Anyone else on 1200 a day?

lissypriss

I'm 1200/day. It works. Though now since I'm near the end of my loss, I fluctuate my cal intake once or twice a week. After you get in the habit of seeing what foods fit in the category, you will find that the more nutritious foods are more filling. I do take GNC Women's Active vitamin packs, to make sure I get all my vitamins and minerals, because some of the low cal foods I eat daily do not have the most nutrients that my body needs to be healthy. When I first started my weight loss, I didn't eat back my exercise calories, now I do, and i'm losing more inches than pounds--but that's good!

Leegree

Hi there. I have been 165 days on My Fitness Pal at a 1200 calorie intake. I don't always stay at 1200 but I never go above 1800. And that is not all that often. There are just some days I feel I need more food than others. My "Trick" is that I have chosen to eat only healthy foods. Many of those calories are from the 1st list of the glycemic food chart. Those from the 2nd are mixed with the 1st and those from the 3rd are seldom eaten. I have lost 45 pounds so far and still feel good. I have just started to ecercise and expect the pounds to melt away more. Good Luck! Lee
PS: Here is a link to a Glycemic Food Chart : http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/glycemicfoodchart.htm I don't use south beach but I use this chart among others.

DrNicoleRed

How tall are you? 1200 per day should be more than enough for a shorter person, but may be difficult for a taller person. And agree with the posters re: food quality. Veggies/whole grains are filling and don't cost as many calories. Satiety is related to both volume (stomach stretching) and chemical signals (sugar, protein, fat). I find that my satiety is more related to volume. I feel more full on 200 calories of multigrain hot cereal with fruit than I do on 200 calories of a starbucks coffee because it is more bulky. If I eat the latter, I'm more like to overeat because I haven't gotten that "stretched-out-must-be-full" signal from my stomach.

I am 5 feet tall, on 1000 calories/day with weight loss, and only get hungry if I eat low volume but calorie dense foods.
An 3 egg white omelette with 1 cup of veggies (tomatoes, spinach,etc.) and 2 strips of turkey bacon is only about 200 calories, but way more satisfying for me than 1-2 slices of toast and 8oz OJ. I don't ever drink my calories…never feel full that way.

kkurtz04

I am doing 1200 a day and it has been working out pretty good. I do not count any vegetables (except for the starchy ones potaoes, peas, ect) and If I am active that day I allow myself to go over a couple hundred calories. I have done 1200 calories about 5 days a week and have gone over 2 days a week and have still lost about 2 lbs a week. I like to buy those bags of frozen steamable vegetables and eat a whole bag of those without counting it. It is just vegetables and it curbs your hunger. Good luck!!

jrsey86

I'm on 1200, too.

At first it was really challenging. I was consistently going over my calories and I was always hungry. This was just my body adjusting to a new relationship with food. I have a slow metabolism, so I eventually I learned to read my body's hunger signs more accurately and work through the cravings. I made the 1200 more of a goal than a necessity, so I was slowly able to work down to it and make the most of my calorie intake, clearly identifying dietary choices that packed a solid nutritional punch. It's still hard, but I have discovered that my main problem was portion control. I was used to eating at least twice as much as I should have. I thought the feeling of over-eating was what "full" felt like...it's not.

Interestingly enough, I gravitated towards fresh fruits and veggies and away from prepackaged foods. This was more for financial reasons than anything else, but it has increased my healthful eating tenfold. A $5 box of clementines lasts me two weeks, even though I eat 2 of them a day as a snack. I also gave up soda - I had no idea how many calories I was consuming every day drinking that stuff!! Also, I found something about soda made me retain water weight. Drinking water, tea, and milk helps stabilize my weight. Friend me and check out my food diary if you want.

It's challenging, but give it a shot. Don't make it a do-or-die kind of thing, but make it your goal. If it's too much, set your weekly weight loss goal to 1lb and do your best to be between 1200 and whatever calorie amount they tell you to eat. Also, exercise to give yourself some wiggle room.

Hope this helps! :happy:

ashleighk90

I did the 1200 calories a day for 8 months last year, lost 35lbs (and kept it off,) never felt starving. I did exercise. Sometimes I ate my calories back, sometimes I didn't.

