How is 1200 Calories working for you?

jamaka1

o,m about to dtart morrow but as somr mfp says if u exercise u can manage it.

pinksocks73

I am under most days. Because I am afraid to eat anything. Went grocery shopping today with hubby and I think I was ticking him off because I was obsessively reading EVERYTHING and then putting it back: "too many cals", "too many carbs", "too many sugars", "too much (insert soemthing here)". He was like "Jesus, Kristine! You have to eat SOMETHING and not everything is zero this and zero that!" And he is right.

I work nights so my eating times are slightly off, but I record like a day shifter would anyhow. I think today I did ok, and I even had a really good meatloaf dinner! Prob could have done w/o the gravy--it sent my sodium for the day over my allowance, but not by much and I deffinitely feel better today than I did yesterday when I deprived myself of everything good.

watkinsc

You and I have just about the same weight with the same goals. I absolutely CAN NOT do 1200.. I feel starved.. I suppose it is because I am used to FLAVOR in my diet. and I refuse to subside on just veggies and broiled chicken. I have been slowly trying to change my eating habits. But honestly, I know that I will never be perfect with it. I enjoy the socialization that goes along with food. Meet friends over coffee, meet my daughter for lunch, dinner with my friends etc... I think just making slow changes along the way will help me in the long run. But I usually average 1400 to 1600 a day, and that includes eating my earned calories. So my goal is probably a ways off, but I think if I try to change everything all at once, I will get frustrated and fail. And I don't want to do THAT again! Best of luck to you!

✿KẙMb529✿

First of all..THANK YOU for asking this question. I've been wondering the same. Like most of the answers, I find it do-able on the days I exercise and get extra calories (and I DO eat them). On days like today, I didn't exercise because I'm too sore from my race yesterday and ifelt I needed a day off. Therefore, I had only 200 calories left at like 2 PM ..NOT GOOD!! but this happens to me frequently on the days I don't exercise. I just don't stress it and remind myself that I'm still eating less than I used to even if I do go over (and today I REALLY went over--hubby took me to Olive Garden). I've decided that having my calorie goal set at 1200 motivates me to get out and exercise so I can eat more that day :laugh:

schpanks

Salad is my big lifesaver, too. If I've had a day where I'm used nearly all of my calories, or I'm planning on using all my calories, I make myself a big salad with careful attention to my salad dressing. There are some with only 15 or 30 calories per serving. I can eat a HUGE awesome salad for almost no calories and feel like I've treated myself because it tastes so good. I use oatmeal, too, when I need something warm that's going to make me feel full and happy for a while.

NatalieWinning

I can only do it if I eat lots of fiber, lean proteins, watch my portions, eat whole foods, stay away from sugar as best I can, and exercise back some calories to eat.

A salad and raw pineapple can be eaten in large quantities as compared to something like a burger. If I eat less healthy foods I go over quickly and get more hungry. Eating just a fun size halloween type candy bar makes me hungry instead of satisfies!

So better choices, lots of juicy raw or whole foods, watch lables for whole grains less sugar, and be sure to exercise.

AriesGrl

I have been eating 1200 cals for

AriesGrl

I have been eating 1200 cals for

AriesGrl

I have been eating 1200 cals for almost 2 years now and I have lost over 100 lbs. I dont find it hard to stick to but I don find it hard to avoid temptation. Cause once I go over im like over is over whats the diff between 200 cals and 500?? Bad I know....but for the most part I have no problem sticking to the 1200....I find cereal, oatmeal and coffee to be my biggest staples.

Cytherea

It can definitely be hard. I think the hardest thing for me is that now, after 11 months of eating 1200 cals a day, I can no longer lose 2 lbs. per week doing it. In fact, I'm under 1.5 lbs. per week on the 1200 cals a day! So I have much less leeway... before if I went over by a few hundred cals, I was still able to lose. Now, I have to be much more careful... and it is coming at the worst possible time for me (lots of stress + no sleep = I need/want to eat more).

If you can't handle the low amount of cals, then slow your weight loss a bit and change up your goals so that you can eat more and still lose weight. If you stick to it, however, it is quite incredible and gratifying to see your hard work paying off when you start seriously losing!

Best of luck.

TKelly06

I can eat 1200 calories a day and not exercise and still lose weight. I do this by eating high fiber fruits and veggies, keeping my sodium under 2500mg and drinking lots and lots of water.

It's going to work differently for every person, the biggest thing to remember is to do for your body what you feel is right.

amysambora

I can eat 1200 calories a day and not exercise and still lose weight. I do this by eating high fiber fruits and veggies, keeping my sodium under 2500mg and drinking lots and lots of water.

It's going to work differently for every person, the biggest thing to remember is to do for your body what you feel is right.

Agree with this completely. Everyone's body is different, you just have to keep going until you find what works for you. I'm short and have a small frame, so 1200 works for me. I try and keep my sugar levels as low as possible and include as much protein, fibre and vegies as I can. You just have to know the right foods to eat Having said that, I do eat if I'm hungry - I'll have some cheese or a couple of turkey slices. Low calorie, high protein and enough to keep me going until my next meal or snack!

sexygenius

depends on the day...soetimes its fine and sometimes im STARVING.. so i upped my cals a bit...(to the suggested cals to lose 2 lbs a week for me) i like were im at now

ObviousIndigo

I found that when I started the 1200 cals I was hungry all the time. I have been on it for over a month now and I just eat small meals throughout the day. If I have a high protein high fiber "small meal" a couple times a day I feel fine. I do find though that during the TOM I am hungrier than the rest of the time so I tend to make bad food choices but it all balances out in the end. You will figure out what to eat to help you stay full. Your body adjusts and then you start wondering how you ever ate more then 1200 cals a day.

Momma2aHershey

I eat between 1400-1800 calories a day. 1200 is too low for me personally, because of my activity level and I find when I eat too little it stalls my weightloss.

kewkdb

How is 1200 Calories working for you?

1200? Not sure... 900-1000 is NP tho People cannot even begin to understand how I can eat so little. But to me it's easy lol. Before today I did 3 meals a day and starting today I am doing 5 meals a day. Still at 900-1000 calories a day. Here is my current eating schedule: http://patrickbowman.com/wordpress/?p=98

I'll be doing this for another 2 months while recording all data. After that I will change it up and eat far more calories to get a solid data set to compare with these 3 months.

anu_6986

If I watch properly I can sustain it, else I go over!

morganadk2_deleted

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits


please read this

anawigela

surprisingly i'm doing ok on the 1200 cals, insaying that i have made myself work out 6 days a week coz i love food!
The only time i have a blow out is when i have a weekend away (from my small town) and we eat out every meal... but that is only once every 6 weeks or so...

Lisamarie1226

oh I work out to take care of my calories, otherwise I would be over nearly every day!

AGREED!

Non "formal" workout days are hard, but I manage. I agree wih the person that said high protein, fiber rich foods keep you more satisfied and higher carbs make me more hungry.