Just moved down to 1200, probably won't last...

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Momepro
Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I wanted to try and lose a bit more over summer, since my job involves chasing preschoolers around, but somehow I think this isn't going to work. Even with exercise calories added back, I'm feeling lousy at 1200. Oh well. Maybe I'll put it back up, and see if I can swim a bit longer instead...

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  • debtay123
    debtay123 Posts: 1,327 Member
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    That is what I would do- I always lie to exercise a bit more and eat a bit more if given the option. When I moved my food up more then I lost weight better at least for me.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,969 Member
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    By "back up" - what do you mean? I know nothing about you, but there are a wide range of calories that will allow you to lose weight, try not to get into this all-or-nothing thinking.

    How much weight do you need to lose to get into a healthy BMI?

    Set your Goals to "Lose one pound per week," set your activity level to "Moderately active" and then log everything accurately. You should be able to eat quite a bit more than 1200, even as a base amount. Then when you do any swimming, you'll eat even more. This isn't about misery and deprivation.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,969 Member
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    Didn't you just start using a food scale a few days ago? So really you've been logging more accurately for less than a week? Give it time.
  • alexandramyers
    alexandramyers Posts: 23 Member
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    Also, positive thinking is key! You're already setting yourself up for failure thinking it won't last. 1200 is a huge cut. It's best to start slow and work your way down. Make healthier choices every time you look for food.

    What helped me was starting my journey by logging what I ate in a regular day. I was over 3300 calories! Sheesh! I cut that in half and started from there. When that feels comfortable, I'll cut another hundred. Until I'm seeing consistent results without starving. I think 1200 is way too low, but I don't know where you're starting from, so it might be doable for you. But I like the idea of having a goal around 1500.

    Although calories count. The foods we eat have an impact on how we take those calories. So the wiser the choices (healthy proteins help!) the better off you'll be

    Good luck to you on your journey! <3
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
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    I can't survive on 1200, but if you want to give it a go, eats tons of fruits and vegetables to fill you up.
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
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    cmriverside wrote: »
    Didn't you just start using a food scale a few days ago? So really you've been logging more accurately for less than a week? Give it time.

    Yeah, I was counting days for goal setting, and figured I'd see how the 2 lbs per week goal would work. I don't think it will, lol. Moving back up to 1 1/2 pounds (1400), I think is a little more realistic for me.
  • xchocolategirl
    xchocolategirl Posts: 186 Member
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    Why are you eating so few calories? What's your current height and weight? What do you have your goal set to on MyFitnessPal? If it's set to lose 2 pounds a weight update it to lose 1 pound a week.
    I'm 5'3 and 150 pounds I'm currently eating 1600 calories and losing weight. Good luck!
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
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    I'm 5'2 and 245 I was going to try and push for 2 lbs a week, because I literally destroyed an achilles at work from being too fat. I love my job, so I was goung to try and push towards losing a full 20 before summer ends. (I work with prescoolers). After a couple days of feeling like *kitten* though, I'm bumping backup to the 1400 calories and seeing how that works for me.
  • tomteboda
    tomteboda Posts: 2,171 Member
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    So I learned *really* fast that the whole "lose 2 lbs a week" thing is awful. But the good news is time passes, no matter what... so I adjusted my goal to 1 lb/week, and stayed there for a very, very long time. That change alone would give you more than 1600 calories / day to consume. It worked really well for me.

    Also, check your activity level. Do you have a pedometer? It might be worthwhile to count steps and determine if you're really sedentary -- if you're working with preschoolers, I bet you aren't!
  • muri72
    muri72 Posts: 6 Member
    edited June 2017
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    Just lowering calories is not helpful. In the end it only makes the body drop it's resting metabolic weight. Have you tried ketogenic dieting?

    [edited by MFP Moderators]
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
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    My mom has been in the hospital a couple times for ketosis. She almost died each time. That probably usn't the best option for me.
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
    edited June 2017
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    tomteboda wrote: »
    So I learned *really* fast that the whole "lose 2 lbs a week" thing is awful. But the good news is time passes, no matter what... so I adjusted my goal to 1 lb/week, and stayed there for a very, very long time. That change alone would give you more than 1600 calories / day to consume. It worked really well for me.

    Also, check your activity level. Do you have a pedometer? It might be worthwhile to count steps and determine if you're really sedentary -- if you're working with preschoolers, I bet you aren't!

    I was alot more active before I hurt my foot, but that limuted my mobiity alot, abd now school is out. But yeah, I readjusted back up on my calories a bit, and am adding chair yoga, swimming abd rowinf machine to get my flexibility, strength and movement where I need them.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    edited June 2017
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    muri72 wrote: »
    Just lowering calories is not helpful. In the end it only makes the body drop it's resting metabolic weight. Have you tried ketogenic dieting?

    I get that you are really excited about your keto diet, but keto is not the answer for everyone. The only way to lose weight is through eating fewer calories than you burn. Keto is just one way to do that. Also not cool to be spamming the boards with your FB group. I've seen you post this in other threads as well.


    grmrsan wrote: »
    My mom has been in the hospital a couple times for ketosis. She almost died each time. That probably usn't the best option for me.

    I suspect you are thinking of diabetic ketoacidosis here, which is different. The other poster is talking about a way of eating that severely restricts carbs and focuses on high fat intake instead. There tends to be a lot of misconceptions about it's value. Overall, it can be effective for some people, but it doesn't have the magical properties some ascribe to it.

    I'm sorry that your weight has caused you injury. You may find that with the slower weight loss but being able to work out more is just as effective. The exercise will help build strength and stamina, which you need running around after those little ones. Maybe consider the influence of feeling better as a target as opposed to being so focused on the scale number.

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