Starving at 1300 cals?

Christine1110

If you eat only fresh foods you can eat much more, for less calories. All processed foods are loaded with extra junk and calories. I started eating only lean meat freash foods and have lost 18 pounds in about 5 weeks. It has been a bit hard to figure out what to eat without eating lots of the thing I used to eat, but I'm doing good now....and feeling great too.

Foods higher in fiber keep you full longer also.

Good luck

NoAdditives

I don't eat fewer than 1500-1600 calories a day when trying to lose.

kokaneesailor

I'm not reel smart, butt it sounds like your calorie intake is wayyyyyyyyyyyyy to low. I think you need to re calculate everything. And there are plenty of really smart people on this site that can help you with that. Good luck.

rachelfaith92

I still have 12 pounds before I am in the "healthy" range, so I thought I would TRY to hold out to 1200-1300 range until I met that and then go up to 1500. I have my days off and on one of those days I stay the entire day in bed watching tv, computer, relaxing, and I never eat a lot on those days, I'm just not that hungry for one. It is only the days I work that I am absolutely famished. I did notice when I ate a bunch of chocolate and didn't log it (leftover easter ****, ate about 1550 cals that day) I lost two pounds over the course of 3 days, and that was freaking chocolate!

So if I do up my calories should I just base it at 1500? Should I switch my goals to eat more protein less carb? This whole thing is super confusing and the easiest part was just trying to stay under 1300 but at least 1200

C00lCountry

are you eating properly hun? are you eating the proper amount? calculate your BMR manually... I have to do it every once in a while. I'll show you how using myself.

The formula we use is 655 + (4.35 X weight in lbs) + (4.7 X height in inches) - (14.7 X age in years)

I am 22 years old, I am 5 feet 6 inches, and I weigh 151 lbs. So, here's my BMR:

BMR = 655 + (4.35 X 151 lbs) + (4.7 X 66 inches) - (14.7 X 22 years) BMR = 1298. 65 calories

But, I want to lose weight. I am pretty much sedentary, so I am going to multiply this number by 1.2. If you are moderately active (ex. 5 hours of exercise weekly) multiply your BMR by 1.5. So, 1298.65 X 1.2 = 1558.36 is what I can eat to maintain my current weight.

I want to lose weight, but not go into starvation mode (OR ANY WEIGHT LOSS WILL BE TEMPORARY AND MY METABOLISM WILL BE DESTROYED) , so I am going to decrease my calories by either 10-20%. I am going to use the maximum 20%. So, 1558.36 X 0.8 = 1246.688. I am going to eat 1250 calories daily NET.

Is this just for women or what? This thing says I am way over my calories per day.

wackyfunster

Looks like you're eating very calorically dense foods, so you will DEFINITELY be hungry at 1300 calories a day. Try eating more fruits, veggies, and lean meats. Brown rice and quinoa are good as well. You can eat around 3 pounds of food a day at 1300 calories if your food averages 1 calorie/g density, which is a reasonable target when eating these types of foods. I guarantee you that you won't be hungry if you do that.

rachelfaith92

So basically I should be eating lots of raw fruits/veggies and such. Is it bad to eat protein bars or shakes? I enjoy them, and never saw them as "unhealthy." What about cheese, like cheese sticks, cottage cheese, maybe even yogurt or hummus?

gmeringue

There's no way that 1300 can be enough for someone your height, weight, etc. It seems like you're getting activity everyday at work. Have you tried out a couple of those formulas? They're actually really helpful. Good luck!

myak623

I still have 12 pounds before I am in the "healthy" range, so I thought I would TRY to hold out to 1200-1300 range until I met that and then go up to 1500. I have my days off and on one of those days I stay the entire day in bed watching tv, computer, relaxing, and I never eat a lot on those days, I'm just not that hungry for one. It is only the days I work that I am absolutely famished. I did notice when I ate a bunch of chocolate and didn't log it (leftover easter ****, ate about 1550 cals that day) I lost two pounds over the course of 3 days, and that was freaking chocolate!

So if I do up my calories should I just base it at 1500? Should I switch my goals to eat more protein less carb? This whole thing is super confusing and the easiest part was just trying to stay under 1300 but at least 1200

Change your macro settings to 40% carbs/30% protein/30% fat. Holding at a number below BMR is not going to be a benefit. It will actually hurt in the long run. When eating below TDEE you are going to lose some lean body mass. If you aren't strength training and eating sufficient protein, you will lose much more LBM.

wackyfunster

So basically I should be eating lots of raw fruits/veggies and such. Is it bad to eat protein bars or shakes? I enjoy them, and never saw them as "unhealthy." What about cheese, like cheese sticks, cottage cheese, maybe even yogurt or hummus?

Protein shakes are ok if they are pure protein powder, not like muscle milk or w/e (you might as well just drink a milkshake at that point). Basically anything that is high in fat is going to be very dense, and not very filling per calorie. I'd start off eating cheese/hummus/etc. in very small quantities, and once you figure out how much fruits/veggies/meats/rice/quinoa you need to fill you up, you can increase your intake to whatever allows you to be full.

For me, lean turkey and quinoa are my favorites. If I eat til I feel like I am going to explode, it's something like 600-800 calories.

TeaBea

I still have 12 pounds before I am in the "healthy" range, so I thought I would TRY to hold out to 1200-1300 range until I met that and then go up to 1500. I have my days off and on one of those days I stay the entire day in bed watching tv, computer, relaxing, and I never eat a lot on those days, I'm just not that hungry for one. It is only the days I work that I am absolutely famished. I did notice when I ate a bunch of chocolate and didn't log it (leftover easter ****, ate about 1550 cals that day) I lost two pounds over the course of 3 days, and that was freaking chocolate!

So if I do up my calories should I just base it at 1500? Should I switch my goals to eat more protein less carb? This whole thing is super confusing and the easiest part was just trying to stay under 1300 but at least 1200

Carbs are not the enemy, processed foods are. Many people who do low carb - HAVE to do low carb. If you have a medical condition that makes it difficult to process carbs, then yes, you should do low carb.

I don't do a low carb diet because it is not the "Diet" I can see myself doing for the rest of my life. You stated this too. This should be about lifestyle changes. More complex carbs (or slow carbs) - less processed foods - I can do that for the rest of my life. Whole grains have more fiber & protein naturally. The more a food is processed, the more nutrients have been stripped away.

katysmelly

So I was a little hungry when I first started and had it set at 1200 cals, I upped it to 1300. I can eat, get full (off of a 290 cal meal and feel ready to burst) and then three hours later be absolutely starving. I want to lose weight quickly, but I feel like even though I am constantly eating, I am never satisfied for long. I usually grab a handful of nuts or a 90 cal granola bar to bide me over and don't log that, so most days as of lately I am around 1400. Should I bump myself back down to 1200? Not sure what to do, I have a very active job where I am on my feet from 6:45am till 3:30pm. Are there any other foods I could eat to hold me over? I drink a lot of water first before eating, and while eating. I eat a lot of protein. I don't know what else to do, any help would be awesome

Log everything AND re-evaluate what your calorie goals should be.

I'm surprised that someone who spends 40 hours a week on their feet is on 1300 calories a day.

Do you have your activity level set to "sedentary?" Are you aiming to lose 2lbs a week? If so, you should probably re-evaluate.

There's a bunch of posts on here about TDEE and BMR and the maths involved which will give you a more in-depth idea of what you should be eating every day.