1200 calorie allowance will leave me starving

calories
#1

I am 5’7, 145 lbs, 41 yo female, 45 min of exercise (spin class, Pilates, or barbell class) about 4-5 Times a week.

I lost 27 lbs since September 2017 (down from 172) but I still have some belly and thigh fat I would like to get rid of. I have been stuck at 145 since December after the rapid initial loss due to Keto and very aggressive fasting.

I never counted calories because I just didn’t believe in the idea, but since I have now tried all sorts of fasting and eating schedules, exercise, etc., my weight or inches are no longer budging. I also get extremely COLD when I fast, which was not a problem when my weight was higher. I have been researching, and it seems I might be eating too much for my size. I can put away A LOT, I have out-eaten large grown men on multiple occasions, especially if I do OMAD. Even with 2 meals (I never eat breakfast), I still end up with impressive meal sizes, to the point I am embarrassed at how full my plate is and how often I refill it. I swear people around me eat like birds. I don’t binge (well, maybe a little), I am just hungry!

Impulsive Keto calculator tells me I should be eating 1200 cal per day in order to lose. MFP allows 1400. Both of those would leave me starving! Feeling starving is a bad idea, and I hate leaving the table unsatisfied.

I’ve been reading people having trouble eating 1200 cal in one sitting… I honestly can eat double that and still be hungry. What am I doing wrong?

(What The Fast?!) #2

Same. People talk about how full they are on keto but I can literally eat like 2 packages of bacon and be like…where’s the entree?
Interested in seeing other people’s insights.

#3

I was counting calories before calories. 6"1 250 dude. I was at 1500 a day so if I could do it you can but like you I was starving. On keto this week I am eating at least 2 cups of frozen veggies from Costco. With 5mg of salt sprinkled on. Along with 2 table spoons of butter on the veggies. Then on top 4 big pieces of fried pig belly that are so big they extend past the plate on each side. While they are warming up in the microwave I have a decent size chuck of cheese. After eating all that and wait 20 minutes if you are hungry it’s either lack of hydration or a mental hunger.

(Renee Slaughter) #4

Here are my thoughts. Your body likes this weight. To me it sounds like a good weight, your body may think the same and will fight you. I do not remember the science for this, but check the search box under stalls. You will likely find a thread about where you are in this journey.

(Chris) #5

Sounds like you’ve crashed your metabolism. Have you listened to the last podcast about eating to satiety?

I recommend steak until you are satisfied :slight_smile:

(Brian) #6

You’re already at what most would consider a normal weight. Congratulations on that!

Our bodies are really good at dialing back the energy expenditures when we dial back the input. I’d be hesitant to start restricting calories to the point where your body decides to dial back the metabolism.

Good luck!

(Jeannie Oliver) #7

I agree that you are probably stalled because you are so close to your “ideal” weight. Since you already work out as much as you do, perhaps you need to tweak your eating schedule in relation to your workouts in order to maximize fat burning and utilize the extra human growth hormone stimulated by fasting. At this point, perhaps instead of losing pounds, you want to reduce your body fat percentage and increase muscle.

I suggest you check out Thomas DeLauer videos on YouTube.

(Alan Williamson) #8

Counting calories always makes me hungry. Today, I just eat until I’m full. Bacon, sausage, and pork belly…FTW!!!

#9

Eating to “satiety” doesn’t work for everyone, cessation signaling can become deranged. Maybe this can be fixed over time.

In addition to eating the right allotment of protein and fat, adding a large volume of low carb nutrient dense foods can help keep hunger pangs under control. These are mainly vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, eggplant, zucchini, greens (spinach, kale, collards, etc). Would you be hungry after eating a pound of broccoli as the side dish to your meat? Or a 16 oz spinach salad topped with an assortment of veggies, avocado and bacon?

(Troy) #10

This for me

  1. I start off eating Veges 1st ( mix in whatever fats )
    I’m full or start to get there
  2. This prevents me from the overeating of my protein source
    3)Then more fats

Then maybe a fat bomb or 2 or 3 :grinning:

#11

Thank you all for the responses. Yes, I do believe my body considers this my ideal weight and tries to prevent me from starvation by holding on to the remaining fat for dear life. The minute I try to fast, even for 24 hours, I am freezing, whereas 24 hours was super easy before.

Trust me though, I still have fat I’d like to remove. I want abs, or at least a flatter situation. What I have now is not acceptable to me, lol. I try and work out as often as I believe is reasonable, and I can see a bit of muscle forming, but my weight is the same or higher, and the pant/dress size has been the same for 2 months. I don’t care what the number on the scale says, I would like to drop one more size and have a slimmer waist.

I find that I can very easily overeat vegetables, but when I eat meat my satiety signals work much better. I have a problem with nuts, I tend to binge, so I have now restricted them. 86% dark chocolate is dangerous as well, especially with raspberries and nut butter, so I am limiting that now too. I don’t do sweeteners, but I always crave something sweet after a meal. Should I maybe make a stevia dessert instead?

#12

I work out at 6 am before work, fasted. I have coffee with a drop of cream before and after, and then just eat lunch around 11:30- noon.

(Adam Kirby) #13

You can either try to force your body weight down with fasting, calorie restriction and chronic exercise, and take the consequences of that, or work naturally with your body to lower your fasting insulin over time, even though it goes much slower than you would like. It sounds like you’ve been doing a lot of the former, may be time to try the latter for now. Give your body plenty of energy and reassure it that you’re not chronically starving. Unfortunately it is not possible to exercise complete control over your weight without repercussions.

#14

All good points. I am trying not to over fast these days and eat to satiety. How about this strategy… eat 2 meals a day on workout days, and only one meal on non- workout days?

(Brian) #15

That’s not all that far from Jason Fung’s “alternate day fasting”.

I listened to a couple of Jason Fung’s videos on YouTube a couple of days ago and he left me with the impression that you either need to eat well or fast but not restrict calories (macros withstanding, of course). The eating well tells the body you’ve got plenty of energy and it’s OK to burn through it. The fasting tells he body that it needs to step up and use the energy it has stored to maintain metabolism until it gets fed again. The calorie restriction tells the body that it needs to be more efficient and cut back on the energy expenditures, a place that can lead to weight rebounds. At least that’s the impression I was left with. He says it a lot better than me.

(Jeannie Oliver) #16

This web site might be helpful for you.