1200 too low?

LadyIvysMom
LadyIvysMom Posts: 391 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all,

I'm new here. I am new to weight loss in general.

My backstory: I was skinny my whole life literally until about 3 months ago. I am on some anti-depressents (prozac, gabapentin and hydroxyzine) which had slowed my metabolism to next to nothing and I went from 120 to 130 during the start of this year without any diet change. But then I went from being 130 to 160 in under 3 months when I started a new medication (buspirone). I was eating slightly more but not that much.

I model (well, I did until this all happened) so not only is this weight gain bad for my health and making me depressed, it's also costing me jobs.

A friend recommended this site to me. I'm 5'4 and I put in my starting weight at 157 because I literally fluctuate between 154 and 159 throughout the day. This site set me at 1200 calorie a day diet which I am finding is extremely hard for me to do. Even with cutting out snacks and eating very small portions, I seem to go over every day, even when I walk a lot. I have been more tired this week than I have been in a long time and I find that I am always slightly hungry.

I want to get back to 120 and I want to do it before my anniversary on Oct 31. My weight gain has also had some pretty negative effects on my marriage. I have started weaning myself off of the medication and following a diet and walking more. I've been at it for a week. I've started weighing myself in the AM only and find that it's consistently 153.6 so I adjusted my weight on here yesterday. Then I completed my diary for the day. I had a net of 1497 calories and it said it will take me 5 weeks to even get to 151.4 if I keep up like that.

5 weeks to lose 2.2 lbs?? That seems off. Or am I just extremely unrealistic?
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Replies

  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,728 Member
    1200 is too low for many people. If it's too hard for you to do, it can cause you to binge, which will derail all your hard work. So, it's better to eat more, at a rate you are comfortable with, but still at a deficit.

    As for your weight, everyone's weight fluctuates throughout the day and from day to day. You should pick one day a week at one specific time and only weigh then. Also, measurements (inches) are more exact than weight. Muscle will lean you out without making you lose as much weight.

    Going from 157 to 120 in 11 weeks is very ambitious. You should aim for about .5 pounds per week (because you really don't weigh that much and you're not very tall. However, some weeks you may find you lose 3 or more pounds and other weeks 0 pounds. The .5 is an average.
  • JenMull44
    JenMull44 Posts: 226 Member
    I started this journey in April at your exact meaurements (5'4,160). I have been sticking to a 1200 per day and it works for me.
    I also work out 5 days a week and do eat back my exercise calories on occasion (couple times a week) but never more than 200-300
    calories.
    Many peopel on here will tell you that is too low. I have now lost 22 lbs and feel incredible. My goal weight is much higher than yours (130)
    but I am sticking to what works. I am not gonna lie to you, it hurt the first couple months and I went to bed hungry many a nights.
    If I had to do it over again I would still stick with the 1200 calories for the first three months.Once you hit your goal weight you can
    up it too 200 -300 more per day as your metabolism will be ready for the change.
    Good Luck !
  • jkleon86
    jkleon86 Posts: 245 Member
    log you walking under exercise and it adds calories to you day also. you are suppost eat back you exercise calories.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Five weeks to lose a couple of pounds is very realistic. You can lose that amount in water weight in a matter of days. Wrestlers and boxers can give you tips on losing water weight. :tongue:

    If you are a model, I would worry much less about the scale and much more about the mirror. Do some body weight training each day, such as pushups, and work on lowering your body fat percentage. When you are two pounds from your goal, it's nothing to trip on, imo. :smile:
  • MsHolly731
    MsHolly731 Posts: 54 Member
    A 1,200 calorie diet is not always the best way to lose weight, as you should be eating at least your BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories that your body burns on a daily basis to maintain your lean body mass. Knowing your BMR is the first piece of the puzzle that you need to understand if you're going to lose weight and keep it off forever..

    Here's some information I've grabbed from a few places on the web that summarizes it.

    "Unless you are morbidly obese or seriously up there on the BMI for obese, eating under BMR is highly discouraged for health reasons. It can be really hard on your heart to eat less. Especially suddenly eating way less than you have been and not supplying your body enough food to survive.

    If you want to lose weight, and look good while doing so, you want to lose as much fat as possible without losing a lot of muscle as well. Eating at least your BMR in calories will help you maintain the muscle you do have (exercise also greatly increases the amount of muscle you get to keep). It ensures your body has enough fuel for everything that keeps you alive AND maintaining lean body mass, bone density and higher brain functions.

