1200 Calorie

Mslibb

And here is an exercise day. Good luck with your weight loss and fitness

rileysowner

Im eating max 1200 calories too and my favorite snack is a table spoon of peanut butter and carrot sticks its about 90 calories depending on the peanut butter you choose.

Is 1200 what MFP assigned for you? I ask because at your weight you should be eating much more. For a short time eating at 1200 would likely be fine, but not for too long. You need the food to provide nutrients to keep you healthy and keep your energy up. As your weight goes down MFP will suggest you recalculate you calorie goal to allow for the decreased calories you will burn because you are not carrying around that extra weight.

rileysowner

Why do people always tell people doing 1200 calories to "eat more food" before they ask them their height?

The MFP website puts shorties like me at 1200, in case people didn't know that; and scooby puts people of my height and lower at LESS than 1200.

MFP seems to put almost everyone at 1200. I am a 5' 10" male, and if I went by MFP's numbers I would be at 1200 which is considered generally insufficient to provide minimal nutritional needs for a male. At that level of calories men will lose a bunch of muscle with the fat. Since MFP almost seems to default to 1200 for pretty much everyone, including males of average and even above average height people tend to say eat more. Add to that many of the people on 1200 don't eat back even a portion of their exercise calories, and that means most, albeit not all, people on 1200 are not eating enough.

In your case, you probably told it 2LBS a week loss?

I had over 50 pounds to lose at that point, 2lbs a week would not be out of line. At 1200 I was losing closer to 3.5- a week, easily hitting 10-13 pounds a month lost. The numbers were simply wrong as I was obsessive about measuring and weighing everything. Even at 1 pound week it was not much over 1200. For a male, unless very short or quite old, 1200 is simply way to low.

velrist

I'm 4ft 11, weigh 154lb and am 44 with a reasonably sedentary lifestyle. My current TDEE is 1496, even when I get to my desired goal weight and BF% my TDEE will be 1400 or so. In all honesty, if I am not eating crap then 1200 calories is more than enough, I am TINY and have a tiny stomach, I can happily eat kid's sized meals and be satiated.

Even when I was a very healthy active teenager I didn't eat that much, it is finally going back to eating like I used to when I was slim that is helping me to lose weight now. I eat when I am hungry and not otherwise. Last year I lost 30lbs and gained 12 back over a really stressful 6 months at work. Now I have reset my stats again and have started to lose again.

Good luck with whatever you decide to go with.

OMGeeeHorses

huh maybe I got 1510 on sedentary because I am 283lbs (5'3 27). Because I am seeing a lot of people around my age and some in my weight group with less to eat. I know I can't do 1200 because I started out with that. Recently found my old nutrition information from when I was 18 and went to a dietician she had me at 1660 just to lose from 175 to 145. So eating more seems to be the key as a professional was telling me to do so as well as a good amount here. But that is just my opinion.

FYI: trying to lose 2lbs or more a week

zara1408

If you love your fruits and veggies, its really easy to live off 1200 calories with no exercise. Low calorie food help make meals so much more filling. Oatmeal/bran flakes/ eggs (i like them poached) is a perfect way to start the day. For lunch, you can have lots of veggies with some lean protein and I like to add a little bit of cheese just to add some more flavour. Snacking on fruits or smoothies is good as well as having low fat yoghurt. For dinner, i personally enjoy soups and salads just because I hate having meals which are too filling for dinner as I eat dinner quite late. I actually do keep a store of 'junk food' for those days when i get a craving but its normally really small portioned treats, like a treat size chocolate which is only like 50-ish calories or a lollipop which is about the same, so I can get away with satisfying my cravings and still keeping within my calorie limit. When it comes to drinks, I have a tea/ coffee without sugar every morning and live off green tea for the rest of the day. I try not to have carbonated drinks but occasionally when I do, i just opt for the sugar free ones just coz of the low calories

prattiger65

This thread is making me sad because I know, not think, know that quite a few of you will fail and be gone soon. Blindly following a calorie limit without knowing why. I really hope that you prove me wrong, but you won't, I have seen it too many times. Please, please, pretty please go back to my previous post and read the link I posted. 1200 " could " be right for a few of you at most, but at least you would KNOW your numbers and could then call me a Dumb *kitten* for lecturing you. I am not trying to be a smartaSs, I would make the same argument if someone was proposing a 3000 calorie limit because that isn't right either. I want you to be successful long term, and for most 1200 just isn't sustainable. Now I'm done, you folks carry on and good luck.

