1,200 Calorie Diet

Kimegatron

If it's really humid for a while where I'm at, I don't lose anything that week, but will lose a couple the following week. It also depends if it's that time of the month.

janejellyroll

Pebblemonster21 wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

Pebblemonster21 wrote: »

IsaackGMOON wrote: »

Pebblemonster21 wrote: »

IsaackGMOON wrote: »

How long have you been on this '1200 calorie diet' and have you been eating back your exercise calories?

I've been on it for a week now. And I haven't been eating back my calories burned. I stick to the 1,200 and then burn an additional 250-300.

A week is nothing. And you should be eating back your exercise calories otherwise you will be netting a smaller amount (around 900) which isn't healthy..

Wait, I don't understand. What would be the point of working out if I'm just going to eat back the calories I just burned? Wouldn't that be pointless?

The point is that exercise is great for your body and mind.

MFP gives you a calorie goal that includes a deficit, without you doing any exercise. This deficit will create weight loss. If you increase this deficit through exercise, you run the risk of having your net calories go too low. This will impact your energy level, mood, ability to meet your body's nutritional needs, and may put you at a higher risk for binges. Additionally, rapid weight loss (like the kind you will experience if your deficit is too high) increase your risk of health complications (like hair loss and gall bladder issues) and it means you will lose more muscle than fat. You always lose some muscle on a diet, but you really want to lose as little as possible. A reasonable deficit makes this possible. This is why MFP is designed for people to eat their exercise calories back.

I understand that having too much of a calorie deficit is bad. But I'm only 5'3 and I currently weigh 152 lbs. So I'm about 12 pounds overweight.

RGv2 wrote: »

Pebblemonster21 wrote: »

diannethegeek wrote: »

Pebblemonster21 wrote: »

diannethegeek wrote: »

Your weight is not a static number. It's constantly in flux due to things like muscle inflammation after a workout, water retention caused by lots of things (sodium, carbs, stress, hormones, etc), where you are in your monthly cycle, when you last pooped, etc. It's why so many people tell you that weight loss is not linear. You won't see a drop on the scale every single week, even when you're just starting out. Give your body some time to catch up with your new routine before you panic.

Thanks, this helped. I'm pretty desperate to lose some weight that I gained recently so I freaked out when it seemed like it wasn't working. I'll just keep at it.

Have you had a chance to go through the "must read" posts stickied to the top of each section? This one in particular might be helpful: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084670/it-is-unlikely-that-you-will-lose-weight-consistently-i-e-weight-loss-is-not-linear

Wow, that was a great article! Thanks (: I seriously was considering just eating 1,000 calories as I've done in the past, but I'm going to stick to the healthy way and try to avoid incorrect entries to make sure I'm really eating what I think I am.

What are your stats ht/wt, because when you say you're going to "stick to the healthy way".....I don't think you're doing it netting under 1000 calories.....especially at your age.....unless you're 2 and a half feet tall.

I'm 5'3, 19 yrs. old, and I weigh 152 lbs., which means I'm 12 lbs. overweight. According to that, my BMR is 1513 calories. So eating 1,200 calories and burning 300 creates a deficit of roughly 600 calories.

WIth only twelve pounds to lose, your plan should be more conservative -- not more aggressive.

Eating a sufficient number of calories to fuel your body isn't self-sabotage.

albatraoz_clc

There are a lot of great responses here but I'll add just a little thing from my own personal experience. I am doing a 3 month workout program, at the beginning of each month my workout routine changes....each time my routine has changed I didn't lose anything, even gained in the first week or two. Keep at it and stick to plan, the weight will come off..and in the meantime enjoy the benefits of getting healthier and fit

Pebblemonster21

IsaackGMOON wrote: »

Pebblemonster21 wrote: »

IsaackGMOON wrote: »

Pebblemonster21 wrote: »

IsaackGMOON wrote: »

How long have you been on this '1200 calorie diet' and have you been eating back your exercise calories?

I've been on it for a week now. And I haven't been eating back my calories burned. I stick to the 1,200 and then burn an additional 250-300.

