1200 Calories??? Are you kidding me...lol

ssvierck1020
ssvierck1020 Posts: 13
in Introduce Yourself
Well here it is, I just turned 45 and I just quit smoking. I have 30 lbs to lose. I usually eat 2-3000 calories a day of junk food and now I am suppose to eat 1200? OMG Im dying here. Actually I do very well during the day and I am not hungry. Until I come home and while I am cooking dinner, I am starving and cant seem to quit eating. Today I decided to start a hand written journal to figure out why I eat when I eat and how I feel before and after I eat. I also made a list of 15 questions and printed it off to tape up around my house, in my car and at the office so that I can ask myself before I pig out. Here is the list of questions I am going to try to get my brain to answer...lol

1. ARE YOU REALLY HUNGRY
2. ARE YOU HAVING HUNGER PAINS
3. ARE YOU JUST BORED
4. ARE YOU DEHYDRATED
5. DID YOU DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
6. HAVE YOU EXERCISED TODAY
7. HAVE YOU TRIED DOING SOMETHING ELSE FIRST
8. DO YOU REALLY WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT
9. DO YOU REALLY WANT THAT AND WHY
10. ARE YOU EXHAUSTED
11. ARE YOU COVERING EMOTIONS WITH FOOD
12. ARE YOU SURE YOU REALLY WANT THAT
13. HOW LONG WILL IT MAKE ME FEEL FULL
14. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU LAST ATE
15. HOW WILL YOU FEEL AFTER YOU EAT
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Replies

  • Car0lynnM
    Car0lynnM Posts: 332 Member
    You could probably boost your calorie goal to 1300-1500 calories. You'll get another snack in for the day, but still probably be at a deficit. Check out what your BMR and TDEE(I think that's the site--google will take you there). It will give you a better picture of what your calorie level is.
  • Warchortle
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    If you make your own food you'd be surprised how much 1200 can really be. You could just workout really hard and probably add another ~400+ to your daily. I could easily live off of sub 1200, but it effects my energy levels at the gym.
  • summer_cici
    summer_cici Posts: 24 Member
    That's the same amount as me. But I think that's because I'm lazy and don't do anything during the day! So if I get off my bum and do stuff I can eat more. :) Good luck with your goal! x
  • palmerig88
    palmerig88 Posts: 623 Member
    Did you accurately describe your daily activity level when you signed up? Are you trying to lose more than 1 pound per week?

    1200 daily calories is not a magic diet number that should be assigned to everyone seeking to lose weight.

    I probably ate around what your old norm is or a little more and lost no more weight at "net" 1420 calories than I did eating "net" 2100.

    If you plan to exercise, you can "eat back" those calories. The site is designed for you to earn extra calories to eat by exercising, if you choose. Try setting your goal to lose 1 pound per week and see what daily net intake number you get. Try this for one month. You will probably be thrilled with the results.
  • Sept201421
    Sept201421 Posts: 2
    i too eat only 1200 calories a day, it takes a bit to adjust, what helps me is to remember why im doing what im doing, and to ALWAYS keep a handful of almonds in the car. ( helps with defeating the urge to smoke in the car, i quit smoking 13 mnths ago) if i eat one serving of almonds on my way home from work, my body doesnt freak out and tell me i need to eat everything in my fridge when i start cooking dinner. also: WATER! (i hate water, i mean HATE it.) but make tea or add lemon and drink everytime you think you are hungry, if the hunger doesnt leave then eat something small and healthy.
  • aakokopelli7
    aakokopelli7 Posts: 196 Member
    1200 is too little. There are at least 500 post a day about someone not loosing weight after two weeks on 1200. Especially if you are working out and not just sitting still all day long. Only a comatose vegetable will loose weight on 1200 a day. Up your intake!

    Set your goals to 1 pound per week instead of 2. You will be happier for it. I made the same mistake starting out, once I made the change I started loosing and wasn't starving to death.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    You have little to lose, your goal should be 1 lb per week or less. Also, if you exercise you can eat more. So you probably can eat 1500-2200 depending on your activity level.
  • kakklespakkle
    kakklespakkle Posts: 118 Member
    I chose to increase my calories to 1400. I was ok on 1200 for a few weeks, then I found that I was way too tired and had very little strength.

