I would say 1200 is borderline low for someone who's 193, but my guess is that eventually you'll get more of an appetite. I had days where I ate only 14-1500 (when I weighed 300), but now I can't go through a day with that little.

Okay so I'm back on low carb, 3 days in and the food log is telling me that if I don't increase my calories, I may not lose weight. Are they serious? I have to force myself to eat more? I have never had that problem! I guess I will try it. I always get stuck at 193 and can't move any farther. Maybe that will move me beyond that point. Last time I was stuck there for a year!!

I am averaging 1200 per day and the site is telling me I need 1600. I'm not sure I can eat 400 more cals. Maybe I can start drinking heavy cream or something.

Any words of wisdom?

What are you targeting for as far as carbs? I have my calorie set at 1200 and my target carb at 190 on the site but I really aim for about 150 which was the suggestion of a bariatric dietitian that my husband sees. we are on our journey together even tho we have two very different paths

The hunger will ebb and flow, I went through a stage of not being hungry at all during the initial stages and then I felt the need to overcompensate and started experimenting with more calories (and carbs) and hence the current stall I'm working through.

It's OK though, it's all about working out what we need at any given time, as long as we're tracking everything we can fine-tune the process.

Once you get the blood sugar under control it's a lot easier to recognise true hunger. One of the many reasons I won't be going back to a grain-based diet.

OMG! i am so glad you posted this today. i was logging on to ask this exact same question. however, mine is a wee bit different. i eat what i feel to be three good healthy meals a day. but my caloric intake, for example yesterday, was only 372! my husband says my body will go into "starvation mode?" and i won't be able to lose weight. even i was surprised by the calorie count when i entered it, but i ate and i wasn't hungry. i don't snack. feel free to add me and check out my diary from yesterday and advise.

here is my intake yesterday. and it is very high in protein actually:
2 slices bacon
boneless skinless chicken breast
cup of mustard greens
tilapia
asparagus
water

to me, this feels like three good meals. i am cutting carbs since i have had luck in the past with that. (other than what comes from the veggies). i am not sure where to add. i like this kind of food and can eat like this every day.

Absolutely, If in doubt add eggs ... I don't really treat eggs as calories/fat/cholesterol/whatever they are just plain good nutrition.

Nuts (raw, not salted, roasted, etc) are also good for any number of nutrients and will get the calories up there quick.

I don't really need the extra calories right now, but I have gone through phases where I am just not feeling hungry but really DO need to eat more (I wouldn't 'feel' hungry, but be fatigued). This is what I've done:

-almond butter. Seriously, I'm addicted. (or peanut butter). I can eat it right out of the jar.
-cream cheese on celery, or on cucumber slices (YUM)
-coconut cream in my coffee
-put some kind of fat on my veggies or cook them in it - butter, olive oil, bacon grease, etc.
-BACON
-cheese and pepperoni slices for a snack
-if it's a dry protein (white meat poultry, fish, lean meats), I add fats - again, butter, olive oil, bacon grease. BACON. Avocado.
-add other fatty toppings to a salad - cheese (feta or blue cheese crumbles, shredded cheese), avocado, bacon, coconut oil, hard boiled eggs
-Full-fat EVERYTHING. Don't get anything low/reduced/non-fat, it usually gets replaced by carbs anyway. And eat your egg yolks!!
-similar to Laura's fat-bomb idea, but I just mix it in a container and eat with a spoon - mix nut butter of choice, butter or coconut oil, coconut or almond flour, shredded coconut, whatever spices (cinnamon, vanilla extract, etc).

Sometimes, even when I didn't feel hungry, after I'd start eating I would realize how hungry I truely was.

gypsy - try coconut cream as a base for a smoothie. Those single-serve size blenders work perfect.

What is MIM?

ok. i didn't think about the cooking spray. i guess that will add some. yeah, it's really high protein and really low carbs and fat. i guess i think a meat and a veggie as a meal. like i said, i was very surprised by the calorie count when i put it in b/c i felt like i had eaten three good meals. i have been looking at other people's food diaries and they do have a lot more per meal. i added eggs this morning and i plan to have some cheese and boiled eggs for a snack. if i need to add fat, where can i get that from? bad thing for today is i skipped lunch. as far as you saying i look skinny, while i appreciate the comment, i have a small goal where i feel i will feel more comfortable. i have been heavy and my whole family is obese. i just want to be sure that i make this a lifestyle change that i can stick to and hopefully not have the heart disease and diabetes that my entire family has.

I roasted a turkey the other day and I am not really a fan. For some reason I wanted some, ate some with the skin and then I was done. Now we have turkey but I am at a loss as to how I will fatten it up a little bit. Nothing seems to go with turkey. What do you guys like with turkey?

Oh turkey, how I love thee - let me count the ways!

Turkey salad - add some egg, mayo, touch of sea salt and maybe even some finely chopped celery for a little crunch power (other veggies are good to add here as well)
Turkey sandwiches - with just the slices and some mayo. Make a savory MIM (flatter style) for the bread
Turkey soup - could insert anything your heart desires with a ton of good veggies
Turkey omelet - I'd cut the turkey up into smaller pieces for this one if it was me
Turkey on your salad - easy switch-out since I usually have chicken on mine lol
Make some (carb friendly) chili and add your finely cut turkey chunks in it

Turkey is awesome!!

There are literally hundreds of recipes, I wouldn't know where to start so have a look at this link: http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/chicken_recipes.html

My personal favourites:

-Thai green turkey curry.

- Low Carb turkey pot pie: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1889535-

Or use the brown meat like duck :shred and season with chinese 5 spice powder, fry in a bit of oil until it gets crispy. Serve with shredded spring (green) onions and cucumber and wrap in lettuce 'pancakes'.

Read this book, the 1st book was a life changer for me. then please keep logging in all your food.

Book Description
Release Date: December 28, 2010
An eye-opening, myth-shattering examination of what makes us fat, from acclaimed science writer Gary Taubes.

In his New York Times best seller, Good Calories, Bad Calories, Taubes argued that our diet’s overemphasis on certain kinds of carbohydrates—not fats and not simply excess calories—has led directly to the obesity epidemic we face today. The result of thorough research, keen insight, and unassailable common sense, Good Calories, Bad Calories immediately stirred controversy and acclaim among academics, journalists, and writers alike. Michael Pollan heralded it as “a vitally important book, destined to change the way we think about food.”

Building upon this critical work in Good Calories, Bad Calories and presenting fresh evidence for his claim, Taubes now revisits the urgent question of what’s making us fat—and how we can change—in this exciting new book. Persuasive, straightforward, and practical, Why We Get Fat makes Taubes’s crucial argument newly accessible to a wider audience.

Taubes reveals the bad nutritional science of the last century, none more damaging or misguided than the “calories-in, calories-out” model of why we get fat, and the good science that has been ignored, especially regarding insulin’s regulation of our fat tissue. He also answers the most persistent questions: Why are some people thin and others fat? What roles do exercise and genetics play in our weight? What foods should we eat, and what foods should we avoid?

Packed with essential information and concluding with an easy-to-follow diet, Why We Get Fat is an invaluable key in our understanding of an international epidemic and a guide to what each of us can do about it.