success stories from 1200 calorie dieters wanted

Serah87

Why do you need to binge if 1200 calories works for you?? Just wondering....

1200 works for everyone, so does starving. If you can have results eating more why don't you. I've lost 80lbs in a year eating between 2200-3000.

I eat 1500 to 1800 cals, what I wanted know is if 1200 cals works why do you need to binge, sounds like that person needs to eat more cals instead of binging, might work now, but not in the long run. Just saying....

bcattoes

Why do you need to binge if 1200 calories works for you?? Just wondering....

1200 works for everyone, so does starving. If you can have results eating more why don't you. I've lost 80lbs in a year eating between 2200-3000.

I'm not sure anyone has/is recommending 1200 calories per day for a man. (technically, I'm don't believe they are "recommending" if for anyone, but hopefully you get my drift)

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

175lbs


150lbs

Have lost another 15lbs since on 1200 cals a day plus exercise cals am now working on weights to tone up and do not want to get to a lower weight

if anyone can work out the photo links lol!

Good job and you look great, but I would prefer more muscle definition. Not sure you can get that at 1200 calories.
Thoughts?

This is quite possibly the rudest comment I have ever read (not the first sentence-the second). Perhaps YOU would prefer to see more muscle definition, perhaps others would too. More muscle definition aligns with YOUR goals. This person posted pics of their success as defined by them and their goals. Just because they don't necessarily align with your goals doesn't make their success invalid. I know she said she's started working with weights to tone. It just makes me angry that someone has put pics of what they consider success and have someone respond with - eh, that's not what I consider success.

Not even addressing the whole notion that people "doing" 1200 must post pics or there's no value or credibility in their success.

We all have different goals, we all are in different places towards reaching those goals. I started out morbidly obese looking fairly similar to the Michelen Man. I now look like my profile pic. I am not "done", but I'm no longer morbidly obese and run 25-30 miles a week. That's success to me and I don't care if that's how you define success. I net 1200 (actually a little under that).

This thread makes me sad.

Um, wow! This seems a bit of an over-reaction to me. The responder said the poster in the pics looked great. And they mentioned that they had a different body preference for themselves. How is that rude?

I've gotten this same reaction when I say I don't want as much definition as some women, even if I give them compliments on meeting their own personal goals.

In either instance, why is rude to have a different goal?

Seriously, I don't see it as rude iN THE SLIGHTEST. I agree, a major overreaction.

SunKissed1989

When I started I lost weight gradually by eating at 1400-1600 calories but haven't lost anything since before Christmas. I thought after Christmas I'd get back into the swing of things and I'd lose weight like I had done beforehand but I've been staying the same weight (+/- a couple of pounds) since.
Today, I decided to go with the 1200 approach (never tried it yet) to see if it makes a difference and looking at my diary for today (pre-planned including tonight's supper) my calories and macros are SO close to my goals (like 4 or 5 under). Seems to be the perfect balance for the day....even if I did have a cheeky bar of chocolate earlier.

Oh, I'm eating back my exercise calories as well
Fingers crossed I see a difference....I realise this isn't a success story, but who knows? Maybe it will be one day, stay tuned

Best of luck to all you 1200-ers

__RANDY__

1200cals/day you will lose weight, no doubt. but it is a short term satisfaction. You see the scale moving and that makes you happy. But in the long run you really won't learn about real life portions and such a low calorie diet is a catalyst for loose skin.

Mcgrawhaha

Why do you need to binge if 1200 calories works for you?? Just wondering....

1200 works for everyone, so does starving. If you can have results eating more why don't you. I've lost 80lbs in a year eating between 2200-3000.

