1200 Calories

jakeysnakey83

Hi all -

I'm wondering if anyone is a) actually able to eat only 1200 calories a day, and b) if so, is it really successful? How have you done it?

I'm finding that I am pretty hungry with only 1200 calories; I've planned out my meals for tomorrow and I'm already over 1200.

I'm 5'3 and 135 lbs, wanting to lose about 15lbs. I'm starting to get a little demotivated and am looking to hear your success stories.

Thanks!
Jaclyn

harakiri01

1200 calories a day does take some getting used to if you have been eating a lot more than that previously. Just take it a day at a time.
3 months ago I remember trying to stick to it and being starving all the time, now it isn't so hard. It is definitely about making good food choices, things that will keep you feeling full, choosing better snacks and not drinking your calories. I also find if I'm feeling peckish I'll drink a green tea first, that usually dulls the hunger for me.
Great that you're meal planning but what kind of things are you eating? A usual day for me will be oats and fruit for breakfast, soup or a wrap for lunch, fish/meat with salad or veggies for dinner and snacks are things like corn cakes or an apple with peanut butter.
I also drink well over 2 litres of water a day.
On days where I exercise a lot I will eat more because my body needs it. Been managing to lose over 1kg a week. So yeah, just keep at it, 1200 calories isn't a lot so if you need to go over a bit then it's not the end of the world and over time your body will get used to the changes you're making and it will get easier

charlotte48

Hi there, how tall are you? You don't actually weigh that much and trying to lose 15 pounds is quiet ambitious! I say that as I am also 53 and weigh about the same but only want to lose about 8 pounds. I think losing too much at our age can make you look gaunt and can be ageing in the face! I too am finding it hard to lose weight at this age and like you feeling very hungry (and weak) on 1200 calories. I am tempted to swap to the 5/2 diet where you only have 500 calories 2 days per week but can eat normally the rest. There is quiet a scientific body of research that proves it has lots more health benefits than constant restriction which is really difficult to sustain. You also lose weight quiet easily. Good luck-otherwise try and exercise more to burn more calories so you can eat a little bit more!

SnuggleSmacks

I am not trying to do 1200 calories, but I do hit it once in a while when I'm too busy to snack, or not feeling well. Otherwise I eat in the 1500-1700 range and I'm much happier.

rosannawoodpecker

I've been able to stay between 1100 and 1200 by eating a lot of non starchy veges. I add spinach to my one scrambled egg in the morning to help fill me up, or I will have a huge dark greens salad with a carrot, celery, bell peppers, cucumber, etc... along with a grilled chicken breast for lunch. For dinner my plate is always half veges.

yarwell

Put in a lower weight loss rate and you get more calories. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Roaringgael

I've eaten at 1200 cals, it can be done however I decided to eat more when I stopped losing - I ate more and started losing again. I am older and need less. If I was young I would eat at a higher cal level. I am MFP friends with a person who has lost 70kgs and has eaten above 1600 cals the whole time.

raysputin

I'm 67YO and am generally under 1,000. I know it's supposed to be too low but if I go up to 1,100 my weight loss stops. I cut out most carbs and concentrate on low cal, filling foods such as mushrooms, cucumber, beetroot and low-starch veggies. I got to my value by identifying the highest cal item I regularly ate for a week and then removed it from my food list. A week later I identified the remaining highest and removed it and so on. This gave my mind time to adjust to each reduction. When weight loss started I stopped removing items.

PleasantDisarray

I haven't really had any issues eating 1200 for about seven weeks now. My main strategies are:
- Eat a lot of low-density foods, ones that take up a lot of space but not that many calories. Raw vegetables, shakes with skim milk, lean meats and fish etc. And if there's a lower calorie version of something, I generally take it. For example, Chobani 0% greek yoghurt has about 109 calories for quite a big serving of 180g, and it's easy to mix in some frozen fruit or a little bit of honey to still keep the calories low but have something filling and delicious.
- Don't have high calorie, dense foods in reach! At all. If it's not in the cupboard you can't eat it.
- Keep busy. I'm running around a hospital all day rather than sitting at a desk, so I honestly don't even notice if I'm hungry. Same if I'm at my other job. I'm not starving myself, still taking time out for meals, but then as soon as you're done with your meal, your mind is straight off food!

