Still think your 1200 or less diet is a good idea?

I chose 1,200 because it was recommended to me.

I started off at 1,500, but my scale wasn't moving. I went to see a dietician, who told me about MFP. We discussed my eating habits and she told me to eat about 1,200 and see how it worked for me. I worried, but after seeing my scale drop 50 lbs in 4 months, I'm content with 1,200. I am still losing, I weigh in each week, my dietician and my doctor both agree that I'm eating much healthier than I have ever before. I hardly ever go over and I hardly ever have the craving for pop/sugar/chocolate (etc) that I had before. I don't feel hungry. I don't starve. I do what is best for me.

I can't tell anyone else what to do or how to do it, but I can say without a doubt 1,200 works for me, at least for now. When it stops working, I'll go back in and figure out something else.

(Oh! I don't know if it's important to your question or not, but I'm 22, 5'7" and 240, with a goal of 160.)

I apologize if you've already answered this because I haven't read the thread in its entirety. But I am curious what you think the minimum safe number of calories is for a person to eat?

There was a super morbidly obese man who fasted for a year under doctor supervision without encountering any medical problems.

The answer to your question is, I do not know.

That's fair. So would you say that you would never feel comfortable telling someone that their calorie intake is too little?

I'll step in and answer this one--Yes, I would feel comfortable telling someone their intake was too low. Key words are "morbidly obese" and "under doctor supervision." If those conditions aren't met then I'd feel comfortable (barring complete bed rest or someone 75+ years of age).

obviously many of us have not been educated or practiced in caloric needs when we first come onto a site like this...1200 for me was a starting place... my plan all along was that it may need altering as I go....So that's why ... just a place to start.

so then why not give a some thought to advice from people who have quite a bit of experience in this area?

Exactly this.

(Reddy, I can't believe I'm agreeing with you on something)

I think the fact that Taso and Coach Reddy are actually agreeing with each other on this thread shows how much win is contained in the OP.

As a former anorexic, it can sometimes be quite triggering seeing people on 1200, that much I will say. What I could do then, I could not do now. Apart from the fact, I am 5'10 tall and am pretty sure 1200 would be pretty detrimental for me. I feel fortunate that I have never been overweight, even during times when I did eat what I felt like eating, and did little exercise. Goodness knows what my bodyfat % would have been though. I often feel uncomfortable when I finish logging my day and have my usual 1900-2300 total, and see those on my list with their 1200-1300 total, I imagine many with ed tendencies get the same issue. You do start thinking, maybe I can eat a lot less and be comfortable and satiated too, if they can. But I workout intensely doing both HIIT, running, circuits with weights, walking and intervals on the elliptical, so unless I went back to my old regime of just walking, I could never hope to be comfortable on 1200.

Even on 2000, with my exercise, I still get hungry. And that is eating a lot of vegetables, sweet potatoes,beans, lean meat and greek yoghurt, and such healthy options. Sometimes I find myself thinking, maybe I should try to do 1200 in a way that I dont get hungry, just to see what happens. But I dropped down to 123 Ibs when I was on 1900-2000 calories a day and just cycling so yeah.

I would never tell someone to eat more, but I do think a lot of people on 1200 calorie diets are doing themselves a disservice and could eat more and lose weight just fine.

well THIS I agree with on every level. If you hate counting calories, don't do it. If you hate having caloric parameters, don't give yourself parameters.

but then the question you have to ask yourself is: am I getting all the NUTRIENTS I need? Forget calories. But for example, on your 700 cal day you got very very little calcium or iron. How do you make up for that? To be honest - I think your way of eating is a great one if you make sure to eat a balanced diet of lean meats (do you eat meat?), fish, veggies and fruits, with a few grains thrown in if you want. If THOSE are the only foods you eat, then you simply don't HAVE to count calories - you just eat when you're hungry. But it's the concept of eating as little as possible that I can't wrap my brain around. If you're eating good foods - which it looks like you generally are - then eat when you're hungry, eat till your full, and continue seeing the weight loss and having those good feelings!

I remember my doctor, despite me being obese, actively discouraging a 'diet' on the basis that 90% of people who diet gain the weight back in 5 years. Instead he recommended small lifestyle changes - more general 'moving around', less alcohol and simply making healthy food choices more often than unhealthy ones.

Now I wonder - if the statistic he gave is correct I wonder if any studies have been done on what the 10% who kept the weight off after 5 years did versus what the 90% who failed to keep it off did. You see the oddest thing is that from my observations of people I know, the fatter the person, the more diets (and the more extreme the diets) they've done in the past - and I count myself in that unfortunately.

When I first joined my calorie goal was 1200 (for all of about a month) it was because I set myself to sedentary and selected 2 pounds a week., without doing any research as to what my actual caloric or nutritional needs should be.

I did, thankfully, realize that I was supposed to eat my exercise calories. Which was pretty easy to figure out, seeings how MFP always added them to my daily goal and all.

But when the only time I lost two pounds in a week was when I had the stomach flu, I realized that maybe if I'm only going to lose a pound a week, I should just SET the calories to a pound a week. And while I'm at it, rather than logging every time I walk the dog or run the sweeper as "exercise," I should just bump myself up to lightly active and only record actual exercise as exercise. And the first few weeks I did that, I lost 1.5 pounds a week instead of the predicted one pound.

