Help on 1200 cals a day
Replies
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Also when you first start you're all pumped up and ready to get it done!! Then reality hits!
This is going to take time and work. And that feeling sucks.
So just keep going and ignore your "feelings"!
Become a calorie counting machine and count everything and count ACCURATELY.
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I'd say once a month is best.. You can do weekly your weight does fluctuate though.0
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avilancaster871 wrote: »How often is best to weight urself ?
I weigh myself every day. It's helpful for a few reasons. Seeing the daily fluctuations will help you see your own body's trends and give less power to the number you're seeing. It's not scary to see that you've "gained" three pounds from yesterday when you know from experience that it's just time of the month and will go away.0 -
Also, if you're only weighing once a week or month or whatever, you're less likely to be seeing accurate data. The trends are more helpful than the individual numbers.0
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avilancaster871 wrote: »How often is best to weight urself ?
Entirely up to you, different people prefer different things.
Personally I weigh daily and log it in a spreadsheet. I do this so that I can know when I'm fluctuating - if you weigh weekly and happen to be fluctuating on the day that you weighed, then you won't know if you've lost weight or not. But when you weigh daily you know. It would drive me mad to weigh any less than that.0 -
avilancaster871 wrote: »How often is best to weight urself ?
As often as you can stand. Same place, same time, same scale. Keep in mind: higher sodium day, sore muscles, time of month are all fluctuations that mess with the number on the scale. If you don't mind the ups & downs, then weigh everyday. You are looking for a downward trend.
As far as not eating calories back....there are 2 schools of thought. Eat as little as possible lose "weight" quickly. Eat as much as possible and lose mostly fat.
I'm in the lose mostly fat camp. Really large deficits (MFP gave you the largest possible deficit before exercise)...makes it hard for your body to support existing lean muscle mass.0 -
I weigh myself every day, but that is because the fluctuations don't bother me-I don't freak out if I see a gain of a pound or two. This morning I saw a gain of 3lbs, and I'm not freaking out about it.
If it bothers you, weigh once a week. But I would also second taking your measurements, as whilst the number on the scale isn't doing much for me, clothes that didn't used to fit are now fitting so I know despite that number I am doing something right!0 -
ljparsons08 wrote: »Why would you not lose the most during your first week? That should be the biggest difference. I'm allowed to be frustrated if I want. It makes no sense that I wouldn't lose anything. Yes I have been measuring food and counting every bite. Even some exercise twice this week. Zumba and jogging.
I would love to know if I don't understand something about weight loss? Why would I not have even lost a pound? I don't want anything huge just something.
It makes total sense you wouldn't see much progress in the first week.
Firstly, you'll start retaining water when you start exercising.
Secondly, it's your first week, and you're still figuring out portion sizes and caloric burns. For example: How far did you jog for? Did you know, 2 miles is only about 200 calories burned? That's less than a snickers bar. Zumba? 30 minutes? You burned (maybe) 150 calories over that 30 minutes.
Thirdly, weight loss isn't linear. Some weeks, it'll look like you gain, and some you'll see dramatic drops.
It's not a sprint: It's a marathon.0 -
NoIdea101NoIdea wrote: »I weigh myself every day, but that is because the fluctuations don't bother me-I don't freak out if I see a gain of a pound or two. This morning I saw a gain of 3lbs, and I'm not freaking out about it.
If it bothers you, weigh once a week. But I would also second taking your measurements, as whilst the number on the scale isn't doing much for me, clothes that didn't used to fit are now fitting so I know despite that number I am doing something right!
Where do u measure? Just stomach or do u do everywhere? X0 -
ljparsons08 wrote: »I've been eating the recommended 1260 calories per day and I'm not losing...anything. It's been like a week. This is ridiculous.
There are several things that can cause this. Two of the most common ones are not accurately measuring out your portions and using inaccurate entries in the database. You should be weighing all solids. Read the "Most helpful" announcements on this board and the Getting Started board, use a food scale, and give it a few weeks.0 -
avilancaster871 wrote: »NoIdea101NoIdea wrote: »I weigh myself every day, but that is because the fluctuations don't bother me-I don't freak out if I see a gain of a pound or two. This morning I saw a gain of 3lbs, and I'm not freaking out about it.
If it bothers you, weigh once a week. But I would also second taking your measurements, as whilst the number on the scale isn't doing much for me, clothes that didn't used to fit are now fitting so I know despite that number I am doing something right!
Where do u measure? Just stomach or do u do everywhere? X
I do my thighs, hips, waist, arms and under my bust, all at their 'biggest' points (I'm quite lucky in the sense that I have quite a few tattoos in those areas so can use those as a guide to make sure I am always measuring in the same place).
I've noticed the most loss from my underbust, followed my thighs, then arms, then waist then hips, but everyone's body is different so you may notice reduction more in different places. But please don't give up! If this was easy, everyone would be slim and healthy!0 -
I did my workings out on that scooby link that people have said to use... This app tells me to eat 1200 a day where as that scooby link tells me to eat 1500 a day to loose 20% fat going of my bmi ect? What should I go with?0
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avilancaster871 wrote: »I did my workings out on that scooby link that people have said to use... This app tells me to eat 1200 a day where as that scooby link tells me to eat 1500 a day to loose 20% fat going of my bmi ect? What should I go with?
