Who has been able to lose with 1200 calorie diet?

nolabamacutie
nolabamacutie Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi!!

So, MFP has me on 1200 calories a day plus obviously the exercise calories I spend. It still seems a bit low. I was wondering who has stayed on the 1200 calories diet and stuck with it and lost a significant amount of weight? Any advice? Did you find it worked for you or you needed to add more calories! Just curious! I know everyone is different but I was just hoping for some feed back! And to see that it's worked for people! :) Thanks!!
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Replies

  • coliema
    coliema Posts: 7,646 Member
    I have stuck with the 1200 calories a day, I don't always eat my exercise calories back, I only eat them back when I am hungry. I haven't lost a significant amount, 8 pounds, but I am losing and still losing so hopefully soon it will be a significant amount for me. :)
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    Personally I go with the 1,390 option. I was starving on the 1,200 calorie one, even when I ate back my exercise calories!
  • Lovely135
    Lovely135 Posts: 161
    I have not lost a significant amount of wt, but I have lost 30lbs so far. Some days are lower and some days are higher than 1200 (more lower days). I don't eat my exercise calories.
  • Sharyn913
    Sharyn913 Posts: 777 Member
    You do have the ability to change that number, you're not stuck at 1,200! =)
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    I have lost on the 1200 with eating exercise calories back as needed/desired. I've gone through a few rough spells (related to life events and stress, not feeling deprived) and didn't bother counting at all at times. I think I joined in March and have lost about 16 lbs. I didn't have tons to lose to begin with, so I'm happy with that. I tend to feel hungrier when I am eating more and struggle more to stay in my calorie goals when I eat more.
  • brandy2076
    brandy2076 Posts: 37 Member
    I eat around there most days - but some go over of course. I have lost 20lbs, but I have a lot to lose.
  • wftiger
    wftiger Posts: 1,283 Member
    I have lost almost 110 lbs on 1200 calories plus lower carb.
  • Romans624
    Romans624 Posts: 822
    It works very well for me (more so than if I were doing 1500 +)

    I have lost around 35 lbs so far in the past 1.5 months... and that includes 2 weeks of total cheating.
  • irish9229
    irish9229 Posts: 24
    I'm just a few weeks in and have lost 4lbs so far.
    I feel like the 1200 is doable. Planning ahead and knowing what I'm going to eat ahead of time/for the day has been really helpful.
    The problem I have is that I workout at night after my kids are in bed and I am not going to eat back those calories at 9:00 at night.
  • shaycat
    shaycat Posts: 980
    When I first started MFP I did 1200 calories. I didnt eat back my calories.I didnt know I was suppose to. I hardly ever had a cheat day. I worked out 7 days a week.
    I lost 40lbs, very quickly. HOWEVER. I think I may have damaged myself. I binge now. I never had ever done that before.
    I gain weight super easily now. I should be able to maintain my weight at 2000 calories a day, but I cant seem to.
    I put some of the weight back on and it just will not come off. I think my body is holding on to it in case I decide to starve myself again.
  • AmyG27
    AmyG27 Posts: 23 Member
    I am at 1280 a day. I find that when I eat within 30 minutes of waking up, and then about every 2 to 3 hours, I do good. I eat a lot of veggies and low cal small meals. Helps me feel full all day.. plus, water! :) Good luck!!
  • SafioraLinnea
    SafioraLinnea Posts: 628 Member
    I've lost 15 pounds so far on the 1200 calorie diet. I honestly don't feel hungry but I was nearly 60lbs away from my goal weight when I started so I do have a fairly high amount of weight to lose. I will eat an additional 100-150 calories if I start to experience headaches, and I don't kill myself over that "extra" if it happens. Also, I only eat back calories if I exceed 350 calories burned in a workout.
  • MadiRose2
    MadiRose2 Posts: 145
    Me!! I started at 151 pounds, I am down to 140 pounds, and I have been on a 1,050 calorie diet. I have not lost a noticeable amount of lean mass, it is all fat it seems. If you eat the right foods, you aren't hungry all the time.
  • mrsheu
    mrsheu Posts: 30
    Yes, I have been losing 1-1.5 pounds a week eating around 1000-1200 calories a day. I am not hungry, but I have to really restrict what I eat in order to maintain this goal. I am thinking of increasing my calories to see if that makes a differences, but I am worried about gaining.
  • jerbear1962
    jerbear1962 Posts: 1,157 Member
    I have lost 24 pounds over the past 2 months on a roughly 1200 calorie diet. I have lost 10 pounds since joining here...
  • texaslonghorn42
    texaslonghorn42 Posts: 34 Member
    I did a very strict 1200 calorie diet in the past and I lost weight - like 30 pounds. However I wasn't exercising so ended up with some flab and was not toned, and I gained the weight back because I could not stay at 1200 calories. MFP does have me again at 1200 calories, however, I make sure to exercise pretty much every day and then I can eat back about half of my exercise calories so I am not starving all the time. It is probably going to take me longer to lose the weight but hopefully I will be more toned and will be able to maintain the lifestyle.
  • kiminikimkim
    kiminikimkim Posts: 746 Member
    I've reached my goal on 1200.

