any 1200 calorie success stories?

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snowy_sk
snowy_sk Posts: 117 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hi, I keep reading so many negative comments about sticking to 1200 calories. This is the amount I was planning to eat but am now confused! Anyone have any positive stories please?
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  • ThisGirl2013
    ThisGirl2013 Posts: 220 Member
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    I was just reading "that" thread, too.
    I lost what I considered a plateau of years in just two weeks doing this!
    Eating 1200 calories, that is.
    I don't freak out if I go over, I eat if I am hungry/cranky *lol*
    I also eat more protein if I decide to work out.
    Maybe they work out more or something, I don't know.
    Right now, this 1200 thing is working for me and I am sticking with it, despite what a bunch of strangers say!
    If something changes, hey - I might look in to what they are saying but the scale does not lie and for the first time, in YEARS, I am seeing 130s!!!
    They can eat what they want. I am quite content at 1200 (give or take some days)!
  • AprilNew1
    AprilNew1 Posts: 10 Member
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    I have been staying under or at 1200 calories a day and it is working for me. I am going to the gym at least 6 days a week and I am losing weight. I don't feel hungry throughout the day either. I would say give it a try, with anything, you are going to have the horror stories because it is not a one size fits all, everyone is different. Good Luck!
  • cindygretz
    cindygretz Posts: 94
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    1200 calories with 1500-2000 a day on the weekends is working for me. I make sure I can fit in snacks so I don't feel hungry between meals and I buy/use lower calorie items than I normally would so that I have more to eat. (Light bread, reduced fat cheese, fat free pudding, low carb tortillas) I don't do this because I'm cutting out anything like fat or carbs, I do it simply because it lets me put more food on my plate.
  • snowy_sk
    snowy_sk Posts: 117 Member
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    Thankyou! x
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    The question I have is: if you CAN eat more than 1200 calories/day and still lose weight, why wouldn't you?
  • Katieloula
    Katieloula Posts: 73
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    Eating 1200 or under worked for me all the way through high school until I got to Uni and made the worst choices ever (fast food fiend), I've been eating like the old days for about 10 days now and aside from a noticeable difference in my skin, face fat and belly I feel GREAT. I can't remember having this much energy for years!

    People are plain wrong when they say you can't maintain the 1200 cal lifestyle, it's just utter bull. It's also wrong to say that you can't feel good or full if you eat under 1200 cals. Go for it and let us know your experience!

    Different people need different paths. I know if I allowed myself 1800 cals a day, I'd fill it up by making much worse choices than I do currently. What's most important is that you do what's best for YOU. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. :)
  • Trilby16
    Trilby16 Posts: 707 Member
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    The question I have is: if you CAN eat more than 1200 calories/day and still lose weight, why wouldn't you?

    Would you lose the same amount of weight in the same amount of time by eating more cals? I think the obvious answer is no. So that could be one reason.
  • JoshuaL86
    JoshuaL86 Posts: 403 Member
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    No. I eat 3200 calories a day and stil lose right at .5 a pound a week. Unless you're 4'11" or you have to for medical purposes, I see no point in eating a 1200 calorie diet. Especially if you're working out as well.
  • jmparis65
    jmparis65 Posts: 58 Member
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    I began on Oct 20, 2012 at a weigh-in of 253, I have limited myself to an avg of 1250-1300 a day, as of today I have lost 63 pounds.

    The key is to eat and eat often, eating the right things and excercise
  • JoshuaL86
    JoshuaL86 Posts: 403 Member
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    The question I have is: if you CAN eat more than 1200 calories/day and still lose weight, why wouldn't you?

    Would you lose the same amount of weight in the same amount of time by eating more cals? I think the obvious answer is no. So that could be one reason.