KentWhiteRabbit

OP - Please be aware that there are a lot of people who like to shout down the idea of anyone eating less calories than them!

As others have stated it's a good idea to know what your body needs as 'crash' dieting doesn't work long term. If however, like me, 1200 cals is reasonable for you in order to maintain a slow and steady weight loss, I wish you luck. Maybe if you filled out your profile a little more people would have more to go on and tailor their advice better.

I found that hearty soups and lots of veggies help, avoid sugar whenever you can as it's high in calories and doesn't fill you up.

I had a skiing holiday over Christmas in a catered chalet and despite loads of excercise I put weight on which I blame on the desserts (although the wine may not have helped)! Feel free to look at my diary for ideas.

(your diary is closed right now)

Open now

meankeen

Why do people have to be so hard on someone they know nothing about? You don't know anything to be doing that to her.. how rude! people come here for support. My god look at my diary you all will probably go into cardiac arrest!
I had people come at me with their daggers when I first started here too.. Don't mind them any attention. Listen to the ones that actually want to help you and ask the questions, and truly care.. The other ones that say eat more without saying anything, they are what I call TROLLS.

Btw. I am a lap band patient and am under a dr's care, and ordered to keep it 6-800 calories...

Because people start a thread without first reading the stickies, and reading the obvious. So we, the community end up answering the same questions every time.

Cirsium

If it bothers you, I suggest you a) don't read it and b) don't feel compelled to give advice if you find the question repetitive. Who on earth wants to read years worth of forums to double check a question hasn't been asked before?

edit: that was for meankeen

turtleball

Why do people have to be so hard on someone they know nothing about? You don't know anything to be doing that to her.. how rude! people come here for support. My god look at my diary you all will probably go into cardiac arrest!
I had people come at me with their daggers when I first started here too.. Don't mind them any attention. Listen to the ones that actually want to help you and ask the questions, and truly care.. The other ones that say eat more without saying anything, they are what I call TROLLS.

Btw. I am a lap band patient and am under a dr's care, and ordered to keep it 6-800 calories...

Because people start a thread without first reading the stickies, and reading the obvious. So we, the community end up answering the same questions every time.

You dont have to answer the same question every time.

chatogal

Why do people have to be so hard on someone they know nothing about? You don't know anything to be doing that to her.. how rude! people come here for support. My god look at my diary you all will probably go into cardiac arrest!
I had people come at me with their daggers when I first started here too.. Don't mind them any attention. Listen to the ones that actually want to help you and ask the questions, and truly care.. The other ones that say eat more without saying anything, they are what I call TROLLS.

Anxiously awaiting a "people are meanies" thread from you...

redheaddee...why is this remark necessary??...

zitamw

Why do people have to be so hard on someone they know nothing about? You don't know anything to be doing that to her.. how rude! people come here for support. My god look at my diary you all will probably go into cardiac arrest!
I had people come at me with their daggers when I first started here too.. Don't mind them any attention. Listen to the ones that actually want to help you and ask the questions, and truly care.. The other ones that say eat more without saying anything, they are what I call TROLLS.

Btw. I am a lap band patient and am under a dr's care, and ordered to keep it 6-800 calories...

I was thinking the exact same thing... Ppl on here are so mean I don't understand why. This forum is already a sensitive subject forum ( dealing with weight) so why are you TROLLS kicking people while they are already down. I think the mean comments are an outward projection of peoples bad self esteem or their own dissatisfaction. Lets try to lift each other up if you dont have something nice to say then don't say anything at all.

RGv2

Why do people have to be so hard on someone they know nothing about? You don't know anything to be doing that to her.. how rude! people come here for support. My god look at my diary you all will probably go into cardiac arrest!
I had people come at me with their daggers when I first started here too.. Don't mind them any attention. Listen to the ones that actually want to help you and ask the questions, and truly care.. The other ones that say eat more without saying anything, they are what I call TROLLS.

Btw. I am a lap band patient and am under a dr's care, and ordered to keep it 6-800 calories...

I was thinking the exact same thing... Ppl on here are so mean I don't understand why. This forum is already a sensitive subject forum ( dealing with weight) so why are you TROLLS kicking people while they are already down. I think the mean comments are an outward projection of peoples bad self esteem or their own dissatisfaction. Lets try to lift each other up if you dont have something nice to say then don't say anything at all.

