Anyone else notice 1200 calories is not enough?

ThickMcRunFast

If I ate only 1200 calories, I would be so hungry I might start doing crazy things, like opening 30 different MFP accounts in order to call people fat and promote the Master Cleanse. You know, hypothetically.

aubreyg87

I am doing fine sticking to 1230 cals/day. I drink two Body by Vi shakes a day made with unsweetened original almond milk. I put flaxseed in one of them. I eat one sensible meal every day and have a couple healthy snacks. I make my calories count by making sure they are healthy, filling calories. There is a huge difference between 100 cals of fresh fruit and 100 cals of potato chips. Keep up the good work everyone! It is hard but it is so much more worth it to lose the weight than to eat the junk!

HappyElizabeth

I can eat 1200 calories per day and lose weight if I frump around the house and watch movies all day. But, if I try to live my "normal" life of daily running, jumping and miles of brisk walking, 1200 calories leaves me weak, cold and famished. I tried to do it in the beginning of my weight loss, but I don't want to be on a diet that leaves me too weak to move, so I upped to about 1500 plus (varies depending on my activity). I'm losing weight with the upped calories and am much happier and healthier.

nicoleknapp754

I'm finding it to be too much if I eat back my exercised off calories so I am going to stop doing that. I am diabetic on insulin so I am sure that has a lot to do with the fact that the scale hasn't budged since i started using this program to track my calories and exercise. I am not particularly active . I walk 2 miles 2x a day which always takes my calories back up but if I try to eat back my calories I worked off my blood sugar ends up too high at the end of the day. Eating enough to have 1200 calorie plus intake without taking my blood sugar too high and keeping my fat intake where it ought to be is a challenge.

silversociety

1800 for me!

Tryinonemoretime

Thanks so much for posting!!!!! When I first started I was losing quite nicely on 1200 cals a day and I was able to feel full. But for the past several weeks I have not lost an ounce. When I posted on my wall a few days ago how upset I was getting several MFP buddies stated they thought 1200 wasn't enough per day and I have read in several articles where 1200 or less is too low for health. I just today upped my cals per day to 1500. MFP says that will get me about a pound a week. I don't want to get thin FAST I want to get thin for LIFE! I am really hoping this works for me. With 81 pounds lost I see is is working wonderfully well for you!

Good luck to us all on our weight loss journey!

aubreyg87

Me too!!! Good job!!!

friendthegirl

I've decided to go up, not because I don't feel satiated on 1200 calories, but because I don't want my metabolism to slow, and don't want to start losing muscle. I'm debating what to set my goal as, tonight I changed it to 1350, I will move up to 1400 after a while and stay there until I get to the weight I want. It's weird as I've gotten so used to 1200 that I'm going to have to make a conscious effort to eat more calories. But too long at 1200 calories makes your metabolism slow as your body doesn't know why you're eating so few calories (for all it knows you are starving, and it reacts as if you were starving). Your body starts to burn muscle (so you will continue to lose weight, but some of it will be muscle). If your body thinks it is starving, it holds on to fat as that is what you would need to stay alive.

ThinUpGirl

I do 1400. I usually net 1200 on workout days. I lose 1-2 lbs. I'm satisfied with 1400.

lauriearmitage

im on 12oo calories and finding it ok. im not a big exerciser and im 60 yrs old almost so perhaps with a slower metabolism it makes a difference? my dr said as long as im walking and nothing more 1200 is fine however the min i add exercise i need to increase my calories..im on a 5 yr journey and have lost 155 pounds with 45 approx to go. and this is working...i mix it up..weight watchers, and all sorts of programs but this mfp is super....

RainHoward

Sweet_Gurl_Next_Door

me! I upped mine to 1709 but I always seem to net 1300-1400 calories. but I feel full and satisfied eating 3 meals and 2 snacks.

emichale13

yep glad to see that I am not the only one who struggles on 1200 cals per day. I felt pretty inadequate not being able to maintain on 1200 but the flip side of trying to stay under 1200 is that it motivates me to exercise which is GOOD.

Laughed out loud about the danger to all small things living when trying to stick under 1200.

evakel5

[:happy:

For diet is the best 1:Cauliflower on single cream-check calorie) cheese-check calorie when u buy it) with potatoes like mash but no butter nothing. 2: Spinach on single cream -check calories)with square potatoes no butter on them nothing, 3: any fish u can make it your self with no oils with rise 4: Fruit is good any 5: Every morning i only open my eye i eat banana only 6: Drink a lot water - And this 4 kg i loose with out no training and no gym U need remember do not eat too much calories on day and eat healthy !

babydiego87

No. If you eat well and don't eat junk then it's perfectly doable. Fruit and veg have hardly any calories...Take it you're not eating them.

dittmarml

I've been doing 1250 calories but always eat back most of my exercise calories - so notice that I'm usually _actually_ eating around 1350. Have changed goal to that and decided not to worry as long as I don't see too many red numbers.

SkyMGray

1200 calories is usually enough for me, and I'm a 5'7" female whose starting weight was 225. It's all about eating lower calorie options for snacks, like fruits and vegetables. 1200 calories is enough when you are smart about your eating and can stretch it through the whole day I'm also in class and at work most of the day, which helps. Plus my workouts burn around 1,000 calories.

nickyvw

Nope
But then again, I eat LOADS of low calorie foods like veggies, buckwheat ramen noodles, fruit. Have a peak at my diary. I only have one day probably every 2 weeks that I am a little hungry. Other than that my dinner bowl is massive because I beef it up with tons of veggies.

I took a peek at your diary, and you're above 1200 almost every single day?? Also, I don't see the "tons of veggies" you are referring to. Btw, your diary isn't up to date either.

friendthegirl

I was eating 1,200 for a while and wasn't hungry. I made sure everything I ate had a fair amount of fiber. I had room for small more calorific things, a couple of Hershey kisses for example. While I wasn't hungry, it did take thinking about food often, as there is no range to fall into. Going below 1,200 is not good for you, but going over is going over. At 1,410, if I go under then great (I'll keep it above 1,200), if it hit my mark then also great, and if I go over now and then, I probably wont be 800 calories over. 1,410 is more manageable, so I'll be more likely to keep it up permanently. That extra 210 is like a gin and Le Croix, or a cookie, sometimes I want some gin, or a cookie. I want to be a healthy weight, something I can do permanently, and a good quality of life.