Reaching 1200 calories

13

Replies

  • toniace1
    toniace1 Posts: 17
    lol
  • TrophyWifeSass
    TrophyWifeSass Posts: 490 Member
    but i want to eat healthy.

    so ditch the lean cuisine.

    This.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    Just a quick FYI that this post will not go well.
    So on with it...

    Most 1200 calorie diets fall below your BMR.
    This is bad.
    You lose lean mass as well as fat.

    Boost the calories up to 1600 a day and lose the same weight at a more sustainable level and you not only get better nutrients but your energy levels will be high enough to get the best from your training.

    As you lose weight and improve lean mass you will be able to eat more.

    1600 calories for a woman? That seems really high?1

    Most women who are over 5'5" and work out 3 times a week have a TDEE of appx 2500 calories or higher depending on their weight and body fat.
    Take 20% from that to lose weight.
    Drop further to lose lean mass.....=(
  • cakeums
    cakeums Posts: 228 Member
    Just a quick FYI that this post will not go well.
    So on with it...

    Most 1200 calorie diets fall below your BMR.
    This is bad.
    You lose lean mass as well as fat.

    Boost the calories up to 1600 a day and lose the same weight at a more sustainable level and you not only get better nutrients but your energy levels will be high enough to get the best from your training.

    As you lose weight and improve lean mass you will be able to eat more.

    1600 calories for a woman? That seems really high?1

    MFP has me set at 1830 for my net, which is in line with the metabolic breath testing my doctor gave me. I am a woman. I am losing weight. If I eat 1200 a day I don't lose...tried it in the past and it simply doesn't work for longer than a week or two.
  • cakeums
    cakeums Posts: 228 Member
    To the OP, don't assume that because someone is a stay-at-home-mom they have money, or time to cook extravagant meals. I am a SAHM who works at night on the weekends (well, I'm a student right now too, so even more poor than usual since I am a non-matric student and cannot get aid or loans), so I don't have a ton of money or time for cooking. I still manage to eat healthy foods. Go to the store and get some apples, red grapes, celery, baby carrots, bananas, oranges, and so on. Buy either chicken breasts or nut butters and eggs for protein. Get some whole grain bread (doesn't cost more than white), some frozen veggies, and so on. I bet you can get everything you need for the week for under $40. I can shop for a family of 4 for under $125 a week, and buy wholesome foods.
  • TluvK
    TluvK Posts: 733 Member
    Just a quick FYI that this post will not go well.
    So on with it...

    Most 1200 calorie diets fall below your BMR.
    This is bad.
    You lose lean mass as well as fat.

    Boost the calories up to 1600 a day and lose the same weight at a more sustainable level and you not only get better nutrients but your energy levels will be high enough to get the best from your training.

    As you lose weight and improve lean mass you will be able to eat more.

    1600 calories for a woman? That seems really high?1

    I hope you're kidding.
  • fearlessbetz
    fearlessbetz Posts: 97 Member
    Just a quick FYI that this post will not go well.
    So on with it...

    Most 1200 calorie diets fall below your BMR.
    This is bad.
    You lose lean mass as well as fat.

    Boost the calories up to 1600 a day and lose the same weight at a more sustainable level and you not only get better nutrients but your energy levels will be high enough to get the best from your training.

    As you lose weight and improve lean mass you will be able to eat more.

    1600 calories for a woman? That seems really high?1

    Actually that is on the lower end for a woman.
  • cakeums
    cakeums Posts: 228 Member
    You will probably save money over that Lean Cuisine crap too. And if you were eating 2500 cal/day before, you don't need to cut your intake to under half that. Your body won't know what to do with itself! Try going to 1600-1800 a day and I bet you will see a difference. It isn't hard to up your calories even if you don't have much of an appetite - just eat calorie-dense foods like nuts, cheeses, add some olive oil to your veggies, etc.
  • skywa
    skywa Posts: 901 Member
    just eat normally for a couple days. it'll boost your appetite.

