i cant get enough calories

The only thing I am going to share with you is that based on your goal... you are probably not eating quite enough calories. You are probably like me and trying to lose about 2 lbs. per week. The problem with the amount you are currently making your goal is very low. MFP will NEVER suggest lower than 1200 calories per day so you will get a little message saying your calories are too low. You are currently within a few calories of the lowest it will allow you to go... so you have no room to eat less.

I recently changed my settings to lose 1.5 lbs. per week and it added a few hundred extra calories. Remember, the added calories this site estimates for exercise are just an estimate.

My average day includes lean meats, eggs, yogurts, low carb choices and fruits and veggies. If you find yourself short of your calorie goal at the end of the day... look at your macros and eat a healthy little snack to boost it up. I would stick with something that has protein because I personally don't like to go to bed with carbs in my belly since I won't be exerting any energy to burn them off.

Why isn't it smart to cram in 1400 calories before bedtime? Unless it makes you not sleep. You need to work on your relationship with food, I was a yo-yo dieter all my life, now that I eat what I want just smaller portions of it, it's not difficult, and I get to eat all the good stuff. If you can't eat over 1200 calories - 1. You are lying to yourself about how much you are truly eating 2. Give up the low cal, fat free stuff and eat some good food you will easily get to 1200 calories.

Good luck

Did you wake up one morning and instantly know all the secrets to weight loss? The dos and donts? I doubt it. Just because someone comes on here trying to learn, maybe sounding a bit naive/unrealistic, doesnt mean they are a liar.

My first trip on MFP in 2012, I was always net under 1000 because I was afraid to eat. I didnt understand all the TDEE, BMR, and all that confusing stuff at the time. It took me a while to get it. I also thought eating before bed was bad because that is stuff people tell you all the time.

We need to support each other not try to break people that are clearly already struggling with some aspect of weightloss.

I am a very intelligent person and came here looking for help and encouragement... not dis belief and false judgements.
It can be hard and challenging when it comes to weight loss- especially for women. I think at this point I am cautious to eat more food than what I was used to eating when i was on a fad diet or juice cleanse. The consistent exercise is new to me too and trying to compensate for those extra calories as well can be over whelming. When your told to cut back, diet and restrict- then told to eat much more than your use to is a totally different mind set. The other thing is time. I work very hard as a nurse and eating during work is a luxury. I don't think its smart to cram all 1400 calories in right before bedtime. I have been on a personal journey to wellness and trying to iron things out. Thanks for all your helpful thoughts???!

Ok intelligent person, here is the biggest piece of advice you can receive from strangers over the internet: looking at your open diary, you need to actual consistently and accurately log your calories. Re-*kitten* things to work on after you can do that.

threads like this always baffle my mind...

How did you end up obese if you cannot consume more than 1200 calories a day? I assume in your over-eating days that you were eating 2000+ a day, which is how you put on the weight, yes?

My suggestion, add a servicing of ice cream to your daily intake, which will give you an additional 230 calories a day...

i think what happens is that people go for an all or nothing mindset. i have many friends offline who do this. they immediately think now i have to eat "healthy" if i want to lose weight. i always like to remind them that i lost my first 30 pounds all while sometimes having to eat 6 pieces of popeyes or poptart ice cream sandwiches to meet my calorie goal before bedtime.

threads like this always baffle my mind...

How did you end up obese if you cannot consume more than 1200 calories a day? I assume in your over-eating days that you were eating 2000+ a day, which is how you put on the weight, yes?

I can honestly answer that question. At my heaviest, I was 325 lbs. I NEVER exercised, never ate breakfast and I ate high fat, high carb foods. When I started MFP, I logged what I normally ate in a day for about 3 weeks. I wanted to know exactly what I was doing wrong. I didn't feel like I was eating that bad and I was only eating two meals per day... Well, I learned that I typically ate only 700 - 800 calories per day but they weren't healthy calories. It was all garbage. Imagine my surprise when I learned the "salad" I chose to eat for lunch was packed with more fat than a Whopper and none of the protein!

Believe me when I say that not all obese people eat a lot of food... we just choose the wrong foods and we don't move consistently to burn off the calories we are consuming. For many years, I tried every fad diet out there and convinced myself that I either couldn't lose weight or had some kind of medical issue. It wasn't until this little diary slapped me in the face and taught me about my mistakes.

