1200 calories a day.

Ge0rgiana

I did the 1200 calorie diet for a long time. I have finally come to realize that it is not healthy. Not only are you eating below BMR (your body needs a certain amount of calories to function, why would you want to give it less?), but I found it impossible to eat enough protein. If you don't eat enough protein (you can't go by the mfp settings for protein), you will lose muscle along with fat.

I also found that I had a hard time eating enough fiber too. Basically, there were not enough calories available for me to make a well rounded diet (which in my opinion includes 2 pieces of fruit, 2-3 servings whole grains, enough protein, and 25 grams of fiber).

I often found that my weekends were full of splurges because I felt deprived. Those splurges add up and will prevent you from reaching goal.

So --- a few months ago I increased my calories. I now eat roughly 1700 calories. My scale isn't moving much, but I have lost about 2% in body fat.

I will never go back to 1200 calories......

^^^ 1,800 goal. Sometimes I hit it, sometimes I don't. I don't think I've gone over since I got up to 1,800. I lift weights (I'm trying to run :sad: ) and at this point, yeah, the scale number isn't moving much, but I'm shrinking slowly. :drinker: My body's changing. My shoulders have gotten bigger, and everything's tightening up. I'm never deprived, I never binge (well, almost never... we won't discuss TOM), and I eat burgers, pizza, chocolate, etc. I get lots of nutrients from my food. And I'm a small woman, 5'2".

Lift heavy things. Put them down. Rinse, repeat. Eat.

DebbieLyn63

I stay around 1200 for a 1 pound loss. Exercise helps me lose another 1/2 pound or so per week. I eat higher protein and good fats, and limit my simple carbs, sticking mostly to fresh fruits and veggies. Never have problems staying under goal. Lost 23 pounds in 2 1/2 months and never felt better. Feel free to add me and check out my diary if you like.

ETA I used to eat pizzas and burgers and other stuff and eat around 1800, then I decided I was tired of gaining weight and feeling like crap. I like seeing the scale go down now. That's why I signed up.

asya1234

I need to be eating 1200 calories too although I have been eating much less than that one day and much more the next--but it is all about the weekly total right

height 5'3"
SW 141
CW 121.4
GW 115

Once I lose fat I want to gain muscle so *kitten*/tits everything gets a little bit lifted, btw im 21 and pretty dedicated right now
if anyone is in the same range message me i would love a buddy! I want defined abs, back, perk up my *kitten*... I think I look pretty sexy right now but I really wanna get to the best shape possible

banks89202

I was eating 1200 a day for over 2 weeks and working out, I didn't drop any weight. So I upped my calories to 1300 or 1400 and now I am dropping weight like crazy! I say do what works for you

Helloitsdan

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

I've pulled many a people out of the 1200 pit.
Read this and understand that 1200 probably isnt your number unless you are 80 years old, under 4 foot tall with ZERO activity.
That is unless you are eating back ALL burned calories.

nillapup

anyone can add me as well.. I try and eat between 1200-1300..

Helloitsdan

anyone can add me as well.. I try and eat between 1200-1300..

Seems to be working well.

Why give your body the absolute minimum?!

Cranktastic

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

I've pulled many a people out of the 1200 pit.
Read this and understand that 1200 probably isnt your number unless you are 80 years old, under 4 foot tall with ZERO activity.
That is unless you are eating back ALL burned calories.

how YOU doin?

Helloitsdan

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

I've pulled many a people out of the 1200 pit.
Read this and understand that 1200 probably isnt your number unless you are 80 years old, under 4 foot tall with ZERO activity.
That is unless you are eating back ALL burned calories.

how YOU doin?

I look good naked!

How you doin?

Cranktastic

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

I've pulled many a people out of the 1200 pit.
Read this and understand that 1200 probably isnt your number unless you are 80 years old, under 4 foot tall with ZERO activity.
That is unless you are eating back ALL burned calories.

how YOU doin?

I look good naked!

How you doin?

Heh.

AnexRavensong

~1200 is what MFP starts EVERYONE at for some stupid reason. Tried it for a week, ended up cranky and hungry all the time. Was draining phone battery to have Run Keeper on for any small amount of walking I did so I could EAT!

