1200 calories and feeling hungry

sushico

I'm just new to this site and I just started cutting back on the calories that I would normally eat. When I entered my goal weight, the site recommended that I eat a minimum of 1200 calories everyday. But recently i've been feeling hungry with the amount of food that i consume, which is mostly near 1200 calories. My question is, is this part of the adjusting process or should i increase my calorie intake per day?

drop_it_like_a_squat

Yep, increase your intake.
1,200 cal seems to be the standard amount MFP recommends - it's a very low goal, though.

Dekitara

MFP recommended me 1200kCal. I wasn't hungry hungry, but my weight loss stalled. Upped to 1500, never hungry, losing steadily. Really it's better to work out your own BMR, MFP chronically underestimates.

CillitBang

Hiya. I'm fairly new too and it seems to me that the site advises lots of women to eat 1200 calories a day. That's what's been recommended to me. I find it very hard to stick to that and I work out 6 days a week, partly to feel good and tone up but also to give myself more calories! I think I was nearly 300 over yesterday because I didn't work out :-O

I'm sorry, I don't know whether you should increase it or not...I'm interested to see what others advise you to do!

Katrinadionne1808

MFP seems to give everyone 1200. In the long term it's not sustainable and will leave you craving foods and bingeing.

This is a good calculator to work out more accurate calories

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

jdhoward_101

What do you reckon your daily calorie intake was before you started logging? Because if it is a massive difference, then yes you will feel hungry. The best way is to gradually reduce your calorie defecit to let your body get used to it.

mazdauk

That's the amount recommended if you don't have much to lose, are quite light anyway, and set it to sedentary. Are you exercising? If so you should be eating back your exercise calories otherwise you are not takinging 1200 net.

Once I hit 21lbs lost it put me down to 1210, which was not enough, so I upped it to 1280 (which it was before it reduced it). But I'm really hungry today so I might have to go down the TDEE/BMR route if I can work out what to do!

DonttrythatwithME

Are you working out too? If so eat back your business, no fuel = no fire, poo workout, worse results, unhappy face. Its basic logic maths

sijomial

When you enter your weight loss goals (pounds per week) into this site it suggests a recommended 1lb a week loss.

If you ignore that recommendation you are very likely to end up with the minimum 1200 cals/day.

Weight loss is not a race and making yourself feel deprived and hungry is about the best way possible to get frustrated and give up. Try setting your goal to 1lb/week loss.

Garlicmash

increase the amount and look for a smaller weekly loss over a longer period of time.
exercising will make you hungry cause you need the fuel to function just in everyday life.

spamantha57

It's my strong personal feeling that no one should ever feel hungry, but that's just me.
If you're consuming adequate calories, them maybe look at what it is you're consuming (too much alcohol, not enough protein, etc. etc.)

1200 is really low & not enough for most people, especially over a length of time.

Also on MFP, a lot of people enter they want to lose 2lbs per week. That is a 1,000 calorie per day deficit. It's doable, but difficult, especially if you are not extremely overweight (like at least twice as much as you want to weigh) or exercise a lot (like 2+ hours per day.)
It's much more realistic, attainable, & sustainable to lose around 1/2lb per week. (I like to goal for 1lb a week but know it will end up being closer to 1/2.)

I don't know how tall you are or how much you weigh, etc., so I can't tell you what a good calorie goal for you would be, but generally if you ARE hungry, you should probably up your cals a bit & look at what you are consuming. You could be fuller on less cals depending what you eat. I noticed a difference when I upped my protein ratio 10% shortly after I began MFP, but different things work for everyone.

Katrinadionne1808

Just as a note, if you do up you may find that you put a little back on, ride it out and then weight will steadily start to come off. Just so you don't jump straight back down to 1200 cals. Looks at other people's diaries for inspiration on healthy eating too and make better choices with your foods so you feel fuller longer.

I have completely switched my morning routine and no longer live on sugary cereals. Much better to have Weetabix / shredded wheat with fruit or higher protein based breakfasts e.g. egg white omelettes / pancakes. Much more filling, lower cals, less sugar and less fat!

mazdauk

By the way, even wanting to lose only 1lb a week MFP will set to 1200 if you're not very overweight or a small sedentary person!

dovetail22uk

Are you working out too? If so eat back your business, no fuel = no fire, poo workout, worse results, unhappy face. Its basic logic maths

What is this "poo workout" of which you speak?

