Struggling with making 1200 calories....

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  • erickita89
    erickita89 Posts: 422 Member
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    If you are having problems reaching 1200 then how or why do you need to lose weight? I can easily eat 1200 in ONE meal. Add nuts, fatty meats and full fat dairy to your diet. Problem solved!

    Because for the past like 10 years (HS and college) all i did was eat fast food like Mcdonalds, burger king, pizza, chinese, tex mex etc. I didn't know how to cook, and its just what my parents would always buy for me as well because they are both working and never have the time.
    I would eat these things 3000+ calories a day probably and still feel hungry a hr or two later for more. It got out of control. HS i was 130lbs when it ended i was 160-170. College ended and i got to 202 lbs. Now that i graduated and school isnt my first priority im putting myself as #1.

    Im guessing its a quality over quantity thing.... im eating more quality foods now so my body feels like its getting proper nutrients rather than processed junk so im not feeling the urge to eat now. I do try to mix in nuts from time to time.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    sounds like anorexia...good luck! food is food..stop worrying whats what and eat
    lol im no where near anorexic buddy! im 194 lbs lol and i love food. Its just that im never in the mood to eat anymore. it feels like a chore. i feel like i should only be eating when im hungry, but if i do that, then i will slow down my metabolism and be eating one meal a day probably :(
    Get your nutrition with the healthy stuff you've been eating, then get the rest of your calories by eating things that you actually like to eat. :)
  • danasings
    danasings Posts: 8,218 Member
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    I never wanna be back in the 1200 calorie a day boat. I thought I was going to pass out the whole 4 months I was doing it.

    Me, too!! LOL
  • dogetta
    dogetta Posts: 61 Member
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    i can eat that in one meal and want more, I am sorry but I wish I had your problem :sad: . Good luck to you! :smile: Eat higher cal foods.
  • erickita89
    erickita89 Posts: 422 Member
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    If you are having problems reaching 1200 then how or why do you need to lose weight? I can easily eat 1200 in ONE meal. Add nuts, fatty meats and full fat dairy to your diet. Problem solved!

    This usually happens when people think "I need to eat "HEALTHY"" So they eat very low calorie foods.

    Question to the OP: Who is healthier... a person who weighs 700lbs eating "healthy" or a person at a healthy weight eating junk?
    Just eat "normal" food and lose weight.

    lol def the 700 lb person.
  • erickita89
    erickita89 Posts: 422 Member
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    1) grab tablespoon
    2) dip it into jar of peanut butter until mouth of spoon is submerged
    3) take it out
    4) put it in your mouth
    5) enjoy
    6) repeat steps 1) through 5) one more time

    190 calories. right there. just doing that. nothing more.

    peanut butter has protein and good fats. as long as you are not allergic to peanuts, it's perfectly fine to eat a couple of spoonfuls of peanut butter a day!

    peanut-butter-spoon.jpg

    i love peanut butter... i will try this
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    Are you sure you're logging accurately, not just eyeballing?
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    If you are having problems reaching 1200 then how or why do you need to lose weight? I can easily eat 1200 in ONE meal. Add nuts, fatty meats and full fat dairy to your diet. Problem solved!

    Because for the past like 10 years (HS and college) all i did was eat fast food like Mcdonalds, burger king, pizza, chinese, tex mex etc. I didn't know how to cook, and its just what my parents would always buy for me as well because they are both working and never have the time.
    I would eat these things 3000+ calories a day probably and still feel hungry a hr or two later for more. It got out of control. HS i was 130lbs when it ended i was 160-170. College ended and i got to 202 lbs. Now that i graduated and school isnt my first priority im putting myself as #1.

    Im guessing its a quality over quantity thing.... im eating more quality foods now so my body feels like its getting proper nutrients rather than processed junk so im not feeling the urge to eat now. I do try to mix in nuts from time to time.
    Depends on what you consider quality. If you ate nothing but low fat vegetables you still wouldn't absorb the nutrients in them. Your better off having a double bacon cheeseburger with some veg on the side because at least your getting fats protein and nutrients. Dont eat over your energy expenditure and you'll still lose weight. You probably feel better now because you weren't getting enough nutrients and you were eating to much. Not to mention that any duration on a low calorie diet (even if the person is anorexic) they can feel incredibly satisfied there. Its a survival mechanism that has been documented in several studies involving low cal diets and anorexia.

    Note the study involving the twinkie diet improved the mans health ad he lost weight.
  • erickita89
    erickita89 Posts: 422 Member
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    If you are having problems reaching 1200 then how or why do you need to lose weight? I can easily eat 1200 in ONE meal. Add nuts, fatty meats and full fat dairy to your diet. Problem solved!

