1200 Calories or Less! Please Read!

Hornsby

To the OP, please take your profile About Me and paste it into Word or something so that you can have a spellchecker. Thanks and good luck with your "Excersize".

Mcgrawhaha

im on a 1200 calorie diet monitored by my endocrinologist and hospital dietitian. I have hashimotos hypothyroid, polycystic ovarian syndrom and a pituitary disorder. All which cause a reduced metabolism. Correct diet and exercise does increase metabolism but it doesnt cure the deficit created by hormonal conditions that cause metabolic disorders. There is such a large portion of the population that unfortunately suffer the same disorders and unfortunately have to go onto pretty severe diet plans to lose weight.

no, forget about your endocrinologists and your deitician... the op knows best! according to her, you will fail, im a failure, and everyone else who has succeeded on 1200ish cals per day will wind up failures... please stop trusting those who have medical degrees and certificates / licenses in diet and nutrition and place your trust in the hands of the op...

TigerBite

I eat 900 calories a day, I physically cannot eat anymore.

You can't eat 2/3 cup of peanut butter in the space of 24 hours?

Why would I? You know there are a type of people who live on very low calorie intakes and just eat the most nutritious parts of foods. I have a high fat diet, I don't NEED peanut butter, I eat by my means. I don't exercise and my job is me usually sitting down. Just because other people cannot eat 900 calories doesn't mean I shouldn't.

There is a group of people that live on very low calorie intakes ... You know what they're called? ... ANOREXICS ... Even calorie-restriction-for-longevity people don't eat below their BMR ...

No, annorexics tend to avoid food altogether.

It was actually on a BBC documentary, in relation to the fact that they can live much longer than "normal" people because the body doesn't replace cells but repairs them. I'll have to find it before you.

Excuse me, I should have said people with eating disorders (not necessarily, anorexia nervosa, more like EDNOS, but I wanted to keep it short and sweet ...) ... In regards to people with anorexia nervosa "living longer" ... Uh, I didn't know that organ failure caused by starvation led to increased longevity ... ... You are most likely thinking of Calorie Restrictors, which are not anorexia nervosa sufferers, they do not eat below BMR, just slightly less than TDEE, including a variety of very nutrient dense foods (some of these people could be deemed orthorexics, but I digress) ...

lemonypies

EVERY BODY IS DIFFERENT GOD DANGIT. WHY DON'T YOU GET IT.

Liss_Bee

im on a 1200 calorie diet monitored by my endocrinologist and hospital dietitian. I have hashimotos hypothyroid, polycystic ovarian syndrom and a pituitary disorder. All which cause a reduced metabolism. Correct diet and exercise does increase metabolism but it doesnt cure the deficit created by hormonal conditions that cause metabolic disorders. There is such a large portion of the population that unfortunately suffer the same disorders and unfortunately have to go onto pretty severe diet plans to lose weight.

no, forget about your endocrinologists and your deitician... the op knows best! according to her, you will fail, im a failure, and everyone else who has succeeded on 1200ish cals per day will wind up failures... please stop trusting those who have medical degrees and certificates / licenses in diet and nutrition and place your trust in the hands of the op...

THIS! By the way, you look AMAZING! Just super inspirational. =]

LadyBugLex17

I dont know if I am wrong adding to this argument but...
I used to eat 1200 a day, sometimes less... then I used to go out to the gym every night and burn a big percentage of those calories. My weightloss has been painfully slow. Dr couldnt figure out why I wasnt losing, he put me on diet pills, but I didnt lose the right amount after 3 months for me to stay on them, he lowered my calorie goal to 1100, nothing, 1000, nothing... well apart from feeling cranky and losing my hair... Tested my bloods to see if there was any reason WHY I wasnt losing, then eventually told me that it looked like my only remaining option was surgery... NO!!! I wasnt going that route. I've had too many operations already, I was going to succeed, even if it took me 10 more years. I switched to eating clean for a couple of months thinking thats what I was doing wrong, but no. Still the same.

A couple of months ago, I read a thread about calculating your TDEE. I asked a few questions about what people thought my activity level was based on what I do at the gym (and outside the gym) and I was surprised on how much MORE I should've been eating. I've upped my calories now by, well almost double, I currently eat 1800 and sometimes more and this past couple of weeks the scale has finally started moving again. I dont eat "clean" I eat what I can sustain for the rest of my life.

Please people, calculate your TDEE, dont just blindly go on the 1200 cals. IF 1200 is right when you calculate your TDEE, all well and good, but I could've been at my goal weight and maintaining by now if I hadnt blindly stuck to something that was stalling my weight loss.

