1,200 calories = STARVING CINDY!
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I just read a thread where people were saying they were ok with eating only 1,200 calories/day and did not feel hungry or deprived. I, on the other hand, feel ravenous most of the day and my thoughts are consumed with when my next snack/meal will be (and yes, I'm aware that if I exercise I can eat more). If you're one of those on the 1,200 calorie/day diet and feel satiated at the end of the day, could you please give me a list of foods you're eating that are filling you? Is there a "method" to what you eat at what time of day that keep you fuller longer? Any advice would be great - thanks!
The 1200 calorie failure crew is a unique group of people who even though they have seen and read thousands of posts stating that the 1200 calorie diet doesnt work...they feel compelled to try it anyway!
And fail...
Its because they are unique and love torture!
I on the other hand opted for the eat well and burn the fat off with proper training.
I've come to find out that most people around 5'5" can eat appx 1600-2300 calories daily and lose weight depending on their activity factor.
Thats my 2cents!0 -
I'm 5'3 and 128 trying to get back to 115 also. I've been dieting and not exercising and lost a pound so far. Basically all you need to do is look at how your eating.. its better to hv a full meal that fills you up rather than small portions that u hungry still.0
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I'm allotted 1200 a day and tend to be 100-200 below that at the end of the day.
I really watch what I eat....this site has me really looking at things differently, which I needed!
For breakfast I have:
Cup of coffee with splenda and real half/half
Either a baggie of cheerios (measured), one packet of oatmeal or one packet of cream of wheat.
Midday snack I'll have a clementine or 100 calorie pack of something.
Lunch is
3 oz baby carrots, sandwich on whole wheat (turkey or ham with mustard or tuna with real mayo), 100 calorie pack of chips or cheetos OR a can of light soup and some chips of some type (pretzels, baked cheetos, cheezits)
Afternoon snack could be another clementine or apple
Dinner is always different. I either make brown rice and some sort of protein, homemade pizza, chicken and steam veggies, or left overs from the night before.
I usually have 200-300 calories left over at night to 'snack' if I need to, some nights I do, some I don't.
Hope this helps!
ETA: I'm 5'2, just started exercising again (walking on treadmill) and need to lose another 17 pounds. I don't feel deprived with 1200...If I am hungry, I DO eat regardless if I have leftover calories or not...some days I am fine, some days I am not. I am relearning what its like to have true hunger versus mindless eating and I am happy with my daily menus. If and when I get stuck on the scale or get bored with my menu, I'll slowly bump it up some to try something different. So far this is working...slowly, but that's okay...its a journey, not a race.0 -
I used this site to calculate BMR.
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
I believe it to be accurate. I just had my body composition done at a health center and they told me my BMR was 1337 - that website calculated mine at 1340.
Well! I find this interesting. This website gave me a BMR of 1517, and MFP gives me a BMR of 1437. This is a significant difference to me. I wonder which one is more accurate?
FYI, I feel like I am starving on 1200 calories per day, which is why I don't do it anymore!0 -
I was at 1300 kcals for awhile and was always starving, grumpy, and tired. I changed my settings to allow for much many more calories and am now allowed 1750. Now I am always full, and often don't even feel the need to eat back my exercise calories, or at least not all of them, and I lose every week. It was one for the most important changes to my weight loss plan that I've made. I also increased my protein (I get 120 each day) and that also keeps my energy high and helps me feel full. Getting treated for adrenal fatigue also helped immensely. Good luck to you!0
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I eat a lot of fiber rich foods. And I like almonds too they help me feel full. I don't eat a ton of calorie dense foods I try to eat things that have good quantity for the amount of calories. Although I like to have a cookie or two sometimes.
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How did you get the image to post showing how much weight you've lost?0
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I started my 1,200 diet this last week; today is my 8th day. The first three days were the worst, especially because I was not use to eating so little. I kept thinking about my next meal all the time. The first few days, I noticed that I was about 100 over my calorie limit, but as the days progressed, I started feeling better and these last two days, I have been under by about 100 to 200 calories and feel fine. What I have been doing is eating alot of veggies that are not high in calorie but are filling. For example, this morning I had two scrambled eggs, but I diced 1/2 of tomoteo and 1/2 of a bell pepper. Even though it was two egges, the portion seemed bigger because of the veggies (I added 1/3 of low-fat cheese); it was delicious. I also add two slices of turkey bacon.0
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I used this site to calculate BMR.
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
I believe it to be accurate. I just had my body composition done at a health center and they told me my BMR was 1337 - that website calculated mine at 1340.
Well! I find this interesting. This website gave me a BMR of 1517, and MFP gives me a BMR of 1437. This is a significant difference to me. I wonder which one is more accurate?
