1200 calories

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ALHickok
ALHickok Posts: 10
in Health and Weight Loss
So today I aimed for 1450 calories, I ended up with 1500. According to MFP with exercising for 40 minutes and consuming 1500 calories I'll only lose 3 lbs in 5 weeks. While I don't need to drop 20 lbs in a month id like to.definitely see results a little faster than that. MFP wants me to consume 1200/day. Do I really have to stick with that? 1200/day just doesn't seem like enough. Maybe I just really have no clue what I'm doing and that's why I always give up.

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  • underwater77
    underwater77 Posts: 331 Member
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    What's the rush?

    You'll likely have a better chance keeping it off if you stay around 1500, even if it takes longer to get the weight off.
  • djtessatessa
    djtessatessa Posts: 54 Member
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    Give yourself longer or cut your calories more.

    Those are your options.
  • kwilliams386
    kwilliams386 Posts: 156 Member
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    Me says 1200 a day as well, i work a desk job and besides exercise I don't get to move much all day. This is a 500 calorie deficit, so I should lose a lb a week without exercise. If you do exercise, and I do, when you log it MFP will add calories to your day. You will get to eat back what you burned, but you still have that 500cal deficit, so you will still be losing weight at a healthy rate. I CANNOT seem to eat less than 1600 cals. a day, but as long as I burn off 400 at the gym, I will still maintain that 500 cal. deficit and lose a lb a week.
  • ALHickok
    ALHickok Posts: 10
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    I guess its just hard to think that it could really take a year to lose 30 lbs. I just cant get into a mindset.
  • ALHickok
    ALHickok Posts: 10
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    Me says 1200 a day as well, i work a desk job and besides exercise I don't get to move much all day. This is a 500 calorie deficit, so I should lose a lb a week without exercise. If you do exercise, and I do, when you log it MFP will add calories to your day. You will get to eat back what you burned, but you still have that 500cal deficit, so you will still be losing weight at a healthy rate. I CANNOT seem to eat less than 1600 cals. a day, but as long as I burn off 400 at the gym, I will still maintain that 500 cal. deficit and lose a lb a week.

    I can deal with a pound a week. That's realistic and not too fast. I know I have to eat those calories back, and I do its just a mindset thing. Thanks.
  • eyeshuh
    eyeshuh Posts: 333
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    It took me a year to lose 30 pounds. I am not ashamed of that. I was never starving, I am fit, I am healthy, and I probably retained a lot more lean body mass than people who try to lose more than that in a year, so I am going to look better when I hit maintenance. I only have about 7 pounds to lose but I'm in no hurry. I'll probably hit it just in time to look hot and fit in the summer.

    Be patient. Start now and both the year and the 30 pounds will fly by in no time.
  • gina04976
    gina04976 Posts: 4
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    You CAN do it! Just watch what you eat....I always ask myself if I am choosing the healthiest, lowest calorie, most filling thing before I stuff my face....and stick with that mentality, and before you know it, you won't even be wanting the 1500 cal/day!
  • babyblooz
    babyblooz Posts: 220 Member
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    For what it's worth, I've never taken the whole 'if everyday was like today, you'd weigh blah blah in 5 weeks' seriously. I purposely set my goals up so I would only lose 1 pound a week, because for me, 1200 calories was an insanely bad idea. But guess what? Some weeks I lose more than 1 pound, other weeks only ounces. Your body is going to do what it's going to do!
  • hestia1986
    hestia1986 Posts: 21
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    MFP does not know it all. So you should first wait for the actual results.
    It has always told me I'd lose less in 5 weeks than I actually have lost.
    Good luck :)
  • bette6101
    bette6101 Posts: 3
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    I set my caloric intake are 1,200, but add on exercise calories..so on a regular day I add on anywhere from 200-400, depending on my workout. I also try to consume as many calories as I have earned. One thing to look at it the breakdown of fats, proteins, etc...I found that if I consumed the 1200 calories n did not add the workout, I would get stuck..like my body was holding on because I was not getting enough food. Also, keep in mind that if u don't have a lot of weight to loss or are the last ten pounds, you have to change it around a little.
  • ALHickok
    ALHickok Posts: 10
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    Thanks guys. It's nice to hear all of those things. I'm really trying with the mindset. I knowninhave tonkeep pushing.
  • Nikiki
    Nikiki Posts: 993
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    I guess its just hard to think that it could really take a year to lose 30 lbs. I just cant get into a mindset.

    how long did it take to gain the weight? probably more than a year! its taken me about a year to lose 35 pounds and drop from a snug size 16 to just barely into an 8 now. During the last 12 months I've probably had at least 8-12 weeks where I fell totally off the wagon and gained some back but got back on track otherwise I'd probably be closer to goal by now, however before I scaled back my goals I spent about 10 years trying to rush my weight loss and during that 10 years I may have lost some weight initially but wound up gaining it back plus more. I net about 1500 calories a day on average and my actual eating is between 1500-2100 depending on the day & workout, and I am sooooo very much happier than i was when I tried to crash diet myself skinny.

    Its not a race, as much as it would be lovely to say "I lost 20 lbs in 2 months!" its just not realistic and I really really REALLY hate to be hungry so I'd rather lose a little slower and not be hungry :)
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
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    Read this >>>

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/865024-1200-and-why-it-won-t-work

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