Super Grumpy

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martiboesen
martiboesen Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
I started a 1200 calorie diet a little over a week ago and I'm doing great so far, but I'm grumpier than i've ever been.... Anyone experiencing this or have any insight? I had a major weight loss and that didn't even cheer me up!
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  • Pandabug93
    Pandabug93 Posts: 130 Member
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    I think you need to up your calorie intake to at least 1500. You aren't eating enough and your body is starving a little bit. Upping your calories to 1500 are not going to make you gain weight, but lose weight a teeny bit slower, at a healthier rate. As long as you exercise too, the weight will slide off and you'll find yourself so much happier.
  • tinydancer4
    tinydancer4 Posts: 114 Member
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    I think a lot of us have been there! MFP will often set your calories at 1200 when you first start, but that's really not very much if you're living a normal busy life. Try upping them to 1450 or 1500 and see how you feel then?
  • martiboesen
    martiboesen Posts: 3
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    Well, MFP set my calorie goal for 1600, but I have a LOT of weight to lose so I have been aiming for 1200. I'm usually somewhere between 1200 & 1400. But I'm just terribly grumpy, tired, and hungry.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    You are either eating-
    1.) too few calories
    2.) not enough nutrient dense food. (in other words in your 1,200 calories it is made up of High calorie items instead of a LOT of lower calorie items such as fruits, veggies, etc.)
    3.) you are not getting enough fiber (i dont know, im always in a pissy mood when im constipated, just sayin)

    :)
  • scyian
    scyian Posts: 243 Member
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    Have you changed your diet greatly? If you've cut out a look of the bad stuff (sugars, alcohol) you might just be getting withdrawal symptoms. My brother in law is doing a Dryanuary and a teacher - and i think he was a bit grumpy to begin with.
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
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    I'm at 1500 but I'm still snippy with my family (those poor poor people).
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
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    google "scoobys calculator" and follow the recommendations on how much you should be eating based on that.
  • cubbies77
    cubbies77 Posts: 607 Member
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    Well, MFP set my calorie goal for 1600, but I have a LOT of weight to lose so I have been aiming for 1200. I'm usually somewhere between 1200 & 1400. But I'm just terribly grumpy, tired, and hungry.

    So eat 1600.

    You're trying to fill your car with 3/4 tank of gas and drive like you have a full tank. Eat the 1600. Once you adjust to that, you can reduce it a little bit, but I wouldn't go below 1400.

    I've been losing at 2000 calories/day.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    Well, MFP set my calorie goal for 1600, but I have a LOT of weight to lose so I have been aiming for 1200. I'm usually somewhere between 1200 & 1400. But I'm just terribly grumpy, tired, and hungry.

    There's your problem.

    If it set your goal to 1,600 thats what you need to be eating. You would already be at a 1,000 calorie deficit for 2 pounds per week. You are pushing it with such a huge deficit. Low, slow, sustainable is what i would shoot for. This isn't a quick fix or rapid weight loss system.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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    Well, MFP set my calorie goal for 1600, but I have a LOT of weight to lose so I have been aiming for 1200. I'm usually somewhere between 1200 & 1400. But I'm just terribly grumpy, tired, and hungry.

    There is your answer.

    Eat at your calorie goal. Don't try to get too aggressive with weight loss. Faster weight loss isn't always better.

    You are grumpy, tired and hungry... you are only eating 1200 when your goal is 1600... your answer is to eat more.
  • martiboesen
    martiboesen Posts: 3
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    Thank you, everyone! I really thought it wouldnt' make much of a difference to go down so low, but I'm used to eating unhealthy foods and a lot of them. I have at least 100lbs to lose, so I just thought if I reduced my calorie intake more, I would lose faster. Obviously a terrible idea! I joined a biggest loser contest in my town and thought I could lose as much as the biggest losers on tv! Guess I should eat a little more!
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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    Thank you, everyone! I really thought it wouldnt' make much of a difference to go down so low, but I'm used to eating unhealthy foods and a lot of them. I have at least 100lbs to lose, so I just thought if I reduced my calorie intake more, I would lose faster. Obviously a terrible idea! I joined a biggest loser contest in my town and thought I could lose as much as the biggest losers on tv! Guess I should eat a little more!

