How many calories did you start out with?

dawnaaragon
dawnaaragon Posts: 4 Member
in Success Stories
The calculator says I should have 1200 calories a day to lose two pounds a week but I'm starving at 1200. Where did you all start out at or what helped you?

Replies

  • PhiliswaM
    PhiliswaM Posts: 16 Member
    I am at 1200 calories a day as well. I eat a lot of vegetables ( I mean a lot). I have learned to use my calories wisely by not taking things like creamed coffee, soft drinks, candy etc. I am still new around here my self, but I have lot about 3 kg in 6 weeks roughly.
  • ajaysharma316
    ajaysharma316 Posts: 104 Member
    I started out with 1200-1300 calories. Now with my gym routine I get to eat till 1800 calroies. just plan you day in advance and eat clean healthy stuff...
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    How much weight are you trying to lose? 2 lbs/week may be too aggressive of a goal for you, and 1200 may not be sustainable. I started at 1200 but always NET calories (eating back exercise cals) and found that far too restrictive for me. I read the good advice on these forums that most people can lose weight eating more than 1200 and that Slow, steady weight loss may help ensure long term success and reduce failure rates.

    I lost the majority of my weight eating 1600-1800 cals and am currently in maintenance.
  • pandahead76
    pandahead76 Posts: 122 Member
    I'm losing while eating 1600 to 1800 a day. I could not subsist on 1200! I am lightly active already (crazy busy SAHM of 6 kids; no soap operas and bon bons for me) and add to that at least an hour of gym time a day.

    From losing weight after previous pregnancies, I found that pretty much how you lose the weight is how you'll have to maintain it (plus some extra calories). 1200--1400 a day is not a lifestyle I can maintain. So I lift weights (because muscle helps with one's metabolism and it doesn't make women bulky), do the cardio I like, and choose a moderate calorie deficit over losing weight super fast. Of course I want to regain my fitness as quickly as possible--but I also want to not be starving all the time. :p
  • dawnaaragon
    dawnaaragon Posts: 4 Member
    edited December 2016
    I need to lose 65 pounds I'm 195 now and want to get down to 130. I'm 5'3 and I think I will just do 1400 calories and lose weight slower
  • dawnaaragon
    dawnaaragon Posts: 4 Member
    I need to lose 65 pounds I'm 195 now and want to get down to 130. I'm 5'3 and I think I will just do 1400 calories and lose weight slower
  • CaliMomTeach
    CaliMomTeach Posts: 745 Member
    I started at 193 in July. MFP started me at around 1400 calories. After I lost some weight it set the calories at 1240 for me. I am at 145.6 today. I was very hungry when I started at 1400, for about two weeks. When I went to 1200 it wasn't as bad. My body adjusted. Now, at 1240, I am not hungry, but sometimes I just want something outside of my daily calorie budget.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    dawnaaragon wrote: »
    The calculator says I should have 1200 calories a day to lose two pounds a week but I'm starving at 1200. Where did you all start out at or what helped you?

    The calculator is giving you your calorie target based on you inputs and desired rate of loss...let me guess...sedentary and 2 Lbs per week.

    Also, your target doesn't include exercise activity...when you log exercise you get additional calories to account for that otherwise unaccounted for activity...move more, eat more...
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
    I started at 1200 calories for a 1 lb weight loss per week (I'm 52 and sedentary). It was a tough few weeks and admittedly I went over just a week bit, but it did work. After I got my "jump start" loss, which is something I need, I pushed my calories up to 1380 per day and started to add exercise back in. I never did eat back my exercise calories.

    Anyway, YES, I was pretty starving at 1200. Some of that is due to just being on a diet to start. Your body will adjust a to it, although, I could never get "used" to 1200 calories. Hang in there, reducing consumption is NEVER easy.

    Now, I do think 2lbs a week is aggressive so maybe set your loss to 1 lb a week. You'll get more calories. Then exercise but don't eat them back.
  • emjam99
    emjam99 Posts: 92 Member
    I think lose 1 lb a week, I stayed in that range for around a month or so which had me at I think 1500ish calories. Then I went to "lose 1 1-2 lbs a week" however there was ALWAYS a cheat/ splurge day those weeks so I averaged losing a pound a week. I lost about 43 lbs

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