The only thing I occasionally struggle with is walking past all the high calorie foods I used to binge on in the supermarket, then the resolve wavers! But once you're out of there you can focus on the dinner you're going to make etc and it's all gone.

DaniTronMcNally

I struggled with 1200 when I just ate less of what I normally eat, now i'm clean eating (mostly) and I find myself eating after tea to get up to that

fatcity66

I'm pretty sure she is saying she is 5ft 3in tall, not 53 yrs old.

amusedmonkey

There are several tricks to make 1200 doable:
1. Skip breakfast then have 2 respectable meals and a snack if you wish. 500 calories can be a nicely sized meal. A 200 snack, or two small 100 snacks are just there to catch you if you fall.
2. Eat back your workout calories so in reality you would be eating 1500 or so calories on most days.
3. Put more thought into your meals so they are protein and fiber rich, making sure every single calorie contributes to satisfaction.

maddyk91

I've lost almost 30lbs eating at 1200 calories.

I found you just have to pick high protein foods to stay full and choose carbs wisely. For example, every morning i have a light greek yogurt cup with two spoonfuls of raw oats mixed in.

For lunch, a tuna wrap (light tortilla, tuna, light mayo, sugar-free relish), and a side of veggies.

Dinner, usually something like spaghetti with a side of veggies.

(Also I am a pescatarian, so i never worried about adding meat to the mix.) But most of the time, i still had room in my calories to have a glass of wine.

becad83

It DOES take some getting used to. I am 172cm tall and weigh 91kg. I have lost 12kg eating only 1200 calories per day WITH the occasional slip up

pinkiezoom

I tried it, and after 2 weeks was so miserable i upped my cals and now eat around 1500 a day, my main worry was i didnt want to lose too much to quickly ( i have a lot to lose) and it wouldnt be sustainable as a life style change.

blktngldhrt

1200 is low for you. Your bmr should be around 1400; because you are already at a healthy weight I don't suggest going below it. Calculate your TDEE and give yourself a deficit that doesn't go below your bmr. You can probably do a 15-20% deficit at sedentary without going below bmr and lose weight.

knoelledi

I changed my goals to 1400 but stick mostly to 1200. That way, if I go over 1200, I'm not too upset. I have found most of my favorite foods can fit into my daily calories if i plan right. It really is about the planning and having things on hand that will fit.

pmur

I'm the same height and at that starting weight I too was given 1200 cals by MFP. I used to exercise 5Xweek though and I ate back exercise cals with some remaining cals. On the one rest day, I used to eat 1400. I think it all evened out because I did lose that weight.

jspicher81

I've found 1200 to be relatively easy -- the trick is to start off with only a pound a week (say 1360 cals per day or so) for a few months... and ease into 1200 -- because it is quite low and takes quite a bit of working up to. But eventually it becomes second nature.

dosti

ive found i can easily do under 1200 when exercising 4-5 times a week with a 500+ calorie burn each sesh. if i were doing just a diet then i wouldnt last more than a couple of weeks.

lefterisprousaliadis

In my opinion your best bet is a high-carb, big breakfast. It will keep you full for a long time, plus you'll be burning the calories throughout the day! Then, depending on your working hours/schedule, you could eat some protein around noon-afternoon (small chicken breast fillet, turkey breast fillet etc, accompanied by veggies) and at night something like cottage cheese, a yoghurt etc.

Thedutchesss

OMG I know. The first couple of days I was sooooo hungry. I decided I wanted to lose weight but am not a healthy eating person. I just don't like fruit and veggies and I would hate any diet, resent it and crave chocolate if I would change it all. So I did not. I skimmed my breakfast from 90 grams of Kellogs K Light (which I love) to 30 grams with 300 ml of semi skimmed milk and 3 cups of tea (I don't like skimmed milk). Then I changed my lunch to sushi. I love me some sushi. Then I made the most drastic change: I changed every night dinner to eating 2 slice of toast only. This was the easiest. I have 2 kids, work 60 hours a week so when I go home I bath them, feed them and put them to bed and it's 8.30. I go to bed 9.30 so don't find the time to cook (kids eat main meal with hubby in afternoon). So yeah, this took some time getting used to but I am always around 1200 a day and have 2 snacks, mainly crisps (under 100 Kcal bags) and chocolate (around 100 kcal) in between meals. So just find something that works for you!

