1200, and why it won't work

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Replies

  • Ree_Chatelain
    Ree_Chatelain Posts: 229 Member
    So what happened when she reached her weight loss goal. Did she eventually go down to 1200 and does she remain there?
  • vjohn04
    vjohn04 Posts: 2,276 Member
    Nice post!
  • LinsdayMV
    LinsdayMV Posts: 16 Member
    Awesome post, love this message.
  • bebreli
    bebreli Posts: 227 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

    Or this :wink:
  • juliemouse83
    juliemouse83 Posts: 6,663 Member
    What an amazing (and sensible) post. It absolutely makes sense!

    So for those of us who have only been on (or back on) the wagon for a few weeks at 1200, do we bump our calorie intake up again?

    I can kind of guestimate how many calories I was inhaling before the first of the year, but I didn't log until I came back to MFP a week or so ago.

    Thank you for taking the time to write it all down for us.
  • lousoulbody
    lousoulbody Posts: 663 Member
    That was a very good read, thanks for posting :bigsmile: , like the newbie i started with the 1200 ,now I'm struggling with a plateau and only 7 lbs left to lose. Im on the right path, now, 1500 + cal's a day and a new work out program will hopefully get me out of my starvation mode.

    Cheers :drinker:
  • NewChristina
    NewChristina Posts: 250 Member
    Love it. Very well written, explains things in simple, common sense terms.
  • JP4LQR
    JP4LQR Posts: 12
    Bump
  • aelunyu
    aelunyu Posts: 486 Member
    So what happened when she reached her weight loss goal. Did she eventually go down to 1200 and does she remain there?

    I'm actually so happy you asked. Actually, she got down to 140s just eating 2000. her body adjusted as I thought it might. Plus, when you start losing that much weight, you become naturally very curious about upping exercise. She did that, and now she squats 185!..granted she's 40 now and still going strong. Just recently, she emailed me about some contest prep dieting ideas, and I was so pleasantly surprised about how much she knew. I guess she was always very hungry for knowledge, just life throws curve balls and one minute you're partying in college and the next with 3 kids and 300 lb.
  • SGT_Reg
    SGT_Reg Posts: 186 Member
    I am one of you...
    ...1200 calories a day is a paltry sniff of food. It's a dab of nutrients, and it's almost impossible to follow on a consistent (years) basis....

    The number itself mocks you and makes you feel inadequate....You will live on...yes..but in misery.

    well the thing is, you're not me.
    You look like a rather muscular man, where as I am neither. When you turn into a 45 year old woman, then you'll be one of "me".
    1200 calories a day probably is NOT enough for you, but its fine for me. I'm not starving. most days i'm not even hungry.
    I woh't have to stay at 1200 calories for years, because I will get to my goal weight and eat more to maintain.

    I'm not mocked, and I don't feel inadequate, and i'm not miserable.

    perhaps you should change the thread title to end with "for me", since you can't stand there and tell me what's going to work for me.

    I think you should relax. Maybe once you read your quoted portion, you should have exited this forum post and went about your day.

    To OP, good job brother. That should be helpful for some people.
  • skywa
    skywa Posts: 901 Member
    common sense stuff. :P

    thanks for sharing.
  • donna_glasgow
    donna_glasgow Posts: 869 Member
    bumping cause I'm topping up my cals with rum :P .. and I would love to read properly tomorrow :)
  • nana6799
    nana6799 Posts: 262
    I too, read it all and thank you! You sound like a great trainer!

    I used to be one of those 1200 calories/day persons! I have learned so much being a mfp member that it has been quite some time now that I ate only 1200 calories/day and never will go back there again!

    Thanks for caring enough to write what you did!
  • shaykennedy5
    shaykennedy5 Posts: 2
    thanks for all your insight ;) I learned some new stuff!
  • elainewitch
    elainewitch Posts: 30 Member
    Thanks for the explanation. I've been a little lost in all this. :smile:
  • runnerKVI
    runnerKVI Posts: 8 Member
    This was really eye opening! And nothing short of helpful. I personally do not stick to a 1200 calorie diet. I'm actually set around 1700. I'm under some days, over on others. But after reading this post, the days that I go over will not be "defeats" but "progressions". Im trying to be really realistic this time around, allowing myself to eat the things that I like, without gorging on them, and not beating myself up about not eating "clean" or 100% healthy all day. The exercise, I'm still working on. Setting a groove for myself. While I knew it was important, reading it really reaffirmed that.

    Basically what I'm trying to say is THANK YOU. I believe that I, and probably a lot of other MFPers needed to read this and realize this is a marathon, not a sprint and we all have to make little adjusts over a longer period of time.

    Simply, awesome.
  • aelunyu
    aelunyu Posts: 486 Member
    What an amazing (and sensible) post. It absolutely makes sense!

    So for those of us who have only been on (or back on) the wagon for a few weeks at 1200, do we bump our calorie intake up again?

    I can kind of guestimate how many calories I was inhaling before the first of the year, but I didn't log until I came back to MFP a week or so ago.

    Thank you for taking the time to write it all down for us.

