is 1200 calories enough for me?

steppphhhhanie
steppphhhhanie Posts: 9
in Health and Weight Loss
I set my daily goal as 1200 calories because before i started my diet last week i was probably eating 2500-3500 a day because i was back being sad about my weight and just ate like crap for about two months.. I've gained back 20 pounds of the 26 that I lost and I don't ever want to eat nearly as many calories as I was. The last week I've eaten 1200 or below calories and I've felt pretty full, but I was just wondering if it was healthy/safe. I want to lose about 8-10 pounds a month, hopefully. I'm 5'2" too.

Replies

  • tracyschreier
    tracyschreier Posts: 81 Member
    Um, I think everyone would like to lose 8-10 pounds a month...it's just unrealistic. And I do believe a 1200 calorie per day diet is just setting yourself up for failure.
  • steppphhhhanie
    steppphhhhanie Posts: 9
    Um, well the last time I dieted before this, I was at a 1400 calorie intake and lost 26 pounds in not even two months, so I figured I'd be able to lose more at 1200. Im JUST wondering if it is healthy for me... Why is 1200 setting myself up for failure? I have a pretty positive attitude towards this so I believe i'll do excellent.
  • beastmode_kitty
    beastmode_kitty Posts: 845 Member
    Um, well the last time I dieted before this, I was at a 1400 calorie intake and lost 26 pounds in not even two months, so I figured I'd be able to lose more at 1200. Im JUST wondering if it is healthy for me... Why is 1200 setting myself up for failure? I have a pretty positive attitude towards this so I believe i'll do excellent.

    You just said you lost 26 pounds in less than 2 months at 1400 cals. I would stick with that. 1200 is insufficient trust me. And if you are working out, I would eat more than 1400 also. Find a good BMR calculator as well as TDEE and find a number in between those. Contrary to popular belief, you need to eat to lose weight. Now I'm not saying go and eat a cheeseburger and chips all the time. Just watch what you eat and try and hit your macros!
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    No it is not.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    Why the rush?
    Would you rather lose the weight fast and regain it all just as quickly again, or would you rather make this something that you can sustain for life?
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    no not unless u are 120 or under
  • llkilgore
    llkilgore Posts: 1,169 Member
    Um, well the last time I dieted before this, I was at a 1400 calorie intake and lost 26 pounds in not even two months, so I figured I'd be able to lose more at 1200. Im JUST wondering if it is healthy for me... Why is 1200 setting myself up for failure? I have a pretty positive attitude towards this so I believe i'll do excellent.

    Didn't keep if off, though, did ya? So what makes you think 1200 calories will be any more sustainable?
  • beastmode_kitty
    beastmode_kitty Posts: 845 Member
    Um, well the last time I dieted before this, I was at a 1400 calorie intake and lost 26 pounds in not even two months, so I figured I'd be able to lose more at 1200. Im JUST wondering if it is healthy for me... Why is 1200 setting myself up for failure? I have a pretty positive attitude towards this so I believe i'll do excellent.

    Didn't keep if off, though, did ya? So what makes you think 1200 calories will be any more sustainable?

    Exactly! I did 1200 and lost nothing. Only gained. Not enough cals for me. Thats why I calculated my BMR and my TDEE and figured a number from there, which happened to be 2100 cals on days I worked out and around 1500-1700 on off days
  • volume77
    volume77 Posts: 670 Member
    its a free country. personally i love calories
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    Um, well the last time I dieted before this, I was at a 1400 calorie intake and lost 26 pounds in not even two months, so I figured I'd be able to lose more at 1200. Im JUST wondering if it is healthy for me... Why is 1200 setting myself up for failure? I have a pretty positive attitude towards this so I believe i'll do excellent.


    Last time you did this, you lost 26lbs and gained most of it back...now you're cutting calories even lower. You think it'll be easier to keep it off coming off a lower deficit? You're setting yourself up for failure because a low intake like that can slow your metabolism, plus make you more likely to feel hungry and end up eating a ton of crap.
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    Um, well the last time I dieted before this, I was at a 1400 calorie intake and lost 26 pounds in not even two months, so I figured I'd be able to lose more at 1200. Im JUST wondering if it is healthy for me... Why is 1200 setting myself up for failure? I have a pretty positive attitude towards this so I believe i'll do excellent.

    IF you didn't keep it off, it wasn't successful, was it? Why would being even more restrictive and damaging your metabolism even MORE work better? Yeah, taking it off fast is satisfying, but is it ultimately sustainable?
  • Vorenus85
    Vorenus85 Posts: 112 Member
    1200 calories (for most people) isn't sustainable. Your weight loss will stall and you'll be back on here asking why you're no longer losing.
  • steppphhhhanie
    steppphhhhanie Posts: 9
    I didnt keep it off because i got back into a depression and started eating like crap. thats the reason i didnt keep it off.... its not like im gonna start eating poorly again, im making a lifestyle change after my diet. clearly i want to lose weight and then once i get to where i want to be ill up my calories by a couple hundred and still work out. Like i've said I wanted to know if this was healthy, not a bunch of criticism. Thanks tho. But thanks to whoever gave me good advice.
  • NatureChik1985
    NatureChik1985 Posts: 79
    So why did you ask the question if you already had your mind made up? People are telling you it isn't healthy or sustainable and honestly your goals are a little unrealistic since you don't have much to lose. It isn't criticizing just because you are not getting the answers you want. By all means do what you want. It didn't work for you the first time, but give it a go and see what happens. I have no doubt you will lose weight (fat and muscle probably), if you are just worried about the number on the scale go for it.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    The truth is, it works for some people in some cases, not so much for other people.

    How can you tell if it will work for you?
    It depends on the reason you are overweight for your frame. I have metabolic disorder. Corrected for my body's deficit & now the weight is coming off without effort. If you are overweight because you take in too many calories vs how much you burn, then a modest deficit will work wonders.

    How do you figure that out?...it takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1# per week. Estimate or log 1 wk's worth of food & then just either subtract 500 cal per day (cut something out) or take your deficit over the course of 3ish days. It's up to you how you take your deficit. Don't want to cut calories?...No prob, work out to create that deficit, however, over estimating caloric burn can put the kibosh on weight loss.

    You need to figure out what works for you. While you're not a special snowflake per se, you are a special KIND of snowflake :wink:

    I'm 5' tall and of small frame. 1200 is about right for me, I'm older, so I need less calories and with metabolic disorder, calories in vs calories out is not very effective or healthy for me, however I've found something that I can live with and that works well for me.

    I lift heavy 3 x wk & I'm fairly active during the day (don't have a desk job). I eat when I'm hungry, whole foods, & as much fat as I can (due to metabolic dx). This means butter, whole eggs, meat, cheese, nuts, cream and whole milk. What I don't eat is grain, as in bread, pasta, rice (brown or otherwise).

    Good luck :drinker:

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