Have you lost eating 1200 calories?

13

Replies

  • unnur16
    unnur16 Posts: 140 Member
    i eat around 1200 cal per day and i have lost almost 30 lbs since beginning of nov.
  • keepersmom8
    keepersmom8 Posts: 42
    I eat right around 1200 calories a day and have been since the beginning of April. I've lost almost 67 pounds in that time. I work out at least 5 days a week, and usually log 10000 steps on my fitbit daily. I never eat back my exercise calories.

    I eat well--primarily lean protein, fruit, veggies and dairy (cheese, greek yogurt, milk in my coffee), and allow myself to partake of the treats in our staff room once a week. I feel far healthier than I have for years. This is working for me.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    When I first started, MFP said I should eat only 1200 and I lost weight. Then it plateaued. For 6 weeks. As I did more research, both here on the boards and other exercise sites, I found a calculator that was more accurate and helpful in losing weight based upon my TDEE and goals set and realized I needed to eat more to lose. Since then I'm losing again...slower than before, but that's because I'm only 7lbs from my goal weight. Long term, I don't recommend a 1200 calorie diet.

    Do you have a link? I wanna know! :)
    Here ya go: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    Awesome information there - I've been following this plan for over six months, I'm losing fat and inches and dropped another pants size while eating 1800+ calories a day.

    I started with the 1200 MFP set me on - lost a little, but ended up tired, hungry, stressed over how many calories I had left for the day, and weight loss stalled. After reading that thread, I found that 1200 is 200 calories less than my BMR, 200 calories LESS than what a hospital would nourish me with if I was in a coma.

    Food is fuel & knowledge is power! Know your BMR and net above it! Know your TDEE and eat 15-20% below it! Land in between those numbers, do some resistance/strength training and some cardio, and watch the fat come off & the muscles show through. :bigsmile:
  • x_pix_x
    x_pix_x Posts: 21
    I can't answer about losing on 1200 as I didn't do it for long enough to be able to judge it, only that I was too hungry on it lol. I had my weight loss set to 2lbs a week at first because I was excited to start my jourmey which gave me a figure of 1260 cals, that then dropped to 1230 once I'd lost 4lbs. I'm on my feet all day at work running around, cleaning, serving customers etc and I found that I was still really hungry after eating that amount. Even when I'd eaten my exercise cals back ( I walk for almost 2hrs most nights at a good pace and mostly uphill) I was still feeling ravenous. I'm planning on starting lifting weights too which my husband is going to help me with so I couldn't begin to imagine how I would still last on 1200 cals and I knew that if I carried on feeling this hungry all the time I'd end up giving up with it and would eat all wrong. I adjusted my goal to 1.5lbs per week which gave me an extra 250 cals to play with and feel much better for it and feel that it's now sustainable as long as I eat a good proportion of my walking cals back.

    I guess that's a key thing really. I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination but you need to think about how you feel on 1200 cals. I don't know enough to tell you if it's right or wrong or how you'll lose etc but in addition to losses you need to think about whether you feel your appetite is satisfied enough for it to be sustainable. Some people may find it is, other greedies like me will find it isn't lol and that was the key for me. If I was constanly feeling hungry I knew it wasn't right and wouldn't work in the long term for me personally.
  • DragonflyF15
    DragonflyF15 Posts: 437 Member
    Not the same site I found, but this one is similar http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
    I would recommend moderate for most if working out and around 20% fat loss for the goal. For macs, I put in 30/40/30 but you can put in whatever ratio you prefer (it doesn't affect the calorie number btw)

    The BMR is the minimum you should go, I use this number on days I'm not working out
    The TDEE is what you can eat to maintain where you are at
    The daily calorie is what you should be aiming for on working out days to lose weight.

    For every 5 lbs you lose, use this calculator again to get your new numbers.

    When I first started, MFP said I should eat only 1200 and I lost weight. Then it plateaued. For 6 weeks. As I did more research, both here on the boards and other exercise sites, I found a calculator that was more accurate and helpful in losing weight based upon my TDEE and goals set and realized I needed to eat more to lose. Since then I'm losing again...slower than before, but that's because I'm only 7lbs from my goal weight. Long term, I don't recommend a 1200 calorie diet.

