Has anyone lost weight eating less than 1200 calories a day?

now_or_never13

I lift as much as I can and I have a calorie goal of net 800 cals. I've lost 31 lbs in 4 months. (I'm plateauing right now - I tried increasing my caloric intake as per the EM2WL's mantra of stupidity and it did nothing so I put myself back to 800 cals today actually)

Seriously? EM2WL is a mantra of stupidity?

When you starve your body for so long you need to give things time. LIft all the weights you want but at 800 calories your body is eating away at the muscle you have. Eating so little will cause your metabolism to slow due to losing muscle.

I really don't understand why, without being under a proper doctors care, people decide to be incredibly unhealthy and eat so little. Does no one understand you do yourself nothing but harm?

Guess those who do eat so little dislike muscle and a higher metabolism.

To the OP... Eat more, not your 1000-1100 plan.... It is not the smartest idea in the world and can hurt you more than help.

CoderGal

ask if anyone has kept if off. heh.

Yes, I did. I lost 82 lbs eating at that level and kept it off for about 4 years. I moved last year and with stress and being surrounded by lots of need, yummy food...gained 25 lbs so I am here to get that off. However, I didn't gain all the weight back and then some.

heh.

Read the question again.

WinnerVictorious

I lost 65 pounds on a doctor supervised Very low calorie diet (900-1100). They did regular blood work and we saw a doctor weekly. I don't think it would be a good thing to do without a doctor's supervision. It is my understanding that you can really mess yourself up without some medical monitoring. Right now I am trying to learn to maintain an intermediate weight before going down a bit more.

One of the things I find interesting on this site is the horror some people show about other people eating 1200 calories per day. That is actually my doctor recommended caloric intake at the moment. One of the reasons I don't post much on the message boards is that I really am not interested in what other posters think of what I am doing under a doctor's supervision.

Also, I don't succeed at it much LOL, which is part of the learning process. I am learning a lot about portions, servings, and the more emotional aspects of my previous eating habits.

It's a journey, not a destination for me. There are more aspects to people's relationship with food than their calorie intake.

the horror (as you say) is not from somebody eating 1200 calories... it's from somebody pulling that number out of thin air without any sort of understanding how it applies to their actual BMR/TDEE and what the nutritional and metabolic consequences may be trying to adhere to that, as well as the problem with future weight gain because VLCD are notoriously hard to maintain for a long time.

if Special Snowflake #1 comes onto the site and insists that she's just fine with 1200 calories and how dare anyone tell her otherwise, you have to realize that most people replying aren't really replying for her benefit. they are replying for the benefit of all the lurkers and those who might find the thread in the future.

we don't want anyone to approach this "journey" without a good understanding of why weight loss occurs. that's the issue. if each individual person learns that information, but decides that they still want to try the 1200-calorie thing, then that's their business. it really doesn't affect anybody else. but if they post a thread insisting that it really does work and that everyone is different and blah blah blah... well, many of us feel we MUST say something just for those who may be susceptible to being misled by that misinformation.

AMS44067

I am eating around 1200 cal a day and I am losing about 1 pound per week. It all depends what you eat. I mean I could easily have my 1200 with one meal, but that is not the sense.
I have about 400 with breakfast, which is a shake, made in my blender, contains flaxseeds, skim milk or almond milk, frozen fruit, protein powder and 1 tbsp slimfast powder
400 for lunch, which is something like a turkeu pattie, beef patties, chicken sausage or fish, fat free grilled in my green pan, lots of veggies, sometimes 2 small potatoes or rice.
100 in the afternoon, which is a Weight Watchers coffee cake or a Fiber One brownie
and the rest in the evening. I usually make a fruit smoothie, grapfruit, orange, apple, kiwi, pineapple, a little bit of extra water and up it goes in the blender until it is a thick shake.
I might instead have greek yogurt and some crackers.
I am not starving, I am never hungry, like this grumbling noise in my stomach, I am drinking lots of fluids, it does not have to be water, that is nonsense, I drink tea, coffee or make my own soda with my Sodastream machine.
And as a blender I use my NINJA.
I am not a big fan of exercising, but f I do I have some extra calories to eat, which could be anything low fat, low sugar.
In addition to the calories I convert my daily intake in Weight Watchers Points Plus, and I am usually perfectly within my allowed points.

