All these 1200 calorie diets ... what happens afterwards?
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kimdawnhayden
Posts: 298 Member
I see that a lot of people here eat 1200 calories. What happens after you reach your goal weight? Do you go back to eating normally? Do you then gain the weight back bit by bit? How hard is it to maintain? I'm just curious. I'm doing a Bulk with a weight lifting program and it has me eating 2000 calories. Then when I cut, I'm supposed to drop it to 1600 calories. How do people survive on 1200 calories? It seems you really have no where to go once you get to that calorie range. If your diet stops working you can't go lower.
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Some people have 1200 as a goal and it's totally appropriate. Some are set at 1200 and it isn't enough.
It takes time to figure out your TDEE, time to figure out what your needed calories are to lose weight. People who are obese can easily do 1200 for a while. As they approach less body fat, the idea is to raise calories if that is warranted.
Older, fairly sedentary, or smaller people need to eat less in general than a younger, more active person.
1200 is right for some, not for others.11 -
I ask myself this all the time. While starvation mode isn't real, your body does get more efficient with fewer calories if you underfeed it, so a lot of these people will end up with a much lower maintenance calorie range after dieting.0
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If you are older, shorter and sedentary then your TDEE isn't going to be that high. When you are trying to lose weight you are eating at a deficit of usually anywhere from 250 - 1000 calories per day. When you stop trying to lose weight you will increase your calories. The amount you increase them will depend on your new TDEE. You will not be able to go back to eating at the high calorie level you were at when you were overweight, but you will be able to eat more than you did when you were losing weight.9
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I've done "diets" that had me at a low calorie goal like that....how did I survive?
I was lethargic and tired and never quite felt "good" and I know I lost muscle mass.
Once the "diet" was done and I hadn't learned how to actually maintain because "diets" are like that, yes I gained it back and usually an additional 10lbs.
I watch people in my real life go through this cycle all the time actually. They try to lose as fast as they can for a special event or for summer etc then it's gone and they go hog wild eating all the food they deprived themselves of and gain it back over the summer and then some more over the winter...repeat...and to be blunt when they are done it's not good...no muscle tone, saggy and things are hanging and the more they do it the worse it gets.
I have tried to help and give advice only to be met with anger or "whatevers" or worse "you're just jealous"...so I let them be now.
I feel bad for those people...mainly women...but what do you do?5 -
kimdawnhayden wrote: »I see that a lot of people here eat 1200 calories. What happens after you reach your goal weight? Do you go back to eating normally? Do you then gain the weight back bit by bit? How hard is it to maintain? I'm just curious. I'm doing a Bulk with a weight lifting program and it has me eating 2000 calories. Then when I cut, I'm supposed to drop it to 1600 calories. How do people survive on 1200 calories? It seems you really have no where to go once you get to that calorie range. If your diet stops working you can't go lower.
If 2000 is a bulk for you then how is 1600 a cut ? What is you maintenance ? Cause that is not much of a differential to see significant change. The different between my bulk and cut is about 1000 calls.0 -
kimdawnhayden wrote: »I see that a lot of people here eat 1200 calories. What happens after you reach your goal weight? Do you go back to eating normally? Do you then gain the weight back bit by bit? How hard is it to maintain? I'm just curious. I'm doing a Bulk with a weight lifting program and it has me eating 2000 calories. Then when I cut, I'm supposed to drop it to 1600 calories. How do people survive on 1200 calories? It seems you really have no where to go once you get to that calorie range. If your diet stops working you can't go lower.
I'm actually doing weight watchers and they give me less calories because since I've been on here counting calories I'm actually eating over my daily allotment on weight watchers. So I've been mostly maintaining on here with 1200 calories. I've noticed that recently and going to start eating less than 1200.0 -
kimdawnhayden wrote: »I see that a lot of people here eat 1200 calories. What happens after you reach your goal weight? Do you go back to eating normally? Do you then gain the weight back bit by bit? How hard is it to maintain? I'm just curious. I'm doing a Bulk with a weight lifting program and it has me eating 2000 calories. Then when I cut, I'm supposed to drop it to 1600 calories. How do people survive on 1200 calories? It seems you really have no where to go once you get to that calorie range. If your diet stops working you can't go lower.
