1200 calories seems impossible!

chasingdreams99
chasingdreams99 Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm fairly new to dieting so maybe I just need time to adjust but no matter how healthy I think I'm eatting, 1200 calories a day seems impossible! This morning I had 1/2 a cup of granola cereal with 1/2 a cup of blueberrries and 1/2 a cup of almond milk and a banana and that was already almost 400 calories!!! And I've already doubled my sugar in take for the day?! Uggg this is going to be harder than I thought!!!
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Replies

  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    Maybe 1200 cals isn't for you then. What is your BMR? Height/weight? Did you just "plug in" that you wanted to lose 2lbs a week and it spit out 1200 cals? If so, maybe you need to evaluate your goals again, and shoot for 1lb a week.
  • mrseelmerfudd
    mrseelmerfudd Posts: 506 Member
    I agree, if your struggling, work out your BMR and see what your body needs.
  • LizC27
    LizC27 Posts: 11
    You are gonna have to eat less fruit and grains and more protein and vegetables :) Carbs always kill me when trying to hit my 1200 calories. I've noticed, the lower my carb intake, the more food I can eat for the calories allowed.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    With 20 lbs to lose, the best you can aim for is around 1/2 - 1 lb per week. Set your account to 1/2 per week and eat back 50% of your exercise calories.

    BTW, don't stress sugar. As long as carbs are moderate, then your sugar is fine unless you are diabetic.
  • jasonp_ritzert
    jasonp_ritzert Posts: 357 Member
    Also, granola is very calorically dense for what appears to not be a lot of food to me. Try 1/2 cup of oatmeal which is 150 calories and may be more filling for less calories. Or try an egg plus two egg whites scrambled for more proteins and good fats.

    I think that is what MFP teaches us is really what we put into our bodies, but take uber's advice and maybe reassess your goals if needed.
  • AtlantaWriter
    AtlantaWriter Posts: 91 Member
    1,200 calories does seem low. I'm on 1,400, but it's based on my current weight.

    If you exercise MFP gives you extra calories, so try to do that every day.

    As for your breakfast, high-carb foods (especially those with sugar) are high in calories. If you read the label on the foods you buy, try to get those with lower fat and carb and calories. Instead of granola (which is almost always high in sugar), try oatmeal or non-sugary cereals such as cheerios. Blueberries (as you had) are a good choice (low calories, high fiber). Both oatmeal and non sugary (high fiber) cereals have 1/2 or fewer calories than granola.

    Go low fat (skim or 1% milk, no fried foods or bacon, etc.) to save calories. Eat fruit instead of sugary desserts or snacks. Eat lots of raw veggies and that will fill you up. I dunk raw veggies like baby carrots in low-fat ranch dressing and love it.

    That said, I struggle all the time with what I eat. I have managed to lost 10 pounds in 4 months, which isn't great, without MFP, I'd probably have gained it all back over the holidays!

    Good luck, and I'm going to send you a friend request!
  • Andreinne
    Andreinne Posts: 32
    It's not impossible, you just need a few days to figure out which foods are just better than others when it comes to "calories per amount of food", and simply make adjustments accordingly.
  • chasingdreams99
    chasingdreams99 Posts: 3
    Thank you for all the helpfull tips! I will be rethinking my breakfast choices and maybe my goals. I also need to add exercise to my routine to earn back some of the calories! I appreaciate all the help!
  • chasingdreams99
    chasingdreams99 Posts: 3
    BMR is 1532.9. I'm still kind of confussed what that # means though....
  • gabriellejayde
    gabriellejayde Posts: 607 Member
    granola is notoriously high in calories and often in sugar too. you can always sprinkle a little on some plain greek yogurt. throw in some blueberries for sweetness.
    I eat 1200 cals a day and try not to go over 200 cals for breakfast, but that's what works for me.
  • purpleipod
    purpleipod Posts: 1,147 Member
    Then eat more?
  • sweebum
    sweebum Posts: 1,060 Member
    So don't eat 1200 calories. It's rarely necessary. Depends on how much you have to lose.
  • ubermensch13
    ubermensch13 Posts: 824 Member
    BMR is 1532.9. I'm still kind of confussed what that # means though....

