Has anyone met there goal weight eating 1200 calories??

You don't have to remain on 1200 forever though, this is the bit I never understand when people say that. If somebody remains on 1200 forever, they will continually lose weight. Once their goal has been met, they will need to go onto maintenance, so need to up their calories?

This is a common misconception - believeing that after eating 1200 calories for months on end you can simply 'go up to maintenance' and stay the same weight.

It's not that easy. After eating a certain amount for an extended amount of time, your metabolism adapts to that intake. You may well also lose muscle, which also contributes to slowing metabolism.

Therefore, your body thinks that 1200 IS maintenance. As such, when calories increased to what the person expects their maintenance to be, weight goes back on. And as muscle mass has decreased, when the weight goes back on BF% is higher than it was before weight was lost.

Not sure where you got that info from, but it is not true regarding the body thinks that 1200 is maintenance if that has been the person's "diet" to lose weight.

Use it or lose it is a quote regarding muscles. Use it or lose it, I use mine and do not lose it.

The body can adapt over time to the available food intake, this is why it is recommended to take a 'diet break' every once in a while, eating at maintenance to give the body a chance to adjust to it's new weight.

Yes re. use it or lose it - that is why strength training is so important.

It is also to do with the depletion of glycogen in the body. When a person suddenly reaches their goal weight and starts going onto maintenance, that glycogen suddenly replenishes and between 3-5lbs can suddenly go straight back on. That person then thinks "dang! weight has gone back on" and so they cut their calories again.

It is much better explained in the link to a thread below posted by another member, such interesting info in it, definitely food for thought (pun not intended)

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/993576-why-you-gain-weight-if-you-eat-more-than-your-cut

A year ago I was eating 1200 calories and dropping weight...it was slow but it was coming off. This year I am eating 1200 calories and I have hit a plateau. I should add that for 6 months I stopped counting calories and when I started again and followed the 1200 calorie plan that had worked for me in the past I dropped 5lbs...now I have hit the plateau.

You are going to need to try it out for a few weeks (if not more) to see how your body handles it. As you can see from the thread many people are eating 1200 calories and losing...though I have seen some people posting that they eat more and still drop. Everyone's body is different and finding out what works for you is important.

I have the same concerns that you do....feel free to friend me if you like and we can share ideas of what is working and what isn't.

Might depend from one person to another but personally, eating 1200 a day has never worked for me
I tried when I first started MFP but realized after a couple of months that eating that low and not logging my exercise was getting me nowhere.

I lost the weight I wanted to lose eating 1600 cals, working out 3 times a week.

I now eat between 1800 and 2100 calories a day, lift heavy 3 times a week with some running and yoga and have never felt and looked better. *shrugs*

I did for awhile, but upped my calories because after awhile I was hungry and I do not see why not, if that is what you want to do..we are all different:)

I am the same way, the medicine im on doesn't make me hungry enough throughout the day to eat more than 1200-1400 at most. Originally I was burning about 600-800 daily at the gym (and I lost about 20 pounds in 6 weeks...and wasnt overweight or even close to it) but I realized I need to either be eating back my exercise cals or not burning that much because I don't want to hit a plateau, or just be unhealthy like that. I'm losing weight to do it the right way- not the fast way But yes, I still remain on the 1200 cals diet and 8 weeks later its still working for me. Good luck!

@ 1200 calories a day. How many pounds a week can be lost?

I lose about 0.3 - 0.5 pound a week on 1200 cals.

only if you're you.

That is why she used the word "I". She simply shared her experience. She didn't say that anyone else would lose that much.

I know that many people get really upset whenever someone loses weight on 1200 cals. They think that them telling people that, will make everyone run out and start eating 1200 calories so they can lose weight too.
Perhaps I have a bit more faith in the intelligence of the average person, to figure out what calorie level is too low for them. If they are starving and have no energy, then most likely they will up their calories. If they dont, then they have bigger problems than being overweight.

For myself, I was frustrated for years wondering why other people could eat so much more than me and not gain weight.
I thought there was something wrong with my body, or I was just weird. I mean, if 2000 calories was the recommended amount, then why did I gain weight on 1800?

When I joined here, I finally found women around my age,(50) who had figured out how to lose weight and keep it off.
How did they do it? Mostly eating around 1200 cals a day. But they made those calories count. They also got in some regular moderate exercise. Then as they neared their goal weight, they started slowly upping their calories, a little bit each week, until they reached a level where they maintained their weight.

Having people call me stupid for eating at 1200, and telling me that I was going to lose all my muscles, hair, and destroy my body did not help me.

Having people younger and more physically able than I am, bragging to me how they could eat 1800 calories and still lose, and insist that I could do it too, did not help me.

