1200 and Hungry

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  • LPS1986
    LPS1986 Posts: 104
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    I am new to Myfitnesspal and I'm set at 1200 calories/ day. However, lately, I have found myself hungry late night. I have 23 calories left for the day and I am so Hungry. What can I eat that's not too much over my daily goal of 1200 calories? Thanks!

    You should probably adjust your calorie intake. I almost always go over my calories somehow but I exercise 6 days a week and only eat back half those burned. Honestly, MFP is usually a larger deficit than a pound a week. I lose two pounds a week, average with the 500 calorie deficit.
  • reneeileen
    reneeileen Posts: 455 Member
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    I keep crunchy vegetables around like carrots and sugar snap peas. That helps when the snacking urge comes on but I think it helps to set yourself up for success early in the day. I try and get in some high protein, high fiber, and high water content foods in early. For me, these are things like shredded wheat, berries, an egg, almonds, a salad with homemade vinaigrette. When I'm feeling super hungry, I'll drink a big glass of water before I eat. It helps take the edge off and sometimes I'll find I wasn't really all that hungry.

    IMO, I find 1200 calories really challenging most days. I opt to take half of my calorie cut from my meals and the other half from exercise. I eat about 1500-1800 calories most days and commit to a solid burn. With a little experimenting, you will find what feels right. I often stop and ask myself, "Would I be happy living like this for the rest of my life?" I think I've found the balance that allows me to answer that question, "Yes."
  • fashionista954
    fashionista954 Posts: 98 Member
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    Are you also working out? If you are, make sure that you are adding the calories burned from your workouts to your log and eat those back. 1200 calories for me is too low and leaves me feeling hungry most of the time and if I workout, I don't have energy to follow through with my routine. I overcome that by working out so that I have more than the 1200 calories in my "bank"...this helps with not feeling hungry or deprived while still staying within my range. If I don't workout, I still eat over 1200 calories but I follow the "eat at your BMR" rule on those days and keep my calories at or slightly below that number (which is over 1200). It's working for now and if it stops I will change my routine. I'm also fairly new, so everything right now is trial and error.
  • recker80
    recker80 Posts: 19 Member
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    I have been at this for about 2 weeks now and had great weight loss. i went to a wedding on Sunday and had about 1800 calories (400 over what i should have had) but since then i have been starving every day. between meals and late at night. im loosing my mind and feel like i cant do this. why do i have all of a sudden starving feeling. the first 2 weeks i had to force myself to nibble so i didnt eat my 1350 cals at 8pm at night lol. any ideas
  • japruzze
    japruzze Posts: 453 Member
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    Make sure you spread out your calories so you have some left at the end of the day for a snack. Be sure to get enough protien in and eat some of your exercise calories.
  • Kenzietea2
    Kenzietea2 Posts: 1,132 Member
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    eat more than 1200, I'd be starving too. I lost weight eating about 1800/day sometimes more!
  • Spinach_Brigade
    Spinach_Brigade Posts: 17
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    Late at night, ungarnished popcorn is your calorie-sensible friend.
  • Nana_Booboo
    Nana_Booboo Posts: 501 Member
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    Youre hungry because you're eating to low of calories. Can you honestly say you can do that for the rest of your life.

    You should be eating.

    Have you looked at your BMR? It's under tools. It tells you how many calories you need to just lay in bed all day.

    Mine is almost 1800 so there is no way I'd survive on 1200.

    If you continue to eat too low, you will lose but you will fail also.

    Love me, hate me but it's true.

    Done it your way my whole life until now.

    I eat, I move and I lose. And the best part of it is, I'm not deprived. I don't go to bed hungry, I lose steadily and I don't live at a gym. I exercise 20 minutes at least daily (walking) and twice a week Aqua Zumba (1 hour)

    I also have a Heart rate monitor to tell me what I'm burning (calories) when I exercise so I fuel my body with extra calories on those days. Those days I can eat 2200 cal.

    don't starve.

    Friend me if you'd like but trust me, I'll continue to tell you to eat.

