1200 calories a day.

sunshinemelis

What is Dan's roadmap? Is he part of this myfitnesspal group? Thanks :-).

ironanimal

What is Dan's roadmap? Is he part of this myfitnesspal group? Thanks :-).

Yar, he's a member a here and always willing to answer questions you have about his program.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

sunshinemelis

Thanks :-).

metalloz

For some reason I got really sick eating 1200-1300 calories for 6 weeks (Throat infection twice and a migraine...maybe just a coincidence?) and lost no weight but my measurements went down slightly... . This week for the past few days I ate way above maintenance and feel much better and actually have energy.

TheCaren

I'm a 1240. Feel free to add me if you wish. You can see my diary.

30lbsorbust

I am on 1200 calories a day. I have hypoglycemia and have to eat often, but I have learned to eat just enough to level my blood sugar. I lose weight slowly but average at least a pound a week. You can send me a friend request if you would like. Best to you! K

nerida5

Hi, I joined up yesterday, and for 1250 it seems hard just to get healthy meals, let alone any snacks. Would love some ideas/help from anyone. thanks

Helloitsdan

What is Dan's roadmap? Is he part of this myfitnesspal group? Thanks :-).

Yar, he's a member a here and always willing to answer questions you have about his program.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

Props IA!

Coyla

I wonder if the obesity epidemic exists because people don't know that they can EAT and still lose weight? When you set the bar too high (such as 1200 a day), it makes the hurdle impossible for most people.

It's funny that once our culture started obsessing about dieting and being thin, we all got fatter. Wonder why?

Helloitsdan

I wonder if the obesity epidemic exists because people don't know that they can EAT and still lose weight? When you set the bar too high (such as 1200 a day), it makes the hurdle impossible for most people.

It's funny that once our culture started obsessing about dieting and being thin, we all got fatter. Wonder why?

A coworker of mine was pushing 350 at 5'2" and ate about 500-1k a day.
she had quite the sedentary life except at work where she would break out in sweats when she walked around too much.
Reduced RMR/BMR is a ***** but it can be reversed.

LorinaLynn

I wonder if the obesity epidemic exists because people don't know that they can EAT and still lose weight? When you set the bar too high (such as 1200 a day), it makes the hurdle impossible for most people.

It's funny that once our culture started obsessing about dieting and being thin, we all got fatter. Wonder why?

I've thought the same thing. The obesity epidemic got worse when people started following fad diets. They make it too hard for themselves. I think it's gotten even worse since shows like Biggest Loser made weight loss into a competitive sport.

It really boils down to a matter of "eat less than you burn," but it doesn't have to be WAY less than you burn. It's easier and more sustainable to lose one pound a week for a year than two pounds a week for six months, but too many people are in a big frickin' hurry and want to lose as quickly as possible, then beat themselves up because they're not dropping ten pounds like on tv.

etoiles_argentees

I'm just a firm believer that if you give fat a reason to exist beyond its hormonal state then it will.
This happens by overeating and not effecting p-ratio with activity or under eating and burning some off then eating above TDEE for any given day without effecting p-ratio.

Even people with EDs, metabolic disease etc can retrain their bodies to work more efficiently.

I have 2 people do far who had such success that it brought years to my eyes.
1 is no longer insulin dependent so we reversed diabetes and the other beat ED and is well on her way to successful weight loss.

I'm so lost in this thread it's not worth bothering with, so silly. lol

Dan, I just want to ask you what you're saying or trying to say in the first paragraph in the above quote.
Curious as to how you are going to significantly affect or control P-ratio without the use of drugs, and, more importantly, why are you bringing up P-ratio anyway? From what I've heard and read 85% to 90% of it is determined genetically.

The only advice I'd give the majority of people on this site is to eat less and move more.

Helloitsdan

I'm just a firm believer that if you give fat a reason to exist beyond its hormonal state then it will.
This happens by overeating and not effecting p-ratio with activity or under eating and burning some off then eating above TDEE for any given day without effecting p-ratio.

Even people with EDs, metabolic disease etc can retrain their bodies to work more efficiently.

I have 2 people do far who had such success that it brought years to my eyes.
1 is no longer insulin dependent so we reversed diabetes and the other beat ED and is well on her way to successful weight loss.

I'm so lost in this thread it's not worth bothering with, so silly. lol

Dan, I just want to ask you what you're saying or trying to say in the first paragraph in the above quote.
Curious as to how you are going to significantly affect or control P-ratio without the use of drugs, and, more importantly, why are you bringing up P-ratio anyway? From what I've heard and read 85% to 90% of it is determined genetically.

The only advice I'd give the majority of people on this site is to eat less and move more.