I eat 1500 to 1800 cals, what I wanted know is if 1200 cals works why do you need to binge, sounds like that person needs to eat more cals instead of binging, might work now, but not in the long run. Just saying....

no, thats not the case. the case is, that every now and then, i like a day where i dont have limits, and if i want to eat 5000 calories, i can. thats the way i do it. i have 2 days a month where i do not restrict my calories, that has nothing to do with not getting in enough calories the other 28 days. 2000 calories a day still wouldnt allow me to have splurge days like i like. so, why would i waste it? id rather eat my 1200-1300 a day, and have my 2 days a month to do as i please. why would you assume this wont work long term? are you an md? my md is very pleased with my progress and thinks my plan has been very beneficial. she is also pleased that my cholesterol has dropped from 202 to 136 in under 90 days. why would you believe that you know better about my health and diet than my md and myself do? thats strange...

bcattoes

Why do you need to binge if 1200 calories works for you?? Just wondering....

1200 works for everyone, so does starving. If you can have results eating more why don't you. I've lost 80lbs in a year eating between 2200-3000.

I eat 1500 to 1800 cals, what I wanted know is if 1200 cals works why do you need to binge, sounds like that person needs to eat more cals instead of binging, might work now, but not in the long run. Just saying....

True binge eating is disordered eating and often has nothing to do with daily calories. But if one is aware of their tendency to binge, eating lower calories other days can keep their average daily calories within a range to still lose or maintain, and therefore can be a tool that does work in the long run.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

been working fine for me. i was 246 pounds just this past september.

Have you noticed lose skin? Do you care?

actually no, and im quite surprised. after 5 pregnancies and child births, i really thought id have hanging belly skin. i can actually wear underwear with no "hangage" anymore. i eat 1200 cals a day, have 2 binge days a month, and strength train 3-5 days a week. i went from a size 20 in september to a size 12 currently. my husband was prepared to pay for a mommy make-over, (boob job, tummy tuck, and possibly arms) when i reach goal weight, however, now, being about 25 pounds from my goal weight (im 5 foot 10, 180 pounds, goal is 155) i dont think i will need a tummy tuck, since the "hangage" has diseapeared with the fat. the boobs will need to still be fixed, because i breastfed 5 kids, and they just dont look like i want them to look. other than that, im very happy with my results thus far. you seem very hostile towards women and thier bodies, and i think if you took a step back, and maybe consider the fact that many of us have had children, and our bodies have been through much more than a mans, maybe you would have a little more respect for womens bodies, regardless of if they have a little extra skin or not.

Why do you need to binge if 1200 calories works for you?? Just wondering....

for many reasons. my main reason is because i want to. i want to go out every now and then and eat whatever i want. i want to take my 5 kids to disneyland, and have a big juicy 1500 calorie burger, and 800 calories order of fries, and a 1200 calorie malt for lunch. so, i have 2 days a month, every other saturday infact, that my kids make the plans, and i go where they want to go, and i plurge. because i want to, because it fits my lifestyle. because its working fine for me.

just because im eating at a deficit to lose weight, doesnt mean i like it. i have found a way to eat at a deficit, and still have 2 days a month where i can go over board like a crazy lady, and still lose an average of 8 pounds a month. if it works for me, why question why i do it?

Actually sounds like a great way to manage your life. A 4000 calorie day might put your average closer to 1400...I say if it isn't misery during the 13 days between those splurge days then by all means keep at it.

keem88

<---- see photo.

Mcgrawhaha

been working fine for me. i was 246 pounds just this past september.

Have you noticed lose skin? Do you care?

actually no, and im quite surprised. after 5 pregnancies and child births, i really thought id have hanging belly skin. i can actually wear underwear with no "hangage" anymore. i eat 1200 cals a day, have 2 binge days a month, and strength train 3-5 days a week. i went from a size 20 in september to a size 12 currently. my husband was prepared to pay for a mommy make-over, (boob job, tummy tuck, and possibly arms) when i reach goal weight, however, now, being about 25 pounds from my goal weight (im 5 foot 10, 180 pounds, goal is 155) i dont think i will need a tummy tuck, since the "hangage" has diseapeared with the fat. the boobs will need to still be fixed, because i breastfed 5 kids, and they just dont look like i want them to look. other than that, im very happy with my results thus far. you seem very hostile towards women and thier bodies, and i think if you took a step back, and maybe consider the fact that many of us have had children, and our bodies have been through much more than a mans, maybe you would have a little more respect for womens bodies, regardless of if they have a little extra skin or not.

