Eating 1200 calories a day?

justarandomperson

Is it normal to have to try to eat 1200 calories a day?
I only eat when I'm hungry and I find that generally I eat about 500-800 calories a day and sometimes if I eat a lot of unhealthy stuff I'll get up to about 1000 but unless I stuff my face I can't reach 1200?
Also I worry that if I eat too much I'll become fat, like today I feel fat and sick and ugh I hate it.

I'd probably be described as having disordered eating and the thought of not being on MFP scares me because then I wouldn't know what I'm eating and if I've had too much fat or sugar (which often happens even at 700-ish cals a day because of sugary tea )

But I don't know what to do because I can't work out due to an injury when I was younger and the thought of eating 1200cals scares me, just because I'd have to eat a hell of a lot to get there and food=fat to me.

Really I just need help because I'm worried about starvation mode but I don't see the point of eating more food than I'm even hungry for?

ubermensch13

Um, if you are not eating at least 1200 cals a day, you need to find ways to pack calories(protein shake, Peanut Butter, Nuts) into your meals. If you are scared about eating, you probably should see someone about that. If you fear food, that is the first step towards an eating disorder and you should talk to your doctor about it before it gets worse.

HotMummyMission

I eat 1200 and lost 28lbs since the beginning of sep I workout at least 4 times a week x

envy09

Seriously what kind of food are people eating that they can't get to 1200 calories? Are you like, eating a tomato and calling it a day? An apple alone has about 130, put some food in your mouth! Peanut Butter, nuts, meat, they're all calorific.

TavistockToad

Please speak to a professional about this....

mlwatts2

Seriously what kind of food are people eating that they can't get to 1200 calories? Are you like, eating a tomato and calling it a day? An apple alone has about 130, put some food in your mouth! Peanut Butter, nuts, meat, they're all calorific.

I completely agree with this. Wow. And second yes my dear it sounds like you should talk to someone. Even if it is just a nutrionist....

bridgelene

This does concern me, between the super low calories (which means less of a chance for your body to get the nutrients and energy it needs) and that you yourself described your habits as possibly eating disordered.

Your body needs adequate nutrition for many reasons.

A strong and healthy body rocks. I personally know two people who have gone into cardiac arrest before the age of 21 because of eating disorders......Not trying to scare you, but they can very negatively affect one's body in a *lot* of ways. Please talk to someone you trust as well as your doctor.

You deserve to be strong and healthy

justarandomperson

generally for breakfast i'll have marmite on toast, i don't have lunch because I don't feel hungry during the day but when I get home I'll have a snack like a cereal bar or a banana and a couple of teaspoons of nutella and then for dinner i'll have a variation on chicken, potatoes and vegetables, or maybe chicken and pasta and vegetables (a large plateful).

I do log absolutely everything I eat (my diary's for friends to view)

eatathome

Please speak to a professional about this....

This.

This is not something that the MFP forums is going to help you with. You need to see someone who specializes in eating disorders.

juicy_cat

I would say from the slogan on your profile pic and the way you speak you need to seek professional help....you are in for a lifetime of misery if you let an eating disorder get hold of you...this will in all likelyhood involve you being infertile and dying early.....go see someone....good luck....x

EatWorkoutLive

EVERYONE is different! Depends on how much you are working out, metabolism, and a ton of other factors. I would zig zag your caloric intake so your body doesnt adjust.

jaybird951

thats tough. good luck keeping the weight off once your inner hungry self comes back home.!

envy09

i don't have lunch

Have lunch

dukslayer4051

look, there is a lot of people on here beating you up about your caloric intake without knowing alot about you. first if you have a small frame and are a really really really small person to begin with, your bmr might be around 1200 calories. that should place you at about 95 lbs...and sedentary. but im gonna guess that you are slightly larger than that. who knows but you...and you have to be honest with yourself...
if you are active you need to add more calories in too. you can seriously jack up your metabolism if you cut calories too low. you can cause hormonal problems too. calories are important...your body needs that.

if your not active you should be. you can get lean by nutrition alone but if you want to add curves, hit the iron. lifting weights wont bulk you up, but it will add shape. it will keep away the "skinny fat". where you lose weight but still look squishy. that may not even be a concern for you.

