I don't understand! 1200 calories a day and gaining weight!

Carolyn_T
Carolyn_T Posts: 33
edited October 5 in Health and Weight Loss
Pretty obvious really...

I'm trying to lose weight quickly, so for teh last 3 months Ive been on 1200 calories a day... but just seem to be averaging weight. Either that or some days I seem to suddenly gain a few inches and my trousers are tight.

I know I should probably up the calorie consumption - buut if I'm gaining weight at 1200, I'm a little scared to do that in case I majorly balloon.

Any tips? Advice? I do exercise too!

HELP!

Thanks in advance lovelies x
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Replies

  • brookepenni
    brookepenni Posts: 787 Member
    What kinds of foods are you fitting into your 1200 calories? Fruits and veggies, lean meats or highly processed and takeaway type meals?

    What about water? Water is needed in the body to process EVERY chemical reaction - and whats a chemical reaction - metabolism!!!

    Other people on here will comment on making sure you eat your exercise calories back - so I'll leave it up to them.
  • acuratlsd
    acuratlsd Posts: 228
    I would suggest you lower your carb intake. You had 5 pieces of bread just for breakfast.

    You don't setup your diary all that well so its hard to compare between days.
  • Carolyn_T
    Carolyn_T Posts: 33
    I normally have two slices of wholewheat toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and then some meat with roast veg for tea or an omelette. I may have a couple of bananas too. I do normally get my 5 a day, and occasionally go for processed foods but usually not.

    Water - i cant stand it but am drinking 2 litres of cordial a day.

    Thanks
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Flipped back several days and the only day filled in is today. My first suspicion is that you are not estimating your intake accurately.
  • alysonleanne
    alysonleanne Posts: 65
    Eat better food, and eat more of it. I upped my intake from 1200 to 1500 and kept doing the same exercises, and the weight is dropping off like it did when I first started, now. It seems to work for a lot of people, so it's worth a shot.
  • meaganh13
    meaganh13 Posts: 55 Member
    I would up your calorie intake to about 1400-1500. I was on 1200 for a month and gained 3lbs. I have only lost one in a couple of weeks, but at least I'm not gaining! I really haven't started a regimented workout plan yet, but hope to soon. Also, stay away from the 'evil whites': bread, sugar, potatoes, flour, etc. I am currently reading an excellent book "This is Why You're Fat" and it's helping me to make better choices and even though the scale isn't showing results, I just "feel" better. Good luck and don't give up!
  • gashinshotan
    gashinshotan Posts: 749 Member
    I think you may be misjudging portion sizes.
  • Carolyn_T
    Carolyn_T Posts: 33
    Ok... maybe I will up my calories to 1500 - just scared!

    I will also try and reduce my carb intake - but I just find all other food boring!

    My diary has been offline for the last few weeks, but I am definitely not underestimating my intake... if anything I am bigging it up!

    Thanks x
  • angelapolite
    angelapolite Posts: 249
    I normally have two slices of wholewheat toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and then some meat with roast veg for tea or an omelette. I may have a couple of bananas too. I do normally get my 5 a day, and occasionally go for processed foods but usually not.

    Water - i cant stand it but am drinking 2 litres of cordial a day.

    Thanks

    Too many bananas and bread. Lower your sugar and carbs. I usually have 120g carbs and 15g of sugar, it works.
  • Ilovedrinkingtea
    Ilovedrinkingtea Posts: 597 Member
    Flipped back several days and the only day filled in is today. My first suspicion is that you are not estimating your intake accurately.

    Yeah, so did I, for best results you need to log the good, the bad and the ugly, that way you can see what works and what doesn't. You could also try adjusting your calorie goals. Are you exercising? You need to move about, this will also boost your metabolism. Drink water and ditch the cordial, as it will be full of sugar which will encourage you to hold onto water. Try to eat clean and avoid processed foods. Remember there is no quick fix and losing weight is a slow process, stay with it!

    xx
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Flipped back several days and the only day filled in is today. My first suspicion is that you are not estimating your intake accurately.


    ^ This

    How do you know you're getting 1200 calories a day if you are not logging in your food intake? Plus..because your diary is blank, we will be unable to help you.
  • ajfrench
    ajfrench Posts: 323 Member
    I'm not sure if you're just not logging your food and exercise, but there seems to be little exercise logged. Always a good place to start for losing weight.
  • russelljclarke
    russelljclarke Posts: 836 Member
    If you're at 1200 and exercising, you're probably way under MFPs net calories,so you're probably in starvation mode. I was there too, this summer, and after research started eating up my net calories. It worked, and I started to lose weight once more and never plateaued again. Don't worry!
  • alysonleanne
    alysonleanne Posts: 65
    Ok... maybe I will up my calories to 1500 - just scared!

    I will also try and reduce my carb intake - but I just find all other food boring!

