Who here is eating 1200 calories after ...

MFP suggested 1200 for me, but I manually adjusted it to 1250. Not much, but those extra 50 cal just gave me some extra flexibility.

Plus exercise sure helps!

I don't eat all my exercise calories back, but if I walk for an hour, for example, which burns 200 cal, I might eat 100 cal of that, and all of a sudden I'm up to 1350 cal.

And on a Saturday, I might cycle 40 km which burns about 800 cal. I might eat about 400 cal of that ... 1250 + 400 = 1650.

My net average is 1228 for this past week, so I believe this applies to me.
For me, my hunger differs a lot, so I let myself bounce around the 800-1500 net cals per day range, and end up with an average of ~1200. My diary is open, so feel free to take a look!

Try to keep a structured meal schedule; find what works for you. Also, for me, being hungry really gets me excited about food, and I find I feel fuller and enjoy it more.

Something that everybody says, but I've found very true, is to fill up on veggies! I'm not saying fill up on raw, plain stuff; just try to incorporate them into your meals and snacks. For instance, I love sugar snap peas raw; I usually throw my meat/vegetable cooking on a bed of lettuce...

Also, make sure you're meeting the fiber and protein goals! High protein foods early in the day are essential for me to not gnaw my arm off before lunch.

I am also set to 1200 cals (51 years old, 5'9"). Because I am a very slow loser. My days usually come in closer to 1300 or even 1350, which is fine. I need to not be starving and if it takes a little longer but is more comfortable then it is worth it. For me the key is preparing my own food and eating lots (really lots) of veggies. I eat a big salad (really big, lots of different greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, grated carrots, 1 tsp olive oil, fresh lemon, salt) with 2 soft boiled eggs or steamed or canned fish for breakfast , or a big smoothie (water, many veggies, some frozen berries, 1/4 avocado, flax and chia seeds) these choices really keep me going until about 1pm. Lunch is a combination of lean protein and veggies (sometimes lentils and steamed veggies, sometimes a big salad with quinoa and beans or lentils, sometimes some chicken and some veg form). Dinner varies, but again, 3 cups of raw greens (spinach, arugula, mixed lettuces) with 1 tsp olive oil, fresh lemon, garlic, and some lean protein, another veggie variety (cauliflower, cabbage, beets, whatever I have) and depending on what I ate earlier in the day a serving of grain. I usually have some fruit for dessert or fruit in the blender with some flax or chia seeds, soy or almond milk (lower in calories than regular milk and doesn't gas up my stomach). Though I sometimes want to eat something else I can honestly say I feel really great eating this way. My energy levels are pretty even and my hunger comes on much more gradually then it did when I was eating more refined carbs and treats. For snack I have some almonds or other nuts, or some avocado on a rice cracker, or 1 or 2 oz of chicken breast wrapped in a lettuce leaf with tomatoes.

ManiacalLaugh wrote: »

I stick to 1200 only on sedentary days. If I work out I have to eat up to 1400 at least or I feel famished. (I'm 5'4)

This all kind of depends on your current height and weight, though. If you're of average height or above, 1200 might just not be enough for you.

Do you mean you eat 200 extra calories regardless of the amount of exercise you did? Say you burnt 300 or so.. Do you eat 1400 net calories on those days? or just total calories?

I ate at 1200 calories for 6 months. Sure I lost weight but it wasn't fun going to bed hungry at night and feeling deprived. At the advice of a successful MFP friend, I adjusted my daily intake to 1370. I'm so glad I did, though at first I thought she was crazy to suggest it. I lost another 12 pounds by eating more and moving more. When I didn't eat enough, I was tired and hungry most of the time. Take care of yourself and your body will respond positively.

susan_the_machine wrote: »

Get scanned with InBody and then do it again a month later. First of all, you learn how many calories to eat a day just breathing. It's higher than you think it is. Don't go below it.

I had been proud of myself for using 1200 net calories a day and sticking to it.

Today I learned that the 4 pounds I lost in 4 weeks was mostly lean body mass!!!! I feel shocked that my body is apparently in "starvation mode."

It is possible that I may lose weight a little faster by upping my calories to my BMR (basal metabolic rate) and add more calories on days when I exercise.

I thought a pound a week meant that I was doing well. Good balance of food types; proteins, carbs, and fat. But, I was wrong. I just wasn't eating enough!

I want to lose weight relatively quickly. It feels right to eat less. It is going to feel really weird to set and keep a higher calorie count.

But, I do believe the nutritionist when she tells me that my body needs enough food every day to allow it to burn fat.

1200 calories a day may be sabotaging your weight loss. I feel stunned.

Wow, that is so interesting! I just had my Base Metabolic rate checked (breathing method) and mine is 1354. The nutritionist at the hospital did recommend that I might be trying to keep my calories too low (1200, but usually come in closer to 1300). I didn't give it any regard since I am not losing all that quickly and my metabolism is notoriously slow to lose. But your story about measuring lean body mass 30 days apart makes me wonder. Maybe I should be eating 1350. Thanks for the info!

pandapotlovebug wrote:

I'm on day three and I haven't stayed under 1200.

1200 is the minimum a woman of average height should have in order to get the nutrition
she needs. If you're very short, or older, yes, you might need to be at 1200, or even below. But
for most people it's too aggressive of a goal.

.

I'm actually over today already.... and I I don't like to be hungry lol!

Find low-calorie high-volume foods (I like popcorn), or low-cal foods which are heavy, which
gives your stomach a feeling of fullness (veggies are good for this).

.

madeleadele wrote:

My net average is 1228 for this past week.

Yesterday you had almost 1400.
Same with Tuesday.
Monday you had 2000.
Sunday 1500.
Saturday 1650.
Friday 2030.
So you're consistently eating well over 1200 cal/day.
That's a very different animal from someone who's only eating 1200 absolute/real calories.
'Net' is worthless. Most people underestimate what they eat, and most machines (including MFP)
overestimate calories burned.
My dietician & doctor (weight specialist) told me just to eat at my calorie goal and treat exercise
as a bonus toward weight loss (but important for health). It's been working well for me.

.

i start at 1200 and try to add half my exercise calories back.

Trying to stick to 1200 also xx