Has anyone upped their calories from 1200 cals?
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My limit is higher, but for the longest time I was averaging around 1100-1200 a day. The scale got stuck and it only moved again when I ate more for a few days. I feel like I am stuck on a plateau again, so I'm going to go over my calories and see if that helps. I think that was is important when you do this is that you are going over with healthy food and not crap. I've read (and said myself here) how much "zig-zagging" (over one day, under the next) helps, and I really think it does.0
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I just recently upped my calories to 1560 so that I will consume a little above my BMR. This is fairly new so I will see how it goes. My weight and height mirrors yours, so feel free to add me and we can do this together!0
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I haven't upped my calories. I make sure I at least eat my calories back. On most days I don't even meet my calorie goal. If you haven't seen a change in your weight do not stress over it. Sometimes the change comes in losing inches and our clothes fiting better. Also make sure you are varying your workouts. You can hit a plateau if you continue to do the same workouts every day day in and day out. Your body becomes used it and doesn't burn as many calories. Trying to change up your routine at least every week, if not every day. Keep up the hard work.0
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you have to do whats best for you. I TRY to keep as close to my 1200 as possible, however, I do up them from time to time. It jumps your metabolism. I was a Curves trainer and their diet went from 1200 cals for a week to 1500 for 2 weeks to 1800 for a week, then restarted the circle. You can't stay at 1200 for ever, you will plateau. also muscle weighs more than fat so don't be alarmed if you gain a little. I say if weight watchers was working for you stick with it, it seems to be one of the more proven ways of life. ( I never say diet), but try to track your cals just to see what you are doing. It just amazes me the fat, cals, and other goodies we have in our daily foods. Its a definite eye opener!!!!!! Good luck0
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I would go ahead and slowly increase and you will see results soon. To start I would try adding a home made shake to breakfast. 1/2 a banana, 1/2 cup frozen strawberries, 1 container 100 cal yogurt and 1 cup skim milk will easily tack on 280 calories without overwhelming your stomach. You have done great to stick with your plan so far, just need to tweak it and you should see some weight loss! Good luck!0
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I agree with the other posts, eating below 1200 calories is too low. I workout at least 5 times a week and eat back most of my exercise calories. Once or twice a week I have spike days which for me means that I eat at or above my BMR (whether I exercised or not), just making sure not to go over my maintenance calories. So far, following this plan has allowed me to consistently lose 2 pounds a week and I do not feel deprived at all.
I would recommend that you eat something 45 mins to an hour before working out, I try to do this when I workout in the evenings and it definitely helps with my energy level.
Once you find the mix that works for you, you will see results. Since you have increased your calories, try it out a little while and see if it works for you, identifying that something isn’t working is the key, you are well on your way to reaching your goals!0 -
I started my diet in January and I've been sticking to the 1200 calorie intake with hardly any exercise and I've lost 9lb!
Doesn't seem to have any side affects with me but I suppose that it deppends on how your own body works and how you feel comfortable with it.
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Hi I have been on MFP since the beginning of January and have lost only 1lb in weight! Prior to that I had been on Weight Watchers for 3 months and lost 16lbs!!
I left WW because I wanted to know how many calories I was eating rather than following their mysterious points system.
MFP put me on 1200 cals - I am 172lbs currently and want to get down to 133lbs. I am 5feet 2inches tall, age 46, and mainly sedentary. I am a vegetarian on a strict plant based diet. I never struggled 1200 cals anda lot of the time did not use all that allowance. I have also now started going to the gym a couple of times a week and do not always eat back my exercise calories.
Anyway for the longest time, I have been on this plateau of not losing weight, which was bad enough. But now I find I have hardly any energy, I have dark circles round my eyes, and basically feel really lethargic and de-motivated. So I have upped my intake to 1500 cals starting today.
I was just wondering whether anyone else has had similar experiences on 1200 cals, what did you do and what results have you had? Did it get you off your plateau?
If I was you I would consult a doctor. I'm not a doctor, but your symptoms that you describe, lack of energy, dark circle around your eyes sounds a lot like you my have Iron Deficiency Anemia, which is common for people following a stricted Vegetarian Diet. Iron Deficiency Anemia can also sabotage your weight progress, until you get it under control. Please consult a doctor immediately, and not rely on what other people have to say.0 -
Yep, I upped from 1200.
I was very bummed to see that my BMR is only 1290 or so though and my maintenance around only 1600.
