1200 Calorie People..How do you do it and stick with it?

rainbows1994
rainbows1994 Posts: 30
in Health and Weight Loss
I am currently eating 1400 calories per day and exercising for about an hour. I have tried to go as low as 1200 but I always seem to be starving!

For those of you who have stuck to the 1200 calorie allotment, how do you do it? How does it work for you? How much exercise...etc.

I'm currently trying to find the best calorie intake for me to lose weight and not feel hungry all the time. The times where I stick to 1200 are hard but they sure do work for weight loss!
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Replies

  • saudade88
    saudade88 Posts: 29 Member
    My friend did 1200 calories, but she wasn't exercising. when she WAS exercising and eating 1200 calories, the weight wouldnt come off, because it was too much of a deficit. Just her experience. I don't eat that little tho.
  • Lochlyn_D
    Lochlyn_D Posts: 492 Member
    I eat between 1200 - 1400 calories a day and I exercise about 2500 a day (that's tdee). Every third day I do nothing (tdee is about 1000). I am losing about 1 lb a week. I have hyperthyroidism and I can't take medication for it so it's harder for me to lose weight. I just have to do it this way. I don't think there is a secret to it, just willpower. Either you want it or you don't.
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    If you are feeling hungry all the time on any diet.... it's not the diet for you. 1200 may work for some people, but if you feel hungry while doing it, you are probably too active and burning through all your calories. I have my base set at 1250. It's usually easy for me to stick to. I eat small portions: 3 meals, 2-3 snacks. But on days when I exercise, I eat those calories as well. It's actually harder for me to go from eating 1250 to eating 1500 than it was to start eating at 1250. I don't want to eat just for the sake of eating when I'm not hungry so I usually end up drinking chocolate milk and eating peanut butter to get the calories in that way...
  • Joannesmith2818
    Joannesmith2818 Posts: 438 Member
    I do 1200 cals and then eat back exercise call which is between 200-300. I still seem to eat tones and never really feel hungry. When I do feel hungry I eat! Feel free to look at my diary!
    I am losing at a nice steady rate. Though now I am doing more strength training I am thinking of upping my base allowance!
  • emily_ebooks
    emily_ebooks Posts: 55 Member
    I eat 1200 calories per day and I never really have a problem with feeling hungry or overeating.
    I think I just got used to it. In my experience, if you just stick with it, you'll start to feel really, really full after 1200 calories per day.
  • sprintto50
    sprintto50 Posts: 410 Member
    I eat 1200 NET and I believe that is the key. I eat between 1500-1900 calories per day and never feel deprived.
  • phyllisgehrke
    phyllisgehrke Posts: 238 Member
    I am on a 1200 Calorie Diet

    But my exercise is very minimal, because of health issues
    I am losing weight, I have been doing this for 1 month and have lost 5 pounds in 1 month.

    If you are going to exercise, I would recommend eating your exercise calories.
  • babyshroom
    babyshroom Posts: 46 Member
    I usually eat between 800 and 1200 (please don't ***** at me about it, I don't judge your weight loss choices, don't judge mine). I only ate my exercise calories if I was hungry or wanted a treat. I'm rarely hungry, and when I am it's because I've missed a meal do to being too busy, sleeping too late, etc. I've lost about 35 lbs so far this year (would be more, but I feel off the wagon for a while do to emotional issues). I didn't plateau at all after my body got used to the calories and I'm not in "starvation mode".

    I stick with it through willpower and finding low calorie things that I really enjoy. I rarely eat meat, or bread, or sugar. Lots of fresh fruits and veggies and cheese because I loooove cheese. I find not allowing myself "cheats" helps me stay on track, because a treat here and there turns into a week off here and there (for me that is).

    *Edit: as for exercise, I TRY and do Zumba 3 times a week, and weight training 3 times a week, but I haven't got it set into a good routine yet. Most of the weight loss came while I was rarely exercising.
  • craziecritter
    craziecritter Posts: 202 Member
    I am on a 1400 calories a day. I have to have 70 protein mixed into that! I have not been hungry. I do eat back my exercise calories occasionally but try not to. I do water aerobics 3 or 4 times a week and take swimming lessons. I will be adding zumba or something else to my routine once I feel like I am strong enough. Just make the right food choices and go for low point foods. I think my diary is open to the public. Good Luck!!
  • snowboardandasuitcase
    snowboardandasuitcase Posts: 222 Member
    I'm on 1200 but no matter how much exercise I do, I make sure to eat back most of my cals. So, I usually have more than 1200 cals in a day. For me, 1200 rarely results in hunger. I just choose to eat fibre and protein, and plenty of veggies, rather than empty cals. I think it really depends on what food you choose to eat, and that you make sure you're eating back your exercise cals (or half/most of them).

