1200 calories... very difficult
Replies
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I'm not really clear on what being short has to do with anything. I'm 5' and on my lowest calorie day with no exercise I still eat 1345 cals. Oh, and yes, I lose weight doing that.
I think height is one of the deciding factors when MFP is "setting" your base calories. I think it asks height, weight, gender, age, and activity level, right? So maybe you have a higher activity level or something if it set your base calories higher...
No, I get that part. MFP has me set to eat 1200 a day, my point is that I wouldn't do that. What MFP tells you is a guideline and if you are always hungry then obviously it's not right.0 -
I'm not really clear on what being short has to do with anything. I'm 5' and on my lowest calorie day with no exercise I still eat 1345 cals. Oh, and yes, I lose weight doing that.
I think height is one of the deciding factors when MFP is "setting" your base calories. I think it asks height, weight, gender, age, and activity level, right? So maybe you have a higher activity level or something if it set your base calories higher...
No, I get that part. MFP has me set to eat 1200 a day, my point is that I wouldn't do that. What MFP tells you is a guideline and if you are always hungry then obviously it's not right.
Oh! Gotcha.0 -
I couldn't survive happily on 1200 cals either and I don't think it's necessary for most people to drop this low to lose weight.
I'd agree with the suggestions to set your weight loss at something more realistic and add some exercise into the mix then you will be able to eat more, be more satisfied and more likely to stick to it.0 -
I just talked about your type of situation in my blog. Take a long look at the BMR you have to start with and then try to exercise extra calories for weight loss. Just never go over your BMR at any cost. On lazy days, you stick to the 1200 calories. But days where you exercise a lot, eat a little more up to your BMR as your max, but always keep at least a 200 calorie window left over on these days by adding extra calories through exercise. It will make it much easier.
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Oh, my goodness --you guys totally rock. Thank you for all these supportive posts. I was really surprised to get back here and see all your helpful suggestions. As so many of you suggested, I am going to up my daily calories to at least 1350--1400 and reduce my desired rate of weight loss to a more reasonable .5 lb/week.
I'm 5'4", which isn't all that tall but not terribly short, either. I should be able to swing this, from all I have read since going over your comments.
I really do think I'm a bit ignorant right now about calories and things. The last time I felt I had to lose some weight, I was using Weight Watchers online, which is really nice, but it hides all the calories and things from you and you never really learn how that all works. It was convenient and very effective, though.
I just want to thank you for all your posts, and congratulate all of you on your successes. I'm really inspired to be in such determined company.0 -
A lot of people have public diaries and it really helps to see what they are eating . But don't look at mine for yesterday (Monday). That was a terrible day! :laugh:0
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I think I'll make mine public, too. Everyone will laugh at my menus though! LOL
Well, I did go back and edit my goals. To lose .5 lbs/week, I will need to keep it to 1440 calories (MUCH more reasonable.) And I imagine I'll have slightly more energy than I've had, too, because I won't be starving myself as badly -- which means I should be able to get in at least a 20 minute brisk walk or swim most days for exercise.
Looking forward to seeing how things go today.0 -
For me the single best feature of MFP is that I can actually see the additional calories I can eat based on how much I exercise. I like to ride my bike between 1-2 hours a day. On days I don't ride, my calorie limit is tight. On days I do ride, I feel like I can eat as much food (well, good food) as I want and still be under my calorie limit.0
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That's awesome, rjl. You must be in very good shape with your level of activity. I need to get more active myself.0
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i always change mine manually to 1500 so i have some wiggle room. 1200 is pretty much the minimum and is kind of low (in my opinion, unless your really short and are very inactive) so maybe change it to 1400 and aim for AROUND 1300. it doesn't have to be an exact science. i've been calorie counting for just over 6 months. you'll go crazy if you pay too much attention to that number. i do best with a 200 calorie range goal, like my goal is usually between 1200 and 1400 on non active days and between 1400 and 1600 on active days.0
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I'm short as well, so the most I can set my target to is 1.3 lbs, and that comes out as 1200 calories. Agree with a lot of the advice given, I find I can stick to it most of the time (when my head is in the right place and I'm motivated!). I have cereal with skimmed milk for breakfast, a salad with some deli meat for lunch, and then a normal dinner - pasta / casserole whatever. I have enough for some fruit and a cereal bar and even a low fat dessert some days. I also exercise if I know I need more that day, cycle to work or hit the gym!!
Good luck
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I just talked about your type of situation in my blog. Take a long look at the BMR you have to start with and then try to exercise extra calories for weight loss. Just never go over your BMR at any cost. On lazy days, you stick to the 1200 calories. But days where you exercise a lot, eat a little more up to your BMR as your max, but always keep at least a 200 calorie window left over on these days by adding extra calories through exercise. It will make it much easier.
hmmm.
