How to go to 1200 calories
Replies
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Truth is a hard pill, my friend.Peanut butter, ice cream, pasta, nuts, beans, oil to cook, butter to cook.
It's easy to reach 1200, to be honest. All those things up there ^ are high calorie and can easily be fit into any diet.
If you're struggling to reach 1200, I'm going to guess you're eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats or something. Which is healthy, of course. But only so if you make sure your body is getting the nutrients that it needs to run. So, go ahead, indulge in a little bit of butter.. it will only clog your arteries in excess.
Those are good ideas.. I just don't want to make myself get sick by "eating too much"
You asked for suggestions and they are good ones. What do you want people to tell you? That is how you get to 1200 calories, eating more calorie dense food at the same volume that satiates you. BOOM.0 -
I like food, personally.0
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MFP isn't about trying to eat the fewest possible number of calories. It's about learning to eat at a healthy level for your body - not too much and not too little.
So you do need to eat all of your base calories and at least half of your exercise calories. Here are some ideas for adding healthy calories:
Chicken with the skin
Steak
Cheese
Whole eggs (including deviled eggs, egg salad)
Full fat dairy (including cottage cheese, yogurt)
Fruit
Peanut butter or other nut butters
Nuts
Avocado
Dried fruit (raisins, apricots, apples)
Dark chocolate
Salmon
Add Chia seeds to salads or yogurt
Olive oil
Smoothies
Granola/sports nutrition bars
Whole grains or whole grain products (like brown rice, Quinoa, oatmeal)
Beans and legumes0 -
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Truth is a hard pill, my friend.Peanut butter, ice cream, pasta, nuts, beans, oil to cook, butter to cook.
It's easy to reach 1200, to be honest. All those things up there ^ are high calorie and can easily be fit into any diet.
If you're struggling to reach 1200, I'm going to guess you're eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats or something. Which is healthy, of course. But only so if you make sure your body is getting the nutrients that it needs to run. So, go ahead, indulge in a little bit of butter.. it will only clog your arteries in excess.
Those are good ideas.. I just don't want to make myself get sick by "eating too much"
You asked for suggestions and they are good ones. What do you want people to tell you? That is how you get to 1200 calories, eating more calorie dense food at the same volume that satiates you. BOOM.
TRUTH is absolutely GREAT!!!! But this should be a natural concern.. I do not want to make myself sick if I eat passed by body feeling full. Maybe I need to alter my request- how to hit 1,200 cals in the first place without over stuffing my body.0 -
Put butter on everything. Or just eat butter.
Hilarious, true, not the best advice, but true nonetheless! lol
Why is that not good advice? What's wrong with butter? Or coconut oil, or olive oil? Fat is an essential macro, and butter is a great way to hit that macro.
Rigger0 -
A lot of research has shown that starvation mode is a myth. As long as you are eating when you are hungry, and eating HEALTHY things, you are fine.
Starvation mode by be a myth....but sayingAs long as you are eating when you are hungry, and eating HEALTHY things, you are fine.
Is like saying a 400 mile per tank car will go 1600 miles if you put higher octane in.
EDIT: Why is a 20yr old F trying to hit 1200 calories? Am I the only one that thinks it's pretty low?0 -
Truth is a hard pill, my friend.Peanut butter, ice cream, pasta, nuts, beans, oil to cook, butter to cook.
It's easy to reach 1200, to be honest. All those things up there ^ are high calorie and can easily be fit into any diet.
If you're struggling to reach 1200, I'm going to guess you're eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats or something. Which is healthy, of course. But only so if you make sure your body is getting the nutrients that it needs to run. So, go ahead, indulge in a little bit of butter.. it will only clog your arteries in excess.
Those are good ideas.. I just don't want to make myself get sick by "eating too much"
You asked for suggestions and they are good ones. What do you want people to tell you? That is how you get to 1200 calories, eating more calorie dense food at the same volume that satiates you. BOOM.
TRUTH is absolutely GREAT!!!! But this should be a natural concern.. I do not want to make myself sick if I eat passed by body feeling full. Maybe I need to alter my request- how to hit 1,200 cals in the first place without over stuffing my body.