Good luck with your goals everyone

Thank you for posting, I hope more people get the message (but sadly they likely will not).

this! :flowerforyou:

Momwidomski

Just an FYI, no opinions. I did the Dr. Atkins diet when it first was publicized. I lost 40 pounds in about 6 weeks time. High protein, high fat, no fruits, grains or milk products. A few months after that I was in the hospital for a gall bladder removal. I had 72 stones.
I do not really recommend anybody stay on this for any length of time. It is a great jumpstart for the metabolism, however, and you are not hungry.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

I eat 900 calories a day, I physically cannot eat anymore.

You can't eat 2/3 cup of peanut butter in the space of 24 hours?

Why would I? You know there are a type of people who live on very low calorie intakes and just eat the most nutritious parts of foods. I have a high fat diet, I don't NEED peanut butter, I eat by my means. I don't exercise and my job is me usually sitting down. Just because other people cannot eat 900 calories doesn't mean I shouldn't.

maidentl

Not trying to tell people what to do. Just trying to be informative. People on this thread have said "oh i have tried upping my calorie intake to 1400 or so but it just makes me gain weight" MAYBE YOU SHOULD STOP EATING JUNK. If you EAT CLEAN you will CONTINUE to lose weight. Maybe not right away because your body is so used to processing junk food. Its a proccess you have to be patient with it.

And yes MFP says its okay to eat 1200 Calories but if you eat even a calorie less than that my APP tells me i'm putting my body into STARVATION MODE.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

Oh please don't throw in the clean crap. I was on board with the 1200+ until you used the dirty word "clean". I eat dirty and my ticker is still moving in the right direction on 1550.

Yeah, I was on board until this came up. I eat 1500-1600 and it's surely not "clean" but my ticker's going down.

WalkingAlong

Just an FYI, no opinions. I did the Dr. Atkins diet when it first was publicized. I lost 40 pounds in about 6 weeks time. High protein, high fat, no fruits, grains or milk products. A few months after that I was in the hospital for a gall bladder removal. I had 72 stones.
I do not really recommend anybody stay on this for any length of time. It is a great jumpstart for the metabolism, however, and you are not hungry.

So you resurrected a thread from 9 months ago on 1200 calorie diets to warn people against Atkins?

Icandoityayme

I am sticking to my 1300 calories and with the exercise I do, which is just walking, it ends up around 1200 or so anyway. Sometimes it's under and sometimes it's over. I have been losing about 2 lbs a week which is a healthy amount to lose. I will continue to keep doing what I am doing until I lose the weight I want to lose because it works for ME. When I hit my goal weight, the real one, I will modify as I see fit. I am 45 years old and I don't lose weight like I use to. So if this is working then I am sticking with it.

maidentl

Damn, I keep getting roped into these zombie threads. :grumble:

Kalikel

I'm glad I saw this read.

"IT IS NOT OKAY", lol.

Gave me a smile.

kk_140

Wow OP, why can't you just let other people do what they want to do and you can do what you want to do and everything can be just peachy.

Kalikel

Wow OP, why can't you just let other people do what they want to do and you can do what you want to do and everything can be just peachy.

Well, because...

IT IS NOT OKAY.



I just love that. Everyone should post that all the time. IT IS NOT OKAY.

aedreana

I am results-oriented. I am going to begin a brief diet starting this week as soon as the 2 bags of Ore-Idas in the freezer are gone. I will be consuming 700 calories/day on my diet. I am 5' 3 1/2" and 121 pounds, 61 years of age. I estimate my goal to be in the 112 - 116 pound range; I plan to pinpoint ideal weight to the exact number (I realize the first several pounds lost will be water weight and will return.) I am a very sedentary person, always have been, even as a child. 700 calories/day is not extreme for me because I can lose the approximately-five-to-nine-pounds in just a few short weeks. I personally would not have the motivation to stick with a diet where I would only see one pound lost per week! I would not have the discipline to stick with a diet for more than a few weeks! I can understand how people who weigh considerably more than me could still lose weight quickly eating much more than 700 calories. I can understand how people who have much more weight to lose than me could find it difficult to live on 700 calories long enough to reach ideal weight. I can clearly see how people who exercise/are active might find it difficult or impossible to function on 700 calories. When I was young, I used to usually diet on 400 calories/day. 700 is much easier than 400 because I don't get light-headed and shaky on 700. I assume that active people would feel shaky on 700. Tall people don't need to set their goal at 112 or 116 pounds. In high school, my current weight was my ideal weight. Menopause redistributed my weight-- it's all in my waist so now, I am too fat at 121. All this explains why I choose 700 and most other dieters don't.

