I can't do 1200 calories!!!! I'm so hungry!!! Why?!?!

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  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    edited August 2017
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    deannalfisher wrote: »
    yourfitnessenemy wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I'd freak out and binge if I tried to restrict to 1200 calories.

    I'm 42, 5'9", 170 pounds, and losing pretty well on ~1850 calories per day.
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I'd freak out and binge if I tried to restrict to 1200 calories.

    I'm 42, 5'9", 170 pounds, and losing pretty well on ~1850 calories per day.
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I'd freak out and binge if I tried to restrict to 1200 calories.

    I'm 42, 5'9", 170 pounds, and losing pretty well on ~1850 calories per day.

    Tell me more! Do you exercise a ton?

    I'm 42, 5'2", 125, MAINTAINING on 1200ish. I do take a lot of meds, but this is getting frustrating.

    I'm 35, 5'3", 148lbs and maintain about 2500ish calories a day (also take daily thyroid meds) - its something I've been working on with an RD over the last year (when I started with them, I was eating maybe 1400 a day), they've slowly increased my calories and macros (when I started my carb intake was approximately 180g a day, as of this week, I'm up to an avg of 300g a day) - progressively small increases over the last year and a half

    How long have you reverse dieted? at what rate did you increase your calories? Did you show any weight gain and how long did you wait before you considered yourself stabilised and ready for the next increase? Inquiring minds want to know! ;-)

    I've been with them nearly 2 years - the initial calories they gave me were 1800 on rest and 2200 on workout days; I did that for a few months then kind of fell off the wagon

    Came back November last year - I think they restarted me at like 2200avg and they had moved to a 7 day cycle with different levels of carbs/fats (protein stayed static at 140g). At the time I was getting reviews by them every 2-3 weeks

    In march(ish) they launched their tracking app - I went to getting reviews every 1-2weeks - it also allowed for weight goals (they would set a goal and if you hit it they would bump calories)

    Right now reviews avg every 5-7 days, weight fluctuates between 147 and 151. Most bumps are 10g carbs, maybe 1g fat (so 55ish cals) - on my high day I do 399g carbs, low day is 299g (there is a third level between the two)
  • canarysal
    canarysal Posts: 118 Member
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    Some people are short and have sedentary jobs which equals a 1200 target on mfp even if looking for slow loss. That said, I boost this by regular exercise to get extra to make it a bit less of a struggle. 1200 can be done but every day would be tough.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,951 Member
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    fglrml86 wrote: »
    I always try but I'm so hungry... thinking about moving back to 1500 calories... I just entered my 30's and I feel like everything is so different!!!

    I'm 50 and while weight loss is harder now than it was in my 20s, I attribute this to being more active back then and having less muscle now. One sure fire way to lose muscle is to lose weight too quickly, which is what 1200 calories will do for most women unless they are very very short and sedentary.
  • yourfitnessenemy
    yourfitnessenemy Posts: 121 Member
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    yourfitnessenemy wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I'd freak out and binge if I tried to restrict to 1200 calories.

    I'm 42, 5'9", 170 pounds, and losing pretty well on ~1850 calories per day.
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I'd freak out and binge if I tried to restrict to 1200 calories.

    I'm 42, 5'9", 170 pounds, and losing pretty well on ~1850 calories per day.
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I'd freak out and binge if I tried to restrict to 1200 calories.

    I'm 42, 5'9", 170 pounds, and losing pretty well on ~1850 calories per day.

    Tell me more! Do you exercise a ton?

    I'm 42, 5'2", 125, MAINTAINING on 1200ish. I do take a lot of meds, but this is getting frustrating.

    do you actually weigh your food?

    No, I use measuring cups though. How much more could I really be eating?

    I'm going to start running again this week and stop weighing myself so much. I need to be more concerned about inches than the scale.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
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    yourfitnessenemy wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    yourfitnessenemy wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I'd freak out and binge if I tried to restrict to 1200 calories.

    I'm 42, 5'9", 170 pounds, and losing pretty well on ~1850 calories per day.
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I'd freak out and binge if I tried to restrict to 1200 calories.

    I'm 42, 5'9", 170 pounds, and losing pretty well on ~1850 calories per day.
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I'd freak out and binge if I tried to restrict to 1200 calories.

    I'm 42, 5'9", 170 pounds, and losing pretty well on ~1850 calories per day.

    Tell me more! Do you exercise a ton?

    I'm 42, 5'2", 125, MAINTAINING on 1200ish. I do take a lot of meds, but this is getting frustrating.

    do you actually weigh your food?

    No, I use measuring cups though. How much more could I really be eating?

    I'm going to start running again this week and stop weighing myself so much. I need to be more concerned about inches than the scale.