A week is nothing. And you should be eating back your exercise calories otherwise you will be netting a smaller amount (around 900) which isn't healthy..

Wait, I don't understand. What would be the point of working out if I'm just going to eat back the calories I just burned? Wouldn't that be pointless?

No... think about it logically.

For example, let's say someone's TDEE is 2300 calories. They eat at 1800 calories daily... that is a 500 calorie deficit (aka 1lb loss per week). If they burn calories through exercise, lets say 500; 1800-500 = 1300 net calories.

You eat back these calories so you're back to where you were so you have more fuel... which is necessary for bodily functions etc.

Take a step back, take another step back, take a step forward... returning to where you were a step back ;p that just makes it sound confusing but you get the drift?

Yeah, I understand the logic of it. You would still lose weight from cutting back on calories, but you wouldn't be losing any weight from the exercise because you're eating it back. That's what doesn't sound appealing to me. It would be better to be losing weight from cutting back on calories aaand the exercise.

Pebblemonster21

diannethegeek wrote: »

I understand that having too much of a calorie deficit is bad. But I'm only 5'3 and I currently weigh 152 lbs. So I'm about 12 pounds overweight.

It's often suggested that the less you have to lose the slower you should go. It helps you keep your muscle tone and makes sure that you're getting enough nutrition for your body. Someone with 75 pounds to lose might be able to aim for 2 pounds per week. With 12 pounds to lose you should probably consider a less aggressive plan.

I'm 5'3, 19 yrs. old, and I weigh 152 lbs., which means I'm 12 lbs. overweight. According to that, my BMR is 1513 calories. So eating 1,200 calories and burning 300 creates a deficit of roughly 600 calories.

You want to take your deficit from your TDEE, not your BMR. And again, aiming for a 1,000 calorie deficit is a lot for someone with only 12 pounds to lose.

I don't know, I just feel like eating back the calories I just burned is self-sabotage. I want to exercise to lose weight, not to be able to eat more.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf

Thanks for the article (: Even though I'm 12 lbs. overweight, I want to lose 22 lbs. overall. My goal is to weigh 130, which is a completely balanced and healthy weight for my height, right in the middle of a healthy BMI. That's why I'm making so much effort to lose it. If I increase my calorie intake, I'm really scared that I'll gain more weight. If I gained weight just from 1,200 calories, just imagine if I actually ended up eating the calories I burned with exercise.

kshama2001

Pebblemonster21 wrote: »

diannethegeek wrote: »

I understand that having too much of a calorie deficit is bad. But I'm only 5'3 and I currently weigh 152 lbs. So I'm about 12 pounds overweight.

It's often suggested that the less you have to lose the slower you should go. It helps you keep your muscle tone and makes sure that you're getting enough nutrition for your body. Someone with 75 pounds to lose might be able to aim for 2 pounds per week. With 12 pounds to lose you should probably consider a less aggressive plan.

I'm 5'3, 19 yrs. old, and I weigh 152 lbs., which means I'm 12 lbs. overweight. According to that, my BMR is 1513 calories. So eating 1,200 calories and burning 300 creates a deficit of roughly 600 calories.

You want to take your deficit from your TDEE, not your BMR. And again, aiming for a 1,000 calorie deficit is a lot for someone with only 12 pounds to lose.

I don't know, I just feel like eating back the calories I just burned is self-sabotage. I want to exercise to lose weight, not to be able to eat more.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf

Thanks for the article (: Even though I'm 12 lbs. overweight, I want to lose 22 lbs. overall. My goal is to weigh 130, which is a completely balanced and healthy weight for my height, right in the middle of a healthy BMI. That's why I'm making so much effort to lose it. If I increase my calorie intake, I'm really scared that I'll gain more weight. If I gained weight just from 1,200 calories, just imagine if I actually ended up eating the calories I burned with exercise.

Can you make your diary viewable so we can see if there are issues in your logging that may indicate you're actually eating more than you think?

