I ask because on occasion I have a day where I can't get over about 800 calories. Yesterday I had a little bit of chicken tortilla soup, a burrito, half a sandwich, milk, a special k cereal bar and a pear and that only put me up to 700 and some calories, so then I had to force myself to eat more to get up to 1200, but which is worse, eating under 1200 calories since I'm not hungry, or forcing myself to eat 1200 calories?

That menu is pretty nutritionally devoid. Don't force additional calories, your hunger will eventually balance things out. However you MUST focus on healthier foods. Why not a breakfast of two hardboiled eggs or some oatmeal with butter? Lunch with a salad and grilled fish or chicken, or if you're getting a burrito, why not have some orange slices and bell peppers to accompany and fill up on that instead of tortilla?

Pears aren't the end of the world, but there is a lot more nutritional bang for the buck from the same caloric quantities of raspberries and blueberries, which make them a smarter choice.

Drinking calories is generally not recommended, but milk isn't the end of the world for most adults. However a bowl of cottage cheese might be more filling for you, or some Greek yogurt and chopped nuts.

My point is - calories matter, and having them low isn't necessarily a bad thing. But from a health standpoint, the lower the calories the more crucial it is that you eat a balanced, nutritionally dense diet. And, quite frankly, your diet looks like processed junk. That's not how you fuel a healthy system, let alone lose weight. So if you're not feeling particularly hungry, focus on making the meals you DO eat count. Whole, nutritious foods. Lots or fresh veggies, protein, good fat, fruit or possibly some grains to fill in the gaps. That's a better starting point than special k bars (glorified candy), sandwiches (a lot of air and sugar for the caloric buck), milk (those 150-ish calories are also better spent on a salad, half an avocado, or a gut health-promoting food like kefir or plain yogurt), or chicken tortilla soup (not a bad choice if homemade, but you need some GREENERY in that diet, Sweetie!).

That's my assessment. Eat to hunger, but of quality food that nourishes your cells and gives you substantive fuel, not empty calories and junk.

Hey beccaboo, since I don't know what your specific goals are... for instance how much weight you might be trying to lose, what your exercise goals might be, etc... It's hard to address specific daily calorie targets, but it sounds like you've done some research and you have come up with 1200 which we all hear is "the lowest" that we should go to get all of our daily nutritional requirements, which I don't necessarily take as "gospel truth" (although I do think it's reasonable advice for most people) but you could also need a lot more, everyone is different...

That being said this last time around... I did a very low calorie diet (800k/cal a day) that was medically supervised at a spa in a resort... which worked wonders for me... So I know 800 calories a day can be done... But for me I know I couldn't have done it... Unless I was in a highly structured environment like that where I was seeing a doctor every day and didn't have to think about what I was going to eat or what exercise I was going to do... It was all planned out for me...

I think those food choices sounded pretty good and shows that you are moving in a positive direction... Soups can be a good choice... especially broth based ones that tend to be lower calorie options, they can start to fill you up so you end up eating less calories overall...and the one you had contained protein (chicken) so there is nutrient value there... as far as the tortilla portion that sounds like it can be a perfectly tasty and reasonable addition if it is used more as a garnish, and if getting more calories is a concern, maybe adding a dollop of sour cream or if you decide you need less calories than skip the sour cream and add some cilantro to boost the flavor profile... Burritos can be incredibly nutrient dense, it's completely up to you... starting with the wrap that you chose... everything from whole wheat and whole grain to low carb and even gluten free options... and as far as fillings go... the sky's the limit... meat, chicken, fish, shrimp, tofu, black beans, not to mention veggies... I mean pretty much whatever your imagination can come up with...

Now on to that Special K bar... I've never been a big fan of nutrition bars, but I've definitely eaten my fair share of them over the years... They're incredibly convenient and usually fortified with vitamins and minerals, so if you're concerned that you might not be getting enough calories than it might have a useful place in your plan...

The milk is getting in some calcium and protein and is a pretty decent choice nutritionally speaking as far as beverages go (I know, I know people can have all sorts of opinions on dairy, but if you like it and it works for you... than I think it should have a place in your diet if you want it too...)

And lastly I think fresh whole fruit is always a good choice... vitamins, minerals, fiber, a lower calorie choice that lots of nutritional value...

For me making more healthy food choices is about progress... Not perfection... but that's just me... Everyone's got to find out for themselves what works and just as important what doesn't work...

Agreed.

I'd never force myself to eat if I wasn't hungry. A day isn't going to be a big deal in the big scheme of things.
That being said, I would hope that your average for the week would be around 1200 at least.

