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

RubyRed8067

1. What's your height/ weight? 5'2, 145

2. Do you get REALLY REALLY hungry during the day? Not at all!! If not, was there an adjustment period? Maybe for 2 weeks.

3. What do you eat to prevent feeling like death (if you answered that you're not hungry)? I drink a lot of hot liquits, eat lots of soup.

I bumped my calories up b/c of something I read on the internet that said 1200 calories was not enough,. I promptly gained 11 lbs. I'm back to 1200.

luuucilu

1. 1.70m & 58.2kg
2. It depends, if I'm busy or doing something that distract me I forget that I'm hungry or I try to not pay attention to that because if I think about food or in eating anything I get anxious. Sometimes I'm VERY hungry, but if I eat something, then I eat EVERYTHING, & obviously I don't want that because I know that after eat everything I'll feel guilty & I don't do any exercise.
3. Well, like I said before, I try to not think in food or I try to do things because when I'm bored I think in food

P.d: Sorry for my bad english! I speak spanish x__x

Betty_Blowtorch

Hmm...I'm not sure if I should include myself here.

I'm 5'3, 28 years old, 192 (start weight 196) pounds, and was given 1490 by MFP. Yesterday was my first off day since November 1st (for the first week and a half I was only walking for 15 minutes) so I ate at 1506. Looking at my logs I average 1550-1590 usually. I'm trying to boost my cardio to 60 minutes, which is about 300-350 calories according to the machines and MFP (I can't afford a hear monitor), so I might be bumping my food intake to 1600-1700. I have an appointment to see a dietitian (not a nutritionist but a registered dietitian) tomorrow and I plan on giving her my MFP log for her to look over and give me advice.

I'm incredibly sedentary. Prior to November 1st my life was sleeping and being at the computer, that's it. On TBEE calculators I come up with around 1900-2000 depending on the calculators and around 1400-1500 BMR, but I'm more sedentary than many who are lumped into sedentary and have PCOS. I've heard many with PCOS have a lower BMR than normal as much as -500. So basically, what you eat daily is close to what I need to maintain 196 pounds. My ideal weight is 125-120 pounds approx, which according to the various calculators 1600 approx calories would be my TBEE. So, I'm hoping I can just continue eating at the rate I've been eating and my body will decide where it wants to stop. Right now, the goal is to do upper body weight lifting Monday/Wednesday/Friday, lower body weight lifting Tuesday/Thursday, with 60 minutes of cardio on the treadmill or bike each day. I'm doing 2 repetitions of 12 on the lifts this week, and going up to 3 next week. I'm getting pain in my left knee so I need another doctor's appointment until then I need to take it a little easy on the cardio. I'll be taking weekends off or cutting the time to 30 minutes if I'm not feeling well. I try to get at least 1300 net calories.

Since I've been counting calories I've only been hungry once. My mom and her boyfriend wanted to order out, so we ordered Mexican. I got a grilled cod fillet with onion, tomato, cheese, and avocado, with a side of refried beans, spiced rice, and sour cream. I greatly over estimated the calorie content. I ate a third of it then went about my business, went to bed, and awoke cold, shaky, and hungry and ate the rest. I figure now, it wasn't much more than 1000 calories, which was split for two meals. I initially thought it had to be 2000 calories. One fillet of fish, a cup of refried beans, a cup of rice, and two tablespoons of sour cream isn't that much calories. Outside of that incident, I've never been hungry. I do eat a lot of protein and fat, so that might be part of it. I eat on average every 3 to 4 hours.

I had mononucleosis back when I was 11 and have felt incredibly lethargic ever since. I had been tested for chronic fatigue a few times, but each time came back negative. I volunteered at a plant nursery for a while and got energy from that, but 4 hours of sometimes intensive work left me also dizzy, tired, and at one time I went to the hospital because I suspected dehydration. Since I've been exercising for 45 minutes and working on an hour, I have energy again and it doesn't go away like when I volunteered. I feel like I did when I was 11 before I got sick. I'm still in awe, so this is how normal people feel like!

For what I eat, go ahead and look at my food diary, it's open.

I tell you what, I'll update you when I get information from my dietitian.

DebbieLyn63

I bumped my calories up b/c of something I read on the internet that said 1200 calories was not enough,. I promptly gained 11 lbs. I'm back to 1200.

I guess the lesson learned here is to not believe everything you read on the internet.

Body building sites and MFP forums are the only places you will read that 1200 is too low for everyone. If you check out the CDC site and other medical sites, as well as bariatric medicine websites, you will not see that mentality. Not saying that 1200 is appropriate for EVERYONE, but it certainly is not inappropriate for everyone either.

mlworstell

I'm 6'1" and weigh 195 ... before I started limiting my calories to 1300-1500 a day I was stationary at 215 six weeks regardless of my workout regime.

