1,200 calories per day

SquatNSparkle

IMHO 1200 is ok for some days, but long term, it is NOT enough. And you will quite likely lose on that amount for awhile...then stall out. Please Find a calorie calculator like fitness frog. Input gender, height, weight, activity level.
Also, calorie cycling may be a good thing to research. Good luck.

And yes, some do it and it works for them. Good for them. Not trying to judge, just giving OP my perspective.

azulvioleta6

Yoshirio wrote: »

I don't understand why people only eat 1200 calories. Are you real short? I am 5'5 and eat 1500 a day and still lose 2 pounds or more a week..I do walk a lot,but nothing earth shattering.Just curious,not bashing. I would be eating my arm at only 1200 calories.

Not everybody has a choice in the matter. Some people are small, older, have lower BMRs due to health issues, etc.

I am 5'10." I still never eat more than 1400 calories/day.

nicca_jb

IF you don't have a medical reason to eat so low, please consider finding out what your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate, or the energy you need just to survive) and TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) are. An overwhelming amount of research has been done into these numbers and understanding why it's unsafe long-term to eat lower than your BMR--a number which will change as your weight changes--and why eating between these numbers is the recommended way to lose weight.

As a note, I'm 5'6" and currently losing while eating 1725/day.

MarziPanda95

Yoshirio wrote: »

I don't understand why people only eat 1200 calories. Are you real short? I am 5'5 and eat 1500 a day and still lose 2 pounds or more a week..I do walk a lot,but nothing earth shattering.Just curious,not bashing. I would be eating my arm at only 1200 calories.

Some people have metabolic disorders which means they have to eat low, or some people eat that low because they're near goal weight and if they eat much more they won't lose more than a pound every few months.

SquatNSparkle

azul, I guess it depends on what you do, your activity level, your goals, and your lifestyle. There is a lot of data that says it's not enough to maintain good energy, healthy skin/hair and such. But some do it and survive, and some endorse 'calorie restriction' as a life extending and positive choice. I personally love food and love being able to eat more and still look pretty damn good. Not perfect, not fitness model good, but decent.

mykosfemme

Jump rope. It is a high calorie burning exercise, and in about 10-20 minutes, you can afford another meal! If you don't have a jump rope, look up how to make them with spare plastic bags - good way to use extras you have without wasting them, and its super cheap if you save them up.

oh_happy_day

I eat 1200-1300. I mostly eat vegetables with some lean protein and dairy. I cook everything from scratch and I plan a week of meals at a time and pre-log everything. I get hungry occasionally so eat eat back more of my exercise calories but I'm definitely not starving. My diary is open to friends to feel free to add me and see what I'm eating.

oh_happy_day

Also I use a lot of recipes from Michelle Bridges cookbooks - she's australian but they're available online. I still eat things lasagne, ramen, pasta (zucchini pasta!), chilli, burrito bowls etc. There are stacks of blogs online too - Skinny Taste is a good place to start.

justrollme

Congrats on your newborn! In addition to all of the great advice here, be sure to use a food scale. A lot of recipes give amounts in "cups," or "teaspoon/tablespoon," but it is very easy to accidentally go over, unless you actually weigh amounts to calculate calories. Best wishes!