WinoGelato

I am results-oriented. I am going to begin a brief diet starting this week as soon as the 2 bags of Ore-Idas in the freezer are gone. I will be consuming 700 calories/day on my diet. I am 5' 3 1/2" and 121 pounds, 61 years of age. I estimate my goal to be in the 112 - 116 pound range; I plan to pinpoint ideal weight to the exact number (I realize the first several pounds lost will be water weight and will return.) I am a very sedentary person, always have been, even as a child. 700 calories/day is not extreme for me because I can lose the approximately-five-to-nine-pounds in just a few short weeks. I personally would not have the motivation to stick with a diet where I would only see one pound lost per week! I would not have the discipline to stick with a diet for more than a few weeks! I can understand how people who weigh considerably more than me could still lose weight quickly eating much more than 700 calories. I can understand how people who have much more weight to lose than me could find it difficult to live on 700 calories long enough to reach ideal weight. I can clearly see how people who exercise/are active might find it difficult or impossible to function on 700 calories. When I was young, I used to usually diet on 400 calories/day. 700 is much easier than 400 because I don't get light-headed and shaky on 700. I assume that active people would feel shaky on 700. Tall people don't need to set their goal at 112 or 116 pounds. In high school, my current weight was my ideal weight. Menopause redistributed my weight-- it's all in my waist so now, I am too fat at 121. All this explains why I choose 700 and most other dieters don't.

Just out of curiosity, what happens after the few short weeks, after you have achieved your ultimate goal weight at 700 cals/day. What's your plan, if we were to say, fast forward 3-6 months from now?

aedreana

In reply, (thank you for asking!) determining my ideal weight is the first step and determining my maintenance calories will be the second step. I cannot go by the standard 15 calories per pound per day formula to maintain. I always lose weight on 15 calories per pound per day. I used to be able to know pretty much how much I could eat to maintain, but my ideal weight wasn't as low because before menopause, I had an hourglass shape. So figuring out my new ideal weight and calories needed to maintain the new ideal weight is where I am @. Menopause did NOT alter my metabolism. But it caused me to look fat at my former ideal weight because all my weight shifted to my waist. Before menopause, I knew how much I should weigh and pretty much what I could eat to maintain. Now that my ideal weight is lower, after I get there I will have to experiment with caloric intake and keep a close eye on the scale!

2BeHappy2

_EndGame_

I'm constantly telling people 1200 calories is too little, but the people who see results from it tend to not listen. I guess it's a case of each to their own. I personally usually have between 1000-1200 calories just for my dinner, around 300 for breakfast and perhaps upto 400 in snacks. I.E Fruit, small bar of chocolate, crisps, ect.
If I could eat 1200 calories and feel full, however, I wouldn't stuff my face just for the sake of it.

1st off, good for you that Youre able to eat chocolate into your calories, I may once in a long time indulge in something but with my 1200 calorie I cant all the time.
I have Many other choices that are just as indulgent but much Healthier for me than that....such as sugar free fudgsicles that are 40 calories and don't taste at all like theyre "sugar free" (not like the multi colored popsicles that have an after taste).

KeepGoingKyle

thank you!
unfortunately these people won't all listen to you
its so frustrating!
i just end up deleting them if they are on my friends list, i can't motivate and support someone who doesnt eat.
my favorite are the people who say they physically can't eat more, makes me LOL

Its sad that you wouldn't want me (or anyone else in my situation) as a "friend" or would "delete" them if you "found out"
1st, I'm 4'2 so...going by this link...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/475726-very-low-calorie-diets-and-metabolic-damage
IF I were to go by what I should weigh at my height (75lbs) then I should only be consuming 900, 80 would be 960, 85 would be 1020, 90 would be 1080, 95 would be 1140 & 100 would be 1200 which is what MFP has calculated me at.
Like Siansonea stated about age (the older you are...which I'm 40)) "you need fewer calories each day to maintain your weight than you did when you were in your 20s. So if you eat like you did in your 20s, you'll gain weight."
So thanks but Im trying to lose weight, Not gain weight!

WinoGelato

In reply, (thank you for asking!) determining my ideal weight is the first step and determining my maintenance calories will be the second step. I cannot go by the standard 15 calories per pound per day formula to maintain. I always lose weight on 15 calories per pound per day. I used to be able to know pretty much how much I could eat to maintain, but my ideal weight wasn't as low because before menopause, I had an hourglass shape. So figuring out my new ideal weight and calories needed to maintain the new ideal weight is where I am @. Menopause did NOT alter my metabolism. But it caused me to look fat at my former ideal weight because all my weight shifted to my waist. Before menopause, I knew how much I should weigh and pretty much what I could eat to maintain. Now that my ideal weight is lower, after I get there I will have to experiment with caloric intake and keep a close eye on the scale!

I don't really understand why your ideal weight is lower now after menopause? It seems that the issue you are trying to fix isn't related to the scale, but to where you are carrying the weight? You may have better luck with weight training and focusing on body recomp than trying to lose the 5-9 lbs you think are needed to get you down to the ideal weight. 700 calories is not healthy, nor sustainable and most people that are looking for the quick fix to lose vanity pounds end up finding all those pounds again plus a few friends....