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I am on 1200 a day, most days I feel like I am starving, any suggestions on different foods to keep you more full?

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  • Love4fitnesslove4food2
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    I'd be starving on 1200 calories no matter what I ate--even 1200 calories of broccoli would leave me extremely bloated but still hungry. Just curious at why you're eating only 1200 calories. Are you unable to exercise?
  • foreverslim1111
    foreverslim1111 Posts: 2,615 Member
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    I'm also at 1200/day - most days. I find that sipping water inbetween meals and making sure I meet my MFP protien goals helps me feel full. Also, I try to earn more cals by walking or exercising and than eat those extras if I'm feeling very hungry. MFP will track them for you.
  • Mr_Bad_Example
    Mr_Bad_Example Posts: 2,403 Member
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    I am on 1200 a day, most days I feel like I am starving, any suggestions on different foods to keep you more full?

    Yep. Foods that put you over eating 1,200 calories a day.

    You might want to re-evaluate your calorie goals - you shouldn't be starving on a daily basis.
  • Skarlet13
    Skarlet13 Posts: 146 Member
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    If you are hungry you should and probably can eat more and still lose. Re-work your numbers. I always eat if I'm hungry.
  • vwbug86
    vwbug86 Posts: 283 Member
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    A few questions

    Do you exercise? Are you eating your exercise calories?

    How much do you have to lose? What is your weekly weight lose goal?

    What is your baseline activity level.
  • SharonNehring
    SharonNehring Posts: 535 Member
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    I find hot drinks more filling, so hot tea or diet hot chocolate is always in my house. You definitely need lots of protein and fiber to keep you full. Dannon fit & lite greek yogurt has only 8 carbs and 12 gm protein, hard boiled eggs, bacon or cheese added to salads will help. Lots of veggies can be filling with low calories.

    Definitely get some exercise in too, as it'll give you more calories to work with.
  • lindsaymarcin
    lindsaymarcin Posts: 81 Member
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    I am on 1200 as well. I keep seeing people say 1200 is too low, but I have managed to feel full and still fit in some not so healthy snacks. I do drink lots and lots of water...4 bottles on average. That way the only drink I get calories from is milk. I don't exercise a whole lot and even have trouble on some days making it to the whole 1200. If you have trouble drinking water I suggest getting flavor packets. I get the Kroger fitness ones that are only 5 calories and sugar free. I often have one in the morning so that it's like I am having juice with my breakfast. :)
  • ibsunshine
    ibsunshine Posts: 15 Member
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    Currently I am not exercising, so no extra calories to eat, I need to lose 20-25lbs, I do drink a lot of water, unsweetened tea, crystal lite. I eat lots of fruits and veges I am still new here using MFP. I put in how much I weighed and wanted to lose and it told me 1200 calories, so that is what I have been doing, I eat breakfast 1/2 c egg beaters, 1 morningstar breakfast patty, 1 Special k red berry waffle, around 11 am I eat, a banana, apple or orange, I get lunch really late, 1:45pm, usually have fruit, yogurt, vege, chicken or tuna, maybe a Special K bar. Dinner is always different. I would be happy loosing 1-2 lbs a week, how do I re-evaluate my daily calories? Re-work my numbers? Guess I need some help please :grumble: Thanks for all the suggestions.
  • Ignaura
    Ignaura Posts: 203 Member
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    Well, I'd be starving at 1,200 a day.
  • Love4fitnesslove4food2
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    Set your goal to 1 pound per week maximum, not 2 pounds. It might take a while to get used to eating less or you'll have to compromise and take it slower...maybe 1/2 pound a week instead.
  • Foodiethinking
    Foodiethinking Posts: 240 Member
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    I am on 1200 as well. I keep seeing people say 1200 is too low, but I have managed to feel full and still fit in some not so healthy snacks. I do drink lots and lots of water...4 bottles on average. That way the only drink I get calories from is milk. I don't exercise a whole lot and even have trouble on some days making it to the whole 1200. If you have trouble drinking water I suggest getting flavor packets. I get the Kroger fitness ones that are only 5 calories and sugar free. I often have one in the morning so that it's like I am having juice with my breakfast. :)
  • wahmx3
    wahmx3 Posts: 646 Member
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    You don't have a lot to lose so your goals would be better at .5-1 pound a week. There is no need of starving and you will lose easier at a better calorie goal and keep it off. Crystal Lite has a lot of chemicals, try and skip it if you can, or at least drink less of it than before. Where are your whole grains? I think more protein would also be good, although hard to say since you didn't give any examples of your dinners. Get your BMR calculated, my guess is that it is much higher than 1200 and you shouldn't go below your bmr. Do you track your sodium? If not, it would be a think to track daily. Can you spare some time for exercise? Even 30 minutes 3-4 times a week will help with muscle toning and burning more calories even at rest.
    Currently I am not exercising, so no extra calories to eat, I need to lose 20-25lbs, I do drink a lot of water, unsweetened tea, crystal lite. I eat lots of fruits and veges I am still new here using MFP. I put in how much I weighed and wanted to lose and it told me 1200 calories, so that is what I have been doing, I eat breakfast 1/2 c egg beaters, 1 morningstar breakfast patty, 1 Special k red berry waffle, around 11 am I eat, a banana, apple or orange, I get lunch really late, 1:45pm, usually have fruit, yogurt, vege, chicken or tuna, maybe a Special K bar. Dinner is always different. I would be happy loosing 1-2 lbs a week, how do I re-evaluate my daily calories? Re-work my numbers? Guess I need some help please :grumble: Thanks for all the suggestions.
  • ibsunshine
    ibsunshine Posts: 15 Member
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    Ok calculated my BMR and it is 1416.45 so should I be eating that many calories? Dinner is usually a meat, lots of veges, sometimes a wheat bread and a starch, yes I do track my sodium, been doing good on not going over on that, carbs have been a tad bit over some days. Trying to figure out how to get some exercise, just not too sure right now since it is dark when I get off work, I can't walk.. Getting ready to try Leslie Sansone walking dvd..hope that will work for some exercise if I really put a lot into it....
  • endoftheside
    endoftheside Posts: 568 Member
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    With a BMR of 1416.45, if your activity level is sedentary you will burn about 1700 calories a day (1416 * 1.2), so to lose 1 pound a week you would be eating 1200 calories a day (1700 - 500).

    If you want to eat more, you could go for 0.5 pound a week loss and eat 1700 - 250 = 1450, or you could exercise and eat back your exercise calories (that would leave your net calories the same but allow you to eat more). Just be careful with exercise...MFP often overestimates exercise calories, sometimes pretty badly. Many people have better luck with eating only half of the exercise calories back.
  • sunshinelively
    sunshinelively Posts: 249 Member
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    I'm also at 1200 a day, but mfp tells me if I exercise I get credit for that, so I can eat 1200 a day. If I exercise and use up 300 calories, I get to add these calories back in, for a net of 1200. Hope I'm doing this right!

    Anyway i find 1200 to be a challenge too, particularly around dinner time. I can get through the whole day until then. So when I'm hungry at 4:00-5:00 pm, that's when I exercise, typically a 3-4 mile run/jog. When I'm done I'm less hungry, have added some calories by exercising, and can go home and eat a reasonable sized healthy meal. Although I'm frustrated with a .5 lb weight loss last week , overall it's working for me and it encourages exercise, which at the end of the day will be what keeps the weight off permanently.

    Dunno - maybe try this?