Need to exercice more ?, has 1200 cal a day's tough
agereaix
Posts: 16 Member
Oh my god ! It is too hard to stay under 1200 calories, could someone give me insight on how they managed ?
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Replies
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THANK YOU!!!
I thought I was the only one who had a tough time with that. So many people say they have a hard time eating all of their calories. I make sure to go to the gym or run outside every day to add 300-600 calories back into my diet. Otherwise, my goal is to stay under 1400 on days I don't go to the gym. Even with all healthy calories, it's hard to stay at 1200.0 -
As my food log can attest - I struggle with this too. I work out 5 days a week just to give me calories back so I can eat like a normal human being! I suppose if I were being honest with myself, I would admit that I need to start eating more fruit and veggies but I am at my personal max right now. If anyone has a painless way to get more food into my belly, I'd take it! (When I say painless, I mean I just can't afford to drop $$$ on organic this and that or flax seed chicken/bird food - I hope nobody is offended but OMG I couldn't stand to make that life change right now!0
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omg I agree all the way! some days I can make it fine other days I need more food!! I do agree that if you eat more fruits and veggies that does help keep you full and satisfied... I really think I need more calories a day. according to web site searches on "how many calories daily do I need to lose weight" the answer that comes back is always more the 1200...
does anyone want to share how much weight they want to lose and how much they weigh now? seems like we all look different to be on the same amount...
my total weight loss goal is 51 lbs and I have lost 16 already.0 -
1200 seems hard...but if you plan your meals and don't snack it is achievable0
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I am also the same way. I try to exercise 5 days a week to get back up to around 1800. I also do not think I could stick to this as a "lifestyle change" if I could not snack. I just try to give myself about 200 calories at the end of the day for a night snack, which is when I tend to start overeating. I love to eat and especially love to eat out and if I had to give that up I would fail.0
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at least I can say I see results following a 1200 calorie plan. it's just really hard lately...0
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I keep seeing 1200 as everyone's goal calorie amount. How can that be?? I weigh 129, trying to get to 120.
I really think that this program makes it clear that whole foods are the only way to stay within your calorie limits comfortably. Filling WHOLE grains, veggies, fruits, lean protein. If your calories are eaten up (pun intended) by processed stuff, you'll get hungry soon after and be forced to eat over your calorie limits to feel sated.
Exception to that rule, of course is exercise! If you can give yourself another 400 cals of wiggle room, go for the cupcake
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I just started this week, and am struggling to keep to 1200, but keep trying to remember it is a life style change and it can be done.
If I do go over some days...oh well....it's not the end of the world, I just try to stick to it tomorrow.
I am trying to get down to 125 by mid June or so, and am around 138 - 140 right now.0 -
I keep seeing 1200 as everyone's goal calorie amount. How can that be?? I weigh 129, trying to get to 120.
I really think that this program makes it clear that whole foods are the only way to stay within your calorie limits comfortably. Filling WHOLE grains, veggies, fruits, lean protein. If your calories are eaten up (pun intended) by processed stuff, you'll get hungry soon after and be forced to eat over your calorie limits to feel sated.
Exception to that rule, of course is exercise! If you can give yourself another 400 cals of wiggle room, go for the cupcake
see what I mean about 1200 calories- how is that for everyone? I do not weight anywhere new 129 as a matter of fact my goal weight is 145.... how can we both be on 1200 calories?? I admit I need to exercise more because that is the key! I was walking a few days a week but between the colder weather coming back and the rain I haven't been able too... there is only so much Wii Fit I can do until you get sick of it!0 -
StarryEyedGirl,
I agree... one thing that has always bugged me is this "across the board" 1200 calorie thing. I mean, a 5' 4" woman that weighs 150 has a totally different deficit than a 5'8" woman at 180. I never could understand certain professionals telling me, "Just eat this much per day." It seemed so arbitrary. I'm 5'8", started at 236. I'm now at 207. My goal is 175.
Anyhow, I have been on 600 calories per day. That's crazy, right? But, I had been just gaining and gaining and gaining and I simply felt that, weighing the risks, I needed some drastic intervention (kind of like lap band, but without the danger of surgery).
That's not really the point. My RMR is actually 2400 per day (I burn that much at rest). You'd say that's crazy, right? Well, I'm on thyroid medicine, so that accounts for some of it. But, sure enough, I am creating a 2000 calorie per day deficit (I know this due to my 4 lb/14,000 calorie per week weight loss). The hunger is ridiculous, but I can just put my head down and do this for a limited time.
