Results with 1200 Calories

I've had success at 1200. I started around 1500 and just did what MFP set me at so i was at 1200 for awhile. For the past couple of months, though, ive been more at 1300-1400 just becausei'm trying to raise my cals as i get closer to goal. I had no problem at 1200 though, i felt fine. Good luck!

I started MFP on Jan 2, 2013 with the 1200 calorie limit with a goal of losing 30 lbs. By the end of March, I was spot on for the average of 2 lb per week. April wasn't as pretty. I may have had a net loss of 1 lb? Although I started exercising in Jan, I started exercising MORE as the months passed. I mostly ate my earned calories but when I added in the elliptical, eating those calories along with the other earned calories might have been too much. I adjusted MFP to a 1 lb a week loss goal and it upped me to around 1300 calories. I usually eat back my calories to about 1400-1500 range.

With that said, I am not a high impact exerciser. I got to Curves 3 times a week and work the rest boards by doing cardio (jumping jacks, jump rope, etc.) I try to do the elliptical 30 min x 4 days. I walk about 5 -7 miles a week and I ride my horse whenever I can. I don't count my ride activity unless I am trotting a lot.

WIth just Curves and the elliptical, I am not hungry as it provides me with enough net calories to satisfy my hunger. I eat what I like, just in moderation. Love fruit! (And gave up coffee creamer).

In hindsight, I might have done it a little differently - maybe started at 1400 calories. Until I got an exercise groove going, it was tough.

I am 5'9" tall.
Starting weight 185
Current weight 157
Goal weight 155 (but thinking about changing it to 145 - 150)

I think people should do whatever works for them. I also think one can get in a fair amount of food at 1200 calories if you fuel yourself with lots of fresh vegetables, and lean proteins and occasionally a few servings of fruits and dairy. Fruits and vegetables will provide a enough carbs to give you energy. But in a nutshell do what works for your body, your lifestyle, and your mind.

Ive tried every diet in the book. I want to loose the excess fat i have fast so MFP has me slated at 1200 cals a day. This is not ideal for me. I do crossfit most days and run almost every day..sometimes both in the same day. At 1200 calories i felt like i was about to pass out when i would work out. You need to eat the right kinds of foods while still staying under 1800 i would say..for me at least.

Oops quoting went awry...

i'm doing a six month internship as a part of my masters program in occupational therapy and am working on a traumatic brain injury unit at a rehab hospital right now. my patients in coma levels I-IV get fed 1400 calories/day at a minimum. not one patient on the unit is fed less than that. i fully respect that eating 1200 calories a day has worked and is working for some of you and i fully congratulate you on your success but i know that for me, since i'm not in a coma, i need to eat more than my coma patients do in order to function and thrive.

Yes they are fed with 14,00 and no less but that is to maintain their weight - not to loose it. Those patients no doubt need specialized nutrition to combat muscle atrophy and skin breakdown r/t immobility. We are healthy, active people, and if we are overweight, we need to eat at a deficit - not maintain - otherwise how will our body ever have the impetus to use up all the stored fat and loose some weight? Just my opinion....

This.

UUURRRGG here we go...'you're starving at 1200'. What a load of cr**. I have tons of energy, I'm losing weight, my periods haven't stopped, I've not suddenly gained weight and you know what, I enjoy not eating f*** loads of food.

I'll see you at the finish line (I'll be there before you)!

I actually didn't say you were going to lose your period, and you obviously have a bad relationship with food if you thinking eating what your body NEEDS to simply maintain it's functioning level is "loads of food." Also it is starving yourself, the average body needs at least 1700 calories to function every day, anything less than that is starving it.