P-ratio is genetic but can be manipulated through resistance training and some forms of fasting.
For instance I can eat 40% carbs 30% protein and 30% fats.
If I eat above TDEE while remaining sedentary this gets stored as energy for later.
If I lift before eating above TDEE I have a better chance of effecting p-ratio to push those nutrients towards recovery and not storage.
So sedentary people who just diet down have more of a chance for fat gains if they eat above TDEE on any given day as opposed to someone whos using resistance training on a regular basis.
As for fasting i've had people use this to break insulin resistance and effect p-ratio as well.

To sum up...lift and fast a little.
=D

Man I really have some haters on here.
;D

Good info found here on p-ratio.
It all boils down to hormone balance, caloric intake and training.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/calorie-partitioning-part-1.html

PS: By under eating for long periods of time youve already lost the hormone part.

Myan1959

I just started this site yesterday, I am going to try the 1200 a day, out of town this weekend so that went down the drain yesterday and with Thanksgivng next week with the office dinner and home I am not going to add the stress of watching everything I eat. I have been reading a lot of the posts and think I am going to like it here. Any tips greatly appreciated.

gabriellejayde

I'm just a firm believer that if you give fat a reason to exist beyond its hormonal state then it will.
This happens by overeating and not effecting p-ratio with activity or under eating and burning some off then eating above TDEE for any given day without effecting p-ratio.

Even people with EDs, metabolic disease etc can retrain their bodies to work more efficiently.

I have 2 people do far who had such success that it brought years to my eyes.
1 is no longer insulin dependent so we reversed diabetes and the other beat ED and is well on her way to successful weight loss.

I'm so lost in this thread it's not worth bothering with, so silly. lol

Dan, I just want to ask you what you're saying or trying to say in the first paragraph in the above quote.
Curious as to how you are going to significantly affect or control P-ratio without the use of drugs, and, more importantly, why are you bringing up P-ratio anyway? From what I've heard and read 85% to 90% of it is determined genetically.

The only advice I'd give the majority of people on this site is to eat less and move more.

P-ratio is genetic but can be manipulated through resistance training and some forms of fasting.
For instance I can eat 40% carbs 30% protein and 30% fats.
If I eat above TDEE while remaining sedentary this gets stored as energy for later.
If I lift before eating above TDEE I have a better chance of effecting p-ratio to push those nutrients towards recovery and not storage.
So sedentary people who just diet down have more of a chance for fat gains if they eat above TDEE on any given day as opposed to someone whos using resistance training on a regular basis.
As for fasting i've had people use this to break insulin resistance and effect p-ratio as well.

To sum up...lift and fast a little.
=D

Man I really have some haters on here.
;D

Good info found here on p-ratio.
It all boils down to hormone balance, caloric intake and training.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/calorie-partitioning-part-1.html

PS: By under eating for long periods of time youve already lost the hormone part.

dan, I calculated my tdee yesterday. 2049.
I'm currently 217lbs, so i think a 2lb a week weight loss is still reasonable, which of course puts me under 1200. Now, if your arguement is that I shouldn't be in such a rush to lose weight, or that eating like this isn't sustainable, I can tell you a few things:
1. I have no problem sticking to it. I changed WHAT I eat and feel satisfied. I still go out to eat a few nights per week, still have alcohol once in a while, and haven't really given up much other than candy and fast food. I don't miss either.

2. when I started here, I was 255lbs. setting my goal to 1lb a week would mean it would take me over a year to get under 200. That's fine for some, but yes, I need to see results faster than that. at least at first. I was worried about my health.

3. I couldn't walk up the stairs without being out of breath. That's one reason why I wanted to lose it faster than 1lb per week. If something happened, i couldn't run. I could barely walk fast. those things mean that I also could barely exercise. a 10 minute slow walk on the treadmill was hard at first.

BUT, now that I've gotten thinner and healthier, I CAN start burning more. I'm also probably going to increase my calories as I get closer to 200...
My point is that some, or even most people can lose wieght eating more - but some can't. Perhaps you should stop chastizing people and find out their goals and history.
I would never tell someone to eat at 1200 calories - it may not be right for them. I can help them come up with a better eating plan that will give them enough fiber and protein and keep them full if they do choose to eat at 1200.

but like you... I'm no expert.

Helloitsdan

I'm just a firm believer that if you give fat a reason to exist beyond its hormonal state then it will.
This happens by overeating and not effecting p-ratio with activity or under eating and burning some off then eating above TDEE for any given day without effecting p-ratio.

Even people with EDs, metabolic disease etc can retrain their bodies to work more efficiently.

I have 2 people do far who had such success that it brought years to my eyes.
1 is no longer insulin dependent so we reversed diabetes and the other beat ED and is well on her way to successful weight loss.

I'm so lost in this thread it's not worth bothering with, so silly. lol

Dan, I just want to ask you what you're saying or trying to say in the first paragraph in the above quote.
Curious as to how you are going to significantly affect or control P-ratio without the use of drugs, and, more importantly, why are you bringing up P-ratio anyway? From what I've heard and read 85% to 90% of it is determined genetically.

