I discovered I eat 1200 calories in first half of day :(

FeelingLessChubby

I've been doing the food diary for a week now, and I have not once been able to eat 1200 calories... I found I cover this just with breakfast and lunch alone! Come dinner time (around 6pm) I'm absolutely starving every day, so I can't just skip dinner...

I'm really sorry if this sounds whiney, but the food diary has had an opposite effect - instead of making me more motivated to make better food choices, is has massively brought me down, to the point where I just want to chuck the whole thing and say "screw this", and eat what I want... I can't go without dinner, and if I just eat less for breakfast and lunch I'm absolutely famished!

Whine over it's been only a week and I'm stuck.

neanderthin

Try more nutrient dense food earlier in the day and save some calories for dinner.

Linuraleal

Are you trying to eat only 1200 calories total in a day?

Iron_Feline

Maybe you need to eat more than 1200 calories - read this to see if you could up your calories and still lose, 1200 isn't a magic number and for many people it's too low - both in calories and for them to feel satisfied. I wanted to kill people on 1200 - even when it was full of nutrient dense food :laugh:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy

LittleMissDover

Do you have MFP set to lose 2lb a week? If so, change it to 1lb or 0.5lb a week and eat more.

Opening your diary would be good as we could make suggestions on where you could cut back.

KaleidoscopeEyes1056

1200 calories from just breakfast and lunch? That's impressive!

Seriously, though, 1200 calories is probably too low for you. I suggest you calculate your BMR here: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/bmr-calculator.html

Always eat above your BMR.

Also, if you want to save some calories for dinner, eat things early in the day that are not high in calories and the you'll have the remainder for lunch.

Another suggestion is to exercise more so you have more calories to eat when you're done.

The best option is a combination of the three of these things.

Rhayahana

I can't see your diary so not sure what you've been eating, but some foods have a ton of calories and just don't fill you up. Try some foods that will make you feel full, I love some oats/oatmeal and fresh fruits for breakfast for example.

Aedrah

I found what helped me was planning out my food for the day in advance. It helped me "budget" my calories. On days where I want to eat more, I try to exercise so I can take advantage of the exercise calories.

I did have to cut back on what I eat for breakfast and lunch. For breakfast I'll usually do yogurt and an apple, lunch I'll do a sandwich and some soup. Trick is to budget your calories out though.

But know that 1200 calories isn't easy for everyone. If you're having a hard time with it, change your goal instead of beating yourself up about it. I tried 1200 calories for a while and it just wasn't for me. I love to eat (which is why I'm here!).

Good luck, and you can do this!

lynnmariestan1

I had the same problem, and I decided to read "It starts with food", and everything has changed for the better. I know that not every food plan works for everybody, but this is working for me. I worked out 5 times a week, ate really healthy 80% of the time, and ate sweets far too often, so I couldnt lose weight. Since changing my eating to unprocessed foods, no sugar execept from fruit, I feel 100% better and more in control, and I've only been eating this way for 2 weeks. I cannot recommend reading this book enough. It's a real eye opener. If you eat a ton of veggies throughout the day, you will not need to worry about going over your calorie limit. And yes, I know veggies are boring. I hated veggies until I started reseaching ways to make them actually taste good. There are a ton of websites with great recipes, and suddenly, it isnt so boring to eat them. Good luck!

prattiger65

For the vast majority of people, 1200 isn't nearly enough. My guess is you are one of those. I'm sure when you set up your goals you picked sedentary and lose 2lbs. Per week. MFP is a tool, it doesn't have a brain, you input data and it gives you a number. There is a ton of good info on this site, do your research and find out how many calories you should be eating. Use the search function and search theses topics.....TDEE, BMR, IPOARM, and find the "level obstacles" thread. Read and learn. Hope this helps.

toutmonpossible

If you really can't eat around 1200 on average each week, eat more, although you will lose weight more slowly.

