1200 Calories

VonTinka

Hey guys,

I've been eating 1200 calories for a few months now. Lost quite a bit. I joined the gym too so it's sped up my loss but I think I am building some muscle now as i do weights aswell as cardio. My Issue is the fact i'm not eating enough or does it not matter? I don't feel hungry, i eat fruit, veg and fish but the calories are just not much in what i eat. I find it hard to eat over 1200 sometimes I will have a treat though only rare. If I'm not hungry does this matter too much? If i get hungry i will make sure i grab something small to eat.

I used to eat pizza, drink coke and eat anything bad for me but now i will just look away I have strong willpower but I feel good for it. I tend to not eat back my exercise calories as i'm not that hungry as I said though I wont starve myself as I wish to be healthy.

kathyms13

well done

luzmidd

Hi, I understand your issue, but the truth is, yes, it is bad for you. Your body won't function on less calories just coz you don't feel hungry, especially if you have a work out routine thats quite intense. It will eventually catch up to you and will cause more harm in the long run. I suggest you find something helathy to add to your diet that will increase your calories. Smoothies maybe? They are healthy, delish and high in calories. Good luck

Tachyonic

As long as you are eating at least 1200 calories per day, are not feeling hungry/refusing to feed your body, eating at appropriate times & appropriate portions, and eating all of the appropriate food groups needed to get the right vitamins & minerals, etc., I think that you're fine.

Of course, I'm not a doctor or anything close, but you sound like you're being perfectly healthy to me (assuming you're doing all of the above things)!

__RANDY__

Of course, I'm not a doctor or anything close, but you sound like you're being perfectly healthy to me

nope

dym123

The same thing happened to me, once I started eating whole foods, less processed I found I could eat more food, but with less calories. Try adding foods with more protein, greek yogurt, almonds or eggs. try to eat at least 1200 calories, but more if you can. Good luck

LauraW1219

Some people will say yes. They drive me crazy. They say that without knowing your lifestyle or stats. My nutritionist advised me it is just fine for my medical conditions and my age. Don't let people discourage you. If you want reassurance then I would check with your doctor. So many people bashed me for the 1200 calories I went to get peace of mind. I wish you the best of luck.

Crankstr

well done

NO.

elyelyse

i eat fruit, veg and fish but the calories are just not much in what i eat. I find it hard to eat over 1200 sometimes I will have a treat though only rare. If I'm not hungry does this matter too much? If i get hungry i will make sure i grab something small to eat.

I'm not going to tell you to eat if you are truly not hungry, but its very easy to add calories that are still healthy and 1200 really should be your minimum. Nuts are a calorie dense food that also delivers healthy fats, which you need. 25 pistachio nuts is a little under 100 calories of delicious healthy goodness with some protein. Add some avocado to a salad, also good fats, and yummyyy. Eating well and trying to lose weight doesn't mean cutting out everything that has calories and fat. You WANT fats. you WANT some calorie dense foods. Yes, LOTS of lean proteins and veggies... but don't cut things out just because they aren't low-cal/fat/carb. We need that stuff too.

Phrick

I am not at all suggesting that you are anorexic but take a look at your statements, they are just the same type of thing someone with an eating disorder says. Their body gets used to functioning on too few calories and they are genuinely "not hungry" and genuinely do NOT think they are "starving themselves" yet they are. Our bodies in some cases cannot be trusted to tell us the truth and this is one of those cases. I strongly recommend you visit this topic http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12 and figure out your BMR and TDEE (acronyms explained in topic) and go from there. You will find you are encouraged to eat not just "more" but in fact "WAY more" than you are eating now, and it can be scary to think of because we're all conditioned that the less you eat and more you exercise, the more you'll lose. This is 100% utter fallacy. I eat over 1900 calories a day and have lost now over 10 pounds in the last 20 days doing that! You'll find dozens and dozens and oodles more of stories of success with that route - and if you care to look, you'll find dozens and dozens of topics on "why isn't 1200 calories a day working for me?" on our forums too. I also suggest this topic for a breakdown of why 1200 calories a day is almost (*almost) never a good idea: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/908271-when-is-1200-calories-appropriate-hint-almost-never

VonTinka

Well i'm willing to add calories. I will try eating a little more maybe something before I go the gym. I love greek yogurt I will get a pot of it and weigh it out that should boost 100 calories and give me some fat along the way to help out. It's difficult when you don't feel hungry though it must be all the fruit I eat! lol

Koldnomore

My Issue is the fact i'm not eating enough or does it not matter? I don't feel hungry, i eat fruit, veg and fish but the calories are just not much in what i eat. I find it hard to eat over 1200 sometimes I will have a treat though only rare. If I'm not hungry does this matter too much? If i get hungry i will make sure i grab something small to eat.