The only advice I'd give the majority of people on this site is to eat less and move more.

P-ratio is genetic but can be manipulated through resistance training and some forms of fasting.
For instance I can eat 40% carbs 30% protein and 30% fats.
If I eat above TDEE while remaining sedentary this gets stored as energy for later.
If I lift before eating above TDEE I have a better chance of effecting p-ratio to push those nutrients towards recovery and not storage.
So sedentary people who just diet down have more of a chance for fat gains if they eat above TDEE on any given day as opposed to someone whos using resistance training on a regular basis.
As for fasting i've had people use this to break insulin resistance and effect p-ratio as well.

To sum up...lift and fast a little.
=D

Man I really have some haters on here.
;D

Good info found here on p-ratio.
It all boils down to hormone balance, caloric intake and training.
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/calorie-partitioning-part-1.html

PS: By under eating for long periods of time youve already lost the hormone part.

dan, I calculated my tdee yesterday. 2049.
I'm currently 217lbs, so i think a 2lb a week weight loss is still reasonable, which of course puts me under 1200. Now, if your arguement is that I shouldn't be in such a rush to lose weight, or that eating like this isn't sustainable, I can tell you a few things:
1. I have no problem sticking to it. I changed WHAT I eat and feel satisfied. I still go out to eat a few nights per week, still have alcohol once in a while, and haven't really given up much other than candy and fast food. I don't miss either.

2. when I started here, I was 255lbs. setting my goal to 1lb a week would mean it would take me over a year to get under 200. That's fine for some, but yes, I need to see results faster than that. at least at first. I was worried about my health.

3. I couldn't walk up the stairs without being out of breath. That's one reason why I wanted to lose it faster than 1lb per week. If something happened, i couldn't run. I could barely walk fast. those things mean that I also could barely exercise. a 10 minute slow walk on the treadmill was hard at first.

BUT, now that I've gotten thinner and healthier, I CAN start burning more. I'm also probably going to increase my calories as I get closer to 200...
My point is that some, or even most people can lose wieght eating more - but some can't. Perhaps you should stop chastizing people and find out their goals and history.
I would never tell someone to eat at 1200 calories - it may not be right for them. I can help them come up with a better eating plan that will give them enough fiber and protein and keep them full if they do choose to eat at 1200.

but like you... I'm no expert.

Good for you! I love it when people actually make it work and you are one of the few that have!
You could lose the same amount of weight at a 30% cut from 2k just by increasing how many steps you take.
That gives you another 200cals.

I have yet to chastise anyone.
In fact my friends list grew about 10 people by posting yesterday.
New people discovering how easy it is to lose weight eating more.
They have since been introduced to the high calorie community.

I hope you reach your goal quickly and you have the look you want!
Great work!
Just be careful that you dont lose it too fast.
Its easier to gain fat than to lose it.
Its easier to lose lean mass than to gain it.

teesimo

Calories are not equal! 1200 cals of high quality protien, fruit/veg and healthy carbs are NOT the same as a Big Mac Value Meal! with quality you get VOLUME! Last Week I had an insulated Lunch Bag Packed with food and it was less than 600 cals.

teesimo

Wow! I replied from reading the first page THEN discovered there was 8 more pages! I will have to read up on Dan's info. Thanks!

My 2 cents, I believe a LOT of us start off on 1200 cals in the beginning but as our weight goes down and activity goes up we will need more calorie intake.

kelseycolbert

This entire topic is just incredibly confusing to me.
I've been losing weight just fine with my 1,200 calorie goal, but are you guys saying I could be losing more and quicker if I ate more? Or does it depend on your lifestyle and how much exercise you endure?

I'm up to eating more if that will help more, but I live a fairly sedentary lifestyle as a college student with a part time job, most of my time is spent sitting. And I am HORRIBLE about making it to the gym lately. I think I've been once this past month.
So is my 1,200 cal goal okay, or should I increase it?

LorinaLynn

This entire topic is just incredibly confusing to me.
I've been losing weight just fine with my 1,200 calorie goal, but are you guys saying I could be losing more and quicker if I ate more?

Maybe not "faster" weight loss, but BETTER weight loss.

You don't have much to lose. Ideally, you should have your weekly goal set to lose a half pound a week at this stage. Get more protein than MFP suggests, add more exercise especially strength training, eat most of your exercise calories, and you'll probably reach your goal body before you reach your goal weight.

When you just cut calories a lot and get minimal exercise, you lose a larger percentage of muscle with your weight loss. That means you lose less fat than you would following the advice above, so you need to lose more pounds to achieve the same size goal, and might not be able to reach the kind of tight body you probably want.