    Eating less than your BMR leads to metabolic disruption. For instance, your hair, skin and nails are all 'alive' and need energy to be sustained. If you eat less than you BMR, less important bodily functions like this become down regulated… hence the dry skin and hair and brittle nails of many low kcal, low fat dieters. You also lower production or important hormones which are key to a healthy metabolism including testosterone (in both males and females) and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) which as you can imagine is involved directly with your metabolism. If you eat under your BMR long enough, you can even start losing bone density, making your bones more brittle and easier to break.

    I was wondering why I would always seem to lose quite a bit of hair when I got out of the shower. I'm thinking this may have been the case!

    Here's the calculator if you want to find out how many calories you should be eating:

    Fat 2 Fit Radio: www.fat2fitradio.com

    To adjust to my BMR range on the site here, I had to change my settings to lose 1lb a week, which is the recommended on MFP.
  • poedunk65
    poedunk65 Posts: 1,336 Member
    My thinking is that somehow you put in some wrong info. Maybe reclassify your lifestyle.

    Also I would talk to you doctor about it. If your working out regularly you can eat a little more too.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    This is a common side effect of antidepressants. It is also a perfect thing to talk to the doctor who prescribed your antidepressants about. He/she may also be able to send you to a nutritionist if your insurance covers it.

    As a model, you're particularly vulnerable to eating disorders just because of the people around you. I'd definitely talk to the doctor

    In terms of having a hard time sticking to 1200 . . .

    There are a number of tricks you can use to stick to your calories and make you less hungry. Use them.

    1. eat chicken broth or similar before meals to help you feel full and eat less. Put low cal munchies on the table so you eat a long time (carrots, radishes, celery, blueberries)

    2. eat small amounts of nuts throughout the day that are high in protein and fat to keep you full. I eat a few cashews (2-3) whenever I'm hungry. They make me feel stuffed.

    3. chew slowly

    4. drink water. often when I'm thirsty I think I'm hungry

    5. look at your diary and drop the things that have lots of calories but aren't that tasty or satisfying. For me, it was bread, rice, and tortillas. I like them, but I found lower cal substitutes that worked as well. I was reading the labels on sausage yesterday and what looked to be the same thing went from 200-600 calories.

    When I was a kid, my mom always said you needed to 'shrink your stomach' so it retrained itself to feel satiated. I know that's not true, but it is true that over the last 3 months I've gone from being a little hungry all the time on 1470 calories to feeling stuffed at 950. It's what and how I'm eating. And now I have space for a little chocolate and some ice cream for dessert. :)
  • christinacrisfield
    christinacrisfield Posts: 77 Member
    1200 may be too low. After I lost 30 pounds I changed my calorie intake to 1400/1500. Some days I eat back my exercise, some days I don't. The more weight you want to lose the less calories you will want to eat. But you should never eat less than 1200. You have to think about why you want to lose the weight. Now that I am closer to my goal I am willing to go slower - a pound a week loss versus my previous 2 pound a week loss. The reason for this - I want to keep this weight off forever. So I am trying not to rush myself since I'm not just losing weight - I'm training my body to function better and healthier.
  • NewFitKeri
    NewFitKeri Posts: 190 Member
    Hey Sweetie!

    I have been in your shoes! I went from in the 150's to 230's due to my bipolar medications. Weight loss is important, yes. But so is your mental health. Please do not stop taking your meds or play around with them. I know how hard it can be to feel out of control of your body due to meds, but you just need to find the right combo of fitness to counter balence the meds. It will take just a bit, but stay strong and patient. It's not easy, I know, but with your meds AND weight loss you will feel better than ever!

    I am here if you need anything!
  • Dino924
    Dino924 Posts: 47 Member
    I find it hard to stick to 1200 too, it sucks being short! Instead of jumping right to 1200, set your goal to 1400 for a week or so, then 1350 and work you way down. When I started this I was shooting for 1350 and was hungry all the time, but after 2 weeks it was better, and now I'm trying for 1200 a day.

    What is your weight loss rate? Try 1 lb a week or 0.5 pound per week and see how many calories you should eat.

