People who eat less than 2000 cals...in need of support

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misti777
misti777 Posts: 217 Member
in Food and Nutrition
How do you do it?

I always go up to at least 1800 and at most 2500 or more. I hear a lot of people having success from eating only 1200 or 1500 or something and I don't get how they do it. I always end up hungry if I manage to eat around 1800 or barely 2000 gross and getting exercise that day, and on a day when I eat what I consider normal, I probably eat 2500 cals. Do I simply eat a little too much at dinner and have snacks that are too high in calories? We don't always have fruit at home so sometimes there is not much I can do but eat high carb foods. Could it be because I am heavier so my body needs more calories to sustain my whole body and therefore I crave more food?

I am feeling very discouraged with continuing to work on losing weight because... well I feel like I just can't do it. Either I eat too much, or I exercise too little. I feel like I need to starve myself or work myself to death to get results.
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    So you eat between 1800 and 2500 cals and you're not losing weight? Is that what you're saying?
  • Panda_Rolls
    Panda_Rolls Posts: 101 Member
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    I usually eat around 1800 every day and try to get a good mix of foods and lots of fiber. I'm rarely (if ever) hungry and still have my little splurges. I've been steadily losing and I'm a lot happier than when I was eating about 1400. Feel free to add me!

    Edit: Buy a food scale so you know what portions really look like. They are most likely much smaller than what you think they are.
  • vonstigator
    vonstigator Posts: 21
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    i eat 1200 a day & i feel satisfied. you need to find something else to do when you are feeling hungry to take your mind off it :s
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
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    That's a lot of calories, depending on what your workout routine is... Have you calculated your BMR?? That's roughly where you should be eating for weight loss. There's more to it than that, but 2500 is a LOT.
  • HealthyVitamins
    HealthyVitamins Posts: 432 Member
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    I just plan my meals and stick to it.

    Find out how many calories you need a day, usually your TDEE minus 15/20% http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    Then plan your meals/snacks etc for that amount of calories.

    Feeling hungry can sometimes be psychological, for example, I used to always eat snacks after my evening meal and not because I was hungry, just because I wanted them.

    From what I can see you have been on MFP since July, stick to it, you are not going to see results instantly, it's going to take a long time and hard work, prepare yourself for that and come to terms with it and you will find it becomes easier.
  • LMick1986
    LMick1986 Posts: 431
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    What are you actually eating? I've been pretty successful in the past year on about a 1200 cal per day intake (more if I exercise). I really haven't been hungry most of the time. When I switched for a while and was eating straight fruits and vegetables...five meals a day vs just three.....I really wasn't hungry AT ALL. If you're fueling yourself with the proper foods, you'll feel more satiated.
  • coppertop_4
    coppertop_4 Posts: 258 Member
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    Well, I'm 5'8 and 179 pounds and LOVE to eat 1800 calories a day! However, my body doesn't lose weight.
    So I had to get serious and decide that its OK to be hungry sometimes. Mind over matter. My goal is 1450 a day, but I've been able to survive at 1300 a day. I'm hungry sometimes, but that's when I go for a walk or do something to get my mind off of food.

    Start small... tell yourself that for one whole week you will stay at 1800 calories. See what your weight does. Did you lose? Then stick to it. If you didn't then subtract 100 calories and stick to 1700 calories for the next week. See what your weight does.