To ease myself into it, first I just started eating less of the same foods I was eating, but eventually started, one by one, making healthier food choices. You realize the stuff you were eating before wasn't worth all those calories. And the way you feel [so good!!] once you start making those decisions makes it a lot easier to keep it up. I used to have headaches, and feel groggy all the time. I feel like a totally different person now!

Eventually, though, I just started listening to my body. I eat when I am hungry. Remember the 1,200 a day is a guideline, not an ironclad solution! No one is going to be angry with you if you were hungry and ate.

And I know that a lot of people say that you should just exercise more if you want more calories but I think that is a prime example of a dieting mindset. You don't want to diet, you want to change your whole outlook on health.

You should be exercising because it will make you healthy; you should be eating because you are hungry. Exercise is not a gauntlet you must face to 'earn' food.


Good luck! It is daunting at first, but it will come to you if you stick with it. =]

Alsison

I started at 5'2" and 180 pounds..

Last year I tried for the 1200 calorie level (which is what I got from this website putting in a 2lb a week weight loss and a sedentary lifestyle). I just kept on failing over and over... I would do great for a few days and then give up and binge.. Went through this cycle for the best part of last year.

I recalculated this year at only losing 1 lb per week which allowed me closer to 1400 calories per day. This seems to make a huge difference for me. I have more energy, I am not hungry all the time and I can enjoy normal meals in moderation... I am already down 5 pounds and can't wait to continue my journey!!

I hope this helps,:flowerforyou:

Cheers,

Alsison

rachelhohenbrink

Yes it is low but if you want to lose 2 lbs per week and get to your fitness goal it has to be done. It just depends on where you are in your fitness. I am 15 lbs from my goal weight and so I have just dipped down to 1200 a day. It can be to hard if you are not doing it properly. You need to eat every 3 hours and you need to get a lot of protein. This eating every 3 hours keeps you from getting to hungry. You can eat back your exercise calories if needed. I found that when I eat back my exercise calories that I am not getting to my goal so I am trying not to do that. Good luck.

dasblondie

Ok..so my question is a little off topic but i cannot figure out how to post a topic (if someone can help me with that it would be great) i am on a 1200 calorie diet, have been for some time and i am 6lbs from my goal weight. What do i do to work up to maintain without starting to gain weight....it seems if i slip up on tracking and go over my calories for a week or two i seem to start gaining (like over the holidays)....very confusing

mlke4258

Good call!

BioQueen

I hover around 1,200, but the only way I can really maintain it is if I am eating nutrient rich foods. If I don't eat a variety (mainly if I only eat carbs) it will turn out horribly. I've lost 31 pounds sticking between 1,200-1,400. I usually try not to eat my exercise calories though, but it depends on how hungry I am haha.

scoyne999

Yes, I'm on 1200 cals a day and can't exercise yet due to a rib injury and so far, so good. I drink TONS of green tea throughout the day (8 cups or so, caffeine free) and not only is it good for me but it also helps with the hunger pangs. Good luck!

Xoe4

My goal is 1500 and I usually barely make it to 1200. I'm so busy with school its hard to find time to eat! Drinking lots of water/tea keeps me full most of the time so I barely notice any hunger pangs.

MercenaryNoetic26

My advice is don't do that. Don't settle for 1200. I never used the MFP settings. I've used calculators from other sites for my macros and even on said low calorie/low carb days my lowest was 1400. @1400 I was extremely MOODY and b*tchy! If you set your calories at 1200, make sure you eat back whatever you burn! Currently, I'm a happy camper at around 1600-1700 calories. Of course I go over whenever I feel like it.

dugsgirl67

I am! 1279 a day...and struggling. but I am determined, I have a trip to Hawaii in April and my daughters wedding in June, so I have two goals to shoot for.
How are you doing it?

dugsgirl

kskroch

I was on a VLCD for 15 weeks. target was 800 calories and I was as low as 600-700 calories during part of the program, because of pain and drug/nausea/constipation issues.