GloMoGo

I'm on a 1200 calorie plan as well. I'm 5'5 and 170 lbs. My goal over the next 6-8 months is to lose 20 lbs. I had issues with a 1200 plan in the past because I didn't want to really change my eating habits. I wouldn't nix sugar, chocolate, and fast food, so my calories evaporated fairly quickly.

I'm back at it and it's been far easier this time around. Cereal bar for breakfast with coffee and/or water. Fruit, cereal bar, crackers, or nuts for snacks. Salad for lunch with small portion of chicken (no dressing) and a potato or beans to get me through the day until snack time. Finish it out with a sensible dinner. Last night I had baked chicken wings and sauteed asparagus. Someone already mentioned this, but I'll reiterate it. Don't drink your calories!

sheldonklein

Rethink your rate of loss goal. You can eat several hundred more calories/day if you settle for 0.5 lb week. If you do stick at 1200, try 4-5 meals day. I've learned that a 175 calorie "meal" fuels me for 3 hours without real hunger. 4 of those, plus a 500 calorie dinner,= 1200

DeterminedFee201426

i been eating 1200 cals almost everyday not a problem here. i don't plan my meals all the time just eat when iam actually hungry which is every 3-4 hrs . i try my best not to let my snack cals get above 250 cals .. often iam left hungry eating snack cals above 250.. snacks do not keep me full at all so i eat more food then snacks and that way iam not horribly hungry during the day >that's just me! b4 152lbs *losted 27 lbs * thus far landing me at 125 lbs in a year

Veriloquent63

I'm a 63 year old guy. I've lost 65 pounds since July. Here's what has worked for me.

• Measure portions and count everything. I think a lot of people eat more calories than they realize.
• Don't eat too little. I eat a minimum of 1200 calories a day but never less. I've stayed consistently in the 1300 to 1500 calorie range. Eating too little will cause your body to go into a survival mode that resists what you're trying to accomplish.
• DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST!! A good solid breakfast sets the tone of how you feel all day. I have something like a bowl of oatmeal with a fried egg on top and a (measured) glass of orange juice.
• Find an activity you enjoy. It must be something you like to do. I got a bicycle and have rediscovered my city. I just love riding around all the back streets and neighborhoods that I would never have a reason to drive to. Progress at your own pace. When I got the bike in July, I had to stop for a couple breaks on a 2 mile ride. Yesterday I went 27 miles. It hasn't only helped me lose weight, it has improved my mood! Some people like to dance. Whatever activities you choose, have a passion for it.

I hope this helps. Here is a quote I found that has helped me stay focused and motivated.

“Freedom from obsession is not about something you do; it's about knowing who you are. It's about recognizing what sustains you and what exhausts you. What you love and what you think you love because you believe you can't have it.”

mpost12590

I am set to 1200 cals as well. I started at 276 lbs on july 23rd. Today I am at 232 lbs. By the way I to am 5 feet 3 inches. I have found it hard to eat 1200 cals. There are days I am much less. I eat a lot of salad. I honestly do not work out yet due to having health issues. Green tea is a big help. I still eat "normal" food just much smaller amounts. To help fight hunger I drink a glass of ice cold tea. Drinking things that are ice cold burns more calories than hot. Good luck with your goal. I will say this if you are to hungry after trying the 1200 cals a day I would up it to 1400 calories. You would be shocked how a 200 calories increase will make you feel.

Dawmelvan

I am set at 1240 and it definitely is hard, but not impossible! Because of a desk job, my activity is sedentary, so I eat back my workout calories. I aim to burn at least 200 cals throughout the day and have a 1400 calorie diet. I find that eating less processed food and mainly lean meats, fruits and veggies is what keeps me full and not feeling like I want to rip my face off. Eating at such a low calorie, I find that literally every single calorie counts, so little things like condiments i.e. ketchup is carefully measured and rarely used. Everyday I review my diary and if I'm over, I don't stress I just say to myself, "What could you have NOT eaten to stay under?" Usually I find it was something unfulfilling and not even worth it. GOOD LUCK and GOD BLESS!

Dawmelvan

" I will say this if you are to hungry after trying the 1200 cals a day I would up it to 1400 calories. You would be shocked how a 200 calories increase will make you feel. "

^^^^^ THIS ^^^^

Dawmelvan

Oh and by the way, I've lost 42 pounds. It's worth it :-)

WatchJoshLift

If I only at 1200 calories a day, I would be hangry.