1200 cal a day fatigue

Amaliaoami
Amaliaoami Posts: 28
in Food and Nutrition
I started on 1200 cal a day this Monday, and have been tired all week. Will this go away, or is it a sign I need to boost my caloric intake?

Replies

  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
    Can you open your diary
  • Amaliaoami
    Amaliaoami Posts: 28
    Open now.
  • Skinnydesirs
    Skinnydesirs Posts: 128
    it's most likely to be psychological, your body will adjust but make sure you're drinking enough water and getting 8 hours of sleep and you should be fine!
  • cagm71
    cagm71 Posts: 3 Member
    Hi,

    I just took a look at your diary. I think you may want to change your goals and food composition, so as to add more protein and curb the carbs and sodium intake... Carbs may give you a rapid high, followed by a deep low (hence the fatigue) - protein is digested more slowly, keeping you full longer and curbing those highs and lows.

    Good luck!

    -C
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    i'd be making smarter food choices. you have a lot of carb dense foods (rice, pasta, sandwiches, beans etc) that take up a lot of calories without much nutritional value. i'd try swapping them for more fresh vegies and some fruit - you'll get more nutrients and more volume of food.

    you may adapt, but that might not be a good thing. i'd try increasing the cals and eating more food
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    Did you feel better Wednesday when you exercised and thus ate more?

    Most people don't need to be on as little as 1200 calories. I would look into what your TDEE and BMR are to get a better idea what to eat. Also if your settings are on sedentary they should maybe be on at least lightly active as very few people are really sedentary.
  • TycoRC
    TycoRC Posts: 4
    hey i found it hard but i;ve found i'm eating low calorie food i.e fruit veg and protein and lots of it regularly, i'm eating just under every two hours

    i noticed on your diary theres no water logged, you may just forgot to log like me, but you could try to up your water intake and you will feel better

    i also take a multivitamin which has deifnitely helped
  • kimosabe1
    kimosabe1 Posts: 2,467 Member
    only if yo don't lose any weight in the first week. How many calories were you on before mfp?
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
    I agree about increasing your protein. Look for less calorie dense foods. (Since tracking my calories, I've gone from eating whole bananas to maybe just adding 1/4 banana to a smoothie or oatmeal.) Add veggies too. I've been making 250-300 calorie frozen meals combined with whole steamed bags of veggies for a total of 350-400 calories for the meal--and it looks like a serving platter for at least two people. The volume is quite large, but the calories low. You'll end up being amazed after some time at all you can eat for 1200 calories.
  • creativerick
    creativerick Posts: 270 Member
    I mean it depends on what else is going on. Why did you lower your calories? Did you stop losing weight, or did you just decide to drop it 'just cause'?


    How much sleep are you getting a night? You may need to get more sleep. The lower calorie amount may be causing your bad sleep schedule to show face.
    Do you have new stress in your life?
    Are you getting your micro nutrients through a balanced diet or through a multi-vitamin?
    Are you exercising too much? (Overtraining leads to fatigue.)
  • Amaliaoami
    Amaliaoami Posts: 28
    Thank you all! I don't have a whole lot to choose from because I dorm, and have to at the cafeteria. However, I am going to try and increase protein and decrease carbs. Also, I log my water on my phone. I usually drink 100 -110 oz a day. I increase that amount when I take in too much sodium. As far as why I decreased my cals, I just want to reach my goals faster .
  • bevy_f4
    bevy_f4 Posts: 5
    I agree with everyone else, increase your protein because it will make you feel fuller for a longer period of time, as well as more energetic. :)

    I read everything there is to figuring out how many calories I should be eating.. I am not so sure that the calories that MFP tells me is right. I asked a male friend of mine who's ripped. I told him my numbers: 5'6, female, 148 lbs, and 19 years old. He said that because I want to be a little more toned but maintain my weight, I should be eating:
    Calories: 1500-1600
    Fat: 50-60g
    Carbs: 190g
    Protein: 75-85g

    Is this correct? I am hearing so many things that I don't know who to follow. I exercise 4-5 days a week, 2-3 days being cardio and 2 being weightlifting, all 45 minutes each workout.huh
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    It's definitely ok to increase your calories. You will still lose weight on a higher calorie number, based on your ticker. What does MFP give you for 1 lb a week?
  • snowmaniac
    snowmaniac Posts: 600 Member
    Thank you all! I don't have a whole lot to choose from because I dorm, and have to at the cafeteria. However, I am going to try and increase protein and decrease carbs. Also, I log my water on my phone. I usually drink 100 -110 oz a day. I increase that amount when I take in too much sodium. As far as why I decreased my cals, I just want to reach my goals faster .