I actually try never to go UNDER my BMR. Why? because I only have 20lbs to lose and so I need to keep my calorie deficit small in order to lose weight. My BMR according to MFP (other sites set it higher) is 1252 and I am fairly sedentary. I aim for 1300 calories (I am shaking things up this week as I had a bad week last week and I want to get some discipline going). I am 5' tall.
I am just not sure of your reasoning behind the never go above your BMR thing. I sort of want my brain and organs to work properly on a daily basis, hence why i would rather eat above my BMR.
(note, the very obese can get away with eating less than their BMR)0 -
Today is so much better than yesterday. I'm doing great and sticking to my calorie guidelines and I'm not panicking this time, because I do have a reasonable amount of calories left today and I don't think I'm going to be starving.
A very good day. 0 -
It is hard to do without planning, but I think if you are sure to eat satisfying meals and not sugary stuff that leaves you hungry again soon, you'll be OK.
I have:
bran flakes with almond milk (about 150)
A Kashi or Amy's frozen lunch (less than 400)
A snack or two during the work day, like granola bars or almonds (about 250)
A dinner of maybe a veggie burger salad, soup, vegetarian chili or something (about 400)
It's hardest when you have a job. When I had summer off in college, I would eat many small "meals" throughout the day to keep my metabolism up, keep me from ever feeling hungry and I'd consume exactly 1205 calories everyday. Now that I work all day, I don't have that luxury, so I just focus on bottom line calories and try not to worry about being perfect in terms of avoiding feelings of hunger.
Another important thing to remember is on a 1200 calorie diet, you need to mostly let that satisfied feeling of being "full" go. You have to accept being satisfied, as in not hungry, and that being good enough. Sometimes I'll "save up" calories and then just get a footlong veggie sub from Subway. It will be filling and feel like a large meal, but depending if I skip cheese and choose sauces wisely, only around 500. At Chipotle, you can skip cheese and sour cream, go light on the rice, no meat, and have a filling burrito bowl for around 500 too. (I don't eat any meat, which helps a lot.) Good luck!0 -
I haven't had any problems sticking to 1200. Here's what I do: I either drink a bottle of water before meals or eat an apple. That way you're not as hungry and it feels easy to keep your portions low. Then when I get hungry between meals I drink a bottle of water or eat an apple, wait 10 minutes, then see if I really am hungry.0
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If your BMR is 1252 and you're eating 1300 calories, that's a net surplus of 48 calories. I'm confused. Why would you eat more than your BMR and think you're losing weight. Also, a 1252 BMR is insane. I am so jealous of large tall men who get to eat as much as they want. lolI just talked about your type of situation in my blog. Take a long look at the BMR you have to start with and then try to exercise extra calories for weight loss. Just never go over your BMR at any cost. On lazy days, you stick to the 1200 calories. But days where you exercise a lot, eat a little more up to your BMR as your max, but always keep at least a 200 calorie window left over on these days by adding extra calories through exercise. It will make it much easier.
hmmm.
I actually try never to go UNDER my BMR. Why? because I only have 20lbs to lose and so I need to keep my calorie deficit small in order to lose weight. My BMR according to MFP (other sites set it higher) is 1252 and I am fairly sedentary. I aim for 1300 calories (I am shaking things up this week as I had a bad week last week and I want to get some discipline going). I am 5' tall.
I am just not sure of your reasoning behind the never go above your BMR thing. I sort of want my brain and organs to work properly on a daily basis, hence why i would rather eat above my BMR.
(note, the very obese can get away with eating less than their BMR)0 -
Hi,
Im new here and was also struggling with 1200 calories a day but I found an hour cycling earns me 400-500 extra cals - maybe worth considering if you have time? :-)0 -
Protein Protein Protein
Make a dozen hard boiled eggs and take them with you. It may sound strange but I eat one before I eat anything else because they fill me up Good luck!
Yes, protein plus fiber is the key to not being hungry!
Eat often throughout the day.
Drink water first. If you are hungry sometimes it turns out that you were just thirsty.
And again, exercise and eat those calories!
My weight loss is set to 1 lb per week and I have a base of 1200. I find that adding even 150 exercise calories per day often makes the difference between enduring and thriving!