    This usually happens when people think "I need to eat "HEALTHY"" So they eat very low calorie foods.

    Question to the OP: Who is healthier... a person who weighs 700lbs eating "healthy" or a person at a healthy weight eating junk?
    Just eat "normal" food and lose weight.

    I see. Nuts are healthy but extremely high in cals.
    And extremely worth it. Especially since this is a thread looking for ways to increase calories. I really love roasted nuts in my salads.

    And very good for the skin. I glow like star bright right after a handful of nuts. Get them fats in ya!

    I switched to almond milk to FYI (regular milk always did hurt my stomach)
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
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    Depends on what you consider quality. If you ate nothing but low fat vegetables you still wouldn't absorb the nutrients in them. Your better off having a double bacon cheeseburger with some veg on the side because at least your getting fats protein and nutrients. Dont eat over your energy expenditure and you'll still lose weight. You probably feel better now because you weren't getting enough nutrients and you were eating to much. Not to mention that any duration on a low calorie diet (even if the person is anorexic) they can feel incredibly satisfied there. Its a survival mechanism that has been documented in several studies involving low cal diets and anorexia.

    Nite the study involving the twinkie diet improved the mans health ad he lost weight.

    ^ this... BAM!

    Emeril-Lagasse.jpg
  • trobbin88
    trobbin88 Posts: 38 Member
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    i never have this problem...lol..i have to exercise to fit in all the things i want to eat! ;)
  • erickita89
    erickita89 Posts: 422 Member
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    If you are having problems reaching 1200 then how or why do you need to lose weight? I can easily eat 1200 in ONE meal. Add nuts, fatty meats and full fat dairy to your diet. Problem solved!

    ^ this is what I'm wondering. Are you on a medication that messes with appetite or sedentary all day? I don't think this should be a problem. I've never really fully believed other posters when they say it's so hard to reach 1200 calories unless something is actually interfering. If you get up at a decent time (when early, metabolism starts up, I usually eat a lot more when I have a long day) and do things during the day you should be hungry enough to get 1200 calories AT LEAST.

    Also wondering if it's a mental thing. People don't like to eat when depressed sometimes or maybe since you started this diet, your attitude turned really sour towards food in general

    AND if you're overweight, you should not be having 1200 calories a day. This will slow your progress. I'm guessing you set this goal for yourself or set too high of a loss of weight weekly.

    I'm pretty sedentary all day. I program websites for work.... so i literally sit at a desk all day long behind a computer and i dont move unless its to get up use the bathroom or get something to eat. I joined a gym 3 weeks ago and am trying to go 5/d a week after work for a hr or two to combat this problem.

    My bf thinks its a mental thing as well and is constantly shoving chocolate into my face and honestly i just dont want it.
    I'm following MFP's recommendations for weight loss. It says 1200 per day, and then adds more for exersize, which i can never just eat it all. i can get to 1400 n then im really really full.

    I set it at 2lbs per week. I started at 202 lbs and am like 193 in my first 3 weeks here,
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    If you are having problems reaching 1200 then how or why do you need to lose weight? I can easily eat 1200 in ONE meal. Add nuts, fatty meats and full fat dairy to your diet. Problem solved!

    This usually happens when people think "I need to eat "HEALTHY"" So they eat very low calorie foods.

    Question to the OP: Who is healthier... a person who weighs 700lbs eating "healthy" or a person at a healthy weight eating junk?
    Just eat "normal" food and lose weight.

    I see. Nuts are healthy but extremely high in cals.
    And extremely worth it. Especially since this is a thread looking for ways to increase calories. I really love roasted nuts in my salads.

    And very good for the skin. I glow like star bright right after a handful of nuts. Get them fats in ya!

    I switched to almond milk to FYI (regular milk always did hurt my stomach)
    The carrageenans in almond milk bothers my stomach it seems, but I enjoy it in my coffee. Are you lactose intolerant? There are still lactose free versions of dairy milk around.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    When you have calories to spare at the end of the day, it's time for chocolate. Seriously. I have found that many of the people on MFP who "struggle" to eat even a small amount of food have either messed up their metabolism/hormones from long-tem VLCDs or have an unhealthy mindset about what is "okay" to eat.

