Who has only 1200 calories per day?

cheeksv

1200 and never hungry...well no more than normal.My weight has been dropping at a healthy rate 1-2 lbs a week no more no less. I think after I loose a little more and begin to add more strength training to my routine I will probably add on more calories.

BarbWhite09

MFP set mine at 1200...I'm 5'3 139 lbs...Was 170...There are some days where I'm starving all day, but that's generally just around that time of month, other than that I'm normally pretty okay. I find that I can eat around 1400 & still lose weight, but I try to just stick to the 1200.

sanderson1964

HI,
Mine is set at 1200, but I did put that I wanted to lose 2 lbs a week. Last week I was a little hungry the first couple of days, but I figured it was because it was less than I was used to.
I'm not sure what happens here when you start to excercise. How does this work?
Any help appreciated.

Sherri

plt55

Mine is 1200 also ,my girlfriend put hers in and we compared the older u are it seems they put u at 1200 and I dont excersize much just now started walking on treadmill .Its age activity etc all combined .I work really hard at trying to think up stuff to have for main meal avg at about600 my husband is also on this so it helps a lot for us both to eat about the samethings .

Sweet_Potato

I'm small and sedentary. Even at 1200 calories I lose weight VERY slowly, like 1 pound every 4 months. If I were eating more I would be stuck at the same weight forever. The good thing is I'm never hungry at 1200/day.

rpeterman22

mine is set at 1300 but i usually end up eating only 900 out of of my full allowance.
i might even still be hungry but just looking at the calories left over makes me feel like i should just end my day.
i'm not sure if it is helping yet or not. i'm really not sure about it at all.

dianaboardman

Mine is set at 1230 because I don't move during the day...I am behind a desk but I have no problem keeping within that amount becasue I do bodybyVi shakes and they are working really well!!!

AlsDonkBoxSquat

I always see people who have their calories set on 1200 per day. Why so low?

I weigh 160, am 5'5", and have mine set at 1600. That's without eating back exercise calories. I have my settings on lightly active, as I am a teacher. I generally exercise 5x/week. I could NOT get by on 1200 calories per day.

How do you all do it?

you don't get by on 1200 a day on a normal day, you have 1200 a day plus your exercise calories. However, even on 1200 days I would eat well, just carefully. Cereal for bfast, very lean turkey, lots of veg, always always wine.

mrsdixon4life

MFP sat my calories to 1200 per day as well. I weigh 196 and my goal weight is 150, although I would be elated with 160-165. I was unhappy at 150 a year and a half ago and wanted to pick up 10-15 extra pounds. In doing so, my protions increased greatly and I got caught up in a rapture and before I knew it my stomach was no longer fairly flat and I was struggling to squeeze in my clothes. I am a full-time college student with a husband and five kids...outside of that, I'm not very active. I sat my exercise to 3x's per week, very light because that is realistic for me as far as finding time that I can seriously commit to each week.

Once I reach my goal weight, I am going to adjust my profile goals to maintain my goal weight and I am sure that my calories will increase at that time.

To answer your question, I think if you make the right food choices, you will be fine. I feel very full and I don't have the desire to snack in between meals. I'm not a snacker anyway, but if I do need a snack, it will be a fruit or my fav, cottage cheese and pineapples...low in calories but very filling.

What I have noticed is that I go slightly over my daily protein but I fall way under my carbs on a daily basis so it all balances out I guess!

sarahjsmiles

I eat a lot of raw vegetables....lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. and drink a lot of water and herbal teas. They fill me up and are extremely low in calories. By watching what I am eating I find it difficult to hit my 1200 cals. Good luck!

Canadien

I actually usually eat 1,000-1,200 a day. The thing is, I eat a lot of low-calorie foods, but they fill me up so I'm not hungry. But if I ever wanna eat something, I NEVER restrict myself from eating (as long as it's not deep fried gross food lol). I just eat whatever I want whenever I'm hungry, haha, but it almost always ends up below 1,200 or 1,300.

sarahjsmiles

I eat a lot of raw vegetables....lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, etc. and drink a lot of water and herbal teas. They fill me up and are extremely low in calories. By watching what I am eating I find it difficult to hit my 1200 cals. Good luck!

Krissi921

I set mine at 1200 - mainly to lose the 2 pounds per week but also it's forcing me to really think out every single bite I put into my mouth. I exercise 4-5 times per week now and I will most likely bump the calories up in another few weeks to 1300-1400, but to start, I really need the discipline!

tristin1985

I have a pretty active lifestyle as I am a soccer mom and coach plus I am in Tae Kwon Do and I homeschool. I was having the a problem of eating only 600-900 calories a day. I am now eating 1200 just to get by, but I am so full all day.

tmt2003

One has to pick a calorie level that one can sustain for years, for life even... if this is supposed to be sustainable. 1200, in my estimation, is hard to maintain lifelong.

No, the 1200 is not for you to stay on 'life long'.
1200 creates a 500 or more calorie deficit, so that you will lose weight. Your calorie intake is higher once you are at your goal, which is Maintenance.

