success stories from 1200 calorie dieters wanted

MsDover

I am 69 years old.

You really can't compare your caloric needs to the 25 year olds on here. They need to eat more than you do.

So you can only share your story if you're young.

Got it.

I'm 61 years old and no, a large number of the 20 somethings really don't want to hear it. We need to stay over it those 50+ threads.

ETA : I maintain at around 1400 calories a day and kept my weight off for more than 5 years doing that. When I ate closer to 1800 I gained weight... 17 pounds over 2 years. I now eat around 1000 calories a day and have lost 22 pounds in 5 months. I'm OLDER so yes, I don't require what a younger, more active person needs. How many calories works for a person really does have a ton of variables. It is not "one size fits all" and frankly, I'm tired of being told I'm not eating enough by people who assume they know what my needs are to maintain a healthy existence.

gimpygramma

68 years old
Started MFP in August 2012
Weighed 146lbs then.
Achieved goal weight of 130 in mid December.
Current weight is 125
Because of my age, weight and sedentary life style my TDEE was only about 1400 calories. As I lost weight, that number went down. It is now 1330. On a 1200 calorie diet MFP predicted that I would lose .3 lbs a week.
I followed the1200 calorie plan MFP recommended but I also exercised most days and did not eat back my exercise calories.
I found my exercise burn calories totalled about 3,500 calories a week and that pretty well coincided with my weight loss...ie a pound a week.

annepage

Turned 26 two months ago, am 5'5'' and aim for 1270 daily to lose 1 lb/week.

ColletteNicole

I have several friends on here that have lost 100+ lbs on 1200 calories + not eating exercise cals back that are maintaining and look amazing... not my place to post their pics, but they are out there and they are my motiviation! Most were friended after seeing their success stories posted here...

I don't understand the point of eating more food than you need just to hit some magical number. A lot of us are overweight because of eating more than we need & I honestly think promoting eating at TDEE/BMR is irresponsible and dangerous for people that struggle with compulsive overeating and food addiction. What I'd like to see are some before and afters of people that have lost a LOT of weight (100+lbs) eating at their BMR-TDEE the entire time (I read the success stories forum daily and have yet to see this)... a lot of big losers here seem to up calorie intake when they're more than halfway there to break plateaus or because they can be a lot more active since they are lighter. I don't believe that formula is appropriate actually overweight people/ morbidly obese people, if it were, weight loss clinics would be putting people on higher calorie diets, not 1000 - 1500 calorie diets.

whitecapwendy

My second post in this thread. I am not going hungry at 1200-1400 calories. I am choosing wisely. I try to make the bulk of my diet fruits and vegetables, and stick to whole grains and lean meats. I snack on nuts, veggies, and allow myself the occasional lw fat ice cream bar. I eat 4 meals a day between 300-400 calories each. I go to bed each night satisfied as I am learning the difference between hunger and appetite (If I wait a few minutes after eating I find that I am satisfied. I am also making it a point to drink a lot of water (72-96 ounces a day)

I did this a couple years ago, but did not stick with it and gained the weight back. I am learning some lessons along the way. I want to make healthy eating a lifestyle. I am learning to not deny myself a treat, but learning to take a taste--a couple bites. I will allow myself the occasional meal in which I enjoy a treat meal and be careful the rest of the day), and go back on track the next day. This is keeping the cravings at bay.

My goal, besides losing weight, is to eat healthy and get the nutrients my body needs. I am 53, extremely overweight and concerned about future health issues that may result. As I mentioned earlier in the the thread, I have been at this since January 4 and have lost 28.8 pounds (seven in the first week, 5 the second week and it has evened to about 2 week since then.). I cannerot claim long term success at this point, but body is responding positively to this and I feel good when I stay on my routine.

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.

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.

And? No one here is telling you to do that. The question was cqn people lose weight on 1200 calories. I have so I think so, is it for everyone? No.

kbsd456

These threads are so controversial! lol

well sad to say im a 1200cal diet non-success story . but i guess you could call it a partial success story. I lost 17lb and then plateaud. I never gained the weight back but had to change things to get the scale moving again (1500cal-1600cal). That was not enough calories for me and I was hungry at the end of the day. I was also not really able to get in a GOOD work-out.

MstngSammy

I am 69 years old.

You really can't compare your caloric needs to the 25 year olds on here. They need to eat more than you do.

So you can only share your story if you're young.

Got it.

That's not what I said. My point was that the caloric needs of a 69 year old woman at 4'11" are going to be much lower than a 25 year old who is 5'6". She was trying to make it sound like what was an acceptably low number for her was also acceptable for someone with much higher metabolic needs.

But go ahead. Misinterpret what I said. There's a lot of that going on around here anyway.

The 69 yr old was actually giving her success story. That was what this thread was supposed to be in the first place but several of us have taken it elsewhere ...myself included.

AliceNov2011

I am 69 years old.

You really can't compare your caloric needs to the 25 year olds on here. They need to eat more than you do.