    Don't try to lose as much as the people on the show lose. They are training hours a day, eating very little and have doctors around all the time. They also lose a great deal of muscle on the show due to their ways of losing weight. The Biggest Loser show is very inappropriate and doesn't show what healthy weight loss should be.

    Losing slowly is healthy and sustainable. You can lose it quickly but the odds of it staying off are slim. Also, when you try to lose quickly a large portion of your losses will be muscle and not fat. Too much of a deficit will cause you to lose muscle which in turn actually lowers your metabolism. When you lose slowly as well your skin has a better chance of shrinking back and not being loose... or not being as loose as it would of been if you lost the weight really quickly. Slowly is the best the healthiest way to do it. Don't get caught up in what the people on TV lose, what your friends lose or anyone else.

    Eat some more... fill your calories with healthy, clean foods. Eat back half of your exercise calories (if you use this site to estimate them).... weight loss is mainly diet.
  • agoofynut
    agoofynut Posts: 101 Member
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    Well, MFP set my calorie goal for 1600, but I have a LOT of weight to lose so I have been aiming for 1200. I'm usually somewhere between 1200 & 1400. But I'm just terribly grumpy, tired, and hungry.

    Trust me, as someone who started with 200 to lose, eat more. You will be so much happier and have much more energy at 1500. And you will not "slow" your weight loss in the long run. You might have drastic drops in the beginning eating that low, but it would slow and stall out eventually, where as if you are eating your calorie goal, you will continue to lose.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Yup, sounds like a case of the hangries - hungry & angry due to lack of food! :tongue:

    This topic was very helpful for me in setting my goals, getting rid of the hangries, and it's working beautifully for me: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    I eat well, I've got energy for my daily life and workouts, and I'm not hungry all the time. And probably much nicer to be around. AND I'm losing fat and inches, and have dropped another pants size following the plan in there. Win win! :drinker:
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    I started a 1200 calorie diet a little over a week ago and I'm doing great so far, but I'm grumpier than i've ever been.... Anyone experiencing this or have any insight? I had a major weight loss and that didn't even cheer me up!

    You're not eating enough. I did the 1200 calorie deal and it made me incredibly miserable. I'd rather have kept the 70lbs I dropped on 1200 calories then be that miserable again.

    Find your tdee, east your exercise calories and watch the weight melt off without any misery.
  • TeachTheGirl
    TeachTheGirl Posts: 2,091 Member
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    Yup, sounds like a case of the hangries - hungry & angry due to lack of food! :tongue:

    I absolutely love this phrase.

    That is all.
  • aadutton
    aadutton Posts: 87
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    Well, MFP set my calorie goal for 1600, but I have a LOT of weight to lose so I have been aiming for 1200. I'm usually somewhere between 1200 & 1400. But I'm just terribly grumpy, tired, and hungry.

    no. do what MFP tells you to. seriously. if 1200 was better, it would have told you 1200. do. what. mfp. tells. you. to. do. and. you. will. lose. weight.

    add me if you'd like. good luck.
  • iamthediva
    iamthediva Posts: 7
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    Another thing to consider when thinking FAST weight loss vs SLOW and healthy...

    when you lose really fast, your body does not have time it needs to adjust the elasticity of your skin. Slower weight loss coupled with some good exfoliation will help with the saggy skin, (not eliminate, necessarily, but help - certainly.)the new skin cells that replace the sloughed off ones will have more elasticity.

    IMHO - what's the point of losing weight super fast if i have all these flaps of super saggy skin everywhere?
  • hoosierlad
    hoosierlad Posts: 69 Member
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    sorry Grumpy...I'm Dopey today :-)
  • RushBabe214
    RushBabe214 Posts: 469 Member
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    Eat. More. Food. I was one cranky beyotch at 1200 calories. I now eat 1700 to 1800 calories per day and I'm much happier.

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