Recording food is good for many people who heretofore had no idea how much they were consuming. But if you really can't stand it, work out six to eight meals whose calorie content your sure of and eat them exclusively. And make sure to weigh yourself at least once a week to see if it's working.

loricshields47

This may not be enough calories for you. Try upping it a little bit and eating less at a time but more often. 6 smaller meals every 2-3 hours. Or just eat a little less at breakfast with a small protein shake(half scoop) in between meals (same concept easier to do).
Hope you find a compromise and don't choose to give up...good luck

Querian

I usually eat around 1200 with breakfast, lunch and my morning and afternooon snacks. No way I could eat 1200 total, Those settings that MFP gives are just out of line in my opinion. Get some exercise and eat your exercise calories back. Instead of being depressed feel inspired to get enough activity so you can eat the amount of calories you want. I eat around 1800-2000 a day and can still lose weight just fine. 20 pounds in 100 days this year.

STrooper

First, unless MFP is telling you to eat only 1200 calories per day AND you aren't doing anything (no physical activity or at a higher level exercise as there is a difference) then this seems really low. I know that there are circumstances where MFP bumps against its lower limit and this may be one of them.

On my own personal journey back to my formare halthy weight I did not do very much with food intake. I got into a physically active mode that, with the food intake I was practicing then, caused my weight to fall. Note: I didn't increase my food intake because of my activity.

Eventually, I reached the plateau where both were in balance and it then took logging and minding my food intake to losethe last 20+ pounds.

We all know about dieting to get to a certain weight and we also know how challenging it is. Going into starvation mode isn't a solution.

BeccaBollons

If you are quite active, 1200 calories is not enough for a full day. If I ate maintenance calories I would be eating 2400 calories a day, so yeah, by lunchtime I may well have eaten 1200! You really need to find out your TDEE, and just eat below that, and you will lose weight. Its science. I'm using my phone, so can't put a link here, but hopefully someone else can. Look for "in place of a road map" It has great advice and is easy to assimilate. Hope you find a way to make it work for you. All the best

CoachReddy

I've been doing the food diary for a week now, and I have not once been able to eat 1200 calories... I found I cover this just with breakfast and lunch alone! Come dinner time (around 6pm) I'm absolutely starving every day, so I can't just skip dinner...

I'm really sorry if this sounds whiney, but the food diary has had an opposite effect - instead of making me more motivated to make better food choices, is has massively brought me down, to the point where I just want to chuck the whole thing and say "screw this", and eat what I want... I can't go without dinner, and if I just eat less for breakfast and lunch I'm absolutely famished!

Whine over it's been only a week and I'm stuck.

that's good. you shouldn't be eating 1200 calories in the first place!

jadeyq1

Your BMR is around the 1450 mark. I calculated this from info you gave in a previous post and going by your age from your profile. This is the MINIMUM amount of calories you should be eating so YAY for that

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

Go to the above website and input your stats. Put your goal weight as your current weight though. This will tell you your BMI and your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), depending on your activity level. Your TDEE is the amount of calories you would eat if you want to maintain your current weight. To lose weight most people eat 20% below their TDEE number depending on how much the have to lose.

This post explains it much better and in an easy to understand way......

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/931670-bmr-and-tdee-explained-for-those-needing-a-guide?hl=bmr

The good news is is that you should definitely be eating more than 1200 calories to keep your body happy and to lose weight at a steady pace!

Hope that helps!

x

Unknown

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dfonte

You know this is most likely a joke right?

Crosbinium

I suggest what several others have mentioned. Find your TDEE and eat 20% less then that without eating back your exercise calories. It will also help to eat more whole foods - fresh fruits, veggies and lean protein. I looked at your diary and noticed a lot of processed foods and dips.

CoachReddy

You know this is most likely a joke right?

yeah no. it's most likely not.

FeelingLessChubby

Thank you all, I'm amazed how many replies came in just a short while! I've made my diary available. I didn't complete yesterday because I can't remember what I ate. And I'm not doing any exercise whatsoever, except walking to and from bus stop five days a week, which adds up to no more than 10 minutes in total.