A 20% cut is more conservative than your MFP setting. So you can eat 1500/day and lose a little less, or eat 1200/day and lose a little more.
You're really getting hung up on the numbers here and I think it's important to remember that this is an estimate. It is not going to be an exact science. You can get pretty close if you've judged your activity level accurately and weigh and measure all your food very carefully, but regardless, the most important thing here is that you eat fewer calories than you burn. If you can thrive on 1200, great, but if you're having trouble with energy or whatever you can add another couple hundred and understand that you will lose a little slower (but remain more energetic and happier.) At this stage, the important thing is to pick a goal and stick to it (and learn to do it as accurately as possible), don't worry so much about which goal is "better" until you see how you're feeling (and losing.) If you choose 1500 and you're not happy with your rate of loss, then cut a couple hundred a day. Know what I mean?
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avilancaster871 wrote: »I did my workings out on that scooby link that people have said to use... This app tells me to eat 1200 a day where as that scooby link tells me to eat 1500 a day to loose 20% fat going of my bmi ect? What should I go with?
A 20% cut is more conservative than your MFP setting. So you can eat 1500/day and lose a little less, or eat 1200/day and lose a little more.
You're really getting hung up on the numbers here and I think it's important to remember that this is an estimate. It is not going to be an exact science. You can get pretty close if you've judged your activity level accurately and weigh and measure all your food very carefully, but regardless, the most important thing here is that you eat fewer calories than you burn. If you can thrive on 1200, great, but if you're having trouble with energy or whatever you can add another couple hundred and understand that you will lose a little slower (but remain more energetic and happier.) At this stage, the important thing is to pick a goal and stick to it (and learn to do it as accurately as possible), don't worry so much about which goal is "better" until you see how you're feeling (and losing.) If you choose 1500 and you're not happy with your rate of loss, then cut a couple hundred a day. Know what I mean?
Ok thank you these past few days I have been fine on the 1200 calories struggled a little yesterday but didn't do a workout so... After doing a workout today and after my meals and allowing for a snack tonigh if wanted il still have 500 calories left including my workout calories added back... So think I will stick to this method
im not feeling tired so should be ok thank u x 0 -
Here's my two cents. IF you choose to eat at 1200 a day, make sure to log your workouts and eat every last calorie back. That way you won't be deprived. 1200 is low, and sets people up for failure because it's so tough to eat at that large of a deficit. Anyway, congrats on starting this site. It's been great for me.0
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Here's my two cents. IF you choose to eat at 1200 a day, make sure to log your workouts and eat every last calorie back. That way you won't be deprived. 1200 is low, and sets people up for failure because it's so tough to eat at that large of a deficit. Anyway, congrats on starting this site. It's been great for me.
I found once starting this app I don't eat enough as i was eating a lot less the 1200 on a average day? But I will try to eat all my calories back even my work out ones as long as that doesn't stop me from loosing? Lol and thank u0 -
avilancaster871 wrote: »Here's my two cents. IF you choose to eat at 1200 a day, make sure to log your workouts and eat every last calorie back. That way you won't be deprived. 1200 is low, and sets people up for failure because it's so tough to eat at that large of a deficit. Anyway, congrats on starting this site. It's been great for me.
I found once starting this app I don't eat enough as i was eating a lot less the 1200 on a average day? But I will try to eat all my calories back even my work out ones as long as that doesn't stop me from loosing? Lol and thank u
OP, if you aren't already, weigh your food on a digital food scale as often as possible, eat all the calories MFP gives you, and eat back at least half of your exercise calories. Do this consistently for 4 - 6 weeks and see what happens. If you are losing too fast or too slow, adjust it at that point.
If you aren't weighing your food, you are probably eating more than you think, that's what happens to most of us when we are first starting out here.
Be patient, and hang in there! Good luck :drinker:0 -
avilancaster871 wrote: »Here's my two cents. IF you choose to eat at 1200 a day, make sure to log your workouts and eat every last calorie back. That way you won't be deprived. 1200 is low, and sets people up for failure because it's so tough to eat at that large of a deficit. Anyway, congrats on starting this site. It's been great for me.
I found once starting this app I don't eat enough as i was eating a lot less the 1200 on a average day? But I will try to eat all my calories back even my work out ones as long as that doesn't stop me from loosing? Lol and thank u
OP, if you aren't already, weigh your food on a digital food scale as often as possible, eat all the calories MFP gives you, and eat back at least half of your exercise calories. Do this consistently for 4 - 6 weeks and see what happens. If you are losing too fast or too slow, adjust it at that point.
If you aren't weighing your food, you are probably eating more than you think, that's what happens to most of us when we are first starting out here.
Be patient, and hang in there! Good luck :drinker:
Since downloading this app I am weighing all my food and logging my exersize will soon see what happens anyway lol x 0
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