"i'm having a hard time eating 1200 calories..."
underwater77
Posts: 331 Member
Maybe I am just a pig, but I think keeping to 1200 calories is tough.
I workout hard every day. It's been a struggle lately to stay at or below 1200-1500 calories and I wonder if that is why I am not really losing. I am 5'4 138 lb right now and would love to get down to 125. I haven't missed a day of spin in nearly a month and I swim probably 3-4 days a week on top of spin and usually do light weights/push-ups/sit-ups in the morning.
What do you eat where you find it difficult to get TO 1200 calories?
I workout hard every day. It's been a struggle lately to stay at or below 1200-1500 calories and I wonder if that is why I am not really losing. I am 5'4 138 lb right now and would love to get down to 125. I haven't missed a day of spin in nearly a month and I swim probably 3-4 days a week on top of spin and usually do light weights/push-ups/sit-ups in the morning.
What do you eat where you find it difficult to get TO 1200 calories?
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Replies
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If your working out that much I'd say u definitely need more than 1200.
Buti can see why some people struggle to get to 1200 on certain days ( definitely not every day though)
Try your self going a day just eating fresh fruit and veg and salad with no condiments or anything .. 1200 cals of that is a huge volume of food .0 -
As much working out as you are doing, you probably need to be netting about 1600 a day not 1200. MANY people here, myself included, got over a plateau when we upped our calories and ate more.0
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It's one thing to only eat 1200 calories. It's different to NET 1200 calories when you work out.. That gives me a lot more wiggle room and extra food.. More like 1500 and above.
Two cups of spring mix (which is quite a plate full) is only 20 calories. I could have a lunch under 200 calories easily. Eating lots of fruits and veggies keeps your calories down while keeping you full and providing good nutrients.0 -
^ what she said!0
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Yup; eat lots and lots of fruits and veggies.
Heres an idea:
A fun salad with spring mix (mix of different lettuces), fruit (strawberries, blueberries, mangos), a hint of protein (tofu, chicken, nuts), and a spoonful of cottage cheese.. YUM
Also snack ideas:
rasperries, edamame hummus, baby carrots, SMALL amount of nuts
Breakfast ideas:
oatmeal, yogurt
Easy Switches:
regular milk --> soy milk (a lot fewer calories)
bean dip --> hummus (edamame hummus)
chips ---> roasted sea weed, carrots,
candy --> frozen fruit! (grapes, blue berries)
Hope this helps!0 -
try oatmeal, it's filling and nutritious and low calorie. also make sure you are getting enough fiber. if you are exercising that much, i don't see why you're not losing weight. maybe you could try a biotin supplement. it's vitamin b and supports proper metabolism.
disclaimer: these are just suggestions from a fellow dieter i am by no means an expert in any way whatsoever.0 -
Protein helps.0
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Feel free to look at my diary, Ive been on mfp for 150 days and I eat 1200 calories every day0
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Yup; eat lots and lots of fruits and veggies.
Heres an idea:
A fun salad with spring mix (mix of different lettuces), fruit (strawberries, blueberries, mangos), a hint of protein (tofu, chicken, nuts), and a spoonful of cottage cheese.. YUM
Also snack ideas:
rasperries, edamame hummus, baby carrots, SMALL amount of nuts
Breakfast ideas:
oatmeal, yogurt
Easy Switches:
regular milk --> soy milk (a lot fewer calories)
bean dip --> hummus (edamame hummus)
chips ---> roasted sea weed, carrots,
candy --> frozen fruit! (grapes, blue berries)
Hope this helps!
thank you! i will try your suggestions.
i eat a ton fruits and vegetables right now, but they just don't satiate me. i feel like a ravenous pig sometimes when i get home from my day. i am doing everything in my power to keep my dinners to 250-400 cals, which usually means chicken breast or egg whites with veggies (my go to all week).
thank you to everyone - i know there are some things i need to do differently, but man...i wish my problem was trying to scour to eat 1200 calories. haha. oink oink.0 -
Yup; eat lots and lots of fruits and veggies.
Heres an idea:
A fun salad with spring mix (mix of different lettuces), fruit (strawberries, blueberries, mangos), a hint of protein (tofu, chicken, nuts), and a spoonful of cottage cheese.. YUM
Also snack ideas:
rasperries, edamame hummus, baby carrots, SMALL amount of nuts
Breakfast ideas:
oatmeal, yogurt
Easy Switches:
regular milk --> soy milk (a lot fewer calories)
bean dip --> hummus (edamame hummus)
chips ---> roasted sea weed, carrots,
candy --> frozen fruit! (grapes, blue berries)
Hope this helps!
Yum I love roasted seaweed,
For people that aren't used to it though be very careful switching completely to soy milk. It can cause issues for lots of people.0 -
Maybe I am just a pig, but I think keeping to 1200 calories is tough.
I workout hard every day. It's been a struggle lately to stay at or below 1200-1500 calories and I wonder if that is why I am not really losing. I am 5'4 138 lb right now and would love to get down to 125. I haven't missed a day of spin in nearly a month and I swim probably 3-4 days a week on top of spin and usually do light weights/push-ups/sit-ups in the morning.
