1200 calories

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  • baribeau375
    baribeau375 Posts: 13 Member
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    I absolutely agree. I cannot believe a normal adult would have a problem consuming at least 1200 calories a day. To my way of thinking such an inability would definitely linked to an eating disorder. I can accept that a person who managed to become legitamately overweight would struggle to get to 1200 calories. GMAB. A balanced diet of 1200 calories a day is really a scant volume of food. I don't buy it.
  • aiyana1228
    aiyana1228 Posts: 100 Member
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    Are you measuring food? I agree that if you are guestimating amounts that can throw everything off. I hit a plateau and started carefuly measuring again and guess what-I started loosing again. I would absolutely NOT recomment the McDs burger or a candy bar. Starvation mode can come from eating plenty of calories that still do not feed your body what it needs. Try to eat as much whole foods as you can. I believe the preservatives in processed foods mess with our internal signals too. Also, be sure to start out with a real breakfast. Add fuel when you first wake up and the fire is stoked and ready to do its job. I had to re teach myself to eat breakfast. I make sure I get at least 300 calories first thing while giving my body protien, calcium, antioxidants, fiber, potassium, etc. All of the good things my body needs to work correctly. Be sure to eat a snack (I know everyone always told us to not eat between meals) just make it healthy-there are lots of good suggestions above so I will not repeat it. Be sure Lunch is another 300 calorie minimum. 2 snacks at about 100-150 calories. That gives you a nice 4-500 calorie dinner. I agree you don't have to eat diet food. I use low fat versions of some things (dressings can kill a salad so I opt for flavored vinegars and or fow fat versions with salsa) but for the most part I just eat appropriate amounts of regular food that has flavor. Good luck. When you feed your body well your appetite will return but it will be a controlled return.
  • BaileyBoo13524
    BaileyBoo13524 Posts: 593 Member
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    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.

    AGREED I eat anywhere from 1600-2000 cals per day and have trouble staying under I find this hard to believe that anyone would have trouble eating 1200 and it's so not heatlhy!
  • vanessagowan
    vanessagowan Posts: 3
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    this is a good post! alot of ppl are so worried cause the diet im on i only eat 700 calories at the most! im losing weight and i feel healthy! i get all the nutrients i need!
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    Open that diary!
    Opennnnn


    *taps foot*

    ...
  • kathy_nyc
    kathy_nyc Posts: 9
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    Seriously? 1200 calories is like a meal! Okay 2 healthy meals.
  • dalygirl_2010
    dalygirl_2010 Posts: 95
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    Some of you People need to tone it down!!! Come on stop being so rude... she was asking for help. And Just remember Not everyone agrees with all of your theories. My Dr. for example does not believe in "starvation mode" Give advice and don't lecture or belittle
  • JadeRabbit08
    JadeRabbit08 Posts: 551 Member
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    I understand where your at.

    I started 4 days ago and I have to really think about how to add higher calorie foods that don't fill me up too much.

    Breads and dairy are a great way to add calories but I am gluten and lactose intolerant.

    So its abit trickier for me especially considering the food I am eating is filling. I use to eat huge amounts of food but since I have kept to healthy (and yummy) food my cravings have disappeared.
    Thank goodness for nuts,seeds and avacodo.
    Feel free to check my diary for ideas although it is by no means perfect.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
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    Some of you People need to tone it down!!! Come on stop being so rude... she was asking for help. And Just remember Not everyone agrees with all of your theories. My Dr. for example does not believe in "starvation mode" Give advice and don't lecture or belittle

    Havent seen any rude folks here yet.
    This is pretty tame!
  • Sophiepoo
    Sophiepoo Posts: 264 Member
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    ALMOND BUTTER. 2 tbs is almost 200 calories. Almond butter and a banana is 300. Avocado's are a good option too. Eat a healthy, calorie dense fat.

    Almond butter and Bananas! I put these in my smoothiesss :)
  • kittyneutron
    kittyneutron Posts: 160 Member
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    I posted elsewhere about a similiar dilemma but got no replies (hint, hint, nudge,nudge :)

    Seriously though, I think I may have gotten the hang of it, after reading a lot of different tips and ideas.

    However, I don't really think it's helpful to write, "Well, you're fat, so obviously you know how to eat." I was logging every single thing that passed my lips and struggling to meet my quota, mostly because of my eating habits prior to changing my diet. I can definitely understand the skepticism, but it is possible. In my case, I have fibromyalgia and ME (CFS) and am very sedentary, so I'm not experiencing the gnawing hunger back when I was able to go to the gym. I do walk when I can and attend water aerobics once a week.

    Thing is, it is possible to eat few "foods" but have them be incredibly high in fat, calories and sugar. So in that sense, when I make a change in my diet, where I can no longer grab a bag of cookies and Coke and eat that and be full for the day, it might be challenging to meat your daily quotas if you aren't used to eating small meals often. (I wasn't-some days I even realized that I had only drank a can of Coke the day before and no other liquids, for example) Everyone is different, and everyone eats differently, and everyone got to be overweight in their own individual way. Some people overate portions, others were just eating too much food, others were maybe even not eating real food, just junk and gaining from that. In the end its all calories, but the means can be very different.