    It's not a race, why do you HAVE to lose weight FAST? You don't.
  • runningwild00
    runningwild00 Posts: 109
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    1,200 seems so low. I eat about 1800.day. But I think if you aren't cranky, eating balanced, not feeling exhausted, and lose weight -- then it works for you! I definitely agree, different people need different paths, and that's just fine
  • sheri555
    sheri555 Posts: 38
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    I've been at around 1200 calories for the last 9 months. I have lost 70lbs. I'm not trying to "race" or do it fast or anything. I work out almost everyday (running) and try to pay attention to how my body feels. 1200 calories can be a LOT of food if you are eating really clean, and healthy. I really think it should be more about the quality of your food, than the quantity of your food.
  • PaigeAnderson100
    PaigeAnderson100 Posts: 301 Member
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    My personal opinion is that you should do what you want to do- if you aren't losing weight that you want, add more calories and work out more. Weight loss is all about what's best for YOU! You might need to experiment different calorie intake amounts but, you will find what's right for you! I first started with 2000 calories and gained, I than dropped to 1200 and I was still hungry- now, I have 1300 calories a day and I usually don't eat a lot less than that. I also cannot for the life of me workout 7 days a week having a newborn baby.
    My mother in law lost about 200 pounds on a 1200 calorie diet but, she only ate fruits and vegetables ALL DAY! She lost that 200 pounds in about 2 years.
    I wish you the best of luck!
  • mathteacher2010
    mathteacher2010 Posts: 85 Member
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    I am 4'9", and 59 years old. I am eating 1100 during the week, and more on weekends. I am losing 0.5 - 1.0 pounds per week. That's still not very fast, but if I eat more, I don't seem to lose anything. My doctor knows about this, and approves as long as I don't feel weak or shaky, which I never do. I have been on this plan for close to a year. I have been on several vacations, and always enjoyed my food, then went back on plan. I exercise with TRX straps 3x per week, and try to walk or do something the other days. I seem to have plenty of muscle mass in my legs and arms. While I sometimes wish I could eat a little more, I eat three reasonably filling meals a day, plus a snack or two. You can eat quite a lot of food if you choose wisely. :drinker:
  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,525 Member
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    It worked for me for 40 lbs. of course I exercised and logged and ate back the calories, so most days I was eating more like 1450 calories.

    I follow all the threads that say we can eat more. I've even used the very helpful in Place of a roadmap group spreadsheet for figuring calories. The funny thing is that even though the roadmap group swears that everyone can eat more calories and lose, when I put my numbers in it generates a number very similar to 1200 plus my exercise calories. This is probably because I am small, slim, female, and middle aged! The fact is if you are all those things you don't need a lot of fuel!

    I think that what so many people freak out about is thinking that when you say you eat 1200 you are not logging and eati g exercise calories. If you do that, you will actually eat more than 1200, plus develop a really good attitude toward exercise as a positive thing rather than something else on the to-do list. That's what happened for me.
  • RWBoston
    RWBoston Posts: 15 Member
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    I lost just under 10 lbs in two months eating around 1200 calories a day. Since I only have about 15 lbs total to lose, those were pretty great results for me!

    Give it a shot and see how it works for you.

    I didn't consistently eat 1200 calories during those two months--at least twice a week I had a 1700-1800 calorie day, but normally because of some special event or work lunch that caused me to up my intake. So don't be upset with yourself if you have a few days where you go over. You'll still lose weight.

    The trick I found to keeping my intake at that level? At least one meal a day had to be a salad. If you are smart about the toppings and make sure to include plenty of protein in the salad, it works!
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
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    I know several women who ate an average of 1,200 calories a day who have some of the best bodies on the planet -- body fat percentages in the teens. They followed a ketogenic protocol, were never hungry because their brains were fed endogenously, and consequently they reached their goals in about half the time that they would if they were dealing with depleted liver glycogen and hypoglycemia. A few of them are still ketogenic and rarely eat more than 1,200 calories. A few of them have reintroduced carbs and eat about 1,500 calories. All are thriving.

    Conduct your own experiment and think for yourself. It requires no ethical guidelines or funding.
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    The question I have is: if you CAN eat more than 1200 calories/day and still lose weight, why wouldn't you?

    Would you lose the same amount of weight in the same amount of time by eating more cals? I think the obvious answer is no. So that could be one reason.

    What's the rush? The loss of lean body mass associated with accelerated weight loss is enough of a reason to take it slow and steady, IMO. Eating at a more "normal" level also helps teach you good, healthy, manageable behaviours for maintenance and long-term success.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    I am 4'9", and 59 years old.

    This is a good example of who should be eating less!

    At 5'4 and a normal weight, the average woman's BMR is 1200, so there is no harm in eating that amount. For someone particularly short, it could end up as their maintenance calories.
  • casi_ann
    casi_ann Posts: 423 Member
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    The calories each person needs to eat to lose weight is going to be different depending on gender, age and their particular metabolism. I decided to start eating more calories because of everyone saying that 1200 calories isn't enough and am now stuck around the same weight when i started eating 1400 calories instead of the 1200 calories i was eating before to lose 2 pounds per week. I also added exercise to my program at the same time in increased my calories to 1400. I think we have to figure out for ourselves what is going to work. I'd love to eat more calories and still lose but i don't think that is going to work for me and it scares me to eat more calories and gain the little bit of weight i lost. Yes, I see these younger guys and gals eating more and losing but that is not going to work for everyone.

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