    =)
  • missflygirl80
    missflygirl80 Posts: 12 Member
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    All the feedback you have gotten has been great advice. How long have you been doing this (sorry if you have already said this, I am a half post reader:smile: ) but you may just need sone time. My caloric intake is 1200 calories too and for the first week and a half I was MiSERABLE! But now it's not really bad at all and I am in my fifth week of weight loss. I also did weight watchers about five years ago and lost a significant amount of weight and the first week or two was really difficult, but I upped my water and fiber intake and things got much better. Time also helped. Good luck!
  • andrewamym
    andrewamym Posts: 2
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    It's a lot of trial and error...everyone is different...you made need to eat more protein instead of carbs...or more fiber instead of protein, depends on your body. Look at your nutrition every day...one day shoot for mainly protein and see how you feel, make note of it. The next day, try higher fiber foods...see you how feel, take note of that too. Obviously...water.water.water. Drink tons. I find that drinking hot tea or coffee helps curb my appetite. So, at night, my husband and I boil a tea pot of water and sip on tea while watching tv! If I feel really hungry in the afternoon, I'll have a cup of coffee. When drinking warm beverages, there is a certain chemical released that is the same chemical released when eating food. So, it can trick ya for awhile ;) I've also learned that I do best if I follow this plan...have a protein shake for breakfast...I can drink coffee/water/tea until 12:00. Eat a lunch of a sandwhich thin, meat, and a huge helping of carrots or peppers w/ hummus about 2 TBS. Then I have calories for an afternoon snack of apples and Peanut butter or Chobani yogurt and then dinner...usually Eggs, or lean protein and a huge, colorful salad, and steamed veggies. The more veggies I eat..the more fuller you'll feel. Because they have lots of water in them. Good Luck!!!
  • swood0114
    swood0114 Posts: 43
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    Yeah, definitely make sure you are at least netting 1200. I started there also and at first it was fine but after a week or so I was hungry all the time. While I agree with everyone about eating veggies, honestly they're not truly THAT filling when you just eat them plain. I'd add them to other things to make you feel like you're eating more.

    But I would recommend EGGS (and not just measly egg whites, I'm talking the whole thing,) 0% greek yogurt topped with Kashi GoLean cereal, vegetarian sausage, peanut butter, and 100 calorie bags of popcorn.

    One of my favorite meals for about 300 calories that I absolutely LOVE because it tastes amazing and is a ton of food is to make 1 serving of smart taste spaghetti (170 calories,) and top with 1/2 cup tomato sauce, and literally like half of a green pepper and 1/4 of a red onion sauteed with some italian seasoning. Add a few shrimp for more protein if you need, and finally top with 1 tbsp of parmesan cheese. Once you get all of this into a bowl it is a huge amount of food and is very filling.
  • lmbtexas
    lmbtexas Posts: 5
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    Remember 1200 calories is to be your net calories for the day (food intake - exercise = net calories). Be sure you are including exercise 3-4 days a week; even if it's just a brisk walk around the block for 20-30 minutes.

    Start your day with some protein & fiber. Be sure to have one snack of fresh veggies(no dip) & one snack of fruit a day as well. Also, stay away from processed foods that come as prepared entrees or meals in the frozen food section. Take the time to make a salad with raw veggies & use a low calorie vinegrette (or better yet make your own); add a grilled or baked chicken brest or talipia. A baked sweet potato is a great entree to go with a salad. Don't worry if you are eating to many calories from raw veggies; most are thermogenic & your body will burn calories to digest them. So if your hungry snack on veggies late night.

    Yes, Water Water Water.

    And lastly...make sure you are getting enough sleep. If you are not getting enough sleep; you body will begin to act stressed & store calories instead of burn them.

