1200 Calories! How do you do it!
Replies
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I think Sunbrooke's response below is pretty much perfect. Filling up on nutritious foods, lower in calories is pretty much the only way to get there without it hurting. I do think the calorie targets generated by the system are pretty much a guideline and you do have to figure out what works best for you. I am calculated at 1390 for my goals and I am a pretty stocky man. I rarely hit 1390 and instead average around 1550 but I am still hitting my weekly targets for weight loss over the first 5 weeks. Don't be afraid to nudge up the calorie count a bit if you feel better and are happy with the results. Your body probably knows best.0
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I have only been on MFP for 3 weeks this time around and my limit is about 1300 calories. I usually eat between 1100-1200, but I do have days I go over. I think 1) I eat yogurt with high protein in the morning and 2) I drink a ton of water! I have 8 cups of water by mid afternoon and I think it keeps me full! I also eat fruits for snacks pretty often.
I have overeaten my whole life and I am very shocked that I am not starving, but I'm not! I never thought I could do this, but I am an all or nothing person so I am all in and doing fine.
ETA: Obviously, I know some re adjusting will be required as I go on. I don't expect to stay on this forever. This my first 7 pounds of at least 65 and I am logging NO regular exercise right now.0 -
Interested that formula can be adapted by using several different research models but it says I should be eating 1900 calories a day I am eating 1000.............HUH0
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So what does a food day look like for 1200 cals. consist of in healthy low carb high proteins ?0
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I'm not advocating eating 1200 calories a day, but they do it by eating whole foods.
Chips, cake, ice cream, fried food, fast food.... you won't get much in for 1200 calories. Grilled, baked, steamed, boiled lean meats, vegetables, certain fruits.... you can load up your plate 3-5x per day and end up at 1200 calories.
It's all about the type of food and food preparation.
A diet of only whole foods sounds like a half life to me... :sad:
I am set at 1200 calories too. It is expecially tough on my days off from working out. It takes planning. I often log all my food the day before to see where and if I can slide some extra calories in.
Last Friday I did it and topped the night off with a Qdoba pulled pork burrito and shot of vodka.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/suncluster?date=2014-01-310 -
I don't see why you'd want to. You could survive on vegetables and grilled lean protein and maybe lose weight just a little faster than if you found a way to keep eating things you enjoy. A diet without ice cream is bad for the soul, IMHO.
I'm 121 and couldn't survive on 1200 for more than a day or two before I'd want to kill someone and eat them. I don't care how much volume you can get on 1200, it just sounds miserable to me.0 -
amayzme, my diary is open and you can see what I eat for 1200 calories a day.0
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I think Sunbrooke's response below is pretty much perfect. Filling up on nutritious foods, lower in calories is pretty much the only way to get there without it hurting. I do think the calorie targets generated by the system are pretty much a guideline and you do have to figure out what works best for you. I am calculated at 1390 for my goals and I am a pretty stocky man. I rarely hit 1390 and instead average around 1550 but I am still hitting my weekly targets for weight loss over the first 5 weeks. Don't be afraid to nudge up the calorie count a bit if you feel better and are happy with the results. Your body probably knows best.
1390 for an adult male!?! This is not any number that MFP would give you.
Wow - bye bye muscle.0 -
I see a lot of people saying that 1200 calories is too low, but that's what MFP set my target at. FWIW, I'm 5'7 and currently weigh 152, looking to get down to 135. I am basically sedentary (desk job) and have started trying to exercise 3 times a week.
Before starting this program, I probably ate 3-4,000 calories a day and hadn't exercised in years. I'm on week 5 of eating healthy (with a few slip-ups) and exercising, and I've maybe lost 1-2 pounds and no inches. I'm certainly not going to try to lower my calorie intake any further though - I'm grumpy enough already!0 -
Yeah if you're a guy 1800 is the lowest you should go.0
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I can actually be comfortably full on 900 cals a day if I absolutely must (5'3", 117 lbs). I've done it by accident once or twice - got on a high veg & protein kick and just kind of ended up there at the end of the day.
Chicken and tuna, steamed veg, salads w/ balsamic and no oil. That's how I did it. Again, not on purpose.
