1200 calories

pinksnowbunny

mfp says to eat 1200 calories.. but i cant eat that many! and im not reallly lossing weight! then i exercise and it gives me more that i really dont eat! i dont know what to do! please help!

tdfarmer

yOU NEED TO MAKE SURE YOUR EATING 3 MEALS A DAY, COUNTING SNACKS AND DRINKS.

MissHoney26

I have the same problem, the only way I could reach that many calories is if I made one of my meals from McDonalds. I have always had a small appetite so I have no idea how I ever got overweight. Now that I learn about the 1200 calories rule, I think the reason might be because I eat less than that most days, even if I only eat junk snacks.

shalomabeth

my problem is i am under my 1200 limit some days i just eat 7-900 a day so its kind of hurting when i excercise

3Sarah333

Don't panic...eat ONLY when you feel hungry! Try to eat every couple hours, snacks and small meals. Make sure you get fruits and veggies in. I'm NOT eating the calories that I work out... EVERYONE does different with this, just go with what works for YOU. If you are honest with yourself and keep track of everything, and not starving yourself, you should do fine!

beautyreaps

Not to be rude, but odds are you can eat 1200 calories. Else wise you wouldn't be here.

You won't lose weight on a 1200 calorie diet with exercising, because you've increased the deficit and your body will retain what it gets, because it thinks you're in a famine. So, eat and eat healthfully when you feel hungry. Think of it this way; if you don't eat, you'll gain weight and your metabolism will slow down (especially with the added stress of exercise - which you're not eating enough to maintain). If you eat, you'll perform better at the gym or where ever you're working out and you'll lose that weight.

Need nutritious ways to get more *calories: eat avocados, have a banana with peanut butter as a snack, add veggies to all meals, have some honey with your tea and eat some nuts with dried fruit.

You can have the foods you like in moderation and that'll definitely help get your counts up. Don't lose hope.

misskerouac

Need nutritious ways to get more *calories: eat avocados, have a banana with peanut butter as a snack, add veggies to all meals, have some honey with your tea and eat some nuts with dried fruit.

Agreed. Don't think just because something is high in calories it's bad for you, avocados, nuts, and peanut butter are great ways to get in good fats. Also I used to eat things like "source" yogurt that has low calories but then I started eating Greek yogurt which is higher but has more protein. It's all about choices. It may not be the quantity of food that you need to change, just the options.

I can kill 250 cals easy on a golden delicious apple and peanut butter!!

blissmanifesto

Try to include snacks or meals that have plenty of protein. I like to keep a packet of smoked lox or salmon in the fridge; it's easy at breakfast time to just grab a few pieces and fuel up for the day without even having to cook anything. Raw unsalted mixed nuts are a good choice too. I love almond butter. I like Aidell's sausages too, although I have to check the labels to get the kinds with no added sugar. Cheese sticks are a quick easy option. Definitely bananas; at a 100 cals each, just a couple a day adds up, plus they are loaded with potassium which is all good. You can boil some eggs ahead of time and then keep them in the fridge and grab one anytime; that's about 80 cals there and all protein and healthy fats. Hummus is a great high-protein choice and full of fiber as well, maybe with some carrot sticks?

JeanaLK

Sooooooooo, it is okay to eat the cals u worked off? Because I was jus tryin to stay under the 1200 also. I have been doin MFP now for maybe 2 weeks & I went over 1200 cals 1 time. I am loosing wight tho & faster then I thot I would. And you want more proteins in your diet. I don't think I have been getting enough because I do feel hungry at times, but just ignore it & move on.

tdfarmer

When I started. MFP set me at 1200. I lost, I stayed under. I lost weight for 2 months at about 1.5 to 2 Lbs a week. After 2 months I plateaued. I changed my goal to 1300, trying to eat 1500 and net at 1300. lost weight after I changed. Been doing research and talking with MFP fieinds and feel yes you do need to net atleast 1200.

