1200 calories and struggling!

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  • killagb
    killagb Posts: 3,280 Member
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    Drink 64 oz of water, eat healthy and you will be fine!

    Check out my site for food ideas:
    https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cooking-ideasHomemade-Healthy-Foods/179121125503371

    I've been told by my physical trainer to get in 94 ounces of water a day. Sounds like a lot at first, but it's so good for you.
    Totally unneccesary.
  • toffee322
    toffee322 Posts: 186 Member
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    same here.. i chose only to lose 0.5 lb a week and i only have 1200 ish calories and is usually couple hundreds since i exercise every day. but still not enough. i can basically eat 3 meals, no snacks if i want to keep it on track.. but i get hungry.. i dont like that feeling! :( so i have been eating over pretty much everyday :x..
  • woou
    woou Posts: 668 Member
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    Taking a particular multivit has helped me. Nothing else ever has.
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
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    Eat more.
    I was trying to find my maintenance cals and was eating 1700 cals a day. I started losing more on that a week than I ever did on 1200 cals.
  • AliciaJane82
    AliciaJane82 Posts: 13
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    I was at 1200 and found that not only was I hungry, I actually gained weight. I upped my calories to 1440 and I've lost 2 lbs just in the past week (actually it was like 5 days in ). My body wasn't getting enough fuel at 1200 calories...
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
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    Eat your exercise calories, eat lots of proteins and veggies!
  • aiyana1228
    aiyana1228 Posts: 100 Member
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    Looking at your diary shows that you tend to eat several things that are low volume high calorie foods. (The banana is fine). I suggest that you look over the past week and think about other choices you could make in the future that would include things that would give you a higher volume with lower calories. For example. One of the days you ate a cup of broccoli and a cup of scaloped potatos. The potatos were about 4 times the calories of the broccoli. You could have had 4 cups of veggies in place of that 1 cup of potatos. (maybe 2 cups of broccoli and 1/2 cup of potatos? Just makiing little changes will make all of the difference. Note: if you are short like I am no BMR is going to give you more than that 1200 base rate. I just make sure I get in excercise and make good choices.
  • dubois75
    dubois75 Posts: 7
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    I've been using MFP for about a month and just this week decided to change my daily cal to 1500. It is a struggle, but like everything else, we start a program and need to learn to adjust it to work for US!! Change your daily cal and go from there.
  • sharleengc
    sharleengc Posts: 792 Member
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    I struggled at 1200...i bumped it up to 1lb a week which gave me 1370 and I find I do a lot better!
  • lind3400
    lind3400 Posts: 557 Member
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    While we are on the topic of eating your exercise calories....if anyone reads this lol....why does MFP warn you about eating too few calories when ur under your calorie goal with no exercise for the day...but when you exercise and don't eat back all your exercise calories and you still have some left over it doesn't warn you???
  • STARSHINE1975
    STARSHINE1975 Posts: 182
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    I have my calories set to 1600 and I'm still losing because of my food choices and the fact that I lift weights. Feel free to take a look at my diary. I'm usually stuffed by the end of the day. Lots of veggies, protein and fresh food. Less processed foods. You'll eat a ton and shed weight.

    1400 is a good amount for women IMO. I do 1600 because I lift heavy weights and I need to fuel those muscles. And eat back most of your exercise calories!! =)
  • heatherblose21
    heatherblose21 Posts: 12
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    My doctor told me to eat 1200 cals a day. And, the first few days were extremely hard. I never realized how many cals were in every daily thing I was eating. What really helped me was having a Slim Fast 180-200 cal shake for breakfast. The Rich Royale Chocolate and Rich Creamy Chocolate taste like chocolate milk. They keep you full for a few hours and by the time your hungry it's time for a 100 cal snack. I eat 1200 or a little less a day for the past 10 days and I promise it does get easier. It takes patience and a bit of hunger the first few days.
  • blasiansrus
    blasiansrus Posts: 151
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    1200 is too low for most people! If you're hungry then eat! Forget 1200 calories. It's not enough for you personally if you're always hungry
  • Kushgetti
    Kushgetti Posts: 146 Member
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    i agree looking at ur diary, its alot of breads and pasta not enuff meat and fiber....as previously drink before a meal
  • bonniejc4
    bonniejc4 Posts: 12 Member
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    I eat tons of baby carrots, grape tomatoes and light dips like hummus, light ranch, and drink tons of tea and coffee with light coffeemate and splenda. There are a lot of great soups too that are filling, healthy and very low in calories. Poached eggs and egg whites are great for protein.
  • lin7604
    lin7604 Posts: 3,019 Member
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    After looking at your diary you may want to reconsider bananas and all the bread and biscuits.

    bananas are good but you need about 1/2 a regular size banana a day. if you want to eat the whole banana that day, eat half early then the other half later

    whats the reason for that?
  • killagb
    killagb Posts: 3,280 Member
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    While we are on the topic of eating your exercise calories....if anyone reads this lol....why does MFP warn you about eating too few calories when ur under your calorie goal with no exercise for the day...but when you exercise and don't eat back all your exercise calories and you still have some left over it doesn't warn you???
    Because not everyone uses the tool the exact same way. You should only eat back your exercise calories if you log your exercise and aren't accounting for it elsewhere. Other people opt to just set their activity level to active or something like that, which includes more activity in the day, giving you a higher calorie goal. These people will have the same daily goals as they are accounting for the exercise at the activity level. Either of these scenarios would still be considered eating your exercise calories, but in the 2nd case, it's not so much that you're eating them 'back' as they are there all along.
  • killagb
    killagb Posts: 3,280 Member
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    After looking at your diary you may want to reconsider bananas and all the bread and biscuits.

    bananas are good but you need about 1/2 a regular size banana a day. if you want to eat the whole banana that day, eat half early then the other half later

    whats the reason for that?
    tumblr_lwvp2zu9tt1qc8kay.png
  • skywa
    skywa Posts: 901 Member
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    eat more!

    1200 isnt enough

    calculate your TDEE and then subtract 300-400 cals from that.

    also if your still hungry, eat back your exercise calories.

    i dont even work out most days and i eat 1700 and am still losing at 122.

    do not fear the calories. eat them all. you deserve it!
  • jessmsu81
    jessmsu81 Posts: 23
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    I try to keep my intake around 1200 (more if I get in a good workout) and I'm rarely hungry. As others have said... drink LOTS of water and make sure you focus on increasing your protein, that will help keep you full and satisfied. On a good day... I only do a serving of grains/carbs at breakfast/lunch - not dinner. I eat 5 times a day -- breakfast/lunch/dinner + 2 snacks -- all prepared at home.

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