Upping from 1200

Jen800

Hello,

I was eating less than 1200 calories for a looong time. I'm talking around 800-900 per day. I realized this had to stop a few months ago, and slowly upped to 1000, 1100, and now I'm at 1200. I didn't eat so little because I was trying to starve myself, I just wasn't hungry! I have no idea why.

But, after reading Dan's post called "In place of a road map" and many others, I realized I had to take my BMR more seriously and get the food into my system. The problem is my BMR is about 1300, and it's just SO hard to keep eating when I'm completely stuffed. I usually try to eat calorie-dense foods when I really have to cram calories, but sometimes they don't fit my macros.

Anyway, I just thought I'd make a forum post and ask anyone who's ever upped calories what their experiences were (ideally I'd like to be at around 1400-1500 per day). Did you eat back your exercise calories? How did you feel after you upped your calories? Do you have trouble getting food in sometimes? How many calories do you eat now?

I know this is the healthier way to go, and I'm really glad I found posts like Dan's to help me understand

Selunca

As someone who did 1200 for a while, and wasn't getting enough food, it was hard to get over the mental road block telling me if I eat more, I'll ruin everything. But honestly, you will do your body a favor. 1200 is not enough for most people. For me, how I end up meeting calories, is by eating smaller meals, more often. It took a while for me to actually get to this point, because I was eating just my normal three meals, but after a while.. I just turned in to four meals a day.

Try eating around 300 calories a meal, and see how you feel.

mockchoc

I was on 1200 for many months till my doctor and exercise physiologist said it was low, I was also eating all of my exercise calories too (only around 200). I find it much easier now to plan out my day and eat anywhere between 1450-1950 depending on how much I exercised the day before. I'm never hungry which is nice and my skin isn't as dry.

If you eat things like peanut butter/other nut butters, nuts and seeds, healthy oils, avocados, whole eggs and full fat dairy you should have no problem makin your goal.

Jen800

Yes, I love most of those foods! Nuts and seeds are usually my go-to calorie uppers, lol.

I never understood people who picked the yolk out of the egg! the best part

Crazy4Healthy

First, Good for you for realizing you need to eat more. When you say you struggle to eat that many calories, are you so full you just can't eat another bite, or are you just not hungry? Honestly, for me, I'm rarely hungry, but that is a good thing. I do eat my calories, but I find I just eat to fuel by body. I'm rarely over full, but I'm also rarely so hungry that my stomach is growling.

You may not be hungry, but unless you just can't eat another bite, find something to eat and eat it. Your body will adjust and you may even find yourself getting hungry. Eating calorie rich foods is a good choice and you are already doing that, just add a couple more when needed, or find a snack. It's really not too bad and we all managed to eat much more before or we wouldn't have been in the situations we were in.

You can do this, just get past the not hungry part and have a snack.

Jen800

Thanks for your kind words

For the last few days it has been the kind of "too full for another bite" but I managed to get it in. My schedule is a little crazy, I'm a night owl :laugh: It's probably also a mental thing, as someone else said where I worry about undoing everything I've done so far. I had a nice little victory last night when I took my homemade granola bar and an orange for a before bed snack to get my calories in. I almost put the orange back because I'd have gone a few calories over 1200, but then I remembered I exercised and I wasn't even netting 1200! I ate it anyway and felt proud Not to mention I was already in that "can't eat another bite" stage.

And, like you said, I'm sure it's just taking my body some time to readjust. After all, I didn't gain that much weight from eating nothing! haha.

Thanks again!

Jen800

Anyone else have any stories?

Crazy4Healthy

Thanks for your kind words

For the last few days it has been the kind of "too full for another bite" but I managed to get it in. My schedule is a little crazy, I'm a night owl :laugh: It's probably also a mental thing, as someone else said where I worry about undoing everything I've done so far. I had a nice little victory last night when I took my homemade granola bar and an orange for a before bed snack to get my calories in. I almost put the orange back because I'd have gone a few calories over 1200, but then I remembered I exercised and I wasn't even netting 1200! I ate it anyway and felt proud Not to mention I was already in that "can't eat another bite" stage.

