1200 Calories

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  • 6paq
    6paq Posts: 1
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    Most days I start off with an egg white omelette with spinach. Sometimes I'll include whole wheat bread.
    I usually snack on greek yogurt, hummus with carrots, or the occasional handful of mixed nuts.
    I will also eat lean meats such as chicken (no skin) or fish with veggies (kale, broccoli, more spinach)

    I use MFP daily and plan out the next day ahead of time. Definitely helps keep me on track.

    Oh, I also drink soy milk or fat free milk. TONS of water before and after each feeding :)

    I try and tip the scales with protein, high fiber foods and healthy fats...I really cut down on carbs and sugars.


    Hope this helps and good luck on your quest!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    This is so helpful, thank you.

    So, then I guess here are my stats:

    BMR: 1415
    HB: 1698
    Exercise: 400*3/7 = 171

    Daily calorie goal: (1698 + 171) - 500
    = 1,369

    I was conservative on calories burned and spread the calorie deficit from working out three days a week across the whole week.

    I think 1lb per week is a little aggressive for you, but if you can maintain it then you're probably ok.

    You are probably, most definitely, right. This is probably why I plateaued.

    FWIW, I don't think too few cals is what leads to plateaus, not enough intensity in your workouts does. Though, I get the feeling I'm in the minority on this.
  • ThisGirl2013
    ThisGirl2013 Posts: 220 Member
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    Yeah - 35/142# and wanting to get to 135# = I am at 1220 calories. I work a desk job and haven't been working out like I should and want to yadayada *lol* Hey! Just being honest! Anyway - I found that if I eat more during the morning/day and fast (meals or for a day) once in awhile, I gain more control and get a better perception of how I am eating. I want to eat to live, not live to eat. However, being honest with you and myself *lol* My diary shows I tend to be naughty. I want to interval and fake out my body - some days eat more, some days eat less. The more sugar/bad carbs I eat - the moodier I get and the more I want to eat.
    So I can tell you that proteins at meal times, not eating at night, avoiding sugars/bad carbs works amazing for me but I don't always stick to it ;)
  • Jennystimetolose
    Jennystimetolose Posts: 58 Member
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    I was on 1200 a day and lost 23 pound in 7 weeks then I upped it to 1300 to 1400 because I didn't lose any weight 1 week, and because I upped them I lost 2 pound this week so that's 25 pound in 9 weeks, and no I don't restrict my foods I still eat what I want, I just have less portion sizes :)
  • spinnybecky
    spinnybecky Posts: 28
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    I am 5'10" and 164 lbs right now, so very similar to you and I have been losing about 1 pound per week (a little more) on 1750 cals/day, plus exercise calories that I always eat back. I would be starving and grumpy at 1200 calories! In fact, I recently upped my goal to 2000 just to see what happens and if I continue to lose.

    Keep me posted on how that works for you. I am going to try 1,400 a day now while I am pretty sedentary and once I start getting outdoors more I will eat them back.

    Yeah, I'm pretty active. I'm a stay at home mom of three kids and on my feet much of the day, plus I teach pole fitness a few times per week. I include all of that as my general lifestyle. The only exercise that I track and eat back is any additional cardio, like going out for a walk or run.
  • smpalumbo4
    smpalumbo4 Posts: 9 Member
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    Thanks everyone this has been very helpful and insightful!
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    FWIW, I don't think too few cals is what leads to plateaus, not enough intensity in your workouts does. Though, I get the feeling I'm in the minority on this.

    No, you are right on. My plateauing has more to do with me not exercising enough and cheating on days because....wine, friends and a social life. Now that I'm exercising, it's easier for me to stay within the parameters for two reasons: I'm burning more calories and I won't drink the night before a workout at all (CF at 6:15am).
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
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    This is so helpful, thank you.

    So, then I guess here are my stats:

    BMR: 1415
    HB: 1698
    Exercise: 400*3/7 = 171

    Daily calorie goal: (1698 + 171) - 500
    = 1,369

    I was conservative on calories burned and spread the calorie deficit from working out three days a week across the whole week.

    I think 1lb per week is a little aggressive for you, but if you can maintain it then you're probably ok.

    You are probably, most definitely, right. This is probably why I plateaued.

