Results with 1200 Calories
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I think it is all in the quality of food you eat. And get rid of the "bad food" in your house - then when you want to eat everything in the house - it is good food filling snacks.... my favourite is almonds - measured and in a bowl.0
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Let me tell you my story...
I started dieting after my son was born in 2003, I figured diet was simply "stop eating so much" and 1000 calories sounded like a good reasonable number to go by. I lost all of my baby weight, became weight fixated, and lost more weight. I went from the 1000 calories to anorexia (this doesn't happen to everyone, but let's face it eating 1200 calories is border line anorexia.
After all 1000 calories is only 200 less!) I was super skinny, I had never been so skinny, 5'8" 115lbs. Eventually I ate normal again, because you know life is a good feeling, being alive and all that jazz.
2006 I decided at 5'8" 150lbs I needed to get my eating habits under control. I set my goal at 1200, and lost to 129lbs in a few months. I was constantly crabby, I had no energy, I was so ravenous that if I didn't get to eat my scheduled meal I would start biting heads off. I was a real peach to be around. However, I was super skinny!!! YAY! Guess what? Eventually I got sick of starving and ate normal again, and balooned to 150lbs in about a month.
2008 I started working out, still not eating enough but better 1400 calories with a good work out. I lost the weight pretty fast still, but always felt hungry! (I wonder why? I was burning all of my calories with daily calorie useage, and then I was working out and burning even more.) I eventually made my goal weight, and body fat, and I was very fit! However again, STARVING, again I ATE NORMAL again I GOT BACK TO 150lbs without blinking an eye.
This time? I am eating normal, feeding my metabolism, making smarter choices, working out like a champion. I would reach my "goal weight" in a few months with 1200 calories, have the worst attitude ever, and be starving 24/7. This time? I am eating 1700 to 2200 calories, the weight is coming off slow, my muscles are beautiful. I am not a complete *kitten* to be around, and am enjoying my work outs. I can eat whatever I want and not have my butt go up three sizes.
MY SUGGESTION? FEED YOUR BODY. WORK HARD. Or you can ruin your metabolism, and eat 1200 calories the rest of your life, or do it the other way. Oh yes, and lift heavy things up and down, you will not get bulky and your body will thank you for it.
THIS 100%!!!0 -
i'm short, so mfp set my calories to 1200 also. i actually like to exercise so i can get a cushion and eat all of my exercise calories back...sometimes i find that 1200 is just so little! other days i don't have a problem. i also have 1 day a week where i eat whatever (within reason) i want, usually to about 2,000-2,200 calories. on the other days, if i overeat a little bit one day i will put those calories on "breakfast" for the next day and try to even it out with clean eating the next day.
to be honest? IT'S WORKING and i've lost 11 pounds and probably plus some (i only weigh myself once a month). i'm never hungry because i give my body what it needs, and i'm not freaking out if i go over 1200 calories one day. i actually don't even feel like i'm dieting.
1200 calories can work, sort of, but i will tell you it feels much better if that line isn't so fast and hard. obviously everyone is different, do what works for you!0 -
It depends upon how active you are and your height and body build. 1200 is doable if you simply watch what you eat, don't feel guilty if you splurge occasionally (I'd use my morning calories for a donut if I couldn't avoid the craving), and relax. You won't get anorexic, you won't die, you won't starve. I did 1000 for 2 months, lost 95% of the weight I wanted, then moved up to 1400, and it seems like so much food! I'm still losing but very slowly...and last weekend I splurged on pizza and beer...it was wonderful. Don't make yourself nuts.0
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*sigh...I don't even know why I bother.
Being reasonable and balanced will get you nowhere.0 -
I really wish people would stop with the extremist assumptions on either end. If you eat 1200 calories a day you're not going to gain weight (unless you're an outlier and 1200 calories is over your TDEE). You likely won't fall over and die instantly, either.
By the same token, just because you 'feel full' or 'feel perfectly healthy' on 1200 calories does NOT necessarily mean that you are eating enough for your body to perform optimally.
MOST people have a TDEE substantially over 1200 calories. In general you don't want to restrict calories too heavily because under a large deficit a greater proportion of the weight lost will be LBM rather than fat. That doesn't mean you won't look good after losing the weight, or that you'll suddenly be massively 'unhealthy', but lower BF% at identical weights tends to result in a more desirable physique (to a point, of course, some folks don't like the ultra lean look, but something like that isn't going to happen on accident).
If you're dead-set on eating so little, ensure that the vast majority of your food is either lean protein or non-starchy veggies. This will be most likely to satisfy your nutrition needs. Just focusing on calories is NOT optimal (look up nutrient deficiencies if you care to educate yourself on it a bit more).
Now if you're on a large cut, are getting adequate nutrition, and you're relatively sedentary, you'll probably be ok. The issue arises when you add in large amounts of exercise on top of a steep calorie deficit. Your energy needs increase with that kind of activity. If your spending all day on a treadmill and not eating enough, you're likely jacking your cortisol levels and doing lots of bad stuff to your system (http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html if you care)
I tend to think being active is better. I'm more impressed with the person training for a marathon or a mud run or a some such than the person who isn't really doing much. I think people (even very busy people) should be more active in general, and they need to eat enough to do so effectively.
