eating 1200

Hope1971

I don't eat mine back. I burn over 1000+, i can't eat that much! I've lost 50 lbs. since April 11, 2011 :happy:

WAY TO GO!!! You must be eating good foods!!!

Thanks, I try to! Lots of veggies and fish, lol.

That right there is exactly why you have succeeded !!

LuLuSUPER

I was eating 1200 and I did lose....but I have since moved up to 1500 and I seem to be losing at the same pace....sometimes I eat my calories back and sometimes I don't.

Since moving to 1500 I can say that I have WAY more energy....which in turn would make sense that I burn more. It takes fuel to burn fat!!!

I also try to look at it as a weekly challenge.....if I go over one day...I try to go under another....it seems to be working...plus I don't feel so bad about it.

I agree , i tried 1220-1400 and felt like i was high all the time.:ohwell: just a little bit out of touch and now im gradually adding 100 more calories to get up to 1600-1800 which my dr reccmmneded.
also i was constipated and sluggish, even after working out and i lost weight plus muscle. when my thighs started to get jiggly, i had to do something different. so it took a while to turn it around but i feel so much better.

sad thing is i am NEVER hungry so i have to force it

Hope1971

Hi All,

I started trying to lose weight a couple years ago. When I started thinking about it I was 335 pounds. I'm a taller guy (6'5) so I got away with a lot more weight than my shorter friends. That being said I was still way out of shape. I really still am out of shape but I've lost 72 pounds and am currently 263 pounds. I've lost it by being restrictive in my calories. I usually stick somewhere between 1200 and 1500 calories a day. I rarely exercize aside from playing in a weekend baseball league. I've found it comfortable to stick around this level of calories and it hasn't effected my health according to my doctor. I'm a half assed vegitarian too but its not a moral thing I just dont like beef and pork at all. I'll still eat chicken and turkey (hence the half assed) but for the most part I dont eat animals. Cheese and other stuff like that is still on the menu tho. I just thought I'd share my little speil here. I'm hoping to drop down to 230 or 240 when all is said and done. Its taken me 2 years so far to drop the 72 pounds and it would rock to drop an even 100 but Im easy either way. Again for me its all calorie restriction with almost no exercize and I drink a lot of diet soda. (coke zero) I know its not the healthiest way to do it but it keeps me full and doesnt bring calories to the party and tastes pretty good in the offing.

If I could make a little suggestion...replace half your diet soda with just water or 3/4 of it with water and just have the pop as a treat here and there I bet you drop more faster...:) I have a link that will make your head spin..it did mine..here it is..but it can only be watched free for the next 13 hours....

"Could the foods we are eating actually be keeping us stuck in the diet trap?" Just a reminder for those interested. Hungry for Change is only available to view for free until tomorrow night. http://www.hungryforchange.tv/

LReneeWalker

As you can see, I still have alot to learn and a long way to go on this journey. That said, the people I know who are very fit (not just skinny) and healthy do NOT go hungry. They eat a good 2000 or more calories a day. But they eat healthy stuff; not the crap I prefer LOL. And they exercise faithfully! My cousin has one bad habit and that is alcohol. But everything else she eats/drinks is healthy. And she does a variety of exercises. I strive to have her body!

k8lyn_235

I'm sure you can lose weight this way. But why would you, when you don't have to?

AGREED.

if you are going to lose about the same weight at 1200 cals/day, not eating exercise cals back as you would at 1600 cals/day, eating exercise cals back.. why would you choose the one where you eat less???

also, i would rather lose fat and only fat to make the scale go down than lose fat AND muscle to make it go down. but, to each his own. it's your body.

--edited to fix grammar

daisyverma

For me personally I was starving on a net of 1200 calories

So I upped it to 1400 on my settings but i normally do net of 1500 to 1700 and exercise a few days a week...I eat more on my exercise days

However I am losing weight so I'm happy and feel full

I learned thru trial and error as to what works for me

aliric

Another post where the OP is looking for people who HAVE done this - not asking for people who havent - yet they are still offering opinions anyway....

