1200 Calorie People..How do you do it and stick with it?

generallyme2

I agree with a lot of the above. I'm on 1200 net cals- but I generally exercise between 300-600 cals and eat most of those back. I do try to give myself a bit of a buffer because its really hard to know exactly what you're burning.

saqilara

I just joined the site and I have to try to stick with 1200 calorie thing. There are some great websites you can find that give you recipes for all meal types and the calories each contain. I've tried a few and the food is delicious. Just do searches for eg, 300 calorie meals or 100 calorie snacks. It'd pretty impressive what you can find.

fergybob9

I really struggle and feel I have to do exercise ! I have just started the 5:2 diet meaning you eat 500 2 days a week and then normally the other 5. I have had my first 500 day today and it was remarkably easy. This means I can relax a bit tomorrow. Guess it also means that if i dont gorge on the other 5, i will average about 1200 across the week. Google it and see what you think. Cant wait for tomorrow mind!!

meredith1123

I am currently eating 1400 calories per day and exercising for about an hour. I have tried to go as low as 1200 but I always seem to be starving!

For those of you who have stuck to the 1200 calorie allotment, how do you do it? How does it work for you? How much exercise...etc.

I'm currently trying to find the best calorie intake for me to lose weight and not feel hungry all the time. The times where I stick to 1200 are hard but they sure do work for weight loss!

Healthy/Lean proteins and fiber keep me full all day!

monkey9994

when i stuck to 1200 i tend to plan meals and times to have them and stick to it fruits are low in calories so them tend to be ok to have more of.
Example:
breakfst after im dressed- bowl Special K skim milk
snack- banana or pear
lunch around 1/2- sandwich with low fat spread and a meat or prawns etc, no cheese sandwich or pre packed filling(if out chose diet option) with a apple or lowfat yoghurt after
cup of tea of cofee in afternoon keeps you going
dinner around 6- healthy meal low carb , white fish is a good option with vegies or salads
late snack if needed of cracker bread (40cals) low ft cheese (40)

coreymo

For me the key is to pig out on veggies (especially greens), friuts and high fiber foods like beans, and limit my carb intake (i.e., whole grain bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, etc.) to 1-2 servings per day max. I aim for a minimum of 30g fiber per day. And I absolutely stay away from sugar - If I eat even one sugary thing at any point in the day and I'm hungry for the rest of the day!! Also, drinking water and tea helps curb my hunger between meals. All the best!

David1406

I'm in my 4th week of 1200 cals and haven't had any real problems. I tend to have a low cal breakfast and an even lower cal lunch, which gives me plenty to play with in the evening...even a large whisky here and there. I don't eat back my exercise cals, and usually end up somewhere between 1000 and 1100 each day. I've lost 13lbs in 3.5 weeks so I'm obviously doing something right! :happy:

HSM1982

My plan of action for my 1200 calorie diet is to fill up on a lot of fiber rich vegetables and of course, lots of water. On the days I don't exercise and am very sedentary I plan to fully use my 1200 calorie allotment and on the days I do exercise I will try to take in more calories. I don't want my body to be deprived to the point it can't burn the calories, but must hold on to them. After my weight training I am going to try to take in a low calorie protein shake to help aid in repair of torn muscles (I don't care for the shakes too much, but I chug them down and then I am good to go on with my day).

crisbabe81

I do 1200 calories and only eat back my exercise calories on Sundays. I eat 3 meals and drink 1-2 protein shakes a day. I personally found the higher my protein intake that day, the less hungry I feel. I stay low carb, low fat and low sugar. I've lost 26.8 lbs this way since 4/13. I have a smart scale at home and calculates body fat, muscle and water.. I've increased my muscle and decreased my fat... I also drink anywhere from 1 gallon to 1.5 gallons of water a day. The water keeps me full! Good luck

6spdeg

feel free to view my diary.. eat clean lotta protein kills hunger etc.. i try to eat more but im already stuffed i was at 1800 calfor a while and felt so bloated all the time.. also 14glasses of water ave per day.

oh yea i do m-f 1hr high intensity lifting mwf eve i do stair master 30min 70 steps per min and thur sundays i do cxworx core in evenings 30min class.

getrealforme

I eat 1200 NET and I believe that is the key. I eat between 1500-1900 calories per day and never feel deprived.

This is exactly what I do. I can eat anything I want, I just have to exercise enough to net 1200 calories a day. I have a Jawbone UP synced with MFP. I have my calories set to negative. It takes the guess work out of it.

suzeya

i try to eat as clean as possible. it's easy to keep your calories low if you're eating whole foods. as soon as you add chips, a snickers bar, a cookie, etc, there goes 300 calories of your allotment. my sweet treat is a really ripe pineapple. 1 cup = 74 calories and you can't eat too much because your mouth will start to hurt.

i would suggest making the change gradual. eventually u will learn how to manage within your calorie allotment.

personally, i exercise every day by walking to work (an hour each way). i'd rather move a little bit more and eat a little bit more than drive myself crazy trying to stay within 1200 calories. in other words, i eat more than 1200 calories but with my exercise, it nets to 1200.

mandeenicoleb

When I first started here on 1,480 a day it seemed impossible. Now I am on 1200 BUT I usually do a lot of walking and I eat back my calories. The more you work out, the more you can eat. I average a 2 lb loss a week, but I don't know how long that will last.

