1,200 calories

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trying_to_burn
trying_to_burn Posts: 58
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm on 1200 cal. It's only been a week . I'm finding it difficult to eat 1200, I'm at about 1000-1,100 and thats me forcing it at the end of the day with snack.

It's not that I'm not hungry. My stomach rumbles. I just don't like eating after I've had one big meal in the evening. I'm kind of scared to over eat the 1,200 after seeing a picture of myself.

Also does MFP take into consideration ethnicity. I'm wondering should asians be taking a lower cal count?

Replies

  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,613 Member
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    If you don't like to eat after diner, and you have calories left over, it means that you need to add them in sometime before dinner. You are hungry, so add in a snack somewhere, or make lunch or breakfast bigger. I don't think ethnicity has as much to do with your calorie goals as your body type/build and activity level.
  • scare006jack37
    scare006jack37 Posts: 26 Member
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    Basal metabolic rate (BMR) accounts for breathing, heart rate, i.e. basic body functions. In one study scientists found coma patients need at least 1200 calories to maintain healthy BMR levels. Unless you are a coma patient then I'd suggest following the recommendations of myfitnesspal.
    Eat peanut butter to fill the void, one tablespoon is packed with healthy calories.
  • AdventureFreak
    AdventureFreak Posts: 236 Member
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    Certainly work to get more to eat through the day. I eat a big breakfast then progressively smaller meals through the day. I try to eat dinner early and fast 12-14 hours through the evening and the night. Everybody is different though so you gotta play it by feel a bit. No one knows your body as well as you don.
  • helengetshealthy
    helengetshealthy Posts: 171 Member
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    I'm not sure what ethnicity has to do with your calorie count, so er, leave that as a dead end for now....

    If your stomach rumbles and you're hungry, then eat. 1200 calories is actually less than the daily intake for anyone, that's why MFP recommends it as it is for loss. You say you're forcing it with a snack but then you say that it's not that you're not hungry. If you don't want to eat at the end of the day, get more calories during the day. If you make your diary public then people on here can look at what you are eating and see where you are going wrong. Also, calorie intake will vary on things like current weight, height, and lifestyle. 1200 is not a uniform calorie intake.
  • ottermotorcycle
    ottermotorcycle Posts: 654 Member
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    MFP doesn't take much of anything into consideration, but I don't think the problem is that you should be eating less. You are eating at a minimum level. You're young according to your profile. And you're hungry.

    Eat more throughout the day. There's no way you got to a place where you need to lose weight and are incapable of eating at least 1200 calories a day. Add more fat to your diet, have more snacks.

    If you're scared of eating more food, then you need to speak to a counselor, not a weight loss forum.
  • trying_to_burn
    trying_to_burn Posts: 58
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    This is going to sound stupid, but I am scared of eating during the day and try to keep it to a minimum, but then I get super hungry, eat a lot, feel like I have over eaten and don't want to eat anymore.

    I know it's ridiculous, but, I donno, I just really needed to post before I mess myself up.

    Edit: Yeah, after reading the final post, that may be a good idea ><
    lol. sorry everyone >.<
  • klwxx
    klwxx Posts: 39
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    1200 calories isn't the magic number for weight loss. 1200 calories is the recommended allowance for a 3 year old.

    Ethnicity might factor in but so do your own genetics - regardless of which you should definitely not eat under 1200 calories (for multiple reasons which I won't insult your intelligence to explain, they're pretty obvious and a quick google search could tell you everything and more anyway)

    If you don't like eating after a big meal - don't! Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner and then stop. Just add more calories into each one. Or if you don't want to eat three, just eat two, but adjust the calories accordingly. I started aiming for 1200 calories about two months ago and couldn't get over 1100 calories at a push. Most days I was well under (since I was still recovering from ednos (similar to anorexia) and learning how to eat normal amounts again). Now I'm aiming for 1500 calories per day and managing anything from 1200 - 1400.

    It's hard but you can get there - eat calorie and nutrient dense foods like nut butters, avocado, big bananas, etc.

    If it's only been a week you'll adjust in time. Don't be scared to eat, you don't want to go there, and if your stomach rumbles you should give it some food!
  • GSixZero
    GSixZero Posts: 48 Member
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    Hard to eat 1200? I have a hard time keeping it under 1200 just at Chipotle. You are hungry and your rumbling stomach is trying to tell you that. Starvation is not a diet. I'd suggest using a calorie calculator outside of MFP and go by those numbers rather than using MFP's templates.
  • Hannah_Hopes
    Hannah_Hopes Posts: 273 Member
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    This is going to sound stupid, but I am scared of eating during the day and try to keep it to a minimum, but then I get super hungry, eat a lot, feel like I have over eaten and don't want to eat anymore.

    Plan out your evening meal at the start of each day they you can ensure you fit in the rest of your 1200 calories throughout the day before then
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    It's all right to eat below one's BMR. Takes much much less food to put you in a coma. 1,100 calories doesn't come close.
  • ItsJustBeka
    ItsJustBeka Posts: 22 Member
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    Honey, you have got to eat to loose weight! This may sound crazy, but it's true. Eating so little will put your body into starvation mode and significantly slow down your metabolism! 1200 is the very minimum you should be consuming outside a doctor's supervision. You should most definitely be eating several healthy meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism going and the you'll be less likely to eat a lot in the evening and you won't need to. If you eat several small healthy meals throughout the day you'll do just fine and get the calories you need. If you ever need someone to talk to feel free to message me. Please don't starve yourself and it would probably make you feel much better to see a counselor and/or doctor to help you work through all of this! Good luck! Add me :)
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    Spread out your meals. It's not necessary for everyone, but as you're hungry at night and have additional calories, you should have an additional snack or meal earlier.

    I don't know if ethnicity matters, but sex, height, body frame size, age, and activity level certainly do. As long as you are eating balanced meals and feel good (not weak), don't worry. 1,100 is not even considered a low calorie diet.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    Maybe try to add in more calorie Dense foods, for example just a few spoons of peanut butter will add up to a few hundred calories! So at lunch or snack time, maybe find a higher cal snack to help get your calories up without having to force more foods at dinner. I like peanut Butter on toast, or crackers :-)
    It takes time to find what works best , but I agree that you need more calories. It's not sustainable to under eat like that. So try out some more high calorie foods until you find something you like. Good luck! :-)
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
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    Hard to eat 1200? I have a hard time keeping it under 1200 just at Chipotle. You are hungry and your rumbling stomach is trying to tell you that. Starvation is not a diet. I'd suggest using a calorie calculator outside of MFP and go by those numbers rather than using MFP's templates.


    Some hunger is common for people who are losing weight. They're eating less than they are accustomed. If everyone's natural signals functioned, no one would be overweight.
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,655 Member
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    This is going to sound stupid, but I am scared of eating during the day and try to keep it to a minimum, but then I get super hungry, eat a lot, feel like I have over eaten and don't want to eat anymore.

    Plan out your evening meal at the start of each day they you can ensure you fit in the rest of your 1200 calories throughout the day before then
    This. Pre-logging is your friend.

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