Anyone successfully lose weight eating 1200 cal or less?

Avengertk

yes I lost 43lbs since Jan... you have to be very religious in logging and honest but you can do it. lots of water is only a key factor xxx

Echo_Dan

A colleague in my office is doing 1200 calories a day (on average) and 30 to 60 minutes in the gym every day and on his bike doing 20 to 50 miles every couple of days (he's actually doing the Southdowns Charity Bike Ride today.) He's lost about 4 stone and has dropped several jeans sizes.

trudy246

im currently eating around 1200 cals and its working well .I have lost 3pound in 2 weeks and im rarely hungry,However ,there is room for improvement with my food choices as i have a sweeet tooth!

aarilynn

Yes and i hit plateau after plateau that lead me to quit time after time. I feel I've had to "reset" my metabolism each time because of it. Currently trying to break the habit of thinking that 1200 is the magic number, because it's not, especially since I'm working out. 1200 is not my magic number and I regret believing that I had to eat that little to get results. We all have different calorie requirements, just stating that, 1200 calories/day is not for everyone.

letjog

Yes. I've been on 1000 calories a day and have lost 13kg in 2 months. I've also been exercising and not eating back the calories (apart from big workout days where i felt hungry)/ I'm 5foot 2.5 and now weigh 67kg

Happyirisheyes

I found 1200 a bit low. i'm 5 ft 7.5 and started here at 163 pounds so I moved up to 1350 and it suits me better.

BeautyFromPain

I think the title should read: Anyone successfully lose muscle eating 1200 cal or less? I know what the answer will be. Have fun starving yourselves.

Tank_Girl

Im on 1200 but im going to up my cals to 1300 for inactive days as im increasing my exercise level, ive taken to buying a weightwatchers meal after a hard workout and I also increase my calories on a day where I intend to do a hard workout

NatashaB8

I have been doing this since I started 3 weeks ago. First week I lost 2 pounds, 2 weeks later I have gained 3
I don't know if its because my body thinks im in starvation mode or because its muscle.. or fat?

I don't usually eat much during day and I have a high paced job so I'm not sure what has caused it.
My target is around 1600 a day and I am 6ft. I also try and eat back calories lost after exercise but can't always do it.

I have realised after typing this to eat more. Have always thought 'eating less will make you lose weight' but I guess my body doesnt agree! Going to try and eat the 1600 a day and eat back exercise cals and see where I am at this time next week

phildawson75

Im 5.7 and personally found eating 1400-1700 cal and exercising it back down to 1200 every single day has worked for me.

19 lbs lost in 7 weeks = ~2.7 lbs a week

By pre-logging a good breakfast, lunch, dinner I'm always full and satisfied

I'll shortly be upping that soon as iv almost reached my target of 10st and plan to go back to having a net of ~2000 to maintain.

I think the title should read: Anyone successfully lose muscle eating 1200 cal or less? I know what the answer will be. Have fun starving yourselves.

This isn't true at all. You don't lose muscle having a net of 1200. You would need to be eating ridiculously low for your body to start using muscle and a very low body fat %.

joerobinson1989

My BMR is around 2200 cal, and I've been sticking to 1200 calories per day since the 5th August. I've lost 11lbs.

1200 calories per day is pretty easy for me now and I still have plenty of treats.
A decent amount of fruit and veg is very useful as you get a lot of stomach filling fruit for not a lot of calories.

For example a big 400 gram box of strawberries is just 136 calories whereas a 50gram bar of dair milk is 260 calories with loads of fat (A lot of which is saturated) and sugars.

HappyStack

Thats too low!

Depends on the person. I am small and close to goal. My bmr is only 1301.My maintenance calories are only around 1400.

Your BMR is essentially what your body would need in terms of being completely comatose. To have a maintenance level of ~1400 with a BMR of 1301, you would literally have to do nothing all day in order to maintain.
At an entirely sedentary level your maintenance calories would be roughly 1550 (this has nothing to do with height or current weight if you've already established a reliable BMR)... your actual maintenance calories would be between 1700 and 2000.

frando

When I was in my teens I only ate about 900 cal, due to a lot of mental issues to be short, thinking it would slim me down instead my doctor reckons I put on two stone. So, please, stay around or above 1200

BarbaraC47

Its working for me - but I do take a good multivitamin specially for my sex/age.....