The 1200 question usually sets off a flurry of discussion. I'm no medical professional, so please don't take what I say as any sort of medical advice. I'm not going to debate whether or not 1200 is the minimum, but going to describe the effects instead of my personal experience.

I've been on 1200 since I started last October. Weight loss has slowed down tremendously the last couple of months, so now what are my choices? Do I go even lower to 1000 to keep that weight loss up? What happens when it slows down then? Go even lower? At some point it definitely becomes unhealthy, so I'm just going to deal with the slow weight loss at 1200.

Of course, everyone is different and some people may never have that slow down, but I think most do.

My opinion is that when you're starting out, eat the highest amount of calories you can while still losing weight. Give yourself enough room to drop calories later on if you wish.

Until this time, I have always tried for 1000 calories a day. I am small and it worked just fine for me. I did and do always take a vitamin supplement, which is no doubt controversial. I take a multi, calcium and Iron.

The problem is, I always gained the weight back. I am now shooting for 1200-1300. First because I don't seem to have the mental energy to go lower and second, I hope maybe taking a little longer might cement some good habits. Heretofore, all my good habits have gone out the window when the weight left. I'll let you know if it worked in about 5 years. LOL.

Like SacredKestrel said, we seek progress rather than perfection...

And I say everyone has an opinion. You need to find what works for you.

I have been on a VLCD diet that is rich in protein and low in fat and moderate in carbs..i average between 600-900 cals a day...so it can be done..However..like Arctic said..if your not making those 600-900 calories dense in nutrients, then your devoiding your body of what it needs..You have to be really careful to get everything in.. If your having issues getting stuff in..trying a supplemental shake might help boost your calorie count a bit: Ex: BOOST or ENSURE might help...

Im doing very low calories. It's not an official VLCD or anything. I just use my plate and have my settings at lose 4.5 lb a week. It currently gives me about 850 per day. I never eat over, not since I started on 8/15. Ive lost 21 lbs so far. Some days are better than others. Once this week I went with the husband and kids to DairyQueen after a Dr/s appointment and I had a small vanilla cone. It sure didnt look like a small cone, so I made my hubby eat half of it. 230 calories. So that was a big chunk of my 850 for that day. I had to balance it out. I take a multivitamin as well as some supplements for magnesium and calcium. What I like about myplate is that it does allow for some tracking of your proteins fats carbs and fiber. I try to make all my numbers everyday but I have trouble making the fats and carbs and I know my vitamin D (since vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin) wont digest or enter into my body unless its taken with a certain amount of fat.

I dont really plan much ahead. But if by the middle or end of the day I notice I didnt meet my fiber goal or I might decide to have some sardines in EVO to get some good cholesterol in. I have some gummivites fiber gummies for days I dont meet the fiber but the more I pay attention to it the less I need to take gummies. I feel really great on this diet. Even the days when I only eat 500 or 600. I find the less I eat the easier it is. I eat small portions and keep my stomach going digesting stuff about every 4-6 hours. I have a very irregular sleep pattern so I do eat throughout the full 24 hour period. I may have somthing at midnight then again at 5am, 9am, 2pm and so on.

With protein, it takes longer to digest so u feel full a bit longer than with other foods. Fibrous veggies and fruits also can take some time to digest. 3/4 cup of kashi crunch cereal w/o milk can keep me going for like 6 hours. I might not eat the whole thing at once or just eat half and then snack on the other half periodically.

Low calorie diets and starvation mode will activate ur bodys natural hunger and appetite suppression modes. You just dont feel as hungry and if you can keep it up for a few days, your stomach seems to shrink and accomodate less. When I have 3oz of chicken and a salad depending on the salad and whats on it, this whole meal can be under 150...but depending on what type of salad and how much...I sometimes feel full or stuffed cuz my stomach just doesnt have the capacity for all that and Ill leave the salad portion unfinished.

I went to see my doctor and tell her what I was doing. I kinda left her office in a bad way because she was pushing the weight loss surgery on me. I asked her...what will ur surgery do for me? Isnt the goal of ur surgery for me to end up doing exactly what I am doing but only at slightly higher caloric levels? If I can do this and maintain it, I dont need your surgery. But, I did get her support a few days later she called me to tell me what my blood work results were and told me to keep doign what I am doing cuz its working for me. You should probably see your doctor to make sure that you dont have any vitamin deficiencies and things like that. I do have room for treats and things that satisfy me. I have some very low calorie treats that keep me going and satisfy my cravings or if its something I really want but high calories, I just eat 1/4 or 1/2 portion. However, at such low caloric intake, you dont really have a lot of room left once you meet all your requirements for protein, fiber, and a litl fat (to make sure ur vitamins digest) and a litl cholesterol (your body can make its own) and sodium. Sodium is a hard one for me, but we do need at least bare minimum like 500mg. When I first started I was getting virtually NO sodium because I never eat any processed or frozen foods anymore so thats another one I have to pay attention too.

