is not helpful.

I don't disagree, but the people who did ridicule the OP haven't logged in for like 3 years.

PAV8888

nkolli8921 wrote: »

Hi Kaitlin, I am having the same issues. I struggle to eat 1200 calories a day too especially on training days. I see some people have posted that you are lying... well I can say I am in the same boat. I am eating more healthier these days meaning, no biscuits, chocolates, cakes, fried foods. At times I was eating all these bad foods and my weight has pretty much stayed the same. Now that I have basically cut all that crap out my Trainer told me to eat 1200 cals a day and on training days I need to eat back my calories which is usually between 400-500 cals. I am having so much trouble eating the calories back. I could do it easily if I eat chocolates, cakes etc but I don't really want to eat junk food. I have at times had half a mini cupcake or one chocolate clinker but that is as far as it goes. Last night after training I had to force myself to eat an extra 500 cals for dinner from what I lost exercising.. I had 250g breast chicken with 2 cups of broccoli and I will tell you I was nearly crying because I felt I was going to explode. I ended up eating a total of 676 calories for the day after burning off what exercise I did. So in the end I didn't get to my 1200 cal target. I am filling up on protein and good fats and trying to keep my carbs under 50%. I am a young 48 year old, 165cm tall and currently weigh 59kg. I only have 5kg to lose and I have been on this challenge for 3 weeks and I have lost at total of 0.9kg. My Trainer said because I am not eating enough and my metabolism is in starvation mode. I get that and maybe I will have to eat a chocolate bar, but I think that is defeating the purpose. I want to be healthy as I also have high cholesterol and chocolate or greasy food is the last thing I need to consume. One poster mentioned he eats 700cal breakfast I bet that entails quite a few eggs and greasy bacon. 700 cals easily reached but I could not possibly consume that many eggs in the morning. I struggled to eat 2 eggs yesterday for breakfast. Everyone's body is different. There is no one size fits all.

Very nice sentiments and thread revive.

Here's the thing.

Most of us not only want to lose the extra weight but also want to maintain our loss over several years.

So people who change their way of eating will, quite possibly, eat MORE "clean/healthy/nutrient dense" food than they used to and less of "junk/unhealthy/calorie dense" food than they used to.

I know I certainly do both of these things (well, depending on how each of us defines each of these categories....)

But, realistically, do you see you eating chicken and broccoli till you cry for months and years at a time? No, right?

So at some point of time (and in my opinion the sooner the better) you will have to come to grips with dealing with calorie dense food... but in more moderate amounts than you may have been used to eating it in recent memory.

Forget good and bad foods. Just make choices such that you feel that what you eat is worth the Calories you spend on it!

Danp

And. If your trainer said the word 'starvation mode' then immediately disregard anything else they say about nutrition and limit the advice you take from them to how to pick up heavy stuff and put it back down.

Or better yet, get a trainer who actually knows what they're talking about because if they're peddling rubbish nutrition information like 'starvation mode' their PT information is probably suspect too

paperpudding

diannethegeek wrote: »

paperpudding wrote: »

These threads come up regularly and no, I do not think people are lying.

I think one of two things is happening.

1. Logging is not as accurate as poster thinks it is and so they are actually eating more than 1200. ( in which case weight loss over time will be slow, as per the person's actual ( not their perceived) intake

2. Person has started eating what they consider ultra healthy and cut all calorie dense items; soda, juice, sweets, bread, pasta, milk, etc and finds that low calorie options are much more filling than they realised and they feel they are eating a lot of volume but not getting to calorie level ( in which case weight loss over time will be faster than a healthy rate)

Best suggestion in both cases is to open your diary so experienced posters can make constructive suggestions.

Just ridiculing the poster and accusing them of lying is not helpful.

I don't disagree, but the people who did ridicule the OP haven't logged in for like 3 years.

Oops didn't notice it was a zombie thread

tar2323

1200 a day was easy for me for the first two years, for the most part. Now with 20lbs to go and having had a diet break, I'm struggling to get back into the right mindset. Some good advice in this thread about adding in things you really liked before (there are no bad foods) so you don't eventually feel deprived.