    My diary has been offline for the last few weeks, but I am definitely not underestimating my intake... if anything I am bigging it up!

    Thanks x

    It scared me to up my intake, too. But it worked for me, so it may work for you!
  • aubreyjordan
    aubreyjordan Posts: 276 Member
    Bananas have some of the highest sugar content of all fruits. Sugar is sugar once inside the body. Carbs also get converted to sugar once consumed, so if you have a high carb diet, you're not doing yourself a favor.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Ok... maybe I will up my calories to 1500 - just scared!

    I will also try and reduce my carb intake - but I just find all other food boring!

    My diary has been offline for the last few weeks, but I am definitely not underestimating my intake... if anything I am bigging it up!

    Thanks x


    OK then if you're sure about your intake being 1200, you should make an appointment with your doctor to have your thyroid checked
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    I normally have two slices of wholewheat toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and then some meat with roast veg for tea or an omelette. I may have a couple of bananas too. I do normally get my 5 a day, and occasionally go for processed foods but usually not.

    Water - i cant stand it but am drinking 2 litres of cordial a day.

    Thanks

    What is cordial? Is that some sort of fruit drink?
  • sager01
    sager01 Posts: 1
    2 liters of cordial a day - that will do it! The secret to losing weight is burning more calories than you take in. My advice would be to stop drinking sugery cordial and start drinking water and exercise to burn calories - get your heart rate up (not just a slow walk)
  • Carolyn_T
    Carolyn_T Posts: 33
    You guys are all so awesome!!!!!

    Your feedback is brilliant,

    I know my calorie consumption is 1200 each day without logging because Ive been calorie counting for so long I know what each food is worth - if you look back a few months you will see I was logging regularly.

    I really do hate water - but I will try to drink more.

    It seems definitely that getting out of starvation mode is a good idea! Which muppet did I hear it from then that 1200 calories is the best way to lose weight???

    Thanks x
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    Adjust to track your sodium (lunchmeat is HORRIBLE), drink all of your water, and start tracking everything. You're probably eating more calories than you realize...or if you're working out a ton (and not tracking the burns), you might be eating too little. If you don't track everything though, people aren't going to be able to give you helpful advice.
    Good luck!
  • Carolyn_T
    Carolyn_T Posts: 33
    Its sugar free vimto I have - basically I guess syrup which you add water to.... x
  • mhotch
    mhotch Posts: 901 Member
    Are you weighing and measuring your foods, so you are not underestimateing? I have been doing this for 4+ years and I still weigh and measure. The naked eye is not reliable! I guarantee you under estimate.
  • Jmayhem69
    Jmayhem69 Posts: 36
    I normally have two slices of wholewheat toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and then some meat with roast veg for tea or an omelette. I may have a couple of bananas too. I do normally get my 5 a day, and occasionally go for processed foods but usually not.

    Water - i cant stand it but am drinking 2 litres of cordial a day.

    Thanks

    stop stop stop stop the fruits and breads, eat nothing white (except cauliflower is ok)! Bananas are the worst thing you can eat if you are trying to lose weight. Fructose is sugar and bananas carry it heavy! eat more veggies and sub fat free wheat tortillas when you NEED bread. otherwise put your sandwich on a plate without bread. Never drink fruit juice. sleep 6-7 hours per day or less....drink water IMMEDIATELY after waking and eat a high protein breakfast within 30 minutes.

    then finally, take one day off (per week) and cheat like it's your job! eat whatever and however much you want all day!!

    Follow this for 2 weeks and thank me.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
    There is a lot of conflicting and and bad advice in this thread. I don't want to appear negative, but there are honestly too many bad suggestions for me to address them all.

    OP, please start logging your food on this site and make sure you are measuring/weighing your portions. Only then will ANYONE here be able to help.
  • FearAnLoathing
    FearAnLoathing Posts: 4,852 Member
    I normally have two slices of wholewheat toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and then some meat with roast veg for tea or an omelette. I may have a couple of bananas too. I do normally get my 5 a day, and occasionally go for processed foods but usually not.

    Water - i cant stand it but am drinking 2 litres of cordial a day.

    Thanks

    stop stop stop stop the fruits and breads, eat nothing white (except cauliflower is ok)! Bananas are the worst thing you can eat if you are trying to lose weight. Fructose is sugar and bananas carry it heavy! eat more veggies and sub fat free wheat tortillas when you NEED bread. otherwise put your sandwich on a plate without bread. Never drink fruit juice. sleep 6-7 hours per day or less....drink water IMMEDIATELY after waking and eat a high protein breakfast within 30 minutes.

    then finally, take one day off and cheat like it's your job! eat whatever and however much you want all day!!

    Follow this for 2 weeks and thank me.