    Depending on the caloric density of the food in question, you could be off by quite a lot. If you're losing as expected it's not a big deal, but often when people think they are eating x calories but aren't losing weight, bad measuring is the problem. That said, I think focusing on inches rather than pounds is a great way to go.
  • nhtrader437
    nhtrader437 Posts: 6 Member
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    I started at 1500, but my doctor wants me at 1200 calories and suggested that I eat more veggies to accomplish this. Good luck!
  • brittvas1
    brittvas1 Posts: 9 Member
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    I remember when I was actually trying to do 1200 calories that is was fairly tough, but now that I try for 1360 (1.5lbs a week) I often come in under or close to 1200.
    1200 used to be the minimum for myfitnesspal but now it says 1000-1200 so I dont get warnings.
    But I do green smoothies and big salads. Very filling with low calorie count.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    edited August 2017
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    yourfitnessenemy wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    yourfitnessenemy wrote: »
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I'd freak out and binge if I tried to restrict to 1200 calories.

    I'm 42, 5'9", 170 pounds, and losing pretty well on ~1850 calories per day.
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I'd freak out and binge if I tried to restrict to 1200 calories.

    I'm 42, 5'9", 170 pounds, and losing pretty well on ~1850 calories per day.
    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    I'd freak out and binge if I tried to restrict to 1200 calories.

    I'm 42, 5'9", 170 pounds, and losing pretty well on ~1850 calories per day.

    Tell me more! Do you exercise a ton?

    I'm 42, 5'2", 125, MAINTAINING on 1200ish. I do take a lot of meds, but this is getting frustrating.

    do you actually weigh your food?

    No, I use measuring cups though. How much more could I really be eating?

    I'm going to start running again this week and stop weighing myself so much. I need to be more concerned about inches than the scale.

    When I got a food scale and started using it for every single dang thing, I found the 1400 I thought I was eating was really 1700-1800 cals!

    I got myself down to REALLY 1400 by focusing on getting plenty of protein and fiber. For others it turns out they are eating very low fat and need more to feel full.

    And then I started moving more, because I like to eat :blush:
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    nhtrader437 wrote: »
    I started at 1500, but my doctor wants me at 1200 calories and suggested that I eat more veggies to accomplish this. Good luck!

    What was your doctors reasoning for this? (Note: most doctors get less than 4hrs of nutrition training in med school)
  • fontoniajff
    fontoniajff Posts: 15 Member
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    You could try intermittent fasting. Just start eating at 12-8. It makes it waaaay easier to stay at your calorie limit since you only have an 8hr eating window. You can have 2 large meals. Not crappy dense calorie meals though. Once you start cooking everything instead of eating processed food you will see how much food you actual can have. I thought the same thing. You'll be full for a bit. The rest of the 16hrs your sleeping for 8 and maybe at work. The thing that I tell myself is "you just have to make it through today and you can eat again tomorrow" just think about today don't think about the entire journey. Let's say it's 5pm, all you have left is 7 more hours of the day then the next day rolls around and you reset. You can eat again.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    I reckon I'd be chewing my arm off if I tried to survive on 1200 Calories.5'2", 150lb and I've lost 140lb at a rate of about 1-2lb/week eating 2000-2500 Calories a day. As I've lost weight I've become more active, which means I can still eat plenty. In fact I'm currently having a try at maintenance/recomping for the rest of the year and have been eating anything up to 3000 Calories, now that I'm finding hard without resorting to chocolate and bread.
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 4,828 Member
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    [[/quote]

    No, I use measuring cups though. How much more could I really be eating?

    I'm going to start running again this week and stop weighing myself so much. I need to be more concerned about inches than the scale.
    [/quote]

    take a cup of cereal. Then weigh it and compare the count as to what the box says. I think it will open your eyes. Weigh solids. Measure liquids. If you are short like me being off a by 5% can make a huge difference.
  • Mr_Healthy_Habits
    Mr_Healthy_Habits Posts: 12,588 Member
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    Honestly I've always felt these people trying to do 1200 calories are just way too ambitious and have too much faith in themselves... That's nothing at all
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    fontoniajff wrote: »
    You could try intermittent fasting. Just start eating at 12-8. It makes it waaaay easier to stay at your calorie limit since you only have an 8hr eating window. You can have 2 large meals. Not crappy dense calorie meals though. Once you start cooking everything instead of eating processed food you will see how much food you actual can have. I thought the same thing. You'll be full for a bit. The rest of the 16hrs your sleeping for 8 and maybe at work. The thing that I tell myself is "you just have to make it through today and you can eat again tomorrow" just think about today don't think about the entire journey. Let's say it's 5pm, all you have left is 7 more hours of the day then the next day rolls around and you reset. You can eat again.

    I IF, and I am most definitely not pulling myself through to scratch and claw my way to make it to my next meal.

    That's because I actually eat enough calories to fuel my body during my eating window.

    IF isn't a tool to undereat, it's just a tool some people use to manage their calories if it suits their preferences.

    OP, it's normal to experience some mild hunger on a diet, but ravenous hunger is a symptom that you're eating too little. This normally backfires on people and causes them to either give up on dieting or to have incidents of disinhibited eating where they eat grossly over their calorie limits, thereby undoing any progress they might have made eating at a very low calorie level.

    I'm of the opinion that too many women needlessly eat at 1200 calories. If you track accurately with a food scale, choosing correct data base entries, and aren't too aggressive with your weight loss goals, most women can likely eat much, much more.

    I'm 55 years old, 5'1" tall, 120 pounds, and I lose eating 1,800 calories because I'm very active.

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