what is so wrong with 1200?
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Hi all!
I eat just under 1200 calories a day. It's the only way I see results. I don't starve myself. I eat a healthy vegan diet so I am satisfied after each meal.
I've followed the recommendations from different website and all the "experts" here on MFP and only gain weight when I eat, even slightly, over 1200.
You have to do what works for you. :-)0 -
people just really need to leave other alone. if you eat food that is not high in calories, but more nutrient dense, it is easy to NOT meet MFP's suggested caloric goals. Some folks don't understand that eating a bowl of broccoli has more nutrients & less calories than 3 cookies and a bowl of ice cream. Let them debate this. You do what is working for you. And... regardless of your 1200 calorie diet or 1500 calorie diet, you will hit a plateau. (most folks will anyway)
My husband lost over 60lbs in a few months on a 1200 calorie diet. I prepared his meals. And I badgered him because I didn't understand why he wasn't eating. But he had a completed breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 2 snacks and some nights he would have ice cream. He plateaued once for about a week. Me, I was consuming 1600-2000 calories day and working my butt off, and hit numerous plateaus that I had to bust through. My husband, he lost all of his weight by walking most days.
We are all different and we just have to learn how to ignore others and do what we want for us. This is about you, NOT anyone else.
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If you are short, older, have a higher Body Fat%, or have hormonal issues, your BMR can be considerably lower than others.
Do you know me? :laugh:
I'm a 5'2" peri-menopausal tubby who is inching very slowly down on 1200 a day. It's blinking hard work, but I'm slowly, slowly getting there. MFP keeps telling me 'if every day were like today you'd be xxx in 5 weeks time' - sadly I never am! But I'll persevere.
Right, I'm off to get my mid-morning walnuts now.0 -
What is confusing to me is that people on the forums say that you cannot get all your nutrients on 1200 cal a day, so I checked all my macros and found that my calcium and iron were a bit low. However, everything else was either very close or over (especially my A & C and fiber! ) Since I am 60, it is important that I meet my calcium goal, so I looked at what i eat that is higher in calcium and iron and adjusted. For example, I now have a least 1/2 C of Total Cranberry Crunch cereal with 1/4 c of skimmed milk every day giving me a 48 g daily calcium punch for 97 calories. I did some similar things with iron and now they are both very close or a bit over the required minimums. I'm not 30 anymore and I gain weight on the calorie amounts that most people on the forums seem to feel are required for good nutrition. I am not sure why they are so vested in making those of us on 1200 cal feel like we have an eating disorder. It is very confusing to me on a site that is supposed to be supportive and informational.
They are trying to justify their own lifestyles and how they feel the need to eat much, much more than 1200 calories per day,
When somebody eats 1200 calories per day, then they lose weight, their hair does NOT fall out and their nails do NOT become brittle and they feel fine and healthy - those that are on many more calories per day begin to feel uneasy and if they are immature into the bargain they will begin to insult you and insist that, yes, your hair will fall out, your nails will become brittle, your metabolism will slow down to a snail's crawl and you will begin to store fat as your body will do that in preparation for when it starves. That last one always
baffles me, the body uses that fat thanks a bunch tell them, it uses it for energy, stored fat is the body's reserve warehouse and it will clear it, believe me, if that is the only place it has left.
They will then inform you that you are eating into your muscle, no it does not, it takes the fat first.
Leave them to it, they are reporting back and writing about what they have read and what others have told them (usually on this forum), they are not writing about their own experiences or scientific, factual evidence. The forums on MFP are getting more and more outlandish lately with outrageous claims regarding losing weight. I am surprised half of the stuff takes off, it is so out of this world and ridiculous :laugh:0 -
Thank god for you people. It makes my head spin when I read these people saying "OH LAWD!!! YOU GONNA STORE ALL YOUR CALORIES AS FAT!!!"
Ahh that is because the body thinks it is starving don't forget (apparently) - well, it stores nothing, it uses it up :flowerforyou:0 -
I've been doing 1200 for six months and have had a slow loss every month. Because it has been over a period of time, my eating habits and attitude has changed and I will not gain the weight back. 1200 works to lose weight. My goa is to lose 10 kilos this year and so far I have lost 7.4kg so I'm well on the way. I do minimal exercise, play tennis once or twice a week because its exercise I love. 1200 has been my saviour. Good luck. Kathryn, Sydney, Australia.0
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I've been doing 1200 for six months and have had a slow loss every month. Because it has been over a period of time, my eating habits and attitude has changed and I will not gain the weight back. 1200 works to lose weight. My goa is to lose 10 kilos this year and so far I have lost 7.4kg so I'm well on the way. I do minimal exercise, play tennis once or twice a week because its exercise I love. 1200 has been my saviour. Good luck. Kathryn, Sydney, Australia.
Three-quarters of the way there, WTG!!
On a side note, tennis is a brilliant game, both to play and watch! :flowerforyou:0 -
I think some people just think they know it all and feel the need to let us know that it's "not healthy." I agree that a 1200 calorie diet is not healthy for everyone. A 5'8 female runner would not be able to survive on 1200 calories a day and an allowance like this would be way to low for them. But for shorter, less active women (and men) 1200 calories is plenty. I'm barely 5'2, work a desk job and exercise for 30 mins a day and 1290 calories is more than enough to get me through all that! My maintenance at the moment would be around 1400-1500 calories, and I see people on the main forums saying that that amount is too low for "everyone." If I ate the amount they think everyone should eat I'd be the size of a house in no time!
Honestly, we all know what works best for our bodies, so let's not listen to those who 'know best.'0 -
I am on 1200 a day on Nutrisystem. I started almost 2 weeks ago. I am 5'0". Yes it is hard, but when I eat more than that I gain weight. I don't eat more when I exercise. I may when I hit goal but for now, I'm sticking with a plan.0
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I've had people say it's too low. I know my body. I've done the calculations. I used calorie calculator on Scooby's workshop and on iifym website. It pretty much gave me same calories. My biggest thing is to watch protein. When I began few years back, I lost weight but I also started losing my hair. So, I try to keep an eye on my protein and not go too low.
I'm 41 and 5 feet tall. I can't eat as much as other.
Listen to your body. If you feel weak and light headed, you may need to up it. If you're eating balanced and feel good, then go with it. If you feel hungry, really look at your diary and see if you're eating balanced. For me when I mix a lean protein (chicken, fish, ground round, tenderloin) with fiber, I stay full. Yesterday I had a prepacked chicken and cheese thing for breakfast, a frozen meal for lunch. I was freaking starving. Today I made my own breakfast sandwich with English muffin, turkey sausage and light cheese. Brought salad with chicken I grilled. Plus 2 snacks (yogurt for one, apple for the other). I feel so much better today!
Good luck!1
