who eats 1200 cals, add me

IkkleGina

Hi everyone,

I eat 1200 Calories a day sometimes just over some days a little under, I did this a few years back and lost 2 stone which stayed off so here i am again trying to lose more.

Everybody is different i find 1200 cals a day is easy for me and my body seems fine on it. I have only been on here a week so not sure if i have lost anything yet but the last time i did this diet i felt much happier and healthier.

GOOD LUCK to everyone plaesse feel free to add me :happy:

donna_do_good

There's so many things wrong with only eating 1200 kCals per day. You'll find that out yourself though.

Andric1

What do you suggest? That is the calorie allowance MFP has put me on. I am 51 and 5'2" currently weighing 186.6 lbs., looking to achieve a weight of 135. Advice would be helpful. Tell me why it's wrong, please.

I calculated your BMR and you should not go below 1513.71 at your current weight. This is just what personally suggest. Again I could be wrong, but I've had success in losing 50lbs after both of my pregnancies. I gained 12lbs the past few months and have lost 1.8lbs just this week from tracking my calories and trying to stay at my BMR.

I just did my bmr and its 1513.25- 2094cals to maintain my weight but it does say to cut it by at least 500&no more than 1000. I'm really only cutting mine by 800 at most so I think this is ok. Opinions?

gjulie

Hi best of luck Im sure you will if you can Im sorry I just cant so Im no use to you I cant live on less than 1500 I have tried,all the best.

tuneses

I ate 1200 calories a day for 6 months to go from 186 to 135 (much like your goal). I've been on MFP 380 days today. I dont eat 1200 everyday anymore because I am doing some serious training but I haven't put any weight back on or had a "serious yoyo effect". Everyone is different though and you need to listen to your body.

tryinghard71

I think the key here is if the person eating 1200 is working out or not. If they are not working out and depending on just food intake to lose weight then I can understand 1200. If they are active at all (meaning more than a person laying in a vegetative state) then they should be eating more. So yes 1200 can work for people that hate working out.

NoAdditives

I know i'm fine as I am now. Just wanna get rid of the jiggle lol

then you need to be working on reducing bodyfat, which is different to just wanting to lose weight.

I know I should work out, but i'm lazy tbh. I honestly dont wanna work for it at the min which is totally the wrong attitude I know but it's how I feel right now x

You probably won't get the results you're looking for with your current mindset. If you're at a healthy weight already, cutting calories so drastically isn't the way to go. You need some strength training and a little cardio to get rid of the "jiggle".

Di3012

I think the key here is if the person eating 1200 is working out or not. If they are not working out and depending on just food intake to lose weight then I can understand 1200. If they are active at all (meaning more than a person laying in a vegetative state) then they should be eating more. So yes 1200 can work for people that hate working out.

Still doesn't ring true because I run between 5 to 7 miles each session three times per week, always got enough energy and there are no issues.

Seriously, providing the person eats lots of protein and does not eat crap, 1200 is okay. Many people want to eat more, no problem, but to say the person will be starving, it is not enough, needs to eat more blah blah blah is going by their own standards.

1200 really is fine lol

mlreyes_09

I am barely 5' and my recommended minimum is 1,200. I think it's quite high for my size, but I try to follow it anyway. (Some days I do eat less than that, but I definitely try to hit 1,200-1,300 on days I work out.) I know they say 1,200 minimum, but I'm little. It seems like no matter how much I work out, I never seem to lose an ounce if I eat more than 1,200/day.

tuneses

I think the key here is if the person eating 1200 is working out or not. If they are not working out and depending on just food intake to lose weight then I can understand 1200. If they are active at all (meaning more than a person laying in a vegetative state) then they should be eating more. So yes 1200 can work for people that hate working out.

Still doesn't ring true because I run between 5 to 7 miles each session three times per week, always got enough energy and there are no issues.

Seriously, providing the person eats lots of protein and does not eat crap, 1200 is okay. Many people want to eat more, no problem, but to say the person will be starving, it is not enough, needs to eat more blah blah blah is going by their own standards.

