Calories too low help!
catsbfit
Posts: 41 Member
Hi Guyz, ive been on 1,200 cals for only 5 days and im literally always hungry and feel like giving up! 
is this too low for me. Im 11 stone 7 , female , 22 and my height is 5ft 5/6ish the hunger pain is really getting to me. Any advice would be appreciated thank you! And i do want to lose weight quite fast i guess thats why MFP suggested 1,200 cals. Thanks
is this too low for me. Im 11 stone 7 , female , 22 and my height is 5ft 5/6ish the hunger pain is really getting to me. Any advice would be appreciated thank you! And i do want to lose weight quite fast i guess thats why MFP suggested 1,200 cals. Thanks 1
Replies
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I'm guessing you set it to 2 lbs a week, but because you are quite close to an ideal weight that is far too aggressive of a weight loss plan. You should be aiming for probably half a pound per week.15
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Life and dieting is full of choices but those choices have consequences.
If you want to lose fast you need a huge calorie deficit - which is why you are hungry and struggling.
MFP only "suggested" the minimum of 1200 (plus exercise calories) because of the choices you made when you selected your rate of loss and to a degree the activity level you picked.
What's the rush?
Why not pick a sustainable food allowance which will decrease the chances of giving up?
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Indeed, what sijomial said.
It's about choices.
I would set it at "Lose 1/4 kg (or 1/2 pound)" and start there. With not much to lose, you can't really cut too many calories without consequences.
Are you doing any exercising? I find I have to exercise if I want to be given enough food to eat. This site wants you to add exercise to the Exercise tab and eat more on those days.
Here:
From Help at the top of every page: How does MyFitnessPal calculate my initial goals?
6 -
I'm guessing you set it to 2 lbs a week, but because you are quite close to an ideal weight that is far too aggressive of a weight loss plan. You should be aiming for probably half a pound per week.
Changed it to half a pound a week and its now 1640 cals which i guess is way better! i will give it a go and see how i lose
13 -
Life and dieting is full of choices but those choices have consequences.
If you want to lose fast you need a huge calorie deficit - which is why you are hungry and struggling.
MFP only "suggested" the minimum of 1200 (plus exercise calories) because of the choices you made when you selected your rate of loss and to a degree the activity level you picked.
What's the rush?
Why not pick a sustainable food allowance which will decrease the chances of giving up?
Theres no rush really just fed up of being fat lol my goal weight is around 9 stone.
1 -
I asked a similar question a few weeks. From my experience, change your goal from 2 lbs to 1.5lbs and add 200 cals to your daily goal0
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cmriverside wrote: »Indeed, what sijomial said.
It's about choices.
I would set it at "Lose 1/4 kg (or 1/2 pound)" and start there. With not much to lose, you can't really cut too many calories without consequences.
Are you doing any exercising? I find I have to exercise if I want to be given enough food to eat. This site wants you to add exercise to the Exercise tab and eat more on those days.
Here:
From Help at the top of every page: How does MyFitnessPal calculate my initial goals?
No i dont do any exercise i have a sedentary lifestyle working an office job etc
0 -
catzzm9768 wrote: »Life and dieting is full of choices but those choices have consequences.
If you want to lose fast you need a huge calorie deficit - which is why you are hungry and struggling.
MFP only "suggested" the minimum of 1200 (plus exercise calories) because of the choices you made when you selected your rate of loss and to a degree the activity level you picked.
What's the rush?
Why not pick a sustainable food allowance which will decrease the chances of giving up?
Theres no rush really just fed up of being fat lol my goal weight is around 9 stone.
You are young and by far the most important thing is getting to goal weight successfully and then stay there, maintaining happily and healthily long term at a good weight.
If it takes a few more months will that really matter next year? The year after etc. etc...
Those months will pass anyway - whether you are chipping away at your weight steadily or fall off the wagon and give up.
Try to learn good habits for life rather than solely focus on weight loss short term.
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catzzm9768 wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Indeed, what sijomial said.
It's about choices.
I would set it at "Lose 1/4 kg (or 1/2 pound)" and start there. With not much to lose, you can't really cut too many calories without consequences.
Are you doing any exercising? I find I have to exercise if I want to be given enough food to eat. This site wants you to add exercise to the Exercise tab and eat more on those days.
Here:
From Help at the top of every page: How does MyFitnessPal calculate my initial goals?