    FWIW, I don't think too few cals is what leads to plateaus, not enough intensity in your workouts does. Though, I get the feeling I'm in the minority on this.

    plateaus can have lots of causes i suppose, but i think for people bordering on eating too few calories, it's the hormonal imbalance that is probably the most likely culprit. higher than normal cortisol levels may well be all that's required to slow the rate of fat loss and doing more exercise can then exacerbate the problem. at least that's what some people think may be happening and it sounds plausible to me, though i can't point to any studies proving it to be the case.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    This is so helpful, thank you.

    So, then I guess here are my stats:

    BMR: 1415
    HB: 1698
    Exercise: 400*3/7 = 171

    Daily calorie goal: (1698 + 171) - 500
    = 1,369

    I was conservative on calories burned and spread the calorie deficit from working out three days a week across the whole week.

    I think 1lb per week is a little aggressive for you, but if you can maintain it then you're probably ok.

    You are probably, most definitely, right. This is probably why I plateaued.

    FWIW, I don't think too few cals is what leads to plateaus, not enough intensity in your workouts does. Though, I get the feeling I'm in the minority on this.

    plateaus can have lots of causes i suppose, but i think for people bordering on eating too few calories, it's the hormonal imbalance that is probably the most likely culprit. higher than normal cortisol levels may well be all that's required to slow the rate of fat loss and doing more exercise can then exacerbate the problem. at least that's what some people think may be happening and it sounds plausible to me, though i can't point to any studies proving it to be the case.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    I agree, but I don't think hormonal changes happen as quickly as people think when they are all to ready to blame hormones for their lack of progress.

    "I've been eating 1200 cals for 3 weeks with no progress, what's wrong?"
    "You're metabolism is shot and your hormones are all out of whack. You need to eat more"

    Um, no.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
    Options
    This is so helpful, thank you.

    So, then I guess here are my stats:

    BMR: 1415
    HB: 1698
    Exercise: 400*3/7 = 171

    Daily calorie goal: (1698 + 171) - 500
    = 1,369

    I was conservative on calories burned and spread the calorie deficit from working out three days a week across the whole week.

    I think 1lb per week is a little aggressive for you, but if you can maintain it then you're probably ok.

    You are probably, most definitely, right. This is probably why I plateaued.

    FWIW, I don't think too few cals is what leads to plateaus, not enough intensity in your workouts does. Though, I get the feeling I'm in the minority on this.

    plateaus can have lots of causes i suppose, but i think for people bordering on eating too few calories, it's the hormonal imbalance that is probably the most likely culprit. higher than normal cortisol levels may well be all that's required to slow the rate of fat loss and doing more exercise can then exacerbate the problem. at least that's what some people think may be happening and it sounds plausible to me, though i can't point to any studies proving it to be the case.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.html

    I agree, but I don't think hormonal changes happen as quickly as people think when they are all to ready to blame hormones for their lack of progress.

    "I've been eating 1200 cals for 3 weeks with no progress, what's wrong?"
    "You're metabolism is shot and your hormones are all out of whack. You need to eat more"

    Um, no.

    i don't know. my gut instinct is that up to 2-3 weeks, you're probably ok. beyond that, i think it could happen. it's basically a bodily stress reaction. if you've got a stressful life and are the type of person who tends to worry a lot and you try going VLCD with a lot of cardio for 2-3 weeks, i could easily believe that you'd start running into problems. i have seen people on here doing something similar complaining that they reached a plateau after 4 weeks and were stuck on it for a long time. so who knows for sure?
  • jackiep2439
    jackiep2439 Posts: 15 Member
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    I feel your pain, three weeks in and only lost 1 lb at 1200 cal a day.
  • carmieg3
    carmieg3 Posts: 36
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    Is anyone else on here limited to 1,200 calories a day? I am 5'9" 159 lbs and trying to get down to 135 lbs. I am having a difficult time keeping it at 1,200! I used to be one of those people who could literally eat whatever I wanted and not gain a pound.

    What are some of your favorite foods that keep you at your goal? What do you avoid at all costs? Once the snow melts I plan to start hiking again so I imagine I will be able to eat more calories, but for now this sucks!

    I am around the same height as you, I started in December at 207lbs, and MFP had my goal at 1200 calories per day (because I had set my goals to loose 2lbs/ week). Eating 1200 calories is very, very hard, but not impossible. I kept my meals to around 300 calories each, which left me with 300 calories for snacks through out the day.

