success stories from 1200 calorie dieters wanted

vanessagumdrop

A lot of my family and friends are naturally thin, I watch them eat they do not count their calories are healthy and on most days I don't even think they eat 1200 calories no one ever tells naturally thin people that they don't eat enough so I am not sure why everyone always makes such a big deal about calories. Eat what your body tells you. If you are at 1200 and you are hungry you are not eating enough. If you are eating 1200 and feel great then good. I am a pescatarian and on most days eating 1200 calories and I feel great I have more energy then I have ever had because I eat 1200 calories of good clean food on most days. I have lost 26 pounds in 65 days on mfp and feel great, my advice just listen to your body and be good to it.

TylerJ76

No.

twinketta

Thanks, not that I want to see my fat body all over MFP, but what I am trying to say is 1200 cals + exercise cals does work and I am 15 lbs less than the 2nd pic now and a lot more toned, just I haven`t got a pic to show you

popsicklestar

I've been losing weight consistently (about 2 pounds a week) following a 1200 calories goal. I'm about 9 pounds or so from my goal weight (maybe less, not sure what I want my goal weight to be yet, so I'm going to see how I feel). I always eat back my workout calories, and I go over a little if I'm hungry and I need to. I know 1200 is low, so when my body tells me I need to eat a little more, I have a low calorie snack. I also have splurge days here and there for special events where I go over a lot.

MstngSammy

I have always been told take the weight you want to be and multiply by 10. I want to be 128 again....so ideal for me is 1280 calories. But going below 1200 can be counter productive because your body thinks it is starving at that point and will slow your metabolism to compensate.

You must TAKE IN 1200.
If your calories burned through exercise is 300, you would not be required to eat more even though it brings your net cals to 900 because....you have already TAKEN IN 1200.

Give or take a couple hundred calories is not going to hurt you.

However....if you are 160 lbs and want to be 120......eating back your calories to bring you back up to TAKING IN 1600 calories is only going to maintain the same weight. 160 X 10 = 1600. You may be thinner but you will maintain about the same weight.


Now this is how I understand it though. The type of foods you eat should also be taken into account. If you are eating a lot of sugars and processed foods it could work against you.

Eating REAL, FRESH, WHOLE foods is you best bet.

"You are what you eat."

"Repeating the same patterns over and over expecting a different result IS the definition of insanity"

If that is how you understand it, then you don't understand anything.

That said, OP, I started at 1200, but after I started working out and building more muscle (5 weeks of 30 day shred), I had to start eating more. There is success to be had when eating 1200, but I don't think it's something that should be used long term if a person wants that weight to stay off. You should be slowly adjusting your intake as you lose weight and moving closer to your TDEE maintenance number. That way, your body and metabolism adjusts SLOWLY and appropriately to the amount of fuel it will need when you get to your goal weight, and will be able to stay there.

(If that is how you understand it, then you don't understand anything.....no reason to be snarky)

But I agree with the rest about having to adjust your intake. Absolutely! There is no set equation for this. You have to listen to your body as well.

sleepytexan

I'm 30 years old, 5'4" and I eat 1200-1400 calories a day. I also exercise for an hour or two every day, both cardio and strength training, and don't eat my calories back. Since New Years, I've lost 20 lbs. I also have hypothyroidism, am not on meds and have been told by doctors that it would be nearly impossible to lose weight without my medication. At my calorie range, not only have I lost weight while building muscle (which is visible for the first time ever), but I'm not hungry, my physicals have come back totally healthy,i've minimized my low-T4 and no-t3 symptoms and I sleep great. When you eat tons of fruits and veggies, lean proteins and whole grains, you can eat lots of them and stay in a relatively low calorie level. There are those who need more calories to function and those who need fewer. Everyone is different.

I'm 45 years old, 5'4, 135-ish lbs (134.6 today) and I eat 2000-2300 cals a day. I also exercise 2-6 hours per day (yes, per day, my job entails exercise), both cardio and heavy lifting.

I used to have hypothyroidism (specifically Hashimoto's disease) for which I took meds for over 7 years to no avail. Back then I used to eat about 1200 cals a day. Back then I used to be about 15 lbs. heavier than I am right now.

Since I began fueling my body properly (eating avg 2000 cals/day), I lost weight, stopped meds, and no longer have any sign of Hashimoto's. No symptoms, nada. Cleared by ultrasound and bloodwork for over 2 years now.

Hypothyroidism is often caused and/or aggravated by VLCDs.

delilah47

In the past, I have lost over 40 pounds eating approximately 1200 calories per day. Unfortunately, as soon as I started eating "regular", I gained it all back. I suspect my body still thought it was starving. :sad:

pspetralia

I know a girl that lost 130#s in 12 months on 1200 cals went from 258 to 128, her body now looks like a 1/2 melted candle.

Best. Post. Ever! :laugh:

LorinaLynn

1280 calories a day. 137 lbs since Jan '12.

That's some amazing progress, with or without surgery, but... where's the food? It's all protein bars/shakes and supplements.

I have a number of friends who've had WLS, and I applaud their efforts, but the ones with lasting success are the ones who eat food and only supplement/snack with bars and shakes.