Why do you need to binge if 1200 calories works for you?? Just wondering....

for many reasons. my main reason is because i want to. i want to go out every now and then and eat whatever i want. i want to take my 5 kids to disneyland, and have a big juicy 1500 calorie burger, and 800 calories order of fries, and a 1200 calorie malt for lunch. so, i have 2 days a month, every other saturday infact, that my kids make the plans, and i go where they want to go, and i plurge. because i want to, because it fits my lifestyle. because its working fine for me.

just because im eating at a deficit to lose weight, doesnt mean i like it. i have found a way to eat at a deficit, and still have 2 days a month where i can go over board like a crazy lady, and still lose an average of 8 pounds a month. if it works for me, why question why i do it?

Actually sounds like a great way to manage your life. A 4000 calorie day might put your average closer to 1400...I say if it isn't misery during the 13 days between those splurge days then by all means keep at it.

thanks! i actually love it! i have failed at every other weight loss attempt over the years, but this has stuck! for me, its like mini 2 week weight loss plan, then a day to myself, then another mini 2 week weight loss plan, and a day to myself. it works well with my lifestyle! especially having 5 kids, always going places, amusement parks and stuff... i plan around these 2 days a month, even birthday parties for my kids... it really works well for me!

jedikrissy

Hi I am 29 years old and I am 5 feet 4 inches and my goal was to lose 50lbs. I am on 1200 a day and I was successful and have never starved myself. I eat healthy and feel great, and I have exceeded my goal!I also have checked with my doctor to make sure that I have done everything right and was told by the doctor that I am in the best health he has ever seen me in. All I did was eat right and run on my elliptical and did yoga. It took me just over 8 months to reach my goal.

Here are my stats

My Star weight fluctuated between 176-180lbs
I was a size 16 to 18 in pants and a large to extra large in shirts.

My current weight now fluctuates between 122-125lbs
I am now a size 3 in pants and wear small and extra small shirts.

I have also lost a combined 25 inches off my body which includes my neck, waist, hips and thighs.

I understand that 1200 a day does not work for everyone, but when I ate more than that it wasn't working for me. You need to find what works for you because everyone is different. You should never eat less than 1200 a day and you know I would go over some days but not by much. I think what is important is not whether you eat 1200 a day or 1600 a day it's about what kind of food you put in your body and what kind of results you want to see from your goals.

Hope this helps, Cheers :drinker:

Sweet_Gurl_Next_Door

I am at 180 pounds so what would my calories be according to that. biggest loser diet reccomendation?

ThisIsMaggie

I think it really depends on the person. It isn't even the fact about the number of calories, but the nutrients that you're getting from such numbers. For example, you can have a granola bar for 100 calories (this is a fine choice) or you could have 2 tbsp of peanut butter with celery sticks for just under 200 calories (this has more calories, but is probably a better nutrient value snack choice).

I lost 70 lbs and kept my calorie intake right around 1200 per day, and I turned out just fine. I just think there should be less focus on CALORIES and more on everything else. On my MFP account I have it set so that I can see the calorie intake along with carbs, fats, sodium, sugars.

So, yes, I believe 1200 calories per day is a fine amount if you wish to lose weight. Keep in mind, though, that doing a 600 calorie burning workout on top of that now means you should be taking in 1500-1800 calories. The reason I chose 1500 is because even if the treadmill says you burnt 600 calories, it could very well be off...Don't always count on the calorie burning counters at the gym to be exact.

__RANDY__

I am at 180 pounds so what would my calories be according to that. biggest loser diet reccomendation?

This doesn't account for your activity level.

