Those on 1200 calories...

lydia9679

What I do is set my weight loss at 1 lb a week, which gives me 1570 calories for my current weight, but I exercise each day and I try to only eat back my calories until I reach around a net of 1200 calories. I'm not too strict about it if I go a little bit over 1200 net, and it's working for me. I do it that way because I like finishing the day under my calorie goal, and it also keeps me from feeling deprived from not eating enough.

kkester63

I've just started MFP yesterday but I've been on a 1200 calorie diet since Dec 1, 2011. Gone from 467 to 416. Not typical for most people but when you are that big it comes off fast at first.

With the small amount of weight you want to lose, exercise and a more moderate calorie intake would get you there. 1200 is pretty restrictive.

However you do it enjoy life, eat well and you will get to your goals.

kiminikimkim

I don't eat the calories I have burned during exercise, the amount of calories burned for each exercise isn't accurate. The majority is too high which gives you a false sense that you can eat a lot of calories back. There are some exercises that claim 700 calories burned in 1 hour, that would put you on a 1,900 caloric diet - if it were true!

The first 2 weeks, I did light exercise and ate 1200calories a day. It allowed my stomach to shrink to a proper size. So now that I exercise more rigorously, I only eat when I am actually hungry (no power bars, just an apple or banana). If I have to go over 1200 calories due to hunger, it would be for healthy, non-processed foods only.

jenniebean1680

Two things.

1.) you do not have a lot of weight to lose. In this case I suggest you lower your goal to .5 pounds per week.

2.) eat back ALL of your exercise calories. Creating too large of a deficit combined with the fact you do not have much to lose will hinder or even stop your weight loss.

Best of luck!

^^THIS.

rainbowbow

Yes. 1200 MINIMUM. I know that may sound scary- but trust me you will lose faster and your body will be much more efficient when it has enough fuel.

Two things.

1.) you do not have a lot of weight to lose. In this case I suggest you lower your goal to .5 pounds per week.

2.) eat back ALL of your exercise calories. Creating too large of a deficit combined with the fact you do not have much to lose will hinder or even stop your weight loss.

Best of luck!

The second part..I've been wondering this myself. I want to lose about 20 more lbs. Should I be eating back all the calories I burn? And the 1200..this might sound like a stupid question, but I've been looking at it more as an elotted amount rather than a goal to reach. Should I make sure I'm eating all 1200 (or close to it)?

tinacc1

I am struggling soooo hard to get the 1200 calories in each day. All my life it was 'Eat less calories" now it's "Eat at least 1200". That's a lifetime of misinformation I have to get past! I hope I can do it. Healthy calories take so much more room than junky calories! I can't imagine trying to eat 1200 in carrots!

lola947

Two things.

1.) you do not have a lot of weight to lose. In this case I suggest you lower your goal to .5 pounds per week.

2.) eat back ALL of your exercise calories. Creating too large of a deficit combined with the fact you do not have much to lose will hinder or even stop your weight loss.

Best of luck!

I've noticed that when I try to eat back the calaries from exercise, I'm going over my proteins, fats, etc. How can I avoid this or does it make much of a difference? :ohwell:

triathlete06

I'm not sure who decided that 1200 calories was an ok amount to lose weight, but it's really not - unless - you are not exercising. IF you exercise...check your BMR and eat accordingly. I'm 5'3 and before I lost weight I weighed about 145. I set my calories to 1400, but cheated fairly regularly, so I was probably consuming between 1600-1800 calories/day. With that said, once I got down to only needing to lose less than 10lbs, I made my deficit around 500. That means if I burned 2400 that day, I ate 1900. What's weird is that the more I ate the more I lost. So it is true that your body will starve itself if your calories are too low. You can eat more! If you exercise, eat more! I lost 4.5lbs for my final week to hit my goal of 125. Crazy I know, but it did work. I didn't starve myself and I NEVER EVER EVER only ate 1200/day.

padraigin67

just be careful if you are going to eat back your calories because MFP calories burned for exercise is really exaggerated.
Good luck with your loss!

This is so true. I would buy a Heart Rate Monitor. You can pick some up on amazon pretty reasonable. That way you have a true calorie count based on your info and not just a general count.

Mom0fTwo

Two things.

1.) you do not have a lot of weight to lose. In this case I suggest you lower your goal to .5 pounds per week.

2.) eat back ALL of your exercise calories. Creating too large of a deficit combined with the fact you do not have much to lose will hinder or even stop your weight loss.

Best of luck!

This^^

I also have 12 lbs left to lose and i plateaued, so i raised to .5/week waiting on results...

jenniebean1680

I don't eat the calories I have burned during exercise, the amount of calories burned for each exercise isn't accurate. The majority is too high which gives you a false sense that you can eat a lot of calories back. There are some exercises that claim 700 calories burned in 1 hour, that would put you on a 1,900 caloric diet - if it were true!

The first 2 weeks, I did light exercise and ate 1200calories a day. It allowed my stomach to shrink to a proper size. So now that I exercise more rigorously, I only eat when I am actually hungry (no power bars, just an apple or banana). If I have to go over 1200 calories due to hunger, it would be for healthy, non-processed foods only.

Wow, where to begin?

Some exercise does, in fact, burn 700 cals in an hour (Gasp!) and many MANY of us are losing eating more than 1900 cals a day (DOUBLE GASP!). So I take issue with the undertones of shock at this level of calorie intake. The smaller and more active we are, the more we need to feed our bodies or our metabolisms will slow down. I don't know about anyone else, but I'd rather lose at 2000 cals a day than 1200. Creating too much of a deficit will mean that your body gets very efficient at maintaining at lower and lower calorie intakes, to the point where eating even up to your BMR (GASP again!) will cause a gain. Please, people, I speak from experience. Don't do this to yourselves.