I mean, seriously, how can a 20 yr old, 6' tall man, who spends 10 hrs a week in the gym, understand the calorie needs of a partially disabled 50 yr old woman?

Insisting to me that I can lose weight eating 1800 calories a day, does not make that be true for my body. It only frustrates me and pisses me off.

So if my sharing what works for me, can help another middle aged woman who is desperately trying to lose some unhealthy weight, then I will continue to risk the attacks on the forums, so that that woman doesn't get frustrated and give up altogether.

I would like for everyone, when they state how many calories they lose weight on, to give their stats along with that number.
Let us know your age, height, gender, and activity level.
This way, new members reading these posts can better compare themselves to the others on here, and find people who closely match their situation so that they may have realistic expectations.

@ 1200 calories a day. How many pounds a week can be lost?

I lose about 0.3 - 0.5 pound a week on 1200 cals.

only if you're you.

That is why she used the word "I". She simply shared her experience. She didn't say that anyone else would lose that much.

I realize this. The problem with the whole scenario is this:
1. we know nothing about Axioml other than the fact that he is a guy.. that's 49.
2. While she responded with what worked with her, that's fine for her and I realize that.

The problem, inherently, is this:
Say the dude comes back and sees the 0.3-0.5 number and decides that it's good enough for him. Is that doing him any good? Absolutely not. That's why I made a point to, well, point it out. a 49 year old man isn't going to react the same as the person that responded to them.

So, while you responded with a bunch of text that applies to you, it has no bearing on the guy that asked the blanket question about how much could be lost at 1200 calories a day.

Further than that, he's responded to a few other threads about "guys, how much do you eat."

He needs to find his number. His own number. Not mine, not yours, not hers. His own.

Which is why I told him this in my first response:

@ 1200 calories a day. How many pounds a week can be lost?

it depends. Set the program up to fit YOU. If you're active, put it. If you only have a few lbs to lose, set your goal at 1lb per week, not the instant "2lb" goal. Losing faster = / = sustainable. There's no blanket answer to this question.

because it applies.

I eat AT LEAST 1200 per day but stay under 1500. As long as I'm not hungry I'm fine with 1200, but if I get hungry then I eat. Sometimes I "eat back" calories burned in exercise, sometimes I don't, depends on whether or not I'm hungry. I'm losing approximately 2 lbs per week, starting from 252 lbs. (some weeks I've lost 3, some weeks only 1). I plan to adjust that a bit as I add in more exercise and my weight comes down (weight down = exercise easier = increase in consumed calories). At least that's the plan so far!

I lost 13 lbs wthin a couple of months only eating at 1200 calories. I was doing strength training and zumba 5 days a week. However I lost motivation after I reached my plateau and now I'm up a few lbs.. It works, but after you become stronger you need to start eating more to fuel your body!

im down from 250 to 202 right now eating 1200 calories (since february), my bf % went from 24% to 15% so far, with lifting and doing cardio

wow... 24 to 15% on 1200 calories?

yup, i'm trying to get to like 7%, and i see no reason why i won't get there continuing this way. I also lift for like 2 hours a day and do atleast an hour of cardio, and i certainly don't re-eat those calories that i burn.

What DO you eat? How are you not starving? That's A LOT of exercise and calories being burned on very little food

I have lost 43 pounds so far. (I lost 5 before joining fitness pal). I eat 1200 a day plus at least 1/2 of the calories back on days I exercise. I take 2 days a week off of exercise and only eat 1200 on those days. I am not hungry. I am 4 pounds away from my goal and this has all happened in the last 7 months.

im down from 250 to 202 right now eating 1200 calories (since february), my bf % went from 24% to 15% so far, with lifting and doing cardio

is your diet 1200, AFTER working out? or 1200 base and then you work out on top of it.

Since May 24th I've lost 31 lbs on 1200 calories a day.

yes I lost 47lbs and 3 dress sizes in 6 months eating 1200 cals and not logging my exercise. it depends on your body and how much you lift as well - not just doing cardio.

I never thought of this. This is such a good idea,i think,not logging the exercises.And congratulations on losing 47 lbs,that's awesome!

Me either and yes it is a great idea!!!! I too will stop logging my exercises!

that's honestly a pretty awful idea.

Hi am worried i will gain by just eating 1200 calories a day but im full and don't feel the need to eat any more not even my net calories I have a personal trainer 5x a week will i still lose weight??

Has anyone met there goal weight just eating 1200 calories??

I lost a stone and a half in 5 weeks at 1200 ... I am however a 6'4" bloke lol
After 4 weeks the loss started to dry up so I increased my calories so my body didn't go into starvation mode