    Good Luck reaching your goal. Stay focused :smile:
  • Sherbog
    Sherbog Posts: 1,072 Member
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    I go out and walk for the amount of time it would take to have a nice sized snack. Eating back my exercise calories worked for me this past year.
  • SassyCalyGirl
    SassyCalyGirl Posts: 1,932 Member
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    try eating more protein and fiber to help keep you full.
  • marcia724
    marcia724 Posts: 180 Member
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    For me the key is to exercise so I have extra calories. Also, I try and eat a lot of things that are high in protein and fiber. Both of those really really help curb my appetite. 90 calorie greek yogurt cups are the best! So high in protein...so yummy!
  • HeidiRene
    HeidiRene Posts: 335 Member
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    dill pickles are 15 calories a piece...great snack
  • Cal28
    Cal28 Posts: 514 Member
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    Warning!
    eating back your workout calories is something to try, but keep in mind it does not work for everyone (myself included).

    I was doing 1200 + exercise calories and was only loosing 0.5-1lb a week. Now I've upped my calories to 1305 but trying not to eat exercise calories. Hoping it'll work better for me.

    If I am a bit hungry eating 100kcal of exercise cals when I've burned 500+ won't do any great damage so I don't worry. Listen to your body though, what works for one doesn't work for everyone x
  • jrd1955
    jrd1955 Posts: 2
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    on a 1200 calorie diet-too...i have been brushing my teeth a lot-it works-nothing taste good after toothpaste-lol
  • ashleynicoleh04
    ashleynicoleh04 Posts: 195 Member
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    girl you need to be eating more!! Here is some advice that I got from a friend. My name is Ashley so the names don't exactly match I dont have my info in here but i eat about 1660 cals a day and still lose weight. I think if you read this it will put you more at ease and seriously....eating more calories will not make you fat. 1200 is just wayyyy too low.


    Go to www.fitnessfrog.com and use their calculators to determine your BMR/RMR and your TDEE. These are important.

    The way that MFP works is that it calculates your TDEE (the amount of calories you spend each day to live, function, walk to your car, watch TV, sit at your desk or take a shower. Basically, the average calories you burn on an average day) and then subtracts calories from that to help you lose your desired amount per week.

    TDEE - calorie deficit automatically calculated my MFP = Your daily calorie goal

    If you want to lose 1lb/week, your deficit will be 500 calories/day since a lb is the same as 3500 calories.
    3500 calorie deficit/week = 1lb loss/week THEREFORE 500 calorie deficit/day = 1lb loss/week

    If you want to lose 2lb/week, your deficit will be 1000 calories/day.1000x7 days = 7000calories deficit/wk.
    If you want to lose .5 lbs/wk, your defiicit will be 250 cals/day or 1750 cals/wk.

    Now, if you exercise, you're adding to that average TDEE by quite a bit, so MFP asks you to log it in, but since MFP has already subtracted a deficit for you, you can eat back those calories and still lose weight.

    For ease, I'm going to use my numbers...

    Kristel
    5'6" 149lbs
    BMR 1471
    TDEE 1850-2050 (depending if I'm considered sedentary or lightly active, so I go in the middle and use 1950)

    TDEE = 1950/day
    Desired loss/week = 1lb
    1lb = 3500 cal = 7 x 500/day

    Therefore, MFP has calculated my daily goal at 1450 cals/day because 1950 - 500 = 1450.

    If I chose to exercise, that means I earn calories. Let's say I work out for 30 min on the elliptical and burn 300 calories.

    Now we add that into their formula:

    1950 (TDEE)
    - 500 (daily deficit)
    + 300 (exercise)
    1750 NET calories (i.e. the adjusted amount with exercise)
  • Soapstone
    Soapstone Posts: 134 Member
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    I agree with the fruits and veggies, plus eating a little extra when you work out. Also, 1200 cals may be too low for you depending on your height/weight. I'm 5'7" and 157 lbs with about 15 pounds to lose and my trainers tell me that I should absolutely be eating 1800-2000 cals to lose weight (I workout daily). Just something to think about....
    Thank you for posting this! I am 5'7 and down to 179. I have my calories set to 1463 (maintenance cals for someone our height, at 145lb). I shoot for an hour on the elliptical and eat my calories back, and they are right in the range your trainer tells you to eat-good to know a trainer's advice, simce I can't afford one.

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