Eating 1200cals and always hungry?

danielleee2015
danielleee2015 Posts: 3 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
So, I'm 5"6 and currently weigh 163 pounds. My goal weight is 150, so MFP set my calories as 1,200 per day. I was doing okay for the first few weeks (I started at 170) but then I found myself being constantly hungry and unsatisfied despite already having eaten all my calories for the day, which led to a week and a half or so of me not counting calories and sort of giving up because I was so tired of being starving all the time. Now I'm trying to restart and remotivate myself, but I'm falling into the same problem. Help!!

Replies

  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,447 Member
    What rate of loss did you set mfp to? 1 lb 1.5 , 2 lbs??
  • danielleee2015
    danielleee2015 Posts: 3 Member
    I set it to 2 pounds a week, and my activity level as sedentary. I work a retail job on my feet, but otherwise I really don't exercise.
  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,447 Member
    edited May 2017
    Your tdee or maintenance (assuming female and 30 which are just guesses) is 1771 a day before exercise. So to lose 1 lb a week one needs to create 500 Calorie a day deficit. Which would be 1271 so you have 2 options.
    1. Plan to lose 0.5 lbs a week thus needing 250 cal deficit or 1571 Calorie option
    2. Exercise and eat exercise calories back

    You are not heavy enough to safely lose 2 lbs a week. Additionally remember the weight did not come on overnight and won't come off overnight either.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    I'd be starving on 1200 cals too. With so little weight to lose, set your rate of loss for 0.5-1lb and your calorie allowance will be more, making your diet more sustainable. I doubt you're really sedentary working retail, perhaps review your activity level too.
  • tiptoethruthetulips
    tiptoethruthetulips Posts: 3,372 Member
    edited May 2017
    Your activity level isn't sedentary but probably active. Activity level refers to incidental activity not exercise. You have received good advice from the posters above regarding all aspects of your posts.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,742 Member
    I am also 5'6" and was your weight. MFP started me at 1250 cal, then dropped me to 1200 cal. I tried 1200 cal for about a week and found it unmanageable, so I manually upped it to 1250 cal again. Those extra 50 cal were good.

    I also exercise quite a bit and when I was actively losing weight, I ate about half my exercise calories back. That also helped.
  • GoldenEye_
    GoldenEye_ Posts: 330 Member
    What is your fat/carbs/protein ratio? When I was still getting most of my calories from carbs I was hungry all the time too, but when I changed that to proteins I was fine. Other than that I can't add much to the great advice given above.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    edited May 2017
    I set it to 2 pounds a week, and my activity level as sedentary. I work a retail job on my feet, but otherwise I really don't exercise.

    Sedentary means mostly seated - your job is on your feet. That's the wrong activity setting for you. Remember exercise is totally separate from your activity setting (job, lifestyle, day to day activities), that you don't exercise is completely irrelevant for this setting.

    2lbs a week is too aggressive when you don't have much to lose. That's attempting to take 1000 calories from the amount needed to maintain your weight.

    Don't make this harder than it needs to be. It's not surprising you are "always hungry"!
    Slower and successful beats fast and giving up.
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