calorie intake

i'm in the same place as you butterfly - i am constantly on the go and eating the allotted calories they give me on here seems absolutely ridiculous! and to tell you the truth, i barely ever make my calories for the day because i am so full by the end of it. but... this is what i've been doing. if i see at the end of the day i'm under 1200 (because it really is bad for your body - your metabolism slows down, and your body stores the fat because it's not getting the proper nutrients) i'll have a big glass of chocolate milk, or some crackers with peanut butter. this usually puts me over the 1200 marker. i know it's hard when you think you're going to gain weight if you eat more, but your body will naturally adjust. the biggest problem i've had is knowing when to force (okay that was a bad word choice, lol) those extra calories in or not.

i hope this helped - let me know if i can add anymore suggestions.

There's a great article explaining why eating enough and eating every few hours is so important:
http://www.fitsense.co.uk/fit_article.php?id=100

You may (or may not) gain a little while your body will adjust but than you'll start losing.

Ok here it is again , These are the posts you need to read in order to understand the way we loose weight, and yes you are to eat all your exercise calories and yes it works . I have been here 2 and a half weeks andy ou can read all the success stories o n here and will see if you keep with what they tell you you will have success
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/9433-expectations

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
You have to put your food into the calculator and your excerseses and the pc will tell you how much you should eat. Good luck and welcome:flowerforyou:

It's very easy for me to go over 1200 calories. And I rarely eat garbage. If, for example, I allow myself icecream, I eat at most 1/5 of a pint. I think the last time I had ice cream was 6 months ago. I like good healthy fresh food, and I use very little oil and moderate sizes. So I too would like to know how others keep it down so low, so easily. The only way I "make" my 1200 mark is because I run off 400 calories for an hour everyday, and therefore get to eat as much as 1600 calories. I never actully eat 1600, but that's the only way I can deal with always going over 1200.

When I reach a flat spot, meaning I am not loosing weight, :frown: I increase my calorie intake for a few days and then go back to my regular diet. It never fails. I will usually drop a pound or two. :happy: This occurs about every other weekend. So, what I am saying is, just stay on your diet for two weeks and then splurge for a weekend. I just recently had lap band surgery, so my intake is much less than most others; however, I am eating 1000 calories per day and quite satisfied. For breakfast, I have a Lean Pocket, and for lunch and supper, I have Lean Cusine. In between meals, I have a 100 calorie or less snack, morning, afternoon, and evening. When I excercise, I earn calories, so that gives me another snack or two. Right now, it seems as though I am eating all day long, or at least every two or three hours. A really good snack for me is Blue Bell No Sugar Bullets (popsicles). I can have several per day and they are delicious.