Newbie - 1200 calories

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24

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  • Murphy15
    Murphy15 Posts: 142
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    I think it's great that you're working so hard toward your goal! Just an fyi...there are A LOT of forum posts out there about increasing your calorie intake to lose the most weight effectively. I would suggest reading up on them. When you're at 1200, you're cheating yourself because your body isn't getting the minimum it needs just to function (BMR) and you'll have a hard time gaining any muscle. I can say it worked for me to up my calories. I figured my BMR (a tool on MFP) and set my goal to that. It worked great!
  • smurfee11
    smurfee11 Posts: 33
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    1200 calories is really low... have you checked your bmr and tdee? Fitnessfrog.com punch in your height weight and age and it will tell you what you should be eating. I think thats a good place for anyone to start. mfp always seems to set 1200 for most everyone.
  • smurfee11
    smurfee11 Posts: 33
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    Absolutely!!
  • Clarimusic00
    Clarimusic00 Posts: 96 Member
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    check out the eat more to weigh less forum before you decided to stay on the 1200 diet for too long. Sometimes thats just not enough for you to maintain your bodys needs, and eventually you will plateau.

    I agree. I weight 198 and 1200 calories a day ended up not being enough after doing a lot of research.

    I like to snack on low fat string cheese, fiber one reduced calorie bars, fruit and low fat popcorn from Aldi's (Fit and Active is the brand if you have an Aldis nearby - its really good and only 40 calories a cup... decently low on sodium too. There is probably another similar product out there)
  • Kristy_Elizabeth
    Kristy_Elizabeth Posts: 435
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    You can't just assume that is below her BMR. It is actually higher than my BMR.
  • brogers916
    brogers916 Posts: 58
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    Feel free to add me! I am at 1200 calorie goal too
  • beachdiva2010
    beachdiva2010 Posts: 180 Member
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    check out the eat more to weigh less forum before you decided to stay on the 1200 diet for too long. Sometimes thats just not enough for you to maintain your bodys needs, and eventually you will plateau.

    Ladies, you have to eat to lose. There's just no way around it. I finally listened to the forums (especially, eat more, lose weight), and am on a downward spiral.

    Good luck!
  • susieq101178
    susieq101178 Posts: 305 Member
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    Check this out for a more "in depth" look at finding your healthy weight-loss calorie intake


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/567092--read-this-figuring-out-your-calorie-goals
  • fruitloop2
    fruitloop2 Posts: 437 Member
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    I'm on the 1200 calories/day too and I'm pretty new, only been here a week. Feel free to add me too if you like :smile:
  • LadyElby
    LadyElby Posts: 151 Member
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    Feel free to add me too! I'm looking to lose around 50 pounds and I'm at 1200 cals a day as well. I have a desk job (hopefully not for too much longer, but it's hard to know) and I'm sitting the majority of my day. I go to the gym before or after work as many days a week as possible, but it can be hard to get it in some days. I, too, end up eating out for lunch more often than I should. I try to make good decisions (and for the most part I do) but eating out, you can never really eat as well as you would if you didn't go out.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    I think it's great that you're working so hard toward your goal! Just an fyi...there are A LOT of forum posts out there about increasing your calorie intake to lose the most weight effectively. I would suggest reading up on them. When you're at 1200, you're cheating yourself because your body isn't getting the minimum it needs just to function (BMR) and you'll have a hard time gaining any muscle. I can say it worked for me to up my calories. I figured my BMR (a tool on MFP) and set my goal to that. It worked great!

    I agree. Don't eat below your BMR and always eat your exercise calories. I don't eat less than 1500 (plus exercise calories) a day when I'm losing. I lost 25 pounds in 6 months before I got pregnant. It wasn't quite as much as I'd hoped for, but I never felt deprived, never felt hungry. Now I'm breastfeeding so I'm trying to eat maintenance plus what I burn from breastfeeding (about 1100 calories a day). In the first 6 weeks after my baby was born I lost the 15 pounds I gained during pregnancy plus an extra 15 pounds. I'm stalled right now because I can't seem to eat enough. After a couple of days of getting close to the 3000 calories I should be eating I notice I drop a couple of pounds.
  • kym117
    kym117 Posts: 315 Member
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    Hi, I am also on 1200 calories a day, although I do not have the same goals you can add me if you like I have been on MFP for just over a year now and have lost 38lbs so far, but would like to get to my final goal then maintain. :flowerforyou:
  • ashemoran
    ashemoran Posts: 8 Member
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    Thanks for the BMR info! I will look into that! I plugged all my info, height/weight etc and 1200 is what MFP chose for me. I appreciate all the advice because I have no idea what I am doing!
  • mtpalacios
    mtpalacios Posts: 20
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    Hi.. I am have been on here since Jan but really started becoming more active in March when my doctor told me I need to lose weight. In March I weighed 184 now I am 177 . I also am doing only 1200 calories a day and it is sooo hard for me because some days I just don't eat enough and some days I go a little over still trying to find that balance.
  • mtaylor1980
    mtaylor1980 Posts: 135 Member
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    I added you! I am really struggling with the 1200 calories a day. I have been eating very well, but 1200 is just not enough for me. I am liking the fact that a lot of people are saying to up the cals for weight loss results! Anyone else struggling-Feel free to add me
  • JessicaJVRadcliffe
    JessicaJVRadcliffe Posts: 201 Member
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    I have been doing this since January, and I have lost about 18 pounds so far (I had lost 3 pounds on my own before starting with MFP). My food diary is public, so you can look at it. I exersice A LOT and eat some of those calories, but not all of them. Friend me!
  • NWatkins13
    NWatkins13 Posts: 4
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    I'm doing 1200 calories too...for almost 2 weeks now - some days are easier than others for sure! Add me...I'd love to see how others are doing with the same goal!
  • zia130
    zia130 Posts: 21 Member
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    feel free to add me as well, would love to hear what is working for others and food / snack / recipe ideas
    here's to healthier living for all of us!
  • Melaniec78
    Melaniec78 Posts: 259 Member
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    I am on 1200 too. I have tried all other stuff because I thought I plateaued at one point. From eating more (I don't think thats necessary until you get near goal weight and loss stalls) changing macronutrients, exercising more etc. I have a desk job and not a whole lot of free time for exercise.

    Just make sure you buy a food scale (I found out recently I was eating wayyyyy too much especially meats and that was my problem) I was thinking I was eating 1200. It took me while to figure out why my weight loss stalled. Apparently me eating more was ok when I weighed more but the more I lost the more it stalled because I was eating way over 1200. I bought a food scale and the lbs are melting away again.
  • tprice916
    tprice916 Posts: 22
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    Hi :D I'm new (within a week) with the same goals. I've used a different site before for this, but got married back in September and well, lets just say the comfort wedding period has made me gain. So I'm mainly looking to get back to what I was at before and lose the tummy so I don't look like I'm expecting when I'm not. Funny enough, I have found it pretty easy to stay to the 1200 so far (except on the weekends I let myself go over sometimes... shhh). I've been under sometimes too when not meaning to...

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