Anyone else on 1200 a day?

2Bgoddess

On my diet I am not supposed to count calories, but, there they are when I log my food. I range anywhere from 900-1500 caories, so i guess technically I am zig-zagging...my diary is set to 1200. Easy for me, It's all in the planning. When I know I will be carb heavy or want a juicy steak, more exercite gets thrown in, or rather, my meals are planned for exercise days.

piercedbeauty21

I'm on 1,200 cals a day and I'm not having a hard time with it. I still finish under my calorie goals everyday. I've been pairing the 1,200 cals a day with the Slimfast 3-2-1 plan and that seems to be working amazingly for me. Please feel free to add me if you'd like It'll be nice to talk to somebody that has the same calorie intake as me, so we can compare meals and such.

loki3981

I'm on 1200 a day and I eat back most of my workout calories so I'm between 1400 and 1600 a day. It is challenging, but I get a lot of protein and fat which keeps me full. I eat a lot of fresh foods and very little prepackaged or processed and I think that makes a difference for me being able to stay within my suggested range. Its easier to pick and chose what I want.

mlauni

I have been doing 1200/day for about 1.5 yrs. I started at 1600/day when the diet started (Jenny Craig) and then you drop down at some point. I don't remember when. I am fine with it. I have 3 meals a day and snacks. I don't lose 2lbs/ week however. On the average its more like 4-6 lbs per month. You really have to be patient. I've lost 100lbs being very patient and have maybe 10lbs left to get to my "college playing weight". Take every 1/2 or 1 lb loss as victory. the alternative is gaining. Adding more protein can help sustain you better, so look at your nutrition. Don't skimp on the vitamins and minerals. This is a lifetime adjustment not a temporary fix.

Veganniee

Without exercise mine is 1,200 too. Once you add exercise it bumps it up and is manageable. I prefer to leave it like this as it encourages me to work for my food!

UpEarly

Have you thought about setting your goal to half a pound a week?

I started off close to the same weight as you with a similar goal (52 lbs to lose). I set my weight loss goal to a half pound a week, and I think I was given about 1800 calories a day to work with. Once I added in my exercise calories, I was typically eating between 1900-2300 calories a day. I never ate all of my exercise calories back. If I had, I would have eaten 2500-2600 calories a day.

I ended up losing MORE than the half pound a week. I think my average over the 39 weeks I've been on MFP is 1.15 pounds a week.

abyt42

I'm on the 1200 cals/day, but every day I either go to the gym, walk the dog or both so I often have more like 1500-1600 cals to use.
I'm not sure I could stick to only eating 1200 cals for that long.

This.

bonolito57

Its difficult, but it is possible!! Just make sure you drink alot of water, that seems to help me alot.

Raatbooy1

its seem low to me i'm on 1900. i thought that was low but i'm only taking in around 1500. You need to find the right kinds of food to eat.

danmoffett

STARVATION!
I still can't get use to people starving themselves. I've never counted a calorie. I eat all I want. I've learned you can't overeat on good food, it can't be done. The body lets you know when it's had enough and you stop eating.
I've lost 145 pounds in the past 22 months.
What freedom you enjoy when you don't have to count calories.
FREEDOM!

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!