1200-1400 Calorie Range. Are you hungry?

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  • perfecttx
    perfecttx Posts: 6
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    I'm at 1340 using the IIFYM method with 20% carbs, 45% fat, and 35% protein. As long as I meet my protein and fat goals I don't feel hungry until mealtimes. While this method is new, I've always found that if I increase my carbs and/or don't eat protein with them, I will feel hungry. No, I don't increase my calories on days that I exercise unless it's in excess (i.e. a half-marathon). I also don't go anywhere without my bottle of water. I find that if I'm dehydrated I'm more likely to eat more.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    I eat 1800 calories, I do the TDEE -15%, so don't eat back exercise calories as that is already accounted in it.

    Yes I would be hangry and have headaches if I ate that amount.
  • Broderick50
    Broderick50 Posts: 851 Member
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    I eat in that calorie range and I don't eat my exercise calories back. There are times when I get hungry but for the most part my body has adjusted like most I got headaches in the beginning, but haven't had them in a while. I don't go out of my way to eat protein I just try and eat mostly healthy foods that fall inside my calorie goal.
  • Cindylouhenriques
    Cindylouhenriques Posts: 7 Member
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    The more of my calories that I use on Carbs the more hungry that I feel. So if I use most of my calories on protein then I am satisfied. But I still need to eat carbs so I usually have them in the morning - something low calorie like oatmeal porridge.

    I don't use up the calories that I gained on exercise - I keep them as bonus weight loss points!
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
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    I stay in the 1200-1350 range most days, but some days I go under and some days I go over. I stay pretty satisfied. I find that the key to eating this calorie limit is to eat an adequate volume of food, while keeping the calories within range. For instance, if I want a snack that's around 100 calories, I can either choose a small cookie that takes less than a minute to eat, and doesn't displace a very large volume in my stomach, or I can have a 100 calorie bag of microwave popcorn, that I can eat one kernel at a time for several minutes, that will make my stomach feel pleasantly full when I'm done. And since I've been in the habit of eating this way for a couple of months, I find that my stomach feels full a lot sooner than it did when I first started. So watch the calories and the physical volume of the foods you eat. If you want to satisfy a craving for pizza, have a slice with a big green salad (watch the calories in the dressing). I also find it helps to take smaller bites, and to chew each bite thoroughly, actually savoring the food. :drinker:
  • tmariethomas5
    tmariethomas5 Posts: 30
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    I just wanted to know if you are in the calorie range of 1200-1400 daily, do you try to get more protein to keep you full? Also, when you workout, do you eat back exercise calories or no? When you first started that calorie range, did you have headaches or feel hungry and then your body just adjust to it? Please advise. Just seeking info.

    I am at 1200 and at first it was difficult. However i found that if I am drinking water like I should and not eating empty calries, I do much better. There are times when I do eat back calories lost frm exercising, usually on the weekends when I am much more active. If I am not hungry I won't and just look at those extra calories as weightloss waiting to happen! Good luck!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I just wanted to know if you are in the calorie range of 1200-1400 daily, do you try to get more protein to keep you full? Also, when you workout, do you eat back exercise calories or no? When you first started that calorie range, did you have headaches or feel hungry and then your body just adjust to it? Please advise. Just seeking info.

    I'm hungry at anything less than 1700 calories. 1700 is my bare minimum if I eat low-cal, nutrient-dense stuff.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    No. I do eat a reasonable amount of protein. I eat sugar mostly in ice cream (1/4 cup/day) and coffee (lunch every few days).

    When I first started MFP I went through my diary very carefully and elminated things with a lot of calories that didn't make me feel good or didn't taste great. Once I did that I was eating a lot of food that was very satisfying and it was easy to stick to my calories.

    But are you talking about NETTING or EATING 1200?
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    I just wanted to know if you are in the calorie range of 1200-1400 daily, do you try to get more protein to keep you full? Also, when you workout, do you eat back exercise calories or no? When you first started that calorie range, did you have headaches or feel hungry and then your body just adjust to it? Please advise. Just seeking info.

    Congratulations on your weight loss! Good job!

    I started at 1,200 calories and ate a portion of my exercises calories back. I didn't feel horrible, but I didn't feel as energetic as I thought I should. I always felt a bit hungry too but I never had headaches. As I began to learn about portion control (again!), my body did learn to adjust to eating less more often.

    I decided 1,200 was too aggressive for the weight I needed to lose and set my goals to lose 1 pound per week. I think I'd lost 15 pounds and was 28 pounds from my goal. I began to feel less hungry I ate most of my exercise calories back.