Personally, I'd not recommend doing less than 1200 unless you have serious medical issues and are under close medical supervision. it was tough enough even with that.

without going through all the posts, i'd be happy to answer questions about this program and my experiences.

kateparedes

I'm only five feet tall and have been eating around 1200 calories a day for the past 10 days as part of the Dukan diet. I don't really need to Calorie count on the Dukan, but I find that tracking down what I eat helps in ensuring that I'm within my program. I find that 1200 calories is actually more than enough if you're on a high protein diet like I am. I usually eat a lot of white and lean meat which keep me satisfied and full for most of the day. I snack on nonfat yogurt when I get hungry between meals.

So far I've already lost 5 lbs. From when I started the diet (dukan attack phase included), and I'm sticking with the 1200 calories a day for now. I am also doimg a 30 minute exercise 5 times a week.

Good luck!

mandycfit

Yes I am, and I am finding I go way over on my sugar and fat and still have not eaten all my calories for the day, so I have been checking out low fat, low sugar options to bring it in line. I have lost 6lbs so far but have a looooong way to go.

kittyninja

Part of my calorie deficit to lose 1 pound per week comes from subtracting 250 from my maintenance calories, to equal 1450. The other 250 of the deficit is what I burn with exercise. So I eat 1450 calories a day, but my net intake is 1200 calories.
Since I'm so short and already at a weight in the "healthy" range, I don't need many calories to maintain my weight in the first place, so quick weight loss (2 lbs per week) isn't an option for me without going under the "safe" 1200 mark, which I'd rather not do. 1 lb per week is the most I can safely do.
1200 net (after exercise) is so much better and easier than 1200 intake (without exercise), so if you're doing the latter, I suggest you bump up your calories and then burn them off with exercise. That will add an extra meal to your day, at least.

agthorn

no that's way too much for me. i am at about 500 cals a day right now so the thought of 1200 a day sounds very... filling. but at first yes it does seem like very little if you're used to eating alot. been there.

the big thing about eating less calories, is yeah you'll be hungry and learn the hard way how to get more bang for your calorie buck. so you can be full eating less. you'll figure it out as you go.

500 calories? Your BMR would burn more than that- what you would burn lying in bed all day, meaning you are essentially starving yourself and along with fat you will have muscle wastage. Even very low calorie diets are 700-850 cals but they have shakes to ensure they are still getting enough vits and minerals, you cannot get all the nutrients you need on 500 a day. Please be careful with such a drastic diet, it's not sustainable to eat so little. I have friends that have been as extreme and side effects such as depression and hair loss happended really quickly. The minimum of 1200 is there for a reason, because it's not healthy. Concerned for you x

that's sweet of you to express concern. thank you. i've been doing this type of thing for yeeeears and i understand all the risks. i know it might not be the most responsible. but it works for me. my thing right now is i need drastic weight loss. im already taking steps and looking into resources to help me learn to maintain my weight loss properly after this and do the ~lifestyle change~ thing because i need to learn that. i try to think of it like people with gastric bypass surgery, they eat barely anything for drastic weightloss, and then learn to maintain it (yes i do realize that its a result of a major physical change and not a personal choice like in my case lol). but that comparison also makes me really consider another point you made about nutrients. people with gastric bypass often get malnourished. i never thought of that. i guess it's the same thing, i should look into vitamins.

i have had a bypass and i eat 1000 calories a day and still losing 3 lb a week

Where in the world are all these people getting the idea that gastric bypass patients only eat 500 calories a day?? Other than the initial post-operative period when they're on liquid diets to allow them to recover from surgery (~2 weeks) they're prescribed a diet of 1000-1400 calories a day.

JoanneLynn

No, I cannot maintain 1200 calories a day. I look at this as a way of life. Eating healthier and exercising. I am perfectly happy losing 1/2 pounds a week. That's 26 pounds a year.

abbiepql

I have been eating 1200 a day for a bit over a year. I exercise 600+ calories a day and eat them back only once a week. I have NOT had WLS and am being monitored by my doctor. Anyone eating less than 1200 calories a day needs to be medically supervised - if not there can be some severe health consequence, one of which is your body cannabolizing energy from your vital organs/muscles, a severe lowering in metabolism and for women especially a hormonal hell! For me it all comes down to math - 1200 is very doable you just have to be very choosy over how you use the calories and plan out your meals carefully. It is restrictive, and it is not easy...

