Less than 1200 Calories- I'm full!

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kristinpruis
kristinpruis Posts: 8
in Health and Weight Loss
I just recently started monitoring what I eat and exercising multiple times a week about a month ago- when I joined MFP. Now of course there have been days where I just completely binged or ate fast food and my calorie count is blown. But I have found that on a regular daily basis, if I am eating right and monitoring what I'm eating and exercising, it is really hard to eat the 1200 calories not to mention eating back the exercise calories. My tracker tells me I need to eat more when I submit for the day, but I'm full!

Any thoughts, suggestions?

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  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    Try swapping out low-calorie or diet options for full fat versions of foods. Instead of skim, drink 2% milk, and you get some extra calories that easily. Try unsalted almonds, greek yogurt, low-sodium/low-sugar peanut butter, avacados and other good fats/proteins to fill in your calorie gaps. My personal experience was that I was used to eating a small amount (around 900 calories) when I joined. People told me to eat 1200 or more so I tried it, and it worked. I had been stalled out at the same weight for months. When I started regularly getting my calorie intake I gained a couple of pounds and then started losing. Don't be afraid to eat a little more. It doesn't necessarily have to be higher quantities of food, it can just be better quality.
  • kristinpruis
    kristinpruis Posts: 8
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    so is it better to meet the calorie goal and not worry about going over fat, carbs etc. ?
  • curvygirl512
    curvygirl512 Posts: 423 Member
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    If you are close to 1200, don't worry about it. I fill up on vegetables (1/2 my plate) and am nearly always full before I reach 1200 calories. I (usually) vigorously monitor my fat intake, which also keeps my calorie totals down.

    Also take into account your metabolism, your age and your activity level.

    If you are still in doubt, consult your doctor or a dietition/nutritionist.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
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    so is it better to meet the calorie goal and not worry about going over fat, carbs etc. ?

    At first I'd focus on the calorie goal. There's some debate about the 1200 cal number but personally, when I joined I wasn't reaching it and I also wasn't losing weight. When I got my calories up I experienced a brief period of gain (about 2 lbs over 2 weeks) while my body adjusted and then I lost weight faster. Generally MFP recommends 1200 minimum because it's difficult to get all the nutrients you need on any less than that.

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