The last point is flexibility. If you're eating 1200 calories a day, the vast majority of your daily intake is dictated by your nutritional needs. There's only so many times I can eat chicken or tilapia and mixed veggies before I want something different. Even if you're trying to eat 'clean' or whatever, such a low calorie count pretty much prevents eating an entire range of foods (those that are calorie dense...and yes there are plenty of calorie dense foods that people consider 'clean' or 'paleo' or insert_whatever_diet_paradigm_you_follow).
I like food, and I like calorie dense foods. I like being able to eat some of those calorie dense foods, even while cutting weight. In my case (and the case of many others), in order to do that and still meet my base level nutritional needs as well, 1200 calories a day just isn't enough. If it's enough (taking into account the points that I mentioned above) for you that's great, good luck to you. Making the argument, however, that you feel full or that you're perfectly healthy or that 'well your diary has mcdonald's so you're clearly unhealthier than me!', isn't enough to prove that you're following the right diet.
Similarly, stop jumping in with 'you're going to gain weight and/or be skinny fat and/or die!!!!!1!' on low intake without knowing the person's stats beforehand...it just makes people defensive and is counter productive to the discussion.
TL;DR
*sigh...I don't even know why I bother.
For those of us who appreciate logic and awesomeness? Thanks for the link! I am going to read it when I have some time.
Yay education! 0 -
WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!?!?!?!0
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I really wish people would stop with the extremist assumptions on either end. If you eat 1200 calories a day you're not going to gain weight (unless you're an outlier and 1200 calories is over your TDEE). You likely won't fall over and die instantly, either.
By the same token, just because you 'feel full' or 'feel perfectly healthy' on 1200 calories does NOT necessarily mean that you are eating enough for your body to perform optimally.
MOST people have a TDEE substantially over 1200 calories. In general you don't want to restrict calories too heavily because under a large deficit a greater proportion of the weight lost will be LBM rather than fat. That doesn't mean you won't look good after losing the weight, or that you'll suddenly be massively 'unhealthy', but lower BF% at identical weights tends to result in a more desirable physique (to a point, of course, some folks don't like the ultra lean look, but something like that isn't going to happen on accident).
If you're dead-set on eating so little, ensure that the vast majority of your food is either lean protein or non-starchy veggies. This will be most likely to satisfy your nutrition needs. Just focusing on calories is NOT optimal (look up nutrient deficiencies if you care to educate yourself on it a bit more).
Now if you're on a large cut, are getting adequate nutrition, and you're relatively sedentary, you'll probably be ok. The issue arises when you add in large amounts of exercise on top of a steep calorie deficit. Your energy needs increase with that kind of activity. If your spending all day on a treadmill and not eating enough, you're likely jacking your cortisol levels and doing lots of bad stuff to your system (http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html if you care)
I tend to think being active is better. I'm more impressed with the person training for a marathon or a mud run or a some such than the person who isn't really doing much. I think people (even very busy people) should be more active in general, and they need to eat enough to do so effectively.
The last point is flexibility. If you're eating 1200 calories a day, the vast majority of your daily intake is dictated by your nutritional needs. There's only so many times I can eat chicken or tilapia and mixed veggies before I want something different. Even if you're trying to eat 'clean' or whatever, such a low calorie count pretty much prevents eating an entire range of foods (those that are calorie dense...and yes there are plenty of calorie dense foods that people consider 'clean' or 'paleo' or insert_whatever_diet_paradigm_you_follow).
I like food, and I like calorie dense foods. I like being able to eat some of those calorie dense foods, even while cutting weight. In my case (and the case of many others), in order to do that and still meet my base level nutritional needs as well, 1200 calories a day just isn't enough. If it's enough (taking into account the points that I mentioned above) for you that's great, good luck to you. Making the argument, however, that you feel full or that you're perfectly healthy or that 'well your diary has mcdonald's so you're clearly unhealthier than me!', isn't enough to prove that you're following the right diet.
Similarly, stop jumping in with 'you're going to gain weight and/or be skinny fat and/or die!!!!!1!' on low intake without knowing the person's stats beforehand...it just makes people defensive and is counter productive to the discussion.
TL;DR*sigh...I don't even know why I bother.
For those of us who appreciate logic and awesomeness? Thanks for the link! I am going to read it when I have some time. Yay education!
Yep. SOME of us are paying attention. :flowerforyou:0 -
Here's my thing...
According to calculators of BMR, mine is anywhere between 1580 and 1850 (depending on the scale) because of my larger body fat percentage. My TDEE ranges between 2300 and 2500 depending on the day and how much exercise I'm getting. I have a BodyMedia armband that I wear to help me determine this.
I want to lose 2 lb/week at this time because of the insane amount I need to lose (another 65 pounds approximately). If I do TDEE-20% I won't come anywhere close to that. Which may not be a bad thing but I've also always been told when you have a lot to lose 2 lb/week is perfectly fine.