Acatlett77

Right after joining MFP I went to the doctor & he gave me a list of things I shouldn't eat. Basically it said no carbs AT ALL! So I tried that for a little while but I was eating WAY less than 1200 cals per day! Which in my opinion is a HUGE NO NO!!! Especially if your working out. He did tell me a few things that were ok that had carbs so I took that nutritional info & used it as a guideline for everything else I bought. I had NO problem eating 1200 after that! Just recently I've had to add more calories as I get hungry more so now I'm actually eating back my exercise calories. You need to eat when your hungry. If you truly aren't hungry then you need to eat anyway! Eating less than 1200 will not help you loose weight. Your body will go into starvation mode & store the fat because it's not sure when the next meal will be. If your working out it's even worse! Your body needs fuel after a workout. It's kinda like a car needs gas to go...same principal. Do some research to find snacks or meals that you can eat. There are high calorie snacks that are good for you. Once you get to where your eating 1200 per day it will be easy! Good luck & you can do it!!!!

ironanimal

Can't? Cannot? You CAN'T eat that many calories??? Buy yourself a bar of dark chocolate and go to town on that badboy. Seriously, if you can't eat MORE food, eat more calorie-dense foods.

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

Sooooooooo, it is okay to eat the cals u worked off? Because I was jus tryin to stay under the 1200 also. I have been doin MFP now for maybe 2 weeks & I went over 1200 cals 1 time. I am loosing wight tho & faster then I thot I would. And you want more proteins in your diet. I don't think I have been getting enough because I do feel hungry at times, but just ignore it & move on.

Yes eat back your calories-- and don't ignore the hunger. Just satisfy it with a healthy snack. Proteins work best for me.

HonkyTonks

"I can't eat all those calories!"

Yes you can. If you couldn't eat 1200 calories you wouldn't need to be losing weight.

onmywaytoskinny155

Not to be rude, but odds are you can eat 1200 calories. Else wise you wouldn't be here.

You won't lose weight on a 1200 calorie diet with exercising, because you've increased the deficit and your body will retain what it gets, because it thinks you're in a famine. So, eat and eat healthfully when you feel hungry. Think of it this way; if you don't eat, you'll gain weight and your metabolism will slow down (especially with the added stress of exercise - which you're not eating enough to maintain). If you eat, you'll perform better at the gym or where ever you're working out and you'll lose that weight.

Need nutritious ways to get more *calories: eat avocados, have a banana with peanut butter as a snack, add veggies to all meals, have some honey with your tea and eat some nuts with dried fruit.

You can have the foods you like in moderation and that'll definitely help get your counts up. Don't lose hope.

I agree I can't eat 1200 calories either unless I am eating bad food. I am a weight loss surgery patient and its hard to eat when you are not hungry.

quiksandy

Wow! Are you people being real? The only time I have a hard time eating my calories is when I do some massive workout that burns 1,000 calories or something. Then I just have a hard time eating back the exercise calories. But on a typical day I have NO problem whatsoever eating my calories. And heck...I'm set to 1750!

How is this possible that so many people feel this way? I have two probably very ignorant theories.

1) Maybe you are not logging correctly? I log every bite and crumb that passes through my lips. Liquid calories, condiments, everything! It adds up quickly.

2) Maybe you are very sedentary? I need my calories just to get through my very active days. But on my sick days where I sit on the couch all day, I need very little.

I just don't understand this at all. Enlighten me on how you can be in a position where you need to lose weight and yet you are struggling to eat 1200 calories a day. It makes no sense.

nutteranna

you'll find that because your eating less than 1200 calories your going into starvation mode an are not loosing the weight because of that you may even gain weight, i'd recomend buying some buiscuits and lots of fruit, i often fin it hard to get to 1200 cals too but i'll have a hotchcolate and a apple or buiscuit to add up the callories, or something like that good luck in your weight loss you can do it hun i know you can and make sure you eat over 1200 cals a day otherwise you will gain and not loose any weight

reddi2roll

Not to be rude, but odds are you can eat 1200 calories. Else wise you wouldn't be here.

