Anyone else on a 1200 calorie diet?

almc170

I'm also on the 1200 cal a day diet along with the gym 6 days a week, an hour each visit. I don't eat back my exercise calories. Once I get closer to my goal I'll eat more and do some strength training. I'm currently losing about 2 lbs a week. I can honestly say I rarely feel hungry. I try to eat lots of fiber and protein.

And I lost 2lbs last week while eating around 1800 cals/day. Maybe I'm missing something?

sophielilirose

I'm on 1200, I work out most days burning about 300 calories a time, and I have lost 10lbs in just over 2 weeks If I'm hungry I'll eat some of the calories I've burnt off back, but I'm pretty motivated at the moment and don't tend to eat them back! Good luck with you're journey xxx

nickyfm

I'm on 1250, and I eat back between 10-30% of my exercise cals. Depends on how much I burn. If I have a huge burn due to weight training, I have to eat back around 30% of the cals, otherwise I'm freaking starving, and will probs end up bingeing if I don't.

tabinmaine

I eat 1800-2400 calories...... I am trying to be fit and build my muscles, that takes fuel, I am not interested in being skinny fat with no muscle tone and my organs shutting down........ please take the time to read the following thread if you are hungry:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/506349-women-who-eat-more-than-1800-calories-a-day

dododo123

I am doing it. I did it before. Yes it works. It works great Just make sure you get enough nutrition from the 1200 calories though. That's the hard part.

amber2521

Here's one of my old posts from a similar topic:

OK. I'm gonna give this a shot. I am an avid lifelong athlete. I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

Are you getting the picture?

EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.
--

There are many people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories. Before you take their advice, you might want to see whether they are at goal, have EVER been at goal, or have ever been able to maintain at goal. If anyone says to you 'THE LAST TIME I LOST WEIGHT", just stop listening right there.

Ask some athletes whether or not they replenish their bodies with food equal to the calories they burn. Ask people who are fit and have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for some years. Don't ask people who count walking across a parking lot as exercise.

Here's an interesting case study about how to stay fat while consuming only 700 calories a day. Take a moment, you'll be glad you did:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

blessings.

and the only problem with what you are saying is that i want to lose TWO pounds a week, not one. So how do I go about HEALTHILY doing that?

Kristinemomof3

I'm on a 1200 calorie diet but i'm also taking a multivamin and weight/energy diet pill Zantrez-3

This is about a lifestyle change though. You can't take diet pills for ever and let's say you do lose a lot of weight, it usually comes back plus some if you don't "change" what you are doing for life. You should learn to make wise food choices and set your goals to lose 1-2 pounds a week max. Our bodies know what they are doing, trying to trick them otherwise does not work. Good luck.

kgordon7

no, I'd rather eat enough and not starve...and still lose weight.

THIS

marcenepea

1200 is not as bad as some people think. I have been doing it for a bit, obviously some days I go over and others I'm alittle bit under. I have found that it helps me alot if I plan my days ahead. Then I have an idea of what I can eat. The hardest part for me seems to be when I'm traveling. Good Luck.

sleepytexan

and the only problem with what you are saying is that i want to lose TWO pounds a week, not one. So how do I go about HEALTHILY doing that?

If that is your picture in the avatar, I'm sorry, but you can't. Only very overweight people will be able to do that.

Here's what will happen if you try: you won't. If you keep starving yourself for a long time, you'll set yourself up to more easily gain. Sad but true.

sorry.

the smaller you are, the more slowly you will lose.

lusi0079

I'm on 1200 cals per day but I find it difficult to eat that many. My weight has been a struggle for years and at my largest my doctor told me to restrict my calories to 1000. It worked great! But the smaller I got the harder it was to lose, so I started restricting my cals more and more. Average 600-700 daily.
So I just read that 700 calorie article and it sounds alot like me. And to be honest....yes, I am freaked out by having to increase my calories because I know there will be a gain. But if it helps me in the long run, I'm gonna try it.
Thanks, Sleepytexan for posting that! It gives me motivation and lets me know I'm on the right path....

coraliethomas

Yeah, Im on the FP 1200 calorie diet, its worked for me. Im pretty happy with what Im getting to eat though. I have the worlds slowest metabolism so I dont get too hungry... Bootcamp days I eat a little bit more because I burn off so much, for the most part its between 1000 and 1200... and I dont really get hungry at all. No pills or anything.

sleepytexan

I'm on 1200 cals per day but I find it difficult to eat that many. My weight has been a struggle for years and at my largest my doctor told me to restrict my calories to 1000. It worked great! But the smaller I got the harder it was to lose, so I started restricting my cals more and more. Average 600-700 daily.
So I just read that 700 calorie article and it sounds alot like me. And to be honest....yes, I am freaked out by having to increase my calories because I know there will be a gain. But if it helps me in the long run, I'm gonna try it.
Thanks, Sleepytexan for posting that! It gives me motivation and lets me know I'm on the right path....

