Struggling with 1200 calorie allowance

SuzySu
SuzySu Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi

According to the site I'm only allowed 1200 calories per day and to be honest I'm really struggling :-(

I don't do any exercise (I know.....I know) and have a fairly sedentary job. I'm not massively overweight (9st 4 and 5' 3") but I would like to lose around 9 or 10 lbs.

Does anyone else have that sort of allowance and, if so, how do you cope?

Suzy

Replies

  • kristinaw1967
    kristinaw1967 Posts: 36
    I did too & went up to 1400 cal & it's made a huge difference! Don't set yourself up for failure. You can always taper off (your calories) as you lose.
  • Dulcemami4ever
    Dulcemami4ever Posts: 344 Member
    If you are struggling with 1200, up your calories. MFP seems to give 1200 automatically. I see many people at 1600-1800 who are fine and still at a deficit. If you aren't comfortable you can always do like 1500 or do that road map thing...never tried that though.
  • keenesmom
    keenesmom Posts: 115 Member
    MFP set my calorie goal at 1200 as well. I wish I could help you but I didn't have a problem with it. What do you have your weight loss goal per week set for? If you have it set for 2 pounds a week you can always go back and adjust it to a smaller amount which should give you more calories. Of course if you exercised it would give you more calories as well...although I exercise 6x a week and it still set me at 1200. Are you eating "real" food? Fresh, non-packaged foods are much more filling than the pre-made, packaged stuff so if you aren't already give it a try. You may find that 1200 is more than enough. Good Luck!
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    I do and to be honest, I just try to make most of what I eat vegetables. I can eat tons of veg for very few calories and feel full because of the fibre. I also use my healthy fats carefully- a bit of olive oil, avocado, etc. are super helpful for feeling satisfied.
  • kjoy_
    kjoy_ Posts: 316 Member
    I'm 5'2 and I'm at 1400 calories now, My Fitness Pal just uses a computer formula so it is definitely not the "be all end all" and is very imperfect. Google "TDEE," calculate that number and subtract 20% from it, and that's a good starting point for what you should be eating.
  • SuzySu
    SuzySu Posts: 11
    Cool....ok will try upping my calories a bit. Is there a way to make my profile accept 1400 otherwise I'll be going over every day which is not what I want to be seeing at the end of every day?
  • cindybpitts
    cindybpitts Posts: 213 Member
    Cool....ok will try upping my calories a bit. Is there a way to make my profile accept 1400 otherwise I'll be going over every day which is not what I want to be seeing at the end of every day?
    If you go to your "home" page, click goals then you can change 1200 to 1400.
  • SuzySu
    SuzySu Posts: 11
    Thanks!

    Did the TDEE calculator and it's coming out at 1243 (after deducting the 20%) so that's probably what I should be sticking to. Ho hum....

    I think I'm struggling because I live in Asia so the 'western' food I can buy is quite limited. Houses don't have ovens either which makes it a bit of a challenge to cook a decent meal. BUT.....I'm sure I can find meals that I can cook on the hob. I will use the Easter holidays to do my research.
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    You told MFP you wanted to lose quickly...that's why it gave you the default minimum. Slow down your goal per week, you'll get more calories, and its easier and better for you too.
  • daycare_diva
    daycare_diva Posts: 5
    I went up to 1300 and seem to be doing fine with it. I usually go over a little but I workout every night, so I gain those calories back. I also eat a small snack after working out as well. something like cereal and milk.
  • SuzySu
    SuzySu Posts: 11
    @Megsmum

    No...I followed the MFP recommendation of 1lb per week.
  • EsculentGoddess
    EsculentGoddess Posts: 15
    I have that same allowance (it gives you that based on a very general math equation and takes into consideration how much weight you told it you want to lose per week). I do usually go over about a hundred calories or so. If it's something you're determined to stick to, I really like pre-portioned meals for breakfast and lunch (I.e. Lean Cuisine, Jimmy Dean Delights, even store brand) as they range from 200-300 calories, then for dinner I dig through recipes from low cal sources (eatingwell, taste of home Comfort food diet), but even restaurants have low cal options now if you look them up ahead of time it's much easier (Chipotle, Quiznos, Chilis). and there usually ends up being room for a snack or two (50-100 cal each), love 100 cal bags of popcorn, and pre-portioned froyo. And, I make sure to take a multi-vitamin.
  • SuzySu
    SuzySu Posts: 11
    Pu....when you say "think fats" do you mean eat them or avoid them (or just change them). All those things you've listed are healthy fats right?

    I do eat nuts, avos and use olive oil for cooking so hope I'm on the right track there.
  • HSingMomto7Kids
    HSingMomto7Kids Posts: 345 Member
    I started off with 1200 but quickly had to increase the calories before decreasing my calories so my body could get used to it.
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    Based on what I've read around here, if you're only looking to loose 10lbs, you should probably be doing TDEE-15 or 10%.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    Based on what I've read around here, if you're only looking to loose 10lbs, you should probably be doing TDEE-15 or 10%.

    Yes, I recently read that, also. If you only have 20 or less lb's to lose, shoot for 1/2lb/week, instead of the recommended 1lb/week. Also, if you want to eat more, you could always exercise :happy: Try zumba! :wink: I love it:heart:
  • LesaLu4
    LesaLu4 Posts: 83
    bump
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Thanks!

    Did the TDEE calculator and it's coming out at 1243 (after deducting the 20%) so that's probably what I should be sticking to. Ho hum....

    I think I'm struggling because I live in Asia so the 'western' food I can buy is quite limited. Houses don't have ovens either which makes it a bit of a challenge to cook a decent meal. BUT.....I'm sure I can find meals that I can cook on the hob. I will use the Easter holidays to do my research.

    you could try doing more activity/exercise, so you get a bigger allowance.

    I do almost all my cooking on the hob, although i have an oven. I make a lot of dishes that start by stir-frying onions and veggies. If you want to keep the calories low you can use a non-stick pan and only the barest minimum of oil.

    and I second anyone who's saying if you only have a little to lose, go for TDEE - 10%... it may seem slow but it's much more likely that you'd lose 100% fat, rather than a combination of fat and lean body mass. The less you have to lose, the more risk there is of losing lean body mass with the fat. That would also give you more calories, plus it may be the reason why you're struggling on fewer calories, i.e. your body isn't getting enough and you're at risk of losing lean body mass.
  • bluebear_74
    bluebear_74 Posts: 179
    I use to find it really hard but over time I've found food that I like that are lower in calories/healthier.

    I'm guessing the database doesn't have many Asian foods so I recognized cooking yourself, and using the recipes section to log all your ingredients. Pre-packaged food usually has the nutrition on the packaging though.
  • tonytoo
    tonytoo Posts: 307
    Set your own goals!

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

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