1200 cals of junk (outta control pms)

^ what she said.

haha this is me every weekend - (by the time i've had my breakfast (at about 2pm ) i'm left with about 500 cals) don't worry about it.

You can also feed what your body is craving using healthier food. There are many charts that will help you match your cravings to healthier alternatives. You can use those to help target your personal cravings.

When I am craving chocolate for example I mash an avocado with cocoa powder and add some raw powdered sugar (not icing sugar, but that might work too). The avocado ads a creamy texture, the cocoa adds the chocolate flavour, and the sugar offsets the bitterness. I add enough that it would be like bittersweet bakers' chocolate. It also packs great nutritional value so I'm not going back again and again.

If I want chips what I am usually looking for is crunch, vitamin E, and salt so I might have a few salted almonds, either with my chocolate avocado concoction, by themselves, or with some frozen greek yogurt (the texture is better than frozen regular yogurt).

The other key is to not eat blindly. Take the time to weigh, measure, and record your food. Drink a cup of tea or glass of water.

You also burn an extra 5% in the 5-7 days leading up to, and the first few days of, your cycle. So a week with an extra 80 calories or so.

I hear you sister. I'm pmsing at the moment and ate a plate of Nando's for dinner. Woops and it's weigh day tomorrow. Blurggg

Okay, I can't help but respond to this because I think you deserve a good answer. This is based on my own experience, but I really strongly believe that not all calories are created the same. I eat 1200 calories of junk and I'm gaining weight the next morning. 1200 calories of fruits, veggies, unprocessed stuff... I might lose a lb or 2 over night. It's pretty much water weight, but it's still discouraging to see the bulge the next day.
JoRocka was right to a certain extent. You eat the junk and it will leave you still feeling unsatisfied, but honestly if you eat 1200 cal of junk and that's it... I find it VERY hard to believe you will be losing weight, if you do.. it will be difficult.
Exercise goes a long way too, water and lots of exercise (and by exercise I mean like body weight/toning that you can do at home...push-ups, vertical leg lefts, lunges)... that time of the month, I usually just eat what I want, TRY to stay reasonable with it and then just get back to it afterwards.

Are you really surprised that you're craving stuff and binging if you're only eating 1200 calories with 64 lbs to lose? This is exactly why 1200 calorie diets usually don't work. But if you can stay under 1200 calories just eating junk, good for you I guess.

This was my thought as well. Maybe try upping your calories a little and incorporating treats more often. It will make the journey far easier and more pleasant. And no foods are junk, some are more nutrient dense than others, but they all can be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle and you will still lose weight if you eat at a calorie deficit. Period. I've lost 121lbs in 15 months and I have ice cream everyday.

If you eat it every day you wont get all vitamins and minerals, but once in a while? Once in a while I eat 1900 calories in a day, which is my maintenance number of calories.

Okay, I can't help but respond to this because I think you deserve a good answer. This is based on my own experience, but I really strongly believe that not all calories are created the same. I eat 1200 calories of junk and I'm gaining weight the next morning. 1200 calories of fruits, veggies, unprocessed stuff... I might lose a lb or 2 over night. It's pretty much water weight, but it's still discouraging to see the bulge the next day.
JoRocka was right to a certain extent. You eat the junk and it will leave you still feeling unsatisfied, but honestly if you eat 1200 cal of junk and that's it... I find it VERY hard to believe you will be losing weight, if you do.. it will be difficult.
Exercise goes a long way too, water and lots of exercise (and by exercise I mean like body weight/toning that you can do at home...push-ups, vertical leg lefts, lunges)... that time of the month, I usually just eat what I want, TRY to stay reasonable with it and then just get back to it afterwards.

This is totally me, except I believe the processed "junk" has more sodium than natural, whole foods, which is why you see the gain. I also believe drinking plenty of water is important- the more water I drink, the less I crave processed junk, and then less fluctuation I see on the scale. But, everyone is different, and everyone's body reacts differently.

You can also feed what your body is craving using healthier food. There are many charts that will help you match your cravings to healthier alternatives. You can use those to help target your personal cravings.

When I am craving chocolate for example I mash an avocado with cocoa powder and add some raw powdered sugar (not icing sugar, but that might work too). The avocado ads a creamy texture, the cocoa adds the chocolate flavour, and the sugar offsets the bitterness. I add enough that it would be like bittersweet bakers' chocolate. It also packs great nutritional value so I'm not going back again and again.

if you crave chocolate... just eat the chocolate. My bowl of ice cream or square of chocolate is an equal amount of a calories as an avocado is.

I agree. When shark week rolls around, I just go with it. For me, it only lasts a few hours the evening before breaking bad so it's only a few hours. I'm T2D so I can't go bananas, but I do have that square of dark chocolate and some ice cream. My diet's quite restrictive to begin with so my 'treats' probably pale in comparison to a normal person's :blushing:

PS...becoming more active will allot you additional calories that may make things a bit easier

My body would up and revolt if I tried to tell it that avocado colored with some cocoa powder was the same as Hagan Daas chcolate ice cream. I may do some stupid stuff, but I know what ice cream tastes like!

This made me laugh. I had this image of your arms suddenly flailing around, smacking the bowl, screaming "Not the HAGAN DAAS! NOT THE HAGAN DAAS!"

Thanks for the chuckle.

IIFYM - go to town!

The 1200 cals was the # provided by MFP. I really do well outside of these few days. Perhaps it is something to consider, to up the calories when I know this time is coming with REAL food, and still incorporate some treats so I don't feel like I am depriving myself

Because you picked 2 lbs a week. You don't have to lose 2 lb a week. 1 lb a week is plenty and makes for a healthier weight loss (and heck, even with the 1 lb a week setting I've averaged 1.5 lb a week so far). Up your calories, incorporate your treats, you'll be less likely to binge and will be much happier, believe me.