1200 CAN'T be enough

1200 can be enough if you eat the right foods and get enough protein. Eat your protein first and then eat your veggies and if you are still hungry eat your fruit, also use a smaller plate like a salad plate as your dinner plate and the food will fill it up and your eyes will be convinced that your meal is enough. Make sure that your protein is about4 ounces that is the amount you should be getting in one meal. If that doesn't seem like a lot remember a quarter pounder from McDonalds is 4ounces. You are used to eating more so 12oo calories is not going to fill you up at first but keep trying and your stomach will get used to the smaller amount and you will lose weight. I try to get 1200 calories a day and I cannot eat that much. I am eating the right foods and getting enough liquids and I have lost 75lbs in 11 months and feel great I go to the gym every morning and you also get extra calories when you log your exercise and that can help. JUST KEEP TRYING .

Nothing says you have to eat just 1200 calories. Also, you mentioned that you walked for awhile today, so you would want to eat back those calories you burned for a total NET of 1200 calories.

One thing I found really helps is drinking HOT beverages (preferably herbal teas if you like them) and adding splenda or another zero calorie sweetener for a bit of taste. While cold water helps to hydrate your body faster after a workout, warm/hot water stays in your stomach longer, making you feel fuller longer. Plus, getting 8 glasses of water a day helps your body to lose weight as well. This little trick can help when you have a really limited calorie budget (like I do). It will still take some time to adjust to the lower calorie amount, but be patient! You can do this!

The 1200 is your Net Calories. Which means, take what you eat and subtract what you burn (above your resting rate) and the difference should be 1200. So if you are burning 500 in exercise, you should be consuming 1700.

I'm also on 1200 calories. When I first heard that, my reaction was WHAT?!! I thought that couldn't be enough. I'm 5'3" and was fluctuating between 175-182 pounds.

Now I've been doing this for almost 3 weeks. I have been mostly sticking to my 1200 calorie limit and to my surprise, I don't feel hungry for the most part. My diet isn't perfect but I'm working on it. If I want a chicken taco from Taco Bell, I eat it and just incorporate the calories into my limit. On the other hand, being hungry has never been my biggest problem when it comes to weight. I'm overweight due to stress and overeating as a way to compensate.

Anyway, to prevent hunger, I'm trying to adjust to eating 4-6 times a day and eating more fatty foods on days I work. For instance, on my day off it's ok to eat a salad or small sandwich for dinner, but when I'm working a 12 hour shift I'll eat a couple eggs, an english muffin and a slice of ham for breakfast and a Lean Cuisine pizza for lunch because I know it'll last me longer for the rest of my work day.

It's only your first day, just keep working on it! Practice makes perfect. And as others have said, maybe you just need more calories. Everyone's different and you just have to find what's right for you.

My goal is 1200 calories a day and im always full if you eat lots of salad fruit and veg then you will be full with little calories

If you're hungry, eat.

THIS! I started out on the "standard 1200" as well and I was hungry all the time. So I upped my calories a bit and now I not onyl feel better but I am losing more. I say up your calories for a couple of weeks and see how you feel/lose and then go from there...you can always go back to the 1200 if you think you need to.

Good luck!! :flowerforyou:

Try eating mostly fruits, vegetables (especially leafy greens), and legumes. You will struggle to hit 1200. GL!

Unfortunately, 1200 is the right number. If you can't manage that eating the way you are eating, you might want to consider a ketogenic diet (or at least lowering the amount of carbs in your system). This will help even out your blood sugar and reduce the surges of leptin that your body releases once you burn through a carby meal (its this hormone that makes you feel like you're starving and have to eat).

If you want to avoid the whole low carb thing, I find increasing my portions of vegetables to obscene amounts keeps me full within my a calorie limit.

I swear reading these forums is going to cause me to damage my brain. How many times can you pound your desk with your forehead before doing permanent damage.

I'm curios as to how much you ate before suddenly deciding to drop to 1200 calories a day. Did you log your food at all before starting to eat like you are now? Have you talked to a doctor and nutritionist about your desired weight loss at any point?

I went from taking in 5000 or more calories per day to 2400 or less. I was starving for the first few days until my stomach caught up with the change. As my stomach shrinks more I"m finding I need to eat less to feel full. I'll be dropping down to 2000 per day in another 2 weeks. If I had just up and decided to drop to 2k all of a sudden, I don't think I could have stayed with it, I'd be constantly hungry,

First off Props to all who have linked the Road Map.

Second...

That BMR link wigs me out. Tells me I should be doing 2344 calories a day! I mostly struggle to hit 1200! At 5'6, 28 and 220lbs, 2344 seems insane!

I'll never get a proper grip on how this works.

Most people your height can burn upwards of 2600+ a day.
Your extra fat adds to this and it drops as you lose weight.
Eat 1800-2k then and be surprised!
It works!

Lets address something that I think needs to be explained.
Fat.

We hate it!
It serves a biological reason and why we have excess is due to several things.

The 4 major biological functions of fat tissue are (1) energy storage (2) toxin storage (3) protection against insulin resistance, and (4) protection against estrogen decline in women. Eliminate the functions of fat tissue also eliminates the reasons for its existence.

Now you cannot get rid of all your fat but how do you think cutting calories down to 1200 would give fat a reason not to exist?
In my eyes it primes the body to store it once you eat above TDEE if proper exercise isnt executed.

The idea behind the VLCD (1200 cals or lower) is to force the body to use fat as a means of energy.
Misery!
Or Hangry!!!!

Hormone levels get screwy.
RMR drops, I know Yarrow will post studies about how this is okay.
Lean mass drops, not a good thing to look like Gollem from LOTR.
At some point a 2lb/week calculation only equals about 1/4lb or less a week and you feel like ****.

So what happens if you return the body to a normal caloric level?
It signals certain hormones to allow fat to naturally come off.
Add to that a good strength program to break insulin resistance and you are good to go!
If you like cardio then do it empty in the morning for an even greater burn, dont over do this though.
Could lead to a plateau.
The cardio I mean.

Give fat reason not to exist.
Eat like a human should eat and move like a human should move and youll naturally lose it.
Period.