1200 Calories

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Lola824
Lola824 Posts: 96 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I have trouble some days staying within the 1200 calories even though I eat healthy. I'm new here and am wondering if anyone has any tips on how to stay within this limit without starving! Thanks!
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  • kelbwjax
    kelbwjax Posts: 89 Member
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    That is very low for calorie intake, have you calculated your Tdee number?
  • burbanum
    burbanum Posts: 38 Member
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    I agree that 1200 is VERY low. i know that if you put in lose 2 lbs per week often MFP will give you that number, but it is very hard to live comfortably for any length of time at 1200 calories. I would consider figuring out your TDEE or total daily calorie ecpenditure and then taking 15-20% of a calrie cut from that to be more liveable and sustainable :)
    Brittany
  • Karentrobe
    Karentrobe Posts: 33 Member
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    That is very low for calorie intake, have you calculated your Tdee number?

    thats what mine is too and it seems like im eating all day unless i eat unhealthy like today i had pizza and a sandwhich an two organes, greek yogurt and trail mix came out to like 1371.
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
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    Not enough food.

    Eat healthy calorie dense food.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    You do not need to eat so low. I started out that way till I found out it's not a good idea for many reasons.
  • OspreyVista
    OspreyVista Posts: 464 Member
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    Calculate your TDEE and BMR ( You can google them and have calculators come up) Eat above your BMR but below your TDEE. For example: My BMR is 1370 calories and my TDEE is 1720. I have mine set to 1500. It's best to eat above your bmr because your bmr is what they would feed you in the hospital if you were in a coma. It's the amount of calories you burn without moving at all. Just my suggestion :)
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
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    1200 i s way to few
  • Bonnnnie47
    Bonnnnie47 Posts: 3
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    Personally, 1,200 calories is not enough for me to survive throughout the day. From personal experience, my body went into starvation mode from not consuming enough calories. Figure out your BMR and take it from there. That's what really helped me! :)
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    Here read this to work out what you should be eating.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
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    and 1200 cal is too few u will gain and go into starvation mode
  • purple4sure05
    purple4sure05 Posts: 287 Member
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    For me personally, I find it pretty doable to stay under 1200 per day. I just make sure to use veggies and fruits to keep myself full all day. I ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast, a bagel for lunch, a lean cuisine for dinner, plus the fruits and veggies, plus some seeds/pretzels/other decent snacks and an occasional dessert. Just look for low calorie foods that you wouldn't mind eating large amounts of like carrots or cucumbers, and then eat smaller portions of the higher calorie foods.
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
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    Not enough food.

    Eat healthy calorie dense food.

    how does calorie dense food help?

    1200 is 1200 even if its made out of peanut butter and coconut cream.
  • ChangingLifestyles
    ChangingLifestyles Posts: 117
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    I have trouble some days staying within the 1200 calories even though I eat healthy. I'm new here and am wondering if anyone has any tips on how to stay within this limit without starving! Thanks!

    I'd slowly decrease the calories
  • vidasana87
    vidasana87 Posts: 75
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    I'm so disappointed when I see people answering questions based off "hearsay".

    1200 calories, in many cases, is not too low- at all.

    Everyone is different, and everyone's caloric requirements will vary.

    1200 is what I aim for everyday, and am sometimes under this amount. I am a healthy 130lb's at 5 ft 7. No starvation mode here!

    Do whatever is best for YOU :) If you notice "results" eating around 1200 calories, stick to it! I promise, you won't starve.
  • LeahT84
    LeahT84 Posts: 202 Member
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    Not enough food.

    Eat healthy calorie dense food.

    how does calorie dense food help?

    1200 is 1200 even if its made out of peanut butter and coconut cream.

    It's not rocket science. Calorie dense food=eating more for your calories and not feeling as hungry because you had a lot more than a tablespoon of peanut butter and a cup of coconut milk.
  • schonkreuz
    schonkreuz Posts: 493 Member
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    I'm so disappointed when I see people answering questions based off "hearsay".

    1200 calories, in many cases, is not too low- at all.

    Everyone is different, and everyone's caloric requirements will vary.

    1200 is what I aim for everyday, and am sometimes under this amount. I am a healthy 130lb's at 5 ft 7. No starvation mode here!

    Do whatever is best for YOU :) If you notice "results" eating around 1200 calories, stick to it! I promise, you won't starve.

    I totally agree! I eat between 1200 and 1300 and never go to bed hungry. It's the choices you make ie lots of fruits and veggies like you said. Only drinking water and unsweetened tea helps loads, why drink 300 cals when I can eat it.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    Personally, 1,200 calories is not enough for me to survive throughout the day. From personal experience, my body went into starvation mode from not consuming enough calories. Figure out your BMR and take it from there. That's what really helped me! :)

    no, no, and no ...

    sorry but you can't eat 1200 calories a day and be in starvation mode...

    Starvation mode is not eating a think for 72 hours...think starving people in Africa..that is starvation mode...
  • vidasana87
    vidasana87 Posts: 75
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    AMEN. This ridiculous "starvation mode" banter drives me nuts. :)
    and 1200 cal is too few u will gain and go into starvation mode

    This is a bullsh!t answer. Not everyone needs more than 1200, and you don't GAIN weight, you just lose it slower or stop losing if you go into starvation mode. IDK why so many people think that what works for them works for everyone else and that their way is the only way.

    To the OP: I eat 1200-1350 most days. Once in a while I allow myself to go over. I eat a lot of veggies with my meals because they are so low in calories that you can have a lot and stay within your calorie goal. This has worked for me. I have lost 35 pounds in 11 weeks, I'm never starving, and I feel amazing. For breakfast, I eat egg white omelets with veggies and fat-free cheese... why just the egg whites? Because it saves me calories for later in the day. Same reason I use the fat free cheese, it's low cal. I eat sandwiches with lots of veggies or wraps with lots of veggies for lunch, and for dinner, I usually have chicken or fish with either salad or rice and hot veggies of some sort. If you want to do a 1200 cal diet, don't let others push you to change what you're doing because this is about YOU and you need to do what is right for YOU. What works for you is ALL THAT MATTERS!
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
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    Not enough food.

    Eat healthy calorie dense food.

    how does calorie dense food help?

    1200 is 1200 even if its made out of peanut butter and coconut cream.

    Some people can't bare to eat more than small amount by the end of the day, a tablespoon of peanubutter or a small handful of nuts will give you an extra 100 calories. I mean calorie dense as in, it's a small amount of food but it's calorie dense.
  • red0801
    red0801 Posts: 283 Member
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    For me personally, I find it pretty doable to stay under 1200 per day. I just make sure to use veggies and fruits to keep myself full all day. I ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast, a bagel for lunch, a lean cuisine for dinner, plus the fruits and veggies, plus some seeds/pretzels/other decent snacks and an occasional dessert. Just look for low calorie foods that you wouldn't mind eating large amounts of like carrots or cucumbers, and then eat smaller portions of the higher calorie foods.

    Fantastic suggestion!!

    The most overlooked tool in weight loss is the food pyramid. They give the body the fuel it NEEDS to burn off the excess.

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