having a hardtime eating 1200 cals

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  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    No, 1lb because that was what it recommended.
    ...and with only 5lbs to go, that's too aggressive for you.

    Since you're new here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

    go there.

    hey I was looking around,

    I know MFP uses the weightloss/gain to monitor, however, I find that for me, using the scale for now isn't the smartest idea (Last 3 times I tried, I became very OCD, enough to become sick and everything) So I was thinking about using the measurement/clothes/mirror for a while, until I felt comfy enough that even if I didn't lose that much weight, I could always say ''well I feel better so it's not a big deal''

    So now the only scale I go on is at my mother's cottage, which I go once every month or two. And now I don't even want to use it because we tested it and it gives 4 different results in 5 minutes o.0 (it's a very old scale...)

    Any other ways you can recommend?

    it all depends. I was recommending a food scale.

    Thing is, if you're not weighing yourself... I'm not sure how you're going to be able to track progress.

    Maybe just record your weight when you go to your mom's cottage? Record that. Only get on it once? Use the scale from your GP/doctor when you go?

    the scale isn't the judge. If your clothes are fitting better, you're feeling healthier, that's a plus... right? It's just another means of tracking progress. If nothing else, use the methods you're comfortable with.
  • geneva042
    geneva042 Posts: 51
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    No, 1lb because that was what it recommended.
    ...and with only 5lbs to go, that's too aggressive for you.

    Since you're new here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1235566-so-you-re-new-here

    go there.

    hey I was looking around,

    I know MFP uses the weightloss/gain to monitor, however, I find that for me, using the scale for now isn't the smartest idea (Last 3 times I tried, I became very OCD, enough to become sick and everything) So I was thinking about using the measurement/clothes/mirror for a while, until I felt comfy enough that even if I didn't lose that much weight, I could always say ''well I feel better so it's not a big deal''

    So now the only scale I go on is at my mother's cottage, which I go once every month or two. And now I don't even want to use it because we tested it and it gives 4 different results in 5 minutes o.0 (it's a very old scale...)

    Any other ways you can recommend?

    it all depends. I was recommending a food scale.

    Thing is, if you're not weighing yourself... I'm not sure how you're going to be able to track progress.

    Maybe just record your weight when you go to your mom's cottage? Record that. Only get on it once? Use the scale from your GP/doctor when you go?

    the scale isn't the judge. If your clothes are fitting better, you're feeling healthier, that's a plus... right? It's just another means of tracking progress. If nothing else, use the methods you're comfortable with.

    Yea, I mean the whole point for me is get healthy first, the ''looking/fitting better in my clothes'' deal is just a happy side effect that I hope will come.

    I'm seeing my GP in October only though :S

    I'll go check if I can't get my weight taken at a local clinic to have some decent numbers (not one that changes 2-4 pounds every time) maybe I'll do that tomorrow after work (since tonight I'm already going swimming) and get it checked again at the GP in october, it will be a bit more than 6 weeks

    It's going to be easier once the ankle is better, by then I'll know if the motivation I have right now is there to stay (both food and exercise) and I might try to join the gym and use the scale there. By then I should have been able to cope with whatever changes (or lack of changes) in the numbers. But that wont be for another 2-3 months, until I can swim without my ankle bugging me, and that I know I wont pay a membership for nothing like the two last time I tried.

    Other question actually,
    I was told (by non professional though) that the fact that I'm someone who has a very strong muscle mass under all that fat, might make it harder to lose pounds (not lose fat!) since I'll turn the fat into muscle faster. I was thinking it could be the other way around (more muscle = more calories burn = more fat burnt? (just a question, reaaaaaly not sure about this)

    Even my doctor told me not to get too crushed by the bmi since I do have muscles

    I ordered a foodscale from amazon, that should help a lot with the food measuring (however, I cook a lot and had the chance to work in fields (restaurants, vet clinics) that made me a pretty good estimating weights/quantity heh) and when I'm not sure I always go with ''more cals'' in the diary.
  • missdibs1
    missdibs1 Posts: 1,092 Member
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    Ok I am now puzzled !
    I've been seriously counting my calories since yesterday, measuring everything with cups and being very careful with the protein portions (I don't have a scale yet, should get here next week!)
    I make sure I find the most official/honest calories info on here as well.