FYI, I feel like I am starving on 1200 calories per day, which is why I don't do it anymore!
How did u get your weight lost graphic to post?0 -
How much do you weight and what is your goal? How many calories are you trying to lose? Perhaps you can adjust things so that you have more calories. Yes, it might slow your weight loss, but if you are hungry, then you may be too low already.
I'm 5'4" and weigh 131 - trying to get back down to the 115 I was last year:/
I would say you are not eating enough. Your BMR is 1325. That means you need 1,325 calories a day just to keep your body functioning, even if you laid in bed all day.
Take your BMR x whatever one of these fits your activity level to get your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)
* Sedentary (e.g., you do no exercising and have a desk job) = 1.2
* Lightly active (e.g., you participate in light exercise or sports 1 to 3 times per week) = 1.375
* Moderately active (e.g., you participate in moderate exercise or sports 3 to 5 times per week) = 1.55
* Very active (e.g., you train hard 6 to 7 per week in exercise and/or sports) = 1.725
* Extremely Active (e.g., you exercise or play sports hard everyday & have physical job or 2X day training, i.e. marathon, contest etc.)
I find doing that and subtracting from it gives me a much better calorie count to strive for that what MFP calculates. For example, I'm 5'5, 123lbs and 33 years old. My BMR is 1340. I work out hard 6-7x per week, so I multiply my BMR x 1.725 for a TDEE of 2311. That would be maintenance calories for my weight. I'm trying to lose still, so I subtract out 500 per day giving me 1800 calories a day and I can still lose about 1lb per week. I recently switched to this and am MUCH happier (i.e. not starving on the 1200 calories I was trying to live off before) and still losing.
How did you come up with 1325?
I used this site to calculate BMR.
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
I believe it to be accurate. I just had my body composition done at a health center and they told me my BMR was 1337 - that website calculated mine at 1340.
Ditto on the TDEE way
) I calculated my BMR at 1400 per mfp and calculated it by the lightly active beacuse I have a busy job where i'm up most of the day (didnt count exercise since i;m using MFP and it accounts for that, tells me to eat those cals back) so that got me to 1975 so minus 500 (for the 500 cals less a day = 3500 cals less a week = 1 lb loss a week theory) which brought me to 1475. working so far! Plus it's nice to eat more, i'm not hungry all the time and even have room for "cheats" aka sugar free desserts, things I can't live without even though they're empty calories.. hey, they make me happy!
Also I went a stop farther and went to http://www.dietitian.com/calcbody.php it's got a super comprehensive "healthy body calculator" and that's what I used to change my goals for carbs, fat, protein etc (all macro nutrients). It told me different than what MFP had me set at (or example it said 64g sugar where MFP said 30... which is impossible for most becuase of natural sugars. 64's reasonable! I dont have sugary treats either). So i highly recommend the Tdee AND going to the site I said to figure out where your macronutrients should be at. No one's made to be on 1200 a day, i promise!0 -
I'm 5'4" and have a desk job, though I walk about a mile as part of my commute to work. MFP recommended a 1200 calorie diet to me. On work days where I'm awake for 19-20 hours, I usually drink around 80oz of liquid. However, I'm chronically dehydrated so my doctor has me drinking extra. Water is best for you, but some alternatives (which are not all great health-wise) are diet soda, iced or hot herbal tea, crystal-light, or flavored waters. Most of those things, other than the tea, are chemically, so it depends on how you feel about that.
I usually finish the day with calories left over, but I don't always make very good food choices.0 -
The biggest piece of advice I have is to limit your breads, pastas, cereals and most grains (except oatmeal). Even if they're whole grain, they're high calorie relative to the amount they fill you up. I'm a bread-aholic but I try to only have that type of thing once a day. Sadface.
I'm 5'4" too. I really find the 1200 to be more than I need, though sometimes if I plan my calories wrong, I have a bit of a rush to finish the day under-calorie. This is what I do (and feel free to check my food diary for recommendations, I realize there are a couple treats in there but you know, I usually manage to fit them in). I didn't particularly try to keep it under the limit from Christmas to New Years, but since then, I've only had one day I've had to hop on the treadmill to keep under my limit. I tend to disagree with people who say if you're hungry, it means you're not eating enough, your body just needs to adjust to the new calorie level and learn to not be hungry with that much. Certainly everyone's body is different, but I wouldn't immediately start eating more just because I was feeling hungry. It's also a bit to do with how you plan your calories.
