1 200 calories doesnt work!!. Advice!!

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losingArni
losingArni Posts: 89
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone!
So, I'm looking for some advice on what should be my next step in order to start ttrying to get back to my goal weight in an effective way..
heres my situation..
I started on mfp at the beginning of this year at 69kg, and got down to 52kg (im 165cm tall) by eating 1 200 calories every day, never 'cheating' and exercising gently each day (walking etc.)
I reached my goal a couple of months ago, sooner than i'd expected to as I had I few days where I ate way too little, so they weight fell off...
Then, about a week after weighing in at my lowest, my mum and sister came to visit, and I discovered my ability to over eat to the point of feeling ill, though continueing to shovel food in my mouth! from restricting for such a long time food has become like gold to me! the thought of being able to eat as much of what ever I want is the most exciting feeling....
So from here, I started on the binge/restrict cycle.
I'll eat at around 1000 calories for a week at most and then binge for two days or more, to the point where I will feel very ill but will still be eating.
I've been doing this for a couple of months now and am up to 60kg. and the weight is rising! and I need it to stop!
I have worked to hard for this weight to all come back on!
I feel terrible, and really would love some support!
Where do I go from here?!!because I've tried to help myself,, and im going around in circles that make me gain weight.
Thanks.
«1

Replies

  • skamnorth
    skamnorth Posts: 43
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    Well the title is misleading; 1200 worked well for you up until you started binging.

    The binges are really where it all goes to pieces for you. Is it always the same two days? Is it something happening then? Is it the weekend? Try making plans for those days that will restrict your ability to binge. Typically sit around watching TVs with snacks available? Go to the gym instead. Get rid of the snacks. Drink lots of water to feel fuller.

    But perhaps most important of all, don't starve yourself the rest of the week. You can up your limit to 1400, have a chocolate bar or a bowl of popcorn, eat a dinner you like not just "can stand" just watch your portions.. If you don't make food a product that you withhold so much from yourself you might not get that "excited" feeling to finally get to eat again. Loss at 1400 kcal a day will go slower then 1000 a day, but right now it sounds like you are eating back your weekly deficit and then some. Worth a shot?

    (PS: Im 160cm and I do 1400 a day. Slow but steady loss.)
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
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    As the last person said, 1200 calories worked perfectly for you. Eating way over 1200, surprisingly, doesn't work.

    If you feel eating 1200 is restrictive, work out your TDEE and eat 80% of that. Search Google for a TDEE calculator, try a few different ones and take an average as they can give slightly different results (mine is between 1500 - 1700 for example). That will still allow you to lose weight while eating a bit more (unless you're like me where 80% is about 1200).
  • losingArni
    losingArni Posts: 89
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    Well the title is misleading; 1200 worked well for you up until you started binging.

    The binges are really where it all goes to pieces for you. Is it always the same two days? Is it something happening then? Is it the weekend? Try making plans for those days that will restrict your ability to binge. Typically sit around watching TVs with snacks available? Go to the gym instead. Get rid of the snacks. Drink lots of water to feel fuller.
    Yeah, well, eating 1 200 calories a day ultimately doesn't work though does it, if your goal is to lose weight, assuming you want this weight to be lost for a considerable period of time, in my case restricting so severely will backfire, your body eventually screams for the food you've denied it.
    yes, the binges happen when I get home from work at the start of my week end.
    Thank you for the advice! will definitely take it on board :)
  • skamnorth
    skamnorth Posts: 43
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    I edited my post, was hoping I could sneak in an edit before you read it but I guess no such luck. More info, tips there :)
  • seliinac
    seliinac Posts: 336 Member
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    Try eating more than 1200 calories so you won't feel so restricted, even if you lose more slowly. This may prevent your binging.
  • losingArni
    losingArni Posts: 89
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    I edited my post, was hoping I could sneak in an edit before you read it but I guess no such luck. More info, tips there :)
    Thank You, that's really helpful.
    Possibly I could rotate my calories throughout the week, like have 1200 on one day and then 1400 on another.
    1 200 was completely fine with me! until the binging started, but I have been restricting sererely after the binge days, like eating nothing for a day then 1000 for the rest of the week, and it just results in another binge no matter how hard I want it to not.
    So if I start at 1400 tomorrow hopefully I can get back on track.
    It's such a horrible feeling. i feel huge.
  • serenalesley
    serenalesley Posts: 58 Member
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    Restricting calories too severely leads to binging, because your body actually NEEDS to eat more than that in order to be healthy. To maintain your weight, work out your BMR (there are loads of online calculators) and eat that number of calories plus whatever exercise calories you burn. To LOSE weight, take the above figure and take around 10% off, and eat that amount of calories. You'll lose in a slow but sustainable way and your body won't NEED to binge.
  • skamnorth
    skamnorth Posts: 43
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    I can understand the mentality of restricting after binging to try to do damage control - but in the long term it just leads to more of a rollercoaster of food intake. I have set my calorie restriction to 1400 (which is pretty close to my TDEE - 20%, as according to this calculator: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/) but I don't always get up to that point either.

