How often do you go over

kvrnmom02

Just wondering. I am at 1200 calories and it is REALLY hard to stay under... That is 400calories a meal if I don't have snacks. I have been doing pretty good and am under most days but some days it is hard. Do you think it evens out or do you have to stay under almost all the time?

Also any suggestions on quick, easy and filling low calorie meals would be great. I am a nurse and often have very little time to eat and with a busy 10 year old I often have to eat on the go.

Thanks in advance.

agranados87

I think you should bump up your calories. Instead of trying to lose 1 lb a week by eating 1200 cals a day, try to lose .5 lb a week which will bump your intake up. MFP set me at 1200 cals a day because I wanted to lose 1 lb a week, but it wasn't enough..I was hungry and kept going over. I'm not set to lose .5 lb a week and I get just under 1500 cals a day. It's not healthy to only eat 1200 cals a day, especially considering you're a nurse and probably pretty active. Hope this helps!

Amy_Lee_2012

I eat pretty much the same thing everyday (aside from special occasions), with very little variation, and am always under 1200 calories- this is even when I have a candy bar or some other small treat, which I do at least once a week.

I eat a lot of boneless skinless chicken breasts and vegetables, plus snack on fruit. I also drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day.
I find this works well for me.

AmyRhubarb

I'm set at 1710 a day & to lose 1/2lb a week, and I go over a couple of times a week. I always eat back some if not all of my exercise calories too.

Il_DaniD_lI

Today is my first time ever going over.

AmyRhubarb

I almost always go over on my rest day(s). But usually my overages are by 100 calories or so, sometimes more, but it's not like I sat down and devoured an entire pizza. And I am still losing weight - down to the last few pounds now, so it's coming off slowly, but it's still working - I bought new jeans today - a size smaller! Yay!

AimeeLynn90

My calorie intake right now is at 1420, and I'm always 300 or so under from them because I drink a good amount of water each day which works extremely well for me. My favorite on the go snack is Nature Valley's peanut butter bars. For two bars (1 package) is 190 calories, and with a glass of water, it's a delicious snack.

DonM46

I've been on MFP for a little over a year. During that time, I've been over about 10 days.
Not much, generally less than 100 calories.
So, I still have a daily deficit.

mewalkinuk

Do you track your sodium? I am sodium sensitive and now try to keep that at1500/day. I have seen a difference.

Toddrific

Calories are a rolling total. It averages out.

JoolieW68

I usually go over once a week on my rest day. During my vacation earlier this month I went over every day and didn't care.

anandaamrita

I had massive issues keeping to 1,200 when I first started and still often don't. I try to make sure it averages out over the week.

I would recommend lots of water. Examples of filling and calorific food that work for me are salad (without dressing) and soup.

Birder150

My calorie level is set at 2100 and I've gone over 4x in the past week.
One time by a smidge over 1000. :happy:

fitnesspirateninja

Not often and usually not by very much. Maybe between two and four times per month (I am making an educated guess - perhaps I'm way off). I'm at 1560 a day.

d0gma

I've gone over a few times, but never more than once in a week, and I'm always under for the week.

BLy82

Just wondering. I am at 1200 calories and it is REALLY hard to stay under... That is 400calories a meal if I don't have snacks. I have been doing pretty good and am under most days but some days it is hard. Do you think it evens out or do you have to stay under almost all the time?

Also any suggestions on quick, easy and filling low calorie meals would be great. I am a nurse and often have very little time to eat and with a busy 10 year old I often have to eat on the go.

Thanks in advance.

You should probably not be trying to stay under 1200 every day. 1200 is actually the number it's generally recommended that women not go below (occasionally is okay) unless they're on a medically supervised diet because it's very very difficult to meet your nutrient needs at that kind of calorie count.

At the very least, you should consider going over some days so that you average out to something like 1200, rather than being below it all the time.

(It's not really like the number 1200 is magic and all hell breaks loose if you go under it. It's just a guideline that tries to balance the need to get to a healthier weight with the need to ingest enough nutrients to keep your body operating well.)