I still struggle to lose... over the last few years, I have lost 110lbs... recently gaining a few more back than I like. I never give up, I just keep logging and moving.

Please try to understand that those of us that are "obese" are not always over eaters... just highly misinformed about what healthy eating looks like. Thankfully, we are capable of educating ourselves and making changes. It's a long hard road... but definitely worth the journey.

My eyes are bleeding from the overwhelming amount of BS in this thread.

That is very judgmental. Your not playing nice in the sand box.

It gets very old hearing this "I can't eat 1200 calories, it's too much food" line almost every day. It may not be the most helpful advice but seriously. It isn't THAT hard to eat at least 1200 calories. Especially when you have a food scale and realize just how little healthy food constitutes 1200 calories.

Edited typo... My phone likes to change food to good....

Then don't click on the thread if you dont like to read it :-/ I think people here need encouragement in creating healthy habits so if you have good advice - by all means! We'd love to heard it.

I am a very clean eater. No white flour, no white sugar. No low fat, no diet soda's...Just water, beer, wine and coffee.I have been avoiding dairy but seems as if I should add it back in. Organic fruits and veggies and lean meats and nuts and whole grains. Looks like peanut butter and chocolate milk and extra wine are going to be my new besties. I will have no problem adding them in. I really was not aware how damaging eating too few calories could be.I figured it was simple math calories in vs calories burned = weight loss. Not so much.

It is simple math, and you might want to work on better logging and being consistent. I'm not going to get into the clean and no sugar stuff or I'll have to start drinking shots of tequila which is frowned upon when I'm working.

I am a very intelligent person and came here looking for help and encouragement... not dis belief and false judgements.
It can be hard and challenging when it comes to weight loss- especially for women. I think at this point I am cautious to eat more food than what I was used to eating when i was on a fad diet or juice cleanse. The consistent exercise is new to me too and trying to compensate for those extra calories as well can be over whelming. When your told to cut back, diet and restrict- then told to eat much more than your use to is a totally different mind set. The other thing is time. I work very hard as a nurse and eating during work is a luxury. I don't think its smart to cram all 1400 calories in right before bedtime. I have been on a personal journey to wellness and trying to iron things out. Thanks for all your helpful thoughts???!

Ok intelligent person, here is the biggest piece of advice you can receive from strangers over the internet: looking at your open diary, you need to actual consistently and accurately log your calories. Re-*kitten* things to work on after you can do that.

I wish you would stop responding.

Might want to migrate over to the private forums then sweetcakes.

spoiler alert: I am also a bit sexist as well but hey, you will never have to take out the trash, change your oil or open a door when you are around me. Guess there is always trade-offs.

Wanna come be my friend?

threads like this always baffle my mind...

How did you end up obese if you cannot consume more than 1200 calories a day? I assume in your over-eating days that you were eating 2000+ a day, which is how you put on the weight, yes?

I can honestly answer that question. At my heaviest, I was 325 lbs. I NEVER exercised, never ate breakfast and I ate high fat, high carb foods. When I started MFP, I logged what I normally ate in a day for about 3 weeks. I wanted to know exactly what I was doing wrong. I didn't feel like I was eating that bad and I was only eating two meals per day... Well, I learned that I typically ate only 700 - 800 calories per day but they weren't healthy calories. It was all garbage. Imagine my surprise when I learned the "salad" I chose to eat for lunch was packed with more fat than a Whopper and none of the protein!

Believe me when I say that not all obese people eat a lot of food... we just choose the wrong foods and we don't move consistently to burn off the calories we are consuming. For many years, I tried every fad diet out there and convinced myself that I either couldn't lose weight or had some kind of medical issue. It wasn't until this little diary slapped me in the face and taught me about my mistakes.

I still struggle to lose... over the last few years, I have lost 110lbs... recently gaining a few more back than I like. I never give up, I just keep logging and moving.

Please try to understand that those of us that are "obese" are not always over eaters... just highly misinformed about what healthy eating looks like. Thankfully, we are capable of educating ourselves and making changes. It's a long hard road... but definitely worth the journey.

I apologize if this comes off bad.. but you could eat 700-800 calories of lard every day and not get as heavy as you say you were. You must have measured something very wrong.