    Yesterday I got 1123 cals, I'm curious because I wasn't that much hungry...
    (making sure I go get snacks as well)

    I know its really bad to eat under 1200, heck, MFP says I should eat 1600 to lose weight (since I'm already fat and all)
    Today, if everything goes as planed, I should be around 1150.

    I drink a lot more water now

    Are those numbers too low, or since it's ''borderline'' it's not catastrophic?
    I don't want to slow down my metabolism either!

    Perhaps you need to eat different foods? Im am set at 1550 and wish I could have 2500 (everyonce in a while I do )
  • victoriacammie
    victoriacammie Posts: 2
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    Back when I gained a little extra weight I tried to eat fewer calories than recommended and it totally back fired!! Your body will go into shock if you don't eat enough. 1600 is perfect with little exercise (30 min walk). If you are hungry eat its ok don't stress too much about over eating. Use smaller plates when preparing a meal and pile the food like a mountain onto the plate. It may look like a lot of food because your plate is smaller and mind games are a factor when trying to desperately lose weight. If your into tea go to Teavana and speak to a employee they will recommend the perfect tea for curving appetite and cleansing your body. Good LUCK!
  • geneva042
    geneva042 Posts: 51
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    Perhaps you need to eat different foods? Im am set at 1550 and wish I could have 2500 (everyonce in a while I do )

    yea that's what I'm trying now, I added more nuts in my diet and yogourt (greek)
    this should help balance things out :)
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    I was told (by non professional though) that the fact that I'm someone who has a very strong muscle mass under all that fat, might make it harder to lose pounds (not lose fat!) since I'll turn the fat into muscle faster. I was thinking it could be the other way around (more muscle = more calories burn = more fat burnt? (just a question, reaaaaaly not sure about this)
    fat never turns into muscle. ever.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I was told (by non professional though) that the fact that I'm someone who has a very strong muscle mass under all that fat, might make it harder to lose pounds (not lose fat!) since I'll turn the fat into muscle faster. I was thinking it could be the other way around (more muscle = more calories burn = more fat burnt? (just a question, reaaaaaly not sure about this)
    fat never turns into muscle. ever.

    Having more muscle under the fat should actually make it easier to lose weight/fat, as muscle burns calories just being there!
  • geneva042
    geneva042 Posts: 51
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    Back when I gained a little extra weight I tried to eat fewer calories than recommended and it totally back fired!! Your body will go into shock if you don't eat enough. 1600 is perfect with little exercise (30 min walk). If you are hungry eat its ok don't stress too much about over eating. Use smaller plates when preparing a meal and pile the food like a mountain onto the plate. It may look like a lot of food because your plate is smaller and mind games are a factor when trying to desperately lose weight. If your into tea go to Teavana and speak to a employee they will recommend the perfect tea for curving appetite and cleansing your body. Good LUCK!

    RIght now only exercise I do is around 20 mins walks with my dog + swimming 1h 3x a week. I sprained my ankle pretty bad so walks are always a pain in the butt.

    I will definitely go check for the tea though, I do have a few teashop that I like going, never though about using them to help with the apetite/cravings.
    They might suggest a more ''green tea'' thing, I'm more of an oolong and herbal tea person, green is a bit too bitter for me I guess.
  • geneva042
    geneva042 Posts: 51
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    I was told (by non professional though) that the fact that I'm someone who has a very strong muscle mass under all that fat, might make it harder to lose pounds (not lose fat!) since I'll turn the fat into muscle faster. I was thinking it could be the other way around (more muscle = more calories burn = more fat burnt? (just a question, reaaaaaly not sure about this)
    fat never turns into muscle. ever.

