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Old 08-09-2006, 08:04 PM   #1  
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Question Thinking 1200 cals a day is not enough

i have consistantly been eating 1200 cals a day to lose weight, but i am starting to think that 1200 may be too little. i weigh more than 120 and burn 1443 cals a day just existing, not including my workouts. at first i wasn't hungry eating just 1200 cals a day, but now i am! i feel like i am starving most of the day. but i am NOT LOSING WEIGHT! my sister said i should try boosting it up to 1350 a day and see how that works, but i am sooo afraid i'll gain.
do you guys think 1200 is too low for me? will i gain if i bump it up to 1350? any advice is appreciated! thanks!!!
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Old 08-09-2006, 08:25 PM   #2  
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Going up to 1350 (an increase of only 1050 calories a week) should NOT make you gain weight since it takes 3500 extra calories to gain a pound (and you'll be increasing by less than half of that). Give it a try--what's the worst that could happen? You gain a couple pounds in a couple weeks? Then you know it's not for you and you can go back down to 1200. You'll never know what your body wants until you try giving it something new!

Another way to increase your calories without drastic effects is to also slightly increase your exercise. Even if you don't really burn off as many more calories as you'll be eating, I know mentally, it can help with the worry/guilt you may feel about increasing your calories because you'll be doing something to balance it out

Of course, I don't know what kind or how much exercise you do right now (if any--I know I, for one, am guilty of being a major lazy bum this summer), but if you feel you should be losing weight at 1200, then maybe increasing your exercise (either increase the amount of time or just the intensity) will shake things up enough for you to get losing again
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Old 08-09-2006, 08:34 PM   #3  
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Hello there!

I'm also 5'6 but i am maintaining at around 130 pounds (tried 120 pounds but it just didn't work for me - all skin and bone lol)

I consume between 1500-1800 calories a day

I run 3 or 4 times a week for between 40 and 60 minutes (sometimes longer)
I get in as much incidental exercise as I can as well by taking the stairs up to the 8th floor at work, or getting off the bus in town and walking the 2 miles home and going for a walk at lunch etc.

I think my basal rate is similiar to yours but if I ate only 1400 a day i'd be losing so I don't think you need to fear to much if you put it up some. After all like you said you ARE exercising so you may actually be dipping under 1000 calories a day for your body to use which might be putting you in a "starvation" mode?

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Old 08-09-2006, 08:49 PM   #4  
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I eat 1500 (avg) (range of 1200-1800 depending on the day) and I lost 7lbs in the last month. Everybody is TOTALLY different so you may have to gradually play with the numbers. I'm also 5'4" and 157 right now.
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Old 08-09-2006, 09:14 PM   #5  
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I weigh less than you (118 lbs) and am still losing weight while eating 1400 calories per day. I do exercise quite a bit (an hour of cardio on Tu and Th, an hour of pretty vigorous weight training with a personal trainer on Mon, Wed, and Fri, and a half hour of cardio on Sat and Sun), but even with that difference, I don't think you'll gain weight if you increase your calories by 100 to 150 per day. The fact is, if 1200 calories were your maintaince calorie level (which it probably isn't), you'd have to increase by 500 calories per day to gain 1 pound per week. But your maintenance calorie level is probably higher than 1350, so increasing to 1350 shouldn't cause you to gain weight.

A month or so ago I was in the same place you are. I was only eating 1300 calories per day, my weight loss had stalled, and I was also hungry all the time (not too mention so tired after my workouts that I would literally come home and fall asleep). Looking back now, I can see that it was also effecting me emotionally. Just like you, I was also very afraid to add calories to my diet--this plan had worked so well for so long I thought I just needed to tough it out.

I finally realized that the worst that could happen if I added 100 calories is that my weight loss would continue to be stalled. I clearly wasn't going to gain weight with a measely extra 100 calories per day. The best that could happen is that I would start losing again. I also realized that it wasn't a permanent decision. If it didn't work, I could always go back to my original calorie level.

So I added 100 calories and it made a huge difference. I swear, it was like I dropped two pounds practically immediately. But even more important, I felt so much better. I wasn't so hungry and tired and I was able to look at my weight loss goals a little more rationally. Suddenly the scale became a lot less important.

So I say go for it. Add 100-150 calories per day and see what happens.