but set realistic goals, eat right, feed that body. check out fat2fitradio.com and bodybuilding.com for some insight to nutrition...nutrition is KING. all the supliments, mostly garbage...just eat right, you can do it:glasses:

Italiano7

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0

excellent advice!! this is all you need to know

justarandomperson

i haven't really provided much information,
i'm 5'3" and about 124lbs, i've got quite large 'assets' but a slim torso, however my lower stomach bulges outwards but is rock hard, and you can see abs, possibly due to having a layer of fat under the muscle.
it is my thighs that i really hate but they are almost totally muscle (you can't pinch up any skin, especially if you don't want to cause pain that lasts a good few minutes), however I have no butt. my legs are big because of lots of sprinting and long jump at school so I have massive sprinters thighs. my arms are also very muscular due to stable work such as lifting water buckets and hay bales from a young age and so even just tying my hair gives me biceps most people work hard for, but i really don't like it.

i want to lose muscle without gaining fat.

most people would totally disagree and say I should just do some squats and lunges to tone my butt up and i'll look great but i really hate it. whether its muscle or fat, it still means i'm bigger than all of my friends when i wear jeans and i really hate how i look in shorts and vest tops, like some kind of body builder.

so if any of you have any tips on how to lose muscle (without immobilising) or making it less big/thick then i'll take all of that on board but believe me, toning is not going to make me look any thinner

and accepting it isn't going to help either, i've hated how big i am most of my life tbh

Rays_Wife

You need professional help, not a message board.

billsica

i want to lose muscle without gaining fat.

You need to see a Dr and talk to your parents, seriously,

frando

Before I started eating over 1500 calories a day, I didn't loose any weight.

Just look at things like nuts, which are in high in calories and other good nutrients.

Good luck

Sarauk2sf

Please speak to a professional about this....

^^ This.

AntWrig

Seriously what kind of food are people eating that they can't get to 1200 calories? Are you like, eating a tomato and calling it a day? An apple alone has about 130, put some food in your mouth! Peanut Butter, nuts, meat, they're all calorific.

This person speaks the truth.

I call BS, cause if you couldnt stomach more than 1200 calories, you wouldnt be here trying to "lose" weight. Just admit that you have an eating disorder and you won't allow yourself to eat more than 1200 calories.

AntWrig

Before I started eating over 1500 calories a day, I didn't loose any weight.

Just look at things like nuts, which are in high in calories and other good nutrients.

Good luck

There is no difference between a handful of nuts and a chocolate bar.

monicalosesweight

i'm 5'3" and about 124lbs, i've got quite large 'assets' but a slim torso

it is my thighs that i really hate but they are almost totally muscle

my legs are big because of lots of sprinting and long jump at school so I have massive sprinters thighs.

my arms are also very muscular...so even just tying my hair gives me biceps most people work hard for, but i really don't like it.

i want to lose muscle without gaining fat.

i'm bigger than all of my friends when i wear jeans and i really hate how i look in shorts and vest tops, like some kind of body builder.

so if any of you have any tips on how to lose muscle (without immobilising) or making it less big/thick then i'll take all of that on board but believe me, toning is not going to make me look any thinner

I would recommend getting professional help to deal with your self image. You shouldn't be comparing yourself to others as everyone has a different body and muscle structure. My sister is taller than me by an inch and yet she's super slim and a size 2. I've got a curvy style build (buxom) and exercising tends to make my muscles look bulkier because they are short style muscles. Tying your hair up is not going to get you muscles...if anything, that's not an activity that builds anything. If anything, there is a good chance that what you're interpreting as muscles would be seen as normal muscular build on a girl your height. You didn't describe anything that sounds like Conan - you're normal.

I think you need some help to see who you really are as a person. You've got an image in your mind of what you want to be and it's not realistic - I'd say you're on the verge of developing a serious eating disorder considering you keep saying you hate muscles....well...that's part of being healthy and accepting who you are and loving yourself. I would definitely talk to a nutritionist and/or doctor that deals with eating disorders as you need to make some big changes and you definitely need to start eating more. I'm 5' 3" and I eat anywhere from 1200 calories to 1600 if I exercise. I've been losing weight like crazy and eating at that level. You may be causing physical harm by skipping food. Eat!

