1200 cal a day diet-- increase caloric intake?

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half_moon
half_moon Posts: 807 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey, guys, I'm having some trouble, here. I am very good with my 1200 cal/day diet. I eat deli meat, veggies, salads, sandwiches, bread, and try to balance my protein, carbs, and fat appropriately. I eat every time I am hungry, and keep my portions low. I do not feel deprived!

After I get home from work, I go to the gym. I get on the elliptical trainer, going about 50 – 60 rpm for about 40 – 50 minutes, depending on my energy level. I usually burn off anywhere from 550 – 700 calories. I feel happy and bouncy after my work out—and I eat my dinner within 30 minutes. I also have a snack after dinner sometimes- either a fruit popsicle or another healthy snack.

There is seriously no point in the day where my stomach want for food. I keep food coming all the time.

However—if I burn 700 calories in a day when I ate 1200 calories worth, does that mean I need to up my caloric intake to 1900? As an overweight person—170 pounds at 5’4”, I feel like this would be counterproductive. I’m not killing myself at the gym. I don’t feel weak, tired, twitchy, or dizzy—all the signs of “starvation mode”. How can a person lose weight and still consume almost 2000 calories a day? I am serious about my weight lose and am determined to lose 10 pounds in two months. I don’t think I will gain my weight back when I reach my goal, because a lot of the changes in my life aren’t diet changes—they are life changes. I am enjoying fruit and veggies, I now prefer wheat bread to white bread, I drink so much water in a day—and I never deprive myself of anything I want.

So can I have some advice? Will I curl up and die with no muscle if I continue my regime, or can I go by the idea that if I feel healthy and energetic and am losing weight, my body approves of my diet? I am all for listening to my body—I never let my stomach growl and I respond when it’s telling me something. But all I can see it telling me now is “Wow! I feel great! I love healthy food and exercise… Look at my muscles!”—not “oh my god you are starving yourself” like I see on other articles that I read across various websites.

Help? I've had this 1200 cal diet for a month and a half, now. I've been exercising the entire time-- starting from 250 cal a day to where I am now.

Replies

  • WittneeT29
    WittneeT29 Posts: 47 Member
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    Are you feeling tired and achy? If so, maybe up your calories. The goal in all of this is to eat AS MANY calories as possible while still losing weight at a decent/healthy pace. That might be only 1200 for you... It might be 2000. You need to experiment, keep track, see how you feel. If it were me, I would not eat back all of my exercise calories, but I would eat back a few hundred and see if I am still making progress. Perhaps you can eat 1600 calories a day for a couple of weeks, and see how you feel. Or, you can gradually increase 100 calories a week until you get to 1600, and see what feels best for you.

    You don't want to eat too low right now, because what will you do when you lose weight and need to decrease calories or up exercise? The more you can eat now and still see progress, the better!
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
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    Thanks for the quick reply!

    I do not feel sluggish at all. I think I might increase it to like 1250-1300 with things like almonds and other small snacks that can up my caloric number-- but honestly, I feel great. I have zero headaches, I am sleeping well at night, waking up fully rested, extremely energetic, and I am getting so strong. I've been listening closely to my body, trying to find a hint of exhaustion or even a small bit of fatigue-- nothing. It seems very happy!
  • stephanj
    stephanj Posts: 898 Member
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    If you are feeling fine and the weight loss is consistent...great job! If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you start to hit a plateau, then think about alternating higher and lower days.....
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    I didn't find it (1200/day) a problem either - except I soon hit a plateau. More ramblings on this in my profile. If you don't, then keep going!
  • MamaWannaRun
    MamaWannaRun Posts: 273 Member
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    I started at 179 and am also 5'4" but I'm 47. I did great for months on the lower calories (1200), then I hit a plateau. Sometimes I ate my exercise calories back (if I was hungry, sometimes not). I read 'Eat More to Weigh Less' and some other some other posts like this..http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/501511-great-read-on-plateau-ing