And, like you said, I'm sure it's just taking my body some time to readjust. After all, I didn't gain that much weight from eating nothing! haha.

Thanks again!

If you really are so full you can't eat another bite, I agree with the other person about splitting things up more. I typically eat 5-6 times a day, it really does help. I just try to keep myself satiated, the never really that hungry feeling. The weekends tend to be a bit tougher for me as I don't always keep the same schedule, but do the best I can for those times. I'm a night owl as well, so I understand that part for sure.

VelociMama

When I first started, I was on 1200 calories per day. I was miserable. I'm 5'8" and was about 220 at the time. I had no business eating that little. I never had the problem of feeling "full" at 1200 calories per day though, so I guess it was easier for me to eat more and feel more comfortable.

I'd suggest using full-fat foods and incorporating calorie-dense foods like avocados, nuts, and such.

FWIW, I had a lot of success eating a lot more, far more than I did eating 1200 calories per day.

Jen800

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Jen800

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Jen800

Thanks for your kind words

For the last few days it has been the kind of "too full for another bite" but I managed to get it in. My schedule is a little crazy, I'm a night owl :laugh: It's probably also a mental thing, as someone else said where I worry about undoing everything I've done so far. I had a nice little victory last night when I took my homemade granola bar and an orange for a before bed snack to get my calories in. I almost put the orange back because I'd have gone a few calories over 1200, but then I remembered I exercised and I wasn't even netting 1200! I ate it anyway and felt proud Not to mention I was already in that "can't eat another bite" stage.

And, like you said, I'm sure it's just taking my body some time to readjust. After all, I didn't gain that much weight from eating nothing! haha.

Thanks again!

If you really are so full you can't eat another bite, I agree with the other person about splitting things up more. I typically eat 5-6 times a day, it really does help. I just try to keep myself satiated, the never really that hungry feeling. The weekends tend to be a bit tougher for me as I don't always keep the same schedule, but do the best I can for those times. I'm a night owl as well, so I understand that part for sure.

Yeah, I agree splitting things up would make it a lot easier. I'm used to eating really low calorie things and then I have to get all my calories in by the end of the day, which can be tough when I leave it to the last minute. And I usually wake up pretty late, and then don't even eat until dinner! Not good, not good. Lol

Jen800

When I first started, I was on 1200 calories per day. I was miserable. I'm 5'8" and was about 220 at the time. I had no business eating that little. I never had the problem of feeling "full" at 1200 calories per day though, so I guess it was easier for me to eat more and feel more comfortable.

I'd suggest using full-fat foods and incorporating calorie-dense foods like avocados, nuts, and such.

FWIW, I had a lot of success eating a lot more, far more than I did eating 1200 calories per day.

Thanks! PS: I love your username! haha

I'm only 5'3 ish, so I'm on the short end I guess that's why I let myself get away with eating so little. I spent so much time trying to justify it to myself when there was no reason I should.

Nice to hear someone else still felt full on 1200 even if they really weren't getting what they needed, just like me. smile

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I was very similar. When I got here I was eating 900 cals or so a day. I upped to 1200 pretty much immediately because I'm kind of a nerd and I spent my first 2 days reading in the forums. When I increased to 1400 I gained 2 lbs but lost it again really quickly. Then I upped again to 1500. I lost weight consistently with that, but as I got closer to my goal weight my calories dropped (because your body weight is part of the BMR equation) so now I'm at 1420 to lose .5 lbs/week.

I don't remember it being hard physically to eat more, it was mainly a mental block. I was really dubious about eating more than light yogurt and 100 calorie packs. The problem was even though I was eating so little most of the time, when I went out to eat I would get really calorie dense food and that was making me gain. Your body will adjust to whatever you train it to do, so just keep trying to get your calories up and it'll happen. Think about swaps you can make if you haven't already. Chicken thighs are a higher calorie substitute for chicken breasts and will work in most recipes. That's just one example-- just get creative. Good luck!

