Results with 1200 Calories

sarahz1442

UUURRRGG here we go...'you're starving at 1200'. What a load of cr**. I have tons of energy, I'm losing weight, my periods haven't stopped, I've not suddenly gained weight and you know what, I enjoy not eating f*** loads of food.

I'll see you at the finish line (I'll be there before you)!

That comment you made about "I'll be there before you" is not what this site is about. Please be respectful and only give positive feedback.

the people who are so condescending towards those of us who had success on 1200 calories aren't all that respectful or positive.

sarahz1442

do you mean only eating 1200 a day or netting 1200 a day?

depended on the day. a lot of the days I would only eat 1200 calories because that's all I was hungry for.

jennifer_417

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.

In case no one else tells you, you are awesome.

Bettyeditor

I am looking for success stories from ladies who have stuck at 1200. Please share!!!

I ate at 1200-1300 calories for months. I successfully lost a lot of weight. I also successfully screwed up my metabolism, succeeded in getting dry skin and nails, in having my hair fall out in clumps, I was really successful at getting sick all the time, never failed to get whatever cold or flu bug was going around, also succeeded in being cold all the time (had to wear two sweatpants and shirts at home), succeeded in being so exhausted all the time that I was not able to exercise, and succeeded in losing a lot of muscle mass.

Since I started eating an appropriate number of calories, I have failed to continue as a couch potato, I am failing every day to stay sedentary, I simply feel too good and have too much energy to stop myself from working out every day, I have failed to get sick in a long time, I have failed to be weak and cold, I've failed miserably at keeping my metabolism low (I had it tested and my RMR is now a roaring strong 1701), and most of all I've failed to buy in to the glossy Hollywood magazine myth that you have to starve yourself to be sexy. Oh, but I still kick *kitten* at weight loss. ;-) :flowerforyou:

mdearmond

UUURRRGG here we go...'you're starving at 1200'. What a load of cr**. I have tons of energy, I'm losing weight, my periods haven't stopped, I've not suddenly gained weight and you know what, I enjoy not eating f*** loads of food.

I'll see you at the finish line (I'll be there before you)!

That comment you made about "I'll be there before you" is not what this site is about. Please be respectful and only give positive feedback.

the people who are so condescending towards those of us who had success on 1200 calories aren't all that respectful or positive.

not speaking for everyone who posted but for the most part i don't think that anyone who has said anything negative toward the 1200 calorie regime are being negative toward the people who decided it worked for them. if anything i think they are merely stating that it didnt work for them, either immediately or in the long run, and explaining why it didnt. people need to know both sides of the situation that they are dealing with. for some it works and is amazing and if thats the case then by all means congratulations. i think what anyone who's speaking against extreme calorie restriction is not trying to attack anyone who does it, but simply trying to show that there are potential negative side effects to it (in my case a development of anemia, hypoglycemia, losing of any and all presence of a period -while taking hormonal supplements even-, severe headaches and complete deterioration of muscle despite eating a generous percent of protein and healthy fat daily -also with muscle enzymes elevated to nearly 10xs the normal value -measuring 1800 when the normal value is around 100- due to over exertion of my body and depleting of the nutrients necessary to sustain it, all factors that weren't present in my medical history prior). by no means do i want to attack anyone or be rude, but things like that need to be taken into account, especially if you are a relatively younger, active individual who may need those calories you're restricting.

sarahz1442

I think that you have to use some common sense about it. If you feel terrible on 1200 calories a day, then you need to up your calories. If you feel fine and are losing weight, I don't see any good reason not to do it regardless of what the condescending know it alls say on here.

