Having trouble eating 1200 calories

KFBear21
KFBear21 Posts: 20
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I seem to always be below 1200 calories daily...I work out 5 times a week and I never eat my exercise calories...I have only lost 2 pounds since beginning my weight loss program 14 days ago. Is my body in starvation mode and will I still lose weight if I dont hit my calorie intake daily. I work evenings so If Im busy at work it is impossible for me to eat more than once or twice a day.. On weekends I dont workout and I usually will hit my 1200 or go over just a bit. I feel guilty if I eat too much plus since Im eating alittle healthier, I dont feel hungry! I snack on alot of crackers between meals but I stay within my calorie goals is this hurting me?

Replies

  • fayesuave
    fayesuave Posts: 4 Member
    I used to eat like you. I think you need to eat more. Your body is probably going into starvation mode. Plus you may not be giving it the nutrients it needs - crackers are not the best snack.
  • annekejohnson
    annekejohnson Posts: 49 Member
    I'm having this same problem. I never feel hungry anymore, well not very often anyway. I'm doing low carb low calorie and it takes a lot of food to equal 1200 calories when you eat chicken and broccoli. I think cheese is a good way to boost it for me and trying to eat small snacks like a few nuts or something. I am also doing some sort of physical activity every day and I feel great, have tons of energy and am losing weight still. Have lost 6 lbs in the last 10 days since I started this diet/exercise plan. I'm doing this intensive program for 90 days and then incorporating some grains and fruits to balance it out and try to continue to lose a little more but more slowly. I am very motivated to do this right now and I don't want to lose the momentum but I also don't want to get stuck in starvation mode either and quit losing the weight. I'm not eating my exercise calories at all and some days I'm only getting 900 or 1000. I feel ok though. I guess as long as I don't do it every single day and try really hard to stay at 1200 I should be ok. I'm looking forward to advice here tho, especially when doing the low carb thing.
  • belldandy1
    belldandy1 Posts: 264 Member
    1,200 is the bare minimum you should ever eat. There is much debate on eating exercise calories. I usually eat about half of mine and I have had weight loss of around 1.8 pounds a week. I know it can be hard to eat that many calories. I was surprised at how far the calories go when your eating healthy fiber, protein and vitamin rich foods. You body will adjust. Try eating peanut butter and healthy full fat salad dressings to bulk up on calories in a healthy way.
  • there have been a lot of these posts lately which is crazy to me as i have just had my calories cut down to 1230 and man can i ever not do that in a day,I always go over!!
    I eat very healthy, lots of veggies and fruit.
    I do eat some cheese.
    Some nuts (usually walnuts on a salad)
    a granola bar here and there.
    chicken
    and i use sauces cause i love em (teryaki, sald dressings etc)
    I make sure i do my cardio so I can eat a few extra calories in a day!

    so adding calories that are good for you is easily done with nuts, use of good oils while cooking (like olive and sesame) cheese, good whole grain breads and pastas, brown rice, cous cous, quinoi, seeds (like sunflower and pumpkin bought in bulk and i usually put in salads and stir fries)
    snacks of fruit.

    Eating less than 1200 cals is not good. Your basic metabolic rate is what your body uses just to survive and that is usually around 1200 cals a day.
    So eating that is creating a deficit which will promote weight loss.
    Not eating that will send your body into starvation mode: Which means your body starts to hoard calories and you will not lose. But it also means that when you eat again your body will hold onto those to those as well and store them as fat.
    For a time you will lose weight (depending on how much you weigh to begin with) but it is usually in water and muscle mass.
    This does not promote fat loss (which is what you are looking for for lasting results)

    So all I really say is make a serious effort to eat throughout the day and eat all your calories.

    If does take planning and more work but is very doable.

    Hope that helps!!!
  • Yes, I would say you are in or close to starvation mode.

    Try to add some high cal good foods into your diet like nuts.

    Read the links in this post: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10665-newbies-please-read-me-2nd-edition

    Especially this one: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

    They explain a lot.

    Good luck to you!
  • I wish I had that problem as well, but I have noticed that when I do not eat my calories I definantly do not lose weight.
  • courtney_love2001
    courtney_love2001 Posts: 1,468 Member
    If you just started out, which I'm assuming you did, this won't last. :bigsmile: Pretty soon you will be begging for more calories and working out just to get them. It is a phase that plenty of us went through...oh to be there again! But what I did when I was in that phase was eat peanut butter. Just a tablespoon of it here and there got the job done so I could be at my daily caloric needs.
  • I was in a similar boat for awhile myself.. especially while during training periods where I was burning large amounts of calories. I found that eat 5-6 meals at 200-300 calories per meal was really helpful for me. The meals are generally pretty small and easy to eat- especially when I wasn't hungry. Eating often keeps your body out of starvation mode and your metabolism at a more constant rate.
  • Eat them!!! Peanut butter, milk, nuts, edamame, protein shake, cheese, hummus.....Just make sure you eat them. It is important that you are eating healthy snack and not just wasting calories on junk. If you eating crackers here and there, you are eating junk.
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
    I would just like to say if I was so inclined I could consume 1200 calories in single meal.

    If you want to do that, order anything at Quizno's.
This discussion has been closed.