I am so confused.

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RixxyRikaa
RixxyRikaa Posts: 71 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just read a thread about how 1200 cal/day eating habits are terrible for you, or something like that.

MFP app gave me a 1360~ about cal/day "limit."

I only know that going UNDER 1200 is pretty bad. For most people, they have to eat less when trying to lose weight.
Before I started wanting to lose weight and become healthier, I wrote down everything I ate for the day and I was only hitting 800-1000 cals.
For me, I find that I am struggling to eat MORE. I just get so full by the time I hit 12xx. I feel like I'm force-feeding my body. I am still trying to hit 13xx every day though, because I know under is bad.

So, what's going on? Why do I feel so full if I'm not even getting enough calories for the day? Am I just different? I'm 144 lbs right now at 5' high, if that's going to help me get an answer.

Replies

  • babeinthemoon
    babeinthemoon Posts: 471 Member
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    Going under 1200 is not necessarly bad, if that is really where you need to be to lose weight. You've only tracked a few days on mfp so far. Give it at least a couple of weeks before making any snap decisions.

    Try to eat 3-5x a day. I see in your photo that you are wearing a chef's coat. Maybe getting the food in is hard when you are busy, but really try. :smile:

    Keep up the balance of eating nutritious foods with an ocassional treat. Since you are concerned, try to hit at least the 1200. If you want to find any hidden calories that you may be eating, don't forget to count any butter/oil you may cook your food with.

    If you decide you need to get really nitpicky you might want to start weighing everything if you have a scale. I have found that when I'm not careful the weights of 1c of something can vary greatly from time to time.
  • RixxyRikaa
    RixxyRikaa Posts: 71 Member
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    Going under 1200 is not necessarly bad, if that is really where you need to be to lose weight. You've only tracked a few days on mfp so far. Give it at least a couple of weeks before making any snap decisions.

    Try to eat 3-5x a day. I see in your photo that you are wearing a chef's coat. Maybe getting the food in is hard when you are busy, but really try. :smile:

    Keep up the balance of eating nutritious foods with an ocassional treat. Since you are concerned, try to hit at least the 1200. If you want to find any hidden calories that you may be eating, don't forget to count any butter/oil you may cook your food with.

    If you decide you need to get really nitpicky you might want to start weighing everything if you have a scale. I have found that when I'm not careful the weights of 1c of something can vary greatly from time to time.

    Yep, I'm a Culinary Arts major. My kitchen classes go from 12 noon to 8:30pm or later. Since being here I'm pretty good with eyeballing what is an ounce, or a cup, or 4oz, etc. As for trying to eat 3-5x a day, I can usually fit in 3 meals, but thats really struggling-- my stomach is trying to yell at me to stop! I usually grab a ton of fruit from the dining hall and hoard it back in my dorm room for a quick snack though, when hunger ever arises~
  • Rebeccarm
    Rebeccarm Posts: 1
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    I'm 5'3" and 132 lbs trying to get back to my former weight of 115 lbs. From personal experience and from speaking with my doctor, I believe that 1200 cal is fine. However if you are in the habit of eating way less your doctor may suggest you eat more (like 1360) to jump start your metabolism. If you eat less than 1000 cals your body starts storing fat rather than shedding it and if it is in the habit of doing so, you need to re-train how it deals with nutrients. What is important is where your cals are from and that you are getting enough nutrients. Personally I try to get the correct amount of protein (around 75 grams based on my doctors recommendation) and not too many carbs (I stay below 100 grams) from good sources such as brown rice, yams (not potato) and squash (complex carbs.) Keeping your sugars low (25 grams max) also helps. It is important to eat good fats from sources such as olive oil, nuts and seeds that aren't over processed (in small quantities), avocado and coconuts. Don't worry if you go over the allotted amount of fats if you are eating a high protein diet this is bound to happen - the fats just need to be from the right source.

    Try to find a low carb protein shake that is made from quality ingredients if you are struggling with consuming enough calories. Add a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder for fiber, a bit of natural stevia extract for sweetness without sugars, 1/4 avocado for healthy fat (it tastes fine, I promise!), use unsweetened coconut milk (not coconut cream) and blend with ice. This will be easy to drink and give you good nutrients. I recommend stoping into a natural grocery store and asking someone who works in their nutrition section to recommend a protein shake or visit a naturopathic doctor for nutrition advice. You can also get your thyroid tested to make sure you are not hypo or hyper thyroid which is common in women and results in weight issues. Hope this helps. Good luck!

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