Thank you jadeyq1 - I'll check out your link and will check all other suggestions as well.

FeelingLessChubby

You know this is most likely a joke right?

What is, my post?

astrampe

You had chicken nuggets, bread and a sugary juice.....of course you will be hungry, your blood sugar will drop through the floor after that...There is no substance in the food you eat - you need more protein, vegetables, and less refined carbs and sugars.... And 1200 is really not enough.....

prattiger65

You know this is most likely a joke right?

yeah no. it's most likely not.

Sadly, I agree Coach.

FeelingLessChubby

That was just today, check the rest of the week to see what I'm doing wrong!

MaryJane_8810002

I've been doing the food diary for a week now, and I have not once been able to eat 1200 calories... I found I cover this just with breakfast and lunch alone! Come dinner time (around 6pm) I'm absolutely starving every day, so I can't just skip dinner...

I'm really sorry if this sounds whiney, but the food diary has had an opposite effect - instead of making me more motivated to make better food choices, is has massively brought me down, to the point where I just want to chuck the whole thing and say "screw this", and eat what I want... I can't go without dinner, and if I just eat less for breakfast and lunch I'm absolutely famished!

Whine over it's been only a week and I'm stuck.

Why don't you just make better decisions?

Like do you really need an entire baguette for breakfast? How about eating half and adding a banana? It saves you 100 calories and has more nutrients and fiber.

Avoid beverages with the word "drink" in it because it means its not real and/ or loaded with lots of refined sugar. Try 100% juices and stick with just 8 oz per serving (add water if you have to)

As a vegan I have this belief where every meal has to has at least one serving of fruit. I have to have one bowl of spinach a day ( I hate lettuce, too much water) and have at least two vegetables per meal after breakfast. By the end of the day I am full, have lots of fiber and in most cases am under my caloric goal.

You just have to think about nutrient density and how it will benefit your body.:

I.E. Would you eat the candy bar or the cup of Greek yogurt with real berries? Same calories but which one will keep you satiated?

jordanweaver323

I suggest going to different sites and seeing how many calories you can comfortably eat a day and still lose. Personally, MFP put me at 1300. I felt horrible everyday, and it was hard to make choices, then, when I would go over, I'd want to quit. So, I checked some sites and realized I could eat probably 1400 a day and still lose. So I adjusted my settings, and I eat around that number. If I'm 100 over, I take a deep breath and remeber that this is a long term journey, not a sprint. If I'm 100 under, I relish the feeling of success. Just find what works for you and go for it. Just remeber not to stress.

If you need a friend for support you can add me.

LittleMissDover

You mostly eat high calorie, low nutrient foods which will leave you hungry and pretty much no vegetables or salad. Try porridge for breakfast for starters. A large salad with couscous and fish/meat for lunch. Low cal snacks such as popcorn (around 100 cals for a decent serving) etc.

The problem is the kinds of foods you're eating plus you most likely need to up your calorie allowance.

Looking at your diary I assume you're in the UK? Add me for ideas if you want.

katejkelley

Perhaps you need to readjust your weight loss goals. Not everyone can suddenly drop to 1200 calories a day. Also, remember when you exercise, you should eat back those calories. For me, many days that is the difference between a short walk and a long walk! Also, I know the biggest advantages of MFP I've found are I've become so aware of portion sizes and what KIND of calories are in the foods I eat. If I can eat more food containing fewer trans fats and bad carbs as opposed to a cheeseburger, I'm generally going to go with the "more food" option. It's not easy to make the transition, but I hope you will stick with it. Not only is this a weight loss site, it helps people transition to a healthier lifestyle. It's really worth it!

FeelingLessChubby

I checked that BMR thing and it said I could eat 1512 calories a day. Then it said to speed up weight loss I could eat 200 - 300 calories less - and that brings me back to 1200 recommended on this site...