I generally eat around 1370 (my MFP number for 0.5lb loss) plus almost but not quite all of my exercise calories (calculated using an HRM, some margin left to account for doing nothing burn). I'm still not losing and I'm getting very tired of it. I'm on the last 10lbs though so I am trying to focus on the fact that I am getting fitter (and not fatter) even though i'm not losing.0 -
I have not had to increase my intake because I eat better foods with less calories. Actually, after each meal I am full. As a result, i may reduce my intake because i consume alot of fruits and veggies daily: a least 2 whole pink grapefruits (luv them), salad leafs and chicken (jerked), fish and turkey. i am not real fond of starches but try to consume some daily: peanut butter crackers (4 pk). I have numerous food allergies which limit my variety but I have just explored more and create numerous meals.0
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I'm on 1200 calories for 6 days a week and my relax day I eat what I want within reason I have lost 15lbs in two months. Have you thought about zigzagging your calories?0
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Up your calories by eating back your exercise calories (at least some of them). This should spike your metabolism.0
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Everytime I have had a plateau, I have UPPED my calories and increased my cardio exercise while continuing to lift weights and do strength training. It has always worked for me.0
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ive lost 80 lbs all together and i eat way more than that. this year i lost 16lbs..i set my calorie goals at 1200 but usually eat anywhere from 1200-1400 easily. i work out a lot too but i just cant seem to get myself to eat all the calories this sight suggests.. if im hungry i eat more but typically just 1200-1400 seems to work for me0
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I started at 1200 as I am sedentary during the day. I lost weight the first week and then nothing for 2. I tried upping it to 1500...didn't seem to help so I did 1250 on non-workout days and on days I work out I eat 50-90% of my calories back. That was the perfect #'s for me! I have lost 15 pounds in the last 5 weeks. So I eat between 1250-1800 depending on my workouts. I feel great!, have so much energy and if I truly get hungry I will eat more. I use the 20 minute rule. 20 minutes After eating if I am still hungry I will have a little more. If my stomach is growling and I have been drinking my fluids like I am suppose to, I will eat a snack.
Just experiment with it till you find the scale moving again.0 -
I am so happy to see this thread! I have been at 1200 for a month and I workout everday and I have a very good diet and lost nothing! I got sick for about 3 weeks and gained 4lbs and struggling to lose it. I am 5.2" and 133 now. Can't get back downt to by comfy 129! I am going to up my calories and see if that helps. I do rememeber when I first joined my Dr. told me 1500 calories and I did get down to127 at one point. so frustrating. Maybe she was right!!
please feel free to add me, would love to see how everyone does uping their calories!0 -
I'm no doctor, but can speak from personal experience. In order to get off of a plateua, you need to up your calorie intake a little bit. Get your metabolism going again. If you feel tired like that, then you aren't getting enough to eat, and therefore probably not enough nutrition. (I'm currently recovering from EDNOS, which is basically anorexia and/or bulemia before you reach the 13% BMI criteria, and I know what not eating enough can do to your body. I suggest using the BMR calculator in the "Tools" section and eating by that.) If you exersize, the fat WILL come off. I don't say weight, because muscle weighs more than fat.0
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Mine is at 1670....and that is my setting to lose 1.5 pounds a week according to MFP. I've lost 15 pounds in 40 days...sooo guess it's working for me?0
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I asked the same question last week. I started on 1200 calories and was really struggling. Everyone advised to bump it up so I upped to 1300. That extra 100 makes a difference (at least mentally). I do eat my exercise calories back most of the time, too. I am 5'3' - have lost 14lbs since January 1st. Best wishes.0
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If you know your Big 3 you can adjust your body weight in either direction.
The Big 3:
TDEE aka maintenance.
BMR the absolute lowest calories for your vital organs to have proper nutrients to fully function WHILE IN A COMA OR BEDRIDDEN. Note: As soon as you are not in a coma or bedridden you MUST EAT MORE FOOD!
Body Fat % The ratio of fat to lean mass.
My suggestion to anyone eating 1200 calories is to go to Fat to Fit Radio and do the Military Body Fat calc then BMR tool.
The BMR tool will give you the EXACT amount of calories to eat daily depending on your current activity level.
If you add 20% to those calories youll get your TDEE.
The Fat to Fit BMR tool is like the scene in Matrix where Neo discovers hes been living in a computer!
