1200 cal intake is not working for me.

Nachos88

I know we've talked about this a million times. But...I've tried the 1200 calorie intake for about 3or 4 weeks now and I've seen no weight loss. Soooo....I'm gonna lower my calorie intake but I'm gonna keep my exercise routine up burning 600-700 calories a day.

I'm just fustrated by lost time really. sigh.

Anyone on same page with me here?

kapeluza

I have read from many other posters that you may have to *increase* you calorie intake instead of decrease. Not sure if you have tried this yet?

rainbowbuggy

Lowering will not work....you need to INCREASE your intake. 1200 is the bare min.....Try increasing for a few weeks and leaving your exercise the same.

Edited -

I just checked your food diary and YES you need to eat WAY more then what you are. Also...up your protein and lower your carb count. If your burning 600 calories in exercise and only eating 600 calories then your not giving your body any fuel to work from. This will surely send you into starvation mode and your body will not lose any weight. So bottom line is....eat more, and keep the exercise the way it is but you have to eat more!!!! Hang in there! :-)

melsinct

1200 calories helped me lose weight for about 2 months, then I plateaued for 2 months. I had to *increase* my calories, then I started losing again. I am now eating 1700/day (I have MFP set for a 0.5 pound/week loss) and losing weight again, albeit slower than before.

craftylatvian

Same thing happened to me. I upped mine to 1450/day and lost each week. Then I reduced it to 1375 and gained 2 lbs. I exercise 3-4 times per week for an average of 30 minutes doing cardio (C25K) and strength (kettlebells).

sprinkies

hmm, i'm with the above poster. i'd increase eating by about 200 calories, instead of decreasing and increase my water. i didnt lose when i got a bit overzealous with cutting calories. those were definitely my plateau weeks (and my weeks i was miserable cause i was food deprived!)

Julesfame

Are you eating your calories that you burn back? If not, your body won't let go of the weight.

LushLoni

What are you going to lower your calorie intake to?

Do you eat your exercise calories?

apmemo

If you're burning 600-700 calories, 1200 can't be enough to eat. Try doing a Basal Metabolic Rate test (you can calculate it online) and figure out how many cals you burn without any activity. Then add in your workouts, and you should eat close to that.

AreneeS22

I wouldnt lower your calorie intake.. your body needs 1200 calories a day, if you go any lower than that, your body goes into starvation mode and you wont lose anything because your bodys holding onto it for energy... If your only eating 1200 calories a day and are working out, make sure you're at least eating back those calories... if thats not working, up your intake a little, maybe 1350 or so...

Pixietrash

my calorie goal is 900- but this is under strict supervision from a dietician and GP. On meal replacements so i get my daily nutrient requirements.

This is what my dietician has set for me- if you want to lower your calorie intake i would be discussing it with your doctor first.

perne11

I took a peek at your diary and while Im no expert by any means...I think you may want to start eating more whole foods. While I still eat pretty much whatever I want, I always “try” to throw in some fresh veggies and fruits. For whatever reason it seems to help!

TavistockToad

You need to increase not decrease!

Last week i changed my goals from 1lb per week (1200 cals) to 0.5 per week (1390 cals) as i was only 4 pounds away from my goal weight. I did the same exercise as i was doing before, and this week i lost 2 pounds.... You need to eat more, not less!

misscfe

Are you eating back your workout calories or at least some of them? If you are not then you are taking in too few calories. If you are then it is possible you may need to lower your calorie intake. Even though MFP says you should never take in less then 1200 calories that does not mean it is true for everyone. There is metabolic testing that can be done to determine how many calories a person needs to take in to accomplish their goals. The company I train with offers this testing and so do some gyms.

CARNAT22

I have just had a peak at your diary and by the looks of it you eat a lot of preocessed stuff? (I only flicked through the last week)

It is not about sticking to 1200 cals but also about the type of food you eat?

Also you seem to be under your calories? If you burn 600 cals you must eat these back - Otherwise you are starving yourself hun -

You are not eating enough and the food you are eating is not the right kind of food! You need to aim for lots more veg and salad (they are pretty low in calories but really bulk up a meal !!) you also need to look at healthy fats, lean protein and wholemeal carbs.

CallejaFairey

took a look at your diary. i would suggest a few things first before you lower your cals.

1-try tracking sodium, you are eating a lot of processed stuff, and too much sodium really can make a difference.
2-you need more real food, specially fruits and vegetables.
3-if you are filling out your diary fully, you don't eat enough most days. there are an awful lot of days you didn't break the 1000 cal mark, and even when you did, alot of those cals were empty cals from things like chocolate bars or coconut tarts :P

what you eat can make a huge difference, it's not just about the cals. your body needs the nutrition that comes from real food, even more so because you are eating a deficit to lose weight.
you for sure don't want to lower cals and up exercise, specially as most of the time you are already eating lower cals. i would try making sure you eat your full 1200, plus whatever exercise cals you get everyday, and doing it by eating real food and more fruits and veggies.

Melissaol

I was on 1200 calories, lost at first then stopped lossing. So i upped my calories and started to loss again. Sounds funny. But it works. Good luck.

yanicka

You are trying to kill yourself and your body won't let you....so your answer is to go even lower????? What ever float your boat.

TavistockToad

also, i had a quick look at your diary, and you hardly eat any fruit or veg???? If you are wanting to adopt a healthier lifestyle and lose some weight you really need to work on getting your five a day.

Purple_Orchid_87

if your goal is 1200 and u burn 700 then you need to eb EATING 1900

IF YOU ARE EATING 1200 AND BURNING 700 THEN YOUR BODY IS HOLDING ONTO EVERY OUNCE OF FOOD/FAT SO YOU WONT LOSE WEIGHT

i'm sorry for the caps lock, but ive had to type this like a thousand times on this forum - think im gonna end up getting to the point where i just dont keep reitterating the guidance.

jenniferg83

if anything you should eat more. under no circumstance should you eat less than 1200. it's only been 3 weeks give your body time