Ive stuck between 1200-1300 for 10 months now and have lost 66lbs (almost 30kgs). I dont eat my exercise cals back unless I have a special occasion like going out to dinner or having pizza on rare occasions.

Ive lost consistantly. I run around 40kms a week (have a half marathon in two weeks), and I lift heavy weights twice a week. I also lift heavier than most other women at the gym - even those I see there every day. I have real muscle, am toned and fit. Have also (for work, I am a nursing student) just had full bloods done and there is nothing wrong with my thyroid or metabolism as a result of what Ive been doing. Im 5"1.

I agree completely that its not for everyone. If you are hungry, grumpy or feel deprived then dont do it. DecemberChild said its important you eat the right foods for this to work and thats 100% right. Im lucky, I love my salad sandwiches and veggies - so this is right for me.

Youre welcome to check out my diary for ideas and I have before and in progress photos on my profile.

And please dont come on here telling me what I am doing is wrong. Ive heard it all before - but its my body, so jam it.

aliric

Yay!!! My thoughts exactly:))

branditabonita

Yay!!! My thoughts exactly:))

Thanks for replyign! My thoughts exactly! too!

shellsy0424

WOW, a lot for me to consider. Thank you each and every one of you for your input. I think I will have to experiment and see what works best for my body that is all. I have not had any cheats or bad days in nearly three weeks. I find the less crap you put in your body, the less your body craves it. I have been focusing on what it is I am eating, like the carbs and the sugars and salts the most. I know there is going to be a day when the husband wants to go out to eat or there is a party or something and then I don't want to freak out because I don't know how many calories is in something. I also agree with one of the posts on here that there should be a daily allowance for error because just because it says that you burned so many calories in a workout, what if you didn't go as hard that day, or went harder another day. It will all even out I am sure but I really want to trust this process. The first 5 pounds came off pretty easy but this week I haven't changed what I am eating and it has stalled already. It has only been three weeks and this week kind of sucked in the weight department.

brookepenni

WOW, a lot for me to consider. Thank you each and every one of you for your input. I think I will have to experiment and see what works best for my body that is all. I have not had any cheats or bad days in nearly three weeks. I find the less crap you put in your body, the less your body craves it. I have been focusing on what it is I am eating, like the carbs and the sugars and salts the most. I know there is going to be a day when the husband wants to go out to eat or there is a party or something and then I don't want to freak out because I don't know how many calories is in something. I also agree with one of the posts on here that there should be a daily allowance for error because just because it says that you burned so many calories in a workout, what if you didn't go as hard that day, or went harder another day. It will all even out I am sure but I really want to trust this process. The first 5 pounds came off pretty easy but this week I haven't changed what I am eating and it has stalled already. It has only been three weeks and this week kind of sucked in the weight department.

Dont think of it as stalled. Its not a stall (plateau) until youve noticed no movement for a few weeks - I think if you asked everyonehere on MFP - week three is always one of the smallest losses you will record. Dont let it deter you - keep doing what youre doing and itll make up for it next week

shellsy0424

Dont think of it as stalled. Its not a stall (plateau) until youve noticed no movement for a few weeks - I think if you asked everyonehere on MFP - week three is always one of the smallest losses you will record. Dont let it deter you - keep doing what youre doing and itll make up for it next week
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Oh, thanks that's good to know.

OccupyFitness

I recently upped my calories and it has been great for me. I have continued to lose at the same rate so it has not affected my weight loss goals.

I upped my calories (from 1200) for a few reasons. I was feeling low energy and cranky. I was often hungry. I did not want to eat breakfast because I worried that my meager amount of calories was disappearing too early in the day. I didn't want to eat healthy fats like peanut butter and avocado because they were too expensive for my calorie count. I hated exercising because it exhausted me but I had to if I needed to have the amount of calories to make it through the day.

A week ago I made my minimum my BMR. I eat breakfast. I have energy. I LOVE to run! I put avocado on my chili! I am happy and am eating plenty. I feel so much better.

