Will 1,200 calorie diet work for me?

chelseaisabella
chelseaisabella Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone :)

I am a newbie dieter so I'm sorry if I get all of my facts completely wrong or anything like that.

At uni I managed to put on about 20-25lbs of excess weight and now that I've graduated, it's time to shed those pounds!

I have just started a 1,200 calorie diet and my starting weight was 11st 8lbs.

What I would like to know is, will my diet work? I know this sounds like a stupid question but I just don't know if I'm doing it right :/

I am checking my macros daily and have stayed under carbs/fats/sodium and only gone over protein and sugar (I think because I've had a lot of fruit).

Do 1,200 calorie diets work? My Mum has always said she has found that when she's been bigger/heavier she's lost more weight quickly as the body retains so much water.

MFP projects my weight loss at 1lb/1.5lbs a week without any exercise on 1,200 calories a day. I haven't gone over this allocation either.

Any insight would be great!! :D

Replies

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    well 1-1.5 is a lot to lose in one week for someone who only has 20-25lbs to lose in the first place.

    MFP will set your calories for you based on what you enter and if you follow that you will lose the weight (I suspect it would be more like 1400) with that being said you also eat back exercise calories while using MFP method.

    At 1200 calories a day you may find yourself feeling deprived and hungry (depending on your activity level)

    That being said yes you will lose weight on 1200 a day...but the real question is do you want to lose it that way and will you keep it off and how long will you last at 1200 a day before you say ....f this I need some food.
  • shanny24
    shanny24 Posts: 17 Member
    Hello :) MFP has advised me to follow 1,200 also so I will be interested to hear from others regarding your question. X
  • chelseaisabella
    chelseaisabella Posts: 23
    well 1-1.5 is a lot to lose in one week for someone who only has 20-25lbs to lose in the first place.

    MFP will set your calories for you based on what you enter and if you follow that you will lose the weight (I suspect it would be more like 1400) with that being said you also eat back exercise calories while using MFP method.

    At 1200 calories a day you may find yourