1200-1500 calorie eaters...serious question...

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I have a few questions for you...

1. What's your height/ weight?

2. Do you get REALLY REALLY hungry during the day? If not, was there an adjustment period?

3. What do you eat to prevent feeling like death (if you answered that you're not hungry)?

That is all. It's always puzzled me that at only 4'11 and pretty petite I feel like DEATH if I eat under 1800 calories (to lose weight). I just cannot understand how people adhere to less than that and not cave after 12-16 hours. I think I'd become a binge eater overnight (and I'm being 100% serious). Maybe it's just that I don't have that kind of will power--or maybe it's an adjustment that's hard for everyone in the beginning stages.

In any case, my main point in posting this is that I'm really curious if you are actually HUNGRY and you just resist or if you're fine with your intake.

***I'm not attempting a 1200-1500 calorie diet...I am just curious.***

n0ob

zaph0d

I tend to get cranky if my dinner is less than 1200 calories

eatcleanNtraindirty

This will answer your question: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk&feature=g-user-u

Check that video out and your questions will be answered.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I'm confused :ohwell:

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

This will answer your question: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk&feature=g-user-u

Check that video out and your questions will be answered.

I want THEIR answers. Thanks for the video though!

letjog

Yeah.
I get hungry, but less than I did in the first 3 weeks.
I either ignore it and exercise willpower and use diet drinks (actually did this for 4 months straight)
Now sometimes I give in, eat mroe healthy food and the calories go up and i exercise more, or have occasional pig out days
edit: I'm 5 foot 3/about 160cm and 60kg

karag413

I eat 1230 a day and not even all of those sometimes. I think mine is more in my head, I am doing well so I just deal with it. I don’t tend to get ravenous unless I am sitting around the house all day; which, I rarely do anymore.
Oh, and Im 5*9 - 225 this AM, I started at 295, but have been 330 in my adult life.

TylerJ76

:indifferent: :indifferent:

BondBomb

I'm not hungry at all. I stay around 1300-1400 calories. I am also nearly 40. I have had to make adjustments to my level of activity as well as my calorie intake as I have gotten older. In my 20's I averaged closer to 2000 calories a day and stayed fit with little effort. I also try and stick to nutritious foods that are more filling.

kingofcrunk

I have stuck to the 1200 calorie limit for 4 - 5 months now and at first it was really tough (I was hungry alot etc) but now Its just normal and I don't feel half as hungry as I used to. I think you just get used to it.

You have to find low calorie foods that you can eat alot of to make you feel like you're having normal sized meals. I make sure to drink enough water and herbal teas - that helps keep you full between meals. Also keeping busy helps because if you're bored then you'll just focus on your hunger!

If you think 1200 is too low for you and you'd probably binge or give up then it probably is. It all depends on the person.

wareagle8706

On non-weight lifting days my calorie limit is 1380.

I'm 5'1'' and fluctuate regularly from 117-121 lbs.

I eat vegetables that are low in calories and also things like hummus. I eat fish a lot which has low calorie options like tilapia. I snack twice or three times a day which helps with the hunger issue. I don't necessarily get so hungry I could kill someone lol but I eat breakfast (or just drink coffee sometimes) then I eat a small snack like a half peanut butter sandwich. Then lunch is typically smaller so it's kind of like another snack, usually leftovers or a PB&J sandwich, then dinner then maybe another snack.

The key is when you make your lunches and dinners include lots of veggies and a little bit of fruit. These things are typically very low calories but packed with good things like fiber and lots of vitamins and minerals.

Every body is different so you just have to figure out what works for you.

ETA: There is an old adage... "if you are hungy enough to eat an apple, then eat." In other words... if you aren't hungry enough to want an apple then you're probably just WANTING food and not actually HUNGRY. Make sure you can tell the difference in hunger, and just craving food.

KatrinaWilke

1. What's your height/ weight?

5'7" and 143 pounds

2. Do you get REALLY REALLY hungry during the day? If not, was there an adjustment period?

Yes, I started MFP and was hungry and several months later I am still hungry. It has gotten alot easier because my stomach is shrinking! And I am learning that being a little hungry won't kill me. I would say I am no longer at the point of REALLY REALLY hungry.