Alanakrahenbil

I'm at about 1240 calories, more like 1540 since I am breastfeeding and replacing my lost calories from that. I don;t beat myself up if I go over. I am not going to completely cut out the foods I love (chocolate and chips) I just need to be more sensible on how much of it I eat.
I am set to lose 1lb a week but I don't mind 0.5 lbs, it's just fine by me.

revjames

I'm on 1260 cals a day which seems low BUT now I check the cals on everything I eat and know that I can do an exercise burn to earn more calories. Basic physics energy in - energy out. The defecit is necessary otherwise whats the point?

heybales

It sounds like many are confused over BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and maintenance calories and goal calories.

MFP along with other sites pretty much use the same formulas based on studies that estimate BMR based on the few factors that generally affect it.

MFP uses that and your choice of normal activity level to come up with maintenance calories figure.

MFP then takes into account what you want to do for loss. Also taking into account some minimums, to make Goal calories.

So several places these figures can be messed up.

BMR - you may not fit nicely in the bell curve.
You may have starved your metabolism much lower, such that MFP overestimates your BMR. It would be best in this case to get your BMR up, not lower MFP goals. Hence the reason many find eating more helps to start losing at all or more.
You BMR may just be higher or lower based on amount of muscle you actually have and rate it's working. Noticed by fact that you just aren't hungry or you are always hungry, based on hitting goal calories. This would be separate from messing up BMR with low calorie diet.

Then maintenance calories can be off for several reasons.
BMR is foundation of this, and is is way off.
Your selection of activity level was not correct, so the estimates are off. Or fact there is only 4 activity levels, and you are actually at one end of the range. This is where many like the BodyBugg/BodyMedia/FitBit, making this selection of activity level more accurate. But those units do NOT calculate BMR or even exercise calories that accurately at all.

Then the amount of exercise calories to eat back (remember deficit is already built into goal calories, usually off maintenance calories) could be way off.
You use the tables on MFP or other sites which usually make some concessions for averages if your effort (heart rate) is not used. So your weight, age, pace found in the avg's table may not be your actual level of effort.
You may initially be out of shape and therefore spending more energy than tables show to produce the effort.
You may get very fit and they now overestimate your level of effort and calorie burn.
Your HRM may not be accurate because it didn't ask for enough info to use good calorie burn tables, but averages just as bad as a machine or website tables.

There is so many places for inaccuracies to fit into place.

Obviously extreme lows or highs aren't going to be beneficial, but it's usually noticeable.

You can't give MFP another BMR figure for it to use. You can only change your goals, and therefore your maintenance calories.

So if under Dr's care and they did a BMR test on you, or feel they have a more accurate figure based on something, then the difference between that and calculated BMR on the site can be subtracted/added to your goal calories. Which if under Dr's care they probably gave you already.

Try to more correctly get those maintenance calories. If the next level in activity level makes too many calories, but the level you selected is too low, take the difference off maintenance calories.

Try to get those exercise calories more accurate. Get a HRM for cardio (not useful for anything that is under about 90 bpm) that needs input of age, weight, gender, more accurate if you can input your own resting and max HR's.

Eat those exercise calories back at a useful time. Most studies have shown for strength training, high protein within 20 min is most useful. For cardio decent carbs/protein within 30 min. You already have a deficit built into your goal calories, don't mess with that or you will probably cause your BMR to go down to compensate for lack of energy being taken in.

sylverkat

I tried it a long long long time ago and I was miserable. I eat 1430 now, or even more if I'm hungry. I also eat back almost all of my exercise calories (usually at least 80%, if not all of them).

Hey, what can I say? I like to eat!

Me too! And I plan to eat back what I exercise too!

sylverkat

WOW! So much great advice! THANKS everyone!

cthoma70

I did 1200 calories a day for about 6 months, its a rough diet but it dropped the pounds for me fast

LiquidSugarr

I do some kind of work out every day, even if it's just the wii. Feel free to add me and check out my diaries.

rarebird47

I was on 1200 per day (for 6 weeeks) but found that I gained or didn't lose weight at all. So now I've dropped to 1000 per day and it suits me fine. I can manage as long as I eat back my calories burned from exercise. I'm about 23 kilos (50 lbs) overweight and 161 (5'3). After all this good advice though I'm worried that I should increase my intake and try again. Any advice?