So many times constructive criticism is construed as being "rude". So if we know (from experience, education, etc..) the OP is going down the wrong path, are we as a community supposed to support that decision to "lift them up", or give constructive criticism and be construed as rude?

AngelBearz330

I've been doing 1200 calories for 1 /12 years now (doctor approved, thank you) and have lost 57 pounds. I feel wonderful and don't feel deprived at all. It's a matter of finding your favorite "go to" items and you'll be fine.

My favorite breakfast is 2 oz of lite turkey keilbasa (90 calories), one fried egg (70 calories), a piece of toast (usually one slice of 100% whole wheat at 60 calories), and 1 serving of strawberry fruit spread (40 calories), for a grand total of 260 for breakfast! It's filling and I love it and it's not even 1/3 of your three meals of the day.

Good luck and stay strong and motivated. The 1st couple of weeks were the hardest. After that, you'll be in a groove...

lucypeaks

When I was starting to lose weight, I did the 1200 calorie diet for about 4 months and then slowly upped it whilst still checking that I was losing weight. I promise that if you are exercising, you can eat more and the weight will still come off I was very very nervous about upping my calorie intake. Now on 1600-1700 cals a day with exercise and can still lose weight if I want to. If you are sticking to 1200 cals for a while I would recommend pasta with vegetable based sauces, prawn or chicken curries with rice and stir frys for main meals. Foods with spices always tend to fill me up more. Big salads/wraps with a protein for lunches and cereals/wholemeal toast/eggs/fruit and yogurt for breakfast. Good luck!

chatogal

If it bothers you, I suggest you a) don't read it and b) don't feel compelled to give advice if you find the question repetitive. Who on earth wants to read years worth of forums to double check a question hasn't been asked before?

edit: that was for meankeen

love this reply!!!

chatogal

Why do people have to be so hard on someone they know nothing about? You don't know anything to be doing that to her.. how rude! people come here for support. My god look at my diary you all will probably go into cardiac arrest!
I had people come at me with their daggers when I first started here too.. Don't mind them any attention. Listen to the ones that actually want to help you and ask the questions, and truly care.. The other ones that say eat more without saying anything, they are what I call TROLLS.

Btw. I am a lap band patient and am under a dr's care, and ordered to keep it 6-800 calories...

Because people start a thread without first reading the stickies, and reading the obvious. So we, the community end up answering the same questions every time.

Thing is.... noone asked for your opinion specifically... your choice to give it. In my opinion, give advice graciously.. or not at all!!

Ang108

Started a 1200 calorie diet January 1. Looking for food ideas. Anyone got ideas?

I eat 1200 calories ( which is age and height appropriate because I am just under 5 feet ) I eat mostly whole foods and my food diary is open to check. Also, since I live in Mexico, I eat a lot of Mexican whole foods...lol.
One piece of advise: If you really only should eat 1200 calories for whatever legitimate reason you need to make each and every calorie count and that will be difficult with processed foods, or foods that have little nutritional values, because otherwise you cannot make your macros work. This means that a healthy diet of 1200 calories is more work than just the average diet where you get to eat 1600, 1800 or even more calories.and where there is some margin for error as far as macros are concerned.

48Tara

Doctor good place to start, they will give you the best advice. I will say I just took my daughter and he gave her a 1200 weight loss plan to follow. You stay at 1200 calories, if you eat more then that go under the next day. Cut all sugar from diet, read labels if sugar (in any form) is in the first three ingredients; don't eat it! Carbs; if they don't have more then 3 grams of fiber, don't eat it. 1200 calories doesn't seem like a lot, but if you are eating fruits and vegetables the add up a lot slower then a granola bar, or chicken breast, or nuts. Small portions of those things, double up on vegetables. Two servings of fruit a day. Look at the food chart it will tell you what a healthy plate looks like! Good Luck, I am also following a 1200 calorie diet. I am not training for any race, or on a sports team. I am an average woman, trying to stay healthy. I work out 35-60 minutes a day a varity of different things. He also said if you what to weigh 200 pounds eat 2000 calories, if you want to weigh 150 eat 1500 calories. I am going to reach my goal weight then I will jack my calories to 1350, 135 being my goal weight! Any step you take is a step in the right direction. Find a life style change that will help you STICK WITH IT.

