Confusion about calories?

Question

If I eat 1200 calories a day, will I still lose weight even though I eat alot of sugar and carbs? And can alot of protein make you gain weight even if you're eating 1200 calories?

I normally eat a protein bar everyday, but they have around 20 grams of sugar and 15 grams of protein, 200 cals

will this make me gain weight? even though i stick to under 1200 cals?

i'm 16, 5'7" and 105 lbs if that's important at all.

Answer 1

I do not agree with the previous poster that you are underweight.  I am 5'9 and weigh 135 pounds, but when I was 18 years old, I only weight 110 pounds, and I wasn't dieting and ate whatever I wanted.

At 16, you haven't yet filled out.  If you were 25 and weighed 105 pounds at your height, I would say you're on the thin side.

You ask a very good question, but it's hard to answer without knowing more facts.  

How active are you?  The more active you are, the more calories you can ingest without consequences.

How many times are you eating per day?  Eating just twice per day at 600 calories each isn't as good as eating 6 times per day at 300 calories per day, even though you would be eating 1800 calories vs 1200, because you spread it out over 6 meals, your body will absorb it better and store less fat.

At 1200 calories, you're probably eating less calories than you burn, so you're going to lose weight.

However, this may likely slow your metabolism, and the weight will be harder and harder to lose or keep off, and eventually, even if you're only eating 1,000 calories per day, your body is going to think its starving so its going to store as much of it as fat, to survive.  BAD IDEA!

You'll look a lot better if you eat 6 small meals per day (just a handful of nuts here, a salad there with a little tuna in it, a half piece of chicken breast later with a quarter of a sweet potatoe, etc.  Small meals that add up to small calories, and you'll keep your body nourished, your energy levels high, and your metabolism will be cranked so you can eat that double whopper with your friends from time to time and your body will just kill it like it was nothing, because you have set it up to do so.

Its also important to eat protein with every meal, even if it's a small amount.

As for your protein bars, most of them on the market today are not any better for you than a snickers.  Too much sugar.  Stay away from them and eat regular meals without dressings, and you'll do great.

If hunger is an issue for you, try using a hoodia product as a last resort to suppress your hunger.  Hoodia Prime is one used by many with good results (google it and make your own decision.)

Answer 2

you are well underweight and need to put weight on. You need to eat at least 2000 cals a day, possibly even 3000 to be healthy