You do it by eating higher energy foods with less volume. Peanut butter is a great example. 188 calories in a serving. Wrap two slices of bread around it and you are up to 388 calories - or 25% of your daily allowance. Add a V-8 and you are at 438 and you've had lunch.0 -
I know what you mean about sometimes not being able to reach 1200 calories. There are some days (not all though) out of the week that I feel full at 800-900 calories. Those calories are from eating a ton of fruits and veggies (since they are calorie dense foods). Also, I seem to not be as hungry during the summer heat.0
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I never used to eat more than like 8,900 cals. But nuts and butter bump it up really easily.
Like someone said, two tablespoons of butter on your food gets you 200 more cals. I just ate a tiny packet of almonds and that's 340 cals. You don't have to eat more chicken or a whole other meal.
And, people really need to educate themselves about good fats. Time Magazine just had an article about that very topic--you're not going to "clog your arteries" with butter and nuts.0 -
Are you trying to lose weight, gain weight, or maintain, OP?
Alot of us here have the opposite problem. I can eat 1800 calories in a day and STILL be hungry at the end of the day, and that's not even with a whole lot of junk food either.0 -
A lot of research has shown that starvation mode is a myth. As long as you are eating when you are hungry, and eating HEALTHY things, you are fine.
Starvation mode is a myth.
Loss of muscle and bone density and malnutrition associated with very low calorie diets is not a myth.
This!^
There is a healthy way to lose weight.....and then there is the fast way.
People who are obese can get away with eating less (they have large reserves).....people who are closer to goal sacrifice lean muscle for quick weight loss.
Look up skinny-fat.
Dietary fat does not make you fat. It's essential to help your body absorb nutrients. If you have medical issues associated with saturated fat.....use olive oil, nut butter, eat a handful of nuts instead.0 -
Truth is a hard pill, my friend.Peanut butter, ice cream, pasta, nuts, beans, oil to cook, butter to cook.
It's easy to reach 1200, to be honest. All those things up there ^ are high calorie and can easily be fit into any diet.
If you're struggling to reach 1200, I'm going to guess you're eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats or something. Which is healthy, of course. But only so if you make sure your body is getting the nutrients that it needs to run. So, go ahead, indulge in a little bit of butter.. it will only clog your arteries in excess.
Those are good ideas.. I just don't want to make myself get sick by "eating too much"
You asked for suggestions and they are good ones. What do you want people to tell you? That is how you get to 1200 calories, eating more calorie dense food at the same volume that satiates you. BOOM.
TRUTH is absolutely GREAT!!!! But this should be a natural concern.. I do not want to make myself sick if I eat passed by body feeling full. Maybe I need to alter my request- how to hit 1,200 cals in the first place without over stuffing my body.
eat the same amount of food but make different food choices. No diet or lite versions, opt for the full fat/sugar. So 6% yogurt instead of fat free, 2% milk instead of skim, full fat salad dressing, etc.0 -
Do you mean like sick as in heart disease or sick as in throwing up? You won't make yourself throw up eating at least 1200 calories per day. Add 1/2 an avocado mixed with lemon juice and salt on top of a chicken breast or steak. Add a tbl of butter to your cup of veggies (or on top of your steak). Eat an oz (21-22) almonds with a piece of fruit or veggies for a snack. It's not a lot of food.
If you are worried about heart disease, I'd read up on diets/foods and decide which ones you think are healthy. You are in control of what you decide to eat. But, eating more calories (even if you just eat more of the foods that get you to 800 cals) will not cause heart disease. Some of us are genetically more prone to these diseases, like me, and I try my best to eat foods that I think help me based on my research.
Eta: I agree with whoever said dietary fat won't make you fat. Fat is essential to the normal functioning of our bodies. Don't be afraid of fats, just choose good fats.0 -
1 tablespoon of olive oil gives you 120 calories. Drizzle it on your veggies and roast them in the oven or mix it with some herbs and vinegar for a salad dressing.
