Help !!!!

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Hello my name is Ruthann. I never did a diet before never had to; I was in the Army so never had to. About a year ago I hurt my back really bad. I cannot run, jump, sit ups, or lift more than 15 pounds. So my last year in I sat and sat some more and gained weight. Now I am out and want to lose the weight, Army cannot tell me not to exercise. So to my question is how do I stay under 1200 calories? I either come really close (I mean like 1 under) or I go way over. Can someone help me please? Thank you very much. :cry:

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  • ruby2sday000
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    Hello my name is Ruthann. I never did a diet before never had to; I was in the Army so never had to. About a year ago I hurt my back really bad. I cannot run, jump, sit ups, or lift more than 15 pounds. So my last year in I sat and sat some more and gained weight. Now I am out and want to lose the weight, Army cannot tell me not to exercise. So to my question is how do I stay under 1200 calories? I either come really close (I mean like 1 under) or I go way over. Can someone help me please? Thank you very much. :cry:
  • awinmac
    awinmac Posts: 30
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    Hi Ruthann,
    After a while of keeping track of your calories you get the hang of what a good calorie day looks like food wise, so it becomes easier not to go under or over too much.
    Check out all the good Vegan cookbooks too. Keeping your calories lower can be alot easier if you don't eat meat, eggs and dairy or if you cut down your intake. Also you can increase your nutrient intake by leaps and bounds on a vegan diet or a clean eating diet, eat more calories and still lose weight. You really need to do a little research though to make sure you are getting all the nutrients you really need. Especially if you are exercising a good deal. Swimming is great if your back is still not good. "This Crazy Vegan Life" is a great book, check it out at your local library.
    Good luck!
    -Amber:smile:
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    First forget staying under 1200 calories. That's not what you need. Find what your maintenance calories are and cut out about 200 of them. Maybe that's 1200 maybe it's more (that depends on your height, weight, age, sex, metabolic level) but since you only need 14 lbs to lose, first thing you need to do is set your expectations.

    You're not going to drop dramatic weight in a month, it's going to take a little while. Expect about 1 to 2 lbs a month, and keep feeding your body. You don't lose weight in a healthy way by slashing your calories, you just cut muscle, your body keeps the fat that way.

    Keep a nice small deficit, find some moderate exercises you can do without pain (you may want to make an appointment with a Personal Trainer to find out good exercises for you), and let yourself get into it.

    Remember, we're hear to change for EVER. Slow, steady, easy changes will keep you from the yo yo
    affect. And will allow you to keep the weight off while keeping your muscle mass intact!

    And remember, WHAT you eat is as important is how much you eat, so make sure you're getting the right types of food too. Fill your day with simple carbs and sugars, and you're going to have a hard time losing weight no matter how dedicated you are to your calorie defict!
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    First forget staying under 1200 calories. That's not what you need. Find what your maintenance calories are and cut out about 200 of them. Maybe that's 1200 maybe it's more (that depends on your height, weight, age, sex, metabolic level) but since you only need 14 lbs to lose, first thing you need to do is set your expectations.

    You're not going to drop dramatic weight in a month, it's going to take a little while. Expect about 1 to 2 lbs a month, and keep feeding your body. You don't lose weight in a healthy way by slashing your calories, you just cut muscle, your body keeps the fat that way.

    Keep a nice small deficit, find some moderate exercises you can do without pain (you may want to make an appointment with a Personal Trainer to find out good exercises for you), and let yourself get into it.

    Remember, we're hear to change for EVER. Slow, steady, easy changes will keep you from the yo yo
    affect. And will allow you to keep the weight off while keeping your muscle mass intact!

    And remember, WHAT you eat is as important is how much you eat, so make sure you're getting the right types of food too. Fill your day with simple carbs and sugars, and you're going to have a hard time losing weight no matter how dedicated you are to your calorie defict!

    ya... what he said :flowerforyou:
  • BlossysMom
    BlossysMom Posts: 50
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    Welcome Ruthann
    You will get lots of support here. Keep positive.

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