CorvusCorax77

Before, 174 lbs:



After two years on 1200 + EXERCISE CALS, 125 lbs:



Now, another year eating 1400 + exercise cals and lifting weights, 136 lbs, same size as at 125 lbs:



Three months into eating TDEE -20% (1700 cals for me) and continued lifting. Now weight 136:





my point is that 1200 + exercise calories is in my opinion a fine thing to do if you are OBESE. But once you get to maintenance, you need to do something different. I got down to 123 lbs on 1200+ calories and I fett horrible. I was wasting away and not looking any better. I am enjoying my fitness now at 1700 calories and eating at 1700 calories is a lot more sustainable for me.

GypsyNrs4Evr

bump

__RANDY__

nice try Corvus but these special snowflakes have different goals than you.

CorvusCorax77

nice try Corvus but these special snowflakes have different goals than you.

I didn' read the thread. Just OP's comment. I am a special snowflake too! Someone send me flowers!

Duck_Puddle

Good job and you look great, but I would prefer more muscle definition. Not sure you can get that at 1200 calories.
Thoughts?

This is quite possibly the rudest comment I have ever read (not the first sentence-the second). Perhaps YOU would prefer to see more muscle definition, perhaps others would too. More muscle definition aligns with YOUR goals. This person posted pics of their success as defined by them and their goals. Just because they don't necessarily align with your goals doesn't make their success invalid. I know she said she's started working with weights to tone. It just makes me angry that someone has put pics of what they consider success and have someone respond with - eh, that's not what I consider success.

Not even addressing the whole notion that people "doing" 1200 must post pics or there's no value or credibility in their success.

We all have different goals, we all are in different places towards reaching those goals. I started out morbidly obese looking fairly similar to the Michelen Man. I now look like my profile pic. I am not "done", but I'm no longer morbidly obese and run 25-30 miles a week. That's success to me and I don't care if that's how you define success. I net 1200 (actually a little under that).

This thread makes me sad.

Um, wow! This seems a bit of an over-reaction to me. The responder said the poster in the pics looked great. And they mentioned that they had a different body preference for themselves. How is that rude?

I've gotten this same reaction when I say I don't want as much definition as some women, even if I give them compliments on meeting their own personal goals.

In either instance, why is rude to have a different goal?

It's not rude to have different goals. I consider it rude to compare someone else's success to goals that are not theirs. Perhaps some non-weight loss examples will help:

To someone that has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and months/years renovating a house:
"Nice house. I don't like historical homes, and the paint colors are too bright, and I wouldn't have this furniture either. You need another decorator."

To someone who has scrimped and saved to purchase a car in cash:
"Nice car. I would have taken a loan to buy new-or at least a nicer used car. What's a little but of a loan for a better product? What you spent on this car could have put a down payment on something nicer."

People posting success pics are posting the results of hard work for which they are proud (and should be proud). Congratulating someone on achieving their goals (whatever they may be) is great. Letting them know that their definition of success doesn't match theirs is belittling their goals and the work they have done to achieve them (because it essentially says "I don't value what you did"). You can work towards whatever you want to work towards, as can everyone. But comparing someone else's success towards their goals in comparison to your goals is rude.

Serah87

Before, 174 lbs:



After two years on 1200 + EXERCISE CALS, 125 lbs:



Now, another year eating 1400 + exercise cals and lifting weights, 136 lbs, same size as at 125 lbs:



Three months into eating TDEE -20% (1700 cals for me) and continued lifting. Now weight 136:





my point is that 1200 + exercise calories is in my opinion a fine thing to do if you are OBESE. But once you get to maintenance, you need to do something different. I got down to 123 lbs on 1200+ calories and I fett horrible. I was wasting away and not looking any better. I am enjoying my fitness now at 1700 calories and eating at 1700 calories is a lot more sustainable for me.

Awesome job!!!

bcattoes

nice try Corvus but these special snowflakes have different goals than you.

Or perhaps they just prefer the look she had before she started eating more and lifting. I mean, it's not as if she was sporting a lot of loose skin. I thought she looked great. She wanted something different and achieved it, and kudos to her for doing so.

But that doesn't mean a lot of other women wouldn't have been tickled pink with her 1200 calorie body.

navydentalchic

:laugh: :drinker: :flowerforyou:

Mcgrawhaha

nice try Corvus but these special snowflakes have different goals than you.

