Calories per day......

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....having real trouble at the moment sticking to my 1200 cals a day and binge eating, somebody recommended increasing my intake but MFP says that if I do that I'll put weight on!!......appreciate any advice or tips....especially many to curb my hunger....have tried lots of water and apples, nothing seems to work at the moment............
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Replies

  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Fiber, protein, water, and mental fortitude. It'll happen, but you have to train yourself. The cravings don't go away automatically.

    Is the binging an emotional response, or...?

    Oh, and if you up your cals slightly from 1200 I HIGHLY doubt it'll cause you to put weight on.
  • leanmachinedream
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    I looked back a few days in your diary and you need to change what you eat, especially for breakfast. You're just having coffee and a piece of fruit. That isn't very filling and is probably part of the reason you're starving.

    You need to eat better lunches, too, I see a lot of the time it's just fruit. That's nothing! Fruit is a good snack but hardly a good meal.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    With only 16 lbs to go your weekly loss goal should be set at 0.5 or 1lb/week at most. Try changing your goal this will give you more calories. You can also throw in a bit more exercise as when you exercise you need to eat more, and MFP will add the cals in for you.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    What Eric said. And ensure you are eating 50-75% of your exercise calories as well.
  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
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    More protein and a nice protein filled breakfast, eggs, greek yogurt, grilled chicken and/or fish. And try not to drink your calories, your morning coffee has enough calories to be a full meal.
  • TwinMumCork
    TwinMumCork Posts: 125 Member
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    Yes I would recommend protein its a great way to keep you full, even a very milky coffee can help rather than just black. I always find fruit makes me more hungry as its full of sugar and spikes your glucose levels, eaten with some protein like some nuts will help keep you hungry for longer. Eat decent lunches and dinners and try to have one treat rather than binging.

    Good luck.
  • leanmachinedream
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    I noticed one day in your diary you had 1000 calories in snacks before lunch, and then for lunch you had a piece of fruit. What time was this 'snack' where you were really hungry?

    I would try for 5 small meals a day. The food in my diary is not the picture for perfection - but the time schedule I have works really well for me and I do not feel hungry. When I'm eating the right foods and not going out of town, I'm sticking to my calorie limit and still having 5 filling meals a day.

    For me, when I saw my diary was "breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack", it messed with my brain and my eating for some reason. When I changed it to specific times it helped me eat much better.
  • Sweetpopcorn619
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    Apples make me feel more hungry with some reason so I changed to eat bananas instead and it does keep you feel full for a while...

    Try to eat more small portions per day and it does make you feel full all the time...

    Good luck!!!
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    Look at the quality of food and plan snacks through out the day so you feel more full.. like maybe some Yogurt in the morning, then maybe a healthy snack a couple hours later and then a good lunch.. followed by another snack after couple hours and then you are good till dinner.
  • beccadaniixox
    beccadaniixox Posts: 542 Member
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    1200 is the lowest deficit MFP will let you have. The only way to gain weight would be to go over your Maintenance calories.
    But if you feel 1200 is too few, then feel free to up them a little. This journey is to help you maintain a weight you love yourself at. And you shouldn't feel deprived at any point.
  • strunkm4
    strunkm4 Posts: 266
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    Start out with a strong breakfast. Something with whole grains, fiber, and a little bit of protein. I'm a snacker too, but I just try to eat a good breakfast, 3 smaller snack-type meals, dinner, and then sometimes an evening snack. I'm at 1200 calories a day too, and sometimes I have those days where I'm just feeling like if I don't excersie I'm going to go above and beyond my daily allotment. But just remember, in order to keep your body in check, you should be eating at least your 1200 calories a day. Don't focus on trying to be way under everyday, focus on trying to meet that 1200 and if you go a little bit over, it's no big deal.
  • NKF92879
    NKF92879 Posts: 601 Member
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    I've found I can't deal with the 1200 calories a day, either. I had to change my settings to lose 1/2 pound per week, giving me a NET calorie goal of 1330. I know it means that it'll take longer for me to lose weight, but I could see myself giving up the other way. I guess I'd rather take a year to lose the next ten pounds than be hungry all the time and give up.
  • jrusso28
    jrusso28 Posts: 249 Member
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    Cut back on the sugars, they tend to make you more hungry.
    Instead substitute proteins and fiber.

    You'll stay full, you'll feel the difference really fast.
  • lisa28115
    lisa28115 Posts: 17,271 Member
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    1200 is the lowest deficit MFP will let you have. The only way to gain weight would be to go over your Maintenance calories.
    But if you feel 1200 is too few, then feel free to up them a little. This journey is to help you maintain a weight you love yourself at. And you shouldn't feel deprived at any point.

    MFP has me at 1200 calories per day....
    i always eat back my exercise calories
    have not lost any weight:sad:

    do i have my goals set wrong?
    am i eating too much?
    am i eating the wrong things?
    am i not exercising enough?
    i am so confused right now:cry:
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    1200 is the lowest deficit MFP will let you have. The only way to gain weight would be to go over your Maintenance calories.
    But if you feel 1200 is too few, then feel free to up them a little. This journey is to help you maintain a weight you love yourself at. And you shouldn't feel deprived at any point.

    MFP has me at 1200 calories per day....
    i always eat back my exercise calories
    have not lost any weight:sad:

    do i have my goals set wrong?
    am i eating too much?
    am i eating the wrong things?
    am i not exercising enough?
    i am so confused right now:cry:

    It's possible your goals are too aggressive. Try setting your goal at 1 lb per week and eat back 50-75% of your exercise calories. Also, eating below your BMR isn't smart as it will cause your metabolism to slow down.
  • Angelhurt
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    don't eat back your excercise calores
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    1200 is the lowest deficit MFP will let you have. The only way to gain weight would be to go over your Maintenance calories.
    But if you feel 1200 is too few, then feel free to up them a little. This journey is to help you maintain a weight you love yourself at. And you shouldn't feel deprived at any point.

    MFP has me at 1200 calories per day....
    i always eat back my exercise calories
    have not lost any weight:sad:

    do i have my goals set wrong?
    am i eating too much?
    am i eating the wrong things?
    am i not exercising enough?
    i am so confused right now:cry:

    do i have my goals set wrong? maybe, here is a guide for setting weekly weight loss goals:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

    am i eating too much? Maybe, depending on how you are calculating calories burned (if you use the machine or MFP I would only eat back 60-75% of them, if you are using a HRM 90-100%)

    am i eating the wrong things? For weight loss it is all about calories in vs. calories out (you may be under estimating how much you are eating. If you are not already, try weighing solids and measuring liquids

    am i not exercising enough? This will have a 0 sum effect as you are supposed to eat those cals back anyway. MFP is set up so you lose your goal amount of weight with no exercise.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    don't eat back your excercise calores

    That is not good advice, maybe don't eat all of them as the cals burned may be over estimated, but MFP is set up so you must eat them (if they are correct) in order for you to lose your goal amount of weight.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    don't eat back your excercise calores

    Thanks for supporting/explaining your recommendation. This is so helpful.
  • Angelhurt
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    definitely look at what you are eating....can you find substitutes that are not so bad? if your eating fruit with you poridge then you could cut out having the 'syrup' flavour and have plain. breakfast cereals aren't always the healthiest thing to eat instead of a meal....try swapping for all-bran or have something else instead....Matzo crackers are only 18cals each...add some smoked salmon and cottage cheese...a healthy, filling lunch/large snack, healthy and low in cals :)

    everyone struggles with a binge..don't worry just don't make a habbit of it xx