    No 2 people are alike. You have to find what works for YOU!
  • NyxNine
    NyxNine Posts: 67 Member
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    Well... I think I mostly gained weight from boredom eating when I wasn't actually hungry. So it's not hard at all for me to eat "1200-1500". I do and I don't feel hungry, even if I eat mostly junk food. That's how I "do" it, and maybe that's how some others find it easy to eat that amount. *shrug* Not really helpful to you, just thought I'd share "how". ;c
  • nicoleisback
    nicoleisback Posts: 184
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    If I watch what I eat, I can easily reduce my intake to 1500-1800 a day. I try to go for quality rather than quantity. Maybe you could try preparing large portions of healthy meals (casseroles and soups are great for this) and freezing the extras in one serve containers to keep in the freezer. This way when you don't have the energy to make a healthy meal, just defrost. They keep in the freezer for about 3 months, and although higher in carbs if you load them with fresh veggies and a bit of meat for protein, you will find you feel fuller for longer anyway.
    I also find throughout the day when I am feeling peckish I drink a glass of water then chew some sugar free gum. Most mild hunger is just dehydration, and the gum makes me feel like I have eaten as well. If I am still hungry 20 minutes-half an hour after this, then I snack.
    For snacks, try keeping some nuts on hand. Just a small handful of nuts will keep away snack cravings for an hour or so, just remember not to have too many as they are high in (good) fat.
  • eylia
    eylia Posts: 200 Member
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    It's hard to say without knowing what you actually eat, where you might safely cut a few calories if that is what you goal is. I'd say make sure you're measuring and weighing potions, and are aware of serving sizes. Many people eat 2-3 serves of pasta at dinner without realising, for instance. Vegetables are filling, and lean meats also, so if you realise it is an excess carb intake at dinner, you can bulk your meal up with other things as well. Processed foods always have higher calorie totals than things that aren't, so replacing a few items here and there with fresh produce will make a huge difference.
  • ron2e
    ron2e Posts: 606
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    I can't see your diary so it is difficult to comment, but why do you need to snack at all? Sounds like you are snacking far too much? I seem to manage on 1200 to 1400 a day and that includes alcohol and some dark chocolate. Any snacks I eat, and sometimes we all do, I make sure fit within my daily allowance. If I can't fit it in my allowance, I don't eat/drink it. I've only been over once in 7 months and that was expected and calculated so I first had a couple of very low days and was under for the week. All it requires is self discipline, good choices and a bit of planning.
  • Maidofmer
    Maidofmer Posts: 908 Member
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    I eat anywhere between 900-1500 I guess. I don't do it on purpose. My goal cal intake is 1830 or 1850. I eat what I have available (broke as hell!) and I usually make it my lunch and dinner. try filling up on water. at least a gallon a day. and salads, veggies, you get a large serving with few calories. I also keep myself busy all day to avoid bored snacking. maybe check your protein? here's a link for you

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3v0UuSHhm8

    in it, the guy goes over how to help suppress hunger so you don't over eat. When I feel hungry, I ask am I hungry, or bored. Wait 30 minutes and it usually goes away. If you do need a snack, have an apple. they always make me feel full.
  • Anrie75
    Anrie75 Posts: 1
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    Perhaps you could give an example of your daily menu (what you eat in ine day), along with the calorie totals for each meal.

    You should figure out how much calories you get on average from each meal, to see where the problem lies. Compare it with your goals: for a 1500 kcal day, I would typically aim for a breakfast of 200, a lunch of 300, a dinner of 700 and snacks and drinks equal to 300. Of course, you can divide this as suits you, for example you could have a large lunch instead.

    Once you know what your calorie intake is per meal, you can figure out which meals need to be replaced with lower calorie substitutes.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,041 Member
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    I eat 1850 a day plus exercise cals and I am losing over a pound a week.

    If you are a super high car or high sodium diet or are just plain eating crap, you will lose very slowly
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
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    Yes, it's difficult to advise you without seeing your diary. It could be that you are eating just fine, or could keep your intake that high and maybe just add some more exercise. Not everyone is comfortable eating under 2000 calories. I eat over 2000 most days, but I burn 3000 and I have lost 120lbs in just over a year. I also keep my fiber at double the recommended daily allowance and try to get lots of protein. The best place for you to start is to take a look at this post here and be sure to calculate your calorie and macro targets. If you do need to eat less, there's been some great advice here already.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819925-the-basics-don-t-complicate-it
  • misti777
    misti777 Posts: 217 Member
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    Okay, I guess I just need to work on it. I suppose maybe I am feeling a little more depressed than usual as I'm supposed to be starting my monthly cycle any day now. Not an excuse, just a possible explanation for me feeling like crap right now.
  • tjthegreatone
    tjthegreatone Posts: 324
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    How do you do it?