    Do you have a link? I wanna know! :)
  • DragonflyF15
    DragonflyF15 Posts: 437 Member
    Beat me to it :) However dead on! :)
    When I first started, MFP said I should eat only 1200 and I lost weight. Then it plateaued. For 6 weeks. As I did more research, both here on the boards and other exercise sites, I found a calculator that was more accurate and helpful in losing weight based upon my TDEE and goals set and realized I needed to eat more to lose. Since then I'm losing again...slower than before, but that's because I'm only 7lbs from my goal weight. Long term, I don't recommend a 1200 calorie diet.

    Do you have a link? I wanna know! :)
    Here ya go: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    Awesome information there - I've been following this plan for over six months, I'm losing fat and inches and dropped another pants size while eating 1800+ calories a day.

    I started with the 1200 MFP set me on - lost a little, but ended up tired, hungry, stressed over how many calories I had left for the day, and weight loss stalled. After reading that thread, I found that 1200 is 200 calories less than my BMR, 200 calories LESS than what a hospital would nourish me with if I was in a coma.

    Food is fuel & knowledge is power! Know your BMR and net above it! Know your TDEE and eat 15-20% below it! Land in between those numbers, do some resistance/strength training and some cardio, and watch the fat come off & the muscles show through. :bigsmile:
  • tartanlab
    tartanlab Posts: 3 Member
    I've lost just about 10 pounds in 30 days on a 1200 calorie diet. I exercise every day, but at my nutritionist's advice, try not to eat any of my exercise calories back. It's slow and steady like a tortoise, but it's working. I've lost 17 pounds since the end of October.
  • donibars
    donibars Posts: 5
    Hello :) I've been on a 1200 calorie diet since November. I've lost 24 lbs so far, and I will probably stay on a 1200 calorie diet till I'm closer to my goal weight. MFP has changed my daily calorie limit to 1400, but I prefer to stay as close to 1200 as I can and if I go over...well...the weight is falling off right now. When I hit a snag where I'm not losing for a while I will probably kick my calories up for a week and then drop them back down to kick start losing again. I'm also cutting carbs however...which might make a difference in diet results. Good luck! :)
  • HandyASH
    HandyASH Posts: 109 Member
    Spuds like your body may be going into starvation mode up your cals. By a couple hundred. Good luck.
  • gettingfitnana303
    gettingfitnana303 Posts: 74
    Yes, I've been on 1200 calories for a little over a week and am losing fast.
  • x_ItNeverEnds_x
    x_ItNeverEnds_x Posts: 134
    I eat ~1200 calories a day and have lost almost 42lbs since Thanksgiving.

    Holy *kitten*. Way to go!
  • felcandy
    felcandy Posts: 228 Member
    I lost a little bit, but the big problem was that i couldnt sustain that for a long time. i would end up going over by an unknown amount almost every day! I bumped my calories to 1300 and im still losing exactly the same, but I feel like i have a lot more leeway for that emergency cup of coffee
  • ravenchick
    ravenchick Posts: 345 Member
    120 pounds since March 2012. Started a little higher than 1200 but I've always stuck around that. How fast you lose will depend on how much you have to lose.
  • juli_jones
    juli_jones Posts: 101 Member
    I'm on 1200 a day, generally under, but I'm not really losing anything (lost 1lb in 10 days) I'm exercising too. Do I need to up my calories? (finding it difficult to go over 1200 unless I eat lots of the bad stuff), tend to only eat if I'm hungry. How do I increase my loss?

    For myself personally I don't lose on 1200 calories. I stall and don't go anywhere. My BMR is 1395 and I eat 1400 + some exercise cals back and I'm losing a little over a lb a week normally.

    If I eat less than 1400 I don't lose - I try and stay between 1400-1550 and I have lost 46 lbs in 43 weeks :-)
  • JenniTheVeggie
    JenniTheVeggie Posts: 2,474 Member
    1200-1300 a day. I have lost 115 since March.
  • hearts3
    hearts3 Posts: 1
    if your eating less than 1200 and not losing your probably putting yourself in starvation mode! You won't lose weight in starvation mode! It's my biggest problem trying to MEET my calories to lose! Up the calorie keep active!
  • FitBeto
    FitBeto Posts: 2,121 Member
    DO YOU EXTERCISE ANY LIKE GO TO THE GYM ?:happy:

    DYEL?
  • sophielili92
    sophielili92 Posts: 8
    I lost 28lbs on 1200 calories per day, and then put it all right back on again after a few months of over indulgence. Short term, I think its great, and results are astonishing. Long term, its a little harder. However once you're at your goal weight calories go up slightly, right?