prattiger65

Doctor good place to start, they will give you the best advice. I will say I just took my daughter and he gave her a 1200 weight loss plan to follow. You stay at 1200 calories, if you eat more then that go under the next day. Cut all sugar from diet, read labels if sugar (in any form) is in the first three ingredients; don't eat it! Carbs; if they don't have more then 3 grams of fiber, don't eat it. 1200 calories doesn't seem like a lot, but if you are eating fruits and vegetables the add up a lot slower then a granola bar, or chicken breast, or nuts. Small portions of those things, double up on vegetables. Two servings of fruit a day. Look at the food chart it will tell you what a healthy plate looks like! Good Luck, I am also following a 1200 calorie diet. I am not training for any race, or on a sports team. I am an average woman, trying to stay healthy. I work out 35-60 minutes a day a varity of different things. He also said if you what to weigh 200 pounds eat 2000 calories, if you want to weigh 150 eat 1500 calories. I am going to reach my goal weight then I will jack my calories to 1350, 135 being my goal weight! Any step you take is a step in the right direction. Find a life style change that will help you STICK WITH IT.

I'm sorry,.and this isn't directed at you per se, but this Is terrible advice. You should see another doctor because that advice is nonsense. I eat over 2000 calories a day and I am losing, at 170 now. You say cut all sugar, any form and then say 2 servings of fruit per day. This is one of the reasons people are accused of being mean on the forums, we see bunk like this, we call it what it is, bunk, and people get all mad and call us meanies. Seriously, if this is the advice a doctor gave you, you need to find a new doc. Almost all of that is just wrong.

Unknown

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SillyC2

Thanks guys.... trolling or no, this thread was really helpful to me.

I just got started last week - I've put on 12 lbs since I started running ultramarathons two years ago. I want to lose the weight, but more than that, I wanted to figure out where I was making my mistakes with my eating. Obviously, at 12 lbs over 2 years, the mistakes aren't huge ones, but I can't keep putting on 6lbs a year every year!

I set MFP to lose 1 lb a week, thinking that wouldn't be so bad, and it set me at 1200. Okay, so I figured, I'd do 1200 and make sure I didn't go over. Plus I get a lot more calories because I run most days. And I've come in under, it seems okay I guess - two nights this week I even had enough left over to have my favorite 270 calorie beer! But then I noticed something funny - I set it to lose 2lbs a week for grins (not because I want to lose 2 lbs a week) and it also gave me 1200. Hmmm....

Sabine_Stroehm

1)
Every single person on here loses weight differently, but there are a few common factors everyone. The first is that we all have a metabolism, governed by how much energy we give it, how active we are, genetic makeup, and the type of energy we give it. With that in mind MFP has a relatively easy to use goals calculator that will give you the amount of food you should eat to lose the weight you desire and become more healthy.

2)
The relationship to your BMI (as flawed as that measurement is) and how much you can lose is real and governs much of your weight loss. People with a BMI over 30 (classified as obese) can lose weight faster then people that are under that number (generally speaking, see number 1) 2 lbs a week or more is realistic for obese people. Trying to lose 2 lbs a week for someone with a BMI under 30 is much more difficult, as well as much more time consuming.

3)
Starvation mode is REAL. It can and does happen. You should keep close tabs on where your BMR calories is. If you are under the obesity level then please try to stay (at a minimum) at your BMR. The goals calculator WILL account for weight you want to lose, don't think you can up the stakes by eating less, it doesn't work. And if you exercise, realize that you are creating a larger deficite, and make sure you eat your exercise calories.

4)
(This is one I see all the time) If you are close (say within 25 lbs or so) of your goal weight, 2 lbs a week is probably unrealistic. The human body knows where it's equilibrium is, attempting to go below it is a difficult, and frustrating process, 2 lbs a week (what ever you may think) is a drastic strategy for someone near their goal and usually doesn't happen. As you approach your goals, slow down your attempt at loss, try for 1 lb a week or less, it will give your body time to adjust it's chemistry more gradually, keep you healthy, and lessen your frustration.

5)
1200 calories is a number that doctors and nutritionists have made up based on averages. It's not a line in the sand. Your starvation calories depends on your body. For me that line is somewhere around 2000 calories, for a really small woman, it could be 1000, Generally it's somewhere around 1000 calories less then your maintenance weight. But being dynamic systems, some of our bodies can tolerate more or less. Be smart about your weight loss, use your common sense, if you're not losing weight and your at or below a 1000 calorie deficite, then think logically and up your calories a little, and keep upping them until you see improvement.

