I can't seem to eat 1200 calories!

rbl1225

I oversleep a lot so by the time I get up to eat breakfast, it's lunch!

Just some "food for thought": If you ate a nutritionally balanced diet you would not be so tired that you sleep 1/2 of your day away.

Not exactly true. If they are like me they might have a hard time falling asleep and then sleep in. That's what I tend to do on that days I have a hard time falling asleep. There are exceptions to everything.

freedomlady

I ate 800 calories most days and it didn't hurt me any. In fact I felt great!!!! I tried the 1200 many many years of dieting and I actually am less hungry eating 800 a day. then on the week ends I make up for the deficit by eating 1400 each week end day. This way I never feel deprived.

h2oophelia

I have some go-to stuff that's always on hand if I need to up my calories...

Protein shakes
Cheese
Peanut butter - this is my favorite. On days when I'm having trouble hitting my goal, I treat myself to an apple with pb. Love it!
Nuts

MaraDiaz

Same here. Seems to be going around. Of course I could easily eat 1200 and then another 3000 right now if I gave in to my fast food and sweet craving, but since I'm not going to, guess I'll be under calories today.

Crochetluvr

1200 cal is starvation mode, if you are 1 under you are technically starving yourself. Meaning your body will HOLD ONTO fat making it hard to burn

No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!!!!!

I eat about 1200 a day and I am NOT starving. And I am losing between an average of a pound and a half a week. I agree that VERY low daily calorie consumption (200, 400, 600,) unless under a doctor's advice is not healthy. But 1200 is just fine for a lot of people like me.

tsh0ck

unless you have diabetes, sugar doesn't matter if you are eating well in a caloric deficit. I promise.

And the OP did not say they had diabetes? So prove me wrong?

If you are going to give advice and support then you need to give it correctly?

Eating too much fruit/smoothies/sugar will not help you to lose weight. It will give you a high after you have eaten it/if you do not burn it then it will store as fat. (short version again)

you seem to like short versions. so short version:

sugar =/= fat. (nearly 90 percent of your body fat is made up of fatty acids, not sugar.)
sugar = glycogen. (you know what your muscles use for fuel? glycogen. you know what your brain uses for fuel? I'll give you a hint. it rhymes with mycogen.)

you seem stuck on the storage issue, too. and you are right, in that excess is stored. it get stored in your liver and in your muscles. but not as fat. it is stored as glycogen, the storaged version of glucose. but then it must turn into fat, right? not so much. it sits there, on your internal shelf, until you need some extra energy. like, say, when you go to the gym. that's when you burn your glycogen supply, turning it into energy to move.

by the way, if you are scared of sugar, you should stay away from anything with carbs. because you know what carbs are broken down into when ingested?

Coco_UK

I think that if someone is struggling with reaching 1200 it is not about what foods to eat but more to do with how one realtes to food itself.

What I mean by this is that the problem can be more emotional and less about the practicalities of counting calories.... we all know high content calories, they are everywhere even in you are super super healthy! (everyone has mentioned nuts, oil, cheese, etc) I know them by heart because I have to watch them to stay on target!

Patzy23

add more protein, that usually has more calories and protein that we need.

fatty_to_fitty

I understand your advice but it is wrong for this lady. Fruits against veg are full of sugar. too much sugar if not burnt as energy simplex carbs will turn to fat. So veg is a better option.

(short version)

um ... no.

um yes

ah. so you are in the 'sugar is the devil' brigade. gotcha.

I have to agree f you are not getting 1200 cals you should not be cramming cals by eating fruit. It's about controlling insulin levels to burn fat. No one says cut sugar out and it's the devil

Bobby_Clerici

what were you eating when you put on all the weight?

Some think eating ANYTHING prevents weight lose.
None of these folks seem to have problems eating a lot more than 1200 calories before deciding to lose weight.
People go from one extreme to the other...then they wonder why they fail.
Duh!

vbmama2012

Hi, I am really not being rude and I hope you won't mind me asking but I am curious to know how you gained weight in the first place if you can't even eat 1200 calories per day?

It's pretty easy to eat way more than 1200 calories a day AND gain weight if you're not eating healthy foods. For instance, if you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at McDonalds...high calories (over 1200) and NOT good for you. When you start dieting, you eat cleaner (fruits, veggies, grains) and those are lower in calories, so it does take MORE to meet the 1200 calories. If it's too much, and you're full, of course you won't hit the 1200 calories. I think this is what the OP is having an issue with.

jreeves628

Hi, I am really not being rude and I hope you won't mind me asking but I am curious to know how you gained weight in the first place if you can't even eat 1200 calories per day?

^This

tigersword

Hi, I am really not being rude and I hope you won't mind me asking but I am curious to know how you gained weight in the first place if you can't even eat 1200 calories per day?

It's pretty easy to eat way more than 1200 calories a day AND gain weight if you're not eating healthy foods. For instance, if you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at McDonalds...high calories (over 1200) and NOT good for you. When you start dieting, you eat cleaner (fruits, veggies, grains) and those are lower in calories, so it does take MORE to meet the 1200 calories. If it's too much, and you're full, of course you won't hit the 1200 calories. I think this is what the OP is having an issue with.