If 2000 is a bulk for you then how is 1600 a cut ? What is you maintenance ? Cause that is not much of a differential to see significant change. The different between my bulk and cut is about 1000 calls.
Why don't you ask Beachbody. That's my calorie range I was given for their program.0 -
kimdawnhayden wrote: »kimdawnhayden wrote: »I see that a lot of people here eat 1200 calories. What happens after you reach your goal weight? Do you go back to eating normally? Do you then gain the weight back bit by bit? How hard is it to maintain? I'm just curious. I'm doing a Bulk with a weight lifting program and it has me eating 2000 calories. Then when I cut, I'm supposed to drop it to 1600 calories. How do people survive on 1200 calories? It seems you really have no where to go once you get to that calorie range. If your diet stops working you can't go lower.
If 2000 is a bulk for you then how is 1600 a cut ? What is you maintenance ? Cause that is not much of a differential to see significant change. The different between my bulk and cut is about 1000 calls.
Why don't you ask Beachbody. That's my calorie range I was given for their program.
I asked you cause it's you that's on squealing about it.9 -
I did 1250 when I started because I wasn't doing that much exercise (I was actually walking a good amount and burning more calories that way than I realized), I'm only 5'3, and 2 lb was completely appropriate for me. As I lost weight I got more active and started eating back exercise calories. At a certain point I decided to let my deficit go down naturally (by staying at the same level -- about 1500-1600 then, TDEE method) as my weight declined. As I got closer to goal and continued to get more active I pushed my then TDEE number up, to 1650, 1750, 1850. Then I stopped logging and just started playing around with maintenance (probably around 2100). Been at maintenance (around 125) for a little over a year, although I may choose to lose more.
So I'm an example of someone who started at 1200 (well, close enough) and had no issue with having to reduce calories from there, quite the opposite. I don't think it's appropriate for everyone, but it was for me and I'm glad I did it at first.7 -
After losing the weight you start eating at maintenance which is higher than 1,200. For me it's about 1,600 for maintenance.4
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kimdawnhayden wrote: »kimdawnhayden wrote: »I see that a lot of people here eat 1200 calories. What happens after you reach your goal weight? Do you go back to eating normally? Do you then gain the weight back bit by bit? How hard is it to maintain? I'm just curious. I'm doing a Bulk with a weight lifting program and it has me eating 2000 calories. Then when I cut, I'm supposed to drop it to 1600 calories. How do people survive on 1200 calories? It seems you really have no where to go once you get to that calorie range. If your diet stops working you can't go lower.
If 2000 is a bulk for you then how is 1600 a cut ? What is you maintenance ? Cause that is not much of a differential to see significant change. The different between my bulk and cut is about 1000 calls.
Why don't you ask Beachbody. That's my calorie range I was given for their program.
I asked you cause it's you that's on squealing about it.
I don't even understand your comment. Plus I think you're probably a troll. So please excuse yourself and play somewhere else.3 -
kimdawnhayden wrote: »kimdawnhayden wrote: »kimdawnhayden wrote: »I see that a lot of people here eat 1200 calories. What happens after you reach your goal weight? Do you go back to eating normally? Do you then gain the weight back bit by bit? How hard is it to maintain? I'm just curious. I'm doing a Bulk with a weight lifting program and it has me eating 2000 calories. Then when I cut, I'm supposed to drop it to 1600 calories. How do people survive on 1200 calories? It seems you really have no where to go once you get to that calorie range. If your diet stops working you can't go lower.
If 2000 is a bulk for you then how is 1600 a cut ? What is you maintenance ? Cause that is not much of a differential to see significant change. The different between my bulk and cut is about 1000 calls.
Why don't you ask Beachbody. That's my calorie range I was given for their program.
I asked you cause it's you that's on squealing about it.
