1,200 calories...to eat or not to eat.

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  • noexcuses84
    noexcuses84 Posts: 100 Member
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    yep, u def need to INCREASE your cals. Increase by 100-200 to start with but in my experience this does the trick. good luck!
  • beccci91
    beccci91 Posts: 214
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    Jillian Michaels says to eat more, up your calorie intake by 10%
  • lizlarson80
    lizlarson80 Posts: 8 Member
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    I would stay about 1200-1300 calories. But mixing it up a bit. Have 50% protein, 30% carbs, and 20% fats. Most of the carbs and fats you will get thru your fruits and veggie intake. I hit a plateau for 5 weeks and this is how i broke it finally. I also added a muscle confusion workout such as P90X. I am in the Beachbody challenge and this is really finally kicking the 5 week long plateau. I also do the Shakeology with this as well. :)
  • KatieJane83
    KatieJane83 Posts: 2,002 Member
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    Eat more, not less.

    This is based on my personal experience.

    As I neared the last pounds I wanted to lose I changed my goal from 2 lbs lost/week to 1 lb/week and then 1/2 lb/week, and the weight came right off.

    I know it sounds counterintuitive but it definitely works.

    Also, start lifting weights!!! (if you don't already do so)
  • charm_quark
    charm_quark Posts: 316 Member
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    As many of other members said, when I hit a plateau and it is happening very often cause I'm just a few pounds from my goal... I increase my calorie intake... a few days later I began to loose weight.
    As an example, I'm now on 1500-1600 calorie daily intake.
  • Jennical
    Jennical Posts: 219 Member
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    Bump
  • LoriBarefoot
    LoriBarefoot Posts: 218 Member
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    bump
  • laurieblair2012
    laurieblair2012 Posts: 106
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    I agree about trying to reduce carbs and increase protein for ketosis for a few days...that might jump start you again. Eat your calories, though.
  • LilysMom28
    LilysMom28 Posts: 293 Member
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    Very interesting. I've been stuck too. I'm about 7lb from GW and 12 from my UGW. I'm on 1200 a day but i just realized that was for a 2lb weight loss per week (which hasnt happened in some time). So I just moved it to 1lb and i got an extra 140 calories per day. Seems strange to eat more to lose the weight but I'm willing to try anything to get past this lull I've been in.
  • mariannejj108
    mariannejj108 Posts: 20
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    Interesting topic this. There are many myths surrounding calorie intake and metabolism, so much so that I did an extensive (Medical-student-dorky) research on the topic. The fact remains, calorie deficit = weight loss. You will loose weight at 1200 calories if your DCN (Daily Calorie Needs) is higher then this and as you loose weight this number drops just because it does not take you as much energy to move around. Your BMR can slow down when eating a very low calorie diet, but this is _very_ little, your bodies are amazingly efficient. Now, there are a lot of things that effect your weight, the amount of water your body carries (This fluctuates a lot!), amount of muscle and so on. I understand your frustration, but I think my biggest suggestion for you is, do you trust your goals? Do you trust that the things you are doing is right? Your calorie goal, calorie count and exercise routine is correct? Then TRUST what you are doing and give it time! Don't get the reward from your scale, get it from you and each day give yourself credit for doing so well and keep going because, if your goals and calories are correct, you will loose weight. Trust that.

    My second recommendation would be to look at your macros, where does your calories come from? For me, I feel better when on a low calorie diet to up my proteins, I feel it makes me fuller, keeps my sugar even. And when you get stuck like this, think your goals through and make some changes and see how it feels! Maybe up your protein to 50%? Mix up your exercise routine. But most important, feel good, feel what you are doing is right and give yourself credit for that each day!
  • bobbibear
    bobbibear Posts: 8
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    well i eat 500-700 a day and i function fine. i exercise too :P i havent done this for long (a month ish i guess) ive lost 7lbs ;P
  • hitmanhsp
    hitmanhsp Posts: 8
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    Back around the holidays I was walking 6-10 miles per day and was supposed to eat 1800-2300 calories per MFP. I had lost steadily on 1200-1500 calories. Everybody was freaking out and kept telling me I was starving myself. I felt fine but I bumped up my calories and gained 5 pounds in two months of eating like that. And no, it wasn't muscle since my legs are already extremely muscular. If I eat more than 1500 calories I GAIN weight. Period. Everybody's different. Experiment to find what works for you and stick with it.

    Couldn't agree more, well said, everyone is different, listen to your body and adapt your eating habits / training accordingly
  • monicalynne68
    monicalynne68 Posts: 87 Member
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    If anything, you should eat more. You cut your calories any more, your body will think it's starving and hold onto every piece of fat it has. Go off your diet for about a week. Don't count your calories. Keep exercising but don't worry about your food intake. You might gain a pound or two but it will reset your metabolism. After a week, go back on your diet at 1200 calories a day and you should see the weight drop off
  • LisamarieBond14
    LisamarieBond14 Posts: 133 Member
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    well i eat 500-700 a day and i function fine. i exercise too :P i havent done this for long (a month ish i guess) ive lost 7lbs ;P

    Is this not dangerous? (I'm not judging, just curious!)
  • david_swinstead
    david_swinstead Posts: 271 Member
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    well i eat 500-700 a day and i function fine. i exercise too :P i havent done this for long (a month ish i guess) ive lost 7lbs ;P

    You will plateau and you will do it soon. At this kind of deficit your metabolism will just about stop completely.

    It's not maintainable and all that will happen is that you will regain the weight, because if it's not maintainable then it will turn into yo-yo dieting.

    Also, depending on what exercise you're doing, at that amount of deficit you're going to be burning through LBM instead of fat, meaning that even if you do lose weight you won't look good.

    Eat more for better results. Seriously.
  • Airbear3
    Airbear3 Posts: 335 Member
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    stuck myself...and after asking for help, i've learned that 1200 is to low! been losing on 1200 since 1/2/12 and now the past 3 weeks nothing, not even inches! i workout 6 days a week 1 day running 2 miles one day zumba and everyday yoga meltdown for strength! i ate 1400 yesterday and lost a pound this morning i also up'd my water intake! in the search look up eat more to lose weight! dangerous to eat less then BMR!
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr
  • mlbracken513
    mlbracken513 Posts: 2
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    Iam sorry I can't say about the last 20, but you have come so far I was just woundering if you had any advice for someone just staarting out ?

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