I am losing the same amount.

taylmarie

It should also be noted that losing muscle means a slower metabolism and, therefore, a higher chance of gaining the weight back unless you intend to remain on a 1200 calorie/day diet for the rest of your life. That sounds like hell to me, but to each their own. I'll happily eat away my 2,800 calories a day and look awesome doing it!

Agreed! A few years ago I lost a great deal of weight and got "skinny" but I was having trouble increasing my muscle tone. I was working out and eating 1200 calories per day. By not eating my exercise calories I was not allowing my body enough nutrients to build muscle, instead I was losing it along with the weight. Not to mention, muscle burns more calories than fat so you don't want to lose muscle mass. Also, to me 1200 calories is pretty restrictive. I think for most of us it is, many of us are here to lose weight and if 1200 calories did not seem like very little food, we wouldn't be here in the first place! And might I add, I did in fact gain the weight back and that is why I am here. For MOST people, 1200 calories a day is not a sustainable life goal. Not to mention it is almost definitely under your BMR. To each his own, but I think if you look all over the site and other health resources you will find that eating exercise calories and eating a net minimum of 1200 is the right way to go! Good luck!

shellsy0424

It should also be noted that losing muscle means a slower metabolism and, therefore, a higher chance of gaining the weight back unless you intend to remain on a 1200 calorie/day diet for the rest of your life. That sounds like hell to me, but to each their own. I'll happily eat away my 2,800 calories a day and look awesome doing it!

Agreed! A few years ago I lost a great deal of weight and got "skinny" but I was having trouble increasing my muscle tone. I was working out and eating 1200 calories per day. By not eating my exercise calories I was not allowing my body enough nutrients to build muscle, instead I was losing it along with the weight. Not to mention, muscle burns more calories than fat so you don't want to lose muscle mass. Also, to me 1200 calories is pretty restrictive. I think for most of us it is, many of us are here to lose weight and if 1200 calories did not seem like very little food, we wouldn't be here in the first place! And might I add, I did in fact gain the weight back and that is why I am here. For MOST people, 1200 calories a day is not a sustainable life goal. Not to mention it is almost definitely under your BMR. To each his own, but I think if you look all over the site and other health resources you will find that eating exercise calories and eating a net minimum of 1200 is the right way to go! Good luck!

I agree that 1200 right now is easy because I am on a "diet" but probably not easy to do for the rest of my life. If I continue to make good choices but eat more I will probably be ok. It's also a lot about what you put in your body, and not always necessarily how much.

taylmarie

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I agree that 1200 right now is easy because I am on a "diet" but probably not easy to do for the rest of my life. If I continue to make good choices but eat more I will probably be ok. It's also a lot about what you put in your body, and not always necessarily how much.
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Definitely, gotta have lots of good protein for the awesome toned muscles we'll have! I think it also helps to change things up to see what works. I recently upped my cals to 1450 on non-workout days and will eat any additional exercise on workout days. I know people on the site who have upped their cals in 100 increments to see what works for them and have found that they can lose on more than 1200. It is def a strange concept to me, I always figured the less you eat the more you lose! I know I like to eat though, so the more I can have, the better!

EDIT: I tried to delete my part of the "quote" to respond to you, but then your part didn't "quote" right! I am new and forum illiterate!

shellsy0424

no problem, I am new on here too so I am getting the hang of things too.

JaenaM

personally i eat 1500-1600 on average and eat back very little (if any) of my exercise calories. but with the way im eating, what im eating, when im eating...im just not hungry and im losing weight so i dont stress about having a much lower net (often less than 1000)

queenbeejulie

I am very new here, and already I keep seeing stuff about this, and I just want to make sure I understand... so if I eat like 1580 calories in a day but burn off 380 by doing cardio, my net calories is 1200.... that is the healthier more sustainable way to lose weight or no? I am genuinely looking to learn here, hoping someone can point me in the right direction...

themommie

I started MFP in july 2010 and have lost 99lbs only 1.5 lbs to go to reach my original goal of 100 lb weight loss. I have done it eating 1250 cals a day not eating back my exercise cals and exercising 30-90 mins 6xs a week. You need to find what works for you. Everyone is different........