Who can stick to a 1200-1350 calorie diet/lifestyle?

ezloshead

I've been at 1200 for most of my time here and it's hard some days. I gotta make the most of all my calories to keep from feeling hungry so there's no room for empty foods. And I cheat every week. Knowing I have a day for giving in completely helps me deny cravings I just can't fit into my numbers other days.

angelicprettyy

I can. I eat around 1300-1400 calories a day, used to be 1200. I experienced some problems with 1200. I haven't experienced any problems with 1300, besides sometimes being sensitive to cold, but I always kind of was. It's not for everybody. Please go a bit above 1200, just in case. Take care of your body. :flowerforyou:

For breakfast, I try to incorporate a fruit. I eat grapefruit a lot, usually paired with cereal (1% milk), Red River, toast, etc. Omelettes are good. I use 2 egg whites and 1 whole egg while adding veggies to it, then pair it with fruit.

For lunch, I eat salads, veggies (carrots), fruit, hummus, crackers, low-calorie Fibre bars... Stuff like that. Never do I only eat fruit for lunch because it'd leave me hungry and terribly unsatisfied.

For snacks, I'll eat fruit, veggies, low-cal bars or Kashi bars (I need lots of fibre), peanut butter (light, regular or natural, I don't restrict my PB), yogurt with All Bran Buds or fruit... You get the picture.

For dinner, I usually will eat a soup and pair it with crackers, bread, or anything else I want to. I also go out for dinner sometimes. I try not to limit my food, just make it fit within my goals.

Also, DRINK TONS OF WATER. I'm always drinking water and it helps keep me awake, satisfied, and generally feeling good.

Good luck. :flowerforyou:

Edit:: I forgot to mention that I'm actually gradually upping my calories to 1400-1500, which is why I'm no longer on 1200 anymore. It was too unsafe.

deksgrl

2 pounds per week loss isn't reasonable unless you are very obese. If that picture is you, then that isn't the case.

1200-1350 is not sustainable for me, I get a headache, dizziness, weak, and can't think clearly never mind have enough energy to do anything physical. When I have a day like that then I just eat more the next day.

1992Leigh1992

I'm 1200-1400.

I stuck to it really well for a few months and reached my goal weight. By the end of that I was nearing exams and very rarely excercising (if I got time to excercise I ate more.). Then I went overseas, during which time I wasn't counting calories at all. I ate rich dinners and sometimes desers (I did not know it was possible to get sick of cheese), ate much larger portions at breakfast and went out clubbing/drinking quite a bit.

I assumed I'd have gained weight. I weighed myself when I got back out of curiosity. I was up 4.5 kgs. The next day I weighed again and 3.5 kilos of that had disappeared. I think I was just bloated from salty aeroplane food. The other kilo disappeared over the next month also.

Shortly after, I moved house and over the next five months due to stress and other things gained 10kg.

I'm going 1200-1400 to lose the first few kgs, and then I'm going to gradually up my calories. I am running 1-2 times per week (the days that I am not working) and doing sit-ups/ ect the other days (weekends and days when I'm at work).

I find it hard to log on weekends as I am spending time with friend, ect, so I just stay eat as healthily as possible but don't kill myself if I eat a bit more.

Feel free to add me. 1-2 days per week when I'm working like today I tend to just 'quick add kilojoules', but other days I enter in each food.

Edit: These numbers refer to net calories/kjs, so if I do cardio I go higher.

verhunzt

I can and you can too, if you eat 1200 calories NET. I do eat back my exercise calories (though not the high number MFP gives me.. I use another calculator) and I exercise 5-6 times a week.
So I basically eat around 1500 calories, no more than that though.
My tips are: Eat LOTS of fruits, they are so filling! Lessen your bread intake, eat smaller portions, but eat what you desire! I for example do even have chocolate cake sometimes - yes, on a 1200 calorie diet, to avoid cravings. It's all possible.

cwolfman13

I stuck to it for a while. So did my sister. We weren't exercising so we thought it was ok since we weren't burning a lot of extra calories. We ate mostly lean meats and a lot of vegetables, and took multi vitamins. Things like chicken spinach salads with various vegetables like tomato, peppers, onions, mushrooms, a occasional sprinkle of nuts and beans. I felt full when I got use to it (as anyone would). I thought I was eating healthy. Our hair started falling out. Her teeth started getting lose. We stopped. Be careful. It's hard to absorb nutrients in a low fat diet. It's hard to feel full eating high fat on a low cal diet. Just remember a lot of nutrients are fat soluble so even if you're getting them, you're not absorbing them as well. I started eating more (I eat about 2000 now but I try to move more) and noticed that a lot of the low cal friends I accumulated at the time started running into stalls when I didn't.

This stuff seems to be lost on so many people, it's sad really...no concept of what actually constitutes proper nutrition.

Staniel_2013

I don't and probably never will, I just see it ending badly and not just for me.