No i dont do any exercise i have a sedentary lifestyle working an office job etc
Exercise will increase your TDEE, so you can eat more. How about taking half your lunch break and walking around your work building or going up and down steps for 15 minutes?
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catzzm9768 wrote: »
No. Start with the 1640. You need to figure out how to keep yourself from being hungry all the time first. If 1640 works you can drop down a little lower for a short time until you get to about 10 pounds from your goal.7 -
I’m almost 10kg down in one month.. and i pretty much ate 4,5 meals each day but had made some choices on food which can keep you going with some extra excercise whenever you crave more.. stay busy and focused toward your goal.. Best of luck4
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Although losing weight at a fast rate is very tempting you might want to up your calories a bit. Losing weight is supposed to be a lifestyle change, not a quick fix so you have to make it something you can sustain over the long term. You also decrease the risk of losing muscle mass (assuming you are doing resistance training)1
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Yes I agree, aim to lose 0.5lb a week, 1640 cal is fine as the average female recommended daily calorie allowance is 2000cal. Try a little bit more exercise too. My day job is sedentary but I go gym 3 times a week. If you can’t go to the gym try going for a run around the block. It’ll all help and hopefully you’ll not feel as hungry all the time.0
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This is a tortoise and the hare kind of thing. It's tempting to try to lose weight quickly and aggressively...but I know a lot of people who take that approach and they're always on and off the wagon, so long term they aren't really successful in their endeavors.
Most people I know who successfully lost weight and kept it off and maintained a healthy weight long term maintained a more modest deficit that they could stick with without suffering. A moderate amount of exercise also goes a long way...especially in maintenance. It doesn't have to be anything crazy, just moving a little more. Most of my exercise is what I would consider recreational activity...biking, swimming, rock climbing, hiking, walking, etc.1 -
catzzm9768 wrote: »Hi Guyz, ive been on 1,200 cals for only 5 days and im literally always hungry and feel like giving up! is this too low for me. Im 11 stone 7 , female , 22 and my height is 5ft 5/6ish the hunger pain is really getting to me. Any advice would be appreciated thank you! And i do want to lose weight quite fast i guess thats why MFP suggested 1,200 cals. Thanks
How much did you want to lose, you're more or less at your ideal weight. Half a stone maybe? Or do you just want to do some toning up?
Sounds very low and then you'll end up binging down the kebab shop or something.0 -
I asked a similar question a few weeks. From my experience, change your goal from 2 lbs to 1.5lbs and add 200 cals to your daily goal
Unless you're the same height and weight as the OP, with the same activity level, your experience is irrelevant. OP's stats don't allow her to lose 1.5 lbs a week safely, or even a full pound a week, as evidenced by the fact that changing her goal from 2 lbs a week to 0.5 lbs a week only increased her calorie goal from 1200 to 1640.7 -
I'm only an inch taller than you and at my lowest was 145. Honestly unless you're severly over weight (which you aren't) excerise and healthier options would work better. Look at a reasonable calorie deficit and aim for 1lbs a week. If you starve yourself you're going tonruin your metabolism. Portion sizes and eat more protien if you're hungry. Things that are awesome... Greek yougurt, sandwhich meats like turkey or chicken, eggs, salads (with out the dressing or limited dressing) will help you feel fuller.2
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catzzm9768 wrote: »Hi Guyz, ive been on 1,200 cals for only 5 days and im literally always hungry and feel like giving up! is this too low for me. Im 11 stone 7 , female , 22 and my height is 5ft 5/6ish the hunger pain is really getting to me. Any advice would be appreciated thank you! And i do want to lose weight quite fast i guess thats why MFP suggested 1,200 cals. Thanks
If you're trying to lose weight too fast then yes, you're going to be hungry.
Fast weight loss, full of hunger and restriction and guilt and stress, often leads to either quiting before you reach goal or getting to goal and then rebounding hard and gaining the weight back plus more.
Lose at a more reasonable pace (no more than 1 lb per week) without suffering, and take the time to learn how to eat at the right calorie level to stay at a healthy weight for the rest of your life.
3 -
fitnessdiva_ wrote: »You will learn to love that hunger feeling
Forgive; but this really does not sound like a very healthy attitude.
Tolerate or live with something uncomfortable because we are doing it for a purpose?
Sure. But I would, personally, seek to minimize discomfort instead of learning to love it.
I have no personal experiences where increasing your degree of and capacity for suffering leads to improvements to your long term health!11
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