    I am slowly upping my calories and also changing up workouts. My plateau did break.. so, onward and upward!
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
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    I lasted about 4 months "netting" 1200 calories a day (so eating back most of my exercise calories). I didn't stall out-but I was losing less than 1/2 lb a week and my entries in my running log were consistenly "rough getting going....". I didn't physically feel bad and didn't have headaches or anything like that-I was doing fine - great even. Then I pulled my first muscle. I stopled running but realized I really still "needed" 1500-1600 calories a day (my approx intake when netting 1200). I resumed running again and decided to experiment with netting around 1500-1600 a day. My running log entries changed to "felt good today-could have gone longer). I'm back on the injured list again-but I'm still netting around 1500-1600 a day. I've lost more in the last 3 weeks than in the prior month and a half-and I feel better (even though I didn't feel bad before). That's what is working for me-but we are all an experiment of one-you'll have the most success with what works for you. If 1200 calories a day is working for you-then leave it alone. If it's not-change it up. Btw-I am 5'4" and 168.
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
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    Thanks for EVERYbody's replies!! You have no idea how helpful it is.

    It's weird-- I haven't seen a huge dent in the scale, but my body has changed tremendously. You and I seem to have the same height and weight-- cool! I've lost 10 pounds since I've started (was 178) and have gone from a 14 to a 12. My arms and definitely legs have slimmed. I've never weighed myself-- never kept a scale in the house-- before working out. I'm just kind of getting used to it.I will try to up my calories, but being a "new" dieter (1.5 - 2 months) I feel guilty doing it! I just really don't want to waste two weeks not losing weight since I really would like to be looking good in 8 weeks by the time my husband and I go on our vacation.

    D:
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    You're probably not burning as many calories as you think...so I wouldn't add another 700 on top on your norm. THAT BEING SAID...eventually you'll find 1200 calories will not keep you losing, so it would be wise to add another 200-300, get up to 1500 as a minimum since you are exercising every day for 40-50 minutes. As long as you're losing weight, you're doing something right.

    At some point it will be time to add strength training in there, so you maintain muscle and eventually when you add more calories, you can lose (even more) body fat and gain muscle.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    I think you're doing everything right. Keep on keeping on! Most people can lose all their weight on 1200 calories, if they're accurately tracking.
  • benich3043
    benich3043 Posts: 252 Member
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    I have the same problem. On some days I find it hard to even reach 1200. Once I hit my plateau, I am going to try to slowly (over the course of a week) raise my average caloric intake to 1600-1800. I am not sure how I will do it since I do not feel hungry at 1200. I also do not eat back my exercise calories.
  • MamaWannaRun
    MamaWannaRun Posts: 273 Member
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    I have the same problem. On some days I find it hard to even reach 1200. Once I hit my plateau, I am going to try to slowly (over the course of a week) raise my average caloric intake to 1600-1800. I am not sure how I will do it since I do not feel hungry at 1200. I also do not eat back my exercise calories.

    On lifting or heavy workout days, you might want to try adding a Protein drink /shake. I prefer Myoplex Chocolate Fudge. 300 calories, 42 grams of protein!
  • half_moon
    half_moon Posts: 807 Member
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    That's a good idea, both of you!

    I will try that when I stop losing weight. Hopefully that will happen *after* my vacation... ;P
  • lafl3ur
    lafl3ur Posts: 15
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    On some days I find it hard to even reach 1200.

    I've had the same problem. When I find it hard to reach 1,280 (what MFP recommended for me), I end up taking a bit of something a little more calorie-dense to bump those calories up to where they need to be. I don't want to be below 1,200 as I don't think it's good for the body.
    Once I hit my plateau, I am going to try to slowly (over the course of a week) raise my average caloric intake to 1600-1800.

    I am also going to try to go by the lower calories at first (provided that I don't hit a plateau and my energy levels are fine) and switch it up when I need to by increasing calories. I am hoping that as long as I don't go below 1,200 I'm not going to do any irreparable damage to my metabolism.

    I am also not exercising regularly at this point, though. I have some injuries that are still healing, so I can't exercise every day yet.

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