    BMR is the amount of energy(or calories) your body needs to burn to survive even when immobile.
  • sweebum
    sweebum Posts: 1,060 Member
    BMR is 1532.9. I'm still kind of confussed what that # means though....
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    BMR is 1532.9. I'm still kind of confussed what that # means though....

    A lot of people summarize BMR as the amount of calories your body needs to keep functioning while you are in a coma (doing nothing except breathing and involuntary bodily functions).

    There's tons of well written information here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Judging by your profile pic 2 lbs a week may be too agressive for you. You don't look like you have a whole lot of weight to lose so you should probably be at 1 lb per week. This will give you more calories.

    Also, once you enter exercise done, you will "earn" more calories to fuel the exercise. 1200 is just what you should eat if you are sedentary all day.
  • kalyn_QT
    kalyn_QT Posts: 273 Member
    you can do it, but i'd start around bmr if i could redo things. i was eating 5 times a day and made it my calorie goals. you find ways to make things healthier and after awhile it just becomes second nature. i just upped my calories today to 1600 and still eating 5 times a day no clue how to eat all the food i have to eat to make it up that high.
  • TRIGURL01
    TRIGURL01 Posts: 1 Member
    I agree also. But want to add that you may want to add protein to your breakfast instead. Granola typically is considered high calorie & high sugar. If you have health benefits, then you should see if dietitian is covered by your health/medical plan. A dietitian is hugh resource to help you find the best foods to eat while working on your health goals.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,426 MFP Moderator
    BMR is 1532.9. I'm still kind of confussed what that # means though....

    It means you need to eat more.. probably more around 1700-1900 daily.. Congrats you can eat more and still lose weight. Also, concentrate on fat loss, not weight loss. If you are exercising, you should be looking to do weight training or body resistance training to improve muscle retention. Combine with cardio (more specially HIIT) and you have a recipe for success.

    To add more perspective, lets say you had a desk job and burn 300 calories during a workout. Your TDEE is

    TDEE = 1532*1.2+300 = 3138

    From here you form a deficit, 20% is a preferred method

    Caloric requirements = 3138*.8 = 1710 <-- what you should eat daily.
  • lelaspeaks
    lelaspeaks Posts: 163 Member
    BMR is 1532.9. I'm still kind of confussed what that # means though....

    It means you should be eating at least this amount of calories everyday to have long-term, sustainable weight loss. Trust me - it took almost a year at 1200 calories before learning this lesson.
  • whiskeyhut
    whiskeyhut Posts: 59 Member
    I'm fairly new to dieting so maybe I just need time to adjust but no matter how healthy I think I'm eatting, 1200 calories a day seems impossible! This morning I had 1/2 a cup of granola cereal with 1/2 a cup of blueberrries and 1/2 a cup of almond milk and a banana and that was already almost 400 calories!!! And I've already doubled my sugar in take for the day?! Uggg this is going to be harder than I thought!!!

    I found that one flaw with MFP is it counts natural sugar...if you know the sugar is from fruit I wouldn't worry to much about that part. Try to eat a lot of veggies, they are low calorie fillers.
  • neighner9
    neighner9 Posts: 2
    I like to have oatmeal, eggs or cereal for breakfast. Two eggs on an english muffin with 1 slice canadian bacon is about 280cals without ketchup, with about 300. Oatmeal for a serving is just 150 cals and you can add any flavor you want, I like to add some fresh fruit and cinnamon. I also like Honey Nut Cheerios and all of Special K's cereals, with Almond Milk and frozen strawberries. if I'm still hungry I add a serving of Almonds.
  • sunman00
    sunman00 Posts: 872 Member
    can I suggest you set a sustainable calorie intake target? losing weight is one thing, keeping it off is another & requires long term lifestyle change. If you set 1500- 1800, add in a daily walk or jog which will credit you 300kcal or so then you're effectively consuming 1200-1500 net, and you should be able to keep that going long term?

    good luck
  • Jackie9950
    Jackie9950 Posts: 374 Member
    I thought the same when I first started. I found that with a little change to what I ate some days were hard to reach that goal. For Breakfast I usually go for weight control oatmeal (It has more fiber and less than 1g of sugar and tastes pretty good.) or maybe an egg white omelet (yumm). I also have a huge addiction to peanut butter, so sometimes I will just go for peanut butter toast. and sometimes when I exercise a ton I will eat them all lol.