3. What do you eat to prevent feeling like death (if you answered that you're not hungry)?

I try to eat small snacks throughout the day. I eat tons of fruits and veggies and healthy homemade breads! And if I do eat a little more to satisfy my cravings, I just make up for it by exercising harder and longer.

myfitnessval

when i was in that calorie range (realized how bad it was for you and stopped going so low) my cravings eventually went away and i was able to manage, it was only after about a month or two that i started getting hungrier on my own, your stomach adapts pretty quickly to a smaller amount of food especially if you time your meals right so you're never like DYING of hunger at any given moment. however i seriously do not recommend diets that go below your BMR i had to learn the hard way and my hair started falling out because i lost weight too fast.

Sabine_Stroehm

Wouldn't a good question also be: what's your BMR/TDEE?

auzziecawth66

I'm 5'2". And don't really get hungry. But I think after years of starving myself in highschool and some yo-yo dieting I really messed up my metabolism and just got use to eating small. I will admit I'm tired alot tho...

DraoMhaigh

I'm 5'6, on 1200 cals a day.
I get hungry even 6 months into this diet.
I have bad months and good months, it depends on my binging tendencies.
What I find helps when you -know- you shouldn't eat but you feel like you're about to smack someone from hunger, is to become super distracted by something that keeps my hands busy.
Watching something makes me just want to snack more, so for me that would be reading a book, drawing/painting, and cleaning the house. =]
If you have to eat, make it healthy and filling, and don't beat yourself up too bad, the worst thing to do is to hate yourself for simply giving your body what it wants.

Nichole5186

I'm at 1300 calories per day and I don't get "feel like death" hungry. I think I actually feel less hungry overall than when I began using MFP. Take a look at what you are consuming for your calorie count. Junk food calories taste really good, but leave me feeling hungrier quicker. I eat a Dannon Light & Fit yogurt, OR Special K Red Berries cereal, and a homemade latte each morning around 7-7:30am and that stays with me until I eat lunch at 12.

kmorg22

I am a 1200 cal gal.....

no I do not stay hungry all the time. Buttttt I do have my days where I feel like I am starving (more less after I have exercised) but then I just eat something really high in protein.

when i got on this site I thought I ate horrible. when I started logging in my food everyday this thing tells me I starve myself. If you actually look at my food I eat ..... its not exactly healthy (which I am trying to change) I was surprised that before this site I didnt eat enough calories. I have lost 70 lbs in the past 3-4 months (mostly baby) and 15lbs since I joined this .... but I do struggle with eating enough.

muchmoretolove

my calories are very restricted, i do have the odd 'naughty' day but am largely doing ok and have been since late september; i still eat foods i enjoy, am healthy for the most part and indulge too, i'm just waiting for time to pass because i can't wait to see more results but i'm otherwise very happy esp because this feels like something i can do for life (will gradually extend calorie intake to maintenance level upon reaching healthy weight fo rmy height) as i don't feel deprived either. i am really sleep and don't know if this made sense hehe! my height is nearabouts 5'7'' i am a female and i weigh 188lbs, i am eating 1200 cals a day. do let me know if you you would like me to answer anything specific! : )

etoiles_argentees

almost 5'2", 104 pounds now, I'm not tracking like I used to and my calories are under estimated as I have no food scale. When I did track for 6 months straight I netted 1970 daily and stayed at 97 -99 pounds. Once again, no food scale. At 2500 or so the last several months I went up to 107, high weight. I don't work and am a bit lazy.... so sedentary. I've never been on a diet for weight loss so that makes a difference, IMO, as my hormones+ never down regulated or adapted to a lesser amount.

*oh, and I'm a snacker, I eat often but not large amounts all in one meal, usually. So I'm never hungry during the day.

quirkytizzy

I eat at 1300 on days when I don't exercise (closer to 1700 when I do) and am just not was hungry as I was a month ago when I started logging. I used to eat only twice a day, now I eat three times, sometimes four. That helps a lot, even if they are not big meals. That helps A LOT.