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Old 08-09-2006, 09:20 PM   #6  
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One other thought--if you haven't done so, take your measurements and then retake them every month. The scale is fickle: measurements are your true friend. If you're measurements are still going down, I wouldn't worry about what the scale says.

- Barbara
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Old 08-09-2006, 10:06 PM   #7  
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Lots of good advice here, with which I agree.

What I see is a red flag when you say you're not losing weight, and starving most of the day. That, to me, is saying something has got to give, and I admire you for trying to find out what will work before you give up in exasperation. Adding 150 a day as your sister suggested is a good place to start, imo. Are you getting enough protein? Including an ounce or two to my breakfast and lunch, not just dinner, has made a lot of difference in my hunger level.

Good luck, and be sure to let us know how it goes for you, ok?
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Old 08-09-2006, 10:44 PM   #8  
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BTW, we can't view your fitday...You have to go to the fitday website and select the option to make your journal public under HOME.
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Old 08-09-2006, 11:47 PM   #9  
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yep, was gonna add.. take your measurements.. you might not lose weight, but lose in inches
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Old 08-10-2006, 12:04 AM   #10  
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i do appreciate all the advice - sounds great!
i do eat as much protein as i can. i eat non fat cottage cheese with every lunch (that's not all i eat) and i try to have a good portion of protein with every supper. i really try to keep my carbs and my proteins sort of even, not too much or too little of either.
here's usually what i eat in a day:
breakfast - 1 cup of special k cereal w/ .5 cup of skim milk (rarely i have a scrambled egg with it)
snack - special k bar (90 cals)
lunch - tuna or lunch meat on wheat bread and .5 - 1 cup of non fat cottage cheese (most of time with fruit)
snack - another special k bar
dinner - low cal, low fat meal such as fish w/ veggies, or chef salad, or whole wheat spaghetti, etc...(sometimes i am known for a couple of slices of lite cheese, lite sauce veggie pizza delivered if the day is too hectic, but not lately)
sometimes snack after dinner - special k bar
dessert - s.f. ice cream, or klondike slim a bear bar
that pretty much adds up to 1200, give or take a few calories.

my measurements haven't changed either. i am not into my 6's. actually i am in a 8-10 and not getting any smaller since losing the initial 8 lbs.
BUT WILL DEFINATELY ADD 150 CALS TO MY DIET!!! thanks for the help girls!!! i really hope u r right only time will tell. and then i'll have you and my extra cals to thank, lol! thanks again
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Old 08-10-2006, 05:49 AM   #11  
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Maybe health is not your primary concern--maybe you just want to lose weight--but if you care about health as well, I would suggest getting rid of those Special K bars and maybe even the Special K cereal. Most people think a calorie is a calorie, but when I eat 1600 calories of whole, healthy foods rather than 1600 calories of processed stuff, my body thanks me for it The Special K bars may be low in calories, but they're still pretty full of crap (I checked the ingredients, and they've got different sugars listed at least 4 times, salt listed a couple times--since it's in both the cereal and the bar--and even though the label says there are no trans fats, it lists partially hydrogenated oils as an ingredient, which DOES add trans fats, so if you're eating more than one a day, then you're likely eating too many trans fats since they recommend you not eat ANY).

It's not bad to have a little treat every day, something that makes you not think everything you eat is boring But you have processed stuff up to 5-6 times a day (if you have all 3 Special K bars plus the ice cream dessert plus pizza, but I know you said that's not really typical, just once in a while). If you must have cereal, maybe try one by Kashi or something else that is higher in protein and lower in sugar and has more nutrients. IF you aren't ****-bent on cereal for breakfast, maybe try oatmeal (which is a whole grain even if it's instant), eggs (maybe an omelette with some veggies in it, since you don't seem to have any veggies at all except with dinner), some whole-wheat toast with natural peanut butter...there are lots of better options.

A sandwich for lunch isn't bad, but is it on just "wheat" bread, or are you sure to be using "WHOLE wheat" bread? Plain wheat bread really isn't much better for you than plain white bread, so I suggest searching for a whole-grain bread (if yours isn't already). Also, are there any veggies on that sandwich? some lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, cucumbers, avocado...? I've heard a lot of people talk about having cherry tomatoes with cottage cheese with a little salt, and they LOVE it--maybe you could try veggies with the cottage cheese instead of fruit sometimes?

