1200 calories

wowser3
wowser3 Posts: 6 Member
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
Hi all.
My fitness pal has worked out that me at 170cm tall and 180lbs should have 1200 calories a day to lose 2 lbs a week.
I really want to lose the weight but I just can't seem to stuck to 1200, it doesn't seem enough and I feel hungry :(
Will I lose weight on less calories or stop moaning and just keeping pushing to stick to the 1200?
Or even try different foods to fill me ( but I dont know what)
Help.
Hungry wowser x

Replies

  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    Hi all.
    My fitness pal has worked out that me at 170cm tall and 180lbs should have 1200 calories a day to lose 2 lbs a week.
    I really want to lose the weight but I just can't seem to stuck to 1200, it doesn't seem enough and I feel hungry :(
    Will I lose weight on less calories or stop moaning and just keeping pushing to stick to the 1200?
    Or even try different foods to fill me ( but I dont know what)
    Help.
    Hungry wowser x

    1200 isn't enough for a man. Try 1500 I think you'll feel alot better. Space out your calories so that you are eating every 3 hours or so as well.
  • crystal10584
    crystal10584 Posts: 334
    mfp has you as a girl, if you're a man and not a woman, I suggest re-doing your profile so it's accurate.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    Yikes! sorry I just looked at your profile pic.
  • journeytoahealthy51
    journeytoahealthy51 Posts: 89 Member
    Are you eating your exercise calories? If you are hungry, just exercise, earn some calories, and eat them. That should help.
  • kissesfromkrista
    kissesfromkrista Posts: 24
    The American Exercise Association doesn't recommend anything less than 1800 calories a day for men. I say you eat at least 1800. That's still very low for males. 1200 is very low for females too, but it's the least recommended amount for women to eat.
  • McDougal416
    McDougal416 Posts: 74 Member
    Make sure your eating foods that has lots of protein and that has lots of fiber in them. Fiber fills you up. Drinks TONS of water..that helps too. Drink 8oz of water before each meal..which will give you a full feeling. Also...if you find yourself hungry between meals..find low cal SNACKS to eat inbetween..and you might need to eat about every 2hrs or so..that'll help get your metabolism going also. When you work out..log it and eat back your exercise cal's..that'll help a lot too! Good Luck! Hang in there and you can do it!
  • ChitownFoodie
    ChitownFoodie Posts: 1,562 Member
    You can eat your calories that you burn....so if you want to eat more, work out more.
  • BakingGranny
    BakingGranny Posts: 112 Member
    Put in your wt now and what you want to be and mfp will give you the proper calorie intake. God bless you.
  • dwazy
    dwazy Posts: 13
    I agree on adding calories to your day. Find some foods that have protein in them to help you stay full longer. Some ideas are almonds or nuts (in moderation), yogurt with protein (check out Chobani Greek Yogurt), and some protein shakes. You have to be careful on the shakes of that is in them but I found a good on is Forever Lite Ultra which is a Forever Living Product. It tastes good and is only 190 calories with Skim milk. I have a friend that sells this and her and I swear by it. Good luck!
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    Yikes! sorry I just looked at your profile pic.

    LMFAO
  • keepsiejess
    keepsiejess Posts: 51 Member
    Ummmm> i'll state the obvious. If you work out you get to eat those calories back. There. I said it. I feel better now.
    :tongue:


    http://shouldieatmyexercisecalories.com/
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    2 lbs a week is unreasonable weight loss. Aim for a lb a week. I am happy if I manage 1/2 a lb. Sustainable weight loss isn't fast.
  • Pretty_n_Pink
    Pretty_n_Pink Posts: 28
    You need to eat as many calories as your BMR, find out what that is and eat at least that many a day. If you exercise you can eat those calories as well, but I only eat about half of my exercise calories.

    If you eat too little and are starving your not doing anything good. You won't lose weight and you will very tired and hungry and set yourself up for failure.

    Be sure to eat foods with lots of fiber and protein, they will help you stay fuller longer, drink lots of water during the day and before each meal. Water helps to fill you up so you don't overeat. And be sure to eat 5 to 6 small meals a day, it will help with being hungry all the time and will help to reduce your urge to snack on junk.
  • Xaspar
    Xaspar Posts: 726 Member
    let's take a look at a few factors and go from there ... Fact: approximately 500 calorie deficit every day for seven days equals approximately 1 pound of weight loss. (3500 calories)
    So, how do you determine your calorie deficit? First go to your goals page and look at the right hand box on the top, it says "calories burned from normal daily activity" If you have it set to sedentary, it will say something near the 1800 - 2000 range.
    Mine is 1830 at 5'6" and 171 pounds.... Then think about how many calories you are burning that day. (Example 300 for swimming a half hour (made up figure)) Add that to your daily burn: (1830 + 300 = 2130). So I need to eat NO MORE than 1630 calories for that day to keep the 500 calorie deficit and lose at the one pound per week pace. (If I wanted to lose 1.5 pounds per week, I would subtract 750) and if I wanted to lose about two pounds per week (then I would subtract 1000 calories) BUT that would put me below 1200 calories for the day, which I try to avoid because I want to feel better at the end of the day. So I give myself the window of 1200 to 1630 calories for that day ... and generally try to err on the side of the 750 deficit area (around 1380 calories). Since you have such an aggressive goal (2 pounds per week) the computer has you set up with the lowest amount of calories you can eat and still fuel your body properly. (Your profile shows you are female)

    A lot of people will say don't eat back your calories, but I am already sitting at the low end of calorie intake so this method helps me to figure out where I should be eating. And since I don't exercise every day and work at a desk job, I use sedentary and just do the calculations when I need to.

