Who has been able to lose with 1200 calorie diet?

heybales

I've lost just 4lbs in about as many weeks but I have been eating most of my exercise calories back and I think that is what is stalling further weight loss. I haven't lost anything in just over a week now. Haven't gained either though at least.

If you really aren't burning as much as you think in exercise, but correctly eating back calories, end result would be eating too much.

If you are eating more than you log because of measuring instead of weighing, end result would be eating too much.

The MFP exercise database for walking and running flat at those speeds are about the only things in there accurate. But you have to go that speed.
Weight lifting appears small but that is correct too.

Every thing else with no description of pace or intensity or settings is a crap shoot, you may not be exercising as hard as database figures are counting on.

But look at the deficit you should have in place, if you think either of those inaccuracy potentials could overcome that total deficit, then time to examine them closer.

Weight loss also isn't linear, you won't lose the same amount weekly. Especially a woman, whole BMR really does change through the month.

_lyndseybrooke_

I lost weight on 1200 calories per day. Of course I did - I was eating at a caloric deficit. However, I was also hungry and cranky and tired and miserable. And I also gained it all back once I fell off the wagon.

ashym123

im set to 1500 cals but never eat that much usually eat 1200 to 1300 and it leaves me satisfied been on my diet for 2 weeks now and have lost 12 lbs

eimaj5575

I did 1200 calories diet and ate my exercise calories back. I lost 48 pounds. I believe you can eat more and still lose though. But I was able to lose all the weight I needed to on 1200 calories a day.

budobo

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!!

This.

I pack tons of snacks in my day. Edamame (120 cal), strawberries (30 cal), and cottage cheese with jam (200) are my usual ones. That way I'm never hungry, and I don't overeat when meal time comes around. Cereal for breakfast, salad for lunch, veggie and meat for dinner.

I will sip several cups of water throughout the day which keep my tummy feeling fuller too.

When i need to splurge I'll buy a 120 cal Skinny Vanilla Latte (Grande), which is surprisingly filling.

Good luck!

NOTE: Cutting down to 1200 should be a gradual thing, especially if you're used to a much larger caloric intake. The body never responds well to sudden change

gopgirl425

I lost 90 pounds eating 1200 and working out. I needed to do it. It is what finally worked for me. I maintained almost a year and now working on the last 30. You don't have to eat that low. If you need to add a few hundred calories then do what will keep you on track in the long run. Personally, I needed to learn it is ok to be hungry at times.

Tallulah827

I'm not logging exercise through MFB and am using a FitBit. And I think it's more of what I'm eating and not how much. I've been merely counting calories and exercising more. I am being very accurate with my food log. I ride horses 4 to 5 days a week, weather permitting and am outside moving, a lot. Have started climbing flights of stairs on bathroom breaks. But have also been indulging in chocolate and wine when eating back my calories. Otherwise I do eat pretty wisely. I am consistently under in my calories in versus out. But it's a slow slog.

Tallulah827

Down another half pound this morning! Though I did ratchet down my calorie intake to get there.

WittLace

I am eating around 1200 caloires a day, maybe a little more. I have been losing. I eat every three hours. High protien, low carb, low fat with one high carb cheat meal per week. I exercise and dont usually eat back my calories. Works for me so far!

heybales

I am eating around 1200 caloires a day, maybe a little more. I have been losing. I eat every three hours. High protien, low carb, low fat with one high carb cheat meal per week. I exercise and dont usually eat back my calories. Works for me so far!

So your TDEE, or total maintenance, drops about 100 calories per 10 lbs lost. Less mass to move around, less body for metabolism to spend energy on, less food needs to be eaten, ect. Yours likely more at start.

If you are currently eating around 1200 in TOTAL most days even with exercise, have you played out the end game as to being able to keep losing weight, and where is maintenance going to be then?

1200 with current level of exercise, 50 lbs to go, 500 less calories eaten and/or combo of 500 more calories average daily of exercise to make up for not eating less.

And that's to keep losing. Eating probably 500 with no exercise. Yikes.

So then maintenance requires probably 1200 max along with 500 calories avg exercise daily.
If you eat more you gain fat. If you do less exercise (don't get sick!) you gain fat. If you go on vacation and eat more and exercise less ...... get ready.

Of course you'll lose on 1200 a day - lose what though? And will it be sustainable till goal weight, and sustainable to maintain?