6)
Lastly, the human body has a 5 lb swing daily. That means that on any given 24 hour period yo can go from 5 lbs above your "real" weight to 5 lbs below. Due to water weight, and waste we can swing quite a bit. The scale is a generalist at best, good for an Idea of where you are, but not very good at calculating exact measurements. I generally recommend weighing yourself no more then once every 2 weeks, at the same time, same day every week. Use other measurements along with this, I.E. size measurements, Body Fat %, and over all fitness level to make up the difference.

Brought to you by team beach body.
PS: love the user name and the avatar.

prattiger65

1)
Every single person on here loses weight differently, but there are a few common factors everyone. The first is that we all have a metabolism, governed by how much energy we give it, how active we are, genetic makeup, and the type of energy we give it. With that in mind MFP has a relatively easy to use goals calculator that will give you the amount of food you should eat to lose the weight you desire and become more healthy.

2)
The relationship to your BMI (as flawed as that measurement is) and how much you can lose is real and governs much of your weight loss. People with a BMI over 30 (classified as obese) can lose weight faster then people that are under that number (generally speaking, see number 1) 2 lbs a week or more is realistic for obese people. Trying to lose 2 lbs a week for someone with a BMI under 30 is much more difficult, as well as much more time consuming.

3)
Starvation mode is REAL. It can and does happen. You should keep close tabs on where your BMR calories is. If you are under the obesity level then please try to stay (at a minimum) at your BMR. The goals calculator WILL account for weight you want to lose, don't think you can up the stakes by eating less, it doesn't work. And if you exercise, realize that you are creating a larger deficite, and make sure you eat your exercise calories.

4)
(This is one I see all the time) If you are close (say within 25 lbs or so) of your goal weight, 2 lbs a week is probably unrealistic. The human body knows where it's equilibrium is, attempting to go below it is a difficult, and frustrating process, 2 lbs a week (what ever you may think) is a drastic strategy for someone near their goal and usually doesn't happen. As you approach your goals, slow down your attempt at loss, try for 1 lb a week or less, it will give your body time to adjust it's chemistry more gradually, keep you healthy, and lessen your frustration.

5)
1200 calories is a number that doctors and nutritionists have made up based on averages. It's not a line in the sand. Your starvation calories depends on your body. For me that line is somewhere around 2000 calories, for a really small woman, it could be 1000, Generally it's somewhere around 1000 calories less then your maintenance weight. But being dynamic systems, some of our bodies can tolerate more or less. Be smart about your weight loss, use your common sense, if you're not losing weight and your at or below a 1000 calorie deficite, then think logically and up your calories a little, and keep upping them until you see improvement.

6)
Lastly, the human body has a 5 lb swing daily. That means that on any given 24 hour period yo can go from 5 lbs above your "real" weight to 5 lbs below. Due to water weight, and waste we can swing quite a bit. The scale is a generalist at best, good for an Idea of where you are, but not very good at calculating exact measurements. I generally recommend weighing yourself no more then once every 2 weeks, at the same time, same day every week. Use other measurements along with this, I.E. size measurements, Body Fat %, and over all fitness level to make up the difference.

Brought to you by team beach body.

Nice catch! I was so flabbergasted by the majority nonsense that I missed that.

husseycd

Started a 1200 calorie diet January 1. Looking for food ideas. Anyone got ideas?

Calculate your current TDEE. Subtract 20%. Eat that amount.

Or...


Calculate the TDEE of the weight you want to be. Eat that amount.

Unknown

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Sabine_Stroehm

Right Sabine, Beachbody, because you've been very informative for the OP?

You know what they say about folks who assume....
Read some of my posts Einstein.

Here's your most recent post:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

It's always polite to cite.

Unknown

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Sabine_Stroehm

Right Sabine, Beachbody, because you've been very informative for the OP?

You know what they say about folks who assume....
Read some of my posts Einstein.

Here's your most recent post:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits

It's always polite to cite.

Yeah it is but you'll have to excuse the semantics right now because back in 2011 I saved a lot of information for my own use and just copy and paste it for others to use. Sorry my posting process wasn't up to your satisfaction.

That being said, ain't nobody got time to go read your posts sweet lady.

You've got time for cut and paste. Add a link. As for reading my posts: couldn't care less, but don't judge my helpfulness when you've never read anything I've posted. k?