1200 cal/day girls! Let's share our diaries!

Muffie22

Not to be a mood killer, but the reason you "can't control" your snacking is because 1200 calories isn't nearly enough for you. At your height and weight, you could eat 1460 calories per day and lose a pound a week - and that's if you don't exercise. If you do some exercise, you could bump that up to 1650 and still lose a pound a week. If you work out a lot, it would be even more.

This. also something that seems to come up every time someone's following a 1200 calorie diet is guilt. like 'ooh i ate something i shouldn't have now i need to reduce my intake to 800 calories and run a marathon tomorrow ' or people saying that they keep binging and they don't know why (hint: it's because you're depriving your body). I'm 5'2 and 110lbs and i'm losing weight eating between 1400 and 2000+ calories a day.... when i tried to do 1200 calories back when i started losing weight i would get dizzy and start blacking out every time i stood up, and then i had my blood sugar taken and get yelled at to eat some chocolate pronto cos it was super low (not diabetic, just wasn't eating anywhere near enough). So yeah if you're gonna follow a 1200 calorie diet i strongly recommend getting a doctors approval first....

Yes, you are 110lb and 5'2" - you are also 24 years old.
1200 may well be too little for you - but for somebody 2 in shorter and 30 years older, it may be just fine.

So,getting a doctor's approval first is a bit over the top.

I do agree that people should make sure they have correctly entered all stats into MFP or whichever calculator they are using though.
Im sure most people get their age, starting weight and height correct - but dont put sedentary unless you really are sedentary and don't put 2lb/week if 0.5 lb is the realistic rate.

If you have put all the stats in correctly and you get the figure of 1200 (which almost certainly means you are an older, shorter, not so active woman) then sure, compare diaries etc as OP is requesting.
If not, then this thread is not for you.

Oh yeah for sure, some people will need to go as low as 1200 (eg people with thyroid problems perhaps, people who are older etc.) But the impression I get is the majority of people who are following it are young and active and need much more because we live in a diet culture where certain foods are constantly described as 'bad' and 'sinful' and extreme diets are encouraged so everyone immediately puts in 2lbs a week to lose because they feel like they need to lose as much weight as possible as quickly as possible. I think there should be more guidance when signing up to mfp perhaps (like advice that not everyone should be aiming for a 2lb a week loss maybe) because i think everyone i know (around the same age as me) started out at the 1200 mfp set limit before realising how restricting it was. Probably was a bit OTT with getting a doctors approval, but people do need to be careful with putting in the 'right' goals like you said