1200 calories a day and I feel terrible!!! Advice????
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I would go closer to maintenance and lift weights, you probably want body recomp (toning up) anyway.1
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Yeah, go for the 1490, it's not a race. But also -
-realise some of the hunger may be temporary - so if you still feel a bit hungry on the higher calories, don't despair, you may adapt. I felt very hungry for the first week or two (I'm on 1500 net average) but then adapted. Hunger is partly a learned response.
-search these forums for tips on how to reduce hunger, there's lots of wisdom here, from ideas on meal spacing, timings, eating more veg, more protein, more whole grain - what keeps you satisfied will be individual to you, so read up on the forums and experiment. Personally I respond well to whole grains and spacing my meals so I have a smaller breakfast and lunch and a bigger dinner (plus the usual advice about protein and lots of veg). I do NOT respond well to "banning" treat foods, as it causes me cravings. You need to find out what works for you.
ETA I also seem to do well sticking to a lower allowance most days and then going over 2 or 3 days a week, so I have my allowance set to 1210 and aim for an average of 1500 over the week. A bit like 5:2 but less regimented and a less extreme difference between high and low days. I don't do regimented, and I don't do fasting, but this works for me.1 -
Medical studies have indicated that over 50% of people that are not properly hydrated ( ie are thirsty ) mis-identify it as hunger ... check and make sure you are getting proper hydration.
The reason changing your goal settings isn't having a big impact is because you are hitting the lower limit due to your size. MFP will never recommend < 1200 cal a day, which is standard medical recommendation w/o professional monitoring for an adult female.
Your stats are already within your ideal weight range of 98-132 lbs., so you shouldn't be attempting to be more aggressive than ~ 0.5 lb/week anyway, its just not healthy.
Don't use the values in the MFP database for calorie burns from exercise, they are wildly inaccurate. If you don't have an accurate way to track, then estimate the best you can using available resources ( such as http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-fitness-calorie-counter )
You could always start from a higher calorie count ( such as your maint cal calc ) and then reduce by 100-150 cals every couple weeks until you start to see the scale move. Then continue down until you get to the lowest point you think you can maintain ( always staying at or above 1200 net cals ).0 -
I tried the 1200 at the start. Felt like I was a rabbit and starving myself. No snacking only 3 meals a day was the only way I could meet it. The nutritionalist at the gym told me off. Too aggressive. She said she would start the big girls on 1400-1500 a day. And cause I only wanted to loose 10kg, that just cutting back to 1400 would do it with my exercise. So I did. But catch was, I was so use to 1200 and my stomach had shrunk, I slowly upped my calories by 50 per fortnight until I reached the 1400. Cause otherwise I was swolen and bloated after meals. Really uncomfortable. SO go slow and talk to someone in the know to make sure you are doing it safely.0
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Thank you everyone so much for the replies it gave me lots to think about!!! Im still trying to figure out what might be best for me and I totally agree that Ill attempt only .5 pounds a week at roughly 1400ish a day but I probably wont be TOO crazy. Im definitely trying to get into veggies more...I try them all different ways but just not a huge fan, when they are cooked inside a dish I dont mind that but plain veggies as a side is not my favorite thats for sure (I can do steamed carrots or some corn and thats usually what I have if I need a side of veggies).
I may try to focus more on strength and toning the areas I dont like and do a bit less cardio (Ive been running every day and its great and all but gets tedious doing the same things!) than what I have been.
Thanks again : )3 -
trinabot19 wrote: »Thank you everyone so much for the replies it gave me lots to think about!!! Im still trying to figure out what might be best for me and I totally agree that Ill attempt only .5 pounds a week at roughly 1400ish a day but I probably wont be TOO crazy. Im definitely trying to get into veggies more...I try them all different ways but just not a huge fan, when they are cooked inside a dish I dont mind that but plain veggies as a side is not my favorite thats for sure (I can do steamed carrots or some corn and thats usually what I have if I need a side of veggies).
I may try to focus more on strength and toning the areas I dont like and do a bit less cardio (Ive been running every day and its great and all but gets tedious doing the same things!) than what I have been.
Thanks again : )
I don't really like plain veggies either, especially steamed or boiled :sick: Stir fry's are a great way to get loads of veggies in, and they stay crisp. I also often get a heap of broccoli and cauliflower, spray them lightly with olive oil and sprinkle them with parmesan cheese, garlic, pepper and lemon juice and bake in the oven til crunchy, and dip in ranch sauce. I replace these with chips (waaaay less calories) when I'm watching tv and hubby is beside me crunching his way through a ginormous bag of chippies
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Coffee!!0
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lexylondon wrote: »Coffee!!
Or she could eat more satiating food at a higher calorie goal that is a more reasonable deficit for her size...