If I were eating all those Special K bars, I'd be hungry, too. They're not very filling because they have neither a lot of protein nor much fiber. Replacing those bars with fruit, veggies, rolled sandwich meat, a small sandwich, a single packet of instant oatmeal, or even just a better bar (think protein bar, but be careful, as a lot of those also have a lot of sugar) would probably help your hunger immensely.

I'm guessing by your menu that your carbs FAR outweigh your protein intake. Do you track everything in Fitday? (like someone else said, you haven't made your journal public, so even though it looks like you have a link to your Fitday, we can't read it). If so, do you track accurately (a lot of people estimate amounts and are actually WAY off)? How are those carb v. protein percentages?
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Old 08-10-2006, 07:18 AM   #12  
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yes, i keep a fit day but to me that is personal and something i dont want the world to see. it feels like an invasion of space. not because i am untruthful about what i eat, but b/c i don't think that's anyone's business. if they want to know what i eat, they can ask me straight up instead of clicking on some link. but yes, most days, my carbs and proteins are just about equal.
and you have some very good points about the special k bars. i am downing them like crazy b/c they say 90 cals on them. i haven't been thinking about their sugar content - i know pretty stupid of me! i will definately cut them out.
i LOVE LOVE LOVE my cereal. it's hard not to have cereal. it's quick, it's easy, i love the taste of it and having the little bit of skim milk in it. i love cereal. i love oatmeal too and do think that is a good idea. i'll eat more of it from now on. and peanut butter? yuck! can't stand it, won't eat it.
i DO eat my sandwiches with veggies - onions, lettuce, tomatoes. so yummy! my bread? hmm...it's just reg wheat i think. i usually eat it on some good bakery made whole wheat from publix, but money has been an issue (esp last shopping day) and i bought the cheap regular wheat instead. i go shopping again today, so i switch back to whole grain wheat!!!
thanks for all your comments and advice jill. i bet they will really help and hopefully i will get some weight off. argh, i have gained two pounds to be back at 140, so something isn't right here! THANKS AGAIN!!!
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Old 08-10-2006, 08:18 AM   #13  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gabrielbeth
yes, i keep a fit day but to me that is personal and something i dont want the world to see. it feels like an invasion of space. not because i am untruthful about what i eat, but b/c i don't think that's anyone's business. if they want to know what i eat, they can ask me straight up instead of clicking on some link.
The only reason I (and others) mentioned it is that you have it listed as a link, and then the link doesn't work. Most people list the link so others CAN view their foods so they may offer suggestions. If you don't want people to see it, then you don't have to post your link--we were just trying to help because the way it is now, it just looks like the link is set up incorrectly, but that you DO want it there
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Old 08-10-2006, 10:48 AM   #14  
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I DID NOT put a link there. i promise you i didn't do that. the day before yesterday it wasn't linked and then all of a sudden after everyone started hounding me about fitday and having a link there, it just sort of popped up. but i didn't include that in my profile. don't know who did, but it WASN'T me. sorry for the confusion.
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Old 08-10-2006, 11:03 AM   #15  
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I'd add too...that although it could be what you're eating (and you definitely shouldn't be starving, sounds like you need more protein among other things) that it could just be lack of exercise. I weigh about the same as you, am a little shorter, and my basal is pretty similar (1460ish for me). I try to eat under 1200 calories a day as well, and I don't find myself starving so long as I am eating my protein and my veggies, and not wasting calories on high-sugar items that will only make me crash and be hungrier/get sugar cravings later.

However if like me you are stuck with a low basal rate, but you don't exercise, you're not going to lose weight fast. At best of sticking to 1200 calories or less a day you are averaging a daily deficit of 250. This means you'd be losing about 1 lb every 2 weeks, or 2 lbs a month. So my guess is you are losing, just not very fast so it appears as though you aren't. And any high sodium, or one or two off-plan days can quickly slow that loss even further. I'd suggest adding exercise, making it a part of your daily routine, even if it is just a small amount of cardio. Burning those extra calories will help you lose weight a little faster but also provide some insurance against a few off-plan days a month, so long as you make sure that with more exercise you don't eat more too. I've also found exercise can curb my appetite.
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