    Now I am slowly adding more calories to see if I can maintain.
  • marystingley
    marystingley Posts: 25
    It's worked for me. Before I had a baby I had to lose 25-30 pounds, and now after, I'm almost to my goal weight.
  • shellebelle87
    shellebelle87 Posts: 291 Member
    Me!! I started at 151 pounds, I am down to 140 pounds, and I have been on a 1,050 calorie diet. I have not lost a noticeable amount of lean mass, it is all fat it seems. If you eat the right foods, you aren't hungry all the time.

    Be prepared for the flaming :frown:
  • Josette89
    Josette89 Posts: 244
    I find that it is good enough, I didn't want to shock my body though because MFP suggested 1400 for me, but I want to lose a good amount of weight by a certain time, so I am doing 1300. I find that if I eat small meals throughout the day, I don't feel hungry, and if I do eat something larger to use my calories, I exercise to "win" them back. hahaha. Then I eat some more. I've been dropping weight like crazy and I still feel amazing. ;)
  • LJSchmitt
    LJSchmitt Posts: 121 Member
    Although I have been on MFP only a week, I was dieting on my own for the last two months. I have lost around 40 pounds so far, the last 6 1/2 in the last 2 weeks. I've tried to stay as close to 1200 a day as possible -- but sometimes I have more. Healthy Choice dinners, grilled chicken, tuna and lots of salad has worked for me. I also take Acai Berry and Raspberry Ketones, I know they work for some and not others but for me, they work. I don't feel like I'm starving to death all the time. It may be just in my head but as long as it works who cares.
  • irish9229
    irish9229 Posts: 24
    I have not lost a significant amount of wt, but I have lost 30lbs so far. Some days are lower and some days are higher than 1200 (more lower days). I don't eat my exercise calories.

    I think 30lbs is significant! Well done!
  • kwest_4_fitness
    kwest_4_fitness Posts: 819 Member
    I eat between 1200 and 1350. I don't purposefully eat back exercise calories. I've lost 78 lbs in 15 months between a healthy diet and exercise (both cardio and lifting). I eats lots of food, so I never have an "I'm starving" moment.
  • heykaraoke
    heykaraoke Posts: 191 Member
    I tried to do the 1200 for the first four weeks and in the first two weeks I dropped 8 pounds. In the third week I dropped 1. In the fourth week I actually gained back two. And I was cranky and miserable and hungry. I know it works for some people but for me personally 1200 was too low. I calculated my BMR and my TDEE and using those two numbers I set myself at 1650. I usually don't get that high, though. I tend to stick around 1500. I've been doing that for about five days and I am hoping it helps (haven't weighed in yet). I definitely feel less cranky though, haha :)
  • CherylGardner
    CherylGardner Posts: 75 Member
    It works very well for me (more so than if I were doing 1500 +)

    I have lost around 35 lbs so far in the past 1.5 months... and that includes 2 weeks of total cheating.

    35 lbs in 6 weeks?? and 2 of those were cheat weeks? That's an average loss of almost 6 lbs/wk without even factoring in the cheat weeks...

    Not quite sure what to say about that...
  • HealthFreak1967
    HealthFreak1967 Posts: 116 Member
    I've lost 11lbs so far, eating at a 1,200 calorie goal, most of it lost within a 2 month period. Since I eat a high fiber diet, Ive found that most days it's actually hard to eat everything I've planned because I get so full. I think it's all about the food choices you make that will determine your success. Some days I'm hungrier than others, though, and I can fluctuate from 1,100 to 1,300 calories. I do think it's ideal to eat at your BMR, though. And most days I find that i naturally do that, as my BMR is around 1,205-1,220 and I eat around there everyday.
  • DesignGrrl
    DesignGrrl Posts: 147 Member
    I do 1200 a day and have lost 21lbs since the first week of May. I exercise (30 day shred or elliptical) 5 days a week, and I eat back my calories if I get hungry. I find I am less hungry eating lots of vegetables and drinking lots of liquids. I've found with the elliptical, it really curbs my appetite, somehow!
  • crysiebrown
    crysiebrown Posts: 8 Member
    I work out around 9:00 too and it's a good thing so our exercise calories help fight the weight we already have! I do not eat my exercise calories.
  • ChristiMightGetFit
    ChristiMightGetFit Posts: 27 Member
    It seems to be working for me! :) I've lost 14lbs so far :) I eat 6 small meals a day to keep my metabolism up. LOTS of veggies, lean meats, and fruit. That way I feel more full because they are low calorie foods and I can eat more of those foods. I am usually hungry enough to eat more than 1200 though so I make sure I do some sort of exercise so that I can eat more calories....oh yeah and lots of water!
  • MooMooooo
    MooMooooo Posts: 306 Member
    Worked for me too, although I will say it has trained me to eat healthier - I cannot feel satisfied eating chocolate, it MUST be vegetables because you can eat sooo much more.

    One chocolate bar is like your whole days calories - so not worth it anymore.

    Change sucks but for me, it's for the better.

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