I did start out at 1200 but upped it after a couple of weeks. Was too hungry. When I inevitably plateau, I know I'll probably have to up another 100 calories.

Melo1966

I am 5'2" and was NOT hungry on 1,200-1,300 Gross my body was shutting down after months of this. I have bumped it to 1,450 Net and now I am hungry before I eat, planning on bumping it more this week. Within days I was losing again after a short plateau.

2BeFit4Jesus

I'm confused :ohwell:

That's what happens when people post pictures instead of thinking.

emtjmac

I eat on most days between 1200 and 1500 but my net is much lower usually as I don't typically eat back exercise calories. I often fight hunger but I feel that I have found a good balance. I am 6' tall and 233 pounds.

kmorg22

I am a 1200 cal gal.....

no I do not stay hungry all the time. Buttttt I do have my days where I feel like I am starving (more less after I have exercised) but then I just eat something really high in protein.

when i got on this site I thought I ate horrible. when I started logging in my food everyday this thing tells me I starve myself. If you actually look at my food I eat ..... its not exactly healthy (which I am trying to change) I was surprised that before this site I didnt eat enough calories. I have lost 70 lbs in the past 3-4 months (mostly baby) and 15lbs since I joined this .... but I do struggle with eating enough.

oh and I am 5'7" cw:190'ish (havent weighed in a week)

Siege_Tank

I've been yelled at WAY too many times for not eating enough.. So I'm not sure If I should reply honestly to this thread.. This buzzing sound is going off in my head along with the words "IT'S A TRAP!"

Honestly... I eat within different parameters than calories alone. I eat gobs of protein at every meal, I refuse to eat snack foods of any kind like chips or snack mixes because they are so calorie dense, and I eat vegetables as often as I can make myself hungry for them.

1. Height is 5'5" - 177 (Started 3 months ago at 210 lbs)
2. Do I get really hungry? Honestly, if I have protein in my stomach I feel uncomfortably full a majority of the time. I've been eating all kinds of fish lately, and baked chicken... and adding vegetables to the mix. Mostly steamed broccoli or steamed green beans. Cooking is a PITA sometimes
3. I really don't FEEL hungry. My stomach feels.. unsatisfied.. because what I REALLY want to eat is 3 or 4 slices of greasy pizza, chicken wings, some damn ranch dressing, or juicy steak with mashed potatoes and GRAVY... But I choose to eat clean.

I gotta say, some people have different metabolisms. When I ate as I pleased, I still only ate 1 or 2 meals a day, it was just SO much damn food of ALL the wrong kinds. I'd have days where I'd eat nothing till 5 o'clock and then hit up B dubs for their appetizer sampler. If you only knew the calorie count in that...

<-- small stomach, slow *kitten* metabolism = I don't eat much. I'd SO frickin win a survivor type show.

iluvprettyshoes

I'm 5'5" and 131 lbs

I do get hungry and that's one motivator for me to exercise so I can eat more!!

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I'm at 1300 calories per day and I don't get "feel like death" hungry. I think I actually feel less hungry overall than when I began using MFP. Take a look at what you are consuming for your calorie count. Junk food calories taste really good, but leave me feeling hungrier quicker. I eat a Dannon Light & Fit yogurt, OR Special K Red Berries cereal, and a homemade latte each morning around 7-7:30am and that stays with me until I eat lunch at 12.

See, that would NEVER EVER EVER work for me unless I ate a 32oz tub of the yogurt and 4 servings of the cereal. Interesting.

MrsPong

I aim for 1450 usually. I'm more hungry during mid-afternoon like 3-4pm and also after 8pm.
I usually eat breakfast about 10am and lunch about 1pm. Sometimes its later on both.

Other than that I'm pretty good...

penrbrown

I aim for 1200 and am STARVING. So I eat a bit and end the day at 1600 and not hungry.

I am currently 206lbs, 5'10" tall and female.

Now you know... the rest of the story.