I feel my diet is totally safe, but only because I pay close attention to what I am doing and trying to do my best with meeting my nutritional needs. If you dont pay attention...eventually its gonna come bak and bite u in the butt. Just because your fat, if you are, doesnt mean you cant be anorexic or damage your body, heart or brain in some way because your not getting enough protein or the proper nutrients needed for your body to function on a daily basis. It can happen to fat people too.

I believe protein is very important because it lessens muscle loss to some extent when you loose a lot of weight you lose about 60% fat and 40% muscle. Your heart is a muscle! I also have a wrist mounted blood pressure thing that I use to take mine regularly just to keep tabs on what its doing or any strange or eratic changes. I think it can be very safe, if you pay attention to what your doing and I have the support of my dr's so that helps a lot, not to mention I feel really great since I started all this.

Arctic mama, the sandwich was made of bread full of grains, turkey, onion, and romaine lettuce. As for the chicken tortilla soup, it was homemade Frozen organic corn, black beans (dried, not from a bag) crushed tomatoes, chicken, low fat cream of chicken, low fat low sodium chicken broth and a bunch of spices. As for my milk I try to stay with 1% or skim, so that's usually 80-120 calories per cup, depending upon the brand and if it's skim or 1%. Also I'm going to start drinking green smoothies, which are smoothies full of fresh and frozen fruit, spinach and a little bit of yogurt. Sacredkestrel, ironically enough I don't usually do tortilla chips in my chicken tortilla soup since it's got a ton of black beans and stuff in it so it's not something I absolutely need to add most of the time. Thank you Vex, I totally agree. Also from what I've seen on here, it seems like a lot of people start to slow down when they are 20-40 pounds away from goal, so I don't think it's anything abnormal. v3r0n1k4, I'm so glad that's working for you I am more than happy at a 1200 calorie per day goal, it's just sometimes I don't get that high, and sometimes I get above 1200, depending on the day. I am using a calorie counter that counts my fat, calories, sodium, sugar, dietary fiber, all that stuff, so it's easy to see what I need more of and all that. As for processed foods, it's good you don't eat those. I eat some processed foods, but I have been trying to cut them out as much as I can and if I really want something processed, I try to find a recipe for the same food, so I can make it homemade rather than eating a processed version, but I don't think I'll ever cut out all processed foods.

People on here can only advise you based on their often considerable experience/knowledge weightloss. The decision is ultimately yours of course. 800 calories seems pretty low to me and may not be the healthiest choice depending on your current size. Will you lose weight, yes! But it'd be good to have some supervision if you're planning on sticking with this sort of calorie intake every day in the long term. If it's just an occasional thing or a once a week sort of thing, I don't think it's that big a deal.

I'm not too concerned that you're not hungry at 800 cals/day. Don't feel the need to force yourself to eat if you're not hungry. Eventually, your body will let you know what you need. Just make sure you're doing something that is sustainable and will help you adopt lifelong good eating habits and I'm sure you'll be successful in the long term.

Just as an aside, I agree with Vex. At my heaviest, I started out eating at 1200-1400 calories which meant it was incredibly difficult to adjust downwards when I plateaued. If I could go back, I'd definitely have started out at higher calories.

Toastedsmoke, I honestly just eat as many calories a day as I feel I need. The days where I get 800 it's because I'm not particularly hungry, but most days I do meet 1200, and sometimes higher. It all just depends on how hungry I am.

Why not eat full fat cream of chicken and normal milk instead of skimmed? It'll up your calories a little bit and be much tastier!

If you have energy, you're not losing hair (maybe take a vitamin to be sure) and you generally feel good and you're losing at a good rate I don't see a problem with it. I'm sure you'll feel more hungry at other times. I don't calorie count but I eat between 800-2000+ depending on the time of the month. It all balances out.

1200 isn't a magic number or anything, but it is very low. I can tell you from experience, when I consistently dip below 1200 for more than a day or two my hunger comes back with a vengeance. Even just trying to reach 1300 is better and leaves you satisfied longer.

I think it's absolutely fine to eat less than 1,200 calories on some days. On a side note, I wish I could relate to the "not hungry enough to eat more" concept, but that's never ever happened to me, even when I'm sick.

F.

Leilajay, I usually do meet 1200 calories or more, there are just occasional days where it doesn't happen. Freelancemama, I used to never be full but I forced myself to stop eating all the time and now I can get full pretty easily. Kelly315, as I said above, I never shoot for lower than 1200, sometimes it just happens.