    The easiest way to make the most out of your calories is (IMO) to eat 'clean' for example, fresh meat and veg for lunch and dinner. You get a lot more food for your calorie allowance that way.

    Keep trying, change your figures if it's too hard. It's better to lose weight more slowly and stick at it than to try and lose quickly and find it impossible to continue xxx
  • amberbf610
    amberbf610 Posts: 2
    Why do we only get calories back if we do cardio....but nothing for an hour of strength training? Also, why does it only add the time doing cardio vs. strength?
  • eyeshuh
    eyeshuh Posts: 333
    Eat more! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
    Hey! I'm 44 and I quit smoking a year ago on the 16th. Doc told me either to focus on quitting or focus on dieting...not both. I think the 1200 calories is if you are trying to lose more than a pound a week, which I know the way I am and would never be able to stick to that. Due to my height, mine is 1510.
    I agree that most hunger comes from psychological hunger. I graze. I ask myself the very same things and gulp water if I'm feeling the urge to graze. It helps. It works MOST times.
    Congrats on quitting and kudos to your list! I'll have to remember some of those questions for myself. :D
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    That list of questions is SO SMART! I am going to steal it and post it all round my house, too!
  • eyeshuh
    eyeshuh Posts: 333
    Why do we only get calories back if we do cardio....but nothing for an hour of strength training? Also, why does it only add the time doing cardio vs. strength?

    You have to look up "strength training" in the cardio section if you want to log it. In general, it does not burn very many calories so people just use the strength tab to track their improvement.
  • Saaaam42
    Saaaam42 Posts: 154 Member
    1200 is kind of nuts to me. I was starving, literally STARVING when I was at that amount, and all I could think about was food. It was torture and I was losing NOTHING.
    So I bumped my cals up to 1450 and I've been losing weight more steadily and feeling a lot healthier.
  • mschevs
    mschevs Posts: 2 Member
    I agree 100% with Warchortle.
  • everysn0wflake
    everysn0wflake Posts: 49
    I had been eating 1200 calories for the longest time. I started getting hungry more often because of medication I'm taking. So I'm slowly and gradually increasing my calories. I'm at 1650 calories right now. I'm probably going to continue until 1750 or around there. The reason I'm doing it slowly, is so your body gets use to it. Rather than increasing 500+ in one night; and gaining weight. If you're feeling hungry. You should try increasing your calories.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    I've been around 1200 calories lately, and it goes a lot easier when I include plenty of fruits and vegetables. They can really fill in the empty spaces!
  • lizzardsm
    lizzardsm Posts: 271 Member
    Eat more! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    This!! Please!!

    Particularly if you just quit smoking. Quitting is so so difficult. You might be setting yourself up for failure by restricting your calories so much and are dealing with the lack of nicotine/habit in your system.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    You have little to lose, your goal should be 1 lb per week or less. Also, if you exercise you can eat more. So you probably can eat 1500-2200 depending on your activity level.
    Eat more! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    yes.
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member
    No, you do not need to limit yourself to 1200 calories. I would either do as the above poster mentioned and go to Fat2fit and figure out your BMR and TDEE (search the forum for "In place of a roadmap" and that thread will explain how to do that) or set your weekly goal to 0.5lb loss. You don't have a lot to lose. Even eating at your 1/2 lb loss goal you will drop weight because you are used to eating 2000-3000 a day.
  • Rhonnie
    Rhonnie Posts: 506 Member
    Great idea! I don't know about you but it seems like some things trigger me over indulging, might want to add the questions "is this a trigger food?" :)
  • amberbf610
    amberbf610 Posts: 2
    Why do we only get calories back if we do cardio....but nothing for an hour of strength training? Also, why does it only add the time doing cardio vs. strength?

    You have to look up "strength training" in the cardio section if you want to log it. In general, it does not burn very many calories so people just use the strength tab to track their improvement.