CoderGal

I lost 65 pounds on a doctor supervised Very low calorie diet (900-1100). They did regular blood work and we saw a doctor weekly. I don't think it would be a good thing to do without a doctor's supervision. It is my understanding that you can really mess yourself up without some medical monitoring. Right now I am trying to learn to maintain an intermediate weight before going down a bit more.

One of the things I find interesting on this site is the horror some people show about other people eating 1200 calories per day. That is actually my doctor recommended caloric intake at the moment. One of the reasons I don't post much on the message boards is that I really am not interested in what other posters think of what I am doing under a doctor's supervision.

Also, I don't succeed at it much LOL, which is part of the learning process. I am learning a lot about portions, servings, and the more emotional aspects of my previous eating habits.

It's a journey, not a destination for me. There are more aspects to people's relationship with food than their calorie intake.

the horror (as you say) is not from somebody eating 1200 calories... it's from somebody pulling that number out of thin air without any sort of understanding how it applies to their actual BMR/TDEE and what the nutritional and metabolic consequences may be trying to adhere to that, as well as the problem with future weight gain because VLCD are notoriously hard to maintain for a long time.

if Special Snowflake #1 comes onto the site and insists that she's just fine with 1200 calories and how dare anyone tell her otherwise, you have to realize that most people replying aren't really replying for her benefit. they are replying for the benefit of all the lurkers and those who might find the thread in the future.

we don't want anyone to approach this "journey" without a good understanding of why weight loss occurs. that's the issue. if each individual person learns that information, but decides that they still want to try the 1200-calorie thing, then that's their business. it really doesn't affect anybody else. but if they post a thread insisting that it really does work and that everyone is different and blah blah blah... well, many of us feel we MUST say something just for those who may be susceptible to being misled by that misinformation.

I think I love you.

beachlover317

ask if anyone has kept if off. heh.

Yes, I did. I lost 82 lbs eating at that level and kept it off for about 4 years. I moved last year and with stress and being surrounded by lots of need, yummy food...gained 25 lbs so I am here to get that off. However, I didn't gain all the weight back and then some.

heh.

still gained.

Juliedungca

I sure did.. got down to 114 which was 9 past my target weight BUT i was skinny fat. I looked awful in a bikini.Started lifting more, eating more.. and now I look better in a bikini at 122 BY FAR than i did at an unhealthy flabby 114.

Sabine_Stroehm

Everybody who decides to lose weight does so for their own reasons.
Everybody chooses the way in which they will achieve this for themselves.
Everybody has the same access to information on HEALTHY weight loss methods.
Everybody has the same access to information on UNHEALTHY weight loss methods.

It would be nice to think that everybody would have the sense to choose a healthy method, but unfortunately they don't.

I am glad that I gathered all the information I could before embarking on my weight loss programme, but I would also like to thank the many MFP'ers who took the time to make comments on posts on the message boards which steered me towards the brilliant piece of information that I can EAT and LOSE WEIGHT, which has resulted in an even healthier weight loss.

I have never before ENJOYED losing weight and getting fit in the past and know that this is working. I wouldn't do it any other way.

And everyone has the same access to information on healthy EATING. For the short term, and the long term.

gypsymatis

yes. I dont lose weight unless i am under 1200

almc170

Sure I did. I lost hair too. And energy. And some muscle mass. And stopped getting my periods, too. Oh, and once I started eating semi-normally again (read: lunch), I gained back the weight I lost and then some. In fact, I became overweight for the first time in my life after my little VCLD "journey". 15 years later, I still struggle to manage my weight in a healthy manner without resorting to extreme measures. But yeah, whatever works, right?

CoderGal

I am eating around 1200 cal a day and I am losing about 1 pound per week.

I was the same. And then I started losing on netting 1700 calories a day. Hurray.

It all depends what you eat.

Scientifically, if you are saying losing weight depends on what you eat, this is an incorrect statement. See twinky diet study done by a professor for example. Or any other study that involved counting calories. Nobody repeatedly gains weight when they eat less then they expend. It's never been proven.