    I eat tons of fruit and bread,i think my ticker speaks for itself
  • killagb
    killagb Posts: 3,280 Member
    I normally have two slices of wholewheat toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and then some meat with roast veg for tea or an omelette. I may have a couple of bananas too. I do normally get my 5 a day, and occasionally go for processed foods but usually not.

    Water - i cant stand it but am drinking 2 litres of cordial a day.

    Thanks

    stop stop stop stop the fruits and breads, eat nothing white (except cauliflower is ok)! Bananas are the worst thing you can eat if you are trying to lose weight. Fructose is sugar and bananas carry it heavy! eat more veggies and sub fat free wheat tortillas when you NEED bread. otherwise put your sandwich on a plate without bread. Never drink fruit juice. sleep 6-7 hours per day or less....drink water IMMEDIATELY after waking and eat a high protein breakfast within 30 minutes.

    then finally, take one day off and cheat like it's your job! eat whatever and however much you want all day!!

    Follow this for 2 weeks and thank me.
    The above is about as bad as advice can be(full of ludicrous bro-science). :drinker:
    I eat at LEAST one banana pretty much EVERY day.
  • Jmayhem69
    Jmayhem69 Posts: 36
    Its sugar free vimto I have - basically I guess syrup which you add water to.... x

    BEWARE anything that says sugar-free! as the chemical reaction insulin surge it causes in your body is worse than the actual natual sugars would be!!!!
  • bellawares
    bellawares Posts: 558 Member
    There is a lot of conflicting and and bad advice in this thread. I don't want to appear negative, but there are honestly too many bad suggestions for me to address them all.

    OP, please start logging your food on this site and make sure you are measuring/weighing your portions. Only then will ANYONE here be able to help.

    I completely agree! How do you know that you are eating 1200 calories a day? You do not log your food intake. :noway: :noway: What you logged today has a sodium intake that is probably through the roof. Sorry . . . .I'm not trying to be rude just trying to be honest. You need to set your diary up so you know exactly what you are eating through out the day. Count your Carb's, Protein, and Sodium. If you are prone to being diabetic then count your sugar as well. If you exercise add this to your diary and eat your exercise calories back.

    No one can help you if you do not give us accurate information.
  • rodneyderrick
    rodneyderrick Posts: 483 Member
    Flipped back several days and the only day filled in is today. My first suspicion is that you are not estimating your intake accurately.

    There are a lot of people on MFP and other weight loss sites who truly believe in logging calories to help with their weight-loss goals. When you complain about not losing weight, the first thing we're going to want to do is look at your diary, because from experience, we know people who aren't logging have a hard time losing. If you want to lose weight, log everything you put in your mouth.

    I have a food scale, because I want to make sure I'm eating the right portion size. I count out my nuts, chips, and other items like that because I don't want to overeat. I exercise. I lose because I won't let my mind play tricks on me, by thinking it knows what 1,200 calories looks like without logging it. I eat more than that, but you understand what I'm saying. Log your foods if you're serious about losing.
  • Jmayhem69
    Jmayhem69 Posts: 36
    I normally have two slices of wholewheat toast for breakfast, a sandwich for lunch and then some meat with roast veg for tea or an omelette. I may have a couple of bananas too. I do normally get my 5 a day, and occasionally go for processed foods but usually not.

    Water - i cant stand it but am drinking 2 litres of cordial a day.

    Thanks

    stop stop stop stop the fruits and breads, eat nothing white (except cauliflower is ok)! Bananas are the worst thing you can eat if you are trying to lose weight. Fructose is sugar and bananas carry it heavy! eat more veggies and sub fat free wheat tortillas when you NEED bread. otherwise put your sandwich on a plate without bread. Never drink fruit juice. sleep 6-7 hours per day or less....drink water IMMEDIATELY after waking and eat a high protein breakfast within 30 minutes.

    then finally, take one day off and cheat like it's your job! eat whatever and however much you want all day!!

    Follow this for 2 weeks and thank me.
    The above is about as bad as advice can be(full of ludicrous bro-science). :drinker:
    I eat at LEAST one banana pretty much EVERY day.

    sorry to hear you think that, this information is directly from the best selling book by Tim Ferriss '4 hour Body"
    here's what happened to his bloodwork after one week of OJ and a banana for breakfast:
    Before (10/16, no fructose) and after (10/23, orange juice and banana):
    Cholesterol: 203 → 243 (out of “healthy” range)
    LDL: 127 → 165 (also out of range)
    There were two other values that shot up unexpectedly:
    Albumin: 4.3 → 4.9 (out of range)
    Iron: 71 → 191 (!) (out of range aka into the stratosphere)
    Albumin binds to testosterone and renders it inert, much like SHBG (discussed in “Sex
    Machine”) but weaker. I don’t want either to be out-of-range high. Bad for the manly arts.

    I doubt you are taking blood tests to support your information. but thanks anyway "Bro"
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