    I always go up to at least 1800 and at most 2500 or more. I hear a lot of people having success from eating only 1200 or 1500 or something and I don't get how they do it. I always end up hungry if I manage to eat around 1800 or barely 2000 gross and getting exercise that day, and on a day when I eat what I consider normal, I probably eat 2500 cals. Do I simply eat a little too much at dinner and have snacks that are too high in calories? We don't always have fruit at home so sometimes there is not much I can do but eat high carb foods. Could it be because I am heavier so my body needs more calories to sustain my whole body and therefore I crave more food?

    I am feeling very discouraged with continuing to work on losing weight because... well I feel like I just can't do it. Either I eat too much, or I exercise too little. I feel like I need to starve myself or work myself to death to get results.
    Like you I struggle to stay under 2000 a day unless I am basically sedentary and I love exercise too much for that. Add to that the fact that I'm a major boredom eater and I eat all the time whether I'm hungry or not (no such thing as 'too full' in my book).
    I lost weight on 1500 a day but was ravenous constantly and developed some disordered eating patterns. Some of us are just born to eat more :drinker:
    If you aren't losing weight you have to decide what's important to you. I'd rather create a deficit with exercise but some people would rather eat less and spend their spare time doing something else. Hourses for courses. Some people recommend higher protein - I never found that it did wonders for stopping me from snacking anyway, but I suppose it's more difficult to binge on protein-rich foods than on simple carbs.
  • GymPoet
    GymPoet Posts: 107 Member
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    Are you eating enough volume? A key way to cut calories is to greatly increase the amount of foods in your diet that have a lot of water volume--mainly fruits and vegetables, and decrease drier fried and processed foods that don't fill you up.
  • misti777
    misti777 Posts: 217 Member
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    I eat 1850 a day plus exercise cals and I am losing over a pound a week.

    If you are a super high car or high sodium diet or are just plain eating crap, you will lose very slowly


    Well my mom is not a very good grocery shopper. She thinks she is but she likes to shop from three different stores. She'll buy all the junk, easy-cook foods one weekend and then the next weekend she'll buy the produce and meat, usually not even ending up going the next week but two weeks later from her first shop. So we end up only having produce for up to two weeks and I don't like the fruits she buys. I just don't have a lot of resources when it comes to having the right foods. I mean, she buys the high calorie foods because we eat them(by the way I live with two of my siblings, my dad, my mom, and her mom's bf, everything is kind of ****ed up right now), but at the same time we eat them because she buys them. If she shopped mostly produce and therefore getting a greater variety of produce I would eat more produce. I can't just make my mom buy a bunch of stuff that she usually doesnt get.. i'm not the type of person to be bossy or confrontational or outspoken or whichever would that would fit better there.
  • HealthyVitamins
    HealthyVitamins Posts: 432 Member
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    Well my mom is not a very good grocery shopper. She thinks she is but she likes to shop from three different stores. She'll buy all the junk, easy-cook foods one weekend and then the next weekend she'll buy the produce and meat, usually not even ending up going the next week but two weeks later from her first shop. So we end up only having produce for up to two weeks and I don't like the fruits she buys. I just don't have a lot of resources when it comes to having the right foods. I mean, she buys the high calorie foods because we eat them(by the way I live with two of my siblings, my dad, my mom, and her mom's bf, everything is kind of ****ed up right now), but at the same time we eat them because she buys them. If she shopped mostly produce and therefore getting a greater variety of produce I would eat more produce. I can't just make my mom buy a bunch of stuff that she usually doesnt get.. i'm not the type of person to be bossy or confrontational or outspoken or whichever would that would fit better there.

    If you are 18 years old, surely you can buy some of your own produce? buy your own bananas/oranges at least. Then use portion control if you absolutely must eat what your mother feeds you.

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