1200 measily calories?!?

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Amy_B
Amy_B Posts: 2,323 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I don't mean to call anyone out or anything, but how can you have trouble eating enough to get to 1200 calories? I don't have any problems getting to my 1500 allotted calories (although it's really 1800 because of breastfeeding). I just don't get it. Am I alone here?

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  • Amy_B
    Amy_B Posts: 2,323 Member
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    I don't mean to call anyone out or anything, but how can you have trouble eating enough to get to 1200 calories? I don't have any problems getting to my 1500 allotted calories (although it's really 1800 because of breastfeeding). I just don't get it. Am I alone here?
  • July
    July Posts: 239
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    It's okay if you can't eat 1200 calories. Here's what I did to lose weight it may be slower, but I think it's better for maintenance:

    1. Look up the number of calories you should be eating to MAINTAIN your GOAL weight. You can use the calorie calculator on this site to do that.

    2. Eat this number of calories a day. (For instance, to lose weight, I'm should have been eating 1500, but to maintain, I should be eating 1800 instead of the 2200 I was eating.) Your weight loss will be slower, but you'll feel better because you won't be hungry.
  • Phoenixflame
    Phoenixflame Posts: 560 Member
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    Easy. Clean eating. A broiled fillet of fish with lemon juice and pepper, paired with steamed veggies, is not a high calorie meal, even if it's satisfying.

    Though there are others who just have problems eating enough, because of America's misconception of "diet." I was a mix of the two, though more so the latter. I've had to work to get to 1400--like, really work. I eat a lot of veggies, so I'll be very full but not calorically high enough.
  • iftcheiaf
    iftcheiaf Posts: 960 Member
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    After logging in this morning, I realized I was seriously under yesterday and didn't realize it. My reason? I just started a new medication two days ago and my body is adjusting to it. I am enjoying the feeling of not constantly wanting to eat, but if the medication doesn't normalize, then I realize I need to be more scheduled and regimented. Also, I don't eat breads, pastas, rice, and such, which is where alot of my calories used to come from.
  • lynniejones
    lynniejones Posts: 1,291 Member
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    The foods I love are not that high in calories, for one thing. For another my work situation gives me little time to eat the way I need to so even though I intend to eat six times a day, many times I only have time for one or two of those times. I get an hour for lunch but I hate to stuff myself so I just eat something light instead of try to get all my calories in. Many times I find myself having to have a shake or peanut butter at the end of the day. I always say I am a starving fat kid. lol
    Now when I was a SAHM and gained all this weight, I had no problem eating all my calories and most of yours too. lol. (Nothing against SAHMs, I love me some SAHM, they are hot).

    Lynnie
  • BrenNew
    BrenNew Posts: 3,420 Member
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    I don't mean to call anyone out or anything, but how can you have trouble eating enough to get to 1200 calories? I don't have any problems getting to my 1500 allotted calories (although it's really 1800 because of breastfeeding). I just don't get it. Am I alone here?


    I'm with you! I feel the exact same way! :smile:
    I had to start exercising right when I started, to bring up my numbers, cuz it doesn't take me long AT ALL to get to my 1300 or so calories that I'm allowed. :noway:
  • Rachael
    Rachael Posts: 168 Member
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    Hey Amy, I know what you mean! But when I first started (almost 2 mos ago), I had a really hard time doing anything "in moderation" so I all but cut out carbs (my major downfall). I couldn't do a serving - one bite would lead to the entire loaf of bread, pot of pasta, etc. At that time, the mainstay of my diet was veggies (of course I was eating protein, dairy, etc but trying hard to stay away from foods that I knew I was likely to binge on until I could form new eating habits!). It's really hard to eat 1,200 cals of veggies, let alone add in exercise cals! Again, don't get me wrong, I was eating meat and dairy, but just not alot in the beginning. I learned that alot of time I just wasn't hungry - especially when I walked into the pantry and realized I couldn't have bread. When faced with the choice of more veggies or nothing - sometimes I'd just opt for nothing. Thankfully, I've started adding those foods back and I can do it in moderation - plus I've found that weight training really makes me hungry - 1,200 cals is no longer a problem! And I'm eating about 1/2 of my exercise calories (I could easily eat them all, but I don't yet have a HRM or a food scale so I don't want to unknowingly go over). That's just my own personal experience...
  • beckyi88
    beckyi88 Posts: 604
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    I'm with you on this on! Before I joined this site the other day, I had kept a food journal to figure out why I wasn't losing weight...despite months of 3-4 hour workouts, 6 tmes a week .....hmmmm...well I was eating about 3000 calories a day. So the real miracle was that I didn't gain weight in that time period! So, here I discovered MFP and thought I was being so careful....I've hit 1000 calories by 1pm everyday....2000 daily. I've been a bit bummed by the thought of starvation in my future when today I read a very valid and challenging point.....
    *did you ever stop to think about how few calories there are in real food?
    apple - 76 calories, chicken breast - 142 calories
    on the other hand 3 ounces of cheetos - 480 calories, 30 grams of fat, 45 grams of carbs*
    from Master your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels

    I know for me, although I'm still scared of starving, my food journal reflects very little real food, but lots of fake food, even so called healthy substitutes. It's been a wake up call, but I'll be honest....this is going to take a major dietary overhaul because not only do I eat quantities equivalent to a teen age boy, my selections are also more what a teen ager would eat...not a 37 year old mother of 4....big changes ahead, but I trust and BELIEVE this will be a lifestyle change and that is what will give me success.....but...loooonnnnnggggg road ahead!

    Hang in there and know you aren't alone in freaking out over 1200 calories!!!!

    Becky
  • erica9699
    erica9699 Posts: 53
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    I'm with you, Amy_B...1200 calories is NO problem for me! But, I do agree w/ a poster about the STAH Mom's...on day's when my little one and I are at home ALL day, I definetly tend to eat more. I have to find ways to stay busy!

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