The first 2 weeks were tough, but my body has adjusted. Over that time I found that if I get 30-40 grams of protein to start my day (shake, tofu, etc..) I could keep myself full with tons of veggies (I prefered to cook them in the skillet...no oil) and lean protein throughout the day. Then I finished the day with another big protein low carb source before bed. It works for me.

On top of that, triple your water intake. It really does work.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I bumped my calories up b/c of something I read on the internet that said 1200 calories was not enough,. I promptly gained 11 lbs. I'm back to 1200.

I guess the lesson learned here is to not believe everything you read on the internet.

Body building sites and MFP forums are the only places you will read that 1200 is too low for everyone. If you check out the CDC site and other medical sites, as well as bariatric medicine websites, you will not see that mentality. Not saying that 1200 is appropriate for EVERYONE, but it certainly is not inappropriate for everyone either.

Even after a month--if someone went from 1200 to 2000 calories a day they would only gain 7 pounds. That's assuming 1200 is actually maintenance and not weight loss. There is simply no way that there was a "prompt" weight gain that drastic unless the individual started substantially overeating. ((unless of course it was water weight or something after a low carb diet))

art3mislecter

I'm 5'4'', and I don't get really hungry during the day, but at night when I sit down for the evening I suddenly have to eat everything in sight. I stick to a 1600 calorie intake. If I know I'm hungry and want to eat more when that downtime comes around, I either chew gum instead or I work out extra that day. If I can't do either of those things, I resist the urge to eat, but it's HARD. I don't think I could eat under 1500 calories. I'd go nuts.

marnionamission

I eat around this amount a day.. I do get hungry at night but I just do something else to take my mind off it.. I have a lot of small portions throughout the day to make sure I don't starve between meals :P

lilmzritz

1. What's your height/ weight? 4'11" / 180 lbs and I eat 1200 cals / day --- more if I work out because I eat the cals back

2. Do you get REALLY REALLY hungry during the day? If not, was there an adjustment period? Since joining MFP, yes, I got hungry during the first 2-3 weeks but not anymore...used to it now I guess. If I eat too much now, I feel sick to my stomach.

3. What do you eat to prevent feeling like death (if you answered that you're not hungry)? I ate fruits in between meals. Bananas, oranges, apples usually do the trick for me. Drinking lots of water helps me too

Usual foods M-F:

Breakfast - coffee w/ almond milk & agave, spinach omelet and chicken breakfast sausage

Lunch - soup + sandwich or chicken/fish with veggies (roasted asparagus most of the time...yum!)

Dinner - chicken or fish with veggies

Snacks - banana, yogurt, hot tea

Saturday and/or Sunday are cheat days because I get to burn tons of calories from a 1.5 hours hip-hop class

InPieces3

I'm 40 years old. I'm 5'2 and I eat about 1,300-1,450 a day. I used to eat more than that, but found my *comfort* zone is about 1,300 -1,450 calories a day. I have noticed since I've been drinking more of my protein shakes, I'm not getting hungry like I was before I started drinking them. So... No, I'm not hungry.

I will have a protein shake in the morning (for breakfast), and I will usually have another one about 2 hours before bed (sometimes 1 hour depending) I just hate to eat something heavy before bed, so I do that to fill me up. I'm not saying it's right, but it is right for ME.

Outrack

1. What's your height/ weight?

5'9"/200lbs.

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

Not anymore, but I did initially when I dropped from around 2000 calories a day. I noticed that I used to snack at set times every day, so I split up the total number of calories I was supposed to eat between the intervals - on a 1500 limit, I have 400 calories for each meal with 300 left for snacks.

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

Oats! It's a slow-burning food that's relatively low in calories and keeps you feeling full for a while, and it's pretty neutral so there's a lot of things you can add to it for diversity (honey, fruit, Milo...)

joywo

I'm 5'5" and can eat that amount without getting hungry. My key is to have two snacks a day between breakfast and lunch and lunch/dinner or dinner bed. Protein is the way to keep hunger at bay and mixing with a carb. i.e., 22 peanuts and an apple, oatmeal with 1T peanut butter, skim cheese and whole wheat crackers. I LOVE my 100 cal popcorn bag after dinner.

Hope this helps.

winkerbean

1. 172lbs and 5'7

2. When I put myself on the 1200 calorie diet I did - and I would always go over. I recently found out that I had gained a bit more weight and recalculated how many calories a day I should be eating and found that I should really be doing 1500. Since moving onto the 1500, plus the bonus calories I earn from exercising (which will usually bring me up to just under 2000, I find that I can't eat even close to all of my allotted calories a day.