My starting weight also wasn't that high, so I probably wasn't eating that much to begin with. If someone is starting off as severely obese, then of course 1200 calories would make them feel like they are starving. I wasn't obese. Also, I blame my weight gain on a vitamin D deficiency. I think once I got that under control the weight flew off. I happened to be eating 1200 calories at the time though.

bornleader79

You won't find alot of fans for the 1200 calorie plate club! Im successful. I lose 1-2 pounds a day eating 1200 calories and I dont feel deprived at all. On top of that I do Intermittent fasting...my eating window is from 12pm-8pm.This works for me because I trained myself not to eat all through out the day. I exercise before i put any food in my mouth(which is common with IF'ers) I love it! I have tons of energy!!!! Im always excited to exercise...and I don't obsess over food! Everyone is gonna tell you their way is the right way...they have proof....but the truth is...you know your'e body..Do whats right for you!!!!

jlzking

I have to say that I eat a fair amount. The food that I eat however is not calorie rich. An example is the following:

Breakfast:
scrambled egg, almonds and a banana
Cup of tea

Lunch:
Mince with lots of tomato
Sweet potato/butternut
Cauliflower
Broccoli

Dinner:
Home made burger patty (about 250g)
Large Mushrooms instead of rolls
Sweet potato chips
Side salad

Snacks:
cooked Chicken

Total calorie intake: 1161

I am taking in more protein, fibre and fats than MFP reccomends I should, but I'm not hungry and i have endless energy. My cholesterol has been tested and I am spot on in the healthy range.
Add crossfit into the mix three/four times a week with maybe more almonds and a banana with nut-butter and that's still not a hell of a lot compared to what I am burning if you are only looking at calories.

Calories are not the end all and be all. A low cal high fat and protein diet works just as well depending on your person and your training.

That's just my 2 cents.

KarlDines

1,200 isn't healthy which ever way you look at it. I see it as my duty to tell anyone who is considering 1,200. It's up to you if you want to ignore the advice of so many people, including the experts.

WinnerVictorious

You won't find alot of fans for the 1200 calorie plate club! Im successful. I lose 1-2 pounds a day eating 1200 calories and I dont feel deprived at all. On top of that I do Intermittent fasting...my eating window is from 12pm-8pm.This works for me because I trained myself not to eat all through out the day. I exercise before i put any food in my mouth(which is common with IF'ers) I love it! I have tons of energy!!!! Im always excited to exercise...and I don't obsess over food! Everyone is gonna tell you their way is the right way...they have proof....but the truth is...you know your'e body..Do whats right for you!!!!

in bold is not possible. you may lose some water weight some days, but it always comes back and fat loss is the goal, not temporary water weight.

to lose 1lb per day on 1200 calories, your TDEE would need to be 4700. to lose 2lbs, it would have to be 8200. if you do a lot of exercise every day, you MIGHT be able to get your TDEE up to 4700, but if you did that while only eating 1200 calories for any length of time, you would stall, become lethargic, have your hair start falling out, etc.

Maidofmer

do you mean only eating 1200 a day or netting 1200 a day?

depended on the day. a lot of the days I would only eat 1200 calories because that's all I was hungry for.

well, either way, if it works for you and you're happy with it, screw what everyone else thinks. I try to work out so that even tho I met my cal goal, I end up netting half. sometimes im over, sometimes im under. good luck.

Shelleben82

Jesus Christ people. This is in the "Success Stories" forum. If you want to go talk about how great your method of losing weight is, fine. But there are about 10000000 other places on the internet to do it. The OP asked for success stories from people who ate at 1200 calories. Your answers are not relevant to this question. If you don't have answers that are relevant, you really shouldn't be answering.

@OP - I eat 1200 calories and I am happy with my progress. As far as I am concerned, if I am happy with how I'm doing, that is all that matters. If I regret it in a year - fine, I'll come back and bow down to the MFP gods who clearly know SO much more about health and well-being than anyone else on this Earth. But until then, I'm proud of how far I've come and when I reach my goal, I'll post a success story. I'm sorry I didn't start sooner so I could post one for you now.