Don't get me wrong I love my coffee but using caffeine to stave off hunger doesn't seem like a very healthy approach...1 -
^^^ What she said, and also grilled veggies are YUMMY. Buy a grill basket from Target. Cut up zucchini, summer squash, peppers, red onion, mushrooms (whatever you like really). Toss with a little bit of salt, maybe a tablespoon of olive oil, a couple tablespoons of balsamic vinegrette, and oregano. Let that sit for a bit. Then throw it in the grill basket on the grill and stir every 15 minutes or so until the veggies are browned and DELICIOUS. I'm not a huge veggie eater either, but I love eating them like this
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OP for what it's worth, I started on MFP with a goal of losing 25 lbs from a starting weight of 150. I'm 5'2 and selected 1 lb/week, and got a calorie goal of 1200 also. I wasn't very active at that point, but I ate back the exercise cals I was given, usually 100-200 cals from walking. I was always hungry and so I was always over, but still losing. I started reading these boards about how 1200 really isn't necessary to lose for the majority of people, even petite women can lose weight eating more. So I manually changed my goal first to 1400, then 1500 and was still losing. I also worked on starting to exercise more and just be more active in general. Lost about 15 lbs in 6 months and then I got a FitBit. By that time I had worked up to averaging 10k steps a day and I got good advice that I wasn't sedentary, I was probably lightly active. So I changed my goal to 0.5 lb/week and my activity to lightly active which changed my goal to about 1650/day, still eating back exercise cals. I lost the last 10 to reach my original goal and still another 5 more. I lost a total of 30 lbs now and am now maintaining. I usually ate between 1600-1900 for losing and my TDEE is 2200 now, I average 15K steps a day and do some circuit weight training as well.
So it's definitely possible to eat more and lose. I highly recommend while you are off of school this summer to work on raising your activity level, that really is the key to being able to increase your maintenance calories above what the calculators would suggest.3 -
WinoGelato wrote: »lexylondon wrote: »Coffee!!
Or she could eat more satiating food at a higher calorie goal that is a more reasonable deficit for her size...
Don't get me wrong I love my coffee but using caffeine to stave off hunger doesn't seem like a very healthy approach...
A few cups of coffee a day have been proven to be good for your health. As long as the other meals are nutritious and your drinking water I think it can be healthy and helpful!
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trinabot19 wrote: »1200 calories is the bare minimum. How aggressive is your weightloss goal? If you only have 15lbs to lose and you're set to 2lbs/week, then no wonder you're hungry!
hi there! Well I think I have it set to 2 lbs a week, im being pretty aggressive haha. But when I change the settings for only .5 pounds a week MFP only suggests an extra 90 cal (so total 1290) : /
I Have it set to sedentary as I dont do a whole lot through out the day when Im not exercising..I usually am cleaning, playing with my animals, shopping or hanging out on the couch, it just depends on the day Id say im more between sedentary and lightly active, some days being more active some days not so I wasnt really sure on that one. I dont have school/job during the summer, I am in college fall-spring.
That's strange - it should be much, much more than an extra 90cals. Maybe try putting your goal & details in again and see if the bug fixes itself. I have mine set to sedentary and when I dropped my loss rate I got about 200 calories, but that was from 1lb to .5lb.
@KateTii That's because MFP sets a minimum calorie goal of 1,200 for women, regardless of height and weight. Unfortunately this is why some women say they're on 1,200 calories and not losing weight. Even if you put in that you're a 4 foot tall woman, weighing 80lbs aiming to lose 2 pounds a week, mfp would still give you 1,200.1 -
I feel you on the low calorie goals. I'm a guy just under 5'2", and if I eat the recommended MFP minimum for males, I actually gain weight every week. Speaking to my doctor led me to a calorie limit well below MFP's male minimum (heck, even below the female minimum) to lose weight, and not much more than that to maintain!
It does look funny when you enter a 2lb/wk loss, a 1.5lb/wk loss, a 1lb/wk loss and an 0.5lb/wk loss and you get the same value for each of them because you're already bottoming out the app's settings. I suggest talking to a doctor or dietitian/nutritionist (I think the former is a medical professional and the latter is a label anyone can use, so check the person's qualifications and be safe!) if you have access to such a service and want to get a personalized plan.
Go slow. If your diet makes you feel terrible, you won't stick to it (and if you can't eat any of the things you love, you won't anyway). Let yourself have the few extra calories, lose more slowly, and be proud of your progress over time without hating (or failing at) the process.0 -
WinoGelato wrote: »OP for what it's worth, I started on MFP with a goal of losing 25 lbs from a starting weight of 150. I'm 5'2 and selected 1 lb/week, and got a calorie goal of 1200 also. I wasn't very active at that point, but I ate back the exercise cals I was given, usually 100-200 cals from walking. I was always hungry and so I was always over, but still losing. I started reading these boards about how 1200 really isn't necessary to lose for the majority of people, even petite women can lose weight eating more. So I manually changed my goal first to 1400, then 1500 and was still losing. I also worked on starting to exercise more and just be more active in general. Lost about 15 lbs in 6 months and then I got a FitBit. By that time I had worked up to averaging 10k steps a day and I got good advice that I wasn't sedentary, I was probably lightly active. So I changed my goal to 0.5 lb/week and my activity to lightly active which changed my goal to about 1650/day, still eating back exercise cals. I lost the last 10 to reach my original goal and still another 5 more. I lost a total of 30 lbs now and am now maintaining. I usually ate between 1600-1900 for losing and my TDEE is 2200 now, I average 15K steps a day and do some circuit weight training as well.
