success stories from 1200 calorie dieters wanted

MstngSammy

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.

Thank you.

sleepytexan

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.

I know what it is; I was the 5th of 5 females on my dad's side of the family diagnosed. Western Medicine is sorely lacking in treating most things; you will rarely find an MD recommend treating anything with diet. Now, drugs and surgery . . . that, they like.

annepage

Eating in the 1200 range doesn't necessarily imply feeling starved. People eating in that range don't necessarily think they have to "starve" to lose weight. I don't-starving slows the ability to lose weight. The calorie deficit is based on the lifestyle of the individual. For some of us who are not able to be as active as we would like to be and cannot do intense exercise due to injury for example, 1200 is sometimes the range that is suggested.

Eating nutritious food and not JUNK, I don't feel starved. Eating more fruit and veg, lean meats, whole grains-I feel better than I did when I was eating way more than 1200 and was obese. The only real supplement I've taken for years is a multivitamin, not bars, shakes, etc to keep the weight off.

My experience with regaining weight in the past was not due to stopping the consumption of supplements/weight loss products because I'd never started them. It was due to the fact that I wasn't ready for a lifestyle change and was thinking of things in terms of weight loss. I'm ready for the lifestyle change now to improve my health and if being in the 1200 range means being healthy, then so be it.

Gemalar

I joined MFP just after xmas and ok im not saying its been easy but I have lost 11lbs since then.

Sticking to 1200 (or 1270 in my case) is hard but I got used to it after a while,I occasionally go over but then I have days when Im under.

Hazel2005

Please correct me if I am wrong, but the debate isn't over whether you will lose weight eating 1200 calories. It is whether or not it is sustainable in the long run and whether it is the healthiest choice for some. Again, correct me if I'm wrong, some people say that once you get to your goal weight, you will start to gain if you eat more than this amount. I think a good portion of people restrict/reduce their caloric intake quite drastically to be at 1200 calories and the question then arises, why?. Why would you or should you if you can still lose weight by eating more. The optimal result being that if you do so in this manner, when you reach your goal weight you can still eat a substantial amount, maintain and/or continue to lose. I have yet to get to my goal but know that there will be changes constantly along the way.

Myself, I've been at both ends of the spectrum and the latter makes more sense for me but that is me.

AllAboutThatTreble

I'll go:

I lost 21 pounds between end of November - January 3rd eating only 1200 -1400 calories and NOT eating exercise calories back. Yes, that is a lot of weight lost in a few weeks and this is why: I was doing Insanity, so in reality I was netting ~800-1000 calories a day. I thought I ate my exercise calories back, but I looked at the food journal I had before MFP, and nope, I wasn't. My TDEE at lightly active is ~2400. Insanity is definitely not lightly active.

I also ate "clean" 90/10. Tons of fruits, vegetables, chicken breasts, fish. My "cheat" meal was once a week (meal not day), and even then I rearranged my food so I could fit in a burger and fries and still remain within 1400 the most.

I've repeated this process many times over the course of 3 years. Each time I did, I reached a range of weight where I just stalled. And of course got frustrated and gave up then put all the weight back on. I couldn't figure out for the life of me why I couldn't keep losing weight. I'm a perfectionist so I weighed everything and tracked every calorie. So from January 3rd - last week I did the same thing every week (plus I added lifting weights along with Insanity, then switched to TurboFire + lifting) and lost nothing, there were some weeks I gained. And no, I didn't "gain muscle". Not even in my wildest dreams. I wasn't even losing inches.

Then I joined MFP, read the forums, figured out my TDEE, subtracted 20% and I feel so much better.

I'm eating 1900 now and I feel great. I jumped on the scale last week and lost 2 pounds. I'm not going to step on the scale again until April 1st and I'll report back how it has been. Hopefully I won't be made out to be a fool :laugh:

If 1200 works for you, great. Seriously, it worked for me for a while. But I really want to have an active lifestyle and I want to not just lose weight, but also change my body and put on muscle, keep some of my curves, etc. I know loose skin may be a problem but by filling it in with muscle, it shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Eventually I'll be eating more than 1900, but that's okay. It's what I want. Plus I like going out with my friends and stuff, and do you know how hard it is to stick to 1200 that way? Studying already keeps me indoors a lot, I didn't want my dieting to cause me to lose the friends I had left.

Oh and I'm 23, 5'7 and my highest recorded weight is 218.

cryslynn1980

I am so confused by this thread! I am trying to lose this weight and the calorie thing is the most confusing for me. I have been recommended by MFP to eat 1200 a day. I am doing ok with it but I have not seen much progress... I just get aggravated with myself. so many different suggestions and to tell ya the truth im scared/nervous to eat more cause I cant afford to gain more weight. I am 5'1 and am 220...my goal is to be 140. I do the treadclimber every morning and burn about 270cal...i did one week of eating the calories back that I burned and gained .5lbs. I would love to see the photos as well and know How long they have keep it off.

zen82

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.

