Eating 1200 calories is making me gain weight not lose

If you are not eating enough, your body is telling you basically that, fine, if you're not giving me enough fuel, I'll go into starvation mode and store everything you give me as fat. Also, you should NEVER eat less than 1200 calories!

What is your current BMI? Your post reads like that of someone who has hit a normal body weight and is trying to lose more weight to become extra thin. Your body will be resistant to shed those pounds because some fat is necessary for optimal function.

I'd pick up a cheap food scale & start weighing your food if you're not doing that already. It's difficult to accurately estimate calories without weighing the food.

I have a good friend who told me she was on a diet eating only 1000 calories per day. I was getting pretty concerned about her because she had some psych issues and I was worried they'd spiraled into anorexia. Well, we went out to a Chinese restaurant for dinner & she ate a large bowl of steak, broccoli, and rice. It was a healthy dish, but wayyy more than 1000 calories & she'd already eaten several other small meals that day! Turns out, she was just really bad at estimating calories, haha. She did lose weight, but it was in a much healthier manner than I thought when she mentioned the 1000 calories goal.

What's your height, weight, and rough body fat %? You're either not eating enough, or you're eating more than you think. Use THIS calculator to help calculate what you what your caloric and macro-nutrient goals should be.

If you are 100% sure you are eating 1200 (measuring, weighing, tracking every last bite) then I suggest going to your doctor and talking to them. You really shouldn't be on that low of a diet unless you are under doctor supervision, for some reason or another. Medication can also big role, if you are on anything. Another thing is making sure you have a balance diet, I know I might get crap for this but for me if I eat too many carbs and not enough protein I WONT lose weight even when I'm hitting my calorie goal. I suggest looking at your portions and figuring out what the best range for those are. I use to not pay mind to my macros and just eat within my calorie range. Big mistake, my body wasn't happy about it and my carb intake was way too high and protein was way too low. Every body reacts differently so you have to figure out what works for you, just don't do extremely low calories.. it's not healthy.

what are your stats? Height, current weight? Are you using a food scale?

Could be sodium or a period coming that is causing water retention. Have you popped in the last few days? If you haven't, that can account for some, too.

If you aren't weighing and measuring, you may be eating more than you think.

Don't forget about whooshes, either. Some people lose nothing, then nothing and nothing and then lose like four pounds in a week. The Nothing's suck, but the whooshes are great!

You could also have a medical issue. If you haven't had your weight loss journey overseen by a doctor, make an appointment. For the longest time, nobody believed me about what I was eating - not even my lazy doctor or the dopey dietician. Then I got diagnosed, treated and started losing weight...and everyone believed me.

If you KNOW you're doing everything right, keep trying new doctors until you find one who believes you and treats you.

Good luck!

First, open your diary, second starvation mode doesn't exist. Are you weighing and measuring everything you eat?

ILiftHeavyAcrylics wrote: »

renovagirl wrote: »

I need to eat under 1200 calories to lose weight based on my height, activity level, age and weight.

I have found this calculator to be fairly accurate in determining how many calories I need to eat to lose and maintain.

http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html?ctype=standard&cage=20&csex=f&cheightfeet=5&cheightinch=6&cpound=0&cheightmeter=180&ckg=60&cactivity=1.2&printit=0&x=61&y=4

1200 is a guideline, not an absolute

You have your weight entered as 0 pounds, and that's why it's telling you that. How much do you weigh?

Bad calculator with no option for thinner people to take it slower than a pound per week. I am 5'3, 130lbs. Had me at 1080.

Skylarfit181 wrote: »

If you are not eating enough, your body is telling you basically that, fine, if you're not giving me enough fuel, I'll go into starvation mode and store everything you give me as fat. Also, you should NEVER eat less than 1200 calories!

Are extremely underweight people just bags of bones and fat?

21million wrote: »

ILiftHeavyAcrylics wrote: »

renovagirl wrote: »

I need to eat under 1200 calories to lose weight based on my height, activity level, age and weight.