My basic strategy is to make sure I get some protein in every meal to keep me full, along with fleshing it out volume wise with low calorie vegetables (spinach is great, broccoli is great, they've been my staples but there are a lot of them). You can also find really low calorie breads and things (La Favorita low carb high fiber tortillas are great, and only about 50 calories per small tortilla). I've decided to only eat that type of thing once a day, though. They do improve breakfast, so I keep them there. I also advocate limiting (and usually do, it's been my big holiday season splurge) sweetened beverages, lots of herb teas, green tea, and even coffee can taste good without added calories, so if I'm really wanting to eat something or drink something, or am hungry, I go for that instead. If I'm still hungry, I consider going and finding something to nibble on. Green tea with lemon is a good friend of mine!
So I'd say a relatively normal/ideal day would be:
Breakfast: A wrap on one of those tortillas with an egg (either hard boiled or cooked on the stove with just a spray of Pam, enough to keep it from sticking without adding to the calories, and some salsa, or perhaps spinach or broccoli (or any combination of the above!). You can either add those things later, or cook the egg in them. There's a lot of variety of things you can do with that so you don't get bored. Otherwise sometimes I'll have leftovers from the night before if it's protein packed and healthy. I combine this with a big (probably two cup equivalent) cup of green tea with lemon (which really fleshes that out into a good morning meal).
Lunch: Lunch is where I'm a little iffy but same basic principle based on what's around. I've boiled some eggs to put one on a spinach salad for lunch tomorrow, or perhaps I'll just have some turkey breast and vegetables.
Snacks: Occasionally I will feel hungry, but usually this isn't anything 50 or so calories can't cure. A little yogurt, a little cottage cheese. Again, any vegetables really. Lettuce and cottage cheese work really well together for a low calorie, high protein snack (or lunch for that matter). Olives are great because they're so flavor packed you can eat very few and still feel satisfied. Lots of that kind of stuff.
Dinner: By dinner I'm sometimes iffy on my calorie count, so I play it by ear. If I'm really low, I just put some low cal vegetables in the microwave, or steamer, or on the stove (or in the oven, haven't gotten to that one yet but I really should), with some seasonings, and a piece of lean protein (a little turkey, a piece of steamed fish, tofu), and some hot sauce (I kid, I put hot sauce any meal of the day).
I guess that's a rather long answer but I'll sum it up like this: Reduce the grains, low calorie vegetables and (mainly lean) proteins for meals, more water (or teas! They're more satisfying as well). Small snacks. Increase the taste of everything with low calorie condiments, it makes it feel more filling.0 -
How did u get your weight lost graphic to post?
Do you already have a ticker? If so, on the "Message Boards" page, see where you can choose from:
>Home >Recent Posts >My Topics >Settings >Search
Click on "Settings", then check off "Show your MyFitnessPal ticker below each of your forum posts."
If you don't yet have a weight loss ticker, you can make one under the "TOOLS" tab.0 -
I'm supposed to eat 1500 calories a day, and I'm near 1200 most days, and I'm not starving. Protein is key for me.0
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I'm not advocating for or against 1200 calorie diet, but if you want to be able to eat 1200 and be satisfied ya have to be choosey in what ya eat and when. 100 calories of this is not as filling as 100 calories of that, and so forth. Drink a lot of water, 10-14 cups a day. Eat 5-6 mini meals of 200-300 calories. Lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Yogurt. Sandwiches. Salad. Almonds. Use almond milk instead of cows milk. Lean meat, turkey and chicken.
Here's a day:
Breakfast - a banana and an egg. 180 calories.
Morning snack: light nonfat yogurt and baby carrot sticks. 120 calories.
Lunch: flatbread turkey sandwich with cheese, pickle, tomato, no dressing. White grapes. 320 calories.
Afternoon snack: apple ans handful of almonds. 200 calories.
Dinner: 4oz grilled chicken breast. Steamed veggies. A fruit. 250 calories.
Evening snack: light popcorn 130 calories.
That's about a 1200 calorie day. Drink 2 cups of water with each meal and some extra in between. Lots of water provides energy and eating often keeps ya going and not starving.0 -
I'm on Jorge Cruise Belly Fat Cure. I average between 1200 and 1400 ACTUAL calories eaten, and can honestly say I am rarely hungry. Got it at the library. Highly recommended!0
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I tried eating 5 meals a day, small portions and drank lots of water, like 8-11 glasses a day, more fruits and less sugary foods and it helps with hunger pangs.0
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bump0
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I'm on 1,200 and all I can reccomend is veggies veggies veggies! 2/3 of my plate is filled with vegetables at every dinnertime, because they're low cal and filling. Spinach and mixed frozen veg (I get a nice mix of broccoli and cauliflower with carrots and sweetcorn) get steamed, seasoned with a pinch of salt and devoured!0
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you probably put your goal at 2 lbs per week. and that's pretty extreme (as i've found out). At first i put 2 per week, lost more than that because i was underestimating the amount i was burning through the day. i've dropped it back to 1 pound per week and the calorie goal is MUCH easier to manage.
also, DRINK MORE WATER!!! it fills you up and keeps you from snacking when you don't need to!0 -
Friend me, my diary is open to friends and I'm on 1200 a day and manage it well. 0
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I eat lots of veggies and soy meats, so I get to eat more food for my calories versus small portions of high caloric, processed foods. Are you drinking enough fluids?