Agreed. When I reach my goal of 145 my maintance calories will be 1700. I started @ 250+ and set my goal for 2 lbs a week loss which set me @ 1200 calories. I have been on 1200 since June. Like pp said if I make good food choices and eat back my exercise calories Im not hungry. I can honestly say that the times I have been over have not been due to hunger, lol. Its worked for me so far and I will continue to follow 1200 calories until it no longer works for me.

Teresa

Elizabetsysue

Good for you -- if you have already lost 100 lbs, you must be doing something right! I'm a teacher, too. I've lost 17 lbs, but I've plateaued. I feel like I'm eating much less, but I'm not finding that i'm all that hungry. I gave up wheat breads and pastas, but I still feel like I can eat most of what i like.

MrsJackieH

im 5'3 at 171 lbs and set at sedentry.
my calories are at 1200 n i never seem to have a problem with it n never seem to go far over.

prettyash76

Bump

tashah170

It's not "self sabotage" as some people consult with a medical doctor before going forth with weight loss methods. It all depends on the individual and what their body can and cannot handle.

Chevitz

MFP has me at 1200 calories too - but when you add my cardio (around 1000 calories) and that I'm breastfeeding an 18 month old (300 cals) it gives me 2500 calories per day. I generally have 1100 to spare at the end of the day, give or take. I'm 5'8" 150 lbs currently. Was 155.5 a week ago

hisfitwife11

I'm at 1200 a day. I am losing some fat while building muscle... I'm 40 5' 5 and 109 lbs.. I'm skinny fat..is what its called. I've been so called underweight all my life. I was more muscular and need to get it back. I am trying to get my food plan right. I did starve the first two days..so I upped my protien..dry tuna and such. It works. :flowerforyou:

Boring2Fit

The amount of calories one has varies on the person's height and weight, etc.
If i want to lose 1 pound per week then I have to eat 1200 calories but for others it may be different due to a different height/weight.

Loudmom01

I am only 5''1" so my calories are always low. Plus I only have a short time to lose a lot of weight. Based on my goals MFP set me at 1200. I bought Jillian Michaels Ripped in 30 and it came with a free diet plan for the 30 days. It too is set at 1200 calories and it actually keeps me full all day.

KJLIII

MFP automatically set me at 1200 - I'm 5' 6.5 , SW=200 - and have been pretty sedentary. I wanted to lose the 2 lbs per week (at least). I've only been on here consistently for the last 30 days, but I've begun exercising and feeling TONS better. I'm also trying to stay a little bit under, but I do come pretty close to the limit. And I try to eat most of my exercise calories, too. The first couple of weeks, I was a bit hungry, but I'm trying to eat more fruits and veggies, and have a little hot tea at night which helps curb the munchies and satisfies me much better. I think my weight loss is coming along quite nicely, as I'm down about 10 lbs at this point (am updating in the morning - trying to be consistent with the Monday morning weigh-in that I started). I can definitely see a difference in my physique, and am excited to continue to my goal!

brittanyjeanxo

Mine is set at 2110 I believe, but for some reason I feel like ive eaten too much if I get to even 1600 calories. I think I need to get over that, though, because ive come to a standstill. Think ill start zig sagging.

laineyy011

I rarely eat the 1200 that I am supposed to. I get full so easily off what I do eat.

TinaS88

I'm only at 1320. That's plenty for me though, so long as I eat smart throughout the day. It usually ends up being 3 good meals and two snacks

klynn08

I'm 5'1 and 118lbs mine is set to lose .5 lbs a week and it still puts me at 1200 calories

amuchison

I eat far less than 1200 cals a day usually between 700-900 a day...only because I am on a program called Medifast...I have been on this since Aug 20,2011(268lbs) and have lost about 60lbs so far as of today Jan 8th;) (208.4lbs) Once I get to my goal weight 150lbs I am 5'7.5" I will go into maintenance and take my cal intake up slowly and gradually reintegrate back into the "normal food arena" I am learning not just to eat,but how,what and why and how my body reacts depending on what I eat...I have worked out maybe a handful of times and will begin working out again consistently this time on Jan 18th for 10-15 min a day for about a week n then move up 5 min a week after that...the max I am allowed on Medifast is 45 min a day moderate exercise as less than 1000 cal isn't enough to sustain me to workout more;) I burn fat and not muscle and I am monitored by my doctor who approves my choice of a weightloss plan and I am as healthy as ever;) I have some friends who eat 1200 cals a day and they eat 4-6 times a day and drink at least 64 oz of water a day they workout but its not a 700 cal burn more like 250-300;) So I say whatever works for u as long as u r staying healthy and learning in the process;) My avg loss is 2-5 lbs a week and I have a slips and bumps in the road like all but I learn and get back up;) But 1200.cals or less is not something I repeat not something that is recommended for life;) now that would be silly;)

melibea

I am 5'3 and 124lbs. At 1200 calories/day I lose less than a pound a week. If I eat anything over 1500 cals, MFP predicts I will gain weight. I did eat ~1500-2000 calories for a couple months and gained almost 10 pounds exactly as MFP predicted. So 1200 it is.