MariaChele85

If you want to read my post. I went from 1200 cal to 1900-240.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/799358-my-personal-quest-on-1200-calories
There are times when I am so busy , that sometimes I forget to eat or at the end of the day I still have alot of calories left over, dont beat yourself up over it. Just continue on with the next day. I also carry around snack in my bag to munch on throughout the day, like cheese strings, apples, protien bars or my fav right now trail mix.
And no you dont log or eat back your excercise calories because when you do Dan's IPOARM, it already takes into consideration that you work out X amount of days or burn Xamount of calories... Good Luck

Crazy4Healthy

Feel free to look at my diary, it's open, if it helps. I'm only 5'3" as well and while losing I typically ate between 1,500-1,700 depending on my workouts (sometimes more). Feel free to go back some in my diary, I hit goal in Sept, so been in maintenance for a bit.

VelociMama

When I first started, I was on 1200 calories per day. I was miserable. I'm 5'8" and was about 220 at the time. I had no business eating that little. I never had the problem of feeling "full" at 1200 calories per day though, so I guess it was easier for me to eat more and feel more comfortable.

I'd suggest using full-fat foods and incorporating calorie-dense foods like avocados, nuts, and such.

FWIW, I had a lot of success eating a lot more, far more than I did eating 1200 calories per day.

Thanks! PS: I love your username! haha

I'm only 5'3 ish, so I'm on the short end I guess that's why I let myself get away with eating so little. I spent so much time trying to justify it to myself when there was no reason I should.

Nice to hear someone else still felt full on 1200 even if they really weren't getting what they needed, just like me. smile

Thanks!

I'm glad to hear you're willing to learn and adapt. It's refreshing to see that here!

Good luck to you. Just work it out and fin what works for you. You'll get where you want to be.

Jen800

If you want to read my post. I went from 1200 cal to 1900-240.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/799358-my-personal-quest-on-1200-calories
There are times when I am so busy , that sometimes I forget to eat or at the end of the day I still have alot of calories left over, dont beat yourself up over it. Just continue on with the next day. I also carry around snack in my bag to munch on throughout the day, like cheese strings, apples, protien bars or my fav right now trail mix.
And no you dont log or eat back your excercise calories because when you do Dan's IPOARM, it already takes into consideration that you work out X amount of days or burn Xamount of calories... Good Luck

I saw your post a few days ago, and it is one of the things that inspired me to make sure I make these changes!

Jen800

Anyone else have any stories they want to share or advice ?

alaskaang

One fairly easy way to get more calories without feeling like you are eating more is to swap out your typical low calorie items for higher ones. Such as:
Eat full fat dairy versus reduced.
Regular dressing instead of light.
Dark meat chicken instead of white meat.
Sautee veggies with olive or coconut oil instead of steaming.

Jen800

One fairly easy way to get more calories without feeling like you are eating more is to swap out your typical low calorie items for higher ones. Such as:
Eat full fat dairy versus reduced.
Regular dressing instead of light.
Dark meat chicken instead of white meat.
Sautee veggies with olive or coconut oil instead of steaming.

Thank you! These are some helpful tips

KellyJannine

When I first started trying to lose weight I was at 2,000 calories like I thought you were supposed to. I was losing, and consistently.. then I went down to 1200 because thats what fitnesspal told me to do. Thats when everything went to crap!!! I have been struggling losing, and I have lowered and highered, and now i'm deathly afraid of going back to 2000 calories thinking that I will GAIN. But, when I did go back up to 1500 I lost. Your metabolism slows considerably when it isn't getting what it needs. I was a pro at getting my fiber and protien, while being at a very low calorie range. Now, i'm just trying to be consistent and keep things light so that I can maintain my eating for the rest of my life. If i can't, then I have a problem! Sometimes I throw in a very low calorie day to try and trick myself into some weight loss LOL Ever heard of calorie cycling? It is an interesting concept if you have the patience. I wish myfitnesspal had the option to change it up like that without manually editing our goals everyday!

