Help! It feels like I'm starving right now!

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jroselive2012
jroselive2012 Posts: 129
in Health and Weight Loss
Does the eating 1200 calories per day become easier the longer you do it? I'm just on day one here and feel like I am not getting enough to eat and can't stop thinking about food. I'm not trying to be dramatic but it probably sound like it. Also, I keep hearing multiple sides to whether or not I should be eating back my exercise cals. I am technically at -40something cals right now, even after having breakfast and lunch. I'm actually feeling panicky!
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  • wreckedredhead60
    wreckedredhead60 Posts: 40 Member
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    It does get easier - hang in there. I can tell you all the cliches like you didn't gain the weight in a day so you can't expect to lose it in a day and wait 20 minutes and the hunger pangs go away - but let's face facts - it is hard and if you want it bad enough you will find the willpower to do it. You need to have patience - I know all you can think about is food when you first start this journey and I won't tell you that after two months I don't still have days like that , but each day forward is an accomplishment and you will find that you won't want to jeopardize what you have accomplished by pigging out. I've been at 1200 calories since I started and I look at other diaries and see calorie goals set higher, but for me I know 1200 is my limit if I want this to work. It is slow going as it is and I don't want to slow it down any more so i have learned to budget my calorie, most of the time keeping the most for my dinner. You need to find out what works best for you and do it. I wish you the very best my friend and here are a few more cliches - hang in there, it gets easier, take it one day at a time, etc. etc. etc. but take it from me they are all true.:flowerforyou:
  • nickwylie
    nickwylie Posts: 35
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    I know and it is HARD!
    -Is there anything you can do to take your mind off it?
    -Water, water, water.
    -Get out of the house.
    Good luck
  • Lina4Lina
    Lina4Lina Posts: 712 Member
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    Yes, give your body time. You can try some tricks to help ease the process such as munching on low calorie vegetables (baby carrots, celery, sugar snap peas) or drinking tea or even broth. It is really what I call head hunger versus stomach hunger in that my body wants to eat just to eat.
  • 2hobbit1
    2hobbit1 Posts: 820 Member
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Check out this link to find out if you really should be restricting to 1200 calories a day - probably not!
  • MuddyEquestrian
    MuddyEquestrian Posts: 366 Member
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    it gets easier! Hang in there! I have the same calorie goal and when I started I felt like I was starving, two weeks into it I find it hard to even eat the 1200. My advice is eat as many small meals as possible throughout the day and drink tons of water!
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    First of all, if you are that hungry definitely eat something! Since your diary isn't open, I'm not sure what you are eating, but increasing protein and fiber and decreasing grains and prepared/packaged foods helps keep the hungries away.

    You just have to say "So what?" if you go over your calories today. Since you are new here, I recommend just to get into the habit of logging your food for a while before you start worrying about losing weight. If you don't know what you are doing wrong to begin with, it will be hard to correct yourself. Get an honest assessment of what your day-to-day eating habits are, what foods you binge on, when you feel hungriest etc.

    Definitely eat more protein and fiber, it takes your body 5 times as long to digest protein and fiber than carbs, so you stay full longer.
  • leeanneowens
    leeanneowens Posts: 319 Member
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    I think it will get easier. I've only been a member of MFP a short time but I noticed today that I haven't seemed as hungry as I usually do.
  • sheshe32
    sheshe32 Posts: 195 Member
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    If you are only eating 1200 and exercising and are hungry. I would say eat more. Trial it. Are you at your lowest goal? Or the highest 2lbs goal? I would change it if you are at the highest and start from there. You shouldn't been extremely hungry.
  • jroselive2012
    jroselive2012 Posts: 129
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    Great advice, thank you!
  • TallCurvyMuscles
    TallCurvyMuscles Posts: 50
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    The point is to get results not PUNISH yourself. If you are hungry eat, just eat healthy.
  • jroselive2012
    jroselive2012 Posts: 129
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    Thank you for the advice. I ended up relieving my panic by eating some cottage cheese and yogurt for diabetics (I'm not diabetic, but it's low carb/sugar so I figured it's good). =D
  • RobynMWilson
    RobynMWilson Posts: 1,540 Member
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    I don't agree with only eating 1200 cals per day, esp if you exercise. Did your doctor tell you to do this? If you got the idea just from MFP or friends or whatever then maybe you should get some professional advice. This is supposed to be something you can stick with and the beginning of a lifestyle change. I took off 70lbs over 20 years ago and kept it off! And today I ate 1800 cals..and I'm 40!
  • JessyLovesJCS
    JessyLovesJCS Posts: 169 Member
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    Sometimes I have days like this...Your body is obviously telling you something if the feeling is this strong. I think you made a great choice to satisfy your hunger! I've found one of my favorites when I'm hungry is 2/3 c nonfat Greek vanilla yogurt with 1 T of Hershey's Dark Chocolate. It's under 200 calories and seems to calm the sweet tooth AND the belly rumbles during these more challenging times.
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
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    You have plenty of calories left so use some of them if you are hungry. No need to starve yourself. :flowerforyou:
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    Don't know your stats, but it's pretty safe to eat back exercise calories on 1200 for most people. Just don't overestimate your exercise. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Make sure to eat a lot of healthy fats, protein, and fiber on 1200. :)
  • jfan175
    jfan175 Posts: 812 Member
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    I'm not a fan of the extremely low cal diets, but usually when I get really hungry it's right before a whoosh on the scale. I'll just have a cup of coffee and ride it out.
  • Zoot_suits
    Zoot_suits Posts: 71 Member
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    Granted I have since upped my calorie intake to 1500 because the 1200 cals and workouts were making me sick and light headed. I found that carrots, green beans, apples etc helped the snacking problem I have always had. Since watching my eating habits and logging on here, I seriously believe I was throwing my body into starvation mode for most of my adult life because I wouldn't eat and when I did it was junk. I eat more stuff now than I have in forever. Lean meats, fiber, are your friends in this. I have always loved tuna salad, just had to stop with all the icky stuff and go with tuna steaks. Compromise. Love grilled chicken, mashed cauliflower, carrots disks, granny apples, and bananas now :) I always cook like a mad woman, but now instead of leftover "crap", I have leftover veggies to snack on.

    PS. find you a list of negative cal fruits and veggies :) fills you up but takes more cals to burn than whats in it.....Helps me oodles!!!
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    It did get easier for me. In the beginning I had to boil eggs and eat just the whites so the protein would fill me up without all the extra calories. There are only 17 cals in one egg white. I also drank a lot of water/diet koolaid and would eat about 10 almonds now and then. If you're hungry, you probably should eat something, just make it healthy. If you don't eat, you may end up binging and overeat then regret it.
  • jroselive2012
    jroselive2012 Posts: 129
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    I don't agree with only eating 1200 cals per day, esp if you exercise. Did your doctor tell you to do this? If you got the idea just from MFP or friends or whatever then maybe you should get some professional advice. This is supposed to be something you can stick with and the beginning of a lifestyle change. I took off 70lbs over 20 years ago and kept it off! And today I ate 1800 cals..and I'm 40!

    I didn't talk to my doc about it, but am going off of where I have been most comfortable with my weight and not wanting to have to buy all new clothes because my normal ones won't button. I talked to one of the trainers at my gym who said the magic number is 1200 cals and lower intensity cardio for me. I was keeping my heart rate high for too long instead of in the fat burning area. Sounds good to me! GREAT JOB on losing 70lbs and keeping it off for so many years! That's success right there!
  • tjk71
    tjk71 Posts: 167
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    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Check out this link to find out if you really should be restricting to 1200 calories a day - probably not!

    ^^^This!

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