There's too much conflicting information out there and everyone believes their way is the right way for reasons x and y.0 -
*sigh...I don't even know why I bother.
I read that whole thing and you are awesome.
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So I am a little confused. I eat about 1600 cals a day but I work out 6 days a week and burn about 400 cals so I guess I net around 1200. My TDEE is 1850 with my desk job so my deficit is only 250 cals on the day I dont work out and then around 650 on workout days. Sometimes I go over (usually on the weekends) but I never depreive myself I always have energy and kill my workouts and my weight loss has been slow and steady so far... I guess what I am trying to understand is all the people that are against 1200 cals a day are you speaking towards people only eating that much or netting that much? As I do only net 1200 cals a lot of days. I do not want to do any damage to my metabolism... I am 5' 6.5" and 155 lbs...0
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I am in same situation!0
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Simple question... Why would anyone in their right mind eat below or at their BMR? BASAL METABOLIC RATE. This is the the number of calories you need if you are in a freaking coma. How the heck do you expect your body to properly function if you are eating that amount.
#science.getsome.
Your body uses it's fat stores!
Not for nutrients. Your body will eat muscle mass for nutrients you won't feed it. Only fat for energy.
You can pack plenty of nutrients into 1200 cals. I'm eating better than I ever have before.
No offense but your ticker tells us 1200 calories isn't working.0 -
Simple question... Why would anyone in their right mind eat below or at their BMR? BASAL METABOLIC RATE. This is the the number of calories you need if you are in a freaking coma. How the heck do you expect your body to properly function if you are eating that amount.
#science.getsome.
Your body uses it's fat stores!
Not for nutrients. Your body will eat muscle mass for nutrients you won't feed it. Only fat for energy.
You can pack plenty of nutrients into 1200 cals. I'm eating better than I ever have before.
No offense but your ticker tells us 1200 calories isn't working.
Check her profile she's lost 6 lbs in just under 3 weeks.0 -
ME! Me! I had success on 1200 cals a day!
..If you define 'success' as: "losing muscle mass, developing a flat, saggy *kitten* that looked like melting wax, was always tired, and couldn't manage even one pushup", that is.
I am only 5 ft tall, and my BMR is 1280. So unless you're like 4'6" you have no reason to be eating that low.
Ditto! I'm 5'2" and my BMR is 1323. I recently lost 20 lbs being very restrictive on calories, and while I love the lower number on the scale, i don't love the saggy skin and the fact that anytime I decide to eat a little more realistically, that number goes up. So it's time to try something different.0 -
Simple question... Why would anyone in their right mind eat below or at their BMR? BASAL METABOLIC RATE. This is the the number of calories you need if you are in a freaking coma. How the heck do you expect your body to properly function if you are eating that amount.
#science.getsome.
Your body uses it's fat stores!
Not for nutrients. Your body will eat muscle mass for nutrients you won't feed it. Only fat for energy.
You can pack plenty of nutrients into 1200 cals. I'm eating better than I ever have before.
No offense but your ticker tells us 1200 calories isn't working.
Check her profile she's lost 6 lbs in just under 3 weeks.
Its not about losing pounds, its about losing fat.
If she were lifting weights im sure PRs would never happen.0 -
to the OP - I bet you didn't expect all of this did you? I knew as soon as I saw the topic that this was going to be an all out battle! lol
Everyone thinks that they know what's best for everyone else!0 -
Simple question... Why would anyone in their right mind eat below or at their BMR? BASAL METABOLIC RATE. This is the the number of calories you need if you are in a freaking coma. How the heck do you expect your body to properly function if you are eating that amount.
#science.getsome.
Your body uses it's fat stores!
Not for nutrients. Your body will eat muscle mass for nutrients you won't feed it. Only fat for energy.
You can pack plenty of nutrients into 1200 cals. I'm eating better than I ever have before.
No offense but your ticker tells us 1200 calories isn't working.
Check her profile she's lost 6 lbs in just under 3 weeks.
THANK YOU! I joined MFP in 2011, logged for a couple of weeks, didn't log on for over a year, logged back in 3 weeks ago and have lost 6.5lbs by sticking to 1200(ish) net whilst exercising 3-4 times a week. I am only 5.2" and I work in an office. It's working for me and I feel great!0 -
Simple question... Why would anyone in their right mind eat below or at their BMR? BASAL METABOLIC RATE. This is the the number of calories you need if you are in a freaking coma. How the heck do you expect your body to properly function if you are eating that amount.
#science.getsome.
Your body uses it's fat stores!
Not for nutrients. Your body will eat muscle mass for nutrients you won't feed it. Only fat for energy.
You can pack plenty of nutrients into 1200 cals. I'm eating better than I ever have before.
No offense but your ticker tells us 1200 calories isn't working.
Check her profile she's lost 6 lbs in just under 3 weeks.
Its not about losing pounds, its about losing fat.
If she were lifting weights im sure PRs would never happen.
I'm sure she's lost some fat but if you know otherwise please fill us in. She may well be lifting, we don't know.0 -
It's worked for me! My BMR is 1134 and my TDEE is 1361.0
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