    Can I ask if there is something in particular you are craving when you go on binges? I noticed I'd have problems staying away from chocolate once in a while, so I worked that out with eating chocolate protein bars (the ones I eat have 198 kcal) or melting dark chocolate and pouring it over some fruit.

    I tend to think of it as 1200 kcal food and 200 for snacks :p
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    Hi everyone!
    So, I'm looking for some advice on what should be my next step in order to start ttrying to get back to my goal weight in an effective way..
    heres my situation..
    I started on mfp at the beginning of this year at 69kg, and got down to 52kg (im 165cm tall) by eating 1 200 calories every day, never 'cheating' and exercising gently each day (walking etc.)
    I reached my goal a couple of months ago, sooner than i'd expected to as I had I few days where I ate way too little, so they weight fell off...
    Then, about a week after weighing in at my lowest, my mum and sister came to visit, and I discovered my ability to over eat to the point of feeling ill, though continueing to shovel food in my mouth! from restricting for such a long time food has become like gold to me! the thought of being able to eat as much of what ever I want is the most exciting feeling....
    So from here, I started on the binge/restrict cycle.
    I'll eat at around 1000 calories for a week at most and then binge for two days or more, to the point where I will feel very ill but will still be eating.
    I've been doing this for a couple of months now and am up to 60kg. and the weight is rising! and I need it to stop!
    I have worked to hard for this weight to all come back on!
    I feel terrible, and really would love some support!
    Where do I go from here?!!because I've tried to help myself,, and im going around in circles that make me gain weight.
    Thanks.


    according to scooby's workshop TDEE calculator, your BMR is about 1500 calories a day, and your TDEE is about 2000 calories. You burn 1500 calories just breathing!

    try eating 1500 calories a day, every day...and doing more than "gentle exercise".
  • losingArni
    losingArni Posts: 89
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    I can understand the mentality of restricting after binging to try to do damage control - but in the long term it just leads to more of a rollercoaster of food intake. I have set my calorie restriction to 1400 (which is pretty close to my TDEE - 20%, as according to this calculator: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/) but I don't always get up to that point either.

    Can I ask if there is something in particular you are craving when you go on binges? I noticed I'd have problems staying away from chocolate once in a while, so I worked that out with eating chocolate protein bars (the ones I eat have 198 kcal) or melting dark chocolate and pouring it over some fruit.

    I tend to think of it as 1200 kcal food and 200 for snacks :p

    ummmm, for me it's foods such as glazed doughnuts and sweet buns. It's hard to fit stuff like that into my every day because it's so high in calories, and i find my self hungry at the end of the day if 300 of my calories are taken up by one cream bun.
    I've put my daily goal up to 1 400 but im going to try to stay around 1 200 just cause i feel more comfortable here, but it'll be good to know i don't have to be so strict.
    hopefully i can put an absolute end to the binges. it's horrible.
  • losingArni
    losingArni Posts: 89
    Options
    Hi everyone!
    So, I'm looking for some advice on what should be my next step in order to start ttrying to get back to my goal weight in an effective way..
    heres my situation..
    I started on mfp at the beginning of this year at 69kg, and got down to 52kg (im 165cm tall) by eating 1 200 calories every day, never 'cheating' and exercising gently each day (walking etc.)
    I reached my goal a couple of months ago, sooner than i'd expected to as I had I few days where I ate way too little, so they weight fell off...
    Then, about a week after weighing in at my lowest, my mum and sister came to visit, and I discovered my ability to over eat to the point of feeling ill, though continueing to shovel food in my mouth! from restricting for such a long time food has become like gold to me! the thought of being able to eat as much of what ever I want is the most exciting feeling....
    So from here, I started on the binge/restrict cycle.
    I'll eat at around 1000 calories for a week at most and then binge for two days or more, to the point where I will feel very ill but will still be eating.
    I've been doing this for a couple of months now and am up to 60kg. and the weight is rising! and I need it to stop!
    I have worked to hard for this weight to all come back on!
    I feel terrible, and really would love some support!
    Where do I go from here?!!because I've tried to help myself,, and im going around in circles that make me gain weight.
    Thanks.