And, it is so hard that, for this time period, I do not go out, I do not visit anyone socially, I do not stay up late, I do not watch TV, I do not go out of town, I do not drink (and I love to drink). It's so hard that basically I just wake up in the morning, weigh myself, try to get through my day of work, and go to bed at 8pm. I have no life right now, but that's how I designed it to work for me right now.
So, do not feel alone, as if it's not hard. It's so crazy hard. But, that's what motivates me to not cheat. It's so hard, that I only want this to last a very short time. I do not want to prolong this. I've been doing it for 2 months now. I don't exercise right now, though. I reserve that for when I go back on regular diet of 2000 calories. That's just me for now... I've done it all different ways.
People who cannot eat their calories because they are too full... I have no idea what is going on with them! They are blessed.
Anyhow, head down! GEt through it! This is not a lifestyle! We are not supposed to diet forever. Just until we hit a goal. Then when you eat your maintenance calories, hunger is not an issue anymore.
Go us!
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter0 -
Yeah, it's very strange.
Well, what we know is that the universal rule is that 3500 excess calories equals one pound of weight gain.
I guess our basal metabolic rates + height + weight + level of daily activity generally evens out to 1200??? Weird.0 -
I am interested that you see the 1200/day as a short term practice. If you go back to 2000 cals per day, wouldn't you be building up excess calories and eventually gain the weight back?StarryEyedGirl,
I agree... one thing that has always bugged me is this "across the board" 1200 calorie thing. I mean, a 5' 4" woman that weighs 150 has a totally different deficit than a 5'8" woman at 180. I never could understand certain professionals telling me, "Just eat this much per day." It seemed so arbitrary. I'm 5'8", started at 236. I'm now at 207. My goal is 175.
Anyhow, I have been on 600 calories per day. That's crazy, right? But, I had been just gaining and gaining and gaining and I simply felt that, weighing the risks, I needed some drastic intervention (kind of like lap band, but without the danger of surgery).
That's not really the point. My RMR is actually 2400 per day (I burn that much at rest). You'd say that's crazy, right? Well, I'm on thyroid medicine, so that accounts for some of it. But, sure enough, I am creating a 2000 calorie per day deficit (I know this due to my 4 lb/14,000 calorie per week weight loss). The hunger is ridiculous, but I can just put my head down and do this for a limited time.
And, it is so hard that, for this time period, I do not go out, I do not visit anyone socially, I do not stay up late, I do not watch TV, I do not go out of town, I do not drink (and I love to drink). It's so hard that basically I just wake up in the morning, weigh myself, try to get through my day of work, and go to bed at 8pm. I have no life right now, but that's how I designed it to work for me right now.
So, do not feel alone, as if it's not hard. It's so crazy hard. But, that's what motivates me to not cheat. It's so hard, that I only want this to last a very short time. I do not want to prolong this. I've been doing it for 2 months now. I don't exercise right now, though. I reserve that for when I go back on regular diet of 2000 calories. That's just me for now... I've done it all different ways.
People who cannot eat their calories because they are too full... I have no idea what is going on with them! They are blessed.
Anyhow, head down! GEt through it! This is not a lifestyle! We are not supposed to diet forever. Just until we hit a goal. Then when you eat your maintenance calories, hunger is not an issue anymore.
Go us!
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter0 -
I did change my daily goal to 1250 on the days I don't exercise. I eat every 2-3 hours. I try to keep my BF, Lunch and dinner in the range of 300-400 calories and my snacks under 150 calories.
I have 6 lbs left to lose so that I can work on toning and defining my muscles.