    Breakfast: every day same one packet plain instant oatmeal, coffee (with sugar and skim milk) a couple of berries
    Lunch: Soup OR Salad
    Dinner: Fish or chicken and veggies.
    Snacks: fruit, low cal crackers, yogurt, raw veggies with low cal. dressing

    I avoided ALL breads, including whole wheat, flat bread etc, No white rice, or white anything for that matter.. no pasta at all either.

    Now that I am past the half-way point, I have upped my calories to 1470 (changed my goal to loose 1lb/week) and it's awesome, I feel like I can eat soo much more, and I wish I had done it earlier. I have been on 1470 calories for one week and lost 1/2 a pound.. but I know that there is an adjustment period.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    I'm at 1200 calories a day and set my goal to a pound and a half a week. It hasn't been working too well (although I did drop 7 pounds gained while traveling very fast). Admittedly, I'm not a stickler to it every day, I prefer to look at the whole week and see where I fall at the end. I also just started getting back into exercising regularly (CrossFit) and I'm starving so I eat back most of my exercise calories.

    On days I don't work out, 1200 isn't too hard for me food wise. Wine kills me. But, I stay pretty full by eating cut veggies throughout the day, drinking water, having a snack around 4 and dinner around 6.

    I'm always open to tips from others.

    i'm pretty sure 1200 is too low for you.

    did you calculate your BMR? do you know your Harris-Benedict activity level? how much exercise are you doing?

    Thanks for jumping in here! My BMR is 1415.45, but I don't know what Harris Benedict is. Is there a calculator online? For the past two weeks I've been going to CrossFit three times a week. I plan on keeping to that schedule (went today, hoorah!).

    Calculator:

    http://www.nafwa.org/harrisbenedict.php


    My view is well known on here. 1200 is far too low for most people. That's all I'm saying as I don't want to lose another evening disagreeing with people who will still be trying to lose fat in a year's time when those who I've helped hit target months and months before...
  • Beastx10
    Beastx10 Posts: 97
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    Here we go again.........


    yes and again and again. new people!
  • EvaMRein
    EvaMRein Posts: 14 Member
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    I'm at 1200 calories a day. I avoid beef, pork and dairy products (milk & cheese) at all costs.
    I eat lots of fruits and vegetables. So far, I've lost 40 lbs and I still have 40lbs more to go.
    Good luck!:flowerforyou:

    Curious what your protein goal is and how hard or easy it is for you to hit.

    Protien goal is 45. And it's not difficult to hit. I also eat fish, eggs and chicken to achieve. Also, quinoa is a good source of protien.
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
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    Just to throw in, I am also 5'9, and around 140-145 right now (stopped weighing to focus on body fat %), and medium framed. I think 135 is fine if you're small framed. I eat 1800 calories a day to lose, 2200 to maintain on a normal workout schedule, and 2700 to maintain during marathon training, so I agree with upping your calories. 1200 is just way to difficult for us tall girls to maintain.

    I would note that upping your calories isn't a free pass to fill in 500 calories of wine a day (though I have been known to do that). Make sure to get lots of protein (MFP sets protein really low for some reason)
  • tlvasa
    tlvasa Posts: 60 Member
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    I am 5'9" and my goal is 155. That puts me in a size 10 jean. I am 52 years old and a mother of 2. While I was in the 125-135 range in my early 20's, I will never be there again. MFP put me on a 1200 calorie diet which as someone else mentioned, is pretty equitable to what Weight Watchers points would be. I started Jan. 2 of this year and have lost almost 18 pounds. I have about 12 to go. While 1200 doesn't seem like a lot, exercise is the key for me. It motivates me to earn more calories and I like the changes my body is making as a result of exercise.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    I am 5'9" and my goal is 155. That puts me in a size 10 jean. I am 52 years old and a mother of 2. While I was in the 125-135 range in my early 20's, I will never be there again. MFP put me on a 1200 calorie diet which as someone else mentioned, is pretty equitable to what Weight Watchers points would be. I started Jan. 2 of this year and have lost almost 18 pounds. I have about 12 to go. While 1200 doesn't seem like a lot, exercise is the key for me. It motivates me to earn more calories and I like the changes my body is making as a result of exercise.

    Therefore you aren't eating 1200 calories :wink: :tongue:

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