Results with 1200 Calories

Thank you so much for your response, it really put things in to perspective.

bump

Can I show you my success with over 1900 calories?

Gtfo. That's so irrelevant.

SerenaFisher put it better but...

While not a lady, I will say 1200 cals worked for a bit then a massive slow down and a few plateaus, my problem was I was having trouble actually eating more. I tended to break through plateaus when I ate closer to 1600-1800 calories albeit "dirty" calories oddly the closer i'm getting to my goal I'm finding I'm much hungrier where 1200 calories clean or dirty aren't nearly enough.

I started mid January on MFP. I have lost 28 lbs since then (I had lost more before tracking on a different site). I have not lost any lean body mass and have been making strength gains in the gym. I recently got a BodyMediaFit and have been focusing more on maintaining constant deficit than constant calories which means I'm not necessarily always at 1200 though my calories are generally in that neighborhood.

As far as success, I went from being just under obese to being in the "acceptable" range according to BMI. My bodyfat has decreased and lean body mass has been maintained. I'm not at my goal yet but I'm getting there. I also noticed that my hair and nails have been growing faster and nicer (I think because I'm more careful with my macros now than I used to be).

I have incorporated a high protein diet with my usual strength training so far, so good. As I get closer to my goal I will decrease my deficit each week until I hit my maintenance calories.

Edit to add: As far as longer term successes, I gained my weight in spurts with each ankle surgery (2) and with a pregnancy. It kind of just piled on over the course of several years. I gained a chunk with my first surgery (never learned portion control and the sudden switch from very active to sedentary was a difference of about 1200+ calories. Boom, gain of about a pound of fat every 3 days.) Got slightly more active again and maintained the weight I gained. Then pregnancy, same issue (rough last 3 months of my pregnancy because I was waiting for an ankle surgery that couldn't be done until I gave birth). Overall, I was about 90 pounds higher than my current goal. I decided to drop the fat (after birth and second ankle surgery). I did weight watchers and followed the "core" program. I lost 50 lbs in 6 months eating 1200 calories (and breastfeeding/pretty active). At my initial goal, I took a diet break that ended up lasting about 5+ years. Most of that time, I maintained the weight. The last year (and what pushed me into actually getting to goal) I moved halfway across the country and ended up eating fast food a lot, changing careers, etc... and gained back 10-15 lbs. That landed me here (eventually, after some weight loss on my own and a bunch of trial and error with different calorie levels over the course of about half of last year.)

I have never yo-yo'd and don't plan on it. Maintaining an acceptable threshold is important to me and now that I have learned portion control, I have fixed the issue that initially caused weight gain.

Also, my TDEE has increased (with a related increase in base level activity) since I started losing weight. I know because my weight is pretty solidly linear (trend wise) and I can pretty easily calculate TDEE using my records of everything.

Let me tell you my story...

I started dieting after my son was born in 2003, I figured diet was simply "stop eating so much" and 1000 calories sounded like a good reasonable number to go by. I lost all of my baby weight, became weight fixated, and lost more weight. I went from the 1000 calories to anorexia (this doesn't happen to everyone, but let's face it eating 1200 calories is border line anorexia. After all 1000 calories is only 200 less!) I was super skinny, I had never been so skinny, 5'8" 115lbs. Eventually I ate normal again, because you know life is a good feeling, being alive and all that jazz.

2006 I decided at 5'8" 150lbs I needed to get my eating habits under control. I set my goal at 1200, and lost to 129lbs in a few months. I was constantly crabby, I had no energy, I was so ravenous that if I didn't get to eat my scheduled meal I would start biting heads off. I was a real peach to be around. However, I was super skinny!!! YAY! Guess what? Eventually I got sick of starving and ate normal again, and balooned to 150lbs in about a month.

2008 I started working out, still not eating enough but better 1400 calories with a good work out. I lost the weight pretty fast still, but always felt hungry! (I wonder why? I was burning all of my calories with daily calorie useage, and then I was working out and burning even more.) I eventually made my goal weight, and body fat, and I was very fit! However again, STARVING, again I ATE NORMAL again I GOT BACK TO 150lbs without blinking an eye.

This time? I am eating normal, feeding my metabolism, making smarter choices, working out like a champion. I would reach my "goal weight" in a few months with 1200 calories, have the worst attitude ever, and be starving 24/7. This time? I am eating 1700 to 2200 calories, the weight is coming off slow, my muscles are beautiful. I am not a complete *kitten* to be around, and am enjoying my work outs. I can eat whatever I want and not have my butt go up three sizes.

MY SUGGESTION? FEED YOUR BODY. WORK HARD. Or you can ruin your metabolism, and eat 1200 calories the rest of your life, or do it the other way. Oh yes, and lift heavy things up and down, you will not get bulky and your body will thank you for it.

I don't think you can blame eating a diet of 1000 or 1200 calories on your gain. You say that you "ate normal". What does that mean? I think normal is different for everyone. If you aren't maintaining a calorie intake equal to what you are burning then you will either gain or lose. No matter the deficit you had when you were losing. I would think that would be self explanatory.

I started at 1200 but upped it to 1350. I eat half of my exercise calories..most of the time. I have lost 19 pounds since March of this year. I am only two pounds away from a "normal" BMI for my height.

1200 plus exercice. Those of us who are "blessed" with this low number need to eat back the exercise calories to really get the benefits. Not eating back the exercise calories doesn't make you any more successful in the long run, it just makes it hard to stick with it. I actually go back and forth between 1200 and 1440 (1.5 pounds a week and 1 pound per week) depending on my progress and plateaus.

I started at 1340 and didn't lose almost any weight. I had better results at 1550-1650.

I honestly am just trying to stay fit and at the same weight I have been since around high school. I think I gained maybe 3lbs after, I was below average for my BMI. I am only 5'4" and now weigh about 115. I work out maybe 4-5 times a week (usually walking for 30 min at a brisk pace w/ incline on tredmill) and I eat around 1400-1500 cals a day. Like I said, I'm just maintaining my weight, not losing it and this is just what I personally do. It all depends on your body type.