Hard for me to eat all 1,200 calories a day?

And here we go. In just because????????

To help you visualise 1200 calories

http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/what_does_a_1200_calorie_diet_look_like

Increase your appetite by eating more food. Honestly. Long term under-eating does a number on your appetite.

Eat more food without feeling stuffed or needing to throw up by eating more calorie dense foods. It's possible you might have to rethink what the "healthy stuff" is. Don't be afraid of fat, for example. In fact, when you're struggling to get calories in, fat is what you should be going for. Not only that, but dietary fat is really important for your health. Go for things like nuts, seeds, eggs, cheese, chocolate, avocados, full fat dairy, olive oil, oily fish etc. All very nutritious, but more calorie dense.

Stop eating the reduced calorie or diet foods (eg. Sara Lee 45 cal a slice bread - eat proper, tasty, calorific bread instead.)

I don't know if you're a vegan, going off some of your diary entries, but if you are, you still need to aim for the higher fat stuff. Add oil to salads and cook with oil. Make use of nuts and nut butters, houmous etc.

Drinking your calories can be easier if you already feel full, so full fat milk, smoothies, protein shakes (if you are vegan, you can get vegan protein powders).

Also, experiment with meal timing/frequency. A lot of people who are trying to eat more find it helpful to have more meals spread throughout the day so they're not trying to cram it all in before bedtime.

Try these strategies and you should find that your appetite returns. If not, consider that either there are psychological issues holding you back from eating enough, or that there may be a physical issue underlying it for which you might need to see your doctor.

Not eating enough won't stop you from losing weight but it will mean that a lot of the weight you lose will be lean mass (you know, the good stuff like muscle and bone density), and that your hormones get all messed up, and that you have no energy and your immune system suffers, and basically you have a whole lot of trouble trying to maintain a healthy weight later on.

Before you started on MFP, how many calories were you eating in a day? I don't know, I find it hard to believe that all of a sudden someone can't eat to or above 1200 calories a day.

Now maybe you have a fear of gaining weight or you're desperate to lose weight so you may be ignoring your hunger.

Two words: Peanut butter

ETA: You also posted multiple topics about weight loss. You even stated you use to eat 3,000 calories in one. You are capable of eating that much, you just don't want to. I would suggest seeking help from a professional. Or losing weight the healthy way with a 1 lb. loss a week.

I have the same problem! I have a hard time eating 1200 calories. In the last two weeks I quit drinking soda upped my exercise routine and eating really good. I lost 2 pounds that first week and the second week I gained 4 pounds. I don't understand why but I'm gonna keep at it!

If you are not weighing your food or accounting for everything, you are not eating that little. My main question would be if you can not eat 1200 calories a day, how did you gain any extra weight? If you are weighing and counting EVERYTHING and not losing on less than heck 1500 calories a day, you need to see a doctor.

If you can't even eat 1,200 calories a day, how exactly did you get to the point where you're now trying to lose weight?

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Hey friend! I'm in the same boat........but I know for me, I am able to increase my appetite by throwing in at least one high intensity workout per week. (sometimes one every 3 days) - this will absolutely increase your appetite & help your hormones work properly. (particularly your hunger and satiety hormones) If you're truly not hungry, but you're working out and sleeping okay, you might have a hormone issue?.....or you're not working out hard enough. It's a chicken and egg thing with losing weight. To make your body change......you MUST push yourself to the max every workout......to do THAT, you NEED adequate nutrition. I'm 5'6'' and now weight 145ish....I started at 168........when I ate 1200 cals or less I wasn't able to workout as hard and I hit plateaus bigtime......which seems silly because my BMR is something like 1800 cals per day......???..........Anycrap.......one thing to try- bump up the cals 2x per week to 1500 or so......I do this and then am able to push during my workouts harder - and BAM, plateau busted........ Pick up Jillian Michaels book "Master your Metabolism" - it is very helpful information on how your hormones play a role......*and other factors. I agree with the girl that posted "peanut butter" earlier too.......eat that on celery at dinner time if you're not super hungry...easy way to get your cals in........ .....I have no idea why that helps my energy - but DOOOD. press on sister!

Eat lots of veggies and protein and eat MORE, that sounds way too low, you don't have that much to lose.

If you can't eat it, drink it, smoothies, protein shakes, etc.

I used to be the same way. It is hard sometimes for me to hit that 12-1500 calorie mark. I began making smoothies in the morning before work. They fill me up before my first snack at 10am. Of course I am drinking my smoothy around 620-700am. I get the whey powder from walmart $15. A scoop of whey powder (i prefer chocolate), a whole banana, a tablespoon of peanut butter, a cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk and a cup of ice. This comes to about 384 calories for my morning. It is great because it takes less than 5 minutes to make. I play around with my smoothies all the time. My kids love them as well.

Eggs, peanut butter, and avocado are all high calorie foods filled with nutrients and good fats. I love milk too.

I know, before I started MFP, and once when I fell off the wagon, I was eating way too many calories, that's why I became overweight. You do not have that much to lose, but if you were gaining weight you must have been eating more than you burned in a day. Which is way more than 1200 calories.

Just eat more food in general, not just more protein (where ever the hell this bullsh!t came from just please...please stop it...its stupid).

Protein prevents you from losing muscle while eating in a deficit.

Are you weighing your food? If you are having a hard time eating it all, you might be eating more than you think.

If you truly are having trouble getting 1200, eat the foods you used to eat, just less of them.