Also, stomachs don't shrink or expand. They are the same size when empty, about the size of your fist, no matter how much you usually eat. You just get used to stretching it out to a certain amount when you eat more, and it takes that stretch to reach a feeling of satiety. At least, that's my understanding behind it. But you certainly don't change the size of your organs. They are what they are.

LuciaLongIsland

I just joined MFP on Sunday. Monday was my first day tracking. I only have 10 pounds to get to my goal and I'm 5'4". I have my account set to 1 pound a week. I can stick to 1200 calories a day but should I be eating my exercise calories burned?

Who else is on 1200 calories a day? How is it working for you?

I eat 1000 calories a day. I never count exercise calories. It has been my experience when I was young like you, that I exercised and the weight flew off. One of the benefits of being young.

Mom0fTwo

What's the reasoning behind dropping to only .5 lbs a week when someone is close to their goal? To adjust to what maintenance will be like?

If you're close to your goal, you don't have enough excess body fat to support a larger calorie deficit. If your body can't pull enough energy from your fat, it'll go from your muscle. When you lose muscle, you look heavier and mushier than if you kept your muscle.

Years ago, with too large of a calorie deficit, I got down to 130# and wore a size 8. This time, with a smaller calorie deficit, I'm around 133# and a size 2 or 4, depending on brand. Here's my old jeans with a pair of jeans I wear now.

this too!!

i am 134 but i look worse than i did the last time i was 134 cause mama needs more muscle!!

jenniebean1680

What's the reasoning behind dropping to only .5 lbs a week when someone is close to their goal? To adjust to what maintenance will be like?

If you're close to your goal, you don't have enough excess body fat to support a larger calorie deficit. If your body can't pull enough energy from your fat, it'll go from your muscle. When you lose muscle, you look heavier and mushier than if you kept your muscle.

Years ago, with too large of a calorie deficit, I got down to 130# and wore a size 8. This time, with a smaller calorie deficit, I'm around 133# and a size 2 or 4, depending on brand. Here's my old jeans with a pair of jeans I wear now.

^^THIS THIS THIS!

Stephanie2167

This has been really helpful. I workout usually in the evening (after work). Then I come home and have dinner. I usually have about 400 calories for dinner plus the calories I burned off. Last night the elliptical machine said I burned 533 calories in 45 minutes. That would give me almost 900 calories to eat after 7pm.

Recommendations for ways to get those calories (I don't plan to eat 900 calories) healthily without eating a Snickers bar?

jenniebean1680

I just joined MFP on Sunday. Monday was my first day tracking. I only have 10 pounds to get to my goal and I'm 5'4". I have my account set to 1 pound a week. I can stick to 1200 calories a day but should I be eating my exercise calories burned?

Who else is on 1200 calories a day? How is it working for you?

I eat 1000 calories a day. I never count exercise calories. It has been my experience when I was young like you, that I exercised and the weight flew off. One of the benefits of being young.

^^^This just proves the point we're trying to make about creating too much of a deficit and stalling your metabo. Yes, metabos slow as we age, but why make that happen before it needs to? 1000 calories a day + exercise = starving body.

ETA: I take issue, also, with saying "you're young, the weight will just fly off". It's 1) not true, and 2) belittle's a young person's struggle w/ the last 10-15lbs. This is not easy, no matter how old or young you are.

ashleycarleton

I started at 213lb and I am 5'5.

From the outset I had a goal of losing 2lb a week with a 1200 calorie intake. I have been working with a personal trainer who recommended MFP.

Since June 2011 I have lost 63lbs and am approaching my optimal weight (My goal was to get to a normal range with my BMI). I very rarely eat my exercise calories and if I do it's maybe 25%. My trainer actually told me I should not eat back my excersie calories if I can help it. I tend to eat some back if my day ends up being longer than I intended (i.e. late to bed) and my body is telling me I am hungry, not just eating to eat.

It has been working for me, but everyone is different. Good luck with your weightloss, the last 10lbs is always the hardest!

engineman312

Two things.

1.) you do not have a lot of weight to lose. In this case I suggest you lower your goal to .5 pounds per week.

2.) eat back ALL of your exercise calories. Creating too large of a deficit combined with the fact you do not have much to lose will hinder or even stop your weight loss.

Best of luck!

this.


also, strength training.

Lawler111

I just started too and I'm also 5 foot four with 10 pounds to loose. I typically eat my extra workout calories, but only after I work out to make sure I rebuild the muscle tissue. Look for foods high in protein, such as Greek yogurt and tuna fish.
Hope this helps!

Msjcooper

I agree that you should eat back most of the exercise calories. I am also on 1200 calories per day, but I also exercise about 800 calories, and have a hard time eating it back. I eat super healthy, and no carbs after 4:00, fruits only in the morning except for apple which I eat in the afternoon. No dairy, no red meat, no flour, no sugar, no alcohol. I eat range free, antibiotic free chicken and turkey, fish (except shellfish), cage free eggs occasionally, and lots of organic produce, homemade soups, stews, quinoa porridge, steel cut oats.. so I never eat empty calories. Only sprouted grain breads too. I use xylitol in place of sugar in most recipes, and spelt or brown rice flour. So much more but don't want to be too lengthy. I agree that you have to lose slowly as to not lose muscle and eat when you're hungry so your metabolism stays revved up. Also, if you are not hungry three hours after a meal, then you over ate.