I guess it's all about healthy calorie choices. My meals are based around lean protein and I try to fill my meals with a lot of fruits and veggies now to help me stay full longer. I've been doing great at staying within my range... but on the days I don't workout, I have to adjust my eating since I don't have as many calories allotted to my daily plan. Those are the hard days.0 -
By the way, you can find out exactly how much you burn at rest by getting tested. It's under $200 but, to me, so worth it. Obviously, of course everyone isn't supposed to eat 1200 cal. It's so nice to know exactly what you should eat. Try getdunked.com. You can get your RMR tested, your body fat tested (by getting dunked under water), and get your V02 tested (to see how well you make use of oxygen), which will tell you exactly what you burn when doing certain exercises. Then, when someone says, "just eat 1200 calories," you will know exactly where YOU stand. It's so worth it to know. The vague "slow metabolism" will not be vague. You'll know exactly what you burn (as close as is possible with current technology, that is.)0
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By the way, you can find out exactly how much you burn at rest by getting tested. It's under $200 but, to me, so worth it. Obviously, of course everyone isn't supposed to eat 1200 cal. It's so nice to know exactly what you should eat. Try getdunked.com. You can get your RMR tested, your body fat tested (by getting dunked under water), and get your V02 tested (to see how well you make use of oxygen), which will tell you exactly what you burn when doing certain exercises. Then, when someone says, "just eat 1200 calories," you will know exactly where YOU stand. It's so worth it to know. The vague "slow metabolism" will not be vague. You'll know exactly what you burn (as close as is possible with current technology, that is.)
This is great advice. Thanks.0 -
No. 2000 calories a day for me doesn't create an excess. I use up more than that per day now. When I'm 175, I'll check my RMR again, but it will probably be around maybe 1600 per day. Add to that my daily activity plus daily workouts, I'll actually be losing weight slowly. 1200 is for weight LOSS for people. It's not maintenance. We get so used to dieting we forget that the standard Jenny Craig 1500 calorie thing is to give a daily deficit. Once you are maintaining, you don't have to have a daily deficit. Make sense?0
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No. 2000 calories a day for me doesn't create an excess. I use up more than that per day now. When I'm 175, I'll check my RMR again, but it will probably be around maybe 1600 per day. Add to that my daily activity plus daily workouts, I'll actually be losing weight slowly. 1200 is for weight LOSS for people. It's not maintenance. We get so used to dieting we forget that the standard Jenny Craig 1500 calorie thing is to give a daily deficit. Once you are maintaining, you don't have to have a daily deficit. Make sense?
Yes...I guess I was figuring that once I hit my goal weight, my RMR and calories burned through exercise would reduce so that my maintenance calories would have to stay low. As long as I am eating whole foods, I don't feel hungry at 1200/day. But now that I am thinking about it, even with the new body weight taken into account, 1200 would probably be too low for maintenance.0 -
That's so awesome to know that whole foods make a difference in satiation. The only think I can't seem to give up when it comes to eliminating non-whole foods is my cabot 75% fat free cheese for my omelettes. But, I never really made a mental note of the whole food/hunger correlation. Thanks for that!0
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I wanted to weigh in on this topic. I too have been wondering why I am on a 1200 cal a day diet. I was looking at another message board last night that was talking about food diaries. Many people shared their diaries and they were all 1800 cal or 1450 cal a day diets. Why am I at 1200? I am 5'6 weigh 178 want to weigh 150.0
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I had my RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate) tested and it came out to be 1,436 calories per day. The RMR supposedly accounts for 70 percent of daily energy expenditure. But if I eat 1,436 calories per day I do not lose weight no matter how much I exercise. So I'm not sure all these measurements are very precise. I have been consistently exercising enough to burn 3,500 calories per week as well as eating about 1,300 to 1,500 calories a day and haven't lost anything all month. I don't think I can lower my calorie intake too much more -- I get too hungry at night and can't sleep. I am just hoping that if I stay on this program I will eventually lose weight even if it's very, very slow.0
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Hi Astro,
That is very interesting about having your RMR tested but not being able to lose weight at that calorie level. I had the same experience, and so I was confused, but something weird straightened out.
I was told my RMR was 2400 cal per day, so I was eating 2000 per day, plus exercising, creating what was at least a 500 calorie per day deficit, yet I did not lose a pound per week. ( I only tried that for one month, though, and now I realize I fluctuate due to water and perhaps I just didn't do it long enough to see the average weight loss, but that's not my point.)
so, anyhow, then I decided I'd better get real serious about it and I went on a 600 calorie per day program that I've been on for 2 months.
Here's what is strange to me. I have lost 4 lbs. per week, every single week. That equals a deficit of 2000 calories per day (4 lbs = 14000 calories, divided by 7 days = 2000 calories per day deficit).
Well, wouldnt you know it? That means that my RMR was correctly measured. If I'm eating 600 cals per day, and obviously in a deficit of 2000 calories per day, that means that I'm burning 2600 per day. That is exactly what the testing told me.
But, it still is a mystery to me why, at the time, eating 2000 calories didn't seem to heed the same results.
I hope I'm not getting too mathematic.... I just wanted to share with you my same confusion. Thoughts?0
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