    When I had 10 pounds to lose, I set my goals to lose .5 pounds a week because it was a slower rate and as I reach maintenance I don't want to make a big jump in calories to maintain. I now eat 1,630 plus my exercise calories back as closely as I can. The reason I do this is because I weight lift and I run, and do other exercise, because I absolutely love to exercise and it helps my 51 year old body stay well oiled and pain free. You want to always make sure your body is properly fueled whether or not you chose to exercise.

    I do eat a lot of protein in my diet-fish, red meat, chicken, nuts, beans, whole wheat products, oatmeal (the real stuff :smile: ), as well as plenty of carbs too because I run. I try to keep everything in balance and remember that nothing is forbidden, except that food which I am intolerant to-soy and lactose. I am also sugar sensitive, which for me means eating limited amounts of processed sugars. You just have to listen to your body.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    1600 is the lowest I can go without wanting to gnaw my arm off. It wasn't always that way but since I started lifting I can't cut calories like I did before. Which is probably good, honestly, because I don't have the fat reserves to support a large deficit.

    I find fats to be sating so that's another thing you can try. Avocado, peanut butter, etc. And if you're going to have a low goal like that you should eat back at least some of your calories from exercise. When I was losing weight actively I netted 1420, and ate back all of my calories.
  • tempehforever
    tempehforever Posts: 183 Member
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    At 1200-1300, I don’t feel “hungry” per se, in that don’t I crave food or feel physical hunger pangs (I eat mostly nutritious foods that keep me feeling pretty full).

    However, I do feel weak, light-headed, headache-y, and sometimes dizzy. I can't work out to my full potential. Worst of all, I feel like I develop a sort of mental fog (this is even when I eat back my exercise calories and consume plenty of protein and carbs). I have a job that requires me to be mentally “on” for 8+ hours a day, so this just was not sustainable for me. The mental effects of calorie deprivation were SO much worse than the physical ones, to me.

    At about 1400 and up, however, I feel much better. Right now I’m set at 1450 before exercise. I am pretty active—work out 4-5 days a week and live in a walkable city where I don’t need to own a car—so this is what I need to not feel weak and spacey. I probably don’t lose weight as quickly this way but supporting all my activity and being able to function at a decent intellectual level is more important to me!
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,520 Member
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    If I ate 1200-1400 cals a day, I would feel like I was going to die. I read a lot of posts about people eating in this range, and I have know idea how they are even functioning.

    I'm down to my goal weight (129); MFP recommends about 1500-1600 cals for maintenance for me now. I workout 5 days a week. When I do cardio, I shoot for about 400-500 cals burned (which is about 45+ minutes of moderately intense cardio for me). I've been lifting weights 2 days a week, and I don't worry about cals in/out on those days.

    I don't eat back ALL of my exercise cals. Usually on cardio days, I eat about 1800-2000 cals; so if I've burned 400-500, I figure I'm coming in at maybe 1400-1600 for the day.

    Eating more protein does help me stay fuller longer, drinking more water helps; honestly, if you are struggling with eating 1200-1400 cals (which I know I would), try to burn more cals instead. I find it easier to workout longer or harder than to cut back on cals.
  • Letje_Lux
    Letje_Lux Posts: 31
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    Yes, I'm hungry, but that's because I just started counting calories again yesterday. I don't know about everyone else, but my body adjusts in about 2-3 weeks so it's not so bad. I'm ok with being hungry sometimes.

    I eat back exercise calories, but wear a HR monitor so I don't overestimate.
  • Lyby
    Lyby Posts: 42
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    I'm at day 5 of officially 1200 daily limit, following 5 days of stomach flu in which I was lucky to be able to keep down 1000 calories a day (broth & warm jello). MFP always said I needed to eat at 1800/day and I would trim it to 1500/day, but I would gain anyway. A long conversation with my doctor (tears and everything) and we agreed on a 1200/day limit for now with a commitment to start some kind of morning activity that will increase my heart rate.

    I find keeping the diary of what I eat daily to be a painful chore. When I'm home, I cook a lot and it gets overwhelming to have to enter each new recipe I come up with, so I estimate based on what others have entered (not the most accurate, I know). When I travel for work, I tend to eat exotic foods which are hard to quantify in the diary (any other bulgogi lovers out there) but are generally healthier than the standard american take-out food (no breading, less deep-fat frying, more fish & whole grains).

    I am post-surgical-menopausal so my metabolism shut down nearly 3 years ago. MFP yells at me every day that I'm not eating enough calories, but I'm where my doctor suggests I be for weight loss and maintenance. Twelve hundred calories is not very much food most of the time :( But the diary is forcing me to make better choices.