So it's definitely possible to eat more and lose. I highly recommend while you are off of school this summer to work on raising your activity level, that really is the key to being able to increase your maintenance calories above what the calculators would suggest.
^^ this was practically the same thing I did. Being more active has so many advantages 0 -
lexylondon wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »lexylondon wrote: »Coffee!!
Or she could eat more satiating food at a higher calorie goal that is a more reasonable deficit for her size...
Don't get me wrong I love my coffee but using caffeine to stave off hunger doesn't seem like a very healthy approach...
A few cups of coffee a day have been proven to be good for your health. As long as the other meals are nutritious and your drinking water I think it can be healthy and helpful!
To replace food with coffee when you are hungry?0 -
Get a fitbit or use one of the under armour apps to estimate your calories out. Then eat some of them back. Also, healthy foods tend to be less calorie dense for more food while less healthy foods offer low volume at a higher calorie intake. If your eating the same way you were and just trying to eat smaller portions it won't work out so well. Buy measuring cups/spoons and try to be as accurate as you can with your tracker and switch to a healthier diet if yours isn't. I actually eat a higher volume of food now and eat more times a day (minutes spent eating is probably quadrupled) than I did when I was overweight and I've dropped 45 lbs or so in just 2 months. And I do not train intensely. I use an eliptical on average once a week, walk about 15 minutes a day (about a mile), or go for a hike for an hour or so. You can do it, you just haven't found your rhythm yet. We all find what works for us. Good luck. You have the support of many of us.0
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if your feeling faint and such that sound like it could be a touch of hypoglycemia? I know because Ive got it bad. you can have it without having diabetis. I hate it, I have to eat constantly like shrew, every 2-4 hours, or i get shakey and weak and disoriented, at times Ive passed out if Ive gone too long. fasting is out of the question. at times when I have to do a 6 hour fast for bloodwork I have to eat a ton of protein before I start and I still get realy sick from it. it makes cutting calories extremely difficult and what Im struggling with now and keep gaining weight.0
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It's very important not too eat too little. While 1200 calories is the minimum that an adult should be eating, definitely stay closer to your BMR (maintainence calories for your height/weight), maybe dropping 100-200 kcal/day, and increasing your exercise. If you eat too little calories, your body will think it's starving and there's no food and you might actually put on some weight to conserve energy.
Your body thinks of food as energy and fat tissue as stored energy. If there isn't enough new energy coming in, it's going to hold onto fat which stores more calories and burn up muscle.
Balanced meals and snacks (containing fat, carbs, and protein) as well as getting your recommended amount of fiber (25g/day for adult women) and properly hydrating (you do not want to be dehydrated when increasing your fiber...you will have some rough times) will all help you feel fuller and energized.
Most importantly- think of the way your eating as a lifestyle choice. Diets don't work because as soon as you stop, the weight goes back on. Eating healthy should be a way of living (obviously with occasional splurges, because birthday cake and wine). It's not how well you do each day but the average of those days that matters. Weight isn't out on my having 1 day of not eating well- it's the accumulation of excess calories over time.
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CandiceGuinan wrote: »It's very important not too eat too little. While 1200 calories is the minimum that an adult should be eating, definitely stay closer to your BMR (maintainence calories for your height/weight), maybe dropping 100-200 kcal/day, and increasing your exercise. If you eat too little calories, your body will think it's starving and there's no food and you might actually put on some weight to conserve energy.
Your body thinks of food as energy and fat tissue as stored energy. If there isn't enough new energy coming in, it's going to hold onto fat which stores more calories and burn up muscle.
Balanced meals and snacks (containing fat, carbs, and protein) as well as getting your recommended amount of fiber (25g/day for adult women) and properly hydrating (you do not want to be dehydrated when increasing your fiber...you will have some rough times) will all help you feel fuller and energized.
Most importantly- think of the way your eating as a lifestyle choice. Diets don't work because as soon as you stop, the weight goes back on. Eating healthy should be a way of living (obviously with occasional splurges, because birthday cake and wine). It's not how well you do each day but the average of those days that matters. Weight isn't out on my having 1 day of not eating well- it's the accumulation of excess calories over time.
That is not starvation mode. Eating less than maintenance level calories will never cause you to gain weight.1 -
WinoGelato wrote: »lexylondon wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »lexylondon wrote: »Coffee!!
Or she could eat more satiating food at a higher calorie goal that is a more reasonable deficit for her size...
Don't get me wrong I love my coffee but using caffeine to stave off hunger doesn't seem like a very healthy approach...
A few cups of coffee a day have been proven to be good for your health. As long as the other meals are nutritious and your drinking water I think it can be healthy and helpful!
To replace food with coffee when you are hungry?
When you want to OVER eat. Can't see it as a terrible thing, as I said, as long as your getting your protein, essential fats, antioxidants and so forth in your other meals...0
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