After doing some reading, advice etc, I upped my goal to 1880. I've actually had a hard time eating all that (unless Im stuck eating out all day) and find that if I eat like I used to before joining MFP (without thinking, but being super strict saying "Im too far to eat that") I eat about 1300. I have been eating like that for YEARS... my scale never went down and slowly climbed up for the days where I said "F- it" and ate crap.

1880 calories, the scale has finally moved and DOWN. Slowly, slowly. Slow and steady wins the race. I'm not hungry when I go to bed, sometimes I'm full! I'm not cranky and I find it sustainable.

Sure eating 1200 calories might make you lose weight.. or doing it for years might make you stuck (like me with my 1300).

Personally, I prefer to eat. MFP's 1200 one size fits all nonsense can kiss my a double s. It isnt true when it comes to clothes (as I think most of us here know) and it shouldn't be true for calories.

now if you will excuse me, I'm planning my breakfast for dinner evening of eggs, bacon and hashbrowns.. ooooh yeah.

kelseycolbert

Mine is 1,200. Feel free to take a look at my food log.
I'll admit it can be unhealthy sometimes with my processed frozen diet dinners, but I've been unable to give them up just yet...:P

Nerys52

I do approx 1200-1300 calories daily
I do not keep an online diary but here is the list of what I can eat daily
2 fruits
2 glasses buttermilk 150 ml
1 serving spoon rice , pasta or 1 potato
1 50 ml fruitjuice or 1 small fruit extra
1 egg on sunday , weekdays 2 to 3 oz lean meat : chicken beef turkey fish
3 to 4 slices rye bread
2 very small pats butter
1/2 tbsp olive oil
50 ml plain yoghurt
1 bowl steamed vegetables and 2 small raw salads (dinner & lunch)
2 very thin slices cheese
1 tsp jam or preserves
1 tsp sugar in my morning coffee (once a day)

patriciagrade

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

I've pulled many a people out of the 1200 pit.
Read this and understand that 1200 probably isnt your number unless you are 80 years old, under 4 foot tall with ZERO activity.
That is unless you are eating back ALL burned calories.

^^ This!!
Ok, let me see how I'm gonna put this... I started here back in 2011 at 1200.
Then I fell off the wagon, 'cause I was getting slow on my workouts, and cranky all the time and really, really tired. So stopped logging for some time.

Fast forwarding to 2012, I realised not logging my food and my workouts wasn't, plain and simple, the answer!
So, I started logging again, while doing Jillian's Body Revolution, where I was at 1200cals again...
I stuck to that, brave girl that I am, for a few weeks. But cranky old me, came crawling back again and I was searching MFP desperately for someone who could tell me I was doing it right, to keep going, I was in the right direction!

Of course, I didn't. What I found was everybody telling me I was eating too few calories for the amount of exercise I was doing.
Sooooooooooooooo, I started following the EM2WL group and upped my calories to 1500cals.
I was feeling better for a while. But I kept on reading everything I could in here. My mind started shifting interests.
I no longer wanted to loose weight. I wanted to change my appearence. Body recomposition was the key!!

So, one day, this gentleman posted something really interesting that started me thinking about what I really wanted and showed me how to get it!
I read the whole post, marked it to read some more and I've been following it for some time now.
Then I reached out for Dan's help and he probed my numbers...
What can I say? Dan's the man!
He started me at 1800cals, working out 3x a week.
Since then I've started a whole new life, with lifting weights and I mean heavy! And now I'm up for 2030cals... and you know what?

Dan, I've got some news for you my friend... At first I gained weight to 76kg and now, since yesterday, I'm down to 74kg!!
But the real interesting thing is, I'm on a bulk cycle - So I eat like a horse! And I'm loosing, on 3 workouts a week!!!
Just imagine when I start cutting, and start workin out every day!!!

So girl, if you really want help, just pop over to the link above and reach out to Dan.
He'll help you more than you think. Soon enough you'll be doing your own math and experimenting with your body composition and you'll be changing in every way, not only your weight.

Don't just trust me, or MFP, or any other person in here. Read the post, contact Dan for the numbers and then start trying stuff, start thinking about what you really want for you! You can do this without being hungry, without loosing muscle and still loosing weight and, above all inches!!!

DebbieLyn63

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

I've pulled many a people out of the 1200 pit.
Read this and understand that 1200 probably isnt your number unless you are 80 years old, under 4 foot tall with ZERO activity.
That is unless you are eating back ALL burned calories.