2 tablespoons of peanut butter = 190 calories. If you're already eating fruit or toast anywhere in your diet, smear some peanut butter on!
1 ounce of cheese will give you 115-ish calories. Again, I don't know what you're eating already, but add it to eggs, a sandwich, oven roasted veggies, or a salad.
That's 425 calories added to your day right there. Which would bring you over the magic number of 1200.0 -
Truth is a hard pill, my friend.Peanut butter, ice cream, pasta, nuts, beans, oil to cook, butter to cook.
It's easy to reach 1200, to be honest. All those things up there ^ are high calorie and can easily be fit into any diet.
If you're struggling to reach 1200, I'm going to guess you're eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats or something. Which is healthy, of course. But only so if you make sure your body is getting the nutrients that it needs to run. So, go ahead, indulge in a little bit of butter.. it will only clog your arteries in excess.
Those are good ideas.. I just don't want to make myself get sick by "eating too much"
You asked for suggestions and they are good ones. What do you want people to tell you? That is how you get to 1200 calories, eating more calorie dense food at the same volume that satiates you. BOOM.
TRUTH is absolutely GREAT!!!! But this should be a natural concern.. I do not want to make myself sick if I eat passed by body feeling full. Maybe I need to alter my request- how to hit 1,200 cals in the first place without over stuffing my body.
Oh you will make yourself sick eating 1200 calories, but not because that is too much food....quite the opposite. Honestly as other posters have mentioned you probably maintain at 2000 calories or above so you really have nothing to fear about putting on fat by eating more.0 -
EDIT: Why is a 20yr old F trying to hit 1200 calories? Am I the only one that thinks it's pretty low?
No you are not the only one thinking that, pretty much everyone is thinking that. 1200 calories is to low unless you are a 4'6'' tall 60 year old woman.0 -
I know what you mean about sometimes not being able to reach 1200 calories. There are some days (not all though) out of the week that I feel full at 800-900 calories. Those calories are from eating a ton of fruits and veggies (since they are calorie dense foods). Also, I seem to not be as hungry during the summer heat.
fruit and veg is the exact opposite of calorie dense foods.0 -
A lot of research has shown that starvation mode is a myth. As long as you are eating when you are hungry, and eating HEALTHY things, you are fine.
THANK GOD.. This is fantastic
OK I completely disagree with this, a lot of research has also shown that without enough of the right foods in your system your body will preserve fat cells, especially with women (but I am not looking to argue that point here) - but your stomach is a muscle too . . . and if you're not using it then it's going to shrink causing less food to essentially "fill it". This doesn't mean you're getting the nutrition you need - take for example patients of WLS: their diet is pretty much 100% protein so that they can fit the nutrients their body needs into the small daily allowable diet they can now have because their stomach is smaller than it used to be.
I am not saying you cannot survive on 1,200 calories but I am strongly suggesting you don't (I personally can't, but then again I am probably much bigger than you), however by not eating enough, your stomach will shrink to a point and you may or may not be getting as much of the right nutrition as you think, it's not always about caloric deficit because, for example, without enough protein and healthy fats you will start to lose LBM along with fat.0 -
I'm going to guess at your stats OP because you never posted them but just to give some sort of example. I maybe way off on what your actual height and weight is because its a total guess but I want some concrete numbers to work with.
You say you have 40 pounds to lose so lets say you are 5'6'' and 170 pounds.
You should be getting at least 0.8g of protein per pound of lean mass, lets say you have a lean mass of 110 pounds (that is what you would have if you were a quite overweight 35% bodyfat). Then you would need 88 grams of protein which is 352 calories.
You should be getting about 0.4g of fat per pound bodyweight. At 170 that would be 68 grams which is 612 calories.
For carbs I don't think there is a required amount but to have any energy at all I'd think you'd want to get at least 30% of your calories from carbohydrates. That would be 360 calories on a 1200 cal diet.
So, 352 cal from protein, 612 from fat, 360 from carbs....whoops that is 1324. Okay so for 1200 calories I guess you'd have to drop the carbs even more which will make you lethargic but hey, you want to push yourself right. So lets get 240 cal from carbs which would mean only 20% of your calories from carbs.