Faye_Anderson

It really does stand out that the 1200 calorie "dieters" feel the need to prove themselves time and again, post after post about how it works for them and how lots of them are successful. You rarely ever see posts like this from the people who actually eat at TDEE cut. And no, there is no bias in that statement, I have been on both sides of the "argument".
The question shouldn't be "does it work?" it should be "why would you want it to work when SCIENCE says your body needs more fuel to function properly?" :flowerforyou:

Fibergurl

I'm 52 and I'm full and losing the weight. I only consume mostly plant based foods..I feel fine! Pilates, yoga and walking are my routine.

ashleey1000

Glad to see these success stories. I've noticed that some ppl on here are "know it alls" or just like to be rude for some reason lol idk but congrats to everyone who has been successful eating 1200 calories a day. Everyone is different and wat may not work for u can work for someone else.

sandradev1

I have been eating 1400 calories and have consistently lost 1 lb a week.

Why would I just eat 1200 calories when I can have more and lose. In fact as from this week I am increasing my calories to 1750 on lifting days to give me more energy to complete my workout and I know I will still lose weight and in particular inches as the weights I lift get heavier.

People may be able to lose weight on 1200 calories, I just cannot see why, when it's not necessary.

That's all......

MstngSammy

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.

Yes....but I am overweight...trying to lose and certainly can't run 13 miles lol. 1200 is pretty basic where I am. On days where I am especially active I sometimes do have to eat more to maintain my energy. Other days I don't.

It all depends on where you are in your "journey".

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.

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

I was talking about the initial poster--yes, I know what mine is. The 10 calories per pound is crap. I was quoting you for emphasis.

jadeyq1

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!

zen82

I am so confused by this thread! I am trying to lose this weight and the calorie thing is the most confusing for me. I have been recommended by MFP to eat 1200 a day. I am doing ok with it but I have not seen much progress... I just get aggravated with myself. so many different suggestions and to tell ya the truth im scared/nervous to eat more cause I cant afford to gain more weight. I am 5'1 and am 220...my goal is to be 140. I do the treadclimber every morning and burn about 270cal...i did one week of eating the calories back that I burned and gained .5lbs. I would love to see the photos as well and know How long they have keep it off.

My personal opinion, being that I weigh 110 and would lose the will to live on 1200 (I have eaten at that level, lost weight, became ill), is that you probably need to eat more. But even if you chose to follow the mfp 1200 (I'd query the activity level as hardly anyone is sedentary as per the levels here unless they really move *very* little) you would still be needing to eat your exercise cals back. That's how mfp is set up to work. That's why it lets you add your workouts and then it adds it to your cal allowance. Not eating them back is going to take you to such a low net amount of cals you'll be going way below bmr. Also, the medics would give you more than 1200 if you were lying down in a coma (by drip) and you would not gain weight.

EDIT to give better detail... "became ill, plateaued, began cycle of eating disorder, ate even less than 1200 by eating less than that AND exercising, became more ill... Recovered, ate more, got back to healthy weight, had more fat % than pre illness, became depressed, began what I thought was a sensible 1300 diet plus exercise, took ages to shift anything, triggered relapse of illness... Etc. now eat 1800-2200 and exercise 3-5 times a week and staying in the same range around 110."

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.

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.

USe a TDEE calculator--the 10, 12, 14, etc calorie per pound is just not realistic. I like scooby's workshop.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

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!

1200 calories IS drastic.

Fibergurl

I'm 52 and I'm full and losing the weight. I only consume mostly plant based foods..I feel fine! Pilates, yoga and walking are my routine.

Carmella9

Ive been sticking to 1000 calories for the last 10 weeks (from Jan 3rd) the odd saturday i may have a treat but usually making it about 1,200-1,500.
I do not take away excersise calories and will burn atleast 600 calories a minimum of 4 days per week. Mainly from running, also from circuits, elliptical, rowing and stationary cycling.

I have lost 16 pounds so far, taking me from 11 st 6 lbs (160 lbs) to 10 st 4 lbs (144 lbs).
Some days I struggle but overall it is fairly easy and I am yet to plateu after 10 weeks, I aim to get around 9 st 10 lbs then up my intake to between 1200-1600 per day to maintain depending on what works

p.s I excersise regualarly so this could be why i have not plateued as I am not letting my motabolism slow due to probably buiding more muscle and strength x

Sweet_Gurl_Next_Door

this
Glad to see these success stories. I've noticed that some ppl on here are "know it alls" or just like to be rude for some reason lol idk but congrats to everyone who has been successful eating 1200 calories a day. Everyone is different and wat may not work for u can work for someone else.