    Having more muscle under the fat should actually make it easier to lose weight/fat, as muscle burns calories just being there!

    yea figured as much.

    ^-^
    hopefully swimming will help for a while o.0
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
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    Oh, it's this thread again

    Samesies :yawn:

    Open your diary. Sexy pants. Avocados. You're probably eating more than you think. Etc.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    If you have a GP whose office is convenient for you, try calling them and asking if you can come in and weigh on their scale once a month or every two weeks. You can probably talk them into letting you weigh in without paying for an office visit.

    You can also monitor your measurements once a month, because who really cares about the number on the scale if you're getting smaller? You'll need to measure under the same conditions (flexed/unflexed, wearing the same bra, etc.) and make sure you're measuring at the same spot every time (for example, if you're measuring your biceps, you always need to measure at a spot 6" down from your shoulder, or 4" up from your elbow or whatever).
  • ashleyb34
    ashleyb34 Posts: 29 Member
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    I'm glad to see there is some genuinely nice people here to offer support, advice and encouragement. I was in the same boat as the original poster and reached out for some help and ended up feeling like a complete idiot because of how I was treated. I was used to eating not much food but the food I was eating was high calorie foods with little to no nutrition value. When I joined MFP I decided I was going to do this right ( well what I thought was right) and make a change. I cut out all junk food, soda, juice, high fat foods and changed my diet drastically. Because I was eating so much fruit and vegetables and protein I always felt full and was always under my 1200 calorie goal for the day. Fruit and vegetables do fill you up but they aren't calorie dense. This is what someone new to diet and exercise may not understand. I sure didn't. I just new I consumed a large amount of food for the day and felt satisfied. I hope the OP gets the answers they are looking. People don't reach out for help to be a troll, usually when someone asks for help it is because they need it. I don't know how some people think at night. I'm glad I am not part of the high and mighty club
  • missemmibelle
    missemmibelle Posts: 100 Member
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    I can relate, I have a hard time eating 1200 calories on some days, and I'm close to 200lbs (5'6"). People always seem to assume that if you're overweight, it's because you're an over-EATER. I've eaten once a day most of my life and it made me literally sick the first couple of weeks I forced myself to eat actual food for breakfast :P

    There are other things that make you gain weight besides food. Liquid calories can be a huge part of someone's diet and once you cut that out - it can be really hard to get that 1200! Seriously.

    I do it by not worrying about fat free, or sugar-free or whatever - but portion control. Breakfast and Lunch are usually around 300 calories, then I have a 500 cal dinner and a 100-cal dessert.

    Pre-log your meals, so you don't get caught at the end of the day with 700 calories to go at 10pm (happens to me quite often). Setting meal-time calorie goals might help, as would eating most of your calories for breakfast (500 instead of 300). No matter your reason for not getting the 1200/cal minimum a day - it's not difficult, but it is a lifestyle change that has a learning curve. Ignore the dorks and don't be afraid to post your questions.

    I always laugh at the posts from folks who spend their entire lives, it seems, on MFP - and who complain there's never anything new to read but the same old questions. I am not sure that knowing how often a topic is repeated is a good thing. Time to get off the computer and get a life perhaps?
  • geneva042
    geneva042 Posts: 51
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    I'm glad to see there is some genuinely nice people here to offer support, advice and encouragement. I was in the same boat as the original poster and reached out for some help and ended up feeling like a complete idiot because of how I was treated. I was used to eating not much food but the food I was eating was high calorie foods with little to no nutrition value. When I joined MFP I decided I was going to do this right ( well what I thought was right) and make a change. I cut out all junk food, soda, juice, high fat foods and changed my diet drastically. Because I was eating so much fruit and vegetables and protein I always felt full and was always under my 1200 calorie goal for the day. Fruit and vegetables do fill you up but they aren't calorie dense. This is what someone new to diet and exercise may not understand. I sure didn't. I just new I consumed a large amount of food for the day and felt satisfied. I hope the OP gets the answers they are looking. People don't reach out for help to be a troll, usually when someone asks for help it is because they need it. I don't know how some people think at night. I'm glad I am not part of the high and mighty club

    thanks

    lately most of what I eat is lots of veggies/fruit so it did fill me up a lot I guess that's why.