    Honestly, sometimes I was shocked that I was gaining weight because visually, I was eating SO little, even if I was probably taking in 2000 calories a day. My daily intake was something like: a cinnamon roll, a large Coke, 4-6 cookies. I was eating this way because I felt too sick to prepare food (ironically leading to a very bad cycle). I just grabbed anything for quick carb fuel. Eating was a chore, preparing food was unthinkable when I was at my worst. Combine eating almost pure junk/fast carbs with being sedentary and you have a combination for weight gain. So, it is possible for some individuals to experience this issue, not everyone is able to do hard workouts, or may be coming from a completely different set of eating problems than you yourself had. The method to becoming overweight is the same, but the roads there are many!
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    Spoonful of peanut butter, meet pinksnowbunny
    pinksnowbunny, meet spoonful of peanut butter

    (I haven't read the responses in this, so obviously that's a bad idea if you have allergies or what not)


    Fat isn't bad for you. Try to eat lots of protein and good healthy fats like nuts and avocados. The fats are where you can get a lot of your calories in.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    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.

    Absolutely! That was the big "AHA!" moment for me. I thought I had to eat nothing but salads and feel hungry all the time to lose weight.

    Instead, I lost weight eating all the same foods I always ate, just in better portions. Never felt hungry, never felt deprived.

    Not every bite you put into your mouth has to be "diet food." Cook with olive oil.... There's an extra 100 calories. Use regular milk instead of skim.... There's an extra 60 calories. Sprinkle a serving of shredded cheese on your dinner... There's an extra 100 calories. Or if you really want a salad, toss a tablespoon of sliced almonds in the mix... an extra 190 calories. I typically have a cup of lowfat chocolate milk at bedtime... about 150 calories.
  • adam4life
    adam4life Posts: 22
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    I just ate a peanut butter sandwhich at like 1000 calories...... I feel fat
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    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.

    This^^ You can train yourself not to feel hungry by not eating enough over a prolonged period. That does NOT make it healthy.
  • LilacDreamer
    LilacDreamer Posts: 1,365 Member
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    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.

    What is with the rudeness? I may not be the OP but i have a problem eating 1200 too a lot of the time. I have SEVERE digestion issues. It can take me on average 4 to 6 hours to digest a meal. ANY MEAL. The longest it has ever taken me was 11 hours. FOR 1 FREAKING MEAL. And I don't even eat foods high in fat.

    Can you imagine what its like to feel your food in your body for HOURS after consuming it? Why would anyone want to eat when they can still feel the food from 6 hours prior? And then the very thought of having to go through that feeling all over again...just makes eating UNPLEASANT.

    Be a little more considerate of people and their various situations.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    What is with the rudeness? I may not be the OP but i have a problem eating 1200 too a lot of the time. I have SEVERE digestion issues. It can take me on average 4 to 6 hours to digest a meal. ANY MEAL. The longest it has ever taken me was 11 hours. FOR 1 FREAKING MEAL. And I don't even eat foods high in fat.

    Can you imagine what its like to feel your food in your body for HOURS after consuming it? Why would anyone want to eat when they can still feel the food from 6 hours prior? And then the very thought of having to go through that feeling all over again...just makes eating UNPLEASANT.

    Be a little more considerate of people and their various situations.

    I don't think the comment was that rude...but on point.

    If you're having trouble getting 1200 calories in, chances are you could change your diet slightly to more easily reach your goal. It is likely that you could increase your fat intake to get you much closer to 1200.

    Natural Peanut Butter - 200 cals a scoop (and f***ing delicious)
    Whole Milk, Grated cheese on your meal, cream in your coffee, olive oil drizzled over your meal, handful of nuts, butter on your toast, sliced avocado, all things that could up your calorie intake drastically without you having to stuff yourself.

    For a lot of people, getting down to 1200 is EXTREMELY difficult. I eat a yogurt, a small lunch, and a protein shake and I'm already at almost 1300 calories. Myself personally I could eat 2-3 full meals on top of that without breaking a sweat. If you're having trouble eating up to 1200 calories that's a good thing, changing your diet to increase calories is often a lot easier than going the way in that it requires less drastic steps or alterations.
  • samantha196
    samantha196 Posts: 35
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    I'm having trouble reaching 1200 as well and I log everything. I'm adding a smoothie and hopefully that will bump it up for me. Maybe try that?
  • candim73
    candim73 Posts: 4
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    I'm getting discouraged...my first two weeks on here I lost 11 lbs. Since Sat my weight hasn't moved at all. I couldn't have hit the wall already could I ??? I'm eating my 1200 calories daily faithfully too ! Just seems that as soon as the 2 week mark came..it stopped :( Help !!
  • jenny1350
    jenny1350 Posts: 23
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    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.


    I couldn't agree more! I have to be a lot more active to stay at 1200 and not go over! If I am sick or not feeling well then it is easy otherwise I'm doing sit ups and videos before the end of the day!

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