renee_sutter

I ate 1200 calories daily, lost 35 lbs in 6 months, dropped 3 sizes and have kept it off for over a year now. It works if you stick to it and make good choices of food and active lifestyle

camillerivera

When I first started using MFP, I think last year summer? I was on a 1200 calories a day diet, and in about 2 1/2 months, I lost 25 pounds and yes I still ate food. (Some people actually thought I was starving). It works I mean if it was not safe, why would MFP even give you the choice on it right? But it could be hard in the beginning if you are not use to eating less calories, but think of it this way, if you cannot keep up with 5 small meals a day, you can give yourself 500 calorie meal three times a day and work off the excess to balance it out. 500 calories makes you full but don't assume just any. Example, a 300 cal. mcchicken is not a good idea, maybe whole wheat bread topped with tuna, low fat cheese etc.

Good Luck!

mgobluetx12

I'm 6'2 and started off at 285 in late July by logging my food. I ate around 1200 + half exercise calories for many months and it worked great for me. I eat 40/30/30, and rarely eat any bad carbs (junk, processed food, etc.), so 1200 calories of healthy food goes a really long way, especially when 30% comes from protein.

I love the posts from people who think you won't get any responses and now you're up to almost 80. Just shows the 1200 calorie haters that it absolutely DOES work for some people.

zen82

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.

Yes....but I am overweight...trying to lose and certainly can't run 13 miles lol. 1200 is pretty basic where I am. On days where I am especially active I sometimes do have to eat more to maintain my energy. Other days I don't.

It all depends on where you are in your "journey".

You're missing my point I think. I net more than 1200 anyway. But say 1200 was my goal on here. There would be a huge difference between eating 1200 + half marathon burn and eating 1200 and not eating half marathon burn. The not eating back version would mean I'd feel really poorly because my body and all the cells in it would be depleted of the energy needed to carry out basic processes for life. If you take the dont eat back principle on a VLCD and you do exercise, you're actually going to be on a VVVLCD. And I have to say, that's what I did when I was suffering from an eating disorder, so it's definitely bad! I guess the difference isn't as noticeable if your exercise is 100 a day or so (though I still would eat it back using that method) but I was trying to illustrate the point. There is a huge difference between eating back and not if you're going with how mfp sets goals. Mfp's in house method already builds in your deficits.

Carmella9

i dont think it is drastic, it is only drastic depending on the amount of calories you were eating before lowering to 1,200.
If someone who ate 3,000-4,000 cals per day went to that it would feel like starvation, however if like myself someone averaged around 1900-2000 cals per day it is not drastic it is just a case of cutting our some unhealthy snacks and replacing them with some fruit and vegies.

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.

USe a TDEE calculator--the 10, 12, 14, etc calorie per pound is just not realistic. I like scooby's workshop.

Mine is around 2000 calories WITHOUT exercise. I stick to around 1200 and if I feel the need to eat more...I do. I'm averaging around 1400 with exercise. ( My burn is average around 800 calories). If I ate 2000 calories I would be so full I'd feel (and look) like a beached whale.

But......that's just me. I'm not everyone....obviously

Carmella9

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

How much do you eat to maintain 135 lbs I am 144 lbs now and looking to get to that weight to maintain but was just wondering how much calories do you eat in a day to maintain your weight?

Ely82010

I reached my goals netting between 1100 and 1200 calories a day. Sometimes I ate all my exercises calories, and sometimes I ate only half of it.

I have been on maintenance for over two years, and I still eat more or less the same way. I am not hungry, starving or cranky, and if I want to eat more during the weekends (rest days), I do it without problems. I keep my carbs under 150 and my protein between 90 and 120 gr/day.

I am 69 years old. 4'11" and my weight fluctuate between 101 and 102lbs. According with several websites my BMR is between 1045 and 1075, so my net is well above those numbers. My TDEE is around 1600, so I am really eating (total) between 10 and 15% below.

No, I am not anorexic, or a "melted candle,"and I am not a prune either. I have small waist but wide hips and I am busty. I do weight training, limited cardio, Pilates, Yoga, Ballet, and some DVD workouts when I want a change in my routine. I have a sluggish thyroid and I am on meds, so I need to keep my weight under control. I know my body and I respect my body, and my doctor is very happy with my weight and lab results.

In my book, the quality of my calories is as important as the quantity. I don’t eat junk, I don’t eat fast food, and I don’t endorse any particular diet regimen, and even on the days that I go over my goals, I am very careful to make my choices as healthy as possible.

Do I want to eat more, can I eat more? NO to both questions! For me this is a long term goal that is very easy to maintain, and my stomach is not happy when I go above my limit. On the other hand, if I need more fuel, my body will tell me and I will oblige
.
Is this a success story? I don’t know just make your own decision. I am happy and that is all that counts.

CoderGal

After a while I felt great on 1200 cals until I started noticing extra hair in the shower and all my nails cracked off and I started noticing I was always cold.