Women over 40 (and especially over 50) -- Please come join this group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/9239-the-ladies-who-lunch

No skinny teenagers or bulky body-builders... just real women "of an age" who know ourselves and our bodies, have been through childbirth and/or menopause, enjoy real food, and will never, ever spend 1 or 2, let alone 5 or 6 hours a day in the gym. We have real lives, real jobs, real families, we know who we are, we have a sense of humor about that (by the way), and we're willing to share what we're learning (without judgment) with each other.

And wine. There's always room for wine.

michellelemorgan

I lost 10 pounds eating a 1200 calorie a day diet, running and strength training. I ate very healthy and was rarely ever hungry. I maintain at around 1500. Recently I needed to lose about 5 or 6 pounds from holiday weight gain and have managed to do that at around 1300 calories a day. I'm almost back at maintenance size.

Mads1997

Mostly what I've taken away from this whole debate is that a 1200 cal diet is not for everyone, just like TDEE is not for everyone.

But is 1200 cals sustainable in the long run?

For some people yes, others no.

But is it the healthiest choice for those people?

Honestly, who can know? And I think most of us don't want to waste time trying out every other mothod out there if what is working is not doing harm anyway.

But why would you limit yourself to 1200 if you can eat more and still lose at the same rate?

I'd like to think that most 1200ers have tried (because hey, more food) but sometimes it just doesn't work.

But is 1200 sustainable after all the excess weight is lost? It depends on the person and their goals.

I mean, I thought all this information was kind of obvious. I honestly don't know why all this has gone on for so long now. Can we please move on and go back to being a supportive community instead of just fighting over things we already know?

No one is really saying that it is sustainable for the rest of our lives. Of course we are going to have to up calories to maintain at some point. The 1200cals is not enough barrage was not about being sustainable, otherwise the links in the other thread by Taso should never have been posted as most if not all of those people are trying to lose weight not maintain.

zichab

Oh lord thank you Alice! I am joining right now as this thread has clearly run amok as they say! LOL

Oh and I forgot to add, white wine would be lovely!

j_masher

My TDEE is 1664 and if I hit it I am good, if not I don't worry about it. My calorie intake differs week to week. My BMR is 1342 but again it can change week to week. I am small frame and 43 yr old female and right now have 28.8% BF and my goal is to drop 10%. I lost weight sticking close to the 1200 calories or below and doing cardio daily on top of a business that keeps me on the move 10-12 hours a day at times. I took off 5 months this year and maintained the weight. I was reading on here that I might want to up my calories which I did this past week and I feel like crap. Stomach is distended and I feel sluggish. Now in all fairness, I am prone to tummy issues because I have Celiac but the way I feel now by intentionally eating to hit that number is like I ate a loaf of bread. Gained water weight the last week trying the "other" way, but will go back to what has worked for my needs. I dreamed of heavy lifting because again I saw success in the forums for women. Problem is I have a hernia mesh repair that limits what I can do without being in debilitating pain for days and trying to get orders out to my customers. I will have to work and switch things up as I go. Just try to do what is best for your body within reason and be happy with the tiny goals. I try to eat as healthy as I can and eat when my body says feed me or I will shrivel up like a raisin. I was telling my husband that after reading the forums that I felt like I had eating disorder. He said that is what you will get for reading forums. lol

CoderGal

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chocl8girl

johnnygizmo

It's been working pretty well for me for about 2 months. I'm just waiting for the plateau and am ready to make adjustments if I have any adverse side effects. I'm not saying it is the best way to go, but right now, with the exercise routine I'm in and the food I am eating, I seem to be in a sweet spot. It's taken me from 230 to 195 and going well. I'll use it until it stops working for me, then re-evaluate. I've recently added whey protein mix daily to help make sure 1) I'm getting enough protein to recover from workouts and 2) that I'm upping my calories a bit.

Mia_RagazzaTosta

Tagging

I love these threads

AAL94LBB

I eat 1200 calories and I'm certainly losing weight. It's all about your body! If you went from eating 3,000 calories a day then yes, you have to slowly get your body down or switching too soon will put your body in 'shock', not allowing you to naturally lose.

almc170

So hey, yeah, I lost some weight on 1200 calories (a bit less than that, actually. But who's counting?). It was awesome. It was great. I lost some other things as well. Like some hair. And my periods. And some muscle tissue. But whatever. Who needs negatives? We're all one big supportive family, right?

grannylina

1200 works for me. Actually, I find it hard to reach 1200 and stay within my sodium, carb, fat & sugar limits. So I rely more on my nutrition intake than the total calories. I am finding it very difficult to figure out what to eat -- if it's low in fat and sugar, damn skippy there's a lot of sodium !! Low salt - you end up with more sugar and fats. Aside from researching or getting a nutritionist - any suggestions are welcome:
Oh, right the success. Just started up Jan 21st and have lost 12 pounds and feel good. Do exercise nearly everyday 45 - 90 minutes average