I like my breads and cheeses and nuts and sweets too much to be able to keep that up for more than a day or two. Not to mention meats with a lower protein/calorie ratio - who else gets mortally sick of friggin' chicken all the time?
Normally, I'm between 1400 and 1600 and pretty content.0 -
I do around 1200 most days, but I'm 4'11" and have a small frame. I do it by eating a lot of fruit and vegetables. I barely eat dairy. No soda, ever.. Not even in cocktails. I don't have mayo, chips, sugary cereals, or even pasta or bread in my house. I certainly have my days when I go over. I'm not quite ready to eat salad during the Super Bowl and I sometimes get a craving for lasagna or Salisbury steak and I go out and buy a michelinas.
I only recently got on this site, but my food diary is open if you need low cal, nutritious snack ideas. If you are taller than me, you prolly need to eat more than I do though.
ME TOO! I'm 4' 11" with a small frame. I only have 10 lbs to lose (My BMI is 24.8 today, so not technically overweight, but I'm on the high end of where I should be). Such judgement and assumptions on here. Sheesh. I exercise so I end up eating more calories, but my one rest day per week: 1200. That day of the week is Friday. So tomorrow, I'll have 1200 calories and they'll be reallllly nutritious ones and I'll feel full.
Instead of judging, people *might* want to accept that we're all different and so are our bodies (these are patronizing fundamentals folks, but I thought I'd point this out anyway). Just be happy you're tall enough and big enough to eat more!0 -
I'm not advocating eating 1200 calories a day, but they do it by eating whole foods.
Chips, cake, ice cream, fried food, fast food.... you won't get much in for 1200 calories. Grilled, baked, steamed, boiled lean meats, vegetables, certain fruits.... you can load up your plate 3-5x per day and end up at 1200 calories.
It's all about the type of food and food preparation.
A diet of only whole foods sounds like a half life to me... :sad:
I am set at 1200 calories too. It is expecially tough on my days off from working out. It takes planning. I often log all my food the day before to see where and if I can slide some extra calories in.
Last Friday I did it and topped the night off with a Qdoba pulled pork burrito and shot of vodka.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/suncluster?date=2014-01-31
I've done 1200 calories before (way back in 2011 before I was a forum regular), and I agree it is tough. I turned into a cardio queen just so I could eat more. It wasn't a healthy relationship with food or exercise. Now if you can do it and you're satisfied with it, who I am to suggest otherwise? I will say, however, that your protein numbers make me sad.0 -
I eat a lot and maintain 1200.
Breakfast will often be oatmeal with protein powder and some frozen blueberries
Lunch can be a wrap with lunchmeat, veggies and mustard.
Snack, nuts, boiled eggs, something protein based
Dinner is meat, salad and veggies. Sometimes, potatoes or rice.
Late night snack is usually greek yogurt maybe with fruit.
I am celiac and many of the alternative foods are very high in calories, so i decided to cut them and add more protein and veggies. I haven't had a single day where I was hangry. I think the protein and veggies and low processed foods is the key. Kind of paleo, ut not as strict, in that i will eat a wrap and some grains.
When I exercise, i may eat more at dinner or add another or snack. About once a week, I do eat more, maybe 1700 calories. Maybe this keeps me off of the feeling denied. I do however tend to have a low natural hunger drive unless food is right in front of me. So, being am mom with littles and making food all the time meant I was always snacking on crap. Now, the kids are bigger and I am not making snacks all day, they do it. I really believe this is the only reason I am successful this time. I make all my food at home, take it with me, preplan for the whole day.
Will I need to stay so low always? I dont know. When I meet my first goal, I plan to have a body composition done to see what my body really needs.
Right now, I feel healthy and satisfied.0 -
Intermittent fasting is how I do it... I do the leangains version. I only have an 8 hour eating window each day (noon-8pm).
By skipping breakfast I can have two large meals and a snack or two. It's genius. That way I get to feel really full at least twice a day. It keeps me sane.
