Who has only 1200 calories per day?

I agree with a lot of the previous comments in that I think it depends how you spend your calories allowance. I think if you are sticking to a clean diet i.e no processed foods, no wheat/cheese/low fat etc you need a lot of food to fill up the 1200. For me, I have mine set to 1100, however I struggle to eat all of that on some days, but it doesn't mean I'm hungry. I have three meals a day and a snack, manage my full 5 a day and don't cook 95% of everything fresh. I am a creature of habit though, i'll stick to the same few meals in a variety of combinations so I don't get bored.

Typical day
B: two boiled eggs and a whole grapefruit
Lunch: Green Salad with cup a soup
Snack: protein shake
Dinner: Steamed fish/chicken with salad or steamed greens.

im on 1200 and im 5'8 , i checked a website, cant remember which but you type in bmi and weight and height and it tells you how many caloires you can eat a day to get to your target weight. the more weight you lose the more u drop ur intake. 1200 is plenty if you eat fuller foods or low cal.

i cant live without ..............

bachelors slim a soup tomato- 54 cals
hartleys sugar free jelly -3 cal
ready brek porridge - 114 cal
laughing cow cheese triangles- 50 cal

even eating all that is just 221 caloires!!!!! less than a choc bar

The less you weigh the less calories you can consume to lose weight or maintain your weight. I'm at 1200 calories to lose 1 lb a week.

I was on 1200 all last year. Then, this summer, I got an overwhelming hunger and started eating at +2000. Gained 10 lbs. back. Part of it was due to a long road trip (6 weeks) where my daily exercise routine flew out the window, and back pain due to sitting too much that prevented me from getting active again.

Struggling. Trying to drop my cals to at least 1600 over the short term.

mine are set at 1380 - and I am "Active" I work in a nursing home. Sometimes I am under because I don't eat a lot of meat (like we will have chicken, but i will only eat 1/2 of my chicken and more veggies, i have just never been a big meat eater) I eat a very small breakfast (usually yougurt, maybe a granola bar cuz i just am not hungry first thing in the morning) and I usually don't drink anything but water (soda and stuff really add in calories) sometimes i have a cup of coffee - not too often cuz i don't like it that much, or for a treat i will have a cream soda or something when i'm craving it - usually only water does the trick anymore.
other times i am over, depending on what i eat, but i do my execises so i'm still under the calories they give with eating back exercise calories. I dunno... i've always eaten this way, so it's not really hard for me. Just before i would eat a lot of candy during the day and I don't do that anymore. I was also drinking mt. dew a bit and I really don't even like it anymore.

I think the less you weigh, the less calories you are allocated. Makes sense, as you don't want to put on weight! With 1200 you should still be able to eat and be satisfied. Going back approx 30 years, all woman were allocated 1000 calories and men 1200. So, you're lucky it's not then.

Just make sure you plan your day's meals/snacks ahead and have the fruit and water handy for when the pangs strike.

Best of luck.

I am on 1,200 calories a day, wanting to go from 150 (currently 146 woohoo!) to 125 at 5'4. I have cut out wheat on top of the 1,200 calories which has made me drop 4lbs in a little over a week. I find that when I dont eat foods with wheat I am much more full and can last longer on smaller meals. When I started I was super hungry but now I find that if I eat more than 300 calories at one sitting I am absolutely stuffed. It gets easier with time. I exercise twice a week during a PT session and have a lightly active job in a hospital lab so im constantly running around on my feet.

I do. But I'm also 5'1 and 184 pounds when I started. I also lead a sedentary lifestyle office job from home. I set it to lose -2 pounds a week as I've always had issues dropping weight. (Mum says because when I had salmonella as very small child that my body never recovered not sure how much truth there is in that0

I have a week where it's hard to eat 1200 calories because I'm eating HUGE low cal meals. But somdays I want to eat EVERYTHING.

For me It's up and down and trying to manage my cravings.

One has to pick a calorie level that one can sustain for years, for life even... if this is supposed to be sustainable. 1200, in my estimation, is hard to maintain lifelong.

But you wouldn't stay at that level for ever. 1200 would only be for loosing weight. Once you have achieved your target weight you would increase the amount to a maintenance level which should in theory keep your weight on an even keel.

The reason people do it is a typical form of self-sabotage.
People hear and see all the poop in the media and elsewhere about losing weight fast.

And then there is that absurd TV show "Biggest Loser" - the modern encyclopedia of what NOT to do.
People need to heed the advice of those who have the fruit behind their philosophy.

In other words if you want success, do what successful people do.
You've lost over 100lbs - great job!

People need to hear you!

OP is 5 inches taller than me and 50 lbs heavier. She is on her feet at her job more than me. Not being allowed to exercise at all right now, she certainly has way more muscle composition than me and better fitness than me. Why would we have the same calorie needs?

MFP set mine at 1600 but I struggle to eat hat so changed mine to 1220 and even struggle with that! Last year my doc told me to eat just 900 and never lost a lb!! Exercises regularly now and for me that's the key!

I had mine set to 1200 but I was so horribly depressed and obsessing like crazy over food so I bumped it up to 1600. Feel much better mentally and physically. Haven't lost any weight yet though..lol