I don't even understand your comment. Plus I think you're probably a troll. So please excuse yourself and play somewhere else.
Awe bless. Don't understand ma numbers, don't understand comment..... Ask somebody else.
Public forum and all ya know. I suggest you think about your own numbers and what they do for you rather than moaning about other people diets.
As they say. Do you.2 -
DearestWinter wrote: »After losing the weight you start eating at maintenance which is higher than 1,200. For me it's about 1,600 for maintenance.
Do you find yourself gaining weight or did you have to do more exercise to maintain?0 -
kimdawnhayden wrote: »kimdawnhayden wrote: »I see that a lot of people here eat 1200 calories. What happens after you reach your goal weight? Do you go back to eating normally? Do you then gain the weight back bit by bit? How hard is it to maintain? I'm just curious. I'm doing a Bulk with a weight lifting program and it has me eating 2000 calories. Then when I cut, I'm supposed to drop it to 1600 calories. How do people survive on 1200 calories? It seems you really have no where to go once you get to that calorie range. If your diet stops working you can't go lower.
If 2000 is a bulk for you then how is 1600 a cut ? What is you maintenance ? Cause that is not much of a differential to see significant change. The different between my bulk and cut is about 1000 calls.
Why don't you ask Beachbody. That's my calorie range I was given for their program.
I asked you cause it's you that's on squealing about it.
I can't speak for her or Beachbody but my bulk calories were usually 2200ish and my cut calories are around 1800 to 1900. When bulking I had a goal to gain half a pound per week and when cutting I aim for a quarter to half a pound per week. However, I'm pretty lean already and at 5'3" and 112 pounds I don't really need to exactly cut anything.3 -
That makes sense. Thanks my numbers are probably wider cause I am a man. It makes sense when going for a smaller bulk amount.kimdawnhayden wrote: »kimdawnhayden wrote: »I see that a lot of people here eat 1200 calories. What happens after you reach your goal weight? Do you go back to eating normally? Do you then gain the weight back bit by bit? How hard is it to maintain? I'm just curious. I'm doing a Bulk with a weight lifting program and it has me eating 2000 calories. Then when I cut, I'm supposed to drop it to 1600 calories. How do people survive on 1200 calories? It seems you really have no where to go once you get to that calorie range. If your diet stops working you can't go lower.
If 2000 is a bulk for you then how is 1600 a cut ? What is you maintenance ? Cause that is not much of a differential to see significant change. The different between my bulk and cut is about 1000 calls.
Why don't you ask Beachbody. That's my calorie range I was given for their program.
I asked you cause it's you that's on squealing about it.
I can't speak for her or Beachbody but my bulk calories were usually 2200ish and my cut calories are around 1800 to 1900. When bulking I had a goal to gain half a pound per week and when cutting I aim for a quarter to half a pound per week. However, I'm pretty lean already and at 5'3" and 112 pounds I don't really need to exactly cut anything.
I was thinking it was maybe cardio and that is how 1200 people do it too. They add cardio to boost the numbers.
Thanks
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Okay so your difference is around 400 calories for a cut also. Good to know.kimdawnhayden wrote: »kimdawnhayden wrote: »I see that a lot of people here eat 1200 calories. What happens after you reach your goal weight? Do you go back to eating normally? Do you then gain the weight back bit by bit? How hard is it to maintain? I'm just curious. I'm doing a Bulk with a weight lifting program and it has me eating 2000 calories. Then when I cut, I'm supposed to drop it to 1600 calories. How do people survive on 1200 calories? It seems you really have no where to go once you get to that calorie range. If your diet stops working you can't go lower.
If 2000 is a bulk for you then how is 1600 a cut ? What is you maintenance ? Cause that is not much of a differential to see significant change. The different between my bulk and cut is about 1000 calls.
Why don't you ask Beachbody. That's my calorie range I was given for their program.
I asked you cause it's you that's on squealing about it.