For about a month I upped my calories to 1400-1500 and stopped losing weight... people can say what they want about 1200 calorie diets, but I know it works so I will continue to do it until I reach my goal. Oh, and I workout 5 days a week... It can be done!0 -
I think eating under 1200 calories and not being hungry is possible if you snack on cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms, and greek yogurt throughout the day and eat plenty of veggies with some protein (fish or chicken). Just drink drink plenty of water and make hot herbal tea.0
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I used to eat under 1200 A LOT....but I'm a vegetarian, eat a lot of veggies, and rarely eat dairy, with the exception of pudding mmmmmm pudding0
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Anyone who says they are getting along fine eating 1200 cals a day and weighs over 120lbs is a liar and should not be trusted.
Hah. Love this. I do eat 1200 and less and I 'get along fine' but I was used to eating once a day and drinking all my calories in the form of delicious lattes before MFP and trying to be healthier. I think it's more what KIND of calories you eat on 1200 that makes the difference.
Exactly. It is what you eat. My daily goal is 1300 and I don't have any issues (I know that is more than the 'absolute minimum', but I'm sure some people would say the same for that).
Definitely varies from person to person. Power to the people that can do it.0 -
I've been doing 1,200 calories, eating more if I exercise. But I just don't know how anyone can do it and feel full!
Without getting into the debate on whether you should or shouldn't eat 1200, your diary suggests that you need get more protein and fibre, which you should help you feel full
On a daily basis I try to meet my macro's for fats and protein, achieve my fibre goal and carbs tend to look after themselves0 -
(so like a greek yogurt and a bit of banana with almond butter or something), and then for dinner again something around 400 calories like... ..... Not to say you can't fit some bread type carbs in too though (like a small tortilla, slice of bread). A day like that and I can't say I'm super hungry. Again, that would be a day I didn't work out. I work out most days... and I know I wouldn't like to eat like that every day but I would also hate not working out almost everyday.....
Bananas are a good source of carbs....0 -
At 189lb I can east 1300-1400 and be ok some days. I eat a fair bit more every other day (workout days) and eat back exercise calories too, so often 1000 over that and don't have a problem if I eat 1600 on a rest day anyway.
I do eat 175g of protein in that, which probably helps to keep me full.
This was just such a day:
Morrisons - Deli Style Roast Turkey, 275 g 300
Weight Watchers - Reduced Fat Grated Mature Cheese, 200 g 430
Morrisons - Seedless Green Grapes, 380 g 251
Morrison's Nume - Cumberland Sausage, 5 link 375
Ok, I did have some bits and pieces of salad (lettuce and tomato, as well as extremely low cal mayo) - I don't bother to log them as I'm doing ok without logging the small stuff.0 -
Anyone who says they are getting along fine eating 1200 cals a day and weighs over 120lbs is a liar and should not be trusted.
Hah. Love this. I do eat 1200 and less and I 'get along fine' but I was used to eating once a day and drinking all my calories in the form of delicious lattes before MFP and trying to be healthier. I think it's more what KIND of calories you eat on 1200 that makes the difference.
Before MFP I ate 1200 calories a day and I was *gaining* weight at a slow but steady pace. My metabolism was being destroyed! Now I eat 1500-2000 cals a day and I've been losing 1.5 lbs per week. On days that I feel hungry, I eat more... but I don't binge on food like I used to because MFP keeps me accountable
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Anyone who says they are getting along fine eating 1200 cals a day and weighs over 120lbs is a liar and should not be trusted.
Hah. Love this. I do eat 1200 and less and I 'get along fine' but I was used to eating once a day and drinking all my calories in the form of delicious lattes before MFP and trying to be healthier. I think it's more what KIND of calories you eat on 1200 that makes the difference.
Before MFP I ate 1200 calories a day and I was *gaining* weight at a slow but steady pace. My metabolism was being destroyed! Now I eat 1500-2000 cals a day and I've been losing 1.5 lbs per week. On days that I feel hungry, I eat more... but I don't binge on food like I used to because MFP keeps me accountable
Wow!
I hope I don't start gaining on 1200 calories! I lost 11 lbs in January but so far this month the weight loss has been very slow. I'm worried about my metabolism and I do not want to gain the weight back.0 -
It depends how you space out your meals really, I've been doing it for a while now and I'm perfectly fine, I up it a little bit when I workout of course.0
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I eat a lot and maintain 1200.
Breakfast will often be oatmeal with protein powder and some frozen blueberries
Lunch can be a wrap with lunchmeat, veggies and mustard.