After that, I was a convert.

well THIS I agree with on every level. If you hate counting calories, don't do it. If you hate having caloric parameters, don't give yourself parameters.

but then the question you have to ask yourself is: am I getting all the NUTRIENTS I need? Forget calories. But for example, on your 700 cal day you got very very little calcium or iron. How do you make up for that? To be honest - I think your way of eating is a great one if you make sure to eat a balanced diet of lean meats (do you eat meat?), fish, veggies and fruits, with a few grains thrown in if you want. If THOSE are the only foods you eat, then you simply don't HAVE to count calories - you just eat when you're hungry. But it's the concept of eating as little as possible that I can't wrap my brain around. If you're eating good foods - which it looks like you generally are - then eat when you're hungry, eat till your full, and continue seeing the weight loss and having those good feelings!

I do eat meat once a week. I also eat a weekly meal with a lot of hummus in order to get more iron. And I take a multivitamin.

I do have to pay attention. If I just eat at will, I will gain weight. And this is where these threads get a little frustrating, you are in no position to tell me otherwise.

The solution for me is to shoot as low as possible and always have room to pig out if I want to. I've been trying stuff for three years. Three years of trying to figure out how I can lose weight and be happy at the same time. I have found something.

So the latest from Expert Taso before that thread locked was "why the hostility?" He thinks he was merely advocating for people to pick their own calorie amts rather than go by "dogma." Yet all he said in his OP was the title: "Still think your 1200 or less diet is a good idea?"

Doesn't that sound a tad hostile to the idea that 1200 could be right for ANYBODY?

can I ask you: why did you choose 1200 cal?

It works for me, and gives me enough good food to eat, plus snacks. I am 61, not terribly overweight, not very active, and female. This is the amt. I need to eat in order to lose weight. I HAVE eaten more-- that's why I have a weight issue! So, is this OK with you?

As a former anorexic, it can sometimes be quite triggering seeing people on 1200, that much I will say. What I could do then, I could not do now. Apart from the fact, I am 5'10 tall and am pretty sure 1200 would be pretty detrimental for me. I feel fortunate that I have never been overweight, even during times when I did eat what I felt like eating, and did little exercise. Goodness knows what my bodyfat % would have been though. I often feel uncomfortable when I finish logging my day and have my usual 1900-2300 total, and see those on my list with their 1200-1300 total, I imagine many with ed tendencies get the same issue. You do start thinking, maybe I can eat a lot less and be comfortable and satiated too, if they can. But I workout intensely doing both HIIT, running, circuits with weights, walking and intervals on the elliptical, so unless I went back to my old regime of just walking, I could never hope to be comfortable on 1200.

Even on 2000, with my exercise, I still get hungry. And that is eating a lot of vegetables, sweet potatoes,beans, lean meat and greek yoghurt, and such healthy options. Sometimes I find myself thinking, maybe I should try to do 1200 in a way that I dont get hungry, just to see what happens. But I dropped down to 123 Ibs when I was on 1900-2000 calories a day and just cycling so yeah.

I would never tell someone to eat more, but I do think a lot of people on 1200 calorie diets are doing themselves a disservice and could eat more and lose weight just fine.

So the latest from Expert Taso before that thread locked was "why the hostility?" He thinks he was merely advocating for people to pick their own calorie amts rather than go by "dogma." Yet all he said in his OP was the title: "Still think your 1200 or less diet is a good idea?"

Doesn't that sound a tad hostile to the idea that 1200 could be right for ANYBODY?

Exactly and his response to any one calling him on it is as smug as the post in the first place......

Reported this one too. Hopefully that will be strike 2 for you.

Not exactly sure why you seem to have a personal beef (no pun intended) with me.

Oh no...I hope you don't call my Mom too.....this whole negative thread should be reported.

Another helpful reply from you. You're on a roll here, adding all sorts of value along the way.

Leave him alone. The fighting doesn't get anyone anywhere and it clogs the thread. Please grow up and put him on ignore. I hope he does the same. I don't put up with childishness on here any longer. Anything negative and they go on ignore. If they are negative and immature once, I find they do it in every thread.

So the latest from Expert Taso before that thread locked was "why the hostility?" He thinks he was merely advocating for people to pick their own calorie amts rather than go by "dogma." Yet all he said in his OP was the title: "Still think your 1200 or less diet is a good idea?"

Doesn't that sound a tad hostile to the idea that 1200 could be right for ANYBODY?

Exactly and his response to any one calling him on it is as smug as the post in the first place......

Reported this one too. Hopefully that will be strike 2 for you.

Not exactly sure why you seem to have a personal beef (no pun intended) with me.

Oh no...I hope you don't call my Mom too.....this whole negative thread should be reported.

Another helpful reply from you. You're on a roll here, adding all sorts of value along the way.

Leave him alone. The fighting doesn't get anyone anywhere and it clogs the thread. Please grow up and put him on ignore. I hope he does the same. I don't put up with childishness on here any longer. Anything negative and they go on ignore. If they are negative and immature once, I find they do it in every thread.