    If you're feeling hungry, you're more likely to go over your cal limit or binge anyways, so just adjust it to what works for you. Make the right choices for each meal/snack and you should be fine!

    Do you understand the way the cal defecit works? Even if you eat back your exercise cals, you lose weight. Just fyi. ;)
  • endlesswonderr
    endlesswonderr Posts: 91 Member
    I am set for 1200 calories a day, however I usually end up eating back a lot of the calories I lost with exercise which is usually about 300 a day.
    I find if I don't eat junk food I can easily stay at 1200 and not get hungry :P
  • eversosquidly
    eversosquidly Posts: 59 Member
    I fill up on things that don't have a lot of calories. Like broccoli. :) And I do my best to drink as much water as I can. At least 8 cups a day.
  • 4word
    4word Posts: 15
    I just started the 1200 calorie intake about 2 1/2 weeks ago. I have been going over by 200 calories or so. I also eat my exercise calories. I am doing okay with this... feel I can do it (by that I mean get to 1200 and maintain). My problem is that I am not seeing any results!! I've toned up some but no seeing weight loss.... so frustrating!!!
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    I eat 1200 NET and I believe that is the key. I eat between 1500-1900 calories per day and never feel deprived.

    I also NET 1200 (as mfp is designed). I eat between 1500 and 2200 per day, usually about 1700.
  • aNewYear123
    aNewYear123 Posts: 279 Member
    I eat around 1200, but I'm short and don't exercise as consistently as I should. When I work out, I eat back the calories. Some days I am hungry. I am learning to like salads more and more. :smile:
  • hsnider29
    hsnider29 Posts: 394 Member
    Right now I have my base set at 1300 calories and I eat back about 50-75% of my exercise calories. I have been on MFP a long time. I lost almost 30 pounds by eating 1200 calories and walking but unfortunately gained it all back over a year. I am now lifting weights 3 times a week and I think I have finally repaired my metabolism from netting around 1,000 calories a day for months. I think I can maintain my weight at around 1800-2000 calories right now. I plan to make good choices while eating out but I am not stressing about going over my calories when I am out eating with my family. I think it will all balance in the end. I'm trying to find a way that is comfortable for me for a lifetime. Losing weight is the easy part, keeping it off is much harder.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I eat 1200 NET and I believe that is the key. I eat between 1500-1900 calories per day and never feel deprived.

    ^This!

    It's 1200 NET calories if you are using MFP as designed. This means you eat your exercise calories back (because the deficit is built in BEFORE exercise). Most women have a BMR - basal metabolic rate (calories needed if you were in a coma) that is higher than 1200.

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/bmr-calculator.html

    Trying to lose weight too fast results in muscle loss ..... sure the scale moves .... but most people want to "look" better too.
  • carriespence1
    carriespence1 Posts: 70 Member
    I thought I'd have a really hard time with it too. Seems that since I am eating no flour or sugar and as close to nature as I can it,
    Is hard to eat enough sometimes. Well, unless I eat a lot of almonds :-)
  • lousoulbody
    lousoulbody Posts: 663 Member
    bump
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
    If you want to do 1200 calories and feel full you need high protein, high (good) fats, and lower carbs. The protein and fat keeps you feeling full longer. I am at the 1200 level, don't eat back my exercise calories, am losing 1-2 lbs a week, and am almost never hungry.

