Im scared!

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shscruggs82
shscruggs82 Posts: 32
in Getting Started
I just finished my 30 day intense 1200 calorie diet, it was never intended to be long term, it was intended to be a strict plan that jump started my weight loss, trained me how to eat (by telling me exactly what to eat at every meal) and teach me not to snack mindlessly, now that the 30 days are over Its time for me to up my calorie intake, i realize I might gain a pound or 2 the first week but eventually I should start losing again?

but Im scared to eat more! I need people to tell me where eating more calories helped. I dont need people to tell me how unwise I was to eat 1200 calories in the first place, I just need people to encourage me, I have been the kind of person that thought I was eating well and still not losing weight, since then my eyes have been opened and I realized that I was eating more calories by snacking and binging on the weekends then I thought. realistically, if I track everything, and eat the amount of calories Im supposed to I should lose, but in my illogical mind Ive done that and it didnt work (even though I wasnt actually doing it correctly)

I dont know if any of this makes sense, but I need some encouragement to eat more, if thats in fact what I should be doing..

Replies

  • teamnevergoingback
    teamnevergoingback Posts: 368 Member
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    Makes sense that you are scared. I think a lot of people grew up believing that less is more and that's the only way to lose weight, but that's not true! Our body is like a machine.. let's say, a car... and that car needs gas, aka food. I tried the 1200 calories a day thing when I first started... made sense. I was hungry and struggled to keep my calories at 1200, but I thought 'dieting' was suppose to be sh***y and the worst thing ever! I didn't lose any weight for over a month. What the heck?! Turns out, my body was in starvation mode and was holding on to anything I put in it. As soon as I raised my calories to 1500 and started eating back the calories I burned from working out, I felt amazing! I'm now losing weight at a steady, healthy pace and I am able to fit in little snacks and 'cheats' in moderation, and just live a NORMAL life! Here's my proof, don't be scared. :flowerforyou:
  • cookiealbright
    cookiealbright Posts: 605 Member
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    Hi, try not to be scared you can always ajust as you go. My goal is to only eat 1200 calories a day, but I go over frequently. I log everything good days and bad then try to see what my weekly average was. Then I print out a report for the last 2 weeks and try to copy what I ate on the good days more often. You'll be ok! :flowerforyou:
  • TheGymGypsy
    TheGymGypsy Posts: 1,023 Member
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    Weight loss is never linear. You will fluctuate up and down always, even if you kept at 1200 calories. You will probably bloat a little once you up your calories again, but in the long term it will be better for you.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
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    Try just bumping your calories up by 100 calories or so. When you see that you are able to maintain, then add another 100 calories and so on until you are at your maintenance level.
  • celtbell3
    celtbell3 Posts: 738 Member
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    Enjoy giving yourself a treat everyone once in a while! Keep your body guessing. I'm not going to tell you that 1200 / day is bad. I will tell you that your metabolism will eventually slow down to compensate as it thinks you are starving yourself. You can easily eat 1500-1700/day and by staying active ... say 20-30 minutes five times a week ... you will continue to lose weight. So, treat yourself daily with something you like.
  • clambert1273
    clambert1273 Posts: 840 Member
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    I eat 1700-1900 per day and losing quite steadily about a 1lb a week :) so don't be scared!
  • _Calypso_
    _Calypso_ Posts: 1,074 Member
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    Being scared is normal but you sound like you have a very good attitude about it. You realize you may gain, but you may not. Keep doing what you're doing.
    I'd suggest only increasing about 50-150 cal per day for about 2 weeks, then another 100-150 the next two week. Stay at 1400-1500 for 4 weeks then readjust accordingly. You may find that you can still increase and still lose or you may find this number working. You want to get up to at least BMR so your internal organs function properly!
  • jonesin_am
    jonesin_am Posts: 404 Member
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    It may be scary but it shouldn't be. Your body needs more food and you (IMHO) will feel so much better once you up your calories. And it's not set in stone. If you up your calories and are steadily gaining you can always adjust them. I eat 2000+ calories/day and I love it. I never feel deprived. I have found that I love packing nutrient dense foods into my day knowing I am giving my body what it craves. I have also learned that incorporating the healthy fats (avocado, almonds, coconut oil, butter, etc) into my day is essential for me to hit my calorie target. What I love most is that I can maintain this "style" of eating. It's not a diet. I am teaching myself how to eat for the rest of my life! Try not to be scared and look at it as your next adventure and the next step to a healthier you! Good luck!
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,783 Member
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    blah, whatever. 1200 bad? not really. I eat it and I'm good with it. Just move it up slowly and no need to worry about a gain. Just don't rush it.
  • shscruggs82
    shscruggs82 Posts: 32
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    blah, whatever. 1200 bad? not really. I eat it and I'm good with it. Just move it up slowly and no need to worry about a gain. Just don't rush it.

    by the end of the 30 days I was starving, my body doesn't feel satisfied at that amount of calories..Im glad I did it but I'm smart enough about my self to know that I have to eat more than that in order to keep losing..if I cant then I can always go back down again, but reading around mfp I believe that I should be able to eat more and lose weight..
  • Jess830409
    Jess830409 Posts: 285 Member
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    The best suggestion I can make is for you to figure out your TDEE (the amount of calories you burn a day) by using one of the website calculators. Then, cut it by 15-20% and eat at that calorie level. If it helps, avoid the scales for a couple weeks because it will go up and down since you are changing it up. And you should be just fine.


    Just as an example I burn 2,000 calories a day. 20% cut (400 calories) off of that number puts me at 1,600 calories a day. This way I am still creating a calorie deficit for weight loss but also giving my body the necessary fuel it needs.

    Don't be scare - knowledge is power - and trust the process - your body doesn't change overnight :-)

    Lots of luck!!
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
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    The best suggestion I can make is for you to figure out your TDEE (the amount of calories you burn a day) by using one of the website calculators. Then, cut it by 15-20% and eat at that calorie level. If it helps, avoid the scales for a couple weeks because it will go up and down since you are changing it up. And you should be just fine.

    ^^^This.

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