    ETA: Or sometimes it's both. Sometimes the unhealthy mindset leads to VLCDs.
  • erickita89
    erickita89 Posts: 422 Member
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    I went through the same thing and it gets better. People can't believe that we struggle to eat 1200 but.. when you're used to eating say.. 1 cup of 500 calorie velveeta shells and cheese and switch to 4-6 oz of lean meat, nuts, 4 cups of lettuce, 2 cups of veggies at ONE meal, it takes up a lot more space in your tummy and is a LOT more filling! Add drinking extra water and we are stuffed.
    Just add a few nuts or nut butters to your meals, they add up quick. 1/4 cup of nuts has 160 calories in it. I buy raw almonds and make homemade almond butter in my mini food processor. It's easy and it is sooo good spread on an apple or banana. And it's good for you!
    Ignore all the mean comments. If they haven't experienced this, they have no clue!

    lol thanks for understanding! i know that people don't get it and think it sounds dum and crazy to them. (shoot i woulda thought the same thing too a month ago) when i first saw the 1200 recommendation i was horrified and thought i could never do it. i thought to myself damn that is one McDonalds meal right there haha.

    Does almond milk count? lol
    I've been eating avocados and nuts here and there.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    If you are having problems reaching 1200 then how or why do you need to lose weight? I can easily eat 1200 in ONE meal. Add nuts, fatty meats and full fat dairy to your diet. Problem solved!

    This usually happens when people think "I need to eat "HEALTHY"" So they eat very low calorie foods.

    Question to the OP: Who is healthier... a person who weighs 700lbs eating "healthy" or a person at a healthy weight eating junk?
    Just eat "normal" food and lose weight.

    lol def the 700 lb person.

    Actually, being 700 pounds, or even 300 pounds, poses more health risks than tobacco.

    http://thinforlife.med.nyu.edu/surgical-weight-loss/obesity/health-risks-morbid-obesity


    Food, in and of itself, does *NOT* cause a person to have any adverse health condition.
  • erickita89
    erickita89 Posts: 422 Member
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    What ya need is one of these :smile:

    bigbreakfast.jpg

    Damn that looks good! i want some! lol
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Your better off having a double bacon cheeseburger with some veg on the side because at least your getting fats protein and nutrients.

    QFT
  • erickita89
    erickita89 Posts: 422 Member
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    Your better off having a double bacon cheeseburger with some veg on the side because at least your getting fats protein and nutrients.

    QFT

    This eating healthy thing is confusing lol. I though bacon cheese burgers are bad for u unless eaten in moderation (like once or twice a week)
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    If you are having problems reaching 1200 then how or why do you need to lose weight? I can easily eat 1200 in ONE meal. Add nuts, fatty meats and full fat dairy to your diet. Problem solved!

    ^ this is what I'm wondering. Are you on a medication that messes with appetite or sedentary all day? I don't think this should be a problem. I've never really fully believed other posters when they say it's so hard to reach 1200 calories unless something is actually interfering. If you get up at a decent time (when early, metabolism starts up, I usually eat a lot more when I have a long day) and do things during the day you should be hungry enough to get 1200 calories AT LEAST.

    Also wondering if it's a mental thing. People don't like to eat when depressed sometimes or maybe since you started this diet, your attitude turned really sour towards food in general

    AND if you're overweight, you should not be having 1200 calories a day. This will slow your progress. I'm guessing you set this goal for yourself or set too high of a loss of weight weekly.

    I'm pretty sedentary all day. I program websites for work.... so i literally sit at a desk all day long behind a computer and i dont move unless its to get up use the bathroom or get something to eat. I joined a gym 3 weeks ago and am trying to go 5/d a week after work for a hr or two to combat this problem.

    My bf thinks its a mental thing as well and is constantly shoving chocolate into my face and honestly i just dont want it.
    I'm following MFP's recommendations for weight loss. It says 1200 per day, and then adds more for exersize, which i can never just eat it all. i can get to 1400 n then im really really full.

    I set it at 2lbs per week. I started at 202 lbs and am like 193 in my first 3 weeks here,
    Going to the gym 5 days a week for up to 2 hours a day is NOT sedentary AT ALL. That's quite quite quite active. More so then anyone I know. I also program all day and night on the computer. I spend about 3 hours at the gym a week, (a lot less then your up to 10hrs) and I am not sedentary. I'm less active then you, and can put down 2000 calories a day and lose weight, and look like this:
    13599033_378.jpg

    If you do not have any metabolic diseases (and likely even if you do) you would be able to eat more then me and lose weight according to the math on calculating your energy expenditure. Sounds to me you set an unrealistic goal if it gave you 1200 per day. A lot of people like myself end up doing that without realizing it. Also, if you're full on that you're eating to much of one thing, probably fiber. I use to do the 1200 calorie a day thing. After I fixed that problem I found leaps and bounds different when I thought I was doing fine.

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