It will matter when you get stuck on a plateau or do enough damage to your metabolism to permanently affect it. Not feeling hungry means you have already done damage. As far as not starving yourself..too late. Even if you were 4 feet tall and weighed 120 lbs at age 22 your body requires MORE than 1200 calories just to lay in a coma all day. The fact that you are working out means you need to be eating way more.

Do some research into what you are doing to your body instead of blindly following a website recommendation which has nothing to do with anything - may as well pull a random number from the sky because that is exactly what is happening. When you figure out how many calories you need to eat you need to consider your age, weight, height and activity level. This website does not do that.

You have already realized that you are not eating enough and have just posted this to get some validation that starving yourself thin is OK. It will work eventually, but you will feel like crap very soon and then you will stop losing completely, you will be tired all the time, hungry all the time and it will take you twice as long to reach your goal as someone who was eating for their body.

ladyraven68

Hey guys,

I've been eating 1200 calories for a few months now. Lost quite a bit. I joined the gym too so it's sped up my loss but I think I am building some muscle now as i do weights aswell as cardio. My Issue is the fact i'm not eating enough or does it not matter? I don't feel hungry, i eat fruit, veg and fish but the calories are just not much in what i eat. I find it hard to eat over 1200 sometimes I will have a treat though only rare. If I'm not hungry does this matter too much? If i get hungry i will make sure i grab something small to eat.

I used to eat pizza, drink coke and eat anything bad for me but now i will just look away I have strong willpower but I feel good for it. I tend to not eat back my exercise calories as i'm not that hungry as I said though I wont starve myself as I wish to be healthy.

3 questions

1 - Do you know what your Maintenance calories are? (TDEE)
2 - Why/how did you pick 1200?
3 - how much protein are you eating?

wdt2012

I can't stay on track for more than 2 or 3 days at a time. I need to lose 10 lbs. lost 30 3 years ago and gained 10 back now that I'm out or work I'm so depressed and bored WTF

CoderGal

I am building some muscle now as i do weights aswell as cardio

FYI to grow muscles sensibly you need a fuel surplus. When you're on a calorie deficit the point of working out the muscles is to get stronger and preserve what you have. You don't hulk on a bunch of muscle. Though a lot of people think they do because as they lose fat and size they get more defined. If you keep long term measurements you'll find the trend is you're getting smaller and your muscles are not getting larger because with weight loss you lose fat and muscle, you don't grow either. Mass gains are usually temporary and water related while your body repairs you from exercise etc.

And I try to hover far above the evil 1200 calorie minimum but that's just me. I tried it and started losing hair and nails even though I felt fine and never hungry for the longest while...but cold. Pretty sure it was more of a survival mechanism more then anything based on the studies I've read. Not to mention I lost the same amount when I upped my calories. Also a lot of people think they're eating 1200 calories but when they measure things in grams they find they're eating allot more. The other thing to think about on such a large calorie deficit is injuries. When you don't fuel your body with enough energy to repair your muscles, the chance you will become injured becomes much higher. Be careful. The choice is up to you but there are alternatives.

myofibril

If it's working and you feel comfortable with it then carry on.

I would suggest though:

a) having one high calorie day per week where you eat whatever you like up to a maximum of 20% above maintenance calories
b) have a diet break of a week or two after 8-12 weeks of dieting
c) if you are low carbing have one refeed per week as well (purposefully eat much higher carbs but keep fat intake lower)
d) avoid over doing it in the gym but try to keep general day today activity as high as possible

This might make the scales go wonky a bit from time to time but it will keep your fat loss ticking over nicely.

LorinaLynn

This thread might be of interest to you. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/920094-success-stories-from-1200-calorie-dieters-wanted

It's a collection of MFP members who've had success at 1200 calories, and you'll notice that the majority of them are about twice your age or more.

Enjoy the benefits of youth and the metabolism of an Energizer Bunny. You can eat - should eat - significantly more than someone twice your age. Your body needs it to fuel your workouts.

UsedToBeHusky

It's hard to know what your body might need as you didn't provide us with any information about your body (ie. height, weight, activity level). But, in my experience, if you aren't giving your body enough calories to perform it will let you know. The same goes for sufficient rest. Believe it or not, the muscles will refuse to function.

So... without knowing the specifics of your situation, I would say base your judgment on your body's ability to perform the tasks you've given it. I will say that, generally, 1200 calories is not enough for anyone who is doing any serious lifting.