Hbazzell

unless you are under the instruction of a Dr. avoid the 1200 realm. Ask for 1 lbs a week instead. Healthier plan.

mazdauk

Asking for 1lb per week may still give 1200. It did me.

spamantha57

Yeah it does for me too. I'm short & up until a couple months ago I spent a vast majority of my time in bed. (Bad health issues - no work or school either.)

DonttrythatwithME

its originated in California, have you not head of it?

DonttrythatwithME

Are you working out too? If so eat back your business, no fuel = no fire, poo workout, worse results, unhappy face. Its basic logic maths


What is this "poo workout" of which you speak?

its originated in California, have you not head of it?

durshley

I've been eating 1200 for about 5 weeks now (it's what MFP recommended for 1lb/week loss) as I've not been exercising, and I can easily get full on it if I eat the right foods. Was tough at the start, though.

lilmissymoo90

mine was set at 1400 when i lost alot of weight it asked me to recalculate and it put it down to 1200 im never hungry thou but if i do have days where i feel hungry i eat just listen to your body x

cityjaneLondon

I exercise SO I can eat. I burn off 400 a day on gym machines and eat it all back. That's a whole extra meal, otherwise I would be starving! That gives me a total count of 1640. Most days I eat 1700. The only time I feel hungry is late afternoon so I have a 200 calorie snack and count it in my total. So. - 300 breakfast, 400 lunch, 200 snack, 400 dinner, 100 alcohol, 200 dessert which I have nearer bedtime to stop hunger pangs, could be cheese if not dessert, and 100 allowance for semi skimmed milk. - I'm British so drink a lot of tea with milk. I eat really well and feel full. I have lost 40 lbs and no longer get the 'hypos' I used to get when I was fat. It can be done, just do the exercise! If you can't exercise because you are severely disabled then you do have to cut back a lot more and fill up on veg. Lots of veg soup etc.
Hope this helps. I used be be an always hungry person, feeling faint if I didn't eat, not so now.

sjj3002

I had the same problem when I started with 1200 calorie diet. Give few more days, Our body takes time to adjust to the shock of eating so low. Try to add raw veggies like celery nd fruits like apple(small - 55 calories), blueberries, papaya which are very low in calories. Eat small portion throughout the day and see if it helps. And above all, listen to your body. Eat extra calories and burn it off. All the Best on your weightloss journey.

jakkisr

I started MFP this week too though I'd been doing the Hairy Bikers diet last week as a kick-start. I don't eat processed foods and struggled to think of healthy things to top me up to 1200 calories seeing as I've reduced the amount of olive oil I regularly use drastically. I've found the actual nutrition data very helpful in working out a balanced diet eg my carbs were coming mainly from fruit (and I'm not good with fruit due to allergies) and that I was having very little fiber and a lower amount of protein.

I'm now making sure I have a balanced menu and snacks for the day that cover my nutrients AND stay within the 1200 calories. I'm not being so strict on the oil either as there are recommendations that you should have the same number of g as your bodyweight each day ie I'm 137lbs so recommended to have 137g .... personally I think that wouldn't help me lose weight lol! but I and allowing myself to go over the 40g on MFP by a little.

I guess its normal to feel hungry until the stomach shrinks a bit from eating larger portions? I don't know, I'm not a veteran dieter, but it is getting easier and I'm less hungry now I'm consciously thinking of the nutrients and not just the calories

mareeee1234

Helllllooooo! You are definitely a newbie haha, dw lots of us have been there

But now its time to educate yourself and learn how to eat the right amount for you

READ this
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833500-what-do-i-do-common-sense-cliff-notes

and

WATCH this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYi9xjIRvbY


Best of luck

:flowerforyou:

XXXMinnieXXX

I'd change your goal to lose 1lb per week, see what it gives you. I have mine set to lose 1lb per week and then I do not eat exercise calories back. I feel this works well for me.

Zara