you gotta EAT.

lodro

the body is such an amazing thing.

if we eat 1200 calories long term, we could easily gain since our body has to slow down it's "engine" due to the low amount of fuel.... thus our inclination of staying at 1200 calories....

don't ignore your hunger. unless you had a HUGE eating day the day before, if you are constantly hungry.... it's an honest sign that you need more foods....

or it is a sign that you eat too much carbohydrate too often, which causes insulin spikes and a feeling of hunger.
also i do not agree with the focus on weightloss. I've been eating 1200 calories/day for 7 months now and this was intentional. i was very pleased when i saw my weight stabilize around the 120 pounds mark (i'm 1.7 m tall) and at a body fat percentage of about 19% To me that means my body is adapting to the low calorie regime. Now, as long as i make sure that my body gets optimal nutrients, I can actually stay at this low calorie mark, and my body will do fine: I"m back from 3 weeks of heavy physical activity in france, do a daily bike round of about 20km with longer ones in the weekends and generally walk or cycle everywhere within a reasonable distance. So my body is functioning well, I'd say, nor do i feel I'm "depriving" myself.

All this not to advocate my way of eating, but just to vary the debate a little bit.

princess1409

Just out of curiosity how long did it take for you to notice once you began with myfitnesspal?

lodro

Just out of curiosity how long did it take for you to notice once you began with myfitnesspal?

I started on MFP to be able to properly track my calorie intake and exercise. But just to add another thing: being not very tall, my BMR is around 1400. I've become more active, but when I started this was not possible (recovering from chemotherapy), and I taught myself to gradually eat less, mainly by practicing intermittent fasting and by reducing carbohydrates to between 75 and 100 g a day and upping protein and (good) fats. Just to those who claim calorie restriction isn't sustainable long term: it depends on the reason you have to restrict calorie intake. In my case I knew this would have to be for the rest of my life. 7 months down the road I can say I recovered well from chemotherapy, and I've become a lot more active, biking and walking more, being generally better able to do physical stuff that wouldn't have been possible before. I do feel good, and so far no further advance of the cancer. Which is not to say i'm in remission, but hopefully I have reached a plateau.

fiberartist219

I've only been tracking my food for a few weeks now. MFP recommends 1290 calories per day for me, without exercise. I find myself frequently eating more than that. Sometimes, I can come in within the goal, but more often than not, I'm either hungry, or I am eating out and refuse to eat that many salads in a week.

So, most of the time, I end up eating around 1500 to feel comfortable. I am still losing weight. I have had the hardest time losing weight for the last few years due to some hormone issues, but it is nice to see the scale actually budge a couple pounds. I'm 5"2' and 163lbs if that matters.

I want to lose weight in a way that I can maintain for the rest of my life. I don't want to deal with my body eating my muscles, or worry about messing up my metabolism any more than my hypothyroidism already has.

RaeannePemberton

Everyone is definitely on their own journey. In the interest of never starting my own journey over agin and again.... I will never restrict myself to 1200 cals as long as I live. And I do mean LIVE. Run... Bike... Walk..... EAT and maintain my healthy weight all the while living more than I ever have before. Eating 1200 calories for me is just the other side of the weight gain pendulum.....