1200 really is fine lol

Exactly. I did Insanity, ran and took care of 2 toddlers all day on 1200 calories just fine. Took a protein shake after work outs, had lots of lean meats and veggies. I never went hungry and had treats for time to time while staying in my calorie allowance. Everyone is different and my personal experience doesn't mean this will work for everyone. It just means that who ever is shooting it down should stfu and realize that as well.

tryinghard71

I think the key here is if the person eating 1200 is working out or not. If they are not working out and depending on just food intake to lose weight then I can understand 1200. If they are active at all (meaning more than a person laying in a vegetative state) then they should be eating more. So yes 1200 can work for people that hate working out.

Still doesn't ring true because I run between 5 to 7 miles each session three times per week, always got enough energy and there are no issues.

Seriously, providing the person eats lots of protein and does not eat crap, 1200 is okay. Many people want to eat more, no problem, but to say the person will be starving, it is not enough, needs to eat more blah blah blah is going by their own standards.

1200 really is fine lol

Exactly. I did Insanity, ran and took care of 2 toddlers all day on 1200 calories just fine. Took a protein shake after work outs, had lots of lean meats and veggies. I never went hungry and had treats for time to time while staying in my calorie allowance. Everyone is different and my personal experience doesn't mean this will work for everyone. It just means that who ever is shooting it down should stfu and realize that as well.

Really? People are just sharing opinions and you respond with a stfu. Classy.

AbbsyBabbsy

What part of her post did some of you NOT understand? 1200 is perfectly safe, especially if she's not doing any serious weight training. When you're eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods, there is absolutely nothing wrong with 1200 calories a day. Enough with the fear mongering.

Amen, but I doubt the pattern will ever stop. Every time the topic of 1200 calories comes up, the thread gets invaded by a bunch of young, power lifting men who come to set the little ladies straight. "Don't worry your sweet heads about it darlings, we know what's best for you." Gosh forbid anyone listen to themselves, or their doctors, or every medical organization in existence which all back up the idea that 1200 is fine for a woman. It is NOT a crash starvation diet, for crying out loud.

OP, don't take it to heart. There are people on this board who would tell my 92 year old 4'11 grandmother to eat more than 1200 calories a day and lift heavy weights. It's an automatic response kicked in anytime the number 1200 appears on screen. Only you will know if it's enough food for you. Listen to your body.

sueincontr0l

Hello, I am also in the same height range as you and I am to eat 1200 calories a day, it has been hard for me to eat this MANY calories. It has been so hot here and I really don't feel like eating. I have been about 200 to 300 calories short everyday. My loss has been 5 pounds so far. I am going to try to eat smaller meals more frequently and see if that works. Good luck to you and be happy.

tuneses

I think the key here is if the person eating 1200 is working out or not. If they are not working out and depending on just food intake to lose weight then I can understand 1200. If they are active at all (meaning more than a person laying in a vegetative state) then they should be eating more. So yes 1200 can work for people that hate working out.

Still doesn't ring true because I run between 5 to 7 miles each session three times per week, always got enough energy and there are no issues.

Seriously, providing the person eats lots of protein and does not eat crap, 1200 is okay. Many people want to eat more, no problem, but to say the person will be starving, it is not enough, needs to eat more blah blah blah is going by their own standards.

1200 really is fine lol

Exactly. I did Insanity, ran and took care of 2 toddlers all day on 1200 calories just fine. Took a protein shake after work outs, had lots of lean meats and veggies. I never went hungry and had treats for time to time while staying in my calorie allowance. Everyone is different and my personal experience doesn't mean this will work for everyone. It just means that who ever is shooting it down should stfu and realize that as well.

Really? People are just sharing opinions and you respond with a stfu. Classy.

Really out of all that all you pick out is stfu. I am also just sharing my opinion and said that since the OP said she understood and didnt need to be told to eat more.

donna_do_good

What part of her post did some of you NOT understand? 1200 is perfectly safe, especially if she's not doing any serious weight training. When you're eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods, there is absolutely nothing wrong with 1200 calories a day. Enough with the fear mongering.

