1200 calories a day is killing me!!!

tkfinley12

Hang in there! You are doing the right thing by asking For help! I like to help fill myself with salad and water or green tea.
Keep it up and stay positive!

jen88ve

I feel it depends on the person and if your body is telling you that you're still hungry I would up your calories a bit. A lot people say they still get great results when they up their calorie intake! And as far as the wine goes, I say go for it! One glass a day won't hurt you!

BMiller426

Perhaps try substituting the McDonald's junk food for a proper, nutritious meal instead?

that was just one day, and a craving- like I mentioned. I didn't lose 25lbs by eating McDonalds everyday.

rachmass1

if no one has added this (haven't read everything) you might want to try some Messermacher (or however it is spelled) "Fitness Bread" and just do a half a serving at a time. This bread is very dense so it tends to be kind of filling, and it is loaded with good stuff. I too had to give up on most bread (and cheese) which has always been my weakness.

Also find drinking a lot of water helps, as do soups to stave off the hunger. But as others most likely said, if you exercise a bit you can eat back those calories so you won't feel like you are starving.

Good luck; it is not a quick journey for sure.

BMiller426

^ she's right, soup is a life saver.

brenni76

Don't underestimate the calorie burning power of chasing toddlers around! I have a 4 year old, a 3 year old and a 7 month old. Get them involved in your exercise routine. I do yoga with the 2 older ones and they think it's great... something special to do with mom. Also, agressive housework and other things that you wouldn't think about burn tons of calories. I would suggest investing a little in a heart rate monitor where you can plug in info specific to you (age, weight, height) so you can get a more accurate count of calories burned during an activity, rather than rely on the generic calorie values MFP gives you when you look it up. I found that when I wear my heart rate monitor when I exercise, I realize I've actually burned more calories than what MFP gives you credit for. Everyone burns calories at a different rate. Someone with a BMI of 40 will burn more calories during a 30 minute period of exercise than someone with a BMI of 20 who does the same exact exercise at the same intensity level.
Also, don't compare your food preferences and quantity to everyone else. I also read what other people have posted as an example of a day in their food diary and personally, there is NO WAY I could eat like that, and keep it sustainable. I am trying to be a good example for my children (not saying they are not) and have them also enjoy trying new healthier foods, but still not depriving any of us from the pleasure foods that keep us happy from time to time. Food is to be enjoyed, not feared! Looking up different ways to prepare the foods you enjoy is key. We love mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, but we still have potatoes every now and then. When I make meatballs, I use ground chicken instead of beef and no one can tell the difference (i still prepare them the same exact way, just with the different meat). The more you limit your options, the less successful you'll be. I always tell people, cheesecake may not be good for your heart, but it's good for your soul and sometimes, you just gotta feed your soul! Just balance it out with more exercise.

cleavagefurrow

Are you logging all your exercise? 1200 calories a day sounds like it's for someone who put their activity level as "sedentary." And if you have toddlers, I doubt you're sedentary! Make sure you log all your exercise so your calories per day can be adjusted. Even if you're just walking around, that burns calories!

megsmom2

Firstly, if you exercise, you'll get some extra calories to eat back, so you'll have more than 1200 a day.

Secondly, You're right your diet is quite quite healthy, but it is also bread heavy. You have 2 types of muffin and some bread in there. I'm not a low carb. advocate, but these foods are energy dense i.e. they're high in calories for their size. You might find you feel fuller by substituting in more low fat proteins, like the chicken breast you have or some fish, and more fresh veggies and undressed salad.

Totally agree. I feel 1200 may be do-able in satisfying way, but you don't have to eat like that to lose weight.

helenwilliams78

There's no way you should be cooking 3 different meals each night - life's too short. Try and cut out some of the carbs you eat for breakfast, lunch and snacks then you can enjoy the evening meal with your hubby. For me, homemade soup for lunch has been a life saver. Packed full of vegetables and pulses it keeps me going all afternoon and you can cook it in bulk and freeze it. You said you don't have a microwave at work but could you get a thermos flask?

As for exercising, it's never going to be easy at the start but well worth persevering with. Do a few minutes at a time with a rest in between and work up from there. Someone else mentioned that they excercise with their kids - what a great idea! I can imagine kids enjoying being active with Mum. I always think that anything is better than nothing!

MrsDutt

This thread is helping me open my mind a ton. When I get home I'm usually busy with the kids, cleaning the house. I'm sure it counts.
When we got home today I took the kids to the beach for some playtime. Hubby bought them take out and for the first time I said no. I couldn't imagine how many calories it would have been. Instead I can home and had a bowl of lamb and veggie soup, no rice.

I will take all this advice and build on it.