    Faster is not necessarily better or more effective assuming you want to lose weight and keep it off. Try using one of the popular TDEE calculators to determine your sedentary TDEE and BMR as a good starting point. If you can subtract 20% from your TDEE without going below your BMR, that is about the lowest you want to go for good results. Shoot for 0.8 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight and 0.4 grams of fat per pound of body weight with the remainder being ok for carbs each day. Are you exercising or working solely on diet at present?

    EDIT: Forgot to link a couple TDEE calculators
    http://iifym.com/
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    Why oh why just 1200 cals?
  • Amaliaoami
    Amaliaoami Posts: 28
    Thank you all! I don't have a whole lot to choose from because I dorm, and have to at the cafeteria. However, I am going to try and increase protein and decrease carbs. Also, I log my water on my phone. I usually drink 100 -110 oz a day. I increase that amount when I take in too much sodium. As far as why I decreased my cals, I just want to reach my goals faster .

    Faster is not necessarily better or more effective assuming you want to lose weight and keep it off. Try using one of the popular TDEE calculators to determine your sedentary TDEE and BMR as a good starting point. If you can subtract 20% from your TDEE without going below your BMR, that is about the lowest you want to go for good results. Shoot for 0.8 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight and 0.4 grams of fat per pound of body weight with the remainder being ok for carbs each day. Are you exercising or working solely on diet at present?

    EDIT: Forgot to link a couple TDEE calculators
    http://iifym.com/
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
    .


    Ok so I don't want to go under my bmr? My BMR is 1658, and my TDEE is 1990. Eating 20% less is 1592, but that's below my BMR, so should I be eating 1658? I am exercising. I do 20 min of cardio and 30 min of 3x a week. Next week I'm adding 3 more days of cardio for 30 min (c25k)
  • Amaliaoami
    Amaliaoami Posts: 28
    It's definitely ok to increase your calories. You will still lose weight on a higher calorie number, based on your ticker. What does MFP give you for 1 lb a week?

    I increased my calories to 1450, which is what MFP gave me for 1 lbs a week
  • snowmaniac
    snowmaniac Posts: 600 Member
    With a sedentary TDEE of 1990, that means if you didn't work out and ate that much you would maintain your current weight. Based on your reply, I would recommend setting a goal of NETTING (calories consumed minus exercise calories burned), 1700 calories per day. Set your macro goals around 0.8 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight, 0.4 grams per pound of fat, with the remainder carbs.

    It sounds like you are doing a lot of cardio if I am reading your response correctly. Do you have access to free weights? Strength training while eating at a moderate deficit will allow you to best maintain your lean body mass while maximizing the ration of body fat burned versus lean body mass lost. Cardio is good for you, just don't go cardio crazy. You don't need to spend hours upon hours doing cardio to lose weight, but it is good for improving your overall fitness.

    I am not just regurgitating forum posts to state that. That has been my direct personal experience over the last 3 months where I have eaten at a moderate deficit while lifting heavy weights 3 times per week with occasional cardio after my lifting sessions that lasted 10-20 minutes typically. Over the first two months I dropped 16.1 pounds at a ratio of 15 pounds of body fat while only losing 1.1 pounds of lean body mass.
  • Binky_Muffin
    Binky_Muffin Posts: 191 Member
    I was at 1200/1300 calories per day for about 6 days. Ugh, come day 7, I was tired, lethargic and unable to concentrate at work. I upped my calories to 1500…same thing. I went over my caloric intake during the evening on day 8 and I felt frigging amazing afterwards.

    I adjusted MFP to lose 1 lb per week. To do that, I should stick to 1800 calories per day. I have to say, I feel so much better. In addition, my daily life is more enjoyable.

    Try eating a few more calories per day to see how you feel.

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