Under 1200--- how do ye do it? o.O

Drawberry

You're probably going to hear this a thousand times but everyone's body is different. That's just how it is. What is good for one person may not be good for you; and that's okay! It doesn't have to be. If you're feeling weak and sick, something is wrong and you should trust what your body is telling you. You may be getting say..1500 calories but the food you're eating isn't the kind of food that's going to make a positive difference in your body, do you reach for energy drinks when tired or do you reach for nuts to give you an energy boost?

The quality of the food, in terms of it being something actually good for your body, will make a difference in how you feel. That's why a 300 calorie lunch of a scrambled egg with veg burrito fills me up more then a 450 calorie lunch of Spaghetti-O's that leaves me starving within an hour.

When I first started up on here I found that I was actually watching my calories TOO closely and had around 700 extra calories at the end of the first day and I was COMPLETELY FULL in the middle of the afternoon/ before dinner. It's a strange balance.

kathyms13

you ask how they have the energy to live - they get it from the fat reserves they are burning up.

Energy can come from food you ate last year or whenever, it doesn't have to come in through your mouth alone.

They also adapt to eating less, so don't see it as an issue unlike how say a persistent overeater would view it. With filling foods rather than rapidly processed carbs the food they do eat is more satisfying for longer.

so true, i eat lots of veg i dont eat much carbs what i do eat is real healthy foods. i am burning fat. im 5 and half stone down and fitter than ive been for years. even tho im an old age pensioner.i tend to eat between 700 to 900 ish. yes odd days i go over and may even go under, it suits me.

HeatherLeahxx

Im sorry but people are assuming i have an eating disorder. I've began taking in about 1700cals a day.

I know your post wasn't about you but are you taking in 1200/day for months (and you're miserably uncomfortable with it) or you've been taking in 1700/day?

I was taking in only about 1200. I recently upped it and I feel a lot better

lionskitty

I don't know how they do it, and it's extremely dangerous. If you're classed as morbidly obese and are on a strictly medically supervised diet I've heard some can go as low as 700-800cal/day (not 500), but this is when a doctor is following you closely and has determined that your excess weight is more detrimental to your health than the extreme lack of calories. In any other situation I would call it an eating disorder, your body is surviving but it's not getting what it needs to be healthy. Slow and steady wins the race.

I'm technically clinically obese at 5'6" and 214lbs (down from 251lbs a few years ago) and I set my goal to the recommended 1lb/week which puts me at a net calorie goal of 1690, now most days I net 1200-1450 but always try to net the minimum 1200, on rare super active days I may be slightly lower but I really try not to.

I think people *are* reading your original post correctly, the people that are objecting are not thinking you're eating 500cal, they're saying that if you're at the 1200 you said you are and you're weak/dizzy/super hungry then you need to up your calories a little bit. Listen to your body. I found 1200 way too harsh at first and adding one or two 100cal snacks made a world of difference and the weight came off just as fast. I was just happier. I think if you're faking your diary to get people off your back that may be a warning sign of developping an eating disorder, even if you're not completely starving yourself yet you're hiding your eating behavior so people who care about you won't be worried, be careful and take care of yourself, it's better in the long run to make your changes bit by bit.

lizziebeth1028

I've been taking in about 1200 calories a day for the last two months. And it has left me soo weak, starving, exhausted, dizzy.....

Alot of people on this that I have come across are actually surving on 500calories a day....AND LESS!.....As well as exercising on top of that!.......Alot of people are fasting, or doing liquid fasts etc......I've no interest in doing this to get the record straight......

