Cannot hit 1200kcal most days, help me!

2»

Replies

  • BiohazrD
    BiohazrD Posts: 48
    #1 - you're probably not eating enough calories. If you don't eat properly, your body will go into starvation mode and hoard it's fat.
    #2 - eat often and clean. 5-6 small meals per day
    #3 - protein shakes, protein shakes, protein shakes OR throw a bunch of spinach, banana's, strawberries (feel free to create your own!) throw it into a blender and drink your calories.

    #1 is a myth, #2 is optional. Frequency or how you space your meals is largely irrelevant. The "eat small and often to keep your metabolism up" is also a myth.

    To the OP, you are most certainly severely underestimating how much you are eating. Weigh everything, enter everything, ensure that what you are entering matches your nutrition labels. 90% of entries on this site are bogus, you will think you're hitting your goals when you're several hundred calories over. If you are eating a generic, such as fruit, or meat (chicken, etc), use the USDA to find the nutritional info and verify what you are entering agrees with that information.

    Make your macronutrient goals similar to this
    Carbs - 100g/day min
    Fat - (Daily calorie goal / 4) / 9 - For you: (1200 / 4) = 300 / 9 = ~33g fat
    Protein - Whatever you have left over
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Drink a tall glass of chocolate milk every night before bed. Instant 400 cals and a tasty treat to boot. Next excuse please

    I love chocolate, but that much caffeine and sugar right before bed would keep me up all night long (and not in the fun way). I'm not the OP, though, so maybe this will work.

    Chocolate milk really doesn't have that much caffeine. Drink regular milk than... or juice.... eat a handful of nuts a day... use olive oils when you cook/on salads.... switch to full fat./calorie versions of things... etc.

    There are many ways to get to your calorie goal. Ensure you are actually weighing everything you eat and measuring all liquids. Even when you consume an entire package of something as they are not always correct (for example, I had a protein bar today that said 70g on the bar... it was actually 78g). Not properly measuring portions can add hundreds of calories. Use weight with solids, measuring cups/spoons with liquids.
  • chimp517
    chimp517 Posts: 185 Member
    If you are correct in your assessment of what you eat every day you seriously need your metabolism checked. No one should be able to sustain 200 pounds on 1200 calories a day. No one.

    Correct, could be something like a thyroid issue. Go to Dr. and get physical with bloods. At 1100 cals per day you should lose weight even if your only exercise in the day was preparing your meals.
  • chocl8girl
    chocl8girl Posts: 1,968 Member
    23736869.jpg
  • mtiheartmuscle
    mtiheartmuscle Posts: 124
    #1 - you're probably not eating enough calories. If you don't eat properly, your body will go into starvation mode and hoard it's fat.
    #2 - eat often and clean. 5-6 small meals per day
    #3 - protein shakes, protein shakes, protein shakes OR throw a bunch of spinach, banana's, strawberries (feel free to create your own!) throw it into a blender and drink your calories.

    #1 is a myth, #2 is optional. Frequency or how you space your meals is largely irrelevant. The "eat small and often to keep your metabolism up" is also a myth.
    Oh, really? I've actually done studies on those items above and the first study I did was only eating 1,200 calories per day (non-clean food, basically anything I've wanted) and only ate 3 meals per day - I gained 13 pounds and lost my abs and muscle. When I went back to my routine of eating clean and often,...well, take a look at my profile picture. That was right in the middle of my test.
  • alanlmarshall
    alanlmarshall Posts: 587 Member
    #1 - you're probably not eating enough calories. If you don't eat properly, your body will go into starvation mode and hoard it's fat.
    #2 - eat often and clean. 5-6 small meals per day
    #3 - protein shakes, protein shakes, protein shakes OR throw a bunch of spinach, banana's, strawberries (feel free to create your own!) throw it into a blender and drink your calories.

    #1 is a myth, #2 is optional. Frequency or how you space your meals is largely irrelevant. The "eat small and often to keep your metabolism up" is also a myth.

    Yes, well said, and protein shakes don't make much sense for someonte who does not exercise.
  • amydrupert
    amydrupert Posts: 1
    I started eating healthy to be healthy not to be skinny or count calories. I fill my day with fruits and veggies and started drinking a bolthouse carrot juice or berry juice everyday. I feel full and have been loosing weight. I recently joined a workout class and the instructor has us use our chairs and our bodies during workouts. I never realized that you don't need to have a lot of gym equipment to workout. It's fun. Turn on some music, pull your blinds, and dance or just move around for 30 minutes. You will feel great.
  • stumblinthrulife
    stumblinthrulife Posts: 2,558 Member
    Here's my guess at what's happening -

    At the same time as setting your MFP goals, you cut out all the calorie dense stuff from your diet - crisps, chocolate, alcohol, red meat and started eating way more veg than you ever have. The veg is filling you up with bulk, without too many calories.

    Because you have had a rapid drop in caloric intake, your metabolism has slowed and your body is storing. That'll slow your weight loss.

    Bring the calories up a bit, to around 1600 to 1700 at a rough guess, put some lean proteins back in, don't be too scared of fat. If you can bring yourself to do it, lift some weights 3 times a week to remind your body that you need your muscles, and it's fat you want rid of.

    Even better, read and follow this post closely -

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • mtiheartmuscle
    mtiheartmuscle Posts: 124
    #1 - you're probably not eating enough calories. If you don't eat properly, your body will go into starvation mode and hoard it's fat.
    #2 - eat often and clean. 5-6 small meals per day
    #3 - protein shakes, protein shakes, protein shakes OR throw a bunch of spinach, banana's, strawberries (feel free to create your own!) throw it into a blender and drink your calories.