    I usually eat back all my exercise calories.
  • KarmaxKitty
    KarmaxKitty Posts: 901 Member
    I'm also 5-4. Trust, 1200 was WAY too low for me. It's too low for a lot of people. I felt groggy all the time and sick and just plain weak. It wasn't until I upped my calories that I had the energy to do workouts and other active things. Your weight loss goals are very ambitious, but think about WHY you want to lose weight. Sometimes, the best losses are the slowest ones. They don't automatically jump back on. Sometimes it's better to eat more and lose slow. (I learned it the hard way...)
  • FitBunnyEm
    FitBunnyEm Posts: 320
    I started this journey in April at your exact meaurements (5'4,160). I have been sticking to a 1200 per day and it works for me.
    I also work out 5 days a week and do eat back my exercise calories on occasion (couple times a week) but never more than 200-300
    calories.
    Many peopel on here will tell you that is too low. I have now lost 22 lbs and feel incredible. My goal weight is much higher than yours (130)
    but I am sticking to what works. I am not gonna lie to you, it hurt the first couple months and I went to bed hungry many a nights.
    If I had to do it over again I would still stick with the 1200 calories for the first three months.Once you hit your goal weight you can
    up it too 200 -300 more per day as your metabolism will be ready for the change.
    Good Luck !
    so nice to hear ^^ im the same as the above, its working for me. x
  • Mlbutlertn
    Mlbutlertn Posts: 3 Member
    Do calculate your BMR as mentioned by another AND take measurements to also track your progress. You need to have a deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound. It is recommended that you calculate your BMR and create a deficit of approximately 500 calories per day to lose 1 pound per week. You can do this by either eating 500 calories less or by increasing your activity level and thus burning calories. Preferably both. I can typically burn 300-600 calories per workout, depending on the type exercise. Combo of diet and exercise is always preferred and much more effective than doing either alone. research what i'm saying to find it's true. i've read these statements in many places. Myfitnesspal helps calculate your everyday basal caloric expenditure and based on your goals, adjusts your calories so that you can lose at a reasonable pace. Because it based on a resting BMR, it allows you to add back your calories when you exercise. Don't go below 1200 calories per day, but try to create that 500 calorie deficit and you should be able to make the 1pd per weekgoal. Your goal of 30 pounds or so by Oct 31 is a little hopeful. I would aim for more like 8-10 pds. that might be more acheiveable. Good luck!!
  • skonly
    skonly Posts: 371
    Your weight gain has had negative effects on your marriage? That stuck out to me. I hope your husband isn't bashing you for it.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    I guess it depends. If you're not looking to gain any muscle mass (are you a fashion model?) then 1200 miiiight be fine. But if you're hungry all the time, it's too low. Losing weight doesn't mean learning how to deal with being hungry. 1500 seems to be a pretty good middle-of-the-road number for people to shoot for in the beginning. You won't gain or lose massive amounts of weight, but you can get an idea for where to start.
  • akdoxrud
    akdoxrud Posts: 22
    This is a common side effect of antidepressants. It is also a perfect thing to talk to the doctor who prescribed your antidepressants about. He/she may also be able to send you to a nutritionist if your insurance covers it.

    As a model, you're particularly vulnerable to eating disorders just because of the people around you. I'd definitely talk to the doctor.

    I totally agree with this. I'm on antidepessants, anti-anxiety and an anti-psychotic. I know they can make you gain weight, but I would talk to your doctor about switching you to something else. I was at 1300 calories and I found it nearly impossible too. I switched my lifestyle to from sedentary to lightly active (or whatever the next higher one was) and it added 200 calories and I'm losing weight.

    My psychiatrist told me that exercise is good for the brain, so it should help with the depression or anxiety. And get some sunshine in the morning. :happy:
  • vedahanks
    vedahanks Posts: 10 Member
    .........................................
  • vedahanks
    vedahanks Posts: 10 Member
    A 1,200 calorie diet is not always the best way to lose weight, as you should be eating at least your BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories that your body burns on a daily basis to maintain your lean body mass. Knowing your BMR is the first piece of the puzzle that you need to understand if you're going to lose weight and keep it off forever..

    Here's some information I've grabbed from a few places on the web that summarizes it.

    "Unless you are morbidly obese or seriously up there on the BMI for obese, eating under BMR is highly discouraged for health reasons. It can be really hard on your heart to eat less. Especially suddenly eating way less than you have been and not supplying your body enough food to survive.

    If you want to lose weight, and look good while doing so, you want to lose as much fat as possible without losing a lot of muscle as well. Eating at least your BMR in calories will help you maintain the muscle you do have (exercise also greatly increases the amount of muscle you get to keep). It ensures your body has enough fuel for everything that keeps you alive AND maintaining lean body mass, bone density and higher brain functions.