    To be honest, 1/2 this post is a credit to how amazing of a client Monica was in terms of compliance. She basically blindly followed my instructions and had the willpower and self control to follow my moderate suggestions. I met her through the Taekwondo coach who I was training at the time. She was one of those people that had already decided she would make a change. She just wanted the fastest and most effective way to implement it.

    If you're back on on the wagon, I suggest that you do not revert back to the strategies that made you fall off the wagon. If you were too extreme in your calorie cut, or whatever the cause, take a moderate, longer term approach.
  • valmb2
    valmb2 Posts: 41 Member
    Yes thank you!! Everyone should read this!! :)
  • KatelinIsArmyStrong
    KatelinIsArmyStrong Posts: 27 Member
    This. I can not tell you how many times I've explained this to people.
    You're amazing.
  • Ozzie68
    Ozzie68 Posts: 2
    So, I've done a pretty decent job of losing 50lbs prior to and since joining this website. (from 243 - 189) I work out 5-6 times a week 45-60 min on average and the system still has me at 1200. I've been on a pretty flat plateau for about a month and have started to lose a little muscle mass. Suggestions? Great post btw!
  • mariantustisonoconnor
    mariantustisonoconnor Posts: 2 Member
    this makes sense to me because I can easily see myself cutting out 100 calories a week for 6 weeks to get to the amount I need instead of one big jump, but I can only really meet goals in tiny baby steps until they become automatic.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    I am one of you...
    ...1200 calories a day is a paltry sniff of food. It's a dab of nutrients, and it's almost impossible to follow on a consistent (years) basis....

    The number itself mocks you and makes you feel inadequate....You will live on...yes..but in misery.

    well the thing is, you're not me.
    You look like a rather muscular man, where as I am neither. When you turn into a 45 year old woman, then you'll be one of "me".
    1200 calories a day probably is NOT enough for you, but its fine for me. I'm not starving. most days i'm not even hungry.
    I woh't have to stay at 1200 calories for years, because I will get to my goal weight and eat more to maintain.

    I'm not mocked, and I don't feel inadequate, and i'm not miserable.

    perhaps you should change the thread title to end with "for me", since you can't stand there and tell me what's going to work for me.

    :laugh: :flowerforyou:
  • mareeee1234
    mareeee1234 Posts: 674 Member
    Amazing read!

    #eatmoretoweighless
  • valmb2
    valmb2 Posts: 41 Member
    PS...I am a green belt in taekwondo! ;)
  • RoseDarrett
    RoseDarrett Posts: 355 Member
    Read the whole thing.MFP had me on 1200.I am one of the lucky few that is happy with 1200 and I have to make sure I plan my meals because I'm normally always under,so it can be an effort to reach 1200.That's just me,maybe I'm weirdly made.

    That being said though,I am on my second month of Insanity and read the diet plan again and saw that I actually needed to up my calories,which makes sense since I was actually getting hungry.So I will be eating 1400.Which I'm happy about.It's just looking for more healthy foods to reach that and hope I don't feel overly full(like Christmas full where you get sleepy)

    I eat healthy,lots of fruits and vegies and protein.I lost weight on my own prior to joining MFP.That's just cos I eat well,not a fan of junk food either.I'm fairly active as well.

    Your post is very helpful because I saw so many people unhappy with 1200,which is very achievable for some but not for others,also when I would work out and get hungry I would have a healthy snack,and only be over maybe 30 or so calories.I can't imagine doing insanity on 1200 calories.It's intense!

    So thanks for putting in the time to write this.Very helpful!!!
  • asizesix
    asizesix Posts: 131 Member
    love this. thank you!
  • alifer
    alifer Posts: 387 Member
    What an amazing (and sensible) post. It absolutely makes sense!

    So for those of us who have only been on (or back on) the wagon for a few weeks at 1200, do we bump our calorie intake up again?

    I can kind of guestimate how many calories I was inhaling before the first of the year, but I didn't log until I came back to MFP a week or so ago.

    Thank you for taking the time to write it all down for us.

    I came back to MFP on the 1st of the year. I started at 1200 again and am slowly inching my calories up until I find a level I like where I'm still losing. Curious as to the OP opinion on doing it that way.

    edited to add: Mountain Dew addiction and portion control are the reasons I gained in the first place. I won't allow myself to have Mountain Dew, as I have trouble stopping with one - and I crave other sweets when I drink Dew.
  • jubeesh
    jubeesh Posts: 156
    bumping to read later
  • aelunyu
    aelunyu Posts: 486 Member
    So, I've done a pretty decent job of losing 50lbs prior to and since joining this website. (from 243 - 189) I work out 5-6 times a week 45-60 min on average and the system still has me at 1200. I've been on a pretty flat plateau for about a month and have started to lose a little muscle mass. Suggestions? Great post btw!

    You are probably actually one of the few people actually suffering from "starvation mode". Your body has become very accustomed to 1200. So it doesn't want to change. This is what I advise.

    Go to a buffet. Eat as much as you can for one day..until you are absolutely in danger of throwing up (but of course keep it all down). go back on your 1200 diet the very next day and for all the days ahead. the buffet should have sent an alarm to your body, and I expect you to lose more weight...do this once or twice (at most) a month.
  • pstaceyca
    pstaceyca Posts: 306 Member
    Bump to read later!!

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