Blondefitbarbie

I think the title should read: Anyone successfully lose muscle eating 1200 cal or less? I know what the answer will be. Have fun starving yourselves.

Holy **** people are judgmental on here to the point of rudeness.
I eat less than 1200, and i continue to lose. Different things work for everyone. Stop judging.

sazroy

I did a program called Lite n Easy (in Australia) and I was on 1200 calories a day, and was very satisfied and lost nearly 10kgs in 3 months. So it was a healthy amount to lose each week, varying between 500g - 1kg a week. I am someone who was used to eating only breakfast lunch and dinner, but with the program I had to eat snacks and I even allowed myself very small dessert (which I never ate dessert before) so on 1200 calories I felt more full and more satisfied than I'd ever been but it all depends on what food you eat. After 4-5 months I stopped losing weight on the program because my body was used to the food etc.. (I lost nearly 10kgs without any exercise at all) but was too lazy to start exercising so I went off the program.. been off for 6 months roughly and have gained 2kgs and that's only because it's been winter where I live and I ate like a pig and wont walk in the rain so haven't exercised but that's all about the change, 2nd day of spring today woo!

SO! The answer is YES of course you can lose weight doing that, but if you find yourself hungry, allow yourself to eat more. I did, and if I ate a block of chocolate worth 500cals.. I would jump on the exercise bike and burn off 500cals. BUT this was with a program that delivered all my food to my doorstep and I didn't have to count anything because I knew it totalled to 1200.. Now I'm eating about 1540 a day because preparing my own food I'm finding it difficult to stick to 1200 on most days. So really it's up to you.

Pebble321

No. I lost weight successfully eating 1500-1600 net calories (total per day would have been between 1500 and 2400).

celb500

Yes - I have lost weight doing this and I am happy about it.

It can be a long term thing because it teaches you to eat in moderation and think about your diet.

Pair it with exercise and you can raise your cal limit.

I go over some days but I am much healthier and thinner for it.

ladypenel

I struggle to eat more than 1200 cals and I do not have an eating disorder etc. Unless I eat junk ( which is rare) eating healthily i.e. fish, chicken, veggies, fruit etc they are so low in cals that it's difficult to get to the 1210 cal. I'm a large and older woman but so far have lost 16lbs and not been hungry or changed my regular life style eating too much Main difference for me is regular exercise (joined the gym) and this wonderful site and the people on it!

elisa123gal

I have been eating the 1200..but for me..it was work to make those calories last for the day.. I'm trying to increase my calories to 20% below my daily burn and see if I lose on a more sane amount. .plus I want to enjoy life and food is a part of that.
I know in my heart..that I'll just regain if I have to eat that little. There is much talk on here about how losing at 1200 sets your metabolism up for regain as soon as you try to eat at normal maintenance.

MoonyRose

I was on 1200 for the first month and lost 5lbs ( I was only overweight, so weight loss will be less than that of an obese person). However, the other day I felt faint so I've upped it to 1400 for the next month. I think it's important to respond to how your body feels. If I was having a hungry day I'd go for a walk so I could eat more.

I am 5"10 and was quite sedentary but as I'm out and about more now, so that's also why I've upped it. It can work though, I only felt faint when I started exercising more. Hope that helps. xx

PrincessNikkiBoo

Bump

skinnylove00

yes but it wasnt fun. i couldnt really enjoy life because i was cranky; as a really athletic person it was hard to just eat 1200 calories a day and not be REALLY hungry. i am eating about 1500-1800 calories nowadays and am losing weight still, steadily but definitely surely.

determinedbutlazy

My limit is 1350 but I do eat back most of my exercise calories and tend to burn anywhere between 400-900 extra cals a day.
This means I average between 1500 and 2000 cals consumed a day on exercise days (5 days a week).

ezavora

Im eating 1300 a day and loosing. But like the others have said, Im petite. I eat back half and sometimes all my exercise calories if it was a hard workout. I wont have the energy to work out or recover if I dont eat more than 1300 those days. I make all my calories count, no processed foods, higher protein, good fats, carbs from whole foods. I eat 5-6 times a day and never feel like Im starving, but do get hungry hours after I eat. (which is when I eat again)

BeautyFromPain

Im 5.7 and personally found eating 1400-1700 cal and exercising it back down to 1200 every single day has worked for me.