VonTinka

Well I have only cut out the crap i eat. I make sure I have breakfast and I make sure i eat fruit and veg. Back 3 months ago i'd be nomming a pizza to myself, drinking full fat coke and candy. I've cut all this out and i'm left with not many calories. I tend to take in sugar, carbs and protein high latley though always lacking on the fat though unless i eat nuts or yog! I'll try up my calories though and add something else into my lunch.

VonTinka

I have lost 20 pounds i started at 195 lb now i'm at 176lb and seem to be dropping fast I'm also 5'5 in height.

UsedToBeHusky

I have lost 20 pounds i started at 195 lb now i'm at 176lb and seem to be dropping fast I'm also 5'5 in height.

With a moderate activity level, your TDEE is roughly 2506, based on this website, http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html. At that level, you are functioning on a 1300 calorie deficit. That is fine in the short term, but in the long term, your body will see that 1300 calorie deficit as a potential risk to starvation. As a result, the body will produce hormones to make you feel hungrier and to make your body perform exercise more efficiently. It could lead to a plateau. Make certain you are getting a sufficient amount of unsaturated fats in your diet.

No one can really tell you what is best for you. All we can do is share our knowledge and allow you to make the most appropriate decision for yourself. However, based off of what you shared, I do not believe you are eating enough calories to sustain your weight loss in the long term. I would recommend making an adjustment to your calorie goal.

geekyjock76

3 questions

1 - Do you know what your Maintenance calories are? (TDEE)
2 - Why/how did you pick 1200?
3 - how much protein are you eating?

I echo these questions.

Secondly, never eat based on hunger cues when assuming a chronic calorie deficit since leptin values drop and the receptors become less reliable in noticing adjustments. Eat based on known energy needs + deficit.

Lastly, eat the kinds of foods you want to eat during maintenance. You need not make radical changes to reduce fat mass; in fact, people who do are usually ones who do not handle the mental stress of restriction all that well which causes poor compliance.

VonTinka

Well for now i've boosted up my calories to 1400, i also noticed *embarrassingly* I wasn't counting the milk i had on my breakfast and some small bits and thats took me about 1350 odd, so maybe i've been loosing on 1400. I've upped it for now i'll see how it goes.

BaconMD

Well for now i've boosted up my calories to 1400, i also noticed *embarrassingly* I wasn't counting the milk i had on my breakfast and some small bits and thats took me about 1350 odd, so maybe i've been loosing on 1400. I've upped it for now i'll see how it goes.

Good for you! That's a start. You may wish to bump it up a bit more after a week or two at 1400, to slowly get up close to where you should be at.

When I first joined here, I was confused and nervous about eating more than MFP told me to, but once I did, my fears were assuaged by me feeling better and the weight still trending downwards.

CoderGal

3 questions

1 - Do you know what your Maintenance calories are? (TDEE)
2 - Why/how did you pick 1200?
3 - how much protein are you eating?

I echo these questions.

Secondly, never eat based on hunger cues when assuming a chronic calorie deficit since leptin values drop and the receptors become less reliable in noticing adjustments. Eat based on known energy needs + deficit.

Lastly, eat the kinds of foods you want to eat during maintenance. You need not make radical changes to reduce fat mass; in fact, people who do are usually ones who do not handle the mental stress of restriction all that well which causes poor compliance.

This! Don't let the hunger gremlin get you...I mean hunger ghrelin...Seriously google scholar the hormone ghrelin. It's an interesting creature. If you don't produce this, you don't feel hungry, even if you're starving to death.

CoderGal

Well for now i've boosted up my calories to 1400, i also noticed *embarrassingly* I wasn't counting the milk i had on my breakfast and some small bits and thats took me about 1350 odd, so maybe i've been loosing on 1400. I've upped it for now i'll see how it goes.

Good for you! That's a start. You may wish to bump it up a bit more after a week or two at 1400, to slowly get up close to where you should be at.

When I first joined here, I was confused and nervous about eating more than MFP told me to, but once I did, my fears were assuaged by me feeling better and the weight still trending downwards.

I think we all were bacon.

To give you an idea of how low 1400 is I was still losing weight at NETTING 1700 cals at 120lbs. The larger I was, the more I could eat and lose. You need 2000 calories to get about 97-98% of the recommended nutrition for the average healthy female adult according to Health Canada/FDA/RDI. Massive deficits do not always correlate with massive losses (unless we're talking about hair losses lol). When I upped I lost at about the same rate. Your body well adapt and slow your metabolic rate down on a calorie deficit. And when your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) is below your basil metabolic rate (BMR)...Well, you're going to be weaker and colder then the more fueled you with a slower metabolic rate. I fail to see the win.