WittLace

I am eating around 1200 caloires a day, maybe a little more. I have been losing. I eat every three hours. High protien, low carb, low fat with one high carb cheat meal per week. I exercise and dont usually eat back my calories. Works for me so far!

So your TDEE, or total maintenance, drops about 100 calories per 10 lbs lost. Less mass to move around, less body for metabolism to spend energy on, less food needs to be eaten, ect. Yours likely more at start.

If you are currently eating around 1200 in TOTAL most days even with exercise, have you played out the end game as to being able to keep losing weight, and where is maintenance going to be then?

1200 with current level of exercise, 50 lbs to go, 500 less calories eaten and/or combo of 500 more calories average daily of exercise to make up for not eating less.

And that's to keep losing. Eating probably 500 with no exercise. Yikes.

So then maintenance requires probably 1200 max along with 500 calories avg exercise daily.
If you eat more you gain fat. If you do less exercise (don't get sick!) you gain fat. If you go on vacation and eat more and exercise less ...... get ready.

Of course you'll lose on 1200 a day - lose what though? And will it be sustainable till goal weight, and sustainable to maintain?

I hadn't thought of it that way. I am fairly new at this. I am using weights 3 days a week and cardio 3 days (once fasting, once in the evening) per week. Any resources for decided how much I should be intaking? I am no mathemtician and dont have a complete understanding of the above... I love to learn!

heybales

So your TDEE, or total maintenance, drops about 100 calories per 10 lbs lost. Less mass to move around, less body for metabolism to spend energy on, less food needs to be eaten, ect. Yours likely more at start.

If you are currently eating around 1200 in TOTAL most days even with exercise, have you played out the end game as to being able to keep losing weight, and where is maintenance going to be then?

1200 with current level of exercise, 50 lbs to go, 500 less calories eaten and/or combo of 500 more calories average daily of exercise to make up for not eating less.

And that's to keep losing. Eating probably 500 with no exercise. Yikes.

So then maintenance requires probably 1200 max along with 500 calories avg exercise daily.
If you eat more you gain fat. If you do less exercise (don't get sick!) you gain fat. If you go on vacation and eat more and exercise less ...... get ready.

Of course you'll lose on 1200 a day - lose what though? And will it be sustainable till goal weight, and sustainable to maintain?

I hadn't thought of it that way. I am fairly new at this. I am using weights 3 days a week and cardio 3 days (once fasting, once in the evening) per week. Any resources for decided how much I should be intaking? I am no mathemtician and dont have a complete understanding of the above... I love to learn!

Using MFP as a tool the way it was meant to be will automatically take care of that.

Outside of exercise, is your daily life truly sedentary 45 hr a week desk job/commute, no kids, no dogs to walk, pretty much bump on a log.
If more active work or lifestyle than that, you are Lightly Active.

Above 40 lbs to lose 2 lbs weekly loss is reasonable for now, but when you reach 40 lbs left, switch to 1.5 lbs weekly. At 20 lbs switch to 1 lb weekly, at 10 lbs left, switch to 0.5 lb weekly.

That keeps the goal loss reasonable and body healthy enough to sustain that loss.

That set's up an eating goal for non-exercise days.

Log your exercise because you now burn more than that on exercise days.
And eat those calories back to keep the same reasonable deficit.

Weights can be logged as strength training light, cardio if walking or running is accurate in database if you pick the correct speed, round down not up if you didn't hit the exact pace. Round up if you did not do it flat/level.
Other exercises may be inflated depending on how hard you do them.
Most of the non-descriptive exercises are not done at that level of effort the whole time, so decide how much of it was hard.
Did the Zumba class really keep you at dying level the whole time, or only about 75% of the time.
Was the elliptical really a hard level the whole time, or backed off from time to time? If you can read while doing it and breathing easy like I see majority do it (they still sweat, which isn't indicator of hard) then perhaps 50% of the burn given.
Spin bike might be right if you kept it hard the whole time.

So that may be difficult, exercises with no descriptions of pace or speed or intensity you have to estimate what % of it was really a good hard workout. Then do that % of the suggested calories.

Eat them all back.
Meet your goal.

Now you are using the tool correctly, and with a healthy body getting fed enough for your level of exercise, you won't have such low eating levels.

Slow weight loss is better because of wise purposeful choices, not because the body forced it on you because of unwise choices.

bunnerfly

I was losing at 1200, but I felt like hell. I was tired all the time, dizzy, nauseous, cranky, food obsessed, hungry all the time... It was horrible. I'm currently eating 1360 on days I do nothing, which isn't often. I generally eat 1500 to 1700, sometimes more, and I'm still losing about a pound a week.

