1200 Calories...how?

Also, I do have medical issues which is why I checked with 3 doctors before I did this. I don't count exercise calories either. I haven't eaten fast food in 5 months nor any white , like bread, rice, potatoes, pizza. It is working. As far as Starvation Mode, the DOCTOR says it is only if you eat 300 calories for many , many months. We have a lot of extra, our body is not gonna start eating our organs.

I'm on 1200... for now Feel free to take a peek at my diary It's hard at first, but I'm a month into it and I don't feel it anymore.

I'm on 1200 calories also. Exercise is really the key for me. I try to do 60 minutes of cardio (usually walking on the treadmill at a very brisk pace and moderate incline) five times a week, and on those days I do the cardio, I am consistently under the number of calories I can eat when the day is done. When I don't do the cardio, it's hard to stay at 1200. I've modified my snacks also. Now snacks for me are vegetables and hummus, almonds, fruit. And I do pay attention to getting at least my 8 glasses of water a day, although I'm not certain if that makes a big difference or not.

I just looked at your food diary. I will give you an example of a day of eating for myself. 1 c. Raisin Bran with a 1/2 cup (or less) of organic milk. Sometimes a thin bagel toasted to go with it. Lunch is Salad or a vegetable and sometimes a SMALL portion of left overs from the night before. Today's lunch will be my other half of my steak and chicken fajita dinner (1 tortilla) from Chile's. If I am still hungry after that I will either fix me some vegetables or fruit to snack on or I will make a smoothie with 3 tablespoons of yogurt, half a cup of frozen strawberries and a cup or two of milk to thin it out. That ends up getting split between myself and my 3 boys so I take in half a cup of it. It always help knock that faint hunger feeling off. Dinners I make homemade chili or bake chicken breast. Something lean no fat on it. I serve it with one starch and at least 2 vegetables. I do mine within proper portions and my starch is the smallest portioned item on my plate if I serve myself a starch at all. Sometimes I replace the starch on my plate with a salad to go with the other two vegetables and lean meat. I will sometimes eat a yogurt before I settle in to watch a movie for the evening if I am craving something sweet. I noticed your portions are more on some things and a lot of sugar and carbs. Carbs and sugar causes your body to feel hungry more, because your body is burning the carbs and sugar (which form glucose) more than it will the fat. Your body needs protein and lean fats to feel full and fueled. It will also help your energy level get boosted.

I think it also depends on how you are mentally with food lots struggle as they comfort eat its not always proper hunger as you are hungry its mental hunger if anyone and theres lots here who comfort eat you'll know the difference.I know when I first start a healthly plan I am cutting my calories alot so it takes a whilke to get used to the much lower calories as siad maybe set your cals higher what have you got for loss? 05lbs a week 1lbs 1.5lbs 2 lbs? Trial and error on eating exercise calories as I read here alot x

I am on 1200 and am staying pretty full. I eat lots of protein (am usually over) I try to eat before I get hungry so that I stay full. I also drink lots of water. I try to snack on things that are not very calorie dense so I can have a good meal. I usually eat oatmeal at breakfast and then 1 or 2 snacks before lunch because I start work at 7:30 but don't have lunch until 1:00 or 1:30. I avoid carby foods like rice & pasta becuase they way high in calories and don't keep me feeling full.

I was having a lot of trouble hitting even 1300 calories. I ended up changing my target to 1/2 pound loss per week instead of 1 pound loss per week so I'd have a few hundred more calories to play with.

No sense in being in a rush if it leads to a miserably restrictive plan I have trouble sticking to!

wow youve ;ost 116lbs is that using mfp how long did it take? WEll done

I notice that if I have a protein shake to start my day...it hold's me longer. I try to cut carbs after three...but even if I have a salad or a protein shake for dinner there are a couple carbs. Whatcha gonna do??? right! I also sometimes have to eat back some exersice calories...when you have a hard weight training session you just need some extra calories on those days.

I'm on 1200 cals a day and so far have stuck to it very well (8lbs lost in 4 weeks, woop!) I will admit that it is much harder on the days that I don't exercise though!

Some things that have helped me:

1) Switching from Special K for breakfast to porridge. Porridge keeps me much fuller for longer than 30 paltry grams of that cardboard-flavoured rabbit food I was eating before, and tastes much better! I find that I don't start to feel hungry until about noon now, whereas before I usually had a mid-morning snack to keep the tummy rumbles away!

2) Drinking herbal tea instead of 'normal' tea with milk. Saves 15 cals per cup and counts towards your water target.

3) Cutting down the portion size of my evening meal and not going back for seconds! (It is OK to leave some for tomorrow!). If I am still hungry after my evening meal, and if I have the calories left, I eat a Muller Rice pot - they are delicious and really filling so stop me snacking in the evenings.

Good luck!

Egg whites - boiled, omlette, dry-fried, any which way, they are my saviour!

Those and cooked fine green beans to pad almost all my meals out.

PS> I am on the 1200 a day too - it's hard and I usually go over but that's ok as long as exercising keeps the calories within goal.