1200 is not difficult.

I've been reading the forums tonight and have read around 10 different posts from people saying that 1200 is impossible, or that unless they workout, there's no calories left for dinner, or that 1200 calories a day translates to starving yourself or living on only salads.

My diary is open- I eat 3 meals a day and 2 snacks. If you eat healthy, real food, 1200 calories is not difficult and I'm not starving. make good choices and avoid garbage - then if you go over, it's not a big deal. sometimes I'm under 1200 - I get busy and don't want to eat at 10pm just to get calories in.

Btw, I started at 255, 2 months ago and have lost 29lbs and feel good. I'm not saying that a person with less to lose should restrict as much, but for me, and a lot of other people, losing the weight fast is more motivating to stick to their plan than being allowed to eat more but only losing .5 lbs a week.

Are you short? This works for most short people, not tall people. It all depends on your RMR. Taller people have a higher RMR so this would be to low for them.

1200 is such a stupid number to get stuck on. What you need to eat for a deficit is relative to your RMR.

To tell everyone eat more is wrong.

To tell everyone to eat less is wrong.

To find the exact amount of calories for you to be in a sustainable calorie deficit is correct. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others. Some people have emotional eating disorders and it comes into play. Even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux and everyone is different.

I was able to handle a pretty deep calorie deficit because I'm very disciplined and eat healthy (good fuel for the body so I can perform well at the gym) and I do not have emotional eating issues. I have a very low RMR so my doctor said I could go lower than 1200.

I'm glad it's working for you sweetheart, but it won't work for bigger people with higher RMR.

I'm sorry OP, but this thread is not going to end well for you.

People are going to jump all over you, you're going to get angry, and it's going to devolve in to a debate about starvation mode.

1200 calories is a BARE MINIMUM to get adequate nutrition. You're likely sacrificing muscle mass by losing so fast, and you're going to hit an early plateau. I don't want to attack you, I'm happy for your success thus far, but that's the truth.

The point should also be made that hunger is not a good barometer for adequate intake. Consider obese people, who eat, say, 7000 calories a day. They still get hungry between meals, despite getting plenty of calories. Also, people on VLCD's lose their regular appetite. Hunger is largely a trained behavior- you get hungry when you're used to eating. Think about when you have a big breakfast- often you'll still be hungry at your regular lunch time. Hunger can't be trusted.

Glad you can stick with it, but some of us prefer to minimize lean mass losses and would rather lose slower to do so.

If your profile pic is current, you clearly don't have as much fat to lose as I do.
I have noticed that often when someone posts about eating 1200 cals a day, people are quick to jump in to say it's not enough, but slow to ask how much they have to lose.

When I get closer to a healthier weight, I will slowly increase my calories, but for now, 1200 is working, and not difficult.
and I'm not in a coma.

That is true that someone with a high body fat percentage can safely do 1200 calories. It is also true that without enough protein and strength training, a higher portion of the weight loss will come from lean body mass. That is why I stick to 1800. it is about 100 calories over my BMR. And then I work my *kitten* off three times a week for about a half hour.

I think it's just about your goals. Some people want to lose weight, then get strong. I prefer to gradually get stronger while I gradually burn fat. It's just different goals. :flowerforyou:

I eat at 1200 too. I eat all the time. Every few hours. I'm never hungry. I feel great, except when I hit "clock in".

I'm also short. I can't even reach the cereal. :sad:

I understand that taller people need to eat more.

I'm satisfied at 1200. I don't like people telling me I need to eat more.

Different strokes for different folks.


:drinker:

My diary is open and I think that I eat big, healthy meals yet consistently find myself below my goal of 1200. I just do my best to hit my macros. Feel free to have a look (maybe look at yesterday and the day before because it's only 11am here so today isn't full yet). Feel free to criticize if I'm doing something wrong, but I'm not hungry, I don't feel like I'm starving myself, and if I work out for an extended period of time, I just try to supplement it with a big green smoothie or something in the like.

80 grams of corned beef (I think, I googled coles silverside), a tomato and some cucumber is not my idea of a big healthy meal.

Wow I have a issue going from 1680 to 1440 to 2 lbs lost per week ...

1440 I feel like I am starving but 1680 I dont have an issue at all..

210 lbs 29 years old...

1200 I would be murdering people

Pfff i pitty you hard lol....im 162 and im cutting at 2200 lol and still dropping easy if i had to eat 1400 id quit

I don't know. I come in well under 1200 day. I feel full and satisfied. I've been losing weight. I exercise. Maybe it won't always work. But then I will change things to work again. People are all different, which is fine - even great. If someone wants advice, then give it. Otherwise, some of us figure it out for ourselves.

No thanks! I'll stay skinny and eat 1800-2100 calories a day.

Since that works for you, that makes sense. For me, those numbers would pass my maintenance and be in weight gain territory.

My diary is open and I think that I eat big, healthy meals yet consistently find myself below my goal of 1200. I just do my best to hit my macros. Feel free to have a look (maybe look at yesterday and the day before because it's only 11am here so today isn't full yet). Feel free to criticize if I'm doing something wrong, but I'm not hungry, I don't feel like I'm starving myself, and if I work out for an extended period of time, I just try to supplement it with a big green smoothie or something in the like.

80 grams of corned beef (I think, I googled coles silverside), a tomato and some cucumber is not my idea of a big healthy meal.

corned beef? I don't remember the last time I had corned beef. If you're referring to my lunch today- I was at a luncheon and had roast beef and a salad. Chose the closest thing I could find.

For supper you had logged Coles Silverside. As I said, I googled it, wasn't sure what that was. It came up as corned beef.

My diary is open and I think that I eat big, healthy meals yet consistently find myself below my goal of 1200. I just do my best to hit my macros. Feel free to have a look (maybe look at yesterday and the day before because it's only 11am here so today isn't full yet). Feel free to criticize if I'm doing something wrong, but I'm not hungry, I don't feel like I'm starving myself, and if I work out for an extended period of time, I just try to supplement it with a big green smoothie or something in the like.

80 grams of corned beef (I think, I googled coles silverside), a tomato and some cucumber is not my idea of a big healthy meal.

corned beef? I don't remember the last time I had corned beef. If you're referring to my lunch today- I was at a luncheon and had roast beef and a salad. Chose the closest thing I could find.

For supper you had logged Coles Silverside. As I said, I googled it, wasn't sure what that was. It came up as corned beef.

I think y'all are getting a little confused with whose diary is whose. Sorry I hijacked this thread a little My bad.