SHOCKING!0 -
I started with 1200 calories too but after reading a lot about it I finally understood I was putting my body through a lot of stress and HUNGER! You should never STARVE your body, that's counterproductive for your exercise. I upped mine to 1400 and when I exercise I eat them all back (usually). So some days I will eat more than 2000 calories and I'm still losing steadily! I started losing more when I upped my calories, so don't be scared to do it yourself!0
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A friend of mine is a biochemist.. she is a book of knowledge and I pick her brain all the time. I was on 1200 cals for a long time and lost nothing. She recommended a good rule of thumb.. eat your weight + 0 (so for me, I'm in the 160's weight wise, so I eat 160+0 = 1,600 calories a day. So if you're 170... 1,700 calories would be good, and yes, this is to LOSE weight. Also, she recommended eating 60-80% calories if you do strenous workouts like lifting weights, running, Spin class, etc... in turn, don't document every little thing you do throughout the day like cleaning the kitchen, making dinner, grocery shopping LOL (lots of people log this as exercise but it's just daily living activities).. only gym time should be factored into those calories you "eat back"
Since I've made this switch I've lost almost 10 pounds since 1/1/12.
Really? I'm 230lbs....2300 cals seems like a lot to me. Hmm...0 -
Since you are vegetarian, the lack of energy and dark circles could be a nutrient deficiency. Do you take a good multivitamin or supplement of any kind? Are you getting enough B12, for instance? I am vegetarian and I monitor my nutrient intake as closely as I do my food intake. I am not trying to lose, just maintain my weight, and I have my calorie goal set @ 2k (plus my exercise calories per day), but I rarely make that...usually within 100-300 though. 1200 isn't very much but IF YOU ARE EATING RIGHT, you shouldn't feel the lethargy etc. that you describe...in my opinion, anyway.0
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Since you are vegetarian, the lack of energy and dark circles could be a nutrient deficiency. Do you take a good multivitamin or supplement of any kind? Are you getting enough B12, for instance? I am vegetarian and I monitor my nutrient intake as closely as I do my food intake. I am not trying to lose, just maintain my weight, and I have my calorie goal set @ 2k (plus my exercise calories per day), but I rarely make that...usually within 100-300 though. 1200 isn't very much but IF YOU ARE EATING RIGHT, you shouldn't feel the lethargy etc. that you describe...in my opinion, anyway.
Excellent point! I upped my calories to 1250, and MOST days I feel good and--for the most part--not hungry. I think some of this is due to the high fiber content of my diet, which is typically around 50 grams. That's a lot of volume eating!
But, I take vitamin B12 and vitamin D, along with iron and calcium. I think they help.0 -
Yes, and I'm so frustrated! I upped my calories to 1340 cals./day and I've gained 1.2 in a week! I exercise every day, and I've been burning an average of 2000 cals./week. I'm about to throw in the towel, but I'm going to keep on keepin' on. I typically can't eat my exercise calories, so I believe that's the problem. I try, but I'm truly not hungry. Help!0
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I am in the same boat (4'11 and chose to lose 2 pounds a week even though it says overall will be 1.2) and lost only 7 lbs since January 3, 2012. I have zig zaged my calories, cut sodium, work out 7 days, sometimes 6 days a week and the scale wont budge. I am afraid to up my calories, but I think I will have to do it for a trial and error. But gaining or not losing is a scary trial and error.
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A friend of mine is a biochemist.. she is a book of knowledge and I pick her brain all the time. I was on 1200 cals for a long time and lost nothing. She recommended a good rule of thumb.. eat your weight + 0 (so for me, I'm in the 160's weight wise, so I eat 160+0 = 1,600 calories a day. So if you're 170... 1,700 calories would be good, and yes, this is to LOSE weight. Also, she recommended eating 60-80% calories if you do strenous workouts like lifting weights, running, Spin class, etc... in turn, don't document every little thing you do throughout the day like cleaning the kitchen, making dinner, grocery shopping LOL (lots of people log this as exercise but it's just daily living activities).. only gym time should be factored into those calories you "eat back"
Since I've made this switch I've lost almost 10 pounds since 1/1/12.
Really? I'm 230lbs....2300 cals seems like a lot to me. Hmm...
If you work out 3-5 times a week it isnt.
And you have an advantage over most people right now!
You can, if you lift heavy 3x a week, build muscle while at a caloric deficit!