Ahh but hang on who are the ones forever saying it doesn't matter what you eat and there is no crap/junk food................so why should it matter in this case.

For weight loss alone... no it doesn't matter. See the Twinkie Diet. For optimal health and sustainability, it matters. I love a good chocolately, peanut-buttery protein bar and have one almost daily, but I can't imagine eating them and only them every day for the rest of my life.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I became anorexic eating 1200 calories, is that success?

twinketta

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!

How long have you kept it off for?

I have been steadily losing 1lb per week and reached my first goal of 140lbs back in November I decided to go to 135lbs and stick at it and just go with toning up. I don`t want to be super abs (never will happen) but I eat 80% clean and have the odd glass of wine and treat, so I am happy and healthy, it works for me x

Sarauk2sf

Thanks, not that I want to see my fat body all over MFP, but what I am trying to say is 1200 cals + exercise cals does work and I am 15 lbs less than the 2nd pic now and a lot more toned, just I haven`t got a pic to show you

1,200 + exercise calories =/= 1,200 calories.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I have always been told take the weight you want to be and multiply by 10. I want to be 128 again....so ideal for me is 1280 calories. But going below 1200 can be counter productive because your body thinks it is starving at that point and will slow your metabolism to compensate.

You must TAKE IN 1200.
If your calories burned through exercise is 300, you would not be required to eat more even though it brings your net cals to 900 because....you have already TAKEN IN 1200.

Give or take a couple hundred calories is not going to hurt you.

However....if you are 160 lbs and want to be 120......eating back your calories to bring you back up to TAKING IN 1600 calories is only going to maintain the same weight. 160 X 10 = 1600

SMH.

I guess I ought to be somewhere bt 200-230 lbs. then.

And I'd be gaining 2 pounds per week. Wow. That recommendation is so far off it's unreal.

twinketta

Thanks, not that I want to see my fat body all over MFP, but what I am trying to say is 1200 cals + exercise cals does work and I am 15 lbs less than the 2nd pic now and a lot more toned, just I haven`t got a pic to show you

1,200 + exercise calories =/= 1,200 calories.

Exactly and it worked for me? so your math is good lol and this is what the OP was asking?

tammymusic1

I am 5'3" and started last march at 200lbs I started doing 30 day shred 3 days a week and eating 1200 healthy calories did walking on treadmill on the other days. I lost 30lbs pretty quick. Then got a little lazy on tracking my calories stayed at my current weight for 6months then decided to get back on track in Jan. Added some new dvd workouts like Jackie warner and bob harper and the C25K plan I have lost another 20lbs since Jan. Now I am running 3 times a week and doing a dvd 3times a week. I do have to eat a little more calories on the days I run 6miles or I find myself dizzy. So it is possible

TylerJ76

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...

MstngSammy

I have always been told take the weight you want to be and multiply by 10. I want to be 128 again....so ideal for me is 1280 calories. But going below 1200 can be counter productive because your body thinks it is starving at that point and will slow your metabolism to compensate.

You must TAKE IN 1200.
If your calories burned through exercise is 300, you would not be required to eat more even though it brings your net cals to 900 because....you have already TAKEN IN 1200.

Give or take a couple hundred calories is not going to hurt you.

However....if you are 160 lbs and want to be 120......eating back your calories to bring you back up to TAKING IN 1600 calories is only going to maintain the same weight. 160 X 10 = 1600

SMH.

I guess I ought to be somewhere bt 200-230 lbs. then.

And I'd be gaining 2 pounds per week. Wow. That recommendation is so far off it's unreal.

You guys are so polite it is unreal :yawn:

I have edited that since I wrote it. Hard to finish a thought with these children running around.

I said that's how I understand it. If I'm wrong...enlighten me....teach me. Don't be rude.

sleepytexan

I have always been told take the weight you want to be and multiply by 10. I want to be 128 again....so ideal for me is 1280 calories. But going below 1200 can be counter productive because your body thinks it is starving at that point and will slow your metabolism to compensate.

You must TAKE IN 1200.
If your calories burned through exercise is 300, you would not be required to eat more even though it brings your net cals to 900 because....you have already TAKEN IN 1200.

Give or take a couple hundred calories is not going to hurt you.

However....if you are 160 lbs and want to be 120......eating back your calories to bring you back up to TAKING IN 1600 calories is only going to maintain the same weight. 160 X 10 = 1600

SMH.

I guess I ought to be somewhere bt 200-230 lbs. then.

And I'd be gaining 2 pounds per week. Wow. That recommendation is so far off it's unreal.

so far off what? My TDEE is 2241. Do you know what yours is?

jazzcat55

Since I began fueling my body properly (eating avg 2000 cals/day), I lost weight, stopped meds, and no longer have any sign of Hashimoto's. No symptoms, nada. Cleared by ultrasound and bloodwork for over 2 years now.

Hypothyroidism is often caused and/or aggravated by VLCDs.

I don't know about that. Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease, like type 1 diabetes, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, etc. etc. I have Hashimoto's. I have never heard of treating it with diet, other than avoiding too many soy products.

That's great that you have gotten rid of your symptoms, but I think we should be careful about claiming that diet can "cure" certain diseases/conditions.

redraidergirl2009

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.