    I quit soda several months ago and drink water with every meal as well as throughout the day. I find water helps my hunger --- I'm not really hungry but my brain doesn't yet know how to communicate with me. I'm always amazed when I stop to get a drink of water at the sink and I drink the glass nearly dry ---- I am always thirstier than I realize.

    I will not "eat back" my exercise calories once I start getting them. I have been carrying around 60 pounds of dead-weight for years now, if exercize were all I needed to lose weight - then I'd already be skinny. For me and my metabolism, it's all about the intake, intake, intake.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    If I ate 1200-1400 cals a day, I would feel like I was going to die. I read a lot of posts about people eating in this range, and I have know idea how they are even functioning.

    I think it's important to be aware that someone who is older, less active, female, shorter and not terribly overweight might only burn 1600 -1800 total. So 1200-1400 is actually a pretty mild deficit. It'd be like someone who burns 2500 calories a day eating at 2100. If you burn 2400, 1200 is going to feel harsh. If you burn 1600, much less so. It's not really an absolute you can compare across individuals.

    The 1200 common floor value for calories is, I believe, to maintain adequate nutrition and satiety, not so much about the energy needs in overweight people. Body fat is an excellent fuel. It's what it's designed for.
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
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    yes I do the same! I always wear my hrm when exercising.
    Yes, I'm hungry, but that's because I just started counting calories again yesterday. I don't know about everyone else, but my body adjusts in about 2-3 weeks so it's not so bad. I'm ok with being hungry sometimes.

    I eat back exercise calories, but wear a HR monitor so I don't overestimate.
  • Allup2Me78
    Allup2Me78 Posts: 589 Member
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    WOW, the light headed, dizzy, headache, mental foggy feeling I have gotten during and after exercise. That was even when I was on higher than the changes I am making by lowering my calories..Hmmm, does that need we need more food when we get that way?
    At 1200-1300, I don’t feel “hungry” per se, in that don’t I crave food or feel physical hunger pangs (I eat mostly nutritious foods that keep me feeling pretty full).

    However, I do feel weak, light-headed, headache-y, and sometimes dizzy. I can't work out to my full potential. Worst of all, I feel like I develop a sort of mental fog (this is even when I eat back my exercise calories and consume plenty of protein and carbs). I have a job that requires me to be mentally “on” for 8+ hours a day, so this just was not sustainable for me. The mental effects of calorie deprivation were SO much worse than the physical ones, to me.

    At about 1400 and up, however, I feel much better. Right now I’m set at 1450 before exercise. I am pretty active—work out 4-5 days a week and live in a walkable city where I don’t need to own a car—so this is what I need to not feel weak and spacey. I probably don’t lose weight as quickly this way but supporting all my activity and being able to function at a decent intellectual level is more important to me!
  • BajaDreamin333
    BajaDreamin333 Posts: 267 Member
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    I try to stay at 1250 AFTER exercise. So I'm really eating 1750 - 1800 most days because I work out daily. I have been able to stick with 1200 (never below 1,200 - when I did my body went into starvation mode and I actually gained weight!) if I cut out snacking except for veggies and keep my meals to lean protien and veggies. And yes, I eat back my calories - I love to eat and work out so I can. I've been successful at this, and am really happy with 20+ pounds I've lost. Everytime I start getting into trouble it goes back to 1) too many snacks, 2) not enough fresh, raw veggies and the old "just one cookie won't kill me" but i say it four times. If you can't work out everyday, stick to snacks that are hard to digest and take a while to crunch (carrots!) and make sure the calories you are consuming is what your body wants. If you eat 500 calories of crap, your body will still be hungry for real food. Make every single calorie count!
  • JustMeee333
    JustMeee333 Posts: 233
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    My biggest problem, to be honest is not the hunger, but wanting to eat these high calories foods like chocolate and candy... I'll eat them, not because I'm hungry, but because I want them...
    I have this problem too.
    I started losing weight eating at 1,200.. and not eating back exercise calories. I've lost all my weight this way so far. Just lately, within the past 4 to 6 weeks I rarely manage to stay at 1,200. I just can't. I have been feeling so hungry. If I do eat 1,200 the next day I am ravenous, and want to eat everything in sight. Looking into ways to feel fuller, without anymore calories! Which is difficult as I only eat a limited amount of foods. I haven't suffered any headaches, dizziness etc.
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,789 Member
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    I eat in that range every day (full disclosure: I often fall below that range in practice) and I am rarely hungry. My biggest problem is crazy cravings once or twice a month, but I figure that they happen so rarely it's worth it to try to fit them in.

    With that said, I AM actually hungry right now -- I skipped lunch because I'm planning a delicious calorie-bomb dinner!

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