You won't lose weight on a 1200 calorie diet with exercising, because you've increased the deficit and your body will retain what it gets, because it thinks you're in a famine. So, eat and eat healthfully when you feel hungry. Think of it this way; if you don't eat, you'll gain weight and your metabolism will slow down (especially with the added stress of exercise - which you're not eating enough to maintain). If you eat, you'll perform better at the gym or where ever you're working out and you'll lose that weight.

Need nutritious ways to get more *calories: eat avocados, have a banana with peanut butter as a snack, add veggies to all meals, have some honey with your tea and eat some nuts with dried fruit.

You can have the foods you like in moderation and that'll definitely help get your counts up. Don't lose hope.

Agree with above post and the following advice. If you don't eat your calories and your exercise calories your body goes into self protection as it thinks you are starving.

engineman312

you can eat other things besides egg whites and veggtables. try things like whole eggs, nuts, pasta, etc.

and try drinking some calories. i love protein shakes. do i need to bust out the picture?

thor1god1of1awesome

Not to be rude, but odds are you can eat 1200 calories. Else wise you wouldn't be here.

You won't lose weight on a 1200 calorie diet with exercising, because you've increased the deficit and your body will retain what it gets, because it thinks you're in a famine. So, eat and eat healthfully when you feel hungry. Think of it this way; if you don't eat, you'll gain weight and your metabolism will slow down (especially with the added stress of exercise - which you're not eating enough to maintain). If you eat, you'll perform better at the gym or where ever you're working out and you'll lose that weight.

Need nutritious ways to get more *calories: eat avocados, have a banana with peanut butter as a snack, add veggies to all meals, have some honey with your tea and eat some nuts with dried fruit.

You can have the foods you like in moderation and that'll definitely help get your counts up. Don't lose hope.

I agree

denise_earheart

Don't panic...eat ONLY when you feel hungry! Try to eat every couple hours, snacks and small meals. Make sure you get fruits and veggies in. I'm NOT eating the calories that I work out... EVERYONE does different with this, just go with what works for YOU. If you are honest with yourself and keep track of everything, and not starving yourself, you should do fine!

that is true.. only eat when you are hungry. Your body knows what it needs and when it needs it so if your not hungry don't eat!

MaximalLife

mfp says to eat 1200 calories.. but i cant eat that many! and im not reallly lossing weight! then i exercise and it gives me more that i really dont eat! i dont know what to do! please help!

So we forgot how to eat ?

OK, go to McDonald's and order 2 Cheeseburgers.
Eat them.
Mission accomplished.

Or eat a bowl of cereal or anything. Discipline cuts both ways.
Eat more or you fail more than likely.
Eat too much and you fail.

MFP sets these limits for a reason: HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS.
What good is it to go from fat to skinny fat?

SergeantSunshine_reused

Don't panic...eat ONLY when you feel hungry! Try to eat every couple hours, snacks and small meals. Make sure you get fruits and veggies in. I'm NOT eating the calories that I work out... EVERYONE does different with this, just go with what works for YOU. If you are honest with yourself and keep track of everything, and not starving yourself, you should do fine!

that is true.. only eat when you are hungry. Your body knows what it needs and when it needs it so if your not hungry don't eat!

This is false. Ghrelin (hunger hormone) is a crazy thing. just because your stomach isn't growling does not mean you are getting all the nutrients you need.

cjw6

Not to be rude, but odds are you can eat 1200 calories. Else wise you wouldn't be here.

You won't lose weight on a 1200 calorie diet with exercising, because you've increased the deficit and your body will retain what it gets, because it thinks you're in a famine. So, eat and eat healthfully when you feel hungry. Think of it this way; if you don't eat, you'll gain weight and your metabolism will slow down (especially with the added stress of exercise - which you're not eating enough to maintain). If you eat, you'll perform better at the gym or where ever you're working out and you'll lose that weight.



This ^

I wouldn't mind betting you are actually eating substatially more calories than you think and thats why you aren't losing. Check portion sizes on pre-packed food, weigh your ingredients, count the oil you use for cooking, sugar for your coffee and all your drinks. 'Starvation mode' or not, if you are eating less than your calorie requirement you WILL lose weight (even if you believe the starvation mode theory, it just means you would lose a bit more slowly).