    Great! Thanks!!
  • Lib_B
    Lib_B Posts: 446 Member
    with *only* 30 to lose (i know, it's still gonna take some work), but if you add some exercise and shoot for a pound a week, you can up your calories for sure. this is a handy calculator too. it also gives you the option of how quickly you want to lose....

    http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/calculators/calories-required/
  • kathleenmary73
    kathleenmary73 Posts: 33 Member
    If you're eating 3000 calories a day to maintain, then you can cut your calories to 1500 and lose 3 pounds a week or 2000 to lose 2 a week. If you add some exercise even more. I went to the university and had tests done to scientifically determine just how much calories I had to eat and how much exercise I had to do to lose a particular amount of weight. As far as your coming home ravenous--it's probably because you're not eating enough during the day and it's easier to stave off hunger when you are at work and busy and around other people. I used to drink liquids all day and maybe have a sandwich or piece of fruit for lunch. I was starving when I came home simply because I was starving. I shoved food in my mouth and grazed and picked and when dinner came I wasn't really hungry but I had to sit down to eat with my family so I forced myself. If you feed your body a little on regular time intervals during the day, you can avoid the starvation burst of eating when you get home. The thing everyone is told to do now by dieticians and doctors is to eat six smaller meals during the day with a ceiling of 300 calories. Most people think 300 calories is not enough and when you look at the amount of food you can have fro your regular meals that your used to trying to find 300 calories is going to be a challenge, but I promise you, if you wake up at 7 and eat at 730am and then again at 10am, and follow that pattern throughout the day, you're not going to be hungry or starving when you come home. This is just a matter of opinion and my attempt to give you feedback and to help you in any way I can.
  • Lib_B
    Lib_B Posts: 446 Member
    and congrats on giving up the grits! not easy, i know!
  • jcstanton
    jcstanton Posts: 1,849 Member
    If you make your own food you'd be surprised how much 1200 can really be. You could just workout really hard and probably add another ~400+ to your daily. I could easily live off of sub 1200, but it effects my energy levels at the gym.

    ^^This. Eat whole foods as much as possible, and prepare your meals fresh. 1200 calories of whole foods has much more volume than 2,000-3,000 calories of overprocessed junk.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/377891-eating-healthy-vs-junk-food/
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    If you make your own food you'd be surprised how much 1200 can really be. You could just workout really hard and probably add another ~400+ to your daily. I could easily live off of sub 1200, but it effects my energy levels at the gym.

    ^^This. Eat whole foods as much as possible, and prepare your meals fresh. 1200 calories of whole foods has much more volume than 2,000-3,000 calories of overprocessed junk.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/377891-eating-healthy-vs-junk-food/

    and if it's below the OP's BMR, it won't make a difference.
  • OddChoices
    OddChoices Posts: 244 Member
    You could probably boost your calorie goal to 1300-1500 calories. You'll get another snack in for the day, but still probably be at a deficit. Check out what your BMR and TDEE at fit2fat.com (I think that's the site--google will take you there). It will give you a better picture of what your calorie level is.

    THIS. I usually end around 1500 calories per day on the days that I workout.
  • marsbull
    marsbull Posts: 3
    I have been clean eating for just over 2 weeks now and I am finding it hard to eat the 1200 calories. I have fresh fruit for breakfast, salads or homemade veggy soup for lunch with a peice of toast or crackers and than meat with either a salad or rice for supper. Throw in two more snacks of either veggies or fruit and I am usually sitting at around 800 - 900 calories per day. I am also never hungry.

    I am however very very sededantry. I work two jobs and have alot of evening board meetings and do not have time to work out. If I was working out I don't think that what I am consuming would be adequeate. I also find on the days that I skip a snack I am starving come supper time so I must always make sure that I have a snack to tied me over.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,428 MFP Moderator
    Why do we only get calories back if we do cardio....but nothing for an hour of strength training? Also, why does it only add the time doing cardio vs. strength?

    You have to look up "strength training" in the cardio section if you want to log it. In general, it does not burn very many calories so people just use the strength tab to track their improvement.

    If you do the right type of strength training, you can burn a lot of calories, not including the epoc affect. You really burn more calories when you start compound sets and endurance sets.

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