going over 1200 cal limit by a one or two hundred

Britenebula

Now I've been doing this for less than 2 weeks. I love it, but here's my issue:

Some days I have no problem staying within my calorie limit of 1200. But some days I feel much more hungry and want to eat more than my allotted amount. If I feel hungry & want to eat beyond my calorie limit , I just go ahead and eat, but usually pretty healthy stuff, like a boiled egg and a half of a wheat pita bread round. I don't want to send my body into starvation mode, which is why I think it's better that I go over my 1200 limit than not.

I have lost 2.5 pounds and 2 inches off my waist, so it may be early to be worrying, but I feel so guilty that I'm going over that 1200 limit (or whatever the limit increases to after exercise).

Does anyone else have this issue and how do you deal with it?

kristie874

Are you doing any exercise? If so, you should be eating those calories, too. If not, you may want to change your goal if you're set at the max of a desired 2 lb per week weight loss. Change it to 1 lb per week and that will allow you more calories while still losing. Be sure you're having snacks throughout the day and try to make them include a fiber and a protein which take longer to digest, keeping you satisfied longer. Good luck!

Britenebula

Yes, I eat my exercise calories, but whether I do or don't, I still want to go over. I was just wondering if other people have that problem too.

amaried621

I feel like same exact way that you do. I think that 1,200 calories is such a low number though. It's my goal to stay below/around 1,200 but I have checked out multiple other websites that calculate your daily calorie intake to lose weight and it is much higher than what is suggested here. If you are going over your suggested intake by eating fruits or something healthy, I can't begin to imagine that it would hurt you in any way. A good way to satiate hunger is by drinking water, it will make you feel full.
You're not alone in this thinking. We're going to beat ourselves up because we want to succeed and don't want to feel like we're making mistakes. But you're body tells you when it's hungry and you shouldn't ignore it. It knows best!

asj0901

Think about the days you are more hungry... is there more stress, are you running a lot of errands, are you doing more activities on those days than on the days you have no problem? I bet the days you are more hungry are the days youre busier.... So you are burning more calories with out realizing. I do that too. Don't feel guilty just keep going some weeks I lose 3lbs some I lose NONE (I hate those weeks) just keep going.

Britenebula

Both of your comments make sound sense to me. Thanks for the input!

bstamps12

Think about the days you are more hungry... is there more stress, are you running a lot of errands, are you doing more activities on those days than on the days you have no problem? I bet the days you are more hungry are the days youre busier.... So you are burning more calories with out realizing. I do that too. Don't feel guilty just keep going some weeks I lose 3lbs some I lose NONE (I hate those weeks) just keep going.

I was going to say the same thing! After dinner, (like 45 minutes after) some days I am already hungry again! But then I think about my day...and I walked a lot more wihout realizing it on those days or maybe my breakfast was calorie-wise okay, but not very filling and nutritious. A lot of my day depends on breakfast; if I don't eat a good breakfast, I will feel hungry the rest of they day no matter what! But if you are going over because of fruit or something very healthy...I doubt it will be that bad in the long run.

Lola_B

Hey there! I'm someone who has always loved food and loved to eat, emotional eating issues aside. I can really relate to lamenting the small portions. I've spent my life in and out of weightloss camps (~10 summers) and what I can tell you from my experience there (and of course with countless personal nutritionists, etc.) is that there are some things you can really eat as much as you want of.

Vegetables are a great example -- if you find yourself starving, feel free to eat as much as you want of any non-starchy veg (ie: this does not include potatoes or beans; carrots are ok, but not the best option b/c they're high in sugar). Many veggies actually take more calories to digest than what you take in, though note that you should be drinking a lot of water to prevent... bathroom troubles. While fruit is higher in calories than vegies tend to be, if you stay away from high sugar fruits (bananas, grapes) and opt for higher fiber fruits (apples, pears, citrus) or fruits with a low calorie density (berries, some melons), you should be OK. I'd say you can also allow yourself, if you're really hungry, fat free soups/broths or non fat cottage cheese/yogurt. In other words, if you're going over the 1200 calories, make sure that the additional calories are coming from fat free, highly nutritious foods.

One of the reasons people tend not to stick to diets or to binge is because they feel deprived. If you're hungry and you don't meet those needs, you're more likely to get frustrated and give up.

Do a little research on low-calorie density foods. I'd almost always rather "get more bang for my calorie buck" and eat a larger portion of a lower calorie food.

mskrissytina74

I recommend reading the "newby thread" in this section. I was in the same situation although I did pleatu and then I read some posts on here that suggest eating more and you will still loose the weight. I "upped" my calories to 1350-1450 and I am still loosing about 1.5 pounds a week and I don't feel like I am starving!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9433-expectations

Hope these help explain!

katschi

The calorie limit that MFP set for me (to lose 1.5 lbs per week) has allowed me to shed 20 lbs in 5 weeks which is motivating on the one hand but not healthy or sustainable in the long run.
Today I raised my calories to 1500 per day and I feel good about it.
If I'm still losing more than 2 lbs per week on 1500, I'll raise it again.
This is going against everything I've done in the past to try to lose weight but I vowed that this last time I will do it right and be patient.

I'm feeling a warm sensation in my stomach after I eat and I'm experiencing tummy growls a few hours after. I think this is a sign of my body burning what I'm fuelling it with.

For myself, 1200 calories isn't sustainable and I always end up plateauing if I try that for too long.
I'm also 5'7" and feel that I'm too tall for that minimum. 1400 is also too little for me as my weight loss is too fast. (No, I can't believe I'm saying that)
I started out at 1350 which was 150 more than what the site suggested (in order to lose 2 lbs per week). I raised it to 1400. Had about 5 binges. Still am losing a crazy amount so 1500 it is. Scary stuff to tell someone who's had a problem with eating too much that it might be better to eat more to lose.
The quality of my food is a factor in how fast I'm losing, I think. If I were to eat 1400 calories of processed food, I wouldn't be melting like I am. My diet isn't completely clean but it's a far cry from how I eat when I'm gorging.

funkyspunky871

1200 is definitely a horrible limit to have. I say you should increase your limit to at least 1300, and then stay in between 1200 and 1300 calories a day. Then you don't get some discouraging message from MFP that you're eating too little if you go a little below 1200, and another discouraging message when you've gone over 1200. You'd have to have EXACTLY 1200 calories logged to not feel guilty in that situation.

So, I say you should increase to at least 1300 or maybe even 1400.

isabelk

Egg white omelets! They are amazing and super low calorie. Grate off some frozen spinach, grate off some carrot, chop a little onion, add some squash roasted in a little water, a small dusting of dry grated parmesan: you can have an amazing omelet that is super low in calories. They cook up funny and stick to the pan like crazy, but they are so good! If you have time, bake a crustless quiche (less sticking) but you can also microwave egg white if you don't want to scrub a pan out before bedtime.

eates

You're losing weight so what you're doing is obviously working! I wouldn't worry about it unless it stops working for you. If you stop losing weight & inches then re-evaluate but until then, if it's not broke don't fix it