I have found this calculator to be fairly accurate in determining how many calories I need to eat to lose and maintain.

http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html?ctype=standard&cage=20&csex=f&cheightfeet=5&cheightinch=6&cpound=0&cheightmeter=180&ckg=60&cactivity=1.2&printit=0&x=61&y=4

1200 is a guideline, not an absolute

You have your weight entered as 0 pounds, and that's why it's telling you that. How much do you weigh?

Bad calculator with no option for thinner people to take it slower than a pound per week. I am 5'3, 130lbs. Had me at 1080.

Skylarfit181 wrote: »

If you are not eating enough, your body is telling you basically that, fine, if you're not giving me enough fuel, I'll go into starvation mode and store everything you give me as fat. Also, you should NEVER eat less than 1200 calories!

Are extremely underweight people just bags of bones and fat?

Whatever. Now I remember why I stay away from this site.

I know what my stats are and I know how accurate it is for me.

Good luck to you

Skylarfit181 wrote: »

If you are not eating enough, your body is telling you basically that, fine, if you're not giving me enough fuel, I'll go into starvation mode and store everything you give me as fat. Also, you should NEVER eat less than 1200 calories!

No. This is a myth, except I agree that 1200 calories is too low for most people in order to properly fuel your body.

Ammonium, if you were truly eating 1200 calories you would be losing weight, unless you have some medical issue that needs attention. Chances are you are underestimating calories in and, if you exercise and eat your calories back, overestimating calories burned. The MFP data base is notoriously inaccurate as to both.

renovagirl wrote: »

ILiftHeavyAcrylics wrote: »

renovagirl wrote: »

I need to eat under 1200 calories to lose weight based on my height, activity level, age and weight.

I have found this calculator to be fairly accurate in determining how many calories I need to eat to lose and maintain.

http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html?ctype=standard&cage=20&csex=f&cheightfeet=5&cheightinch=6&cpound=0&cheightmeter=180&ckg=60&cactivity=1.2&printit=0&x=61&y=4

1200 is a guideline, not an absolute

You have your weight entered as 0 pounds, and that's why it's telling you that. How much do you weigh?

Those are not my specific stats. I copied the link as an example

Each person needs to enter THEIR OWN INFORMATION

Hi OP. I'm 3lbs lighter than you and 1 inch taller than you. Not sure your age, but I'm 24. I would recommend using the Scooby calculator, as this one looks like it doesn't factor in eating back exercise calories..or healthy intake at all.

Mine told me to eat 800 calories a day to lose 2lbs a week. That will happen...via water weight and losing lean muscle weight over time.

The Scooby calculator is much more accurate and also factors in your exercise so you can have a safe and accurate number to go by.

renovagirl wrote: »

ILiftHeavyAcrylics wrote: »

renovagirl wrote: »

I need to eat under 1200 calories to lose weight based on my height, activity level, age and weight.

I have found this calculator to be fairly accurate in determining how many calories I need to eat to lose and maintain.

http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html?ctype=standard&cage=20&csex=f&cheightfeet=5&cheightinch=6&cpound=0&cheightmeter=180&ckg=60&cactivity=1.2&printit=0&x=61&y=4

1200 is a guideline, not an absolute

You have your weight entered as 0 pounds, and that's why it's telling you that. How much do you weigh?

Those are not my specific stats. I copied the link as an example

Each person needs to enter THEIR OWN INFORMATION

Well, it seems pretty inaccurate for my stats. And no, you're not going to find support here for telling people to eat so low. It's against the Community Guidelines to do so.

Yes let's all go doctor shopping until we find one that diagnoses us with the disease we want.

I got slow thyroids

SLLRunner wrote: »

xmarliessss wrote: »

You're eating way too little. You should at least get in 1500 cals for your body to function properly. You won't lose any fat on 1200 calories because your metabolism will slow down and your body will burn calories as slowly as possible to conserve its energy stores. Eat some more and you'll probably lose more weight:)

No. Just no.

Yes I know, you'll lose weight anyway when contuining eating 1200 cals. But that will take unnecessary time and it's not healthy for your body at all. Think about hair loss, feeling cold all the time etc.. But that's just my opinion!