Snack, nuts, boiled eggs, something protein based
Dinner is meat, salad and veggies. Sometimes, potatoes or rice.
Late night snack is usually greek yogurt maybe with fruit.
I am celiac and many of the alternative foods are very high in calories, so i decided to cut them and add more protein and veggies. I haven't had a single day where I was hangry. I think the protein and veggies and low processed foods is the key. Kind of paleo, ut not as strict, in that i will eat a wrap and some grains.
When I exercise, i may eat more at dinner or add another or snack. About once a week, I do eat more, maybe 1700 calories. Maybe this keeps me off of the feeling denied. I do however tend to have a low natural hunger drive unless food is right in front of me. So, being am mom with littles and making food all the time meant I was always snacking on crap. Now, the kids are bigger and I am not making snacks all day, they do it. I really believe this is the only reason I am successful this time. I make all my food at home, take it with me, preplan for the whole day.
Will I need to stay so low always? I dont know. When I meet my first goal, I plan to have a body composition done to see what my body really needs.
Right now, I feel healthy and satisfied.
Well said. I'm Celiac too (diagnosed 6 years ago), which, oddly enough, is great in a way because it means I can't stop and grab a slice of pizza or go to a drive-thru or eat things like oreo cookie ice cream. Rarely do I eat gluten-free "treats" because yeah, they're so much higher in fat and calories (and I've never been much of a sugar eater anyway), I'm guessing to make up for the different taste.
I actually have my diary set to 1330 calories in case there are days I feel like eating more, so I can plan in accordance. I also upped my protein percentage because protein keeps me fuller longer. I think eating at or around 1200 calories is a matter of finding out what works for you body to keep you full. For me, it's protein mixed with fiber.0 -
Im on 1200 calories/day and weigh 194 lbs. Feels fine to me! I find myself eating more than usual due to eating every 2 hours rather than just the 3 big meals a day. All depends on what your eating! I love it!0
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if I eat over 1200 I put on weight! I have been on under 1200 cal for atleast 6 months. of course on and off with a few binges here and there, but for everyone who says that I should eat more...............not sure they realize how easily some people can put on weight. I have over 40kg to loose, I have lived on one meal a day for years so going up to 1200 cal is huge. I am often sitting at around 700 trying to look for healthy things to boost my cal intake. I work out 4-5 days a week and burn around 500-700 cal in a session so my deficate should have me loosing over 2kg a week but guess what..... I maintain! I weigh all my food so I have found in order to loose weight i need to consume around 800-900 cal and burn 500 cal in the gym 5 days aweek.0
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1200 is my goal but I usually end up eating around 1350. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Salads are great, as long as you don't use a high calorie dressing. Foods that are high in protein and low in calories such as eggs and tuna are real gems, since they keep you feeling full.
Stay away from too much bread, dairy products, and nuts. It's not that you can't ever have them, they're just not worth the calories most of the time.
Hope this helps you!0 -
MFP gave me1270kcal a day, so I aim between 1200 - 1300.
I am fine with this, and I don't feel like I'm starving. Yes I get hungry, but I used to get hungry being a pig whilst piling on the 4st of lard I've gained the past few years.
I think I am ok with it because in January I was eating 1500kcal a day, and my body got used to that from eating whatever I wanted in 2013.
So dropping to 1200-1300 meant my body was adjusting by 200-300kcal only from it's previous calorie intake.
Plus I eat a lot of veggies, this definitely makes a difference.
I don't believe I can do 1200 calories throughout the duration of my weight loss, but I hope I can continue for February.
March - well I plan to up the calories because I don't want my body to adjust to the point it wont loose at 1200.
I'm learning as I go, but for someone to insist it just doesn't work, well that's slightly arrogant because it's clearly working for many people on here, and those people most certainly know themselves and how the feel better than a complete stranger the other end of the internet.0 -
I'm 6ft tall, and about 125lbs. I tried eating 1200 calories a day but just couldn't do it. I ended up feeling dizzy, lethargic, and really weak. It definitely is a challenge and I suggest upping your calories a bit. I do alright on 1400/day, eating a lot of filling foods like potatoes, oatmeal, chicken, veggies and fruits. I also drink a lot of tea to keep me satisfied.
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