So now we need to talk micronutrients. You aren't getting much in the way of vitamins and nutrients from the fat so you have to look at the carbs and proteins for that.
I look at those numbers and have to wonder...how are you getting enough iron? Enough potassium? enough vitamins?
Are you? Have you looked at your micronutrients as you track your foods?
I put those stats into the following calculator:
http://exrx.net/Calculators/CalRequire.html
and got that completely and utterly sedentary your body would require 2000 calories to maintain which means that with no exercise a 1200 calorie diet would be a HUGE 800 calorie daily deficit. With exercise it would be even worse.
Why are you trying to eat 1200 calories? It isn't healthy, it isn't sustainable, I have high doubts you are getting enough nutrition and I know you aren't getting enough energy.0 -
Truth is a hard pill, my friend.Peanut butter, ice cream, pasta, nuts, beans, oil to cook, butter to cook.
It's easy to reach 1200, to be honest. All those things up there ^ are high calorie and can easily be fit into any diet.
If you're struggling to reach 1200, I'm going to guess you're eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats or something. Which is healthy, of course. But only so if you make sure your body is getting the nutrients that it needs to run. So, go ahead, indulge in a little bit of butter.. it will only clog your arteries in excess.
Those are good ideas.. I just don't want to make myself get sick by "eating too much"
You asked for suggestions and they are good ones. What do you want people to tell you? That is how you get to 1200 calories, eating more calorie dense food at the same volume that satiates you. BOOM.
TRUTH is absolutely GREAT!!!! But this should be a natural concern.. I do not want to make myself sick if I eat passed by body feeling full. Maybe I need to alter my request- how to hit 1,200 cals in the first place without over stuffing my body.
Um.... EAT MORE CALORIE DENSE FOODS AT VOLUMES THAT SATIATE YOU. Like everyone here keeps suggesting. They did not say more food, they said choose foods with more calories.0 -
A lot of research has shown that starvation mode is a myth. As long as you are eating when you are hungry, and eating HEALTHY things, you are fine.
THANK GOD.. This is fantastic
Please see my analogy and please elaborate as to why under fueling is "fantastic?0 -
A lot of research has shown that starvation mode is a myth. As long as you are eating when you are hungry, and eating HEALTHY things, you are fine.
THANK GOD.. This is fantastic
Please see my analogy and please elaborate as to why under fueling is "fantastic?
Because of all the envious glances you get when you sit there eating your fat free yogurt and diet coke with your frail, frail arms.0 -
Thanks everyone for the help. I will most certainly try some of this advice out. Feel free to add me if you want to see my diary/any progression
For the people assuming I am afraid of getting fat by eating more.. and have anxiety.. you can all screw yourself! I think it is absolutely hilarious that you put those ideas in your head!!
I know I will not gain weight from eating 1200 calories.. I am not afraid to get there.. it is just hard for me to INITIALLY get there on a regular day basis.
And for the people asking why I am striving for 1200- that is what MFP suggested for me to eat if I want to lose 2lbs per week
Anyways thanks again- everyone! Great advice, and EVEN BETTER laughs at the crazies!0 -
OH AND ALSO! I cannot eat full fat anything.. milk.. yogurt.. etc. I have never been raised on it and I do not like the texture of it. It is nothing to do with weight or calories.. It is a personal texture preference.0
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No craziness...but just be aware that 2 pounds a week is a fairly aggressive goal, especially since you are not very big to begin with (or at least you don't look big in your profile picture). You will likely lose a lot of muscle over fat when losing weight so quickly, so keep up with weights and strength training in your journey.0
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That is exactly the trap my friend troglicious describes herethe typical MFP users does this:
1. I wanna lose weight, let's try MFP.
2. OH! Wow, it tells me I can lose 2 lbs a WEEK? AWESOME!
3. I just sit at a desk when I'm not working out, I guess I'm sedentary.
4. MFP tells them 1200 calories, and they don't even eat that.. then they work out on top of it.. creating an even bigger deficit.