Would rather work out harder and get to eat more than have cannibalistic tendancies because I'm starving myself to lose weight the wrong way. No one really needs to be eating that low unless under special circumstance too.

CattOfTheGarage

I aim for 1360 net. I eat back my exercise. On days I don't exercise, I find it hard to stick to. Otherwise, it's sustainable for me.

When people talk about 1200 or whatever being sustainable or not sustainable, they almost never specify whether they mean net or gross. Confusion and acrimony results. I can see why 1200 gross calories is frowned upon, but 1200 net could be fine. It doesn't take many walks to the shops to get that up to a decent amount of food.

There's no reason any particular number has to make you obsessive and inflexible. If someone offers me cake, I eat it (if I want it). I can usually fit it in. If not, tomorrow's another day. A relatively low calorie aim combined with inflexible or obsessive attitudes to diet could definitely be unhealthy.

CookieDoughYummy

I'm only 5'2 and I can eat 1800 calories and still lose weight. I think any lightly active person can lose weight eating at least 1500 calories, there's no need to eat any less than that.

Think of it like petrol ... you can't burn through more than whats in your car. So if you're not getting enough calories you're basically running on empty.

FindingAmy77

I do. I can see myself doing this on a regular basis because I eat what I like

somefitsomefat

Midgets.

GiGGiTy3434

I average around that. Sometimes you go over that, sometimes less. But I exercise at least 4 days a week too. Feel free to add me as a friend and my diary is open too.

rml_16

Who on MFP can stick to a 1200-1350 calorie diet?
Is it challenging?
What do you have for daily meals and snacks?

I know a lot of people consider it unhealthy and say you will gain the weight right back but I think I'm willing to give 1200-1350 a try!

MFP says in order for me to lose two pounds a week I would have to eat 1200 calories for my weight and height.

I was thinking maybe a little fruit for breakfast with eggs and oatmeal, a piece of chicken and lots of veges for lunch and some kind of chicken or fish with veges for dinner. For snacks, maybe like nuts, yogurt or fruit.

I can, but I have never had a large appetite.

rml_16

I think any lightly active person can lose weight eating at least 1500 calories, there's no need to eat any less than that.

Allow me to introduce myself as someone who CANNOT lose weight on 1,500 calories a day, no matter how much I exercise.

But it's nice to know you know my body better than I know my body. :flowerforyou:

fannyfrost

I can't eat that low calorie ever. I am just too hungry. I try the fruit and tons of veggies and still doesn't work for me. I am probably too active and lift. They say the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism. I don't know what it is. I eat around 1500-1700 and lose consistently when I stay there.

Of course having a bad time lately, let myself get back to bad habits (12 hour stressful work days are hard), but I am getting back on track

darkrose20

me. Some days are more challenging than others. My diary is open, if you want to take a look. I've learned to just not eat that much and to incorporate more veggies and less meat and less sugar. It's not perfect, but most days, I'm within calories. Also, if I know i'm going to splurge, I try to incorporate some dancing or a walk or just not eat as much a few days before the splurge.

Hope this helps. Also, this isn't a lifelong thing. You'll hit goal weight and be able to eat more during maintenance.

Anonycatgirl

My BMR is a bit over 1350 (or was the last time I checked; it's probably lower now since I've lost more weight) so that would be a no. The few times I let my net dip that low (by accident), I felt weak and shaky and then ate like a high-school boy the next day so it's counterproductive.

BamaBreezeNSaltAire

I stuck to it for a while. So did my sister. We weren't exercising so we thought it was ok since we weren't burning a lot of extra calories. We ate mostly lean meats and a lot of vegetables, and took multi vitamins. Things like chicken spinach salads with various vegetables like tomato, peppers, onions, mushrooms, a occasional sprinkle of nuts and beans. I felt full when I got use to it (as anyone would). I thought I was eating healthy. Our hair started falling out. Her teeth started getting lose. We stopped. Be careful. It's hard to absorb nutrients in a low fat diet. It's hard to feel full eating high fat on a low cal diet. Just remember a lot of nutrients are fat soluble so even if you're getting them, you're not absorbing them as well. I started eating more (I eat about 2000 now but I try to move more) and noticed that a lot of the low cal friends I accumulated at the time started running into stalls when I didn't.

This stuff seems to be lost on so many people, it's sad really...no concept of what actually constitutes proper nutrition.

+1

mcibty

I did, and I HATED IT.

beesareyellow

Tried it many years ago, lost the weight and and gained it all back plus more. Now I lose consistently at 1700 to 2000 depending on whether I'm working out that day or not. I maintain at 2500 or so which is great when we go on vacation and I cannot always log. Last year we went on a cruise and I threw caution to the wind. When we came back I was up 5 lbs. Two days later it was gone plus one more. there was just so much salt in the food, it was all water weight. Point is, I have learned great portion control with this site, and I never have to feel as deprived as I did during my VLCD days:)