:laugh: SO THIS^

Mary9921

I set my goal calorie intake to 1200....but I don't freak out if I go over.

casy84

I was at 1200 for a few months without working out so I ended up complaining about my skinny fat body. Now I'm at >1400 + working out as much as I can and I've been maintaining. In about 6 weeks my body composition changed and I'm starting to look&feel a lot better. I don't want to lose any more weight because I am already on the skinny side. My goal is to lose a bit more fat&build muscle instead. Also I want to end up eating like a normal person again without being scared I'll get back to my chubby self.
I think being at 1200 for too long makes maintainance harder and you have to up your cals very slowly. When you see a skinny fat person in the mirror is easier to say 'I'll just eat less until the fat goes away' than to stop and think. This puts you in danger of an ED.

Efinnie1

I started using MFP religiously 4 weeks ago and sticking to the 1200 cal mark a day. I would have some better days than others but I have still managed to lose 11lbs which I am extremely pleased about. I don't go to the gym but do go jogging and walk 2 miles everyday to work.

I think everyone is different, if I am hungry and I have met my 1200 mark then I will eat fruit or drink water.

I would like to join the gym in a few months time after I lose a little more weight so I will feel comfortable in a strange environment.

ArroganceInStep

Jesus Christ people. This is in the "Success Stories" forum. If you want to go talk about how great your method of losing weight is, fine. But there are about 10000000 other places on the internet to do it. The OP asked for success stories from people who ate at 1200 calories. Your answers are not relevant to this question. If you don't have answers that are relevant, you really shouldn't be answering.

@OP - I eat 1200 calories and I am happy with my progress. As far as I am concerned, if I am happy with how I'm doing, that is all that matters. If I regret it in a year - fine, I'll come back and bow down to the MFP gods who clearly know SO much more about health and well-being than anyone else on this Earth. But until then, I'm proud of how far I've come and when I reach my goal, I'll post a success story. I'm sorry I didn't start sooner so I could post one for you now.

You're 18. You're sorry you didn't start restricting your calories so heavily when you were younger?

jessannprice

I try to "net" at least 1200 calories a day.. if I work out that day and I end up "netting" 1400 calories no big deal...
On the weekends, I'll splurge a meal or two and "net" about 1800-2000 a day.

My loss has been pretty steady.

Try to make good food choices.. I feel crappy if I have a carb filled day, but I feel fine at 1200-1400 if I've been eating actual healthy food (not processed, etc).

Quality is important too!

cazzamartinek

I wish i had never started reading this its so confusing im just basically trying to eat so that im not starving or feeling to full and bloated and excersise to tone up after having my 3rd child now i dont know if im doing it all wrong or not !!! mfp has set me at 1200 cals a day sometimes i eat over that sometimes i dont, im 5ft 4 and currently 146 lbs trying to get to 133lbs and fit back into my pre pregnancy clothes

sarahz1442

1,200 isn't healthy which ever way you look at it. I see it as my duty to tell anyone who is considering 1,200. It's up to you if you want to ignore the advice of so many people, including the experts.

who are these so called experts? MFP set me at 1,200 calories to lose less than a pound a week. So you think you are more of an expert than the people who made this website?

i think it's perfectly healthy and you're wrong. you can say it all you want, but until i gain the weight back which is highly unlikely, i'm not gonna believe you.

sarahz1442

do you mean only eating 1200 a day or netting 1200 a day?

depended on the day. a lot of the days I would only eat 1200 calories because that's all I was hungry for.

well, either way, if it works for you and you're happy with it, screw what everyone else thinks. I try to work out so that even tho I met my cal goal, I end up netting half. sometimes im over, sometimes im under. good luck.

thanks! good luck to you too!

skivinspannah

I'm sticking to 1200 and not eating back my excercise calories (about 300 per day). I have lost 9lbs in about 3 weeks. But I am worried because i used to have an eating disorder and don't want to encourage those demons back. I'm struggling to know whose advice to follow!! Is there a DEFINITE answer to how many calories you should eat to lost weight sensibly?? I'm 5'6" and weigh about 80kg.