I think the "eat often" is one of the things that makes 1200 calories so difficult. When I first started out being on 1200 calories a day and had not yet learned to really eat to a low calorie regime, I began practicing intermittent fasting according to the lean gains method, which means you eat breakfast later in the day, as the start of a 6 hour or 8 hour window during which you eat all your calories for the day. It means that outside that time window you crave far less, while still being able to have one satisfying, "full" meal every day. That did the trick for me, and taught my body to deal with the lower amount of calories. When it had learned that, I went back to 3 meals a day. I do eat below 100g of carbohydrate, also to keep myself from having spikes in blood sugar, insulin and so feelings of being hungry.0 -
If your BMR is 1252 and you're eating 1300 calories, that's a net surplus of 48 calories. I'm confused. Why would you eat more than your BMR and think you're losing weight. Also, a 1252 BMR is insane. I am so jealous of large tall men who get to eat as much as they want. lolI just talked about your type of situation in my blog. Take a long look at the BMR you have to start with and then try to exercise extra calories for weight loss. Just never go over your BMR at any cost. On lazy days, you stick to the 1200 calories. But days where you exercise a lot, eat a little more up to your BMR as your max, but always keep at least a 200 calorie window left over on these days by adding extra calories through exercise. It will make it much easier.
hmmm.
I actually try never to go UNDER my BMR. Why? because I only have 20lbs to lose and so I need to keep my calorie deficit small in order to lose weight. My BMR according to MFP (other sites set it higher) is 1252 and I am fairly sedentary. I aim for 1300 calories (I am shaking things up this week as I had a bad week last week and I want to get some discipline going). I am 5' tall.
I am just not sure of your reasoning behind the never go above your BMR thing. I sort of want my brain and organs to work properly on a daily basis, hence why i would rather eat above my BMR.
(note, the very obese can get away with eating less than their BMR)
BMR is calorie expenditure in a state of absolute rest, with only your organs, breathing etc taking calories. Of course, being active, our calorie expenditure is usually a few 100 calories above BMR. For instance, my BMR is 1430, my calculated total expenditure is BMR + activity, is 1430 + 500 = 1940 calories. According to calories in/calories out, as long as i eat close to my BMR, but below 1940 calories, I should be creating a calorie deficit.0 -
If your BMR is 1252 and you're eating 1300 calories, that's a net surplus of 48 calories. I'm confused. Why would you eat more than your BMR and think you're losing weight. Also, a 1252 BMR is insane. I am so jealous of large tall men who get to eat as much as they want. lolI just talked about your type of situation in my blog. Take a long look at the BMR you have to start with and then try to exercise extra calories for weight loss. Just never go over your BMR at any cost. On lazy days, you stick to the 1200 calories. But days where you exercise a lot, eat a little more up to your BMR as your max, but always keep at least a 200 calorie window left over on these days by adding extra calories through exercise. It will make it much easier.
hmmm.
I actually try never to go UNDER my BMR. Why? because I only have 20lbs to lose and so I need to keep my calorie deficit small in order to lose weight. My BMR according to MFP (other sites set it higher) is 1252 and I am fairly sedentary. I aim for 1300 calories (I am shaking things up this week as I had a bad week last week and I want to get some discipline going). I am 5' tall.
I am just not sure of your reasoning behind the never go above your BMR thing. I sort of want my brain and organs to work properly on a daily basis, hence why i would rather eat above my BMR.
(note, the very obese can get away with eating less than their BMR)
I think you may be mixed up about this. Your BMR is how many calories you burn in a day doing nothing, just doing basic bodily processes. Your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is what you need to be eating less than, not your BMR. Your TDEE is how many calories you actually burn in a day doing the normal things you do an is affected by how active you are during the day. MFP takes your BMR and multiplies this by your activity factor which depends on how active you are outside of exercise. MFP takes 500 calories off of your TDEE to get the number of calories you should eat to lose one pound per week, not 500 off of your BMR. You should not go below your BMR so that your body has the calories to do things like have a heart beat, digest food and conduct electrical signals in your brain.0 -
If your BMR is 1252 and you're eating 1300 calories, that's a net surplus of 48 calories. I'm confused. Why would you eat more than your BMR and think you're losing weight. Also, a 1252 BMR is insane. I am so jealous of large tall men who get to eat as much as they want. lolI just talked about your type of situation in my blog. Take a long look at the BMR you have to start with and then try to exercise extra calories for weight loss. Just never go over your BMR at any cost. On lazy days, you stick to the 1200 calories. But days where you exercise a lot, eat a little more up to your BMR as your max, but always keep at least a 200 calorie window left over on these days by adding extra calories through exercise. It will make it much easier.
hmmm.
I actually try never to go UNDER my BMR. Why? because I only have 20lbs to lose and so I need to keep my calorie deficit small in order to lose weight. My BMR according to MFP (other sites set it higher) is 1252 and I am fairly sedentary. I aim for 1300 calories (I am shaking things up this week as I had a bad week last week and I want to get some discipline going). I am 5' tall.
I am just not sure of your reasoning behind the never go above your BMR thing. I sort of want my brain and organs to work properly on a daily basis, hence why i would rather eat above my BMR.