If you can't even reach 1200 calories, then your diet is incredibly unbalanced, which means you aren't eating healthy.

*That's a generic "you," not directed at any specific poster.

tigersword

I understand your advice but it is wrong for this lady. Fruits against veg are full of sugar. too much sugar if not burnt as energy simplex carbs will turn to fat. So veg is a better option.

(short version)

um ... no.

um yes

ah. so you are in the 'sugar is the devil' brigade. gotcha.

I have to agree f you are not getting 1200 cals you should not be cramming cals by eating fruit. It's about controlling insulin levels to burn fat. No one says cut sugar out and it's the devil

No. Insulin has absolutely nothing to do with it. Your body burns fat 24/7, insulin doesn't stop it. Your body does down regulate fat burning while you are digesting food, and insulin is the signal for that to happen, but it really has nothing to do with overall 24 hour fat burning totals.

saraann4

I think this is a common/honest question for new people starting out on a lifestyle change. I was there and I struggled with getting to 1200 calories and to be honest, I still struggle with it. You go into it thinking you have to eat low cal, low fat, low whatever...

I love the question, "how did you get fat in the first place?" Well, sure, I could go out and get a double cheeseburger, fries and a coke and meet my calories, but is that seriously healthy?

I also hate the standard answer of upping your calories "peanut butter, nuts, and protein powder". Not hating on those things because they are good for you, but for some people (a lot of people) are allergic to nuts and protein powder just sounds ick to me. I'd rather just eat a nice, big, juicy piece of chicken.

The best advice I can give is to incorporate some higher calorie foods.

meshashesha2012

I think this is a common/honest question for new people starting out on a lifestyle change. I was there and I struggled with getting to 1200 calories and to be honest, I still struggle with it. You go into it thinking you have to eat low cal, low fat, low whatever...

I love the question, "how did you get fat in the first place?" Well, sure, I could go out and get a double cheeseburger, fries and a coke and meet my calories, but is that seriously healthy?

I also hate the standard answer of upping your calories "peanut butter, nuts, and protein powder". Not hating on those things because they are good for you, but for some people (a lot of people) are allergic to nuts and protein powder just sounds ick to me. I'd rather just eat a nice, big, juicy piece of chicken.

The best advice I can give is to incorporate some higher calorie foods.

but why does it have to be either double bacon cheeseburgers and fries OR a cup of celery and carrots? :laugh:

i think the people who have trouble with this issue are just unwilling to break out of their comfort zone so they go from one extreme to another and forget that there's a whole range of possibilities in the middle.

and if you dont like other protein except beef then eat beef. i just find it shocking that if this person was so into cheeseburgers and french enough to get fat from, they honestly can't grasp that there are zillion other healthy and nutritious ways to cook and eat beef and potatoes.

splashangel

When I first started I went through the same thing. I was scared to eat anything but spinich, green beans and water it seemed. Soon Though, I found out it was actually good to eat some fat and beans etc. Add a few almonds to your salad. Some turkey bacon to a veggie omelet. You will catch on and learn. I did.

saraann4

I think this is a common/honest question for new people starting out on a lifestyle change. I was there and I struggled with getting to 1200 calories and to be honest, I still struggle with it. You go into it thinking you have to eat low cal, low fat, low whatever...

I love the question, "how did you get fat in the first place?" Well, sure, I could go out and get a double cheeseburger, fries and a coke and meet my calories, but is that seriously healthy?

I also hate the standard answer of upping your calories "peanut butter, nuts, and protein powder". Not hating on those things because they are good for you, but for some people (a lot of people) are allergic to nuts and protein powder just sounds ick to me. I'd rather just eat a nice, big, juicy piece of chicken.

The best advice I can give is to incorporate some higher calorie foods.

but why does it have to be either double bacon cheeseburgers and fries OR a cup of celery and carrots? :laugh:

i think the people who have trouble with this issue are just unwilling to break out of their comfort zone so they go from one extreme to another and forget that there's a whole range of possibilities in the middle.

and if you dont like other protein except beef then eat beef. i just find it shocking that if this person was so into cheeseburgers and french enough to get fat from, they honestly can't grasp that there are zillion other healthy and nutritious ways to cook and eat beef and potatoes.

I didn't say they had to eat a double cheeseburger OR a cup of celery and carrots. Maybe, I need to be more clear. I can't stand when people ask the question, "How did you get fat in the first place?" Answer: I ate fast food every day twice a day. Literally. Honestly. You are right in a way. The thing is people do have a problem with going from one extreme to another. That is a common problem. It's finding the balance. I am one of those people attempting to find the balance. It's not a hard idea to grasp.

Your other comments aren't worth my reply.

JustJennie1

Sorry but I don't buy that. Even if I skip lunching still hit or go o er 1200 calories on healthy food. Hell just today by time lunch came around I was already at 800+ and I was still hungry for dinner.

papate

I'm bad. Knowing that I'm trying, very hard and faithfully,to lose this weight, I just can't let myself get anywhere near 1200 calories, since I started, I have consistently been 600 or less. I know I know, everyone says eat more, but if it's true, that calories in versus calories out.....I am burning between 1400-1800 calories a day, so even if my body wants to "think" starvation and hold it, at some point it has to let go.