    also, nothing frozen and microvable is especially nutritious imo.
    just eat a normal balanced diet with lots of protein instead.
  • kikik817
    kikik817 Posts: 1
    New to this site...I find eating fruits, veggies, lean proteins does make it difficult to get 1200 calories! However, I found making a Chobani smoothie and having an ounce of pistachios or almonds for snacks and cooking with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil helps me get my calories in. Even if the number on the scale is slower going down I am definitely losing inches, clothes fit much looser! So, my advice is as long as you are eating enough fruits and veggies getting some healthy fats in your diet should notice a difference in HOW YOU FEEL! Best of luck and hang in there!
  • jazzalea
    jazzalea Posts: 412 Member
    I'm having the same problem!.... I'm having a really hard time meeting my 1200 calories and that's before I work out for the day. I KNOW I'm burning muscle as well as fat and thats bad.... I've been resorting to having a chocolate bar, or potato chips to boost my calories quickly and I know that's not good either but the thought of eating heavier foods really stresses me....

    I'm now trying to add cheese and eggs back in to give myself proteins and I'm adding fruits to give myself that sugar rush and they just sit better in my tummy. Also funny enough, Diet shakes made with whole milk are a good way for me to get an extra "meal" in.

    Just some suggestions
  • ChRiStA_1983
    ChRiStA_1983 Posts: 380 Member
    I personally will never understand the person who says that they're having difficulty reaching 1200 calories per day....Let's be honest. None of us became overweight because we had difficulty eating 1200 calories per day. We were eating well OVER that amount, which is what caused us to be overweight in the first place......

    Eat more healthy food. If you're having difficulty meeting your 1200 calorie goal, eat raw whole cashews. 1/4 of a cup is 170 calories; therefore, 1/3 of a cup is 211 calories, and 1/2 a cup is 320. That's a pretty easy (and healthy) way to increase your calorie intake without feeling too full....
  • llamalauren
    llamalauren Posts: 20 Member
    ditto that
  • catic
    catic Posts: 156
    Just a quick FYI that this post will not go well.
    So on with it...

    Most 1200 calorie diets fall below your BMR.
    This is bad.
    You lose lean mass as well as fat.

    Boost the calories up to 1600 a day and lose the same weight at a more sustainable level and you not only get better nutrients but your energy levels will be high enough to get the best from your training.

    As you lose weight and improve lean mass you will be able to eat more.

    1600 calories for a woman? That seems really high?1

    Most women who are over 5'5" and work out 3 times a week have a TDEE of appx 2500 calories or higher depending on their weight and body fat.
    Take 20% from that to lose weight.
    Drop further to lose lean mass.....=(
    Teach me, What the heck is a TDEE?
  • llamalauren
    llamalauren Posts: 20 Member
    as do i
  • jazzalea
    jazzalea Posts: 412 Member
    Just a quick FYI that this post will not go well.
    So on with it...

    Most 1200 calorie diets fall below your BMR.
    This is bad.
    You lose lean mass as well as fat.

    Boost the calories up to 1600 a day and lose the same weight at a more sustainable level and you not only get better nutrients but your energy levels will be high enough to get the best from your training.

    As you lose weight and improve lean mass you will be able to eat more.

    1600 calories for a woman? That seems really high?1

    Actually that is on the lower end for a woman.

    Well Then MFP has some explaining to do because that's what it set for me when I filled out the diet profile thingy mcgee :)
  • catic
    catic Posts: 156
    Just a quick FYI that this post will not go well.
    So on with it...

    Most 1200 calorie diets fall below your BMR.
    This is bad.
    You lose lean mass as well as fat.

    Boost the calories up to 1600 a day and lose the same weight at a more sustainable level and you not only get better nutrients but your energy levels will be high enough to get the best from your training.

    As you lose weight and improve lean mass you will be able to eat more.

    1600 calories for a woman? That seems really high?1

    I hope you're kidding.

    Nope, I'm new to this, I obiovusly am still learning! Why does MFP say 1200? How much should I eat a day then?
  • llamalauren
    llamalauren Posts: 20 Member
    thank you :)
  • cakeums
    cakeums Posts: 228 Member
    Just a quick FYI that this post will not go well.
    So on with it...

    Most 1200 calorie diets fall below your BMR.
    This is bad.
    You lose lean mass as well as fat.

    Boost the calories up to 1600 a day and lose the same weight at a more sustainable level and you not only get better nutrients but your energy levels will be high enough to get the best from your training.