What do you eat where you find it difficult to get TO 1200 calories?
Take a look at my diary. Up until today, I was at a 1200 calorie diet and I stayed there. I never got hungry, and I never lost energy. But I do a lot of cooking, fruit washing, and I plan ALL my meals in advance so they are balanced. Take a peak. If you need ideas, I can help you; but I am a clean eater so you will have to eat only fresh foods.
13 lbs is doable if you do it right.0 -
Can someone take a look at my diary please and help me... I have aways struggled with anorexia n now im obese. I have a very hard time eating anything more than once a day. Im new to the mfp and im very worried about peoples hatred for not eating. I am here for help in my weight loss journey and feel that im failing misserably.... Help please.0
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Did you eat over 1200 calories a day before joining mfp? I imagine you did. Why is it so hard now? Because you are eating lower calorie foods? Eat more healthy fats. Eat more often. This is not a real problem.0
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Yup; eat lots and lots of fruits and veggies.
Heres an idea:
A fun salad with spring mix (mix of different lettuces), fruit (strawberries, blueberries, mangos), a hint of protein (tofu, chicken, nuts), and a spoonful of cottage cheese.. YUM
Also snack ideas:
rasperries, edamame hummus, baby carrots, SMALL amount of nuts
Breakfast ideas:
oatmeal, yogurt
Easy Switches:
regular milk --> soy milk (a lot fewer calories)
bean dip --> hummus (edamame hummus)
chips ---> roasted sea weed, carrots,
candy --> frozen fruit! (grapes, blue berries)
Hope this helps!
love all of these!
Easy Switches:
regular milk --> soy milk (a lot fewer calories) --> Almond milk is the BEST
bean dip --> hummus (edamame hummus)
chips ---> roasted sea weed, carrots, --> Air popped popcorn is a good swap too!
candy --> frozen fruit! (grapes, blue berries) ---> forzen Bananas are super Yum too! check out this recipe for frozen Banana ice cream (careful with the add ins!) http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2012/08/non-dairy-ice-cream.html0 -
Im now forcing myself to eat. Im eating more now than I have in years.0
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Not what her post says.Did you eat over 1200 calories a day before joining mfp? I imagine you did. Why is it so hard now? Because you are eating lower calorie foods? Eat more healthy fats. Eat more often. This is not a real problem.0 -
Did you eat over 1200 calories a day before joining mfp? I imagine you did. Why is it so hard now? Because you are eating lower calorie foods? Eat more healthy fats. Eat more often. This is not a real problem.
it's hard to eat 1200 or below. i could eat 3000 calories in a day no problem. which IS a real problem.
thanks to everyone! i need to get better about logging too (again, i know i know) and eating at home. full time school/work/working out has been killing me - i eat a lot of salads from restaurants (wildflower, paradise bakery, etc) that can be 600 calories+. i generally burn between 500 and 1000 calories a day, but i usually eat them back. i am always hungry.
which is surprising too - i am not eating out of boredom, it's when i am physically hungry. weird.0 -
She is already assuming a reasonably large deficit from restricting calories in the neighborhood of 800 calories below predicted TDEE. At such a steep deficit from dietary intake, you absolutely do not want to match that by doing a ton of cardio - especially at her build of 5'4" and 138 lbs with not much body fat to lose as a goal.if you are exercising that much, i don't see why you're not losing weight. maybe you could try a biotin supplement. it's vitamin b and supports proper metabolism.
disclaimer: these are just suggestions from a fellow dieter i am by no means an expert in any way whatsoever.0 -
You might try one meal replacement shake, maybe for your breakfast. I do 2 a day and add fresh veggies/fruits for meals and lately i've been trying to not cook. I stay away from anything processed (other than my almond milk). I use unsweetened almond or coconut milk in my shakes and when I have some crackers or something bad once in a while it goes away fast. To avoid pigging out when I get home from work, starving, I have a protein shake before I leave work... that' saves me! Then I just have a small dinner, usually some veggies. Tonight I had a whole cantelope. LOL oh well.
If you opt for meal replacement shakes, do your research. Make sure they are the right one... I use Sun Warrior, i trust them and it tastes good. I throw a scoop of choc powder, a frozen banana, 1 cup almond milk and some water (around 200 calories). Sometimes a few nuts. There are tons of veggie smoothies you could also do, the protein shake I make I find easy though, I freeze the bananas in ziplocks or baggies so they are easy to grab when I'm in a hurry. Gives me nutrients and fills me up, and it gives me my sweet tooth satisfaction! Last year I Lost 25 lbs by doing two shakes a day, but one a day just might solve your problem. Be sure to get lots of fresh fruits/veggies! The more fresh uncooked veggies you eat, the easier to lose weight!0 -
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/711824-some-of-the-reasons-why-people-don-t-lose
Try reading that post. It is helpful to me and it may be for you too. Best of luck!0 -
theres no secret formula. YOU NEED TO EAT MORE. That's it. Nothing else. Go figure out your BMR. Then figure in how much activity you do. Then take away 20% and that's what you should be eating.