I'm just wondering how in god's name do these people have the energy to live???:huh:

It is seriously boggling me :noway: :huh:

No proper diet should leave you weak, starving, exhausted , dizzy!!!!!!!! That's just plain unhealthy and not sustainable and certainly does not fit into a healthy lifestyle. Why do women think they have to starve themselves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bpwparents

Water, water, water! I was not a huge water drinker (averaged 1 glass a day). I increased my water intake to 6-8 glasses and I feel much better. I'm averaging around the 1200 mark for calories. I'm not hungry and I have tons of energy. I also try to stay away from empty calories as they make me feel horrible (tired, hungry). Just up the water intake, eat nuts & fruits (roasted almond 100 calorie packs are my new best friend).

kathyms13

Im sorry but people are assuming i have an eating disorder. I've began taking in about 1700cals a day.

I know your post wasn't about you but are you taking in 1200/day for months (and you're miserably uncomfortable with it) or you've been taking in 1700/day?

To answer your original question, how some people are not miserable at low cal levels... It's because not everyone is you. We come in all sizes, ages, activity levels, discipline levels, belief systems. There are people who survive just fine on very low cals and they don't have eating disorders. They choose to eat that way for whatever reasons, not always appearance related. There is a lot of evidence that the less you eat, the longer you live, for example. It's very easy to think everyone is either exactly like you or else they are stupid and ill-informed.

thank you, both my parents lived long lives and ate healthy foods all there lives. at the risk of being laughed at i was born when food was rationed there wasnt food about so we ate what we grew.

HeidiMightyRawr

I don't, and I never have done. The lowest I've been before is 1500 net (eating those exercise calories!)

As someone else said, no diet should leave you feeling like that. It's not impossible to lose weight on a higher amount, and you'll feel better in the long run for it. These people who are on 500 a day etc are just setting themselves up for failure, and so many health problems that go with it!

ONE03

on tofu, vegetables, oils and fruits, lol. i find that when i eat anything else like grains and meat i crash esp. grains . i love grains. i also exercise at least 3x/wk.

and no, i don't have an eating disorder. i'd be happy to lose at .05-1lb a week.

minkakross

I don't have an eating disorder and I average about 550 calories a day and have for over a month now. It started because of a surgery and as I recover from said surgery I am slowing increasing my calories but I'm getting really sick of all these know it all's who say if you're eating that little you're unhealthy. I am healthier than I have been in over a decade. My diabetes is in remission, I've dropped a lot of weight. I have plenty of energy for exercise, gardening, playing with the kids and as it happens I'm healing faster than the doctor expected. I would hope that I'd be eating upwards of 1000 calories by the end of July and maybe netting 1200 by August but if it takes longer no big deal. To answer the question about feeling hungry or having no energy, the key my nutritionist and doctor both stressed to me and that seems to be working is... keep your protein intake at 60+, take a multi vitamin, B12, iron and calcium because you're probably not eating enough to get all your vitamins. I'd say that it took about a week for my body to adjust.

MFP has a pretty sizable group of men and women who have had weigh loss surgery or some other surgery or health condition which limits their caloric intake. You can't judge a person, or their health, by their food diary alone so please get off your high horses because frankly if someone did have an eating disorder belittling them and telling them how wrong they are or how bad it is isn't beneficial.

sandylion

I hear ya! If I eat less then 1500 I am dying! I feel so weak and SO GRUMPY!! I have a couple people on here who consistently eat that little and I have no idea how they survive!

auroranflash

You're probably going to hear this a thousand times but everyone's body is different.

Alright, everyone take a shot!

*pours up the whiskey*

missjewl

I take in anywhere from 1400-1600 cals a day, drink alot of water and try to exercise 6 days a week and i'm doing very well. If I eat under 1400 I feel like Im gonna pass out if I do my exercise for that day. Too little calories wont necessary help with weight loss, bodies tend to store that little amount cuz it needs it for fuel.

GemmaRowlands

If you eat plenty of low calorie foods it doesn't actually feel as though you're not eating much food. For example you can have an entire bowl of chicken and veg for just a couple of hundred calories, and there are plenty of fruits that are low cal as well. If you eat things like a big burger that packs in 800 cals, then you're going to find you have nothing left for the rest of the day.

morgansmom02

I eat 500 calories....for lunch.

