why is 1200 cal/day too low?

Azaael1

I figured I'd put some of my current experiences in here.

I started logging my exercise here after my first 2.5 or so pounds, so I'm closer to 20lbs lost. My exercise has been shortened for a good 3 weeks due to a nasty bout of the flu, but I'm over it.(I log my food on a separate spreadsheet, as I had already started it. I'm comfortable using the spreadsheet for my food and the site for my exercise and make sure it stays straight.)

I had started out netting around 1200 a day. (Averaging netting around 1250.) I was totally fine. I was not very active at first, some light walking and such, but I bumped it up to a more high Light-low Moderate.

However, a couple weeks ago, I started to get hungry from it. I added in about a hundred so I was netting around 1350. I still lost. This week I'm going to be netting around 1450. If I still lose, then I'll go to around 1500 or so. Essentially I'll add a little(good calories) until I see a stagnation and then try to fiddle with a few things then, perhaps I'll bump up the activity first and see. I only have about 16 lbs to go to my 145.

Now, why wasn't I hungry on the 1250 net for about 10 weeks? Not sure. I'm a 5'5 woman who was 181 at the start of my diet on new year's(I have a measured 'heavy' frame, so my ideal weight, according to research, runs around the high 130s to the low 150s). I'm a little over 161 now(161 and some change.) I've lost body fat and gained muscle during this time.

I eat a balance of food, keep the sweets to a minumum(I do have an occasional treat of course), and eat a balance of lean protein, brown carbs, and lots of fruits and veggies(both whole and I drink a fresh juice-made in my blender with full pulp-at least 1 time a day, maybe twice, as a supplement, not fasting, though I'll use it for a lunch now and then if it's a big substantial one with a bunch of spinach, a whole orange, a whole apple, a cup of bilberries, and a couple carrots for example.) I drink tons of water. I'm a coffee drinker as well(two cups a day, though I don't count that as healthy food. ) I do eat fats as well, I cook with olive oil, and then supplement with some cheese or nuts every day.

So far things have been working well overall. For those 10 weeks that I was going on the 1250-ish, I was losing about 1.6 pounds a week on average or so(almost 20 pounds over 12+ weeks of dieting, with two of those weeks my numbers being increased.)

I guess I'm a little simplistic in this. Since my body started feeling 'weird' on the 1250, that's why I upped it. I'm guessing that I was fine for 10 or so weeks on it due having more fat stores or whatever, but when my body told me ''heya, we're kinda starting to run low on this stuff, can I have some more?' I started giving it more. Eventually when I hit my goal weight of 145 I hope to be close to what I'll be going with maintenance(about 2k according to my light activity level, but possibly more if I become moderately active. I'm a writer so my job isn't the most active in the world.)

TigressPat

meh... too late