1200 Calorie Buddies?

ChampagneAndCherries

I’ve recently jumped back in the game (I got engaged a week ago- talk about motivation!) and am working a 1200 calorie goal.
I’d love to be “friends” with anyone else in the 1200 range who are also willing to share their diary- I’m interested in what your daily food choices look like and help support each other!!

LyndaBSS

Looking at your picture, you don’t look like you have much to lose. How did you decide on 1200 calories? That’s the bare minimum allowed for women.

What did mfp assign you, what rate of loss did you choose and how much do you have to lose?

dmclimb

Hello! Also on 1200 calories, but I wouldn't recommend taking my diary as a basis, it's a bit all over the place at the moment! I would say that 1200 is not a lot at all and it disappears quickly - I check and log foods before I eat them so I can make a better choice if needs be (lesson learnt the day I ate 4 Lindt choc balls, realised they were 400 calories and then had to skip dinner lol!)

NovusDies

https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/

Luke_rabbit

My MFP goal is 1220 calories (to lose .5 lb/week) - that's before any exercise. I eat about 1350 calories and I'm on goal for loss - 12.5 lbs in 6 months.

If you have less than 25 pounds to lose, you should set your goal to .5 lb/week. You should also eat back exercise calories, or at least half of them until you figure out if your loss is on track which usually takes 4-6 weeks of data.

My diary is open to friends. I'm always interested in new friends with open diaries, healthy weight loss strategies, and a desire for mutual support.

😀😀😀

ellie117

Hey OP, I'm just like you! I restarted on MFP in November 2017 after getting engaged, and I've been on 1,200 goal ever since. I lost 70lbs by my 12/28/2018 wedding date but am now at a 55-ish net calorie loss total.

I'll be honest, it is hard to stay under 1,200 calories. I don't eat breakfast, just a hot cocoa mid-morning at work. Lunch is small, under 300 calories. I have an afternoon snack at work, under 200 calories. Then dinner is my big meal that is usually 500-700 calories with a meat and protein, sometimes rice/quinoa. My diary is open.

Most days I do 30-60 minutes of cardio, so I do eat some of those exercise calories back. Especially after dinner or on the weekends. I don't eat all of them back because I think the machines over-estimate my burn and I like to ensure I maintain a deficit.

Good luck! Adding you as a friend

Shortgirlrunning

@ellie117 - 1200 is an absolute minimum number of calories you should be eating. You should not be staying under 1200 a day.

apullum

LyndaBSS wrote: »

Looking at your picture, you don’t look like you have much to lose. How did you decide on 1200 calories? That’s the bare minimum allowed for women.

What did mfp assign you, what rate of loss did you choose and how much do you have to lose?

OP has about 72 more pounds to lose according to their profile. A 2 lb/week rate of loss may still be appropriate, but switching to a 1.5 lb/week rate would probably be a good idea.

ellie117

Shortgirlrunning wrote: »

@ellie117 - 1200 is an absolute minimum number of calories you should be eating. You should not be staying under 1200 a day.

Sorry, I shouldn't have phrased it as "under" 1,200 a day. I meant it's hard to not go over. I do not eat less than 1,200 nor do I advocate eating less than that.

LyndaBSS

@apullum Thank you. I’m on the app and can’t see profile.

llamakisses9896

I’m a 57 yo on 1200 and it is harder for me to lose weight due to age and Bad joints. It is easier to do 1200 with eating home cooking in stir fries with shrimp/chicken, vegetable mixes, brown rice instead of white, and actual measuring food. Packaging says portions in container are more than actual in package. Due your big meal more at noon. I find in my diet I have a tendency to lack fat or protein, so I eat an hard boil egg for a snack or a individual snack envelope of tuna.

llamakisses9896

Also, sub in riced cauliflower for rice and eat sweet potato instead of white.

LyndaBSS

I love my white rice. You would have to pry it from my cold dead hands. 💀

apullum

llamakisses9896 wrote: »

I’m a 57 yo on 1200 and it is harder for me to lose weight due to age and Bad joints. It is easier to do 1200 with eating home cooking in stir fries with shrimp/chicken, vegetable mixes, brown rice instead of white, and actual measuring food. Packaging says portions in container are more than actual in package. Due your big meal more at noon. I find in my diet I have a tendency to lack fat or protein, so I eat an hard boil egg for a snack or a individual snack envelope of tuna.

llamakisses9896 wrote: »

Also, sub in riced cauliflower for rice and eat sweet potato instead of white.

Raw sweet potato has slightly more calories per gram than raw russet potato. Raw brown and white rice have nearly the same calorie count per gram. You can sub one for the other if you prefer the taste, if one option helps you feel full, or if one option helps you meet nutritional goals, but calorie count alone does not justify this advice.

Additionally, don’t “measure” your food. Weigh it using a food scale. Measuring cups and spoons are not accurate ways to gauge calorie intake.

ElizabethKalmbach

LyndaBSS wrote: »

I love my white rice. You would have to pry it from my cold dead hands. 💀

You and me, both. (Though I do love brown rice - it's just difficult to make sushi with.)

GammaKJ

I'm in the 1200 calorie boat as well. I am always looking for ideas to supplement my diet and change it up.

ploomka

My goal calorie limit is higher than that, but I easily stay at 1200 calories when I do the 16/8 intermittent fasting trick. Basically I stop eating at 7 or 8 pm and don't eat again until 11am or noon. This helps with hunger and cravings as well. I don't do the 16/8 every day, more like 3 times per week. But it might be a good option to consider. A quick google search will show you all the benefits of intermittent fasting. God bless you and your health goals!

maureenkhilde

LyndaBSS wrote: »

I love my white rice. You would have to pry it from my cold dead hands. 💀

Haha, you can have all my white rice, and even brown rice. For some reason white rice is one of the foods that sends my blood sugar sky rocketing. So last year I gave it up, very sadly. Every once in awhile I sneak in some white baked and or baked sweet potatoe. I have found at times really annoying which foods can sky rocket blood sugar. But for me rice, even more so than pasta.

LyndaBSS

ploomka wrote: »

My goal calorie limit is higher than that, but I easily stay at 1200 calories when I do the 16/8 intermittent fasting trick.

@ploomka

I don’t do IF, although I naturally eat within an 8 hour window.

Forgive me if I’m wrong, but my understanding of IF is that you still eat all of your calories but within a precise window of time.

glassyo

LyndaBSS wrote: »

ploomka wrote: »

My goal calorie limit is higher than that, but I easily stay at 1200 calories when I do the 16/8 intermittent fasting trick.

@ploomka

I don’t do IF, although I naturally eat within an 8 hour window.

Forgive me if I’m wrong, but my understanding of IF is that you still eat all of your calories but within a precise window of time.

Nope, you're right. You're still supposed to eat all your calories. I think IF is a good way to stay that low, tho, since you're kind of eating everything at once. Sort of.

ChampagneAndCherries

LyndaBSS wrote: »

Looking at your picture, you don’t look like you have much to lose. How did you decide on 1200 calories? That’s the bare minimum allowed for women.

What did mfp assign you, what rate of loss did you choose and how much do you have to lose?

You’re kind! My BMI is 32, so I have about 50 lbs to lose to get to the “healthy” range. I’ve already consulted with my doctor and dietician who advised me that with my lifestyle, 1200 cals per day was healthy and reasonable.