    Eating less than your BMR leads to metabolic disruption. For instance, your hair, skin and nails are all 'alive' and need energy to be sustained. If you eat less than you BMR, less important bodily functions like this become down regulated… hence the dry skin and hair and brittle nails of many low kcal, low fat dieters. You also lower production or important hormones which are key to a healthy metabolism including testosterone (in both males and females) and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) which as you can imagine is involved directly with your metabolism. If you eat under your BMR long enough, you can even start losing bone density, making your bones more brittle and easier to break.

    I was wondering why I would always seem to lose quite a bit of hair when I got out of the shower. I'm thinking this may have been the case!

    Here's the calculator if you want to find out how many calories you should be eating:

    Fat 2 Fit Radio: www.fat2fitradio.com

    To adjust to my BMR range on the site here, I had to change my settings to lose 1lb a week, which is the recommended on MFP.

    This is very helpful! Thank you for sharing!!
  • jjh1024
    jjh1024 Posts: 36
    I too have been in your shoes. Please take your medication. You are on them for a reason. I have been on a couple that you are. Both the buspar and gabapentian can cause weight gain, I am not sure about the others. Ask the doctor and see what they have to say. There may be other alternatives; otherwise you are going to have to fight against them but I can tell you that it can work. I am still on my medications, because I have to be for many reason now and I am still losing weight. It just takes a little longer and is tad harder to do. Hard work can and will prevail. Also as you loose the weight you will start feeling better about yourself. Just stick to you please. I too eat 1200, or close too. I have learned though that I can eat more then that and still lose. Find out what works for you!
  • vidvox
    vidvox Posts: 62 Member
    I am on some similar medications and I can relate to the weight gain they can cause. But I would caution you not to wean off your meds without talking to your doctor first. Being thinner is great but not if it takes a toll on your mental health. Please speak to your doctor and mention your concerns about weight gain and how it is affecting your work and personal life. Hopefully they can switch you to something with fewer side effects. Best wishes. :)
  • lovelycandy
    lovelycandy Posts: 2
    Yea it is low, but keep trying with it. Try and plan out meals that consist with you feeling like you actually ate but are low. Being a model means that you were beautiful. I am a size 14 and I've modeled for "plus size". No matter what the damn scale says be happy with who you are. Just make sure you do things the healthy way. And the normal amout of weight that you lose the better it wont return worse.
    -Candy
  • reenasamaan
    reenasamaan Posts: 66 Member
    A 1,200 calorie diet is not always the best way to lose weight, as you should be eating at least your BMR: Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) is the number of calories that your body burns on a daily basis to maintain your lean body mass. Knowing your BMR is the first piece of the puzzle that you need to understand if you're going to lose weight and keep it off forever..

    Here's some information I've grabbed from a few places on the web that summarizes it.

    "Unless you are morbidly obese or seriously up there on the BMI for obese, eating under BMR is highly discouraged for health reasons. It can be really hard on your heart to eat less. Especially suddenly eating way less than you have been and not supplying your body enough food to survive.

    If you want to lose weight, and look good while doing so, you want to lose as much fat as possible without losing a lot of muscle as well. Eating at least your BMR in calories will help you maintain the muscle you do have (exercise also greatly increases the amount of muscle you get to keep). It ensures your body has enough fuel for everything that keeps you alive AND maintaining lean body mass, bone density and higher brain functions.

    Eating less than your BMR leads to metabolic disruption. For instance, your hair, skin and nails are all 'alive' and need energy to be sustained. If you eat less than you BMR, less important bodily functions like this become down regulated… hence the dry skin and hair and brittle nails of many low kcal, low fat dieters. You also lower production or important hormones which are key to a healthy metabolism including testosterone (in both males and females) and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) which as you can imagine is involved directly with your metabolism. If you eat under your BMR long enough, you can even start losing bone density, making your bones more brittle and easier to break.

    I was wondering why I would always seem to lose quite a bit of hair when I got out of the shower. I'm thinking this may have been the case!

    Here's the calculator if you want to find out how many calories you should be eating:

    Fat 2 Fit Radio: www.fat2fitradio.com

    To adjust to my BMR range on the site here, I had to change my settings to lose 1lb a week, which is the recommended on MFP.