I mean I could easily have my 1200 with one meal, but that is not the sense.

Why is this 'not the sense'?

I am not starving, I am never hungry, like this grumbling noise in my stomach, I am drinking lots of fluids, it does not have to be water, that is nonsense, I drink tea, coffee or make my own soda with my Sodastream machine.

Seriously, meet a anorexic or someone else deprived of food for a period of time...they can fill up on very littlle calories also. I felt the same way when I was eating 1200.

And as a blender I use my NINJA.

why do you keep mentioning blenders? Do you think they make you lose weight? Why do you think this?

I am not a big fan of exercising, but if I do I have some extra calories to eat, which could be anything low fat, low sugar.

Well that explains a whole lot right there, you're not after health, you're after skinnier, which isn't necessarily in shape. And why does it have to be low fat and low sugar? Do you realize you don't absorb many of the nutrients you eat unless you get enough fat in your diet (many of them are fat soluble). Also why are you avoiding sugar? If it weren't for sugar, you'd be dead. Sugar gives the body energy. Actually, it is the only source of energy for the brain and red blood cells. Yay simple carbohydrates. The central nervous system requires glucose as its primary fuel. I think instead of people fearing particular things they should learn more about them.

shorty35565

Anyone can lose on less that 1200 a day, the question is, is it weight you wanna lose weight or mostly fat? Cuz eating that low will promote more muscle loss.

Annieapple12

When I was 22I starved myself and lost about 40 pounds in about 3 months. have a very muscular build (everyone in my family does) so I managed to look ok even though I did no exercise.

But my periods stopped and I was just horribly manic yet exhausted all the time. I got very spotty too.

And of course I gained it all back because I went back to bad eating habits afterwards because I didn't learn a new sustainable way of eating.

beachlover317

Sure I did. I lost hair too. And energy. And some muscle mass. And stopped getting my periods, too. Oh, and once I started eating semi-normally again (read: lunch), I gained back the weight I lost and then some. In fact, I became overweight for the first time in my life after my little VCLD "journey". 15 years later, I still struggle to manage my weight in a healthy manner without resorting to extreme measures. But yeah, whatever works, right?

Thanks for sharing that. I hope that you are able to eat a healthy diet now. I understand the "draw" of the VLCD. It promises quick weight loss. The only thing is - you have done something to your body that will take years to overcome. I was on VLCDs through my 30s and 40s. I lost, gained, lost, gained, lost, gained. It took several months on this site before I educated myself on how to correct this situation. It took months of eating more before my body readjusted. I was scared to death to do it this way. But I did and I thank the people on MFP that continue to try and educate new members about the possiblilties of eating to fuel their bodies. Be healthy people.

Sabine_Stroehm

ask if anyone has kept if off. heh.

Yes, I did. I lost 82 lbs eating at that level and kept it off for about 4 years. I moved last year and with stress and being surrounded by lots of need, yummy food...gained 25 lbs so I am here to get that off. However, I didn't gain all the weight back and then some.

heh.

Read the question again.

Ahh....so keeping the weight off for 4 years doesn't count. Yeah, okay. Most people who lost weight...I believe the stat is 90%...no matter what diet or lifestyle plan you use gain the weight back within a year. I kept it off for 4 years. I have a life event and gained some weight back and now I am making an intervention to get those pounds off.

I didn't gain the 80 lbs back...and I never will. I made an intervention and now I am happily back in the normal BMI category. Damn proud of it. Thanks.

Four years is great, and now you're back to get a tune up. GOOD!! Congrats! Coder girl has also lost weight. And time will tell if SHE keeps it off for the rest of her life (or four years).

Sabine_Stroehm

Anyone can lose on less that 1200 a day, the question is, is it weight you wanna lose weight or mostly fat? Cuz eating that low will promote more muscle loss.

Some folks BMR is less than 1000.

juliekaiser1988

This topic gives me a migraine every time.

Ugh...

MB_Positif

Yes, it worked two weeks ago when I had the flu and I was too sick to eat normally so I had like 1100 or so calories per day.