    Calorie level is an individual thing....finding what works best for you may take some experimenting!
  • generallyme2
    generallyme2 Posts: 403 Member
    I agree with a lot of the above. I'm on 1200 net cals- but I generally exercise between 300-600 cals and eat most of those back. I do try to give myself a bit of a buffer because its really hard to know exactly what you're burning. :)
  • saqilara
    saqilara Posts: 1
    I just joined the site and I have to try to stick with 1200 calorie thing. There are some great websites you can find that give you recipes for all meal types and the calories each contain. I've tried a few and the food is delicious. Just do searches for eg, 300 calorie meals or 100 calorie snacks. It'd pretty impressive what you can find.
  • fergybob9
    fergybob9 Posts: 2 Member
    I really struggle and feel I have to do exercise ! I have just started the 5:2 diet meaning you eat 500 2 days a week and then normally the other 5. I have had my first 500 day today and it was remarkably easy. This means I can relax a bit tomorrow. Guess it also means that if i dont gorge on the other 5, i will average about 1200 across the week. Google it and see what you think. Cant wait for tomorrow mind!!
  • meredith1123
    meredith1123 Posts: 843 Member
    I am currently eating 1400 calories per day and exercising for about an hour. I have tried to go as low as 1200 but I always seem to be starving!

    For those of you who have stuck to the 1200 calorie allotment, how do you do it? How does it work for you? How much exercise...etc.

    I'm currently trying to find the best calorie intake for me to lose weight and not feel hungry all the time. The times where I stick to 1200 are hard but they sure do work for weight loss!

    Healthy/Lean proteins and fiber keep me full all day!
  • monkey9994
    monkey9994 Posts: 10
    when i stuck to 1200 i tend to plan meals and times to have them and stick to it fruits are low in calories so them tend to be ok to have more of.
    Example:
    breakfst after im dressed- bowl Special K skim milk
    snack- banana or pear
    lunch around 1/2- sandwich with low fat spread and a meat or prawns etc, no cheese sandwich or pre packed filling(if out chose diet option) with a apple or lowfat yoghurt after
    cup of tea of cofee in afternoon keeps you going
    dinner around 6- healthy meal low carb , white fish is a good option with vegies or salads
    late snack if needed of cracker bread (40cals) low ft cheese (40)
  • coreymo
    coreymo Posts: 25 Member
    For me the key is to pig out on veggies (especially greens), friuts and high fiber foods like beans, and limit my carb intake (i.e., whole grain bread, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, etc.) to 1-2 servings per day max. I aim for a minimum of 30g fiber per day. And I absolutely stay away from sugar - If I eat even one sugary thing at any point in the day and I'm hungry for the rest of the day!! Also, drinking water and tea helps curb my hunger between meals. All the best!
  • David1406
    David1406 Posts: 63
    I'm in my 4th week of 1200 cals and haven't had any real problems. I tend to have a low cal breakfast and an even lower cal lunch, which gives me plenty to play with in the evening...even a large whisky here and there. I don't eat back my exercise cals, and usually end up somewhere between 1000 and 1100 each day. I've lost 13lbs in 3.5 weeks so I'm obviously doing something right! :happy:
  • HSM1982
    HSM1982 Posts: 7
    My plan of action for my 1200 calorie diet is to fill up on a lot of fiber rich vegetables and of course, lots of water. On the days I don't exercise and am very sedentary I plan to fully use my 1200 calorie allotment and on the days I do exercise I will try to take in more calories. I don't want my body to be deprived to the point it can't burn the calories, but must hold on to them. After my weight training I am going to try to take in a low calorie protein shake to help aid in repair of torn muscles (I don't care for the shakes too much, but I chug them down and then I am good to go on with my day).
  • crisbabe81
    crisbabe81 Posts: 170
    I do 1200 calories and only eat back my exercise calories on Sundays. I eat 3 meals and drink 1-2 protein shakes a day. I personally found the higher my protein intake that day, the less hungry I feel. I stay low carb, low fat and low sugar. I've lost 26.8 lbs this way since 4/13. I have a smart scale at home and calculates body fat, muscle and water.. I've increased my muscle and decreased my fat... I also drink anywhere from 1 gallon to 1.5 gallons of water a day. The water keeps me full! Good luck
  • 6spdeg
    6spdeg Posts: 394 Member
    feel free to view my diary.. eat clean lotta protein kills hunger etc.. i try to eat more but im already stuffed i was at 1800 calfor a while and felt so bloated all the time.. also 14glasses of water ave per day.

    oh yea i do m-f 1hr high intensity lifting mwf eve i do stair master 30min 70 steps per min and thur sundays i do cxworx core in evenings 30min class.

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