    As you lose weight and improve lean mass you will be able to eat more.

    1600 calories for a woman? That seems really high?1

    Actually that is on the lower end for a woman.

    Well Then MFP has some explaining to do because that's what it set for me when I filled out the diet profile thingy mcgee :)

    What do you have your lifestyle and your pounds per week set at? For example, mine is lightly active and I want to lose 1lb/week. I currently weigh 201lbs and get 1830/day.
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
    I agree with the above poster about ditching the LC. Also, try introducing more natural, whole foods that have more nutrition versus the stripped diet-type non fat, low caloric foods

    this, double this ^
  • TluvK
    TluvK Posts: 733 Member
    Just a quick FYI that this post will not go well.
    So on with it...

    Most 1200 calorie diets fall below your BMR.
    This is bad.
    You lose lean mass as well as fat.

    Boost the calories up to 1600 a day and lose the same weight at a more sustainable level and you not only get better nutrients but your energy levels will be high enough to get the best from your training.

    As you lose weight and improve lean mass you will be able to eat more.

    1600 calories for a woman? That seems really high?1

    I hope you're kidding.

    Nope, I'm new to this, I obiovusly am still learning! Why does MFP say 1200? How much should I eat a day then?

    I'm sorry - sometimes it's hard to know if someone is joking on here. TDEE is the number of calories you burn in a day, so as he pointed out, you want to consume %20 of that to continue to lose weight. I like this calculator: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html For instance, I work out 6-7 days per week, with an average burn of 500-700 calories just from exercise. I average, per day, over 2,000 calories consumed. If I didn't exercise, I would STILL eat over or around 1,600 calories.

    It's different for everyone, but my experiences have been, the more I eat, the more I maintain (I'm not trying to lose). But, I also eat a lot of whole foods, lots of GOOD fats and exercise a lot.
  • jazzalea
    jazzalea Posts: 412 Member
    I personally will never understand the person who says that they're having difficulty reaching 1200 calories per day....Let's be honest. None of us became overweight because we had difficulty eating 1200 calories per day. We were eating well OVER that amount, which is what caused us to be overweight in the first place......

    Eat more healthy food. If you're having difficulty meeting your 1200 calorie goal, eat raw whole cashews. 1/4 of a cup is 170 calories; therefore, 1/3 of a cup is 211 calories, and 1/2 a cup is 320. That's a pretty easy (and healthy) way to increase your calorie intake without feeling too full....


    hey in my prime I could/have taken down two big mac's with Large Fries and a Large Diet (don't laugh) Coke and finish it up with a hot fudge sundae or an apple pie, then finish off my kids fries quick before their ice cream melted lol .... and seriously not thought twice about it and still go home and eat a full course meal.... for laughs I should log it and see how many calories I would consume at a time.....

    But I really do struggle now to meet that 1200 mark and I find it honestly frustrating to get scolded every day for falling short. It makes me not want to log my food at all but then I worry that I would end up eating even less without that daily scolding :P
  • promise4life
    promise4life Posts: 3
    My BMR is 1252 (essentially 1200) and generally I eat very healthy and "clean", but I have this problem often, too. Although I eat several small meals throughout the day, drink plenty of water and tea, am relatively active (when I'm not at work - or when I am - I take the stairs, stretch, try to walk around, etc.) but I get hungry a LOT.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    TDEE is Total Daily Energy Expenditure in calories!
    How many calories you burn every 24hours!
    You eat below this you lose weight!
    You eat above this you gain weight!
    Easy as that!

    Its a part of the big 3!
    TDEE
    BMR
    Body Fat %

    If you dont have a grasp on these numbers its going to be hard losing weight!

    Ultimately we would want to maintain all lean mass while losing weight.
    Thats why I hide my scale and hang my measuring tape in the bathroom.

    See, we have some people on here who feel that losing weight is all out calorie restriction!
    Unfortunately the human body can only lose so much fat in a day.
    So If you could lose 1lb a week of fat eating higher calories and not being hungry...why settle for 1200 calories or lower?
    Why lose lean mass with fat?
    Its shocking that MFP hasnt adjusted the settings to start people out with higher calories than 1200.

