Anyone successfully lose weight eating 1200 cal or less?

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  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
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    It all depends on your current stats. I can eat 1200 a day and be fine, I'm 5'2 and have 17 more pounds to lose. I have a low TDEE and eating 1600 a day causes me to maintain and not lose at all. Some people can eat 1800 calories a day and still lose, it all depends on your weight, height, and goals. I have been on MFP for a year and the only time I lost weight was when I went below 1400.
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
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    Simple answer is yes, people have lost weight eating 1200 calories.

    Much better answer is no, you won't healthfully lose weight loose weight eating that few calories.

    This. Plus, you're more likely to gain back all the weight once you start eating your BMR/maintenance level if you lose on a low-calorie diet.

    Who says you're not healthy eating 1200 calories? I get everything that I need on that amount. When I hit my goal, I don't plan on eating 1800+ calories to maintain... I might go up to 1400-1500, and I really don't think all of my weight is going to come back on that amount of calories. Different amounts work for different people, and it's perfectly healthy if you're eating a variety of foods.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    Oh & my stars are 40 yr old Mom of 3 needing to lose 70 lb...I am 5'7..work a desk job & weigh 220 sooo I'm going to be keeping my calories between 800-1200..thanks again for the responses!! :) OH & 7 years ago I lost 50 lb within 6 months following this type caloric diet..dud no cardiograph & lifted 6 days a week (split routine) I got in PHENOMENAL SHAPE & maintained it for 3 years...THEN got SUPER DEPRESSED ate uncontrollably & gained it all back.now I'm depressed because I'm fat & miserable ..this isn't me...I'm going back to what DID & DOES WORK!! I'm PUMPED & FINALLY READY!!!

    I say this as someone who does eat 1200 calories. At 220 lbs, you truly don't need to. As a working mom, you will probably be really deprived on that amount. 800 is considered starvation level and shouldn't be done without a Dr.
  • minkakross
    minkakross Posts: 687 Member
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    working for me since I got serious about it in December of 2011, I'd say I'm in the "or less" group plus exercise 3-5 times a week.
  • Solisci
    Solisci Posts: 63 Member
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    Sure you can!! that is my goal 1200-1300
  • JessicaMurch5515
    JessicaMurch5515 Posts: 150 Member
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    I recently went back to 1200 after doing 1500-1600 for 3 months. Eating more just did not work for me. I feel fuller on 1200 calories than I did before because I pay more attention to the types of food I eat. It takes a lot of veggies to fill up 200-300 calories compared to a quick bag of chips or some cookies.
  • shaspain
    shaspain Posts: 2
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    Are you referring to Net calories (after working out) or Gross calories (what you eat total)?
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
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    Yup! It worked for me because I do not have emotional eating issue or eating disorders.

    This is why stomach staple works, you are just doing what they can't do on their own.

    There is no evidence of starvation mode for men over 6% BF or woman over 12% body fat.

    Since I am under 12% BF I can't eat that low or I risk starvation mode. Make sense? But when I was obese I could eat that low because I had BF reserves which prevented me from going into starvation mode. That's how it works.

    This is not recommended for people with eating disorders or emotional eating problems like binging because then you might yo-yo.

    I have kept it off a year so the nonsense that you will gain it back if you eat that low is, well, nonsense. emotional reaction to the starvation mode myth.

    Nice comment. You had a brilliant transformation - remember reading about it.
  • rockabillywife
    rockabillywife Posts: 15
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    I am currently on 1200 a day BEFORE exercise on MFP. On the days I exercise, I am sitting on around 1300 maybe a little more.
    I don't "eat back" all my exercise calories either - so my deficit is probably a little more than most, but I also have 90 lbs to lose.
  • kismicallychal
    kismicallychal Posts: 14
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    I was on 1200 and barely lost anything, switched to 1500 and started losing 1kg a week. I've switched to 1500 on lite n easy but hvent found using mfp that it's actually only 1200 calories! I'm now just going with the 1200 but eating more fruit/yoghurt/eggs to earn back calories lost from exercise. Will see if it affects weight loss soon enough i spose.
  • raethepain
    raethepain Posts: 13 Member
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    Yes, I'm on about 1100- but I am a rather short female. For taller females and for guys I would not advise it!
  • Graceious1
    Graceious1 Posts: 716 Member
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    It depends on your height. I'm 5.41/2 and I tried the 1200 and I found it a real struggle so I went back up again.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    That's pretty much it! :)

    i did...about 80 lbs and put back 230 lbs right away. its not a good way to do it.
  • hughtwalker
    hughtwalker Posts: 2,213 Member
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    I have lost weight under and over 1200 and I have stuck or gained at under or over 1200 - my target is 1500

    So I concluded that so-called "Starvation Mode" is a myth - whereas on MFP this is a guiding principle and oft repeated mantra.

    See what works and use the diary to keep track of intake, stopping those sneaky little Calories creeping under your food radar, and follow your own path, (selectivel) ignoring all those Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms "You don't want to do it like that"s who may get on your case.

    Best wishes and good luck
  • withchaco
    withchaco Posts: 1,026 Member
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    I was netting 1000 calories a day back when I was obese. Ate around 1500, burned around 500. This went on for a few weeks without any problems, then I increased calories gradually. Note that I'm a 5' 2" female, and had a lot of body fat sitting on me while I was doing that.

    Now, I'm still the same sex, still the same height, only with less fat to lose (and maybe a *little* more muscle). I can't go below 1350 net, or I get NO energy, no strength, no nothing. My weekly average net is about 1400-1450 when not counting my overfeeding day. Counting the overfeed, it comes to roughly around 1500-1550.
  • samanthawarren
    samanthawarren Posts: 120
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    I think it depends on each person. I know when I tried that my weight loss stalled seriously. I only lost a few pounds When I upped my calories to 1500 the weight started falling off and I lost 20 lbs in a couple of months. But I am 5' 8". For someone who is petite that is probably fine.

    I also have to say I was working out a lot and I think my body was doing starvation mode at that low calorie intake. Don't know really, but I do know that it took upping my calories to start losing weight again. I have never gained back those 20lbs, even eating an unrestricted diet. But that was over one year ago and because of health issues I stopped following my routine. I am trying to get back into it now and hope to lose the rest.
  • samanthawarren
    samanthawarren Posts: 120
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    I don't think starvation mode is a myth. I know it happened to me. I had to up my calories to lose weight. My mom doesn't eat hardly anything and keeps gaining weight. I am trying to convince her to eat a balanced diet instead of just one meal a day.
  • thingeringer
    thingeringer Posts: 241 Member
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    Yep. I've been netting 1200 a day and it's been working for me.
    (but I'm really petite)

    This. 5' tall.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    That's pretty much it! :)

    i did...about 80 lbs and put back 230 lbs right away. its not a good way to do it.

    For you. :flowerforyou: If you are male as your pic suggests, it's really not a good way to do it. For me, it was fine. I quadrupled my arm strength in terms of weight of dumbbells lifted while eating 1200 calories. For some, it's just fine.
  • CymruBiology
    CymruBiology Posts: 39
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    Please eat more. Sustain your body don't starve it. Be healthy. 1200 calories a day is not acceptable for organisms as large as humans.

    Actually it is. You can get all the necessary macro and micronutrients with 1100 calories per day. There even may be some evidence that if you got your maintenance level down to 1100-1200, you could live for a while longer than other human beings who eat at the average 2000-2500.

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