I am 49, NOT 80, 5'6" NOT 4 ft tall, and am fairly sedentary other than 30 minute bike ride 4-6 days per week. My TDEE (maintenance) is around 1700. A 500 calorie deficit puts me at 1200 for a 1 pound loss. An extra 150-200 calorie exercise burn gives me a bit more if I don't eat them back. Of course I could eat more if I exercised more and lifted weights, but medical issues and injuries prevent that for me, as well as many others on here. Or perhaps they have jobs and families and don't have an extra 10 hrs a week to spend in the gym. It is not that we CHOOSE to eat the least amount of food that we can, we eat at an appropriate level for us, to get in the nutrients that we need, without STARVING ourselves, but losing an appropriate 1-2 lbs per week.

Dan, you are a smart guy who has indeed helped a lot of people on here, but when you make such ridiculous statements like those, you start to lose credibility. Like I have mentioned before, I know a 60 yr old lady who is 4'10" (almost 5 ft) is fairly active and MAINTAINS her weight on 900 calories per day. She has been a WW leader for 30 yrs and is very healthy. Why is it so hard to accept that for many people, 1200 a day is perfectly healthy and acceptable for them when they are trying to lose weight? No, it is NOT appropriate for EVERYONE, but it is certainly NOT unhealthy for EVERYONE either.

And they don't have to be 80 year old bedridden midgets. Please keep your comments a little more realistic.

skylark94

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

I've pulled many a people out of the 1200 pit.
Read this and understand that 1200 probably isnt your number unless you are 80 years old, under 4 foot tall with ZERO activity.
That is unless you are eating back ALL burned calories.

This^^^^^^^

Sure, you can survive on 1,200 calories per day, but why would anyone want to when it's absolutely not necessary?

I'm 5'4" and 131.5 pounds. I eat 1,800 calories per day and I am still losing weight.

I started MFP at 1,200 calories too. I quickly became miserable, tired, and eventually plateaued. When I upped my calories I started losing again at a reasonable and healthy rate.

Bernadettetoo

I just started today, but I am at 1200 calories and I changed my carb goals to 100. I don't have any entries yet, but my diary is open. Feel free to add me

monicarcaro

you can look at mine

tommystroop

I'm on the 1200 calories. Feel free to add me.

Toumani

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

I've pulled many a people out of the 1200 pit.
Read this and understand that 1200 probably isnt your number unless you are 80 years old, under 4 foot tall with ZERO activity.
That is unless you are eating back ALL burned calories.

I am 49, NOT 80, 5'6" NOT 4 ft tall, and am fairly sedentary other than 30 minute bike ride 4-6 days per week. My TDEE (maintenance) is around 1700. A 500 calorie deficit puts me at 1200 for a 1 pound loss. An extra 150-200 calorie exercise burn gives me a bit more if I don't eat them back. Of course I could eat more if I exercised more and lifted weights, but medical issues and injuries prevent that for me, as well as many others on here. Or perhaps they have jobs and families and don't have an extra 10 hrs a week to spend in the gym. It is not that we CHOOSE to eat the least amount of food that we can, we eat at an appropriate level for us, to get in the nutrients that we need, without STARVING ourselves, but losing an appropriate 1-2 lbs per week.

Dan, you are a smart guy who has indeed helped a lot of people on here, but when you make such ridiculous statements like those, you start to lose credibility. Like I have mentioned before, I know a 60 yr old lady who is 4'10" (almost 5 ft) is fairly active and MAINTAINS her weight on 900 calories per day. She has been a WW leader for 30 yrs and is very healthy. Why is it so hard to accept that for many people, 1200 a day is perfectly healthy and acceptable for them when they are trying to lose weight? No, it is NOT appropriate for EVERYONE, but it is certainly NOT unhealthy for EVERYONE either.

And they don't have to be 80 year old bedridden midgets. Please keep your comments a little more realistic.

I'm also set at 1200 if I want to lose a pound a week, and I also don't have that much left to lose. My max amount of exercise at the moment is an hour of fast walking as that is all I can manage in my schedule.
That aside, if weight loss is about calories in vs calories out at the end of the day, I still don't understand this claim about raising the amount of caloric intake to help weight loss. I just don't get it. I'm 5'3, about 60kg, and 38 by the way. I'm pretty sure, given my lifestyle, if I eat more, I'll most likely won't lose weight any faster.