    I also found that finding new innovative ways to cook chicken for dinner healps out alot. I try to stick with chicken and veggies for dinner. Lunch is always a toss up. I usually stalk my friends to see what they eat and try to come up with new ideas.

    When you start exercising you will want more protien. In the receipes section of the forums there are a ton of great ways to make protien shakes.

    Basically, try as I might, eat food better for you. Stay away from processed foods, and high carb foods.

    I know this isn't easy because I myself slipped and I am just now getting back on the band wagon. If you need a friend you can always add me. I try to be supportive!

    Hope this helps. I think everyone has thier own opinions and own way of things working for them. Good luck!:happy:
  • Mrs_Fit
    Mrs_Fit Posts: 86 Member
    Mine is 1220. For breakfast I usually eat oatmeal or some type of fruit which is usually low....I am really not a breakfast eater. I try to stay 400 calories for each meal and make sure I work out. Sometime I do go over but it is a learning process. Do what works for you. Try prelogging your food before consumption and choose if maybe you need to take something away or not. Try Lean Cuisines for lunch or some other frozen meal but make sure you watch the salt intake on it. There are some good ones with low sodium. Good luck!!
  • thevegangladiator
    thevegangladiator Posts: 33 Member
    calorie restriction is stupid and will set you up to fail. eating under 1200 calories is anorexic. i eat unlimited calories yesterday i ate 3500 calories and have been for over a year and my weight stayed the same. my breakfast is 1200 calories lol
  • IowaJen1979
    IowaJen1979 Posts: 406 Member
    Unfortunately, foods that we are made to believe are healthy (i.e. granola) really aren't. It stinks! If you tweak your menu you'll find it's doable. It takes extra time at first to plan out what you're going to eat but you'll catch on! Hang in there!
  • IowaJen1979
    IowaJen1979 Posts: 406 Member
    calorie restriction is stupid and will set you up to fail. eating under 1200 calories is anorexic. i eat unlimited calories yesterday i ate 3500 calories and have been for over a year and my weight stayed the same. my breakfast is 1200 calories lol

    Thanks for being supportive and helpful! :frown:

    Not everyone can eat as much as they want, which is why they're on this website to begin with. I'm so sick of seeing judgey and rude people on these message boards when the people who post need encouragement and support.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    calorie restriction is stupid and will set you up to fail. eating under 1200 calories is anorexic. i eat unlimited calories yesterday i ate 3500 calories and have been for over a year and my weight stayed the same. my breakfast is 1200 calories lol

    Thanks for being supportive and helpful! :frown:

    Not everyone can eat as much as they want, which is why they're on this website to begin with. I'm so sick of seeing judgey and rude people on these message boards when the people who post need encouragement and support.
    No kidding....wow! Nothing like gloating, right? :drinker:
  • bub_snig
    bub_snig Posts: 56
    calorie restriction is stupid and will set you up to fail. eating under 1200 calories is anorexic. i eat unlimited calories yesterday i ate 3500 calories and have been for over a year and my weight stayed the same. my breakfast is 1200 calories lol

    Thanks for being supportive and helpful! :frown:

    Not everyone can eat as much as they want, which is why they're on this website to begin with. I'm so sick of seeing judgey and rude people on these message boards when the people who post need encouragement and support.



    So true... On the other hand I find it very had to get to 1200 cals a day (unless I eat ****). I eat heaps of stuff in a day. Check my diary if you want it's open. I am nowhere near anorexic nor do I want to be. I eat 5 meals a day and eat until I'm full.

    Try using fresh fruit and veggies and lean proteins. They are naturally lower in calories (fruit is high in sugar but its natural sugar so I don't freak out when I go over my sugar intake).

    Also a little hint I use to fill myself up is every two mouthfuls of food I have a large sip of water. It a
    So keeps you really hydrated too.

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