19 lbs lost in 7 weeks = ~2.7 lbs a week

By pre-logging a good breakfast, lunch, dinner I'm always full and satisfied

I'll shortly be upping that soon as iv almost reached my target of 10st and plan to go back to having a net of ~2000 to maintain.

I think the title should read: Anyone successfully lose muscle eating 1200 cal or less? I know what the answer will be. Have fun starving yourselves.

This isn't true at all. You don't lose muscle having a net of 1200. You would need to be eating ridiculously low for your body to start using muscle and a very low body fat %.

Nope. Everyone that loses weight loses some percentage of muscle. People which eat less and do a lot of cardio are more at risk.

violetta88

Yes, I lost a lot of weight eating less than 1200 a day. Didn't keep it off though

Problem is you can stick to 1200 for months, even years sometimes, and you will lose weight. But the vast, vast majority of people won't be able to stick with it in the long term - and the minute you flounder it'll all pile back on. What scares me a bit is that a lot of people who say "Yes, I lost loads on 1200, that's what you should be doing!" often haven't been maintaining that lifestyle for more than a year and so don't know that the likelihood is they'll crack at some point. (I can say this because I was one of them!)

This time I'm shooting for around 1500. I'm losing much more slowly, but I can see myself sticking with the lifestyle. And I feel so much stronger and healthier than I did when I was on less than 1200 and was, quite frankly, a miserable cow.

Everyone is different and what works for me might not work for you. But I would say find a calorie goal that a) burns some weight off, b) you can meet most days without feeling deprived, and c) you can see yourself sticking to long term.

Zangpakto

Really? That the question?

I've lost 12 pounds almost in Jan eating close to 3k calories... granted I had the hugest mother of all christmas binges and parties so that kind of excess makes 3k seem low... I mean... I wasn't just drinking beer (normal beer at that too) but JUGS of beer, every day for 2-3 weeks eating 4-5 plates breakfast, 3 plates lunch and then a few for supper not including snacks.... Not even including the drinking and dancing and partying etc for new year/christmas in asia...

However... I ate on average say between 400-600c in lent period and lost almost 10-15 pounds again....

Few days it sucks, then it isn't bad, then it is hard to eat more, then yea...

Though, I do have food issues and cannot see what normal is, but hey... we all have quirks we need to work out... I might be confused and sometimes am forced to eat more by family, but I think they just jealous....

My body is fine, I eat to live, not live to eat... Most of family live to eat, so you can see where the forced part comes in...

I am considering an ironman triathlon eventually in next 2 years possibly after my stage races for running and cycling are sorted together... Just.. the swimming lol...

Anyway yes, you can lose successfully on under 1200 or under 1000 or even under 800...

The concern isn't can you lose weight, as you will... The concern is, can you keep it off and change your eating when close to where you want or when done?

Going back to your old eating habits would be really pointless when you eat that low to lose, then go back to eating like a pig... what you think will happen? You will pick up that weight again and feel worst off... That is why people say do it slowly... Small changes are easier to stick to if you don't have the will or determination to just... change...

Nikes slogan is perfect... Just do it!

ellyinflight

I lost 20kg eating 1200 calories and under. That was three years ago and I haven't gained it back I never get hungry or sluggish on a 1200 calorie diet either, and it encourages me to eat healthier (more veggies!). I'm 5'4". The trick for me was learning to eat five or six small meals a day rather than trying to eat one big meal then wait hooourrrsss for the next one.

Zangpakto

I think the title should read: Anyone successfully lose muscle eating 1200 cal or less? I know what the answer will be. Have fun starving yourselves.

Holy **** people are judgmental on here to the point of rudeness.
I eat less than 1200, and i continue to lose. Different things work for everyone. Stop judging.

I know right?

Funny how on here you can apparently bulk up on a deficit but you'll never see a body builder bulking up on anything they suggest as they know it is a false lie... We all have muscle, we can strengthen the neurotransmitters to the brain making us stronger without packing on muscle.

Point is... strength =/= muscle gain, and can lose muscle mass whilst gaining strength....

So yes, the people on here are generally starting out morbidly obese... carrying that amount of excess weight is going to give you bigger muscles.. Losing the fat, is going to get them to show... Simple as that.

I hate the pretenders who think a deficit means bigger... Your body doesn't care about your muscles as much as it does about vital functions, and your muscles aren't one of them. Your body will even cannibalise your heart muscle if need be.