Amen, but I doubt the pattern will ever stop. Every time the topic of 1200 calories comes up, the thread gets invaded by a bunch of young, power lifting men who come to set the little ladies straight. "Don't worry your sweet heads about it darlings, we know what's best for you." Gosh forbid anyone listen to themselves, or their doctors, or every medical organization in existence which all back up the idea that 1200 is fine for a woman. It is NOT a crash starvation diet, for crying out loud.

OP, don't take it to heart. There are people on this board who would tell my 92 year old 4'11 grandmother to eat more than 1200 calories a day and lift heavy weights. It's an automatic response kicked in anytime the number 1200 appears on screen. Only you will know if it's enough food for you. Listen to your body.

That made me laugh, you're wee granny standing with heavy weights and a protein shake lol

donna_do_good

I have had such a fantastic support from this. All the messages were lovely. Think I got everyone added who had sent a message but my computer had a wee breakdown half way through so please resend any fiends requests if you havn't been accpeted. Sorry for being a torture.

Hope to support you and raid all your diaries for ideas lol

RedVelvetCurls

There's so many things wrong with only eating 1200 kCals per day. You'll find that out yourself though.

I humbly disagree. I've been on 1200 since I got here and I'm now in great shape and my asthma has been eliminated.

Rockmyskinnyjeans

You can add me, as well, mine is set to 1270 cals/day and I stay around the area of 1170-1270.

TavistockToad

I know i'm fine as I am now. Just wanna get rid of the jiggle lol

then you need to be working on reducing bodyfat, which is different to just wanting to lose weight.

I know I should work out, but i'm lazy tbh. I honestly dont wanna work for it at the min which is totally the wrong attitude I know but it's how I feel right now x

You probably won't get the results you're looking for with your current mindset. If you're at a healthy weight already, cutting calories so drastically isn't the way to go. You need some strength training and a little cardio to get rid of the "jiggle".

exactly... starving yourself will just increase the jiggle to be honest, as you head towards skinnyfat!

jen_bd6

There's so many things wrong with only eating 1200 kCals per day. You'll find that out yourself though.

Andric1

What do you suggest? That is the calorie allowance MFP has put me on. I am 51 and 5'2" currently weighing 186.6 lbs., looking to achieve a weight of 135. Advice would be helpful. Tell me why it's wrong, please.

The website www.fitnessfrog.com explains BMR, TDEE, etc etc and can help you calculate what you should be eating and how to "eat back" some of your calories. For some, 1200 is not enough for your body to function properly not counting exercises and you will lose weight initially at first, but then may plateau very quickly. Just know what your BMR is and try to at least eat that many calories a day.

justal313

I come very close every day to making my 1200 NET after exercise. I am now working out pretty well last thing everyday so I can adjust my exercise to make sure I come closer to my net. My goal right now is to be about 50-100 calories under net to allow for estimation errors when I don't have a scale to measure my food, didn't prepare it, relied on someone else's info etc.

I started losing about 2.5 - 3lbs a week back at the beginning but that has dropped to about 1 - 1.5 lbs a week which I am very happy with. I've gone from 3x shirts and 44 inch waist pants to Large shirts (some XL still but that's because of size or because I love the shirt) and 36 inch waist pants.

I'm not sure if my weight loss has slowed down because I weigh less so my BMR is lower or because I'm also lifting. I recently changed to less reps and higher weight while lifting. I'm super happy that stairs don't kick my *kitten* anymore and I almost don't see a fat guy in the mirror anymore (nobody else sees the fat guy but I'd like to get down another 20-40 lbs. Yes that's a big range of a final goal but the number isn't as important to feeling good and being smaller. 22 lbs puts me into "normal" 40 pounds puts me in the middle of "normal" and also makes 100 pounds lost. That's just a number but it sounds impressive so if I need to lose the 100 to get me to where I want to feel and be, oh well, impressive number it is.

genas1975

I am on the 1200 cals. I have a personal trainer and that is what she advised. I am 127.6 lbs right now and I am 5' 5". My goal is to do a fitness competition. I am 36 and a mother of 3. What I like about mfp is that I can add my exercise and that allows me more food for the day. I find it is all about healthy choices. You can eat alot at 1200 cals if you just eat the right things. I was hungry for the first little bit but with adjusting what I was eating I get to eat basically all day long.