Monica

Sarauk2sf

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0

excellent advice!! this is all you need to know

In this case, no it is not. The OP has an unhealthy relationship with food and cannot even face eating 1,200 calories a day. A calculator telling her to eat even more is not the answer.

pastryari

Please speak to a professional about this....

^^ This.

This.

frando

Before I started eating over 1500 calories a day, I didn't loose any weight.

Just look at things like nuts, which are in high in calories and other good nutrients.

Good luck

There is no difference between a handful of nuts and a chocolate bar.

One is alot tastier then the other ;D

justarandomperson

i'm 5'3" and about 124lbs, i've got quite large 'assets' but a slim torso

it is my thighs that i really hate but they are almost totally muscle

my legs are big because of lots of sprinting and long jump at school so I have massive sprinters thighs.

my arms are also very muscular...so even just tying my hair gives me biceps most people work hard for, but i really don't like it.

i want to lose muscle without gaining fat.

i'm bigger than all of my friends when i wear jeans and i really hate how i look in shorts and vest tops, like some kind of body builder.

so if any of you have any tips on how to lose muscle (without immobilising) or making it less big/thick then i'll take all of that on board but believe me, toning is not going to make me look any thinner

I would recommend getting professional help to deal with your self image. You shouldn't be comparing yourself to others as everyone has a different body and muscle structure. My sister is taller than me by an inch and yet she's super slim and a size 2. I've got a curvy style build (buxom) and exercising tends to make my muscles look bulkier because they are short style muscles. Tying your hair up is not going to get you muscles...if anything, that's not an activity that builds anything. If anything, there is a good chance that what you're interpreting as muscles would be seen as normal muscular build on a girl your height. You didn't describe anything that sounds like Conan - you're normal.

I think you need some help to see who you really are as a person. You've got an image in your mind of what you want to be and it's not realistic - I'd say you're on the verge of developing a serious eating disorder considering you keep saying you hate muscles....well...that's part of being healthy and accepting who you are and loving yourself. I would definitely talk to a nutritionist and/or doctor that deals with eating disorders as you need to make some big changes and you definitely need to start eating more. I'm 5' 3" and I eat anywhere from 1200 calories to 1600 if I exercise. I've been losing weight like crazy and eating at that level. You may be causing physical harm by skipping food. Eat!

Monica

no, not that tying my hair builds muscle, just that it makes the muscle stand out and i look like a man haha

justarandomperson

the thing is guys, i dont restrict.
i've posted what i eat, it's a normal amount, i have two full meals a day and snacks during the day and treat myself at weekends.
yes, i do hate how my body looks and i've tried coming to terms but it isn't happening.
what i worry is that if my body's used to eating about 700 cals a day, surely eating more than twice that means i'll start gaining weight because at about 1000 i find that i maintain my weight and i have never been diagnosed with an eating disorder, looked slim, fainted through lack of food or anything. i don't suffer from how little i eat, i never have.

justarandomperson

@frando
haha agreed! and believe me, i'm no stranger to chocolate bars when i probably should be eating nuts!

iorahkwano

Seriously what kind of food are people eating that they can't get to 1200 calories? Are you like, eating a tomato and calling it a day? An apple alone has about 130, put some food in your mouth! Peanut Butter, nuts, meat, they're all calorific.

I agree too. If you're only getting 700-800 calories a day (and most of those calories are from sugary tea), chances are you're not getting the protein, energy, vitamins and minerals your body needs. When you become deficient in something like that, you get a range of symptoms and could harm the way your body metabolizes food. Do you follow a "food puramid" or a recommended amount of food groups by your country?

AntWrig

the thing is guys, i dont restrict.
i've posted what i eat, it's a normal amount, i have two full meals a day and snacks during the day and treat myself at weekends.
yes, i do hate how my body looks and i've tried coming to terms but it isn't happening.
what i worry is that if my body's used to eating about 700 cals a day, surely eating more than twice that means i'll start gaining weight because at about 1000 i find that i maintain my weight and i have never been diagnosed with an eating disorder, looked slim, fainted through lack of food or anything. i don't suffer from how little i eat, i never have.

Eating 700 calories a day is a eating disorder. I would bet my life that there is no visible muscle on your body at all. The comment of you having muscular thighs is comical. At your level of calorie consumption it's impossible.

I suggest you go seek help regarding your body image and not here asking questions.