    Hope this helps!
    ~Namaste
  • LeAnn_Mae
    LeAnn_Mae Posts: 263 Member
    180lbs

    Should I ask the obvious question? Is that your real profile picture?
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    I see that you only want to lose 21 lbs. If that's the case, you should be aiming for 1lb per week of weight loss. That will bump your calories up a bit.
  • Taralynngranius
    Taralynngranius Posts: 28
    this is all really good information.. thank you!
  • Taralynngranius
    Taralynngranius Posts: 28
    this is really good information thanks!
  • Marisela233
    Marisela233 Posts: 48 Member
    Yikes! sorry I just looked at your profile pic.

    LMFAO
    thats not nice!
  • Achoooo
    Achoooo Posts: 130
    I am a female attempting to lose about 1 pound a week. Maybe if you try for 1 pound not 2, that will help.
    I am only allowed 1200 as well and it is HARD. It makes me workout, because I eat back what I earn. I'm losing 1 pound a week no problem if I just eat my 1200 plus what I earn.
    If I don't workout I agree it is hard to stick to it. But I just have 40 pounds to lose (20 would make me quite happy)
    So I would say add exercise and eat that back. Maybe just lose 1 or 1.5 pounds a week.... it could help.
  • QueenofCups
    QueenofCups Posts: 365 Member
    I am thinking the profile pic is a joke. And I am also thinking this is a woman, not a man - but I could be wrong.

    I agree with what others have said. Aim for 1 lb a week/not 2, since you are not obese. Also, exercise will help you be able to eat more. Protein helps with sustaining you so you aren't as hungry, or snack on low calorie foods like celery, cucumbers, grapes, apples - things like that.
  • capricorn144
    capricorn144 Posts: 335 Member
    2 lbs a week is unreasonable weight loss. Aim for a lb a week. I am happy if I manage 1/2 a lb. Sustainable weight loss isn't fast.

    I so agree. I Have the MFP set for 1 lb per week...if I get more great but I want real weight loss not just fast weight loss. I want it to be something I can stick with.
    :smile:
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    Yikes! sorry I just looked at your profile pic.

    LMFAO
    thats not nice!

    I think she meant that she had assumed it was a male poster because the profile pic is of a man. But when you go to the profile, you see that the OP is female. I don't think there was any intention of criticizing the OP.
  • Taralynngranius
    Taralynngranius Posts: 28
    such great advice from everyone.. good to know that 1200 is really low for women as well.. I was thinking it was..
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    Yikes! sorry I just looked at your profile pic.

    LMFAO
    thats not nice!

    oh lord, really!??! obviously I meant I looked at the picture assumed the poster was a male, I was NOT commenting on the picture itself.
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    Yikes! sorry I just looked at your profile pic.

    LMFAO
    thats not nice!

    I think she meant that she had assumed it was a male poster because the profile pic is of a man. But when you go to the profile, you see that the OP is female. I don't think there was any intention of criticizing the OP.

    thank you, that is what I meant. I didn't click in her profile, I saw the picture and just assumed she was a male and based my advice on that...hence, the yikes!
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    Yikes! sorry I just looked at your profile pic.

    LMFAO
    thats not nice!

    I think she meant that she had assumed it was a male poster because the profile pic is of a man. But when you go to the profile, you see that the OP is female. I don't think there was any intention of criticizing the OP.

    thank you, that is what I meant. I didn't click in her profile, I saw the picture and just assumed she was a male and based my advice on that...hence, the yikes!
  • wowser3
    wowser3 Posts: 6 Member
    Hi. Thanks for the replies. Maybe I will change my goal to a pound a week then. 2lbs a week on 1200 cals sounds good but is totally unsustainable for me, I end up going over calories then thinking, well I've gone over now so why not go over a bit more... Bad I know!
    Btw I am a WOMAN :)
    Yeah the profile pic is me :( & you're calling me a man :(
  • wowser3
    wowser3 Posts: 6 Member
    Ok so when I put an aim of 1lb a week that gives me calories of 1600, I could definitely stick to that. It may be slower but it's better than being even fatter in 6 months time because I couldn't stick to the diet and binged out of starvation!
  • Pretty_n_Pink
    Pretty_n_Pink Posts: 28
    Ok so when I put an aim of 1lb a week that gives me calories of 1600, I could definitely stick to that. It may be slower but it's better than being even fatter in 6 months time because I couldn't stick to the diet and binged out of starvation!

    It may not be as slow to lose weight as you are thinking. MFP is estimating 1 lb a week, but everyone is different. You don't know how your body will react to the change in food and exercise. Some people can lose weight very quickly and others are slow, don't worry about how many lbs MFP says, just focus on the day and your food consumption and exercise.
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