I'm *definitely* not drinking enough. Like my mother, I'm a camel - I almost never feel thirsty and have to force myself to drink. Oh, and did I mention I *hate* water??
A lot of people actually confuse hunger signals for thirst signals. Many times your body is actually thirsty and you could be mistaken and want to eat instead. Increase your fluid intake and see if that helps.0 -
I've just reduced my calories to 1200 (started a program recommended by my GP) and struggled until I found the steamfresh veggies. One microwave packet is a whole bowlful of veggies for roughly 100 calories. Add a piece of steak or chicken to that and you have a very filling meal. You can season with garlic powder, pepper, and many other spices to vary flavours.
Also make sure you have protein in every meal - meat, eggs, protein powder - it doesn't matter how you do it, but do it. Protein keeps you fuller for longer and helps you maintain muscle if eaten in the right proportions while maintaining a calorie deficit.
Definitely agree those steamfresh vegies are great! So easy and hardly any calories, I have them at least once a day! I'm also on 1200 calories and doing ok, so maybe they are the trick :-)0 -
Girl just eat more! I eat close to 2000 calories/day (with or without exercise) and I have surpassed my goal weight.0
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Under your tools tab, you'll see BMR. Use that to calculate your BMR (which she already did for you) and then use the multiplier she gave you and that's how you'll calculate how much you should be consuming. Also, the 1200 calories is net calories. Which means you take how much you ate, and subtract how many calories you've burned and it should be around 1200. It's just a base. But in order to really know how many calories you're burning, I recommend getting a calorie counter. Such as the Fitbit (what I recommend) or something similar. It's about $100 and you keep it on you everyday and even when you sleep. It tracks your steps taken, how many floors you've climbed, calories burned, and tracks your sleep to make sure you're getting adequate sleep (which also affects your ability to lose weight.) This way you'll be able to accurately tell how many calories you burn in a day. I can almost guarantee it's way more than you think. And you take your total consumed calories (say it's around 1800 cals) and subtract what you've burned (say it's around 500 cals) and you'd end up with 1300 cals/day. If you need to burn another 100 calories to meet your 1200 requirement, do more activity. It doesn't mean you should only be eating 1200 calories per day. But what it does mean is that however much you're eating, you need to be working off enough to get a 1200 calorie net. Does that make better sense? I know it's kind of confusing and it stumped me the first few days too! I was like, um, I know for a FACT that 1200 calories is not healthy for me! Anyway, I hope this helps! Keep reaching out to learn more about eating healthy and getting fit. There's so much knowledge out there and don't be afraid to do the research yourself to verify that the info is accurate. You'll hear all kinds of things and a lot of it contradicts the other stuff. So just be careful and keep common sense in mind. Best of luck! 0
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I honestly canNOT eat 1200 calories a day, no matter what kind of calories they are, without willfully suffering or feeling starving. I've done it. I know that I'll lose weight, but I'm just asking for a binge at some point if I do that.
I've come to terms with slower weight loss and more exercise. I used to eat around 1200 calories a day or do absolutely no carbs, and I was miserable doing both (although I saw results, obviously). Now I aim to eat 1500-2000 calories a day and burn anywhere from 500-1000 calories per day. I've noticed that the weight doesn't come off as quickly, but at least I can enjoy my life in the meantime 0 -
b4 i eat breakfast i drink 2 cups of water. then i eat. i can stay under my 1250 cal. for me i drink water and ice green tea during the day. just find wat work for u. maybe 1200 cal isnt for u. Play with it and find your number.0
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Turn away from the animal kingdom and embrace the produce section. Veggies are SO low in calories. You can eat as much as you need to feel full and still stay within your bounds.0
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How did u get your weight lost graphic to post?
Do you already have a ticker? If so, on the "Message Boards" page, see where you can choose from:
>Home >Recent Posts >My Topics >Settings >Search
Click on "Settings", then check off "Show your MyFitnessPal ticker below each of your forum posts."
If you don't yet have a weight loss ticker, you can make one under the "TOOLS" tab.
Thnx0
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