1200 Calories??? Are you kidding me...lol

ssvierck1020

Well here it is, I just turned 45 and I just quit smoking. I have 30 lbs to lose. I usually eat 2-3000 calories a day of junk food and now I am suppose to eat 1200? OMG Im dying here. Actually I do very well during the day and I am not hungry. Until I come home and while I am cooking dinner, I am starving and cant seem to quit eating. Today I decided to start a hand written journal to figure out why I eat when I eat and how I feel before and after I eat. I also made a list of 15 questions and printed it off to tape up around my house, in my car and at the office so that I can ask myself before I pig out. Here is the list of questions I am going to try to get my brain to answer...lol

1. ARE YOU REALLY HUNGRY
2. ARE YOU HAVING HUNGER PAINS
3. ARE YOU JUST BORED
4. ARE YOU DEHYDRATED
5. DID YOU DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
6. HAVE YOU EXERCISED TODAY
7. HAVE YOU TRIED DOING SOMETHING ELSE FIRST
8. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT
9. DO YOU REALLY WANT THAT AND WHY
10. ARE YOU EXHAUSTED
11. ARE YOU COVERING EMOTIONS WITH FOOD
12. ARE YOU SURE YOU REALLY WANT THAT
13. HOW LONG WILL IT MAKE ME FEEL FULL
14. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU LAST ATE
15. HOW WILL YOU FEEL AFTER YOU EAT

Car0lynnM

You could probably boost your calorie goal to 1300-1500 calories. You'll get another snack in for the day, but still probably be at a deficit. Check out what your BMR and TDEE(I think that's the site--google will take you there). It will give you a better picture of what your calorie level is.

Warchortle

If you make your own food you'd be surprised how much 1200 can really be. You could just workout really hard and probably add another ~400+ to your daily. I could easily live off of sub 1200, but it effects my energy levels at the gym.

summer_cici

That's the same amount as me. But I think that's because I'm lazy and don't do anything during the day! So if I get off my bum and do stuff I can eat more. Good luck with your goal! x

palmerig88

Did you accurately describe your daily activity level when you signed up? Are you trying to lose more than 1 pound per week?

1200 daily calories is not a magic diet number that should be assigned to everyone seeking to lose weight.

I probably ate around what your old norm is or a little more and lost no more weight at "net" 1420 calories than I did eating "net" 2100.

If you plan to exercise, you can "eat back" those calories. The site is designed for you to earn extra calories to eat by exercising, if you choose. Try setting your goal to lose 1 pound per week and see what daily net intake number you get. Try this for one month. You will probably be thrilled with the results.

Sept201421

i too eat only 1200 calories a day, it takes a bit to adjust, what helps me is to remember why im doing what im doing, and to ALWAYS keep a handful of almonds in the car. ( helps with defeating the urge to smoke in the car, i quit smoking 13 mnths ago) if i eat one serving of almonds on my way home from work, my body doesnt freak out and tell me i need to eat everything in my fridge when i start cooking dinner. also: WATER! (i hate water, i mean HATE it.) but make tea or add lemon and drink everytime you think you are hungry, if the hunger doesnt leave then eat something small and healthy.

aakokopelli7

1200 is too little. There are at least 500 post a day about someone not loosing weight after two weeks on 1200. Especially if you are working out and not just sitting still all day long. Only a comatose vegetable will loose weight on 1200 a day. Up your intake!

Set your goals to 1 pound per week instead of 2. You will be happier for it. I made the same mistake starting out, once I made the change I started loosing and wasn't starving to death.

psuLemon

You have little to lose, your goal should be 1 lb per week or less. Also, if you exercise you can eat more. So you probably can eat 1500-2200 depending on your activity level.

kakklespakkle

I chose to increase my calories to 1400. I was ok on 1200 for a few weeks, then I found that I was way too tired and had very little strength.

The easiest way to make the most out of your calories is (IMO) to eat 'clean' for example, fresh meat and veg for lunch and dinner. You get a lot more food for your calorie allowance that way.

Keep trying, change your figures if it's too hard. It's better to lose weight more slowly and stick at it than to try and lose quickly and find it impossible to continue xxx

amberbf610

Why do we only get calories back if we do cardio....but nothing for an hour of strength training? Also, why does it only add the time doing cardio vs. strength?

eyeshuh

Eat more! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

MizTerry

Hey! I'm 44 and I quit smoking a year ago on the 16th. Doc told me either to focus on quitting or focus on dieting...not both. I think the 1200 calories is if you are trying to lose more than a pound a week, which I know the way I am and would never be able to stick to that. Due to my height, mine is 1510.
I agree that most hunger comes from psychological hunger. I graze. I ask myself the very same things and gulp water if I'm feeling the urge to graze. It helps. It works MOST times.
Congrats on quitting and kudos to your list! I'll have to remember some of those questions for myself.

AlongCame_Molly

That list of questions is SO SMART! I am going to steal it and post it all round my house, too!

eyeshuh

Why do we only get calories back if we do cardio....but nothing for an hour of strength training? Also, why does it only add the time doing cardio vs. strength?

You have to look up "strength training" in the cardio section if you want to log it. In general, it does not burn very many calories so people just use the strength tab to track their improvement.

Saaaam42

1200 is kind of nuts to me. I was starving, literally STARVING when I was at that amount, and all I could think about was food. It was torture and I was losing NOTHING.
So I bumped my cals up to 1450 and I've been losing weight more steadily and feeling a lot healthier.

mschevs

I agree 100% with Warchortle.

everysn0wflake

I had been eating 1200 calories for the longest time. I started getting hungry more often because of medication I'm taking. So I'm slowly and gradually increasing my calories. I'm at 1650 calories right now. I'm probably going to continue until 1750 or around there. The reason I'm doing it slowly, is so your body gets use to it. Rather than increasing 500+ in one night; and gaining weight. If you're feeling hungry. You should try increasing your calories.

KenosFeoh

I've been around 1200 calories lately, and it goes a lot easier when I include plenty of fruits and vegetables. They can really fill in the empty spaces!

lizzardsm

Eat more! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

This!! Please!!

Particularly if you just quit smoking. Quitting is so so difficult. You might be setting yourself up for failure by restricting your calories so much and are dealing with the lack of nicotine/habit in your system.

trogalicious

You have little to lose, your goal should be 1 lb per week or less. Also, if you exercise you can eat more. So you probably can eat 1500-2200 depending on your activity level.

Eat more! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

yes.

misskerouac

No, you do not need to limit yourself to 1200 calories. I would either do as the above poster mentioned and go to Fat2fit and figure out your BMR and TDEE (search the forum for "In place of a roadmap" and that thread will explain how to do that) or set your weekly goal to 0.5lb loss. You don't have a lot to lose. Even eating at your 1/2 lb loss goal you will drop weight because you are used to eating 2000-3000 a day.