VeronicaAlamri

1200 calories a day is easy to eat if you aren't starving yourself. Even eating healthy, you should still be right at 1200 calories a day.

Reedern

Be sure you are eating things like grilled chicken breasts, fish, or lean steaks or something. Great sources of protein and have good calories but are low in carbs. If you drink protein shakes, and fruit, milk, yogurt, or cottage cheese to them for extra good calories and protein. Again, be sure that you are logging EVERYTHING you intake. Even if you eat like 4-5 m&m's, log them!

SergeantSunshine_reused

I think it is more of a mental block honestly. You do not need to starve to lose weight. Your body composition will look better if you eat more.

Emilia6909

I thought this was an interesting read.... :happy:

Question: I have been told that when I eat too little, my body goes into starvation mode to protect itself, and that it will slow down my weight loss. Is this true and how can I avoid starvation mode?

Answer: Many weight loss coaches use the term “starvation mode” to describe your body’s natural response to protect itself when you don’t eat enough for extended periods. When you regularly eat too little food to provide your body with the necessary nutrients, it perceives itself to be in danger from starvation. Since your body is wonderfully designed to protect you, it will slow down your metabolism to conserve energy so it can keep vital organs such as the brain and the heart going for as long as possible in the face of the perceived threat. While it will burn fat for fuel, it will also start burning lean muscle mass for fuel, which will slow down your metabolism even further. People on starvation diets invariably find that they regain all the weight they’ve lost (and then some) very quickly as soon as they start eating again.

While a starvation diet may help you lose weight quite fast in the short term, you will pay a heavy price because you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of weight problems. Your metabolism gets progressively slower with each day you remain on a starvation diet. This resultant slower metabolism needs less fuel, so you consistently have to eat less and less to lose weight! As your metabolism slows down even further and your lean muscle mass dwindles you will also find that you become more and more tired. This in turn means you will get less exercise, which leaves you with less lean muscle, and an even slower metabolism. It really is a vicious cycle. The importance of protecting your lean muscle mass to boost your metabolism can not be stressed enough.

The question arises: when does your body go into starvation mode? As with anything that involves the human body, there is no one single answer that will be true for everyone. The levels at which starvation mode kicks in vary from person to person. What we can do though, is understand how it gets triggered so we can avoid getting our bodies in that state. Your decision of how much to eat should be based on your individual Total Daily Energy Requirements, which takes into account a variety of factors including height, weight, age, gender and activity levels. If you want to lose weight safely, without setting off the alarm bells in your body; aim to eat approximately 300 – 500 calories less than your total daily requirements. This will provide your body with enough fuel to keep it going comfortably, but will still create a sufficient caloric deficit to ensure that you lose weight. To protect your metabolism even further, make sure your diet contains enough protein and that you maintain / increase your activity levels.

Note. You will find that many experts advise you not to eat less than 1 200 calories per day to prevent starvation mode. This is just a general rule of thumb to provide advice in the absence of enough information. To be safe, get your individual Total Daily Energy Requirements calculated, and follow the advice above.

nutteranna

can i also add that my best friend is 'overweight' but she probaly eats 300 cals tops a day and i know this for a fact, so this rubbish people have said if your finding it hard to eat 1200 cals you woudnt be here, also i used to eat loads believe me i used to be a sze 22 (uk size), now i am a 12-10 dress size, i really struggle to eat atm but have to push myself to get to 1200 cals and even when i do that i feel sick, for example this mornig i had porrige and i tried to make myself eat it (i did eat it) i really struggled and now feel sick but i know i have to eat so i don't go into starvation mode as i want to maintain my weight loss till i am the right weight for my height etc...
btw this is just my opinion bassed on my experiances

Helloitsdan

I think it is more of a mental block honestly. You do not need to starve to lose weight. Your body composition will look better if you eat more.

Sunshine used to say she cant eat that many calories....

Chriztii

No idea how you can't eat that many calories haha! I'm on 866 today already and that's just breakfast and lunch! I guess i just love my food