good luck

Jen800

When I first started trying to lose weight I was at 2,000 calories like I thought you were supposed to. I was losing, and consistently.. then I went down to 1200 because thats what fitnesspal told me to do. Thats when everything went to crap!!! I have been struggling losing, and I have lowered and highered, and now i'm deathly afraid of going back to 2000 calories thinking that I will GAIN. But, when I did go back up to 1500 I lost. Your metabolism slows considerably when it isn't getting what it needs. I was a pro at getting my fiber and protien, while being at a very low calorie range. Now, i'm just trying to be consistent and keep things light so that I can maintain my eating for the rest of my life. If i can't, then I have a problem! Sometimes I throw in a very low calorie day to try and trick myself into some weight loss LOL Ever heard of calorie cycling? It is an interesting concept if you have the patience. I wish myfitnesspal had the option to change it up like that without manually editing our goals everyday!


good luck

Thanks for your response! yes I've heard of calorie cycling, and I noticed when i was in a "plateau" (only a few days) when I ate more calories than usual I definitely lost.

Jen800

Any more replies?

Natashaa1991

i'm supporting. I've been eating 1400-1500 for weeks now and i STILL lost my period
i'm gonna try and up to 1800 and see if it comes back.

dakotababy

Wow I actually just went from 1400 to 1600 the other day. I already notice huge differences. I feel happier - my mood isn't so "depressed". I also have lost weight since...even though it has only been 3 days...so It may not be "true" weight loss...but the number is finally going down. I was stuck in a 3 month plateau. I did not want to increase by too much because like you, i was apprehensive if it was going to work. My only challenge is trying to eat more calories, without extra carbs. I have found this to be difficult. I have just increased egg and cheese though. Try it out!! There is really nothing to lose, except some weight! If it doesn't work, then try something else.

Someone mentioned to me to try it for at least 4 - 6 weeks just to make sure my body adjusts. I was warned that I may gain weight at first, then lose. I have just noticed a loss though so yay.

Jen800

Wow I actually just went from 1400 to 1600 the other day. I already notice huge differences. I feel happier - my mood isn't so "depressed". I also have lost weight since...even though it has only been 3 days...so It may not be "true" weight loss...but the number is finally going down. I was stuck in a 3 month plateau. I did not want to increase by too much because like you, i was apprehensive if it was going to work. My only challenge is trying to eat more calories, without extra carbs. I have found this to be difficult. I have just increased egg and cheese though. Try it out!! There is really nothing to lose, except some weight! If it doesn't work, then try something else.

Someone mentioned to me to try it for at least 4 - 6 weeks just to make sure my body adjusts. I was warned that I may gain weight at first, then lose. I have just noticed a loss though so yay.

Thanks! Good to hear it's working for someone! Good luck

Jen800

i'm supporting. I've been eating 1400-1500 for weeks now and i STILL lost my period
i'm gonna try and up to 1800 and see if it comes back.

Thanks for your reply, I really hope everything works out for you

geekyjock76

The reason you found yourself eating less and less over time is because leptin levels drop during calorie restriction. When you eat enough to fuel your body, leptin signals that you have eaten enough and are full. However, when leptin levels decrease, your body signals you are full despite not meeting your daily energy demands. In other words, your hunger signaling gets messed up which is why basing how much one eats during calorie restriction should not be on how hungry you are.

Jen800

The reason you found yourself eating less and less over time is because leptin levels drop during calorie restriction. When you eat enough to fuel your body, leptin signals that you have eaten enough and are full. However, when leptin levels decrease, your body signals you are full despite not meeting your daily energy demands. In other words, your hunger signaling gets messed up which is why basing how much one eats during calorie restriction should not be on how hungry you are.

Thanks for your reply!

Jen800

Any more replies ? Bump!