    I'm actually happy to see I'm not the only one who had that problem (that and see that there's some good people on here! )
  • knitknitknit
    knitknitknit Posts: 17 Member
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    People reaching out for genuine help aren't trolls, but when they frame their topic as if they are purposely under eating and upon further reading you find out that the OP is freaking out over ONE day of tracking, it comes off as trolling. People respond appropriately because as far as they are concerned, they're being trolled. Now when an op accuses those who respond as such of being "a. Holes, d. Bags, and f...... A. Holes" the OP is behaving as a troll. Why would anyone want to help someone who calls people "d. bags " because they aren't getting the answers they like?
  • geneva042
    geneva042 Posts: 51
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    People reaching out for genuine help aren't trolls, but when they frame their topic as if they are purposely under eating and upon further reading you find out that the OP is freaking out over ONE day of tracking, it comes off as trolling. People respond appropriately because as far as they are concerned, they're being trolled. Now when an op accuses those who respond as such of being "a. Holes, d. Bags, and f...... A. Holes" the OP is behaving as a troll. Why would anyone want to help someone who calls people "d. bags " because they aren't getting the answers they like?

    I call people as they are
    if the hat fits, have fun wearing it

    Did you even read the original post?

    I asked for help because I didn't understand why I wasn't hungry. I planned a 1600 cals menu like MFP said, and I couldn't even finish it that day!
    And I asked if it was a big deal for the numbers. I asked because I'm seriously tired of being out of shape, and the only way I was taught how to be in shape when overweight, was cutting calories like crazy, and lots of people seem to think that's not healthy (and I agree)

    What I got instead of answers? People bashing me for asking a question and saying that because I was fat, it would be easy for me to eat more and passive aggressive remarks. that, in my books aren't people worth being called ''helpful'' Its bullies who have nothing better to do than try to make someone else feel like crap. in other words : A. Hold, D-Bags. I have absolutely no respect for bullies, online or in real life.

    I AM NOT Purposely under eating, where does that come from? For me, I always was told that I should eat 1200 (or even less!) cals to lose weight, I knew the minimum was 1200 so I was wondering, that's all.
  • fatmaneats
    fatmaneats Posts: 1
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    Maybe don't eat so much fiber, this will allow you to eat a little more each day. Fiber fills me up so much it makes it hard to get my calorie count sometimes.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,087 Member
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    Oh, it's this thread again

    Samesies :yawn:

    Open your diary. Sexy pants. Avocados. You're probably eating more than you think. Etc.

    Well, as someone already said - if you dont want to read these threads, dont click into them. :smile:

    and welcome to MFP - yes the same questions do get asked over and over - because new people are joining all the time and there question is not new for them.

    and yes I know OP over reactedto some of the comments - but neverthelsess it is a genuine question.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    What was hard for me yesterday, was
    - I didn't understand WHY I wasn't hungry if I barely ate 1200 cals, but I learned that there's some days that you're not just that hungry. Never happen to me before. It might be the whole brain being a ''cheerleader'' or whatever the other poster said, it might be that it was fricking warm and humid yesterday. But since I -never- really checked what I ate before, I had no way of knowing. All I know is that I ate way less than before, and didn't feel hungry.

