Trouble hitting 1200 cals

you didn't gain weight eating less than 1200 calories... eat some of the crap you ate before, or start to cook nutrient dense foods. fat isn't the devil and 1200 calories isnt enough to sustain you in the long run. make it a goal to eat at least 1500 and lose the weight slowly and learn healthy habits in the meantime.

Meat, nuts, cheeses, milkshakes (made with good stuff at home like a smoothie), greek yogurt, are big calorie punches but can be very healthy. Peanutbutter and peanutbutter powders in many things can also boost you. Fats and proteins can be your healthy friend.

I think some people switch from eating without thinking about it to eating all vegetables because that's all they can think of as a "healthy diet." Try picking up some healthy cooking magazines, etc. to get ideas of what a "healthy diet" looks like, then start looking at people's journals who have reached your goals and see what they eat. Eating 1200 calories a day is not hard, but if you aren't sure what you should be eating, you might get stuck and just eat really low cal "diet" food. This is not a sustainable long term plan, but it's fine for a few days as you transition.

I'm having a hard time hitting my 1200 cal limit. I'm always left with a large amont of calorie intake (500-900 depending on the day). I have a very small appetite and I eat pretty healthy foods and exercize. Any tips or suggestions on helping me reach my calorie intake goal that won't make me gain weight?

Eating that little bit of calories is not healthy, and even if you do eat the 1200 you wont be gaining weight. Try eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, nonfat dairy, and healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds..

Another thing, are you here to lose weight or get healthy? Let's be honest. If you're here to lose weight, then just eat any old ****e to meet your calorie goals. I know you can do it.

If to eat more healthily, then check my earlier post.

I'm having a hard time hitting my 1200 cal limit. I'm always left with a large amont of calorie intake (500-900 depending on the day). I have a very small appetite and I eat pretty healthy foods and exercize. Any tips or suggestions on helping me reach my calorie intake goal that won't make me gain weight?

peanut butter, nuts, olive oil. or protein shakes. my goal is 2500-2700 calories per day-i drink 1000 calories of it.

When I read topics like this, I'm realy asking myself how you can get in weight trouble when you have problems with eating 1200 calories a day. You say normaly you eat arount 300 and 700 calories a day. So are there days when you eat 5000 calories? Because otherwise I don't understand where the weight comes from you want to lose.

I'm not judging, just wondering.

this girl makes a good point, how did you become overweight if you are struggling to eat a dangerously low intake.

you need to force yourself to eat more, or bad things will happen to you.

you should only be on a diet that low if you are morbidly obese and under the care of your doctor.


MAKE NO MISTAKE. YOUR DIET RIGHT NOW IS EXTREMELY UNHEALTHY, HARMFUL AND DANGEROUS.

is that clear enough?

when you eat better and more satiating foods and stop eating junk you can struggle with eating enough. or at least i have.

Not this guy...I eat good and healthy and have no problems hitting my 1,800 calories. Look to things like nuts; 1 oz of unsalted almonds has 160 calories...good source of protein...good source of healthy fats and they leave you feeling full. An avocado can have upwards of 200 calories depending on size...an 8 oz serving of Voskos Greek Yogurt has 140 calories and 24 g of protein. When you're eating cleaner and healthier, you just have to know where to look to get those big calories.

I think some people switch from eating without thinking about it to eating all vegetables because that's all they can think of as a "healthy diet." Try picking up some healthy cooking magazines, etc. to get ideas of what a "healthy diet" looks like, then start looking at people's journals who have reached your goals and see what they eat. Eating 1200 calories a day is not hard, but if you aren't sure what you should be eating, you might get stuck and just eat really low cal "diet" food. This is not a sustainable long term plan, but it's fine for a few days as you transition.

Agreed...I also think a lot of people become food-aphobic and develop an unhealthy relationship with food...they blame the food and not not their own bad eating habits and overeating. Food gets classified as good/bad...food groups essential to a healthy diet get eliminated and suddenly 1200 calories becomes some monumental mountain to get to.

Personally, I think 1200 calories is for the birds...literally...only birds should be eating that little. Humans were not meant to live off of 1200 calories for any sustained period of time.

To the OP...personally, I think you should up it by a couple hundred calories and go get yourself a burger and fries.

I've been surprised lately at the fact that I have to make sure I'm eating enough. Before I changed my eating habits, I had no problem at all packing it away. I've turned in some pretty low net calorie days and recently broke a plateau by (a) increasing my net and (b) doing more weightlifting. If I haven't prepared my body with enough of the right food for a good exercise session, it tells me!

My main go-to dense calorie food is dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts. Half a cup bumps my calorie count up beautifully.

I also check my macros and listen to my body, because sometimes I need carbs rather than fat/protein. I literally take a minute or two and picture various foods in my mind until I get a visceral reaction that says: Yes, this is the food I need.

For those people confused by the seeming discrepancy between the need to lose weight and the difficulty meeting one's minimum -- the type of food one eats has a lot to do with hunger signals. Junk food includes a combination of fat, sugar, and salt that really ramps up hunger. Fresh produce and unadulterated meats allow more signals of satiety to come through. Exercise can also suppress hunger (or increase it, depending on the type of exercise and the individual).

When I travel, I carry a small cooler of healthy food with me. When I feel hungry in-between meals I usually grab a banana or crispbread; I don't try to "tough it out." My body seems to be happy with three meals and two snacks. There's an adjustment period, to be sure, but learn your body's signals.