(note, the very obese can get away with eating less than their BMR)
Your "BMR" is NOT the same as your "maintenance calories". Maintenance calories include daily activities. BMR is just what you burn while laying around doing nothing. You need to look at your maintenance level to set your deficit (that's what MFP does for you actually). My BMR is 1500. My maintenance calories are 2000. I eat 1750 to lose a half pound a week.0 -
Today is so much better than yesterday. I'm doing great and sticking to my calorie guidelines and I'm not panicking this time, because I do have a reasonable amount of calories left today and I don't think I'm going to be starving. A very good day.
Good to hear!0 -
Try increasing your water intake. I find I get full just faster if I drink a whole glass of water right before a meal, and of course water through out the day as well.
Also, I find that chewing gum helps curb my appetite. A lot of times, I think I'm hungry but really I'm just bored. I always keep sugar free gum on me. I realize not everyone struggles with this situation but it helps me.0 -
If your BMR is 1252 and you're eating 1300 calories, that's a net surplus of 48 calories. I'm confused. Why would you eat more than your BMR and think you're losing weight. Also, a 1252 BMR is insane. I am so jealous of large tall men who get to eat as much as they want. lolI just talked about your type of situation in my blog. Take a long look at the BMR you have to start with and then try to exercise extra calories for weight loss. Just never go over your BMR at any cost. On lazy days, you stick to the 1200 calories. But days where you exercise a lot, eat a little more up to your BMR as your max, but always keep at least a 200 calorie window left over on these days by adding extra calories through exercise. It will make it much easier.
hmmm.
I actually try never to go UNDER my BMR. Why? because I only have 20lbs to lose and so I need to keep my calorie deficit small in order to lose weight. My BMR according to MFP (other sites set it higher) is 1252 and I am fairly sedentary. I aim for 1300 calories (I am shaking things up this week as I had a bad week last week and I want to get some discipline going). I am 5' tall.
I am just not sure of your reasoning behind the never go above your BMR thing. I sort of want my brain and organs to work properly on a daily basis, hence why i would rather eat above my BMR.
(note, the very obese can get away with eating less than their BMR)
as others have explained, BMR is not maintenance. To me, BMR is the absolute minimum I should be eating. I class my lifestyle as sedentary, so my actual maintenance calories work out at a paltry 1502 a day. That really sucks. But because of this, I can have a MAXIMUM deficit per day of 250 calories meaning a healthy weight loss of 0.5lb per week.
For me, it is REALLY hard to lose weight because I have such small figures to play around with. I am currently avoiding grains and high carb foods (still getting plenty of carbs because I eat a mountain of veggies).
The trick for me is protein. High protein (and fat) help keep me full, and I can more easily stick to my calorie goal.0 -
This thread is very interesting to me for a number of reasons.
When I was on 1200 I counted every tiny bit of exercise (doing the dishes, hanging out the clothes) or I couldn't cope. I thought my calories were set to lose 2 lb a week, but eventually realised I was only really meant to lose 1 lb a week (as 1200 is the mfp minimum), although in fact I was losing more than 2 lb every week. Now that I'm trying to maintain it's clear to me that my maintenance calories are over 2200, so what mfp thought was a 500 kcal deficit was more like 1000! We are not all made in the mfp mould. Therefore, whatever calories you're on, see how you progress.
The other thing is that I don't think we need to mask our hunger in order to lose weight. Our bodies don't want a calorie deficit, and hunger is there to remind us to eat. I understand some of the science of satiety, but in the long run we want to know what hungry feels like, rather than food lust or the fake full created by trying to trick our bodies. That way, when we have reached goal, we should be able to follow our bodies' signals and stay there. Feeling hungry sometimes is ok.
Finally, although I've never had a planned one
, cheat days do seem to work. I tried to stay within my maintenance calories on heavy eating days and never saw a negative impact in my weekly weigh-in.
To the OP, I'm glad upping the calories is making things easier and I hope you reach your goal at a sustainable pace :flowerforyou:0 -
Oishil -- good point. People really are very different from one another in terms of what general guidelines predict they can expect. I'll be interested to see how this goes, since my predicted loss rate at 1440 is 1/2 lb weekly. Since I've probably been eating way above normal for a few months (heehee...) I might lose a little faster just from paying attention and tracking. Or it might be more stubborn than that, and take longer.0
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I find 1200 calories ok, thats what I'm on. Depends what you are used to I guess. I find things like apples are really good, the high GI foods that full you up for longer. Looking at your diary I'd have like an apple and maybe some protein with it in the afternoon which might sooth your cravings.0
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I do wish apples could do that for me, but for some odd reason apples generally make me feel hungrier after eating them. I need to look into more of the low GI foods for guidance, though.0
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Also, it's not really a big deal to feel hungry every once in a while. We've conditioned ourselves to lose the sense of what "being hungry" feels like, but I think it's a good thing to re-learn.0
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