Or perhaps they just prefer the look she had before she started eating more and lifting. I mean, it's not as if she was sporting a lot of loose skin. I thought she looked great. She wanted something different and achieved it, and kudos to her for doing so.

But that doesn't mean a lot of other women wouldn't have been tickled pink with her 1200 calorie body.

i would be tickled pink, purple, blue, and red... to have her 1200 cal body!!! GREAT JOB!!!

MartinaNYC

If you're only eating 1200 calories and exercising then you are not even getting the 1200 calories. It's common sense. I don't care if you only want to eat 1200, but you NEED to be eating your exercise calories back...

Maybe you do, but everyone's body is different. Some people don't lose if they eat back all their cals, some people lose just fine if they do. Do what works for your body.

If I ate 1200 calories and ran 13 miles (did that last week for a race) I would be at a net of around 150 cals. That would be bad.

^Agreed.

bcattoes

Good job and you look great, but I would prefer more muscle definition. Not sure you can get that at 1200 calories.
Thoughts?

This is quite possibly the rudest comment I have ever read (not the first sentence-the second). Perhaps YOU would prefer to see more muscle definition, perhaps others would too. More muscle definition aligns with YOUR goals. This person posted pics of their success as defined by them and their goals. Just because they don't necessarily align with your goals doesn't make their success invalid. I know she said she's started working with weights to tone. It just makes me angry that someone has put pics of what they consider success and have someone respond with - eh, that's not what I consider success.

Not even addressing the whole notion that people "doing" 1200 must post pics or there's no value or credibility in their success.

We all have different goals, we all are in different places towards reaching those goals. I started out morbidly obese looking fairly similar to the Michelen Man. I now look like my profile pic. I am not "done", but I'm no longer morbidly obese and run 25-30 miles a week. That's success to me and I don't care if that's how you define success. I net 1200 (actually a little under that).

This thread makes me sad.

Um, wow! This seems a bit of an over-reaction to me. The responder said the poster in the pics looked great. And they mentioned that they had a different body preference for themselves. How is that rude?

I've gotten this same reaction when I say I don't want as much definition as some women, even if I give them compliments on meeting their own personal goals.

In either instance, why is rude to have a different goal?

It's not rude to have different goals. I consider it rude to compare someone else's success to goals that are not theirs. Perhaps some non-weight loss examples will help:

To someone that has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and months/years renovating a house:
"Nice house. I don't like historical homes, and the paint colors are too bright, and I wouldn't have this furniture either. You need another decorator."

To someone who has scrimped and saved to purchase a car in cash:
"Nice car. I would have taken a loan to buy new-or at least a nicer used car. What's a little but of a loan for a better product? What you spent on this car could have put a down payment on something nicer."

People posting success pics are posting the results of hard work for which they are proud (and should be proud). Congratulating someone on achieving their goals (whatever they may be) is great. Letting them know that their definition of success doesn't match theirs is belittling their goals and the work they have done to achieve them (because it essentially says "I don't value what you did"). You can work towards whatever you want to work towards, as can everyone. But comparing someone else's success towards their goals in comparison to your goals is rude.

But you extrapolated into insults that the other poster did not. The responding post never said the first poster needed something different or wasn't good enough. The response said "you look great" and "I want something different".

More along the lines of "Hey, nice sports nice car, but personally I'd want something with more passenger room."

jedikrissy

Before, 174 lbs:



After two years on 1200 + EXERCISE CALS, 125 lbs:



Now, another year eating 1400 + exercise cals and lifting weights, 136 lbs, same size as at 125 lbs:



Three months into eating TDEE -20% (1700 cals for me) and continued lifting. Now weight 136:





my point is that 1200 + exercise calories is in my opinion a fine thing to do if you are OBESE. But once you get to maintenance, you need to do something different. I got down to 123 lbs on 1200+ calories and I fett horrible. I was wasting away and not looking any better. I am enjoying my fitness now at 1700 calories and eating at 1700 calories is a lot more sustainable for me.