5. Lose a lot, fast, brag about 1200 calorie success.
6. Come back in a few months trying to figure out why they're dizzy, tired, not losing weight.
7. Get on the forums, ask why they aren't losing.
8. Get two responses (I eat 1200 and lose) (I eat 2200 and lose)
9. Argument ensues about who is right.
Now. That being said. These threads happen hundreds of times per day. Most times, and I mean really.. seriously.. 95% of the time.. people get the 1200 number because they don't put the right information in when they set up the account. There are a great number of people that are trying to help. I'm one of 'em.
I'm a hardcore advocate of actually finding out what works for the individual.. by means of other calculators, averages, time, practice, and patience.
Blanket prescriptions of 1200 calories "because it worked for me" is more harmful to the generic new user than the "figure out what you need to eat." Unfortunately, one is a LOT easier to type.
Find out what you need: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
and make sure to read: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
Seriously.
Read the links. Think about the advice you've gotten here. You have a responsibility to support the health needs of your body. The first step to that is to give it the energy and nutrients it needs. Trying to lose 2 pounds a week when you've only got 15 to lose is not doing that.0 -
Thanks everyone for the help. I will most certainly try some of this advice out. Feel free to add me if you want to see my diary/any progression
For the people assuming I am afraid of getting fat by eating more.. and have anxiety.. you can all screw yourself! I think it is absolutely hilarious that you put those ideas in your head!!
I know I will not gain weight from eating 1200 calories.. I am not afraid to get there.. it is just hard for me to INITIALLY get there on a regular day basis.
And for the people asking why I am striving for 1200- that is what MFP suggested for me to eat if I want to lose 2lbs per week
Anyways thanks again- everyone! Great advice, and EVEN BETTER laughs at the crazies!
There is part of the issue, with only 40lbs to lose a goal of 1lb/week is more than reasonable, 2lbs/week is good for 75+lbs to lose. And not to mention MFP also tells you to eat what you burn from exercise back. So if you burn 400 cals, you should be eating 1600 (1200+400)0 -
Thanks everyone for the help. I will most certainly try some of this advice out. Feel free to add me if you want to see my diary/any progression
For the people assuming I am afraid of getting fat by eating more.. and have anxiety.. you can all screw yourself! I think it is absolutely hilarious that you put those ideas in your head!!
I know I will not gain weight from eating 1200 calories.. I am not afraid to get there.. it is just hard for me to INITIALLY get there on a regular day basis.
And for the people asking why I am striving for 1200- that is what MFP suggested for me to eat if I want to lose 2lbs per week
Anyways thanks again- everyone! Great advice, and EVEN BETTER laughs at the crazies!
MFP is a calculator, it spits out an answer based on what you tell it...it has no intelligence, it is not advising you at all its just crunching numbers. It told you 1200 because it refuses to go below 1200, what that means is that when it ran its calculation of what it would take for you to lose 2 pounds a week the number was almost certainly below 1200 and it bumped it up to 1200 because that is as low as it is willing to go.
Do not use what a calculator tells you as somehow justification for bad eating habits. Saying "its what MFP told me" is like trying to tell a math teacher that the reason you got the problem wrong was because it was "what the calculator told you". You are responsible for the information you provide the calculator, the calculator is not responsible for the answer it gives you when you do. It is more than likely that 2 pounds a week is an overly aggressive goal that is causing you to undereat in a way that will be detrimental to your health leading to muscle loss, fatigue and loss of strength.
MFP doesn't have a brain, it cannot advice you. The forums contain many people with brains who can advise you, that advise seems to be pretty unanimous that you should eat more than you are eating. You can ignore that if you like but you might want to consider it.0 -
MFP originally gave me a goal of 1300 calories a day.... I tried it for a week and was so hungry at the end of the day, even with eating back my exercise calories. So I used these calculators instead: http://www.fat2fittools.com/tools/
According to that, for a slow, steady FAT loss, while maintaining lean muscle mass, I should be netting more like 1600 a day. It took me 8 years to get to this weight. I can't expect it to come off in two months.0
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