Glad if I can help. Yes, please do increase, and eat all your exercise calories. Give it a month minimum before you weigh so you won't freak out when you see a gain. Good Lord, that is depressing to eat only 600-700 a day

natashamcn

I'm assuming (judging by your profile pic) that you are in the normal BMI range. If that's the case for you (as it was for me) your goal weight loss per week should probably be in the 0.5-1 pound range. I was aiming for 1-2 pounds per week initially until I realized I was creating too great of a calorie deficit. Read up on your TDEE and calculate what it right for your body weight. As much as it would be nice to lose 2 pounds per week if you are in the normal range it is not realistic to lose it AND be healthy. If you're not in the normal range then forget everything I just said lol

speifer2

Thank you to whoever posted the 700 calorie article. Starvation is NOT GOOD for your body. Even short term weight loss will come back to haunt you.

I only eat 1200 on days that I do not exercise at all. I eat around 1400-1500 on days that I do exercise. I add the calories back in lean proteins, skim dairy, and nuts!

IvoryParchment

I've been on 1200 since late October. Because of my age/gender/baseline weight, my calorie requirements for maintenance at my 40-lb overweight starting weight were only 1650. So even at 1200, MFP only allowed me 3/4 lb a week weight loss. I've been losing weight pretty much on a straight downward line, with little up and down zig zags for high sodium days (I weigh every day). I'm not hungry at all. I'm doing what I should have done all along, and have made the effort to have lots of fresh vegetables in my diet. My diet looks much more like the food pyramid now. I'm eating a lot less starch than I would prefer, but only because I like those foods, not because I'm hungry without them.

It's been very helpful that my husband was enchanted by the iPhone app and went on MFP too; he's stopped bringing all the chips and ice cream in the house now. His protein shakes are no temptation to me at all.

amber2521

I'm assuming (judging by your profile pic) that you are in the normal BMI range. If that's the case for you (as it was for me) your goal weight loss per week should probably be in the 0.5-1 pound range. I was aiming for 1-2 pounds per week initially until I realized I was creating too great of a calorie deficit. Read up on your TDEE and calculate what it right for your body weight. As much as it would be nice to lose 2 pounds per week if you are in the normal range it is not realistic to lose it AND be healthy. If you're not in the normal range then forget everything I just said lol

yes, that is indeed me, about 15 pounds ago.

j_twirl

I just dont see the point in exercising to burn off calories if you are just going to put those calories back on. that doesnt make sense to me.

here we go . . . MFP already set a deficit for you. When you exercise, you must refuel what you burned in order to keep your body burning fat. The deficit is still there . . . if you don't eat the calories back you will have too little fuel (energy) for basic life functions, so your metabolism will tank. If you don't keep your NET calories at the number MFP gives you. You will in fact not lose weight, and then every time you have a little something extra like pizza, beer, cookies, whatever, you'll gain. Next you'll freak out and restrict more and work out harder. You won't lose the weight but you will get tired. Then you'll have a little something extra next month and gain again.

The only people who can have an extreme calorie deficit are obese people. Athletes eat a lot and they're not fat. You won't find any athletes who keep their net calories low -- because they would lose every race or game.

please read sticky notes for newcomers, bc judging from your question, you skipped that. please read "700 calories" article (there's a link at the top of my profile). Do it quick before you guarantee yourself failure.


blessings.

Failure? Ive lost almost 25lbs doing that...so dont be so judgmental. Sorry if that way of doing it doesnt work for you but it does for some ppl, me being one of them.

maggie16sweetxoxo

I am! and Its working as long as i stay within or below the 1200 limit anyone with the same feel free to add me I always love more support from friends :flowerforyou:

ZabrinaB

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