I very much agree with everything you said, and you look great by the way Congrats on your success! I am now at that maintenance stage and I need to figure out how to maintain. For the last month I haven't really logged or exercised to much just to see how I would do without MFP and I haven't gained. Now I want to tone up more but I don't want to get too muscular so I am not sure how to do that yet.

CorvusCorax77

nice try Corvus but these special snowflakes have different goals than you.

Or perhaps they just prefer the look she had before she started eating more and lifting. I mean, it's not as if she was sporting a lot of loose skin. I thought she looked great. She wanted something different and achieved it, and kudos to her for doing so.

But that doesn't mean a lot of other women wouldn't have been tickled pink with her 1200 calorie body.

well, it's not like you know me!

Actually, I was sporting loose skin. And I still am. But it's getting better. The problem I had with my body at 123 was that I didn't look how I wanted to- and even at the time my goal wasn't to look like a body builder, but I wanted to look "skinny" like I had low body fat. I still had love handles. I still had a pooch. I figured I could keep at this 1200 calorie bit and end up 115 or 110 lbs, but I felt weak. I felt like I hardly had any energy. It knew it wasn't working for me anymore.

So how do you lower your body fat from 20% to 16% while having energy to enjoy life?

The answer is to increase your Lean Body Mass and to eat more and work out more. You raise your metabolism.

Added benefits: I'm helluva lot better at things I like to do now, like rock climbing and surfing. And i have the energy to do it.

Duck_Puddle

Good job and you look great, but I would prefer more muscle definition. Not sure you can get that at 1200 calories.
Thoughts?

This is quite possibly the rudest comment I have ever read (not the first sentence-the second). Perhaps YOU would prefer to see more muscle definition, perhaps others would too. More muscle definition aligns with YOUR goals. This person posted pics of their success as defined by them and their goals. Just because they don't necessarily align with your goals doesn't make their success invalid. I know she said she's started working with weights to tone. It just makes me angry that someone has put pics of what they consider success and have someone respond with - eh, that's not what I consider success.

Not even addressing the whole notion that people "doing" 1200 must post pics or there's no value or credibility in their success.

We all have different goals, we all are in different places towards reaching those goals. I started out morbidly obese looking fairly similar to the Michelen Man. I now look like my profile pic. I am not "done", but I'm no longer morbidly obese and run 25-30 miles a week. That's success to me and I don't care if that's how you define success. I net 1200 (actually a little under that).

This thread makes me sad.

Saying you arent sure if you can get more muscle definition by staying at 1200 calories and does anyone have any thoughts about whether you can.... is the rudest comment youve ever read?

:noway:

No-telling someone who posted pics of their success that YOU (although not you) prefer something different. That is the rude part.

CorvusCorax77

just to be clear:

I'm a successful 1200 calorie dieter. You can see this from my pics. I lost weight.

But it's the idea that someone would continue to eat 1200 calories to maintain that is a myth I would like to dispell. At 123 lbs, my basal metabolic rate was over 1300 calories. This is not a sustainable way to live. It's fine to eat lower than you BMR if you have mass stores of excess calories in the form of fat that your body can rely on, but I don't think it is wise to expect your body to do that when you are a female at 20% bf.

That is all.

MsDover

I'm a 1200 gal I'm 25, 5 feet tall and need to lose around 100lbs to be where I want to be. I find eating 1200 cals a day easy and so far I have lost 20lbs in around 10 weeks so an average of 2lbs per week. It's working wonders for me and I feel like I'm losing at a realistic weight. It's staying off and there's nothing drastic about my eating or exercising habits! SUCCESS!

I don't call that success. I call that progress. See if you can lose the whole next 100 pounds on 1200. I have seen ONE post on this thread that actually sounds like a "success" story

Really? I posted my success story. I lost 70 pounds eating 1200 or less a day and kept it off for 5 years, gaining back a few pounds relatively recently, but have lost those back now as well. If that's not success, what exactly is?