    I'm starting over with a new account, so anyone who wants some mutual support and motivation, feel free to add me as a friend or msg me! Would appreciate it :-)
  • x_ItNeverEnds_x
    x_ItNeverEnds_x Posts: 134
    Wait so most of you actually eat more than 1,200 right? I believe most said they eat back there exercise calories. So your netting 1,200 a day? I can't seem to keep my intake at 1,200 I get so hungry.
  • needles85365
    needles85365 Posts: 491 Member
    I started on 1200 calories when I started sept 2011. Stuck to it most days.
  • barb1241
    barb1241 Posts: 324 Member
    I'm on 1200 a day, generally under, but I'm not really losing anything (lost 1lb in 10 days) I'm exercising too. Do I need to up my calories? (finding it difficult to go over 1200 unless I eat lots of the bad stuff), tend to only eat if I'm hungry. How do I increase my loss?
    Eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Avocado and eggs. Avocado and turkey. Fat has more calories per gram than protein or carbs. Peanut butter or any nut butter is good for you in small doses. Good fat is good for you. Avocados and olive oil and salmon are good for you. It doesn't have to be fritos and cupcakes to up the calories. Especially if you truly feel full. Add in some good fat without adding a lot of carby bulk.
  • pineygirl
    pineygirl Posts: 322 Member
    No. I actually tried eating 1200 calories a day and just stayed the same for 4 weeks. Before I started trying to lose weight I'd been eating usually far less than 1200/day and hadn't lost anything either. I used to skip breakfast and lunch and only eat a late after work snack and dinner, or just the snack and no dinner...or even nothing at all. I wasn't doing it on purpose, just too busy at work during the day and too tired at night to bother.

    I think I just gained weight because my body was confused, and whenever I went out to eat or ate in excess on weekends, I just packed on fat. I'm trying to eat about 1500-1600/day for a while until I stop gaining, then decrease it to 1400/day, then maybe to 1300/day. 1200/day is below my BMR and my TDEE is around 2000.

    With my activity level 1200/day is too low.
  • mareeee1234
    mareeee1234 Posts: 674 Member
    Combining it with cardio 6/7 days a week, burning 600-900 calories per workout, and eating calories back... I lost 3kg and lost body fat and toned up, over 2/3month

    Then STALLED !!

    Now I'm eating lots moreee, and doing strength training! This is supposed to give me better results and get me out of my stall :)
  • wendybird5
    wendybird5 Posts: 577 Member
    For the past four months I've been at 1200 calories and lost 32 pounds. Going back up to 1400 though because eating that low definitely has an effect on my mood and attitude, as well as making me more headache prone for some reason.
  • Thesoundofwolf
    Thesoundofwolf Posts: 378 Member
    I do 1.2k networth, with one day a week being 2,000. Results are in the bar.
  • peckish_pomegranate
    peckish_pomegranate Posts: 242 Member
    Yep! 1200 isn't tough for me to stick too really. Lost 12lbs :D I eat my workout cals though too, so some days it's closer to 1500.
  • NomNomMom
    NomNomMom Posts: 80 Member
    OR you could eat a lot more and still lose weight! http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12


    BUMP... I couldn't remember this earlier... Thanks for re-posting this. This is what I was looking to do also. :happy:
  • pbuchman8
    pbuchman8 Posts: 1
    I'm new to all of this (started yesterday) can someone explain what TDEE is?
  • tisha_rae
    tisha_rae Posts: 216 Member
    I try to stay at about 1250 to 1300 if I'm not working out - when I start running though I eat more close to 1600.

    How fast I lose depends on how serious I get about it - I can eat 1200 calories of crap or 1200 calories of good stuff. I can sit on butt or I can work out.

    I've lost 22lbs and have 21 to go - but that has been over a long period of time.

    I tend to have phases - I will get serious about losing the weight - lose 10 or so lbs and then take a break - but I manage to keep the weight off.

    We all have to find what works for us.

    The reason you hear 1200 calories all the time, is becasue that is "usually" the least amount of calories suggested - your body burns calories at rest and 1200 is about what is needed just to run regular body functions.
    For me if I eat under 1200 for and extended period of time - I do NOT lose weight. I've always lost by eating smaller meals more often, and keeping within my calorie ranges.

    Good Luck to you!

    Feel Free to add. :)
  • lucy529
    lucy529 Posts: 127 Member
    I eat ~1200 calories a day and have lost almost 42lbs since Thanksgiving.

    are you serious?

    Absolutely. I started at 299lbs. I lost 31lbs in the first 30days. It been a pleasant surprise.

    Any tips you can share? I really want to lose the 70 some lbs before June :) but not starving myself

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