    The average human is over 5 feet tall!
  • renaconnor
    renaconnor Posts: 38 Member
    I say ditch the lean cuisine too!! I switched to lean meats, veggies, fruits, and for healthy fat some Flax Seed Oil and I'm often under 1200 but I still lose. The stronger my workouts get I add almonds, brown rice, things that move through the body easy. Alot of low-calorie processed food would make me nauseous too!!
  • biscuit71
    biscuit71 Posts: 43 Member
    Be careful with the Lean Cuisine meals as well as the other "lean" frozen dinners. They are very high in sodium and carbs.

    You need to net at least 1200 calories or your body with go into a starvation mode and will start storing the fat that it is getting. Good luck!!
  • HonkyTonks
    HonkyTonks Posts: 1,193 Member
    I've been doing the lean cuisine diet; eating a small breakfast and a lean cuisine meal for lunch and dinner, and small healthy snacks in-between. But as if lately I've been only eating when I feel hungry and my body doesn't show signs that I'm hungry until I start to feel nauseous. I've been forcing myself lately to reach my 1200 calorie goal limit and it's been hard.I usually only eat about 800 calories a day. I feel like I'm forcing myself to eat. Is there anyway to overcome this? I feel like I'm going to have to start eating higher calorie meals in order to reach my 1200 calorie goal but i want to eat healthy.

    Eat real whole food, not diet foods. Eat peanut butter/avocado/olive oil in small amounts, these are nutrient dense and contain calories.
  • jrcox520
    jrcox520 Posts: 130 Member
    You guys have a lot to learn. Except for the three of you that advocate eating smart instead of eating small. What really pisses me off is you people who say things like "OMFG you had to eat more than 1200/day to get fat lol!" Maybe *you* did, honey, but that's not how this always works. Do more homework then post.
  • catic
    catic Posts: 156
    Just a quick FYI that this post will not go well.
    So on with it...

    Most 1200 calorie diets fall below your BMR.
    This is bad.
    You lose lean mass as well as fat.

    Boost the calories up to 1600 a day and lose the same weight at a more sustainable level and you not only get better nutrients but your energy levels will be high enough to get the best from your training.

    As you lose weight and improve lean mass you will be able to eat more.

    1600 calories for a woman? That seems really high?1

    I hope you're kidding.

    Nope, I'm new to this, I obiovusly am still learning! Why does MFP say 1200? How much should I eat a day then?

    I'm sorry - sometimes it's hard to know if someone is joking on here. TDEE is the number of calories you burn in a day, so as he pointed out, you want to consume %20 of that to continue to lose weight. I like this calculator: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html For instance, I work out 6-7 days per week, with an average burn of 500-700 calories just from exercise. I average, per day, over 2,000 calories consumed. If I didn't exercise, I would STILL eat over or around 1,600 calories.

    It's different for everyone, but my experiences have been, the more I eat, the more I maintain (I'm not trying to lose). But, I also eat a lot of whole foods, lots of GOOD fats and exercise a lot.

    OK so if my TDEE (based on the site you posted) is 2407, I was to consume 20% less than that a day, to still lose weight. So technically I could consume up to approx. 1900 calories daily and still lose weight?
  • jazzalea
    jazzalea Posts: 412 Member
    Just a quick FYI that this post will not go well.
    So on with it...

    Most 1200 calorie diets fall below your BMR.
    This is bad.
    You lose lean mass as well as fat.

    Boost the calories up to 1600 a day and lose the same weight at a more sustainable level and you not only get better nutrients but your energy levels will be high enough to get the best from your training.

    As you lose weight and improve lean mass you will be able to eat more.

    1600 calories for a woman? That seems really high?1

    Actually that is on the lower end for a woman.

    Well Then MFP has some explaining to do because that's what it set for me when I filled out the diet profile thingy mcgee :)

    What do you have your lifestyle and your pounds per week set at? For example, mine is lightly active and I want to lose 1lb/week. I currently weigh 201lbs and get 1830/day.


    I'm 5'5 and currently 170 lbs. I have my lifestyle set to active because I am VERY active for most of the day and I have it set to lose 2lbs a week out of habit because it's been there since I started. I'm not actually worried about it being so low... my concern is actually that I have trouble meeting it at 1200, when I know I should be eating closer to 1800-2000 to really effectively burn the fat and build muscle.....
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