Di3012

What part of her post did some of you NOT understand? 1200 is perfectly safe, especially if she's not doing any serious weight training. When you're eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods, there is absolutely nothing wrong with 1200 calories a day. Enough with the fear mongering.

Amen, but I doubt the pattern will ever stop. Every time the topic of 1200 calories comes up, the thread gets invaded by a bunch of young, power lifting men who come to set the little ladies straight. "Don't worry your sweet heads about it darlings, we know what's best for you." Gosh forbid anyone listen to themselves, or their doctors, or every medical organization in existence which all back up the idea that 1200 is fine for a woman. It is NOT a crash starvation diet, for crying out loud.

OP, don't take it to heart. There are people on this board who would tell my 92 year old 4'11 grandmother to eat more than 1200 calories a day and lift heavy weights. It's an automatic response kicked in anytime the number 1200 appears on screen. Only you will know if it's enough food for you. Listen to your body.

That made me laugh, you're wee granny standing with heavy weights and a protein shake lol

:laugh: it does bring to mind a unique "vision" I must admit LOL

lostwisdom

I checked out my BMR before starting on here, and it was 1,745kcal. I know that anything greater than 1,000kcals below this, my body will enter starvation. And generally 500kcals under will get you losing weight.. So when MFP gave me a goal of 1200kcals that made perfect sense! My activity level is sedentary, and I eat back most calories I burn from cardio.

Don't understand people who want to jump in with their own conclusions on this with little or no explanation, or background information on the person! Just because someone is new, doesn't mean they don't know their *kitten*! I thought more experienced members would realise not everyone is the same.

jen_bd6

I have a daily limit set by my personal trainer and dietician at 1200 cals per day, so far this has worked for me for the goals that I am trying to achieve.

Some people my find that 1200 is "wrong" or doesnt work for them, however each person is different and I feel that your comment isn't particulary useful until you fully understand peoples situations and goals. Not having a go, just highlighting that whilst 1200 might have so many things wrong with it for you, it certainly doesnt have anything wrong with it for me.

I'll be honest with you, I don't give half a **** about any personal trainer's opinion, not even if it was my own mother. It's 2012, there's free information everywhere for everyone. Paying for a diet/workout plan is close to the most ridiculous thing you can do nowadays. It just tells me you're too lazy to think for yourself and want a big red button to click that reads "Lose weight". That's not how reality works. You will never know why it worked or more importantly why it didn't work. Any mistake you may have made won't be obvious to you.

1200 is wrong for almost everyone, most likely you too.
Let's just pretend you really only need some 1500/1600 calories per day. Aren't you working out at all, no cardio, no weightlifting? You will have to increase the amount of calories you eat to be on par with the energy you use up. Unless you're 11 years old I don't think 1200 calories per day is the way to go and judging from your picture you're a little older than that and if you're here to lose weight you most likely aren't underweight, which again would only speak against your plan of 1200 calories per day.

First of all. Rude.

Secondly. Did i mention anywhere that I do not eat back any of my exercise calories if I'm working out that day? Because I do. 1200 is my base number to start from. Like today I burned around 400 cals so I will eat around 1500/1600 cals today, but tomorrow if I dont train I will eat 1200.