    according to scooby's workshop TDEE calculator, your BMR is about 1500 calories a day, and your TDEE is about 2000 calories. You burn 1500 calories just breathing!

    try eating 1500 calories a day, every day...and doing more than "gentle exercise".
    would you suggest eating back the exercise calories?
    would you be able to give me an idea of appropriate exercise??
    i'm interested in swimming and running/walking..
  • mortuseon
    mortuseon Posts: 579 Member
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    Pay attention to the kind of food that makes up the net 1200kcals, too - I find that eating more wholegrains and protein helps to keep me fuller, which means I am less likely to binge (used to have bulimia hence restricting-bingeing and in my case purging is a familiar cycle).
    I work 'treats' into my 1300kcal when I need to and have a 'cheat day' of 2000 net kcals once a month to keep me sane. Exercise (more intense than walking - I run & used to strength train) will also give you more calories to eat, and can act as an appetite suppressant. Good luck.

    edit: if this becomes a persistent problem, it would be worth seeing a doctor as they can refer you to someone who will help you to learn to eat normally again. :smile:
  • AmberDawn930
    AmberDawn930 Posts: 19 Member
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    remember, eating less than 1200 cal/day will send your body into starvation mode. You definitely don't want that. When you eat too few calories your body starves and then when you eat again your body will store that’s as fat "in case of emergencies" try eating smaller meals more often. I eat 4 meals & 3 snacks per day and usually stay between 1200-1500 cal per day. it’s all about portion sizes, reading the labels and putting the right food in your body to keep you full. I found that when I eat snacky stuff like ice cream, cookies, chips and candy I get full but I also feel hungry more often. try increasing your fruits, veggies and fiber. Also remember protein is your friend. my quick go to snack is a hard-boiled egg sliced on a piece of toast. typically falls between 100-150 cal depending on the egg and type of bread you use. Also if you want check out the shred diet, it’s based off a book by Dr. Ian Smith, I’ve been following since may and am down 27 lbs and several inches. The main concept of it is teaching you healthy eating. :o) Feel free to add me as a friend if you have questions or just want some extra motivation. here is the link if you want to ready about shred.

    http://www.shredlife.com/become-a-shredder/
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    the thought of being able to eat as much of what ever I want ...

    This is where it went wrong, if you ask me. Hitting your goal doesn't mean you can then eat whatever you want. Why didn't you start eating at a sensible maintenance amount, like 2000? After so long at 1200, 2000 would probably have felt fabulous, too, without triggering binges.

    I totally get it, though. Who wants to count calories the rest of your life? I believe we don't have to but we always have to remain vigilant about our food choices and portion sizes and be willing to go back to counting and deficits if the scale inches up to a pre-decided level.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Options
    Hi everyone!
    So, I'm looking for some advice on what should be my next step in order to start ttrying to get back to my goal weight in an effective way..
    heres my situation..
    I started on mfp at the beginning of this year at 69kg, and got down to 52kg (im 165cm tall) by eating 1 200 calories every day, never 'cheating' and exercising gently each day (walking etc.)
    I reached my goal a couple of months ago, sooner than i'd expected to as I had I few days where I ate way too little, so they weight fell off...
    Then, about a week after weighing in at my lowest, my mum and sister came to visit, and I discovered my ability to over eat to the point of feeling ill, though continueing to shovel food in my mouth! from restricting for such a long time food has become like gold to me! the thought of being able to eat as much of what ever I want is the most exciting feeling....
    So from here, I started on the binge/restrict cycle.
    I'll eat at around 1000 calories for a week at most and then binge for two days or more, to the point where I will feel very ill but will still be eating.
    I've been doing this for a couple of months now and am up to 60kg. and the weight is rising! and I need it to stop!
    I have worked to hard for this weight to all come back on!
    I feel terrible, and really would love some support!
    Where do I go from here?!!because I've tried to help myself,, and im going around in circles that make me gain weight.
    Thanks.


