Feeling guilty of eating 1200 calories

Honestly, eat more. 1200 is too low for an adult human.

You will still lose weight.

Has anyone feeling guilty of eating 1200 calories. I used to think that weight loss is about starving, now that I joined MFP I cant believe that 1200calories will make me loose weight. *unbelievable*

I must say I lost few inches in my waists and thighs though nothing on scale. I do eat 1200 sometimes but honestly do feel guilty as if Im eating too much.

It sounds like it may be a good time to re-evaluate your relationship with food if you feel guilty at 1200 calories a day. A calorie deficit=weight loss, not starving everyday.

Seriously?! I don't know your stats in comparison to mine, but mooooore than likely 1200 is too low for you, and you need to re-evaluate your relationship with food and your attitude/approach to losing weight. I eat 1800 calories every dang day, and I feel guilty if I have more than 100 calories left over!

It is your GOAL that means you should want to ACHIEVE it!

I hear what you are saying. It's hard changing that mindset and understanding that eating food is not what is causing weight gain.
I used to eat between 500-700 calories a day. I would go hungry all day long drinking coffee just to function then over eat at dinner.
I was 190 lbs. I am just now learning to exercise daily, drink lots of water, sleep right, and eat through out the day. I struggle to get up to 1200, but I am proud that I am consistently hitting over 1000. Just like you, I am still a work in progress. My goal is to get to a point where I can learn to eat 1500 healthy calories a day.

I always eat anywhere from 1200-1400 calories a day. Normally no more than 1400. There is no need to eat more than 1400 calories a day, especially if your losing weight or trying too. Your body goes into starvation mode if you eat less than that, but your body wont go into starvation mode at 1200. I work in an office that the chief of Medicine works at and those are his words. Between 1200-1400 calories is sufficient. Your body maintains at 1400, you lose at 1200. Given if you are seriously overweight, you would probably lose eating a bit more than that as well or someone trying to put on tons of muscle but eventually when your body gets down to an ideal weight 1200 is losing, 1400 is maintaining and anything above that typically is gaining.

I know everyone has different opinions, just sharing what I've learned, experienced and have been taught by our doctors.

Has anyone feeling guilty of eating 1200 calories. I used to think that weight loss is about starving, now that I joined MFP I cant believe that 1200calories will make me loose weight. *unbelievable*

I must say I lost few inches in my waists and thighs though nothing on scale. I do eat 1200 sometimes but honestly do feel guilty as if Im eating too much.

I do think you should feel guilty.. because, that is NOT nearly enough calories to eat in a day!! That wouldn't even be enough if you were 4ft 5inches tall weighing 110 lbs! If you eat so few calories your body will think it's starving and do the opposite of what you want. YES, you will lose weight, but it will not be the weight you want to lose. Instead of losing fat, your body will store fat and eat up your muscle. Figure out your BMR: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator You need to AT LEAST eat BMR, nothing less. TDEE - 15% (or 20%) would be ideal. Research on TDEE.

My BMR is 1340. 1200 would kill me (well not literally). I have calories set to 1300 on MFP. I almost always eat back some or all of my workoit calories.

Funny you should bring up this topic....I have been feeling like this the past week or so....and the sad thing is, I KNOW that 1200 calories a day is WAAAAYYYYY too low for me...but yet, I cannot help but be obsessive about it and try to stay below that number (I do eat back calories when I excercise, though...but even then, its a mind game and I freak out a little inside)....I think becuase I had such a dramatic weight loss in a short time...and I want to continue on the same path....

Bottom line for me is....I have to re-evaluate how I view my calories and I have to tell myself that eating more calories a day will actually help me in the long run....but its much easier said than done...

1200 calorie meal maybe (but even then I don't think I'd feel THAT guilty if I was remotely close to my cut or TDEE calories) If you're only eating 1200 calories in a day and you're feeling guilty about that I would seek out the help of someone who can evaluate whether your relationship with food is healthy or not.

I did a week of 500-800 calories and didn't lose anything. I then bumped it up to 1200-1500 and started losing again. I am not so sure about the "starvation theory" being true, but I do know from my own personal experience, I have to eat to lose. I don't understand it, but I know what works for me. I force myself to eat healthy stuff now to get my calories up there.

I hope this is something you can overcome. I don't feel guilty about food. I love food! I do try to keep my calories between 1800 and 2200 (right now). But I don't feel guilty if I'm over and I certainly don't feel guilty for meeting that goal. :flowerforyou:

Your body maintains at 1400, you lose at 1200.

You really think this is the same for everyone, except the "seriously overweight"? That shows that you really don't understand weight loss or calorie deficits. Do you know that if you really maintain at 1400, you would lose less than half a lb per week (not saying that's a bad thing--my point is that most people would lose more than that on 1200 calories and that they would maintain on much higher than 1400)? My maintenance calories are around 2100. If I wanted to bulk, I'd aim for around 2300 or so. If I want to cut, I aim for between 1600-1900. And I'm a 5'4" female. Many people, especially men but also women, need many more calories.

It is sad and frustrating that you've been shamed into thinking that 1200 calories is too much, when in fact it is very likely starving you slowly, and killing your metabolism. If you want to lose weight and preserve your health, eat more. Eat quality foods that support your life and activity level. If you want to kill your metabolism and happiness and fuel your workouts with precious muscle instead of fat, keep eating 1200 or less.

Thank you! Very sad and frustrating, indeed.

I always eat anywhere from 1200-1400 calories a day. Normally no more than 1400. There is no need to eat more than 1400 calories a day, especially if your losing weight or trying too. Your body goes into starvation mode if you eat less than that, but your body wont go into starvation mode at 1200. I work in an office that the chief of Medicine works at and those are his words. Between 1200-1400 calories is sufficient. Your body maintains at 1400, you lose at 1200. Given if you are seriously overweight, you would probably lose eating a bit more than that as well or someone trying to put on tons of muscle but eventually when your body gets down to an ideal weight 1200 is losing, 1400 is maintaining and anything above that typically is gaining.

I know everyone has different opinions, just sharing what I've learned, experienced and have been taught by our doctors.

I must be a special snowflake... I'm eating around 2,000 calories a day (more when I eat back my exercise cals) and while yes, I am breastfeeding a baby, I'm still waay above your 1400 maintenance, and yet, I'm steadily losing weight.

It's not about a set number, it's about what each individual body requires based on a variety of factors. For you, perhaps those numbers work, but they don't for everyone, and may not for the OP.