    This happened to me at first. I started on my weight loss plan before actively using MFP and was eating based on my idea (not that different than my current idea) of a healthy plan and being careful about serving size and so on and was shocked when I started to see that I was eating 900-1000, since I hadn't felt hungry. It's very hard to convince yourself you should eat more when you feel like you are eating lots of food and are not hungry, although I did end up doing that. One issue for me is that I think I'm very much a volume eater, so the fact that I was eating plates full of vegetables and a reasonable seeming portion of meat or omelet or the like made me feel quite satisfied. I also agree with the person who mentioned the brain as a cheerleader. I can still feel comfortable on 1200 (I did 1250 for a while), but it tends to irritate me if I end up at that level because of a really inactive day or some such, and I'd never do it as my main goal now--it wouldn't be sustainable. I'd be bored and feel deprived. At first, though, I was really enthusiastic about all the great food I was eating and how not hungry I felt and how much better I felt than when I was eating too many carb-heavy snacks and feeling like I was going up and down all day, so I didn't have that problem at all. So in my experience (and this is not a slam at all), it's a problem that does cure itself.
    it's super easy for me to reach 1600 cals, hell, super easy for me to eat 2500 cals if I want to, bring me to any fastfood or steakhouse and believe me I'll eat everything on the damn plate. (was raised with the ''there's little kid in Africa dying of hunger, you finish your plate'!)

    What's NOT EASY for me, is eat 1600 HEALTHY Cals. It's hard for a *kitten* tone of reason, bad eating habit being one of them, having a super fricking picky boyfriend is another part (though that was sorted by a ''my food, you can have some, if you don't want some, here's some toasts or whatever you wanna cook)

    How I did it was pre-logging my food for a while and seeing where I could add more calories. For example, I was cutting carbs pretty heavily (I would have a small serving of starch maybe one meal and for the others just add in extra vegetables, which have far fewer calories, and I wasn't snacking at all). I realized when I looked at the day as a whole and saw I needed more calories that I could add back in some of those starches (maybe have a sandwich for lunch after all or a full serving of potatoes with dinner or even some pasta on occasion) and that if I wasn't eating them I needed to replace the calories somehow. Typically this meant that I had to get over my idea that it was wrong to eat more than 3-4 oz of meat and eat a bit more or add a fruit or dairy side. I also saw that I was cutting fat a bit much--using nothing but olive oil spray, vinegar/mustard-based salad dressing only, no cheese, no fat dairy, etc. I eased up on this too--I still mostly use spray, but spray more heavily and log it, add in some olives and cheese to my salad, feta to my omelet, include chicken with skin and some wider variety of meats, etc.

    Also, I decided after a break that it was okay to add back in dessert, although I at first kept it to when I had exercise calories and was careful to give it a regular place so I wouldn't start with my bad habit of using food for comfort. This allowed me to eat it in moderation and not trigger anything, and is something that people will have to do based on their own issues and personalities, etc.

    Anyway, all this helped me understand how I could build a satisfying diet within my calories without overdoing it on restriction. Logging is great because it's so easy to plan or go back and see what did and didn't work.

    Oh, and IMO ignore all the special diets and just eat generally healthy--mostly nutrient-dense foods (which include protein rich foods like meat and dairy and eggs, as well as fruits and veggies), with some treats too, unless there's a reason to avoid them. It's funny that eating a healthy diet for me seems to be basically just like eating how I kind of grew up thinking of healthy. Sure, not everyone did--I was lucky--but these days there's such an effort to make eating into some kind of special magic formula that you have to get exactly right or fail. It's much easier than that, IMO.

    Welcome!
  • dunnodunno
    dunnodunno Posts: 2,290 Member
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    when all else fails add peanut butter and/or ice cream

    Or candy bars and chips. Also, how is the OP 70lbs over her goal weight but yet is baffled on how to get more calories??

    ever wondered that -maybe- ye know, just maybe, I was trying to eat healthy for a change?

    That's your problem. Instead of completely trying to eat healthy which is most dieters biggest mistake why don't you still try to incorporate your favorite foods in moderation? Most people who restrict their favorite 'bad foods' will either completely give up trying to lose weight/get healthier in the wrong run or have a massive binge.

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