I put your numbers in and you should be eating 2100 calories daily to lose. You are not getting enough fuel for all the exercise you do. You will see a change if you eat no more or less than that.
go to this link to see it for yourself.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
Good luck!!0 -
Im now forcing myself to eat. Im eating more now than I have in years.
Glanced at your journal. Where's the Veggies? Where's the Fruit? Where's the Milk or milk substitute? It's not about eating more right this minute. You should start with eating right and then eating more when your body is nourished. How can you expect to be healthy if you are trying to suppress your appetite instead of nourish your body?
Treat you body like it's a pet. You wouldn't feed your pets substance because it wouldn't thrive. But you wouldn't feed it table scraps either because it would catch heart disease. Look up "clean diet" and try that; you'll be glad you did.0 -
really it is not that hard to eat under 1200 calories, especially for people who were once anorexic. We don't feel hungry (or have trained our minds to not register the hungry feelings) and therfore do not eat. There was a time that I would go days without eatting and not once feel hungry. I'm sure I could do it even now but I force myself to log my food intake and eat daily. Don't judge if you have not been there.0
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Another thing: ditch the light resistance training in favor of heavier resistance (6-10 reps until failure) and make sure you are eating a minimum of 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass to ensure you are sparing muscle tissue while dieting. If you do not do these two things, your P-value will demonstrate loss of muscle (protein) during weight loss which is what you want to avoid.0
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Did you eat over 1200 calories a day before joining mfp? I imagine you did. Why is it so hard now? Because you are eating lower calorie foods? Eat more healthy fats. Eat more often. This is not a real problem.
it's hard to eat 1200 or below. i could eat 3000 calories in a day no problem. which IS a real problem.
thanks to everyone! i need to get better about logging too (again, i know i know) and eating at home. full time school/work/working out has been killing me - i eat a lot of salads from restaurants (wildflower, paradise bakery, etc) that can be 600 calories+. i generally burn between 500 and 1000 calories a day, but i usually eat them back. i am always hungry.
which is surprising too - i am not eating out of boredom, it's when i am physically hungry. weird.
Having a low fat diet can result in constantly being hungry too. Make sure you're getting a good amount of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats (polyunsaturated and monunsaturated fats) because they will help you feel full longer. Also, when you eat a carb (veggies and fruits count as carbs) eat a protein with it; this combo is mandatory for hunger pains to go away. 2g carb for every 1g protein is a good ratio.0 -
You did not feel hungry due to your leptin levels being out of whack, which is common in anorexics and others with eating disorders.really it is not that hard to eat under 1200 calories, especially for people who were once anorexic. We don't feel hungry (or have trained our minds to not register the hungry feelings) and therfore do not eat. There was a time that I would go days without eatting and not once feel hungry. I'm sure I could do it even now but I force myself to log my food intake and eat daily. Don't judge if you have not been there.0 -
Maybe I am just a pig, but I think keeping to 1200 calories is tough.
I workout hard every day. It's been a struggle lately to stay at or below 1200-1500 calories and I wonder if that is why I am not really losing. I am 5'4 138 lb right now and would love to get down to 125. I haven't missed a day of spin in nearly a month and I swim probably 3-4 days a week on top of spin and usually do light weights/push-ups/sit-ups in the morning.
What do you eat where you find it difficult to get TO 1200 calories?
Oh, another thing, if you are exercising, you shouldn't be at 1200 calories unless you mean your NET calories (the calories AFTER your exercise). Also, exercise of any type REQUIRES protein intake. I haven't looked at your journal or tried to, but make sure your protein is at 25% minimum on weeks you're swimming/spinning.0 -
You did not feel hungry due to your leptin levels being out of whack, which is common in anorexics and others with eating disorders.really it is not that hard to eat under 1200 calories, especially for people who were once anorexic. We don't feel hungry (or have trained our minds to not register the hungry feelings) and therfore do not eat. There was a time that I would go days without eatting and not once feel hungry. I'm sure I could do it even now but I force myself to log my food intake and eat daily. Don't judge if you have not been there.
this is also true.0 -
I'm with you and I'm not real good at being that detailed in my caloric intake. I think 1200 is a good base point, but based on so many different physiology's one person might need more and another less.
As others stated you are exercising a lot and might need to increase your intake. Your body may be holding to weight.
The other thing is not all calories are equal how many are coming from fat vs carbs?0 -
theres no secret formula. YOU NEED TO EAT MORE. That's it. Nothing else. Go figure out your BMR. Then figure in how much activity you do. Then take away 20% and that's what you should be eating.
I put your numbers in and you should be eating 2100 calories daily to lose. You are not getting enough fuel for all the exercise you do. You will see a change if you eat no more or less than that.
go to this link to see it for yourself.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
Good luck!!
^^^^THIS!!
I felt like i was dying when i tried doing 1200 cals, only to find out that it was just way too little for my activity level. Then I upped my cals in a healthy way according to that formula and lost 4 lbs last week. i know not every week will be a 4lb week (plus that's not healthy) but i feel much better and can tell my body is already slimming down. good luck to you!0
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