arains89

I don't really understand all the drama. If you are only eating 1200 cals and exercising and not eating those cals back I would say that is probably a big problem. There is no magic formula in my eyes. I try to eat around 1600 cals a day and I work out 6 days a week. I generally burn about 400 cals or so on those days so I suppose on a lot of days I net 1200 but I never only eat 1200... This works fine for me. I never let myself be hungry though. In fact I eat like every 2 hours. I see people on here that say "I met my calories but am so hungry better brush my teeth and chug some water". I could never live like that. Listen to your body. You are the only one who knows what you need. I know that I am pleasing my body bc I have energy and no problem through my workouts. I am never hungry and am generally in a good mood. Also, I haven't lost drastically. I would say if you notice it falling off super super fast it probably isnt healthy. It has taken me about 3 months to lose 17 pounds and I am ok with that. That is about a pound and a half per week. Good luck!

Rissy3636

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ArroganceInStep

who are these so called experts? MFP set me at 1,200 calories to lose less than a pound a week. So you think you are more of an expert than the people who made this website?

i think it's perfectly healthy and you're wrong. you can say it all you want, but until i gain the weight back which is highly unlikely, i'm not gonna believe you.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/setting-the-deficit-small-moderate-or-large.html

sarahz1442

I don't really understand all the drama. If you are only eating 1200 cals and exercising and not eating those cals back I would say that is probably a big problem.

The drama is due to posts like this. I lost 30 pounds on 1200 calories a day and haven't gained any of it back since even though I upped my calories. When you repeatedly tell people they are doing it wrong and claim to know better than them, when they know that they are doing just fine that's annoying.

You can do what's right for you and I'll do what's right for me. I was never starving on 1,200 calories a day or felt deprived.

sarahz1442

The mind boggles.
Why would anyone CHOOSE to eat 1200 or less, when you can eat almost twice that and have better results (less saggy skin, not being skinny-fat at the finish line etc).
Surely 'more food' sounds good to anyone?!?!

^^^This. This is what is going through my head while reading these posts. WHY? 1200 doesn't even give you room to eat a handful of nuts, avocado, and tons of other healthy things in a day. I just don't get it. That is all.

BECAUSE I WAS FULL ON 1200 CALORIES A DAY. WHAT DO YOU NOT GET ABOUT THAT?

ArroganceInStep

The mind boggles.
Why would anyone CHOOSE to eat 1200 or less, when you can eat almost twice that and have better results (less saggy skin, not being skinny-fat at the finish line etc).
Surely 'more food' sounds good to anyone?!?!

^^^This. This is what is going through my head while reading these posts. WHY? 1200 doesn't even give you room to eat a handful of nuts, avocado, and tons of other healthy things in a day. I just don't get it. That is all.

BECAUSE I WAS FULL ON 1200 CALORIES A DAY. WHAT DO YOU NOT GET ABOUT THAT?

Did you read the link I posted?

Jess830409

People dont understand that everyone is different . Trial and error - what works for one doesn't work for all. If you are hungry EAT...if you are sitting around EXERCISE! Give things a chance and figure out what works for you. Use things like tape measures, food scales, HRM's...etc. Without knowing your own body there is no way you can just guess that 1,200 calories will be ok or 2,000 will be ok.

This isn't a one right answer kinda question or discussion.

arains89

I don't really understand all the drama. If you are only eating 1200 cals and exercising and not eating those cals back I would say that is probably a big problem.

The drama is due to posts like this. I lost 30 pounds on 1200 calories a day and haven't gained any of it back since even though I upped my calories. When you repeatedly tell people they are doing it wrong and claim to know better than them, when they know that they are doing just fine that's annoying.

You can do what's right for you and I'll do what's right for me. I was never starving on 1,200 calories a day or felt deprived.

Dude way to quote a half sentence of my post. I stated that everyone is different and you should listen to your body. I think the drama on both ends is stupid. I am not one of the people telling you you are doing it wrong. If you feel full and healthy then do you. I don't care..

Rissy3636

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