So tired on 1200 cals

lucylpd
lucylpd Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
I've recently gone back on a diet. I lost 21lbs and felt great but have had a break, eating at maintenance of 1600 - 1800 but with quite a few binges (3000 calories plus) along the way. I've gained back 9lbs and would like to lose that.. But I am feeling so tired and fatigued on 1200 calories! I don't know why this is as I have a sedentary desk job and only exercise occasionally ( walks etc ). I don't know what to do - I find myself getting hunger pangs at around 9pm.

Replies

  • Gingerkid05
    Gingerkid05 Posts: 60 Member
    Open up your diary so we can see what it is your are eating.
  • Jestinia
    Jestinia Posts: 1,153 Member
    You have a few options to look at:

    Look for other conditions as possibilities. Allergies make me feel like crap every Spring no matter what I eat. I used to get in big trouble confusing it with hunger.

    Up your calories. Maybe you really need a little more.

    Change what you're eating (less carbs more proteins and fats can often get rid of that fatigued feeling in my biased opinion).

    Change meal times. Maybe save calories during the day and eat a larger meal at night?
  • La_Mema
    La_Mema Posts: 9 Member
    I can relate. That is not enough for me on a regular day. On those days that you need the extra boost, you need to try and squeeze in some extra exercise so that you can get some extra calories in. A day like today for me when I know I will only get to do walking as my exercise, I don't need the extra calories, so If I'm a little sluggish, It's o.k. My body is still adjusting to the low calorie intake (just been back on wagon for a week now..).
  • writergeek313
    writergeek313 Posts: 390 Member
    1200 calories probably isn't enough to fuel you through your day. It's the lowest number of calories that MFP will suggest someone eats, but for most people, it's not enough. Use a calculator to find out what your BMR is (that's the number of calories your body needs to complete its basic function, i.e. the number of calories you'd burn if you slept all day or were in a coma) and a better estimate of how many calories you should be eating. This is one that I found to be helpful: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    1200 calories probably isn't enough to fuel you through your day. It's the lowest number of calories that MFP will suggest someone eats, but for most people, it's not enough. Use a calculator to find out what your BMR is (that's the number of calories your body needs to complete its basic function, i.e. the number of calories you'd burn if you slept all day or were in a coma) and a better estimate of how many calories you should be eating. This is one that I found to be helpful: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    This!^

    Find your true calories & add some exercise.....or some activity.

    For activity, a lot of people wear pedometers during the day. This will give you an idea if you are really sedentary....or actually something else. Pedometers can also give you the incentive to move more.

    <5000 steps/day may be used as a sedentary lifestyle
    5000-7499 steps/day is typical of daily activity might be considered low active
    7500-9999 likely includes some volitional activities considered somewhat active
    10,000 steps/day indicates the point that should be used to classify individuals as active
    >12500 steps/day are likely to be classified as highly active
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    MFP is quite notorious for setting calorie goals FAR too low, regardless of height and weight. For example, it told me to eat 1200, and my BMR (the bare amount of calories I need to LIVE) is 1280. And I am extremely tiny, only 5 feet. So unless you are smaller than me, or bedridden, it is almost a CERTAINTY that you are eating too little. (This can result in lean muscle loss, chronic fatigue, metabolism damage, and bingeing due to over-restriction.)

    Go to

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    and enter your height/weight/activity level.

    Subtract 10-20% from the number it calculates for you, and that is the number of calories you should be eating a day in order to lose weight. With this method you do not eat back your exercise calories, as they are already figured into your daily goal.
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    1200 calories probably isn't enough to fuel you through your day. It's the lowest number of calories that MFP will suggest someone eats, but for most people, it's not enough. Use a calculator to find out what your BMR is (that's the number of calories your body needs to complete its basic function, i.e. the number of calories you'd burn if you slept all day or were in a coma) and a better estimate of how many calories you should be eating. This is one that I found to be helpful: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    This calculator is, well, a little more accurate. :) It' gets me within 100 calories of my true maintenance.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • kyley_ann
    kyley_ann Posts: 25 Member
    Not all calories are created equal. When I get my daily 1200 calories from mostly carbs--cereal for breakfast, hummus and pretzels for lunch, over-processed "healthy" snacks, etc. I find I am very hungry all day. Those are not the food items that actually fill you up.

    Now I eat: yogurt, fruit and granola for breakfast. Turkey sandwich with hummus and tabbouleh for lunch, a banana or kind bar or avocado for a snack, etc. These are much more filling and last me throughout the day.

    Take a good look at the kind of foods you are eating and make sure you are getting enough protein and fats, and try to limit overly-processed foods as your body burns them much more quickly.
  • mycupyourcake
    mycupyourcake Posts: 279 Member
    If you were eating at 1200 cals a day while you lost that 21 pounds and all things are equal now I would look into the cause of your fatigue being something else. As one poster above mentioned seasonal allergies can cause extreme fatigue even without other symptoms. I sometimes get slightly itchy eyes during the spring but I also become extremely fatigued. So much that last year I saw three different docs about the fatigue because I was new to the area and never experienced seasonal allergies like this. I found that zyrtec makes me tired but allegra works for me to take away the fatigue.

    Where do you live? You can put in your zipcode at pollen.com and find your count for the area.

    Allergies might not be causing the fatigue but like I said if you were eating at 1200 calories to lose 21 pounds and were not fatigued I would look at other sources. If while you were losing the 21 pounds at 1200 calories you were fatigued I would up your calories.
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