Joeyje3

At 20 and 5'8", 1200 calories isn't enough. Have a look at TDEE and the Eat More to Weigh Less group.

Great Group. Read up on this you'll have much more energy and not feel so hungry all the time.

Jay_Jay_

I weigh 306 lbs, I started at 469lbs. I eat between 1000-2000 calories a day, more often than not under 1500. I am never hungry. Why you ask? I eat fat and protein, I skip the carbs unless its whole veggies and sparingly fruit. Carbs digest fast and leave you craving more carbs, fat digests slowly and keeps you satiated longer. Wake up in the morning with eggs and bacon instead of a bowl of whole grains and see the difference in your hunger and energy levels for the day!

BaconMD

I can't do 1200 calories per day. That's the minimum, not the standard. Figure out your BMR and TDEE and eat between them. Weight will still come off, but it will be slower. You'll have a LOT more energy.

She seems to already know her BMR and TDEE, as they're listed on her profile as 1417 and 1700 respectively. No wonder why she felt horrible eating 1200.

--

As for the original question: People who think they're doing the right thing by starving themselves put up with it because of just that - they think they're doing the right thing by starving themselves. I have family who do it. They just don't seem to get that it's not how you lose weight properly and keep it off in the long term.

AbbsyBabbsy

I aim for about 1200-1300 calories a day and I do not (and will not) eat back exercise calories. I'm eating an absolute mound of food. And not "clean," perfect food either. I'm very satisfied, and have no reservations upping my calories if my needs change. Honestly, I was eating less than 1200 until MFP scared me into thinking I was permanently damaging myself. 1200 is a perfectly acceptable number of calories for a woman and there's no reason to eat more unless it's leaving you dizzy and tired. Here's what I'm eating today:

Breakfast: 2 eggs cooked in butter, 2 slices center cut bacon, strawberry greek yogurt
Lunch: Turkey sandwich (white bread, deli turkey, tomato slices and mustard), apple, 1 oz cheddar cheese, .5 oz almonds
Snack 1: whole grain goldfish crackers
Snack 2: string cheese and rice cake
Dinner: 2 slices homemade mushroom pizza

YepLilly

I've been taking in about 1200 calories a day for the last two months. And it has left me soo weak, starving, exhausted, dizzy.....

I understand why some people missed the point of your question when you start your post like that.

As to your question: how do people survive and have energy on 500 calories? The body adapts and starts getting used to it. The less you eat, the less hungry you get. They survive, but not in a healthy way. Plus, the minute they up their calories to a healthy number, the pounds will often start piling back on. Until the body adapts again to the healthy number.

Hawkian

READ MY POST PROPERLY

Right. I read your post carefully word for word. Did you read my reply?

Not exactly feeling the attitude...

Im sorry but people are assuming i have an eating disorder. I've began taking in about 1700cals a day. Might do a half hour of cardio and some pilates if im not feeling too tired after work....people think i want to take in like only 500.....i even said i didnt like

No problem- I wasn't assuming anything of the sort. The key is, if you're feeling weak/exhausted/dizzy, your body is trying to communicate to you that something's wrong! Making sure you get enough nutrition and FEELING good is just as important toward fitness and weight loss as maintaining a caloric deficit.

douglasmobbs

The lower you set your daily calories the more important food choice is as you have less calories to play with.

To stick to 1200 or under and not feel hungry you have to drop sugars way down, fill up with vegetables and salad with enough high protein food to hit your targets. There is a bit more as you need calcium etc as well.

It is not easy to do, nor is it the best way to lose weight for the majority of people, but it is possible.

an example day

35g porridge oats + 150ml skimmed milk

150g carrot batons
100g celery
100g tomatoes
2 egg white omelet
100g chicken
50g low fat cottage cheese

200g broccoli
200g spinach
50g cous cous (dry weight)
150g white fish
50g Greek yogurt
garlic, lemon, parsley