Something I can't get my head round.

I'm am one that struggles to stay under 1620 so I can't imagine me not being able to eat 1200. I can see how it could be done but where's the joy? for me that would be a very strict diet and not sustainable. If I had a deadline I could do it but not long term.

I struggle some days to reach 1200 calories but I go to the gym everyday and burn off at least 500, so in total I'm supposed to eat 1700 and that's difficult.

For some, there is also this want to prove weight gain wasn't their fault, but due to outside forces. This becomes a forum to show how little they do eat, usually followed by the "I can't loose weight" threads. They will log for show, with horrible inaccuracies, and "these calories don't count" snacks. ( I've had several room mates like this)

That being said, I personally did eat under 1200 yesterday - because I was full all day from the 8+ cups of popcorn I'd eaten the night before. I'm too old to snack like that before bed.

estirling86 wrote: »

I just don't get how people get fat and then on here say 'I'm so full and can't reach 1200'. I have a few very overweight friends at work. They all swear that their diets are amazing ect ect. I don't buy it.

Personally I'm just looking to lose a few pounds- the main reason for gaining those few extra pounds is that hwen my Mum died I stopped cooking and just ate frozen pizza or chocolate for dinner. Eating that way made me feel gross in the end - so I'm back to home cooking now which fills me up more. Of course if I went back to eating a whole frozen pizza by myelf and feeling over-stuffed-I'd gain the weight back, but I doubt I'd do that again

I wonder how these people who can't eat 1200 calories a day...ended up being overweight. Does. Not. Compute. Unless their regular TDEE is like, 800.

wizzybeth wrote: »

I wonder how these people who can't eat 1200 calories a day...ended up being overweight. Does. Not. Compute. Unless their regular TDEE is like, 800.

I started at 220 and and my eating habits were pretty disgusting. I was also totally inactive. I ate frequently and high calorie items. I also gained 40lbs in college when I was depressed. I didn't care and would eat half gallons of ice cream in one sitting, or those huge candy bars (and not the king size ones, the massive ones) in one sitting.

I slowly was able to turn it around and over four years kind of taught myself moderation and cut out eating so many high cal foods so often. When I joined here I had hit a plateau and was starting to gain, so I was just determined to drop the weight. Though I found the forums too late. I'm sure I would have been advised to have a less aggressive calorie goal.

Now I just have a huge fear that'll it all come roaring back on me if I step a toe out of line. I'm working on that, though. I can have a good time, eat some Chinese and not wake up in my old body. Lol.

It's weird. I was at 1,200 calories and lost eighteen pounds. I'm sedentary, btw.

Some days I just wasn't hungry. MFP would "yell" at me to eat more but I just wasn't interested in eating over 1,000. Not hungry!

Other days? Forget it. Half a pizza and eight beers? Wheeeee!

I guess it all balanced out somehow.

What is this " full" and how do i get it?? lol. I cant understand how these 1200 calorie people think either. Hungry or not hungry i fuel my body. I eat between 1600-2000 calories a day and yes you can get full quickly on junk or processed foods. I cant wrap my head around someone that is working out or doing any form of fitness and cant get in 1200 or more. Their body will crash eventually and stop producing the results they are looking for.

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

RIGHT! I get the whole eating healthier and having less calories in those food choices, but really! How often do you see someone that's been at this, say 3+ months saying that? It's usually someone newer trying to say "Oh look at me, I can't eat my calories". How the heck did you come to need to lose 50 pounds then?
I'm sorry but mouth meet peanut butter here!

The newer people are the ones who do struggle with it. It takes time to adjust to eating differently. Once they get the hang of things, they can come closer to meeting the calorie goal. As for just shoving some extra peanut butter in your mouth, that's certainly an option. However, people slowly learn how to distribute calories throughout the day.

LiveLoveLift67 wrote: »

What is this " full" and how do i get it?? lol. I cant understand how these 1200 calorie people think either. Hungry or not hungry i fuel my body. I eat between 1600-2000 calories a day and yes you can get full quickly on junk or processed foods. I cant wrap my head around someone that is working out or doing any form of fitness and cant get in 1200 or more. Their body will crash eventually and stop producing the results they are looking for.

There are many people, like me, who have physical problems and can't burn off much through exercise. I do what I can but the exercise that I do isn't enough to stimulate extra appetite.

My goal is set at about 1600. Some days I meet it and some days I don't. When I started, I struggled to hit 1200 some days but I'm learning how to budget my calories and I'm coming closer to my goal most days.

If I stopped logging and started drinking a lot of Pepsi again, I'd go right back to gaining weight. Just because I have days where I can't hit 1200 doesn't mean that I won't go overboard if I stop MFP.

Hunger is also affected by hormones. Restricting calories can affect these.
Many anorexics report not feeling hungry. I do believe that a lot of people who start off dieting with a large deficit may not experience hunger at first. That is also why a lot of people do really well with strict diets for a short time, then end up cracking and overeating.
This is also why I have a problem with the whole "I'm not hungry so I must be eating enough" line of thinking. That isn't always the case. Hunger is not always a reliable indicator.

PostExamsHealthBinge wrote: »

I used to get by on 1200 calories a week (before you all freak I don't anymore), and it honestly isn't that hard. There's a mental barrier you pass through determination/hard work and you can just no longer see food as a need anymore but a treat. So it's as if there isn't any food, the same feeling you get when you are sat on a train with no access to food except you could be in a restaurant and still not comprehend there being food. It's just decoration and no something you actually consume (the same could apply to certain foods for example crisps or chocolate) Also your stomach shrinks which does help quite a lot.

There are people who can get to the point of seeing food as fuel and that is it. I never could.
I dieted for a bodybuilding show and followed a very strict diet. It never got to the point where it wasn't hard. I definitely broke through that mental barrier and was able to keep going. I mean, not every day was really hard, some days were easier than others but I enjoy food. I was successful short term, but I could never do that long term. And for it to work after you reach goal, it is going to have to be a mentality that you keep. I like to go out for a good meal. I like making meals, trying new recipes and new food. I don't want to give that up.

I'm one of those people. When I started out last year the first couple weeks it was hard for me to not go over my goal. But then for a couple weeks, I just wasn't hungry at all. I literally had to force myself to eat. At that time I believe my goal was around 1500, and I would end up only getting in around 1200. Thankfully that phase didn't last long and my brain, stomach, and hormones all got on the same page. After a couple months of not really tracking, I have restarted my weightloss, and a week in I wasn't hungry most days. Just one of those things that some people go through, and others don't understand

It's very simple actually! My goal is .5 per week and MFP cal is 1240 before I would eat fast food sometimes 2 X a day. I actually feel like I eat more now. Last night I had 6 oz steak, sweet potato and salad was still within my calorie goal. I actually figured it out once my old way by lunch I had reach 1400 calories. It's about choices in moderation. I have chocolate heck last week I had an Arby sand and salad. So it can be done and be satisfying. I have lost 31# in 5 months.

The other day, I messed around with breakfast and lunch such that I had only almost all protein left for dinner. I ate more pork loin than I had in more than a year. It was a lot of pork and I wasn't sure if I could finish it. Granted, I'm eating more than 1200 but I can see how someone might have trouble eating 1200 calories of chicken breast and broccoli.