THIS is how hard it is to reach 1200 calories

I agree with eating more, but I have been in that "it's hard to eat 1200 calories" place. I was so terrified of not losing that I literally ate nothing but salad and chicken breast. My intake would top out at 700-800, SOMETIMES 900 calories a day. I did this for months. I lost the weight and all, but I put myself in a bad position. I had headaches all day, every day and I felt awful in any way possible. It felt as if my body was shutting down. I didn't want to die because of losing weight so I started eating again. I did gained a lot of weight back. I'm now at it again, but this time my minimum 1500. I still have a difficult time eating 1500 most days, because I am terrified of gaining again. It's mostly a mind game.

This is ME, I could have written this back in the day. I have lost all the weight I needed to...twice. I had migraines all the time, my face looked very "pinched", it's like I aged 10 years. I gained back the weight and then some. My body's metabolism got out of whack. I ended up in an Endocrinologist's office taking some drugs for insulin resistance to get my TSH back to normal. Once it became normal again, I kept yoyo dieting. I weight to my highest weight when I joined MFP. I decided (personal choice, my doctor knows) to try to eat vegan and I feel fine (driving my meat eating boyfriend crazy who cooks for me). This time I am on a road to my destination...a journey. I don't let the set backs discourage me.

I find I do need to stick within my guidelines MFP gives me to lose weight. The weeks where I go over 100 carolies or more a day, I gain. I find the weight loss happens in chunks on the scale. My pants though are strangely starting to get looser and looer and my face looks thinner to the point coworkers noticed. Right now, I get told I look young for 45 and I am very frightened honestly to eat the 1200 calories or less a day I did on those plans I lost on (pre-packaged food). I also can lose hair very easily if I mess with not eating enough. I finally have a lot of hair growing in again and I am not going to mess with that.

So I am doing a balancing act of eating enough, eating healthy, enjoying my food, trying to increase exercize while being the type that gets Charley horses easily (I eat a lot of bananas and monitor my potassium every day), because this is a lifelong journey for me, full stop. I am not doing a fad diet. I see the people in Dan's group and while I will not look as trim as some of them...I wanna try to be the best I can be. I saw one lady who stayed the same weight, posted pictures of her in a bikini and dang, what a difference. It was staggering. In one, protruding stomach, the next picture, flat tummy. People who don't work out and eat low calories honestly show it a lot sometimes (not all, just saying some). I was one of them. You play Russian-roulette with your hair, your chemistry, your body. You may age yourself in looks.

I enjoyed the food porn. I eat a lot of sriracha on my veggies and beans/tofu/fake meats. I enjoy nuts during the day, some pieces of fruit and my dessert coffees (instead of something worse). I hope to lose all my weight and come back on here showing somebody middle-aged with a screwed up metabolism from PCOS can do it while eating enough to sleep soundly at night (I have trouble going to bed hungry).

PS: Summary of my long post: I've tried and been successfully at losing with VLCDs but it was at a cost. Trying to do it with more calories so I can follow my plan the rest of my life easily.

replying so i can have that casein ice cream recipe saved!

I love this thread! Thanks for posting all those photos and ideas. I'm not sure why some have to create some big debate about this. I totally understood what you're saying, OP. Great minds must think alike. Haha..

looks delicious, but too much for me!

Agreed!

where do yuo buy psyllium husk? i dont think i have ever seen that in my grocery store lol

i live in canada so i buy mine at bulk barn. any health food store should have it, or if your grocery store has an organic isle it should be down there

I live in Australia and it's in the health food isle of Coles or Woolworths etc from memory. Near the protein bars and stuff. I also use psyllium husk instead of (or as well as) breadcrumbs - eg baked, crumbed chicken wings.

In no way did the op ever say people should eat more than 1200.

Actually, the OP said "no one should eat below 1200."
</being a smart a**>

seems to me that MFP doesn't know anything and maybe we should not listen to what they give us for calories. I've also read about the EMTWL..pure bull**** if you ask me

Bumping this as i think the meal ideas are great and healthy, and give some ideas to those struggling to eat more, in a healthy way.

OMG all that looks delicious.
I<3 food.