Do you expect your car to run without gas? Do you use your cell phone without charging it? Stop thinking of your body as a number on a scale, and start thinking of it as a machine that needs energy to function. The bottom line is losing weight at 1200 calories is not healthy because a) you aren't feeding it properly b) it's not ideal to live on 1200 calories for the rest of your life. The damage it does to your metabolism, and yes the potential harm it can do if your body goes into starvation mode and starts to consume it's own muscle. (Also your period doesn't need to stop for your body to be doing this, I was anorexic and my period never stopped not even when I was 115lbs so that's a mute point.) Also talking about muscle and starvation, guess what's a muscle in your body? YOUR HEART

THIS^^^ I have recently increased calories from 1250 to 1650 and as soon as I start my eight training program (NROLFW) I am going to increase further to build muscle! (YAY)

I feel awesome, I eat back at least half of my exercise calories (so I come in around 1800 on workout days) and people keep commenting on how "fit" I look or asking me how much weight I lost! I look better, my muscles are bigger and I have a lower body fat percentage since I started eating more(went from 23.5 to 21 percent!)!

YAY HEALTHY FOOD! Why starve and feel listless and just look skinny when you can workout, eat lots and feel as awesome as you look.

(OH! and bonus points for my suddenly much healthier nails and hair and skin!!)

Hmmm 1200 not a good idea, I would suggest what I have not seen so far in reading the first few pages, TALK TO A NUTRIONIST OR YOUR DR. as your dr. knows your body best and a nutritionist can help you.

i'm doing a six month internship as a part of my masters program in occupational therapy and am working on a traumatic brain injury unit at a rehab hospital right now. my patients in coma levels I-IV get fed 1400 calories/day at a minimum. not one patient on the unit is fed less than that. i fully respect that eating 1200 calories a day has worked and is working for some of you and i fully congratulate you on your success but i know that for me, since i'm not in a coma, i need to eat more than my coma patients do in order to function and thrive.

Yes they are fed with 14,00 and no less but that is to maintain their weight - not to loose it. Those patients no doubt need specialized nutrition to combat muscle atrophy and skin breakdown r/t immobility. We are healthy, active people, and if we are overweight, we need to eat at a deficit - not maintain - otherwise how will our body ever have the impetus to use up all the stored fat and loose some weight? Just my opinion....

Point being that if 1400 Cals is the minimum to maintain someone who is completely and utterly inactive to a level not possible while conscious (except maybe while in deep meditation) you don't think 1400 Cals is probably the minimum someone who is conscious ought to be eating? To keep the organs functioning, muscles maintained, etc? It's not as though we active people aren't subject to muscle atrophy if we don't eat enough (i.e., less than needed by a coma patient), even if we weight lift. You don't think that simply managing to be conscious requires enough extra energy to put you in a deficit and lose weight?

i'm doing a six month internship as a part of my masters program in occupational therapy and am working on a traumatic brain injury unit at a rehab hospital right now. my patients in coma levels I-IV get fed 1400 calories/day at a minimum. not one patient on the unit is fed less than that. i fully respect that eating 1200 calories a day has worked and is working for some of you and i fully congratulate you on your success but i know that for me, since i'm not in a coma, i need to eat more than my coma patients do in order to function and thrive.

Yes they are fed with 14,00 and no less but that is to maintain their weight - not to loose it. Those patients no doubt need specialized nutrition to combat muscle atrophy and skin breakdown r/t immobility. We are healthy, active people, and if we are overweight, we need to eat at a deficit - not maintain - otherwise how will our body ever have the impetus to use up all the stored fat and loose some weight? Just my opinion....

Point being that if 1400 Cals is the minimum to maintain someone who is completely and utterly inactive to a level not possible while conscious (except maybe while in deep meditation) you don't think 1400 Cals is probably the minimum someone who is conscious ought to be eating? To keep the organs functioning, muscles maintained, etc? It's not as though we active people aren't subject to muscle atrophy if we don't eat enough (i.e., less than needed by a coma patient), even if we weight lift. You don't think that simply managing to be conscious requires enough extra energy to put you in a deficit and lose weight?

Just curious ~ so do they prescribe 1400 calories to ALL comatose patients, regardless of age, size?

nope - that's the minimum though. it goes up from there depending on the patients age, weight and the level of coma the are currently at. (there are technically 8 levels of coma and each gets more active so more calories...)