3. One of the things I've been doing since I gained more weight was trying to figure out when I'm actually full. I used to think that I should eat a full meal every sitting, but after listening to my stomach I find that I'm full after only half of what I used to eat. I also try to eat slow and avoid even 'healthy' carbs - I try to eat more veggies and fruit. I try to avoid buying snacks that I know I can over eat (I'm weird and love faux cheesy crackers - cheddar bunnies and the like were super bad to have in the house), and instead have apples and peanut butter or saltines with a bit of sliced lunchmeat. I'm less likely to go for those things. But that's my stomach - if I know I have the kinds of foods I love then I'll feel hungry just knowing they're in the house. Now that I don't have them I snack less often and when I do it's a bit more healthy.

chelazar88

I am 5'6 and 275lbs. I started at 1800, and then realized I could do better. So perhaps having it be a bit gradually helped. I now eat about 1400 to 1500 a day. Have a small breakfest, could be a bagel, or Smart ones breakfest with coffee and creamer around 8am, lunch at noon is usually a Smart Ones frozen meal, and then dinner around 6 varies to whatever I make at home. I have an office job so not much moving, I have started to work out more and that just means I can eat a bit more. Its not so much that you need to only eat 1200-1500, but your net calories after working out should be that. Rarely do I feel starving, I usually have 1-2 snacks a day, anything low calorie is good. Your stomach will shrink and get used to the amount of food going in

HealthyBodySickMind

I'm 5' 4.75" 110ish lbs and I eat whenever I'm hungry, if there is food readily available. I also try to eat what I'm hungry for. If there is not food at hand I may go to extremes to make sure it is soon at hand. My DH will also go to extremes to make sure I am fed quickly when hungry because I will become grumpy if I'm not fed promptly. So basically, I'm never hungry for long. I tend to eat between 1415 and 2333 calories a day.

lotusspark

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.***

Hi love4fitness. ..my height 5'7.5 and current weight 209/208 fluxuating today. no real hunger during day. i fill up on nutrient rich foods,which is lower cals so you can pigout on them. i fill up on water and yogi green/bluberry tea too.i have been eating 1300/1500 but between them mostly. a few days i was under 1160 and then not hungry either. i think there's a hormone leptin? responsible for our hunger. fillup on heathy choices you might beat the hormone. best of luck.

psychochky

Hello I'm a momma of a 9month old and 23 month old 24 years old

1: I'm 5'7" 129.4 lbs started at 140

2. No when I was doing 1200 I never felt hungry but realised that after some research I wasn't eating correctly for my goal and my metabolic rate. Wanted to do loose 2 lbs a week then changed to 1.5 and moved my cals to 1360 instead. I also work out on my elliptical everyday for at least burning 400-500 cals.

3. I do take a supplement that I sell called Juice Plus that keeps me feeling great and energized throughout the whole day. Its a fruit and vegetable supplement that helps bridge the gap between what a person should be eating and what we get to eat. Before this I just made my self work out but never felt that yes i wanna do this vibe and motivation that I now have since I was missing all the important stuff from my diet.

It all depends on what everyone else was saying and how your body processes the calories that you eat. It's will power and also eating the right things to fill you up and still be good for you that you don't need all the uselsss junk food and highly processed foods that make you want to eat more. Great job on your goals to everyone else on here and good luck in the future :-) If anyone wants a friend feel free to add me lol I know like no-one but just use to keep track of what I eat so I keep my balance between the sugar fat protein and salt. Also you can find me on fb too chrissy anderson

slkehl

Most people supposedly within this range are probably eating more than they think they do. Research has shown that overweight people keeping food diaries tend to underestimate not only what they eat but their portion sizes as well. Also, people tend to overestimate the number of calories they burned exercising, so they may be "eating back" more than just their exercise calories.

xUminx

1. What's your height/ weight?
5'7" and 149.3lbs

2. Do you get REALLY REALLY hungry during the day? If not, was there an adjustment period?
I do if I don't eat for a long long time, but usually, no I don't. There was no adjustment period because the calories I am supposed to eat actually are what I usually eat, minus unnecessary (= eaten without any hunger) snacks.

3. What do you eat to prevent feeling like death (if you answered that you're not hungry)?
There's nothing I exactly eat just for that or whatever, but my meals usually are breakfast, dinner, and one or two small snacks between those two.

charliehefferon

Bump for later...

But I'll throw my 2 pence in!

- I'm 5'1" weighing 108lb (started at 136lb in january)

- I do get hungry through the day - but this is normal! Once I get hungry, I eat! I have 3 meals a day and 2/3 snacks.
I've been eating between 1100 and 1700 cals a day - depending on exercise - since january and this has helped me lose the weight (and body fat! 24% down to 18%)

I can't say I've ever felt like death from my eating habits, if I'm still hungry at the end of the day I'll eat something else! You're body needs fuel.