    according to scooby's workshop TDEE calculator, your BMR is about 1500 calories a day, and your TDEE is about 2000 calories. You burn 1500 calories just breathing!

    try eating 1500 calories a day, every day...and doing more than "gentle exercise".
    would you suggest eating back the exercise calories?
    would you be able to give me an idea of appropriate exercise??
    i'm interested in swimming and running/walking..

    yes. I would eat back at least some of the exercise calories.

    swimming or running/jogging would be good. Weight training would be even better! I am in the gym like 2 hours at a time, 4-5 days a week. I do about 15 minutes of cardio ( usually treadmill inclines), 45-60 minutes of weights ( barbell squats, biceps, triceps, cable flys, etc), a 10 minute cardio cool down, then another 5-10 minutes of stretching. I can easily burn 600+ calories depending on the day ( I burned 1500 Tuesday. Normal workout followed by a 60 minute dance class).
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
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    Ask yourself why you started binging in the first place. In my case it's emotional. Until I started working on my mental processes when dealing with stress, boredom, depression, anger, etc., I always came back to overeating as my coping mechanism. Everyone is different. Maybe you restricted your calories too much and felt deprived, so you went to the other extreme. Basically, this is how I see it: biologically, we're all pretty much the same. Calories in, calories out. But when it comes to our heads, we are each a special, unique mass of neuroses and issues and ****ed-up-ed-ness. Good luck. :flowerforyou:
  • mountaingirl58
    mountaingirl58 Posts: 1 Member
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    I am sorry to read about your situation. You did so well, and now have backslid. It sounds like "self-sabotaging" to me and until you understand why you're doing it, it will more than likely continue. I agree with Sabina's post below. Best wishes and don't give up!!
  • fruttibiscotti
    fruttibiscotti Posts: 986 Member
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    LosingArni I know exactly how you feel. I too have a 1200 cal target, and I used to be on MFP for a long time and struggled so much with weight loss. I was getting no where. It was so deflating and disappointing. Then a miracle happened. I miraculously learned how to diet properly when I took a business trip to Scandinavia and discovered a new way of eating that beats any diet I have ever been on. They have a diet called LCHF - very popular there and extremely effective. And the Swedish version of medical and nutrition authority has recently recognized it as a way to combat obesity and weight related medical illnesses. It involves eating only REAL food, no gimmicks, no pills. I had the same problem as you, with my blood sugar going up and down during the day, and my body would hang on to every gram I ate and nothing I could do to make metabolism budge. But thankfully now, I figured it out...yay!

    I hope you find what works for you. I did and I'm so much happier for it!
  • functionalhormones
    functionalhormones Posts: 6 Member
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    LosingArni I know exactly how you feel. I too have a 1200 cal target, and I used to be on MFP for a long time and struggled so much with weight loss. I was getting no where. It was so deflating and disappointing. Then a miracle happened. I miraculously learned how to diet properly when I took a business trip to Scandinavia and discovered a new way of eating that beats any diet I have ever been on. They have a diet called LCHF - very popular there and extremely effective. And the Swedish version of medical and nutrition authority has recently recognized it as a way to combat obesity and weight related medical illnesses. It involves eating only REAL food, no gimmicks, no pills. I had the same problem as you, with my blood sugar going up and down during the day, and my body would hang on to every gram I ate and nothing I could do to make metabolism budge. But thankfully now, I figured it out...yay!

    I hope you find what works for you. I did and I'm so much happier for it!

    Me, too! Along with a ton of other reading and experimentation (ie, I've followed a plant-based, non-oil whole foods diet for 4-5 months this year and gained weight; and I've followed a LCHF diet for a few and lost everything I'd gained and more), I found this blog post to be helpful in understanding what was happening in my body: http://mariamindbodyhealth.com/why-weight-loss-can-be-so-difficult-and-success/. I hope it can help you also.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
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    the thought of being able to eat as much of what ever I want ...

    This really is a huge part of the problem. People without food issues may fantasize about that, but they don't really do it (unless they have a tiny appetite or a roaring metabolism). People do it on Thanksgiving, maybe, and there are jokes about having to unbutton your pants, etc ;) But it's not a realistic thought at all for most people. It's just a fantasy.

    I do think in your case you need to eat more than 1200 so that extra hunger doesn't compound the problem. Lots of hunger does trigger biological things that make us want to binge.

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