Something fun you can do to get yourself started....pick a room in the house you visit frequently.
Every time you go in that room do 12 proper push ups.
A proper push up is when you start out in a plank with your core completely tense and you PULL the ground to your body.
I bet in 1 week you can bang out 60-80 pushups and your arms, chest, abs, back, glutes will feel a lot stronger!
whats next? Google Pavel Pistol!
Now you dont need a gym! You can just do push ups and pistols and look AMAZING!!!!
ATP!!!!!!0 -
They use a formula to decide how many calories you should eat if you want to lose weight. some that don't have to lose as much will be at a higher calorie count per day. I'm also at 1200. 5'1 194 and want to be down at around 130. So I'm in the same boat as you! However, I've stuck to the 1200 and I've lost 22 lbs since November. I don't recommend just adding an extra 300 calories to your diet. 1500 -2000 is a maintain if you are a sedentary so you likely won't lose weight Here's what I recommend.
1. Exercise. - If you exercise you earn more calories. If you burn 600 you get another 600 to eat.
2. It's what you eat - it's not actually the calories that matter as much as what you eat. If you are eating a lot of proteins and carbs you will use up your quota for the day very quickly. If you try to eat lots of veggies you can almost eat them endlessly. I've been trying to eat veggies with every single meal That way you can eat more for less calories.
3. Fiber - I can't stress this enough. The higher the fibre content the slower it digests. This means your body is getting more nutrients out of the food you eat which will give you energy. It will also keep you fuller for longer. An apple for breakfast will keep you going until your snack at coffee break. Whole Grain Toast will make you fuller longer than white bread. It actually has more calories but the fibre offsets the insulin production so you actually store less fat!
So I would stick to the 1200 calories and try to adjust what you eat.
As a strict vegetarian (no meat, no dairy, no eggs, no fish) my diet is so healthy already I eat oatbran and soya milk for breakfast or some wholegrain toast, plain soya yoghurt and fruit for snacks, and a veg stir fry with tofu, or some roast vegetables for dinner. I use sweetener instead of sugar. I hear what your're saying - and I am so glad it has worked for you on 1200. I was doing the same as you - having 1200, doing exercise, sometimes eating back exercise cals, sometimes not. But the weight is just not moving!0 -
A friend of mine is a biochemist.. she is a book of knowledge and I pick her brain all the time. I was on 1200 cals for a long time and lost nothing. She recommended a good rule of thumb.. eat your weight + 0 (so for me, I'm in the 160's weight wise, so I eat 160+0 = 1,600 calories a day. So if you're 170... 1,700 calories would be good, and yes, this is to LOSE weight. Also, she recommended eating 60-80% calories if you do strenous workouts like lifting weights, running, Spin class, etc... in turn, don't document every little thing you do throughout the day like cleaning the kitchen, making dinner, grocery shopping LOL (lots of people log this as exercise but it's just daily living activities).. only gym time should be factored into those calories you "eat back"
Since I've made this switch I've lost almost 10 pounds since 1/1/12.
Really? I'm 230lbs....2300 cals seems like a lot to me. Hmm...
If you work out 3-5 times a week it isnt.
And you have an advantage over most people right now!
You can, if you lift heavy 3x a week, build muscle while at a caloric deficit!
Something fun you can do to get yourself started....pick a room in the house you visit frequently.
Every time you go in that room do 12 proper push ups.
A proper push up is when you start out in a plank with your core completely tense and you PULL the ground to your body.
I bet in 1 week you can bang out 60-80 pushups and your arms, chest, abs, back, glutes will feel a lot stronger!
whats next? Google Pavel Pistol!
Now you dont need a gym! You can just do push ups and pistols and look AMAZING!!!!
ATP!!!!!!
Hmm...interesting. Still scared to eat that much...but I might try the pushups, lol. When I start trying to figure out all the extra stuff I just get confused.0 -
Yes, and I'm so frustrated! I upped my calories to 1340 cals./day and I've gained 1.2 in a week! I exercise every day, and I've been burning an average of 2000 cals./week. I'm about to throw in the towel, but I'm going to keep on keepin' on. I typically can't eat my exercise calories, so I believe that's the problem. I try, but I'm truly not hungry. Help!
Don't give up! Perhaps after the initial gain, you might see a steady loss. I am dreading the possibility of gaining, but I have to try something, because at the the moment nothing seems to be happening!0
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