Not that I should defend my decision to hire professionals to anyone, however I was training for an endurance event (Kilimanjaro and now I am training for an Everest trek) and I have no knowledge of the types of training required for this. I hired my PT based on a number of meetings with him, checking his credentials and also his reputation. I have a dietician as I wanted to ensure I was eating the right things for my body based on my past hisotry of illness/problems, however I appreciate that some people here are the font of all knowledge in such subjects and to them I give my upmost respect. I know nothing of nutrition and indeed had a limited training knowledge when I hired my PT, I think being educted is better than getting injured,

I really think that if you have nothing positive to say or supportive, in a supportive tone then you should just not post on such subjects. My situation is different from yours and I respect that, be an adult and respect my situation.

*high five* Well said. I think you are doing the right thing. Not everyone is born with that working knowledge of everything there is to know about fitness diet, or what you need to eat to meet your personal goals. Everyone's body is different. Exercises, certain foods, and techniques that some people benefit from won't necessarily benefit the rest of the group. I only work with a personal trainer every now and then (it's included for free at my gym) and I speak with a dietician here and there for information that I might have "forgotten" or just plain didn't realize. Sometimes it's a nice refresher, and can be very beneficial. Just keep doing what you are doing and let the message board trolls keep on trolling. Just remember lots of people think they "know all" about fitness, but don't take into consideration the simple fact that not everyone responds the same way to diet and exercise. Personally, I know my BMR, and TDEE, and make sure to eat enough to benefit fully from my exercise regimen. That works just fine for me (or has so far)

20shan08

I eat around 1300 cals a day, my doctor said that my body will tell me if that's not enough. As long as you feel good, it should be fine! I find that at 1300 cals a day, I am never hungry! I eat a couple snacks between meals and I feel great, lots of energy! I also do not eat back my calories burned...come at me! Lol. I've lost 55lbs since December and I feel great! Do what feels good for you!

davert123

from what I've seen, 1200 is the minimum that the medical profession recommend if you are loosing weight- if you are doing this I'd also have some multivitamins as well and make sure you keep to healthy foods (i.e. no chocolate bars :-) ) I would also recommend you think (and keep thinking) about what you are going to do after you stop eating 1200 so you can avoid the yo yo. I would also recommend (based on my experience) that if you feel very hungry then go a little over and do some more exercise. All just opinion but its working for me :-) Good luck to you all

DietFemme

I eat 1200 a day plus most of my exercise calories (started a little higher but have been on 1200 NET for several months now) and have been losing weight steadily since the second week of January this year. I've lost 44lbs so far and am still losing at a steady rate of 1-1.5lbs per week.

I am 5'1 and started at 220lbs, now 176, goal 140 (for now, probably should be around 126 in the end but I'm really hourglassy so I want to see how I look at 140 before setting my goal any lower!).

I'm never hungry at this level, but I do think it's important to eat back all / most of your exercise cals.

If you're not willing to do *any* exercise you could eat comfortably at 1200 but forget having at glass of wine at the weekend or pretty much ever treating yourself. I can't live without those little rewards so working hard in the gym allows me to have them and still lose steadily.

dad106

I know i'm fine as I am now. Just wanna get rid of the jiggle lol

then you need to be working on reducing bodyfat, which is different to just wanting to lose weight.

I know I should work out, but i'm lazy tbh. I honestly dont wanna work for it at the min which is totally the wrong attitude I know but it's how I feel right now x

If you don't want to work for it, then you are never going to get rid of that jiggle. You can lose all the weight you want.. but you won't see real changes until you start doing some form of exercise or weight lifting.

You could easily stay the weight you currently are, if you would exercise.

andric1

There goes me thinking facts weigh more than personal opinions.

But hey, once reality kicks in, you'll find out for yourself that half-assed attempts at trying to change your life don't work. Believe whatever you want, it's your body, but keep in mind that every and I really mean every single diet that isn't revolving around that 1.2k calories plan, tells people not to cut too many calories. People aren't making things up, there's a reason behind it.

If you really want to take the easiest way and just be a dead weight on your couch and not move any muscle at all, then go ahead it's your body.

prettygirlstorm1

You can add me. It has been hard to eat the 1200 because I exercise so much and I gave up eating junk food that consumed much of the calories. I can definitely be a support as will the others. I love this site,