    Thanks for posting this! However, I went to this website and to lose 7 lbs (From 125 lbs to 117 lbs, my goal), it's telling me to eat 2,800 calories a day to lose weight! How can this be right? Has anyone had success with these models? I've lost 10 lbs since March (135-125) and that's from staying at around 1,500. I can't imagine losing weight by eating almost twice as much (plus that just seems really hard to eat that much unless you ate pizza and ice cream all day). Thoughts?

    What's worked for me - and I initially started at 175 lbs, is a net calorie goal of about 8,000-8,500 calories a week after exercise. I don't feel deprived (I love wine) and if I go a little over, it doesn't really affect me either way. Good luck!
  • likemeinvisible
    likemeinvisible Posts: 309
    You are not exercising in an effective manner, you do many short walks which don't let your muscle adapt to a fat burning state.
    Make long walks. Start slowly and after 20-30 min increase your pace and go slow again to cool off 10 min before you stop.
    If you can incorporate short bouts of running into the fast phase you will burn even more. run as slow as you can, don't sprint.
    At first you will want to eat more from a long workout, but over time your body will adapt and it will be much easier to keep up with your diet.
  • pinthin87
    pinthin87 Posts: 296 Member
    If you are having a hard time sticking to 1200 then I would manually adjust your settings. Use a BMR and TDEE calculator and use those figures to determine how many calories you consume daily. I am set at 1200 and sometimes it is hard, I just make sure to log anything that burns calories as exercise so I can eat those cals too. I usually net around 1000-1200 daily, but my actually consumtion on most days is between 1500-1700 calories. Don't starve yourself hun it isn't worth it. If you would like to add me so you can view my diary please do. I am always willing to offer help and support. :-) Just don't look too hard at Wednesday I cheated that day this week...lol.
  • littlejobo120
    littlejobo120 Posts: 72 Member
    I wrote a reply on a thread similar to this the other day and a couple of people have come back and said that they found it helpful so hopefully it will help you too.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/692123-feedback-on-my-diary-please-please-please

    If you or anyone else would like to add me as a friend, please feel free to do so.

    Good luck!
  • Angie_Fritts
    Angie_Fritts Posts: 263 Member
    Many antidepressants have the side effect of weight gain. No matter what you eat or do you will gain weight. Ask your doctor to prescribe a medication that does not have that side effect. I take Welbutrin XL and it does not have the side effect of weight gain. It actually is supposed to actually decrease your appetite.

    As to the calories counts........look at what your eating not just the calories. Some foods are more satisfying than others. If you eat alot of processed carbs then you will be hungry alot. Try adding more protein into your diet. That will help.

    Good Luck on your journey!!
  • ThaiMunkey
    ThaiMunkey Posts: 5 Member
    Your weight gain has had negative effects on your marriage? That stuck out to me. I hope your husband isn't bashing you for it.

    ^^Agreed.
  • conkle23
    conkle23 Posts: 171 Member
    Whoever tells you 1200 calories works, is wrong. If they say that, they are not getting all of there nutrition. It is not possible to get all of your nutrition in with 1200 calories, and hence 1200 calories is the minimum any doctor or specialist will tellyou.
  • addaline22
    addaline22 Posts: 114
    for your size it isnt to low, but you are in a unique situation. your meds are going to do things to your body like increase appetite and decrease metabolism and that sucks, but on the positive side, you are taking care of your mental health and that is awesome!!! You should talk with your doctor and tell them what you are doing, and as a rule for diet foods, more fiber, protien and whole grains will be good for your body and appetite. in the mean time, melons and berries have both and will keep you feeling good and full. Good luck!
  • dogwhisperette
    dogwhisperette Posts: 177 Member
    I started this journey in April at your exact meaurements (5'4,160). I have been sticking to a 1200 per day and it works for me.
    I also work out 5 days a week and do eat back my exercise calories on occasion (couple times a week) but never more than 200-300
    calories.
    Many peopel on here will tell you that is too low. I have now lost 22 lbs and feel incredible. My goal weight is much higher than yours (130)
    but I am sticking to what works. I am not gonna lie to you, it hurt the first couple months and I went to bed hungry many a nights.
    If I had to do it over again I would still stick with the 1200 calories for the first three months.Once you hit your goal weight you can
    up it too 200 -300 more per day as your metabolism will be ready for the change.
    Good Luck !
    so nice to hear ^^ im the same as the above, its working for me. x

    Exactly the same boat for me too!

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