I need to eat only 1200 calories consistently - really hard

divadonna
divadonna Posts: 16 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi
I've been focusing on weight loss for 2 months. I exercise an average of 8 hours per week, many different types. I have that part down. I need to eat a 1200 calorie diet I believe along with this. I am having a hard time eating less than 1600 calories, on average on this (I'm guessing because myfitnesspal doesn't have a good report on this. One culprit is late night eating, so I'm making a rule no eating after 8 pm, but I've eaten microwave popcorn after 8 pm - 130 calories. Another is eating up to 400 calories of snacks - even when they are healthy I don't have the calories for them. Help, 1200 is so little it seems...any ideas?

Replies

  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    Eat 1600 consistently and see what happens
  • divadonna
    divadonna Posts: 16 Member
    Fire I have, only 1 pd of weight loss with all that exercise
  • peuglow
    peuglow Posts: 684 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Please read this topic. There is no way you are eating enough doing 8 hours of workouts.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    You don't need to cut down to 1200 calories a day. You'll probably end up just eating way more every time you mess up since you'll be starving and fed up with being hungry.

    Try 1400 or 1500 a day and see if you can lose on that. A diet shouldn't make you miserable, it should be sustainable.

    Also, how much are you netting? Are you eating 1200 on days you exercise? Because it'd be hard for a lot of people to net 900 calories.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    Why on,y 1200. Where did you get this figure from? How much have you set MFP to lose a week? I presume you're not adding in your exercise calories. In my opinion, eatingb1200 cals long term will make a lot of people start to rebel and over eat.
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    as others have said, eat more
  • divadonna
    divadonna Posts: 16 Member
    Please note I've been doing 1600, not 1200, even though i have this in mind. I went to a nutritionist who told me to eat 1400 calories with my exercise of 10 hours per week. I clarified with him via email, do I get extra calories for exercising? His response - no. Do i get extra calories for exercising over 10 hours per week? No (I salsa dance, so sometimes if I have the time it's fun to exercise alot, though I don't only dance). So I have been keeping my exercise in fitnessjournal each week, separately to share with my personal trainer. So you are correct I have not been taking calories for exercising. And yes, I'm getting cranky even on 1600 calories.
    I will log my exercise starting today into fitnesspal as well as fitnessjournal and take the calories and see what happens. Myfitnesspal recommends 1200 calories at weight loss of 1 pd per week with 8 hours per week of exercise fyi. However if I take the calories for exercising I'll get alot more.
  • skassman345
    skassman345 Posts: 13
    I think the 1200 from MFP is NET calories. That is the lowest it will go.
    So on the days you exercise, you have more food to eat.
    I've only been on MFP for a little over 2 weeks, and that's how I thought it worked.
    If I don't exercise at all, I get to eat 1200.
    If I exercise, then I eat whatever calories I burn.

    I'm set to lose 1.5lbs/week, and I think it is working far.
    I'm just working on dealing with cravings and emotional eating.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Eat 1600 consistently and see what happens

    ^^ This
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
    Not sure where you're from but in UK I think anyone can call themselves a nutritionist. Are you sure this person knows what they are doing?
  • divadonna
    divadonna Posts: 16 Member
    This person is licensed and part of a managed care plan, yet they spend very little time with you and he just scribbled some numbers down, so not really. I did learn some important things from him but I think he may have been wrong on this one. I am going to put my exercise into myfitness and take the extra calories, that will be a relief, and we'll see what happens!
  • divadonna
    divadonna Posts: 16 Member
    Thank you everyone. I just bookmarked also the long topic on not starving yourself and when I have more time I'll do the calculations as I do have my body fat, etc. from my personal trainer, we do this quarterly.
  • leighgalmind
    leighgalmind Posts: 1 Member
    Just a few things:
    If you are doing weight bearing exercise then you should look at inches not pounds lost. Are your clothes looser? Then you're fine.
    What you eat- macronutrients- are critical. I believe in this 100% as it has worked for me. I know calories in calories out is true - but for some- where you get your calories from is critical.

    I find I only lose when I :
    reduce carbs (note I didn't say eliminate) and I don't eat anything with sugar(including fruit) or carbs after 12 noon.
    how much fat are you taking in? I also learned that when I reduce my macronutrients FAT down to 20% of my total diet I lose. Fat is a huge culprit. Again, not saying eliminate- I'm saying reduce.
    Are you eating enough times per day? 5-6 small meals of protein and veggies are critical. Also, a good protein shake is awesome (I use pea protein because I learned that I cannot do most dairy).

    What about certain foods? Feel bloated? I can't do dairy - mostly because other than nonfat greek yogurt, it has a ton of fat and the dairy makes me retain fluid.

    So, go back and look at your macros.

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