1200 calories a day and I feel terrible!!! Advice????
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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 -
lexylondon wrote: »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...
I sometimes drink tea in the afternoon when I get the munchies, the caffeine helps stave off the hunger till dinner. There is nothing "unhealthy" about that as long ad you are still eating a reasonable amount.of total calories. I don't think anyone is suggesting people starve themselves and drink nothing but coffee all day.0 -
lexylondon wrote: »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...
But she obviously isn't getting what she needs from her other meals, she said she is hungry and feels terrible.
The OP had too aggressive of a deficit set (2 lbs/week) for her goal of losing 15 lbs. She isn't over eating, she's under eating. Instead of advising her to set a more reasonable goal, to find more nutrient dense foods or play with her macros to find foods that would be satiating to her, you are suggesting she just drink coffee, a stimulant, when she feels hungry.1 -
People who don't eat much vegetables are always going to struggle to keep to 1200 calories, which is so low to begin with - definitely look at adjusting to a slower weight loss rate, at least in the short term. My diet is heavily fruit/veg based, and is pretty much the only way I can keep eating the 'nice' things, without overloading on calories. If it's a taste thing (as it is with most people, rather than texture), start with sweeter vegetables - red/yellow bell peppers, carrots, tomatoes, butternut squash, sweet potato, beetroot, fresh peas. You can also go for the blander green stuff - celery, lettuce (most salad leaves are mild), cucumber etc - and then move onto the stronger tastes of things like spinach, kale, chicory, broccoli etc. Slowly expand your palate, and try something new every week. I've always loved vegetables but, as a kid, used to hate cauliflower. Now I love it because I kept experimenting with ways to serve it.
As for your exercising not giving you numbers you want to see, perhaps look at some different kinds of exercise, and finding a couple that are high-cal burners. My go-to for 'bang for my cardio buck' is spinning, which can easily burn over 500 calories per hour. Swimming is also brilliant for that! But, sometimes, it's not about cardio numbers, and a good strength training session, whilst not appearing to deliver the big numbers on your calorie deficit, can often produce fantastic results on the scale.1 -
Buying a grill basket too! lol, why did I never think of that? Good way to get tasty veg made.0
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Try 13000
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OMG...if the only vegetables I ate were canned green beans and steamed carrots, I'd hate vegetables, too. Canned green beans should be banned, IMHO.I just dont understand!!! I try to eat more vegetables too because I know they are low cal and healthy but I honestly just hate vegetables..I can eat canned green beans or steamed carrots but I dont really want to eat them every day of my life lol?
Ive only been really working at this for a couple weeks so will it get easier as my body gets used to this? I feel so stressed out about food now its ridiculous..I get so anxoius to see results and I havent lost anything so far...Ugh not sure what Im doing wrong!
Any advice would be great!
People usually hate vegetables because they were introduced to poorly prepared vegetables in the first place. Many vegetables are delicious raw, such as summer squash, celery, cucumbers, bell peppers and tomatoes. They have carried me through many a mid-afternoon slump. Potatoes boiled or baked without a lot of fat are relatively low calorie. The bioavailability of nutrients in many vegetables are increased when you add fat, such as olive oil. I prepared a tray of roasted summer squash and onions the other day with just enough olive oil to coat, balsamic glaze, and other seasonings. It's one of my favorite ways to prepare vegetables.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a total omnivore, and I've lost weight without cutting out any major food groups, and once I reach goal, all I have to do is add a few more calories. There will be no huge change in my eating habits.
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I agree with most people here! I changed my goal to 1500 from 1200 because with only 1200, I am starving! And then more likely to overeat or ditch the diet Bc I am starving all the time. Even though I've increased my caloric intake to 1500, I am still losing about 1.5-2 pounds a week. Good luck with whatever you choose!0
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Increase your calories. If that means moving your body more to accommodate, do that too...1200 is really low for most people, doable, but low (and obviously torturous!) Why punish yourself if you don't have to? Ooo...and one more thing. I just took another look at your post, if you were my daughter, I'd sit you down and let you know I think you don't need to lose any weight at all. You're beautiful, and your body looks nice and healthy. There's a chance you could lose that healthy look if you lost too much, j/s....now, if you're anything like my daughter, you'll tell me to get a life, you're gonna do whatever you want anyways...lol You have that right too! xo0
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I've had my best success eating as MANY cals as I can while still losing. And as many others have said, 1200 is probably too low for you. For me, I can eat 1800-2000 cals a day, and as long as I'm active, I lose. And I'm a 48 year old, 5'8" woman who works out 5-6 days a week (most of the time) - I lost 25lbs about 3-4 years ago and have kept it off.1
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Roasted veg is good. And crunchy raw veg. There's no law that says you have to eat plain steamed veg. Adding it to other dishes to make them go further is a good move, too - add extra carrots and peas to mince or chilli, for example, or replace part of a pasta portion with veg, stir it through rice - you get the idea.0
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I'm doing 1200 calories a day, and at first it was super hard and I went over almost every day, but it's gotten easier as I've learned more and gotten used to it. For me, I skip breakfast because I find I don't need it and it's just wasting my calories. The whole "your body will go into starvation mode if you don't eat breakfast" seems to be mostly bs to me. For lunch I eat about 300-350 calories usually with a sandwich (either peanut butter or deli meat, a slice of cheese, and lettuce on a whole grain bun) and 1 serving of low-cal chips. Drink LOTS of water. It keeps you full longer and helps satisfy the satiety sensors in your brain. If I do snack, I eat some beef jerky (lots of protein and pretty low-cal), a few almonds, or a square of dark chocolate. For dinner, I eat chicken in some form or other almost every night. Lean protein keeps you feeling full way longer and satisfies you way more than stuff like pasta or salads I've found. I can eat so much less meat and feel much more satisfied than if I ate pasta (which then has the added effect of making me feel bloated afterwards). But I do love my pasta, so I've started making zucchini noodles instead to satisfy those cravings. As for the veggies, I've never liked them either. But I've found for me that my hatred of vegetables has stemmed from a thing I have with textures. Most steamed or cooked veggies have a squishy, bland texture and taste, which I hated. So instead, I sauté stuff like green beans with a little olive oil and salt. They're so much better because they keep some of that crunch. And this can be applied to all sorts of veggies. So try cooking a different way maybe, and that might help.0
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Your goal is way too aggressive for someone as small as you are, and with so little to lose.
As a smaller person, your TDEE is already quite small to begin with. 1200 calories/day is the lowest MFP will allow you to go - the reality is that to achieve the deficit necessary to actually lose 2lbs/week at your size, you would need to dip very, very, very dangerously low. I don't suggest you do that. You will still likely lose weight at 1200 cal/day, but it's probably not the 2lbs/week you're hoping for.
Change your goal to 0.5lbs/week and nom accordingly. This equates to about 2lbs/month, so about 7 months. It's slow... but the time is gonna go by whether or not you chose to lose weight. Focus on strength training, if you like, but please do not rush the process.0
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