WittLace

So your TDEE, or total maintenance, drops about 100 calories per 10 lbs lost. Less mass to move around, less body for metabolism to spend energy on, less food needs to be eaten, ect. Yours likely more at start.

If you are currently eating around 1200 in TOTAL most days even with exercise, have you played out the end game as to being able to keep losing weight, and where is maintenance going to be then?

1200 with current level of exercise, 50 lbs to go, 500 less calories eaten and/or combo of 500 more calories average daily of exercise to make up for not eating less.

And that's to keep losing. Eating probably 500 with no exercise. Yikes.

So then maintenance requires probably 1200 max along with 500 calories avg exercise daily.
If you eat more you gain fat. If you do less exercise (don't get sick!) you gain fat. If you go on vacation and eat more and exercise less ...... get ready.

Of course you'll lose on 1200 a day - lose what though? And will it be sustainable till goal weight, and sustainable to maintain?

I hadn't thought of it that way. I am fairly new at this. I am using weights 3 days a week and cardio 3 days (once fasting, once in the evening) per week. Any resources for decided how much I should be intaking? I am no mathemtician and dont have a complete understanding of the above... I love to learn!

Using MFP as a tool the way it was meant to be will automatically take care of that.

Outside of exercise, is your daily life truly sedentary 45 hr a week desk job/commute, no kids, no dogs to walk, pretty much bump on a log.
If more active work or lifestyle than that, you are Lightly Active.

Above 40 lbs to lose 2 lbs weekly loss is reasonable for now, but when you reach 40 lbs left, switch to 1.5 lbs weekly. At 20 lbs switch to 1 lb weekly, at 10 lbs left, switch to 0.5 lb weekly.

That keeps the goal loss reasonable and body healthy enough to sustain that loss.

That set's up an eating goal for non-exercise days.

Log your exercise because you now burn more than that on exercise days.
And eat those calories back to keep the same reasonable deficit.

Weights can be logged as strength training light, cardio if walking or running is accurate in database if you pick the correct speed, round down not up if you didn't hit the exact pace. Round up if you did not do it flat/level.
Other exercises may be inflated depending on how hard you do them.
Most of the non-descriptive exercises are not done at that level of effort the whole time, so decide how much of it was hard.
Did the Zumba class really keep you at dying level the whole time, or only about 75% of the time.
Was the elliptical really a hard level the whole time, or backed off from time to time? If you can read while doing it and breathing easy like I see majority do it (they still sweat, which isn't indicator of hard) then perhaps 50% of the burn given.
Spin bike might be right if you kept it hard the whole time.

So that may be difficult, exercises with no descriptions of pace or speed or intensity you have to estimate what % of it was really a good hard workout. Then do that % of the suggested calories.

Eat them all back.
Meet your goal.

Now you are using the tool correctly, and with a healthy body getting fed enough for your level of exercise, you won't have such low eating levels.

Slow weight loss is better because of wise purposeful choices, not because the body forced it on you because of unwise choices.

I read a little more about TDEE so it makes a little more sense to me. Maybe I will up my calorie intake... I exercise almost everyday and work in hospital, my job can be physical. I probably should be eating more. I feel great with what I am doing but I would like it to be maintainable once I reach my goal. Thanks for the advice.

perseverance14

I ate even less calories than that the first few months, 45% (lean) protein, 35% carbs, 20% fat, that is how I did it.

ash_37

So can anyone advise me. I should be eating 1200 plus my exercise calories. Which is around 500. 1700 cals....?.. how do I increase it to that? I have reduced eating potatoes and rice n dont touch pasta. So what I else can I eat?

logg1e

What else can you eat beyond pasta, rice and potatoes?

Strokingdiction

What else can you eat beyond pasta, rice and potatoes?

Nothing. No other foods exist. Vegetables, fruits and meats are all a lie.

heybales

So can anyone advise me. I should be eating 1200 plus my exercise calories. Which is around 500. 1700 cals....?.. how do I increase it to that? I have reduced eating potatoes and rice n dont touch pasta. So what I else can I eat?

redefine what you think "healthy" is and think about what is available again.

Don't do low or non-fat stuff - yogurt, milk, cheese, even some ice cream. Eggs, sausage, ect.

laresa75

Hi. Who was the guy who gave you the advice? This is exactly what I'm looking for. Thanks. This was meant for a previous poster who mentioned someone in a group who helped.