I can't speak for her or Beachbody but my bulk calories were usually 2200ish and my cut calories are around 1800 to 1900. When bulking I had a goal to gain half a pound per week and when cutting I aim for a quarter to half a pound per week. However, I'm pretty lean already and at 5'3" and 112 pounds I don't really need to exactly cut anything.
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Well, some people hold back on cardio - and save it to break plateaus/stubborn fat at low bf % when the risks of cutting more cals outweigh the benefits.
ETA: And then, at the end of a 1200 cal restriction phase, you ideally return slowly to maintenance level cals. Not necessarily a weight gain situation.
If you're doing P90x (or is Beachbody a program itself?) - Anyway, if you're working out and burning 300 - 500 cals per workout, your deficit is about the same as someone not working out and eating 1200/day.3 -
kimdawnhayden wrote: »I see that a lot of people here eat 1200 calories. What happens after you reach your goal weight? Do you go back to eating normally? Do you then gain the weight back bit by bit? How hard is it to maintain? I'm just curious. I'm doing a Bulk with a weight lifting program and it has me eating 2000 calories. Then when I cut, I'm supposed to drop it to 1600 calories. How do people survive on 1200 calories? It seems you really have no where to go once you get to that calorie range. If your diet stops working you can't go lower.
I don't know. What happens after your bulk when you reach your goal weight? Are you just going to go back to what you were doing before and lose all of your progress? Won't you lose muscle bit by bit? I'm just curious.
I mean, it's fairly insulting to suggest that all these people on 1200 calories are going to fail, isnt' it? Some probably will and some probably won't. Just like any other diet or program. 1200 calories does not work for me. Anything below 1400 and I am Crabby Von CrabbyPants and want to gnaw off my own arm. But I'm taller than average and need the extra calories to sustain me. 1200 is perfectly acceptable for many people.
Ease of maintenance seems to depend a great deal more on mentality and how much work people have put into changing their habits and behaviors than which calorie goal they choose, ime. Find a sustainable plan. Learn everything you can. Adopt new habits and learn to adapt them if they stop being effective. Have a plan for maintenance and stick to it. That's key whether you're cutting on 1200 calories or 1600.22 -
Like most, I've had to cut calories as I've lost. I'm down to 1,350 per day now and am losing around 0.2 lb. per week. It is likely that I will soon have to reduce to 1,200 to see any weight loss at all... that might even end up being my maintenance calorie intake by the time I reach my goal.
I'm different than you, though, which is the only answer this thread needs.3 -
diannethegeek wrote: »kimdawnhayden wrote: »I see that a lot of people here eat 1200 calories. What happens after you reach your goal weight? Do you go back to eating normally? Do you then gain the weight back bit by bit? How hard is it to maintain? I'm just curious. I'm doing a Bulk with a weight lifting program and it has me eating 2000 calories. Then when I cut, I'm supposed to drop it to 1600 calories. How do people survive on 1200 calories? It seems you really have no where to go once you get to that calorie range. If your diet stops working you can't go lower.
I don't know. What happens after your bulk when you reach your goal weight? Are you just going to go back to what you were doing before and lose all of your progress? Won't you lose muscle bit by bit? I'm just curious.
I mean, it's fairly insulting to suggest that all these people on 1200 calories are going to fail, isnt' it? Some probably will and some probably won't. Just like any other diet or program. 1200 calories does not work for me. Anything below 1400 and I am Crabby Von CrabbyPants and want to gnaw off my own arm. But I'm taller than average and need the extra calories to sustain me. 1200 is perfectly acceptable for many people.
Ease of maintenance seems to depend a great deal more on mentality and how much work people have put into changing their habits and behaviors than which calorie goal they choose, ime. Find a sustainable plan. Learn everything you can. Adopt new habits and learn to adapt them if they stop being effective. Have a plan for maintenance and stick to it. That's key whether you're cutting on 1200 calories or 1600.
Yes that is an excellent way to look at it. I know that I will always need to do something to maintain. I just don't think I could live at 1200 calories or at least for not long. That is a good question about what to do after my cut. On to the next program I guess.1
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