Anyone successfully lose weight eating 1200 cal or less?

Yes, me. Eating 1200 calories to lose weight does NOT mean that you are going to gain back the weight you lost. I have kept my weight off for 2-1/2 years now. Why do people regain the weight after losing it? It is not because they lost the weight on 1200 calories daily but because they go back to their old habits of eating more calories daily than they are burning. It is as simple as that.

A 1200-calorie diet is NOT for everyone, nor should it be. You have to take into consideration how overweight you are, your age, your sex, your height, your activity level, and your medical issues. I am 62, barely 5'1" tall, and have a BMR of 1154. I cannot lose weight eating back my exercise calories. However, I can maintain my weight loss by eating back some of my calories. Find what works for YOUR body.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

I am eating very successfully at 1200 calories, eating a lot, and losing a lot. I am very happy and believe this to be a sustainable diet. I go over some days, and that's perfectly fine.

Yup! It worked for me because I do not have emotional eating issue or eating disorders.

This is why stomach staple works, you are just doing what they can't do on their own.

There is no evidence of starvation mode for men over 6% BF or woman over 12% body fat.

Since I am under 12% BF I can't eat that low or I risk starvation mode. Make sense? But when I was obese I could eat that low because I had BF reserves which prevented me from going into starvation mode. That's how it works.

This is not recommended for people with eating disorders or emotional eating problems like binging because then you might yo-yo.


Great post thank you!

I have kept it off a year so the nonsense that you will gain it back if you eat that low is, well, nonsense. emotional reaction to the starvation mode myth.

I am eating very successfully at 1200 calories, eating a lot, and losing a lot. I am very happy and believe this to be a sustainable diet. I go over some days, and that's perfectly fine.

A sibling who has to lose weight remarked to me that you can actually eat a fair amount of food on 1200. It's working. Go sibling!

If you're really small like I am (I'm 4 feet and 10 inches tall), then yes. But you can't go under 1200 calories. If you're taller than me, then I wouldn't advise it. I actually don't even eat just 1200 calories a day, I usually eat 1300 and I'm still losing weight at a consistent rate of 1lb a week, which is healthy. I don't exercise either. If you put in your height and weight, and your goal weight, this site is pretty accurate at how many calories you should eat to lose weight.

My doctor told me 1200 calories was ok in 2010. I started my diet 01/21/10, lost 105 pounds in 10 months. Over the last 2 1/2 years, I've put back on 25-30. That being said, I got lazy with my exercise, not my eating habits. I did start eating more calories, obviously, but not all at once. Dr. actually said to gradually add back to the1200 until reaching about 18-2000 a day with the same exercise, it sill goes back to the exercise I guess.

Do we know OP's stats? Suggesting 1900 calories could cause someone to gain weight if she is light enough.

Simple answer is yes, people have lost weight eating 1200 calories.

Much better answer is no, you won't healthfully lose weight loose weight eating that few calories.

This. Plus, you're more likely to gain back all the weight once you start eating your BMR/maintenance level if you lose on a low-calorie diet.

AGREE!!

Yes.

I'm not currently able to get much exercise, and at 1200 calories, I was losing nothing but my sanity... I cranked it WAY down (I'm petite and small-boned) and finally lost 12lbs in one month. It's the only thing that works for me.

Yes. 1200 a day average every week (I tend eat more during weekends), and I always eat back exercise calories (when I have them, which is rare). Lost over 3 kg / 6.63 lbs this month with that, walking (less than 2h a week!), and yoga.

Things I've actively changed in my diet:
- No more late night snacking (it doesn't fit in my 1200 kcals);
- Apples and carrots (pears, bananas, kiwis too) when I want a snack, instead of chocolate, so I can have a nice dinner;
- Cooking with significantly less oil, no fried things;
- At dinner/lunch, I eat more meat and vegetables than before and less rice and pasta;
- All meals include some form of vegetable or fruit;
- No more mac & cheese or MacDonald's fries (McChicken is still a go to a max of once a week);
- Coffee gets 2 teaspoons of sugar, not 3.

I eat below 1200 with no problem of being tired or hungry. I have lost 9 pounds in the past 3 weeks and I work out usually twice a day for a half hour each time. Working good for me.

Yes. 1200 a day average every week (I tend eat more during weekends), and I always eat back exercise calories (when I have them, which is rare). Lost over 3 kg / 6.63 lbs this month with that, walking (less than 2h a week!), and yoga.

Things I've actively changed in my diet:
- No more late night snacking (it doesn't fit in my 1200 kcals);
- Apples and carrots (pears, bananas, kiwis too) when I want a snack, instead of chocolate, so I can have a nice dinner;
- Cooking with significantly less oil, no fried things;
- At dinner/lunch, I eat more meat and vegetables than before and less rice and pasta;
- All meals include some form of vegetable or fruit;
- No more mac & cheese or MacDonald's fries (McChicken is still a go to a max of once a week);
- Coffee gets 2 teaspoons of sugar, not 3.

I like your style.. I do pretty much he same as far as the eating goes but if you still need 2 sugars in your coffee find a better barista!!! A really well made coffee will taste great without sugar!
( I make good coffee haha)

I'm 5'8
And both my doctor and naturopath have said 1200 is fine if your eating the right kind of foods
As I've said in a heap of these posts 1200 cal worth of fruit, veg and salad is a huge volume of food!
( obviously you have to balance it out with yor protiems and fats and what not but u get the idea)
If u do it right u don't have to feel hungry in 1200.

Having said that if there's a day I feel really hungry I just eat a bit more and work a bit harder.
Listen to what your body tells you!

Thats too low!

Depends on the person. I am small and close to goal. My bmr is only 1301.My maintenance calories are only around 1400.

Your BMR is essentially what your body would need in terms of being completely comatose. To have a maintenance level of ~1400 with a BMR of 1301, you would literally have to do nothing all day in order to maintain.
At an entirely sedentary level your maintenance calories would be roughly 1550 (this has nothing to do with height or current weight if you've already established a reliable BMR)... your actual maintenance calories would be between 1700 and 2000.

Sorry I have checked multiple times on different sites and my maintenance is 1465. I would be huge if I ate 2000 calories a day.
Maybe you were entering your age? At 39 my maintenance cals are much lower than at 23.
Eta ..my bmr is 1201. Not 1301. Typo