    #1 is a myth, #2 is optional. Frequency or how you space your meals is largely irrelevant. The "eat small and often to keep your metabolism up" is also a myth.

    Yes, well said, and protein shakes don't make much sense for someonte who does not exercise.
    You all are comical. Even if you don't workout, your body STILL requires protein! If she's not getting enough calories, protein shakes contain a large amount of calories that could be used to get her to her goal. OH, lord jesus there's a fire!
  • Rodderick89
    Rodderick89 Posts: 205 Member
    Nuts! I have the same problem some days - will only net around 850/900 calories - Asda do little snack packs of nuts (e.g the one I had tonight is full of almonds) and they're about 300 calories a pack.

    You could try switching to semi-skimmed milk if you usually have skimmed, little things like that? Good luck! :)
  • BiohazrD
    BiohazrD Posts: 48
    #1 - you're probably not eating enough calories. If you don't eat properly, your body will go into starvation mode and hoard it's fat.
    #2 - eat often and clean. 5-6 small meals per day
    #3 - protein shakes, protein shakes, protein shakes OR throw a bunch of spinach, banana's, strawberries (feel free to create your own!) throw it into a blender and drink your calories.

    #1 is a myth, #2 is optional. Frequency or how you space your meals is largely irrelevant. The "eat small and often to keep your metabolism up" is also a myth.
    Oh, really? I've actually done studies on those items above and the first study I did was only eating 1,200 calories per day (non-clean food, basically anything I've wanted) and only ate 3 meals per day - I gained 13 pounds and lost my abs and muscle. When I went back to my routine of eating clean and often,...well, take a look at my profile picture. That was right in the middle of my test.

    Your personal anecdote is not more valid than many, many, peer reviewed scientific studies.
    #1 - you're probably not eating enough calories. If you don't eat properly, your body will go into starvation mode and hoard it's fat.
    #2 - eat often and clean. 5-6 small meals per day
    #3 - protein shakes, protein shakes, protein shakes OR throw a bunch of spinach, banana's, strawberries (feel free to create your own!) throw it into a blender and drink your calories.

    #1 is a myth, #2 is optional. Frequency or how you space your meals is largely irrelevant. The "eat small and often to keep your metabolism up" is also a myth.

    Yes, well said, and protein shakes don't make much sense for someonte who does not exercise.

    This is incorrect, protein is good. Using a protein shake while cutting is a very good idea for maintaining muscle mass as long as you are still staying under your calorie goal. This usually means as a meal replacement, depending on the severity of the calorie deficiency.
  • mtiheartmuscle
    mtiheartmuscle Posts: 124
    You all are going to give me a headache. I'm going to go lift.
  • SadKitty27
    SadKitty27 Posts: 416 Member
    #1 - you're probably not eating enough calories. If you don't eat properly, your body will go into starvation mode and hoard it's fat.
    #2 - eat often and clean. 5-6 small meals per day
    #3 - protein shakes, protein shakes, protein shakes OR throw a bunch of spinach, banana's, strawberries (feel free to create your own!) throw it into a blender and drink your calories.

    #1 is a myth, #2 is optional. Frequency or how you space your meals is largely irrelevant. The "eat small and often to keep your metabolism up" is also a myth.

    Yes, well said, and protein shakes don't make much sense for someonte who does not exercise.

    Unless of course they're on the atkins or keto diet.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    #1 - you're probably not eating enough calories. If you don't eat properly, your body will go into starvation mode and hoard it's fat.
    #2 - eat often and clean. 5-6 small meals per day
    #3 - protein shakes, protein shakes, protein shakes OR throw a bunch of spinach, banana's, strawberries (feel free to create your own!) throw it into a blender and drink your calories.

    #1 is a myth, #2 is optional. Frequency or how you space your meals is largely irrelevant. The "eat small and often to keep your metabolism up" is also a myth.
    Oh, really? I've actually done studies on those items above and the first study I did was only eating 1,200 calories per day (non-clean food, basically anything I've wanted) and only ate 3 meals per day - I gained 13 pounds and lost my abs and muscle. When I went back to my routine of eating clean and often,...well, take a look at my profile picture. That was right in the middle of my test.

    Your personal anecdote is not more valid than many, many, peer reviewed scientific studies.
    #1 - you're probably not eating enough calories. If you don't eat properly, your body will go into starvation mode and hoard it's fat.
    #2 - eat often and clean. 5-6 small meals per day
    #3 - protein shakes, protein shakes, protein shakes OR throw a bunch of spinach, banana's, strawberries (feel free to create your own!) throw it into a blender and drink your calories.

    #1 is a myth, #2 is optional. Frequency or how you space your meals is largely irrelevant. The "eat small and often to keep your metabolism up" is also a myth.

    Yes, well said, and protein shakes don't make much sense for someonte who does not exercise.

    This is incorrect, protein is good. Using a protein shake while cutting is a very good idea for maintaining muscle mass as long as you are still staying under your calorie goal. This usually means as a meal replacement, depending on the severity of the calorie deficiency.

    Agreed.


    OP - without seeing your diary it's hard to say but typically when people say they can't reach 1200 and their diary is open I often find that they are still eating "diet" food. Low fat milk, cheese, yogurt, light salad dressings, etc. switch to the full flavor option and you can easily add calories with out adding a ton of food.

Categories