You do that by going to http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings, scroll down to Diary Sharing, and selecting Make Public.

diannethegeek

Pebblemonster21 wrote: »

diannethegeek wrote: »

I understand that having too much of a calorie deficit is bad. But I'm only 5'3 and I currently weigh 152 lbs. So I'm about 12 pounds overweight.

It's often suggested that the less you have to lose the slower you should go. It helps you keep your muscle tone and makes sure that you're getting enough nutrition for your body. Someone with 75 pounds to lose might be able to aim for 2 pounds per week. With 12 pounds to lose you should probably consider a less aggressive plan.

I'm 5'3, 19 yrs. old, and I weigh 152 lbs., which means I'm 12 lbs. overweight. According to that, my BMR is 1513 calories. So eating 1,200 calories and burning 300 creates a deficit of roughly 600 calories.

You want to take your deficit from your TDEE, not your BMR. And again, aiming for a 1,000 calorie deficit is a lot for someone with only 12 pounds to lose.

I don't know, I just feel like eating back the calories I just burned is self-sabotage. I want to exercise to lose weight, not to be able to eat more.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf

Thanks for the article (: Even though I'm 12 lbs. overweight, I want to lose 22 lbs. overall. My goal is to weigh 130, which is a completely balanced and healthy weight for my height, right in the middle of a healthy BMI. That's why I'm making so much effort to lose it. If I increase my calorie intake, I'm really scared that I'll gain more weight. If I gained weight just from 1,200 calories, just imagine if I actually ended up eating the calories I burned with exercise.

But you didn't gain weight at 1200 calories! You've had a temporary fluctuation, not actual weight gain. Has this thread come full circle back to this?

This mindset that you can't eat more than 1200 calories or you'll gain weight is seriously going to hurt you when you transition to maintenance.

Pebblemonster21

diannethegeek wrote: »

Pebblemonster21 wrote: »

diannethegeek wrote: »

I understand that having too much of a calorie deficit is bad. But I'm only 5'3 and I currently weigh 152 lbs. So I'm about 12 pounds overweight.

It's often suggested that the less you have to lose the slower you should go. It helps you keep your muscle tone and makes sure that you're getting enough nutrition for your body. Someone with 75 pounds to lose might be able to aim for 2 pounds per week. With 12 pounds to lose you should probably consider a less aggressive plan.

I'm 5'3, 19 yrs. old, and I weigh 152 lbs., which means I'm 12 lbs. overweight. According to that, my BMR is 1513 calories. So eating 1,200 calories and burning 300 creates a deficit of roughly 600 calories.

You want to take your deficit from your TDEE, not your BMR. And again, aiming for a 1,000 calorie deficit is a lot for someone with only 12 pounds to lose.

I don't know, I just feel like eating back the calories I just burned is self-sabotage. I want to exercise to lose weight, not to be able to eat more.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf

Thanks for the article (: Even though I'm 12 lbs. overweight, I want to lose 22 lbs. overall. My goal is to weigh 130, which is a completely balanced and healthy weight for my height, right in the middle of a healthy BMI. That's why I'm making so much effort to lose it. If I increase my calorie intake, I'm really scared that I'll gain more weight. If I gained weight just from 1,200 calories, just imagine if I actually ended up eating the calories I burned with exercise.

But you didn't gain weight at 1200 calories! You've had a temporary fluctuation, not actual weight gain. Has this thread come full circle back to this?

This mindset that you can't eat more than 1200 calories or you'll gain weight is seriously going to hurt you when you transition to maintenance.

Okay, so what is it that you recommend for me?

Pebblemonster21

albatraoz_clc wrote: »

There are a lot of great responses here but I'll add just a little thing from my own personal experience. I am doing a 3 month workout program, at the beginning of each month my workout routine changes....each time my routine has changed I didn't lose anything, even gained in the first week or two. Keep at it and stick to plan, the weight will come off..and in the meantime enjoy the benefits of getting healthier and fit

Thank you for sharing that. My body is probably just adjusting to my new routine.