Hi, Sfergy!


Generally speaking, 1200 calories per day, is the recommended allotment for a sedentary woman. That is, someone that has little to no exercise. On 1200 calories per day, and without exercise, I am not surprised that you are maintaining versus losing. That's not to say you can't lose weight this route but by diet alone - it's a toss up. If you want to jumpstart your metabolism, I would suggest discussing the types of exercise you can do with your PT, obviously you don't want to cause yourself any damage or postpone recovery. I would think that any workout in the water (pool) would be beneficial. Maybe consider this? Swimming burns calories quickly and gets your system circulating. You don't need to get crazy doing laps but exercise will jumpstart that metabolism.


If you aren't going to include exercise, and focus mainly on diet, think about your food choices. Carbs are terrible metabolisers. Carbs turn into sugar, and sugars are tough on the body to breakdown. Focus on clean eating, and pick foods that will contribute to jumpstarting your metabolism.


Some questions..


How soon did you start this cutback to 1200 calories per day? If you've done this cold turkey, you may need to boost up your caloric intake to something more workable. Maybe take it up a notch to 1500 calories, for example, and aim to shoot below that limit. Sometimes your body can go into shock if suddenly introduced to a new routine. Listen to what your body is telling you. Believe it or not, weight loss is less about food restriction and more about what you eat.


Eta.. A tip about feeling HUNGRY.


- When you get the urge to eat, drink a glass of water.
Many times, our bodies translate the signal of dehydration to being hungry.

- Still hungry? Eat a piece of fruit.
This is a great alternative to breads, for example, and takes care of that sweet tooth!

If you are genuinely STILL hungry after doing step 1 and 2, then reconsider your allotted calories. Best of luck.

Keep truckin'! And best of luck!