Making smart food choices have made the 1200 easy. I pair so many of my meals with veggies (nearly now calories) and this has taught me potion control.


I still treat myself to Starbucks, Cupcakes, Chocolate, etc.

Oh and the weekends I sometimes go a little over.

TeaBea

I do 1200 calories and only eat back my exercise calories on Sundays. I eat 3 meals and drink 1-2 protein shakes a day. I personally found the higher my protein intake that day, the less hungry I feel. I stay low carb, low fat and low sugar. I've lost 26.8 lbs this way since 4/13. I have a smart scale at home and calculates body fat, muscle and water.. I've increased my muscle and decreased my fat... I also drink anywhere from 1 gallon to 1.5 gallons of water a day. The water keeps me full! Good luck

GAINING muscle mass and netting below 1200 calories 6 days a week ?...... um no. Home scales are not reliable for measuring muscle mass.... eating lots of protien is good .... but below your BMR ..... you would be lucky to hang onto existing muscle.

bsgordon

The program was designed for NET calories. if you are exercising you need to keep your body fueled. Use the diary to track your NET calories. I was always hungry in the beginning. I am fine staying within the 1200 NET calories. You will learn what your body needs to feel satisfied longer. Just give it some time to adjust.

crose0056

I am sticking to the 1200 they suggested. I do not exercise and am very sedentary. It's been 45 days or so and 6lbs down. I do have my moments of hunger but have learned how to manage it. I drink a ton of water daily. Eat 3 meals a day and 2 snacks. I record everything I eat. And lots of the time I know today what my meals are going to be tomorrow, and stick to it. My reward is the numbers onthe scales. Caprozell

JAEGAmom

My husband and I are doing 1200 calories... He has an easier time of it than I do, but I do it! You have to give yourself a few days to get used to it. Especially if you go from eating 4000+ calories a day to 1200. Within a few days, I was finding it easier to manage 1200. You have to find the right choice of foods too! We eat alot of whole grain rice, chicken breast, beans, eggs (recently started getting egg beaters cause they're almost 1/3 the calories of regular eggs!), steamed veggies, and my favorite... lots of fresh fruit! I just watch as I'm grocery shopping and compare calories on the different foods and try to make a real effort to buy low calorie things! Definitely cut out alot of our eating processed foods and eating fast food!!! Once you do it for a while, it gets easier. And you will know what foods fill you up! Google it to see what are good filling foods for low calorie diets! You can do this!

My husband eats 1200 calories and that's it! I use MFP and go 1200 net calories. I usually end up under that with a little exercise. I try to walk or do a workout from YouTube on my lunch hour! And we also give ourselves 1-2 days a month to go out and if we go a LITTLE over, so be it!

My hubby has lost 50 pounds in 1 1/2 months and I am down about 25 in a month. I don't know how many inches we've lost, but I wish we'd have measured before we started. He has lost alot! But his weight is all in his belly, so it's very noticable! Mine is spread all over it seems, but my clothes are starting to fit looser!

The biggest thing is getting it straight in my head! Tomorrow is a new day! If you have an off day once in a while, pick up tomorrow and get back on track! It's all ok! Think positive and stick with it for a while! My hubby tells me we didn't gain all this weight in a few weeks, we're not going to lose it in that time frame either! It will take time, but we are starting to SEE the results of what we're doing!

TeaBea

My husband and I are doing 1200 calories... He has an easier time of it than I do, but I do it! You have to give yourself a few days to get used to it. Especially if you go from eating 4000+ calories a day to 1200. Within a few days, I was finding it easier to manage 1200. You have to find the right choice of foods too! We eat alot of whole grain rice, chicken breast, beans, eggs (recently started getting egg beaters cause they're almost 1/3 the calories of regular eggs!), steamed veggies, and my favorite... lots of fresh fruit! I just watch as I'm grocery shopping and compare calories on the different foods and try to make a real effort to buy low calorie things! Definitely cut out alot of our eating processed foods and eating fast food!!! Once you do it for a while, it gets easier. And you will know what foods fill you up! Google it to see what are good filling foods for low calorie diets! You can do this!

My hubby has lost 50 pounds in 1 1/2 months and I am down about 25 in a month. I don't know how many inches we've lost, but I wish we'd have measured before we started. He has lost alot! But his weight is all in his belly, so it's very noticable! Mine is spread all over it seems, but my clothes are starting to fit looser!

Men should definitely be eating more than 1200 calories. Fast weight loss can backfire .....loss of muscle mass will slow down your metabolism


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

toutmonpossible

I don't always eat 1,200, but I need to be there or under to lose weight. I eat carefully. The reason I exceed 1,200 is usually boredom or a desire to eat, not hunger.

I drink lots of water, and many days fast, drinking only coffee black or with a little bit of skim milk, until noon or 1.

kaybeau

easy, I eat past my goal every day ... no will power! I exercise most of the surplus and still manage to loose weight ut I have been doing this for a very long time !