Eating under 1200 calories

It's a bit hard for me to meet net 1200 calories if I stick to the macro ratio I set for Carb/Protein/Fat (30/40/30). I find it too easy to hit my fat and carb but it's so hard to meet my protein. >.< If you just look at my diary, you'll see that I eat A LOT of real food for my main meal of the day. Yet I still cannot hit 1200 easily. I can increase Meal 4 caloric intake but it's so hard to find something that HIGH protein, LOW carb and LOW fat.

I can go back to the default setting and that will help me go to 1200 easily (starch is so easy to obtain). I'm not sure if I want to hit such high carb level though (55%?)

First time I say something. Second or maybe third time I say something again. After that, I delete them.

I recognize that everyone is different and going about this their own way but there are limits to my acceptance. If I don't feel like I can support you I don't see a reason for us to be "friends".

Yet again ... reasons I love ya! I agree with you and I have deleted people who insist on recurrent unhealthy habits. I am not perfect by any sort, but I think we should be encouraging healthy behaviors. I also cannot say "good job" to someone who is eating 700 calories either.

I love the preaching and the judgement! That's exactly what I come here for!

I don't suppose it's ever occured to you that someone's doctor may have told them to be at a certain calorie level and that's what they are trying to hit? My doctor has told me that as long as I net at least 700 calories, it's fine. Obviously I strive to be closer to the 1200 that is outlined by MFP. But MFP is not the be all and end all of fitness and health advice!

Just a thought or two from the peanut gallery...

When i started MFP i was a vegetarian and could easily go over my 1400 cals allowance. Im now vegan with about 80% of my foods raw/juiced, that said i must admit that its very hard (to the point of gluttony) to meet 1200 cals every day UNLESS i eat processed foods, which im not in favor of. I try hard to meet the 1200 cals but its very difficult for me.
I honestly couldnt care less if someone deleted me for being under, Im here for me, not to please people and unless they walk on my shoes a mile, their self righteousness is best kept elsewhere.
Not saying that to offend, but unless you had some constructive criticism, i'd just go ahead and delete them, i dont see that friendship helping either one of you.

when i see people eating too little, even just skipping one meal or too low on water intake, i simply tell them something along the lines of

"i see your calories are pretty low. don't make a habit of it because losing weight the unhealthy way usually leads to gaining it back"

just be honest.

Wow that is incredibly nosy! I don't even log how much water I drink but I surely do not need someone nagging me about it no matter how little I drink. And skipping one meal is enough to get a condescending comment from you? I would definitely delete you the first time that happened. There is supportive and there is meddling.

This was my thought as well. I guess I'm just a casual user of MFP, because I don't religiously log every calorie I eat or burn. I certainly don't scrutinize the food diaries of people on my friends list unless they are asking why they aren't losing weight.

I guess my advice would be: if they ask your opinion, give it. Otherwise, why concern yourself with someone else's food diary?

First time I say something. Second or maybe third time I say something again. After that, I delete them.

I recognize that everyone is different and going about this their own way but there are limits to my acceptance. If I don't feel like I can support you I don't see a reason for us to be "friends".

Yet again ... reasons I love ya! I agree with you and I have deleted people who insist on recurrent unhealthy habits. I am not perfect by any sort, but I think we should be encouraging healthy behaviors. I also cannot say "good job" to someone who is eating 700 calories either.

I love the preaching and the judgement! That's exactly what I come here for!

I don't suppose it's ever occured to you that someone's doctor may have told them to be at a certain calorie level and that's what they are trying to hit? My doctor has told me that as long as I net at least 700 calories, it's fine. Obviously I strive to be closer to the 1200 that is outlined by MFP. But MFP is not the be all and end all of fitness and health advice!

Just a thought or two from the peanut gallery...

Hmm as a healthcare provider myself I would question whether that is medically safe. Sure you may lose weight, but will you be able to keep it off. Why not do it the healthy way. I know that medically supervised low calorie diets are out there ... but very few patients actually keep the weight off.
Please remember that just because a doctor recommends it, doesn't always mean that its right. Doctors generally have very little training in diet, exercise, and nutrition.

First time I say something. Second or maybe third time I say something again. After that, I delete them.

I recognize that everyone is different and going about this their own way but there are limits to my acceptance. If I don't feel like I can support you I don't see a reason for us to be "friends".

Yet again ... reasons I love ya! I agree with you and I have deleted people who insist on recurrent unhealthy habits. I am not perfect by any sort, but I think we should be encouraging healthy behaviors. I also cannot say "good job" to someone who is eating 700 calories either.

I love the preaching and the judgement! That's exactly what I come here for!

I don't suppose it's ever occured to you that someone's doctor may have told them to be at a certain calorie level and that's what they are trying to hit? My doctor has told me that as long as I net at least 700 calories, it's fine. Obviously I strive to be closer to the 1200 that is outlined by MFP. But MFP is not the be all and end all of fitness and health advice!

Just a thought or two from the peanut gallery...

Hmm as a healthcare provider myself I would question whether that is medically safe. Sure you may lose weight, but will you be able to keep it off. Why not do it the healthy way. I know that medically supervised low calorie diets are out there ... but very few patients actually keep the weight off.
Please remember that just because a doctor recommends it, doesn't always mean that its right. Doctors generally have very little training in diet, exercise, and nutrition.

I'm not trying to stay at 700 calories. I was simply trying to convey that being under 1200 calories is not encessarily unhealthy. Further, my docotor specialized in nutrition so I trust her judgement. She wasn't suggesting that I only eat 700 calories; the discussion was about not being able to hit 1200 calories and coming in closer to 850-1050 on a daily basis.

I'm not on a VLCD; not by a long shot. A lot of people, like me, have a hard time eating all of that healthy food. I could easily consume 1200 calories going to McDonald's; but that's not the goal is it? The goal is to eat healthier options.

My concern was for the judgement. The OP canot know the story and the plight of everyone on this site. And deleting someone because of their food diary is silly; deleting someone because they aren't supportive or worse yet are sabatoging you, that makes sense.

Again, just a part of the peanut gallary here...

This and other related posts are EXACTLY what I was talking about... life gets in the way, everyone is different than other people... why make the unnecessary assumption?

Sweetpeach - my Endo also has a nutritional background that has helped many patients even get out of needing a surgical intervention - I absolutely love her and trust her judgement - she wasnt even phased when I reported in my recent 5# loss - 13.4lbs gone in five weeks - and she knows everything I have consumed - even the low calorie days, and understands what I do for a living is actually HELPING!

***Sits on the no-assumption bench with Sweetpeach

I have not been able to read everyone's replies, so I hope I'm not repeating anyone's comments. But, I am post gastric bypass (GB). I've already lost 117 lbs. I need to lose another 117 (or so pounds) to get to my goal weight. Instead of Weight Watchers, my surgeon's office suggested I use this site to monitor my caloric, protein, excercise, etc. intake. GB folks are supposed to take many vitamins and supplements to make sure their body is getting enough of the essentials. Because their new tummies are smaller, the intake will be smaller and sometimes not what the normal tummy can take in. Maybe some people are post GB surgery as well, are taking supplements, or just have really GREAT will power and can do less calories. Or, perhaps they're eating 2,000 calories a day and exercising alot. :flowerforyou:

I totally agree with the 'no assumptions people'. This site is supposed to be for encouragement and support NOT for judgement. I have a terrible time with my food. Some days I barely make 900 cals, while others I eat over 1200. I think everyone is different. While I'm sure some DO starve themselves for the weight loss, i think others, like myself, are dealing with outside factors. I'm taking care of a sick father, full time student, and dealing with my own issues with food. You NEVER know what someone is going through or dealing with and should NOT judge them. I struggle every day to just remember to eat. Weight loss is a journey, an evolution, and you learn along the way. I will learn how to juggle all my crap and get my cals back up there but in the meantime, i would HOPE the people who are my 'friends' would support me. All someone can do is try. And if I have to try every day until i get it right, FOR ME, I will. No one is perfect or has the magic cure for weight loss. I'm sure there is something in all of your lives that you do that might not be the best for you, how would you like it if someone judged you for that?????

You say you're struggling to get your calories up, and you know you don't eat enough, so what's more supportive? Somebody who points out that your calories are too low and tries to help you find ways to get them up? Or someone who just blindly praises you for eating too little because you have other things on your mind? If you keep rationalizing why you can't do something, you'll never succeed.

Well I am just starting here-4th day--and I find it difficult to eat those 1200 calories--because I am eating protein, raw fruits and veggies, and whole grain low-cal bread. Yesterday, I did eat over 1200 but still under with my exercise. I agree with I am not going to overeat--that is how I have gotten to this point of being 100lbs overweight. and I too need to break that habit. Before, when on diets i still stuffed but with healthy food. Never breaking the habit. So, I also am going to eat when I am hungry and if not I am not going to eat. It is not a mental desire--but, rather a physical need I wish to meet.

I fully understand a person having a starving mentality---there is a vast differnce between eating when hungry and staring yourself.

Obviously someone giving POSITVE feedback is better them someone praising something that is unhealthy. I get positive feedback on my food journal all the time. You can be concerned and try to help and be positive at the same time. This is supposed to be a helpful site, not a site that judges people before they know exactly what is going on. While we will prob never truly know what is going on with people so I try my hardest not to judge anyone. People talking about deleting their buddies simply because they don't eat enough really upset me. Because what if that ONE person you deleted really needed support and guidance to eating better? That is all i was trying to say. I'm sensitive about this subject because I get crap all the time. But no one knows how hard i try every day. all they see is my food being under 1200. Rationalizing my current situation helps ME because I KNOW what issues I have with food and it helps me deal with them. Maybe it seems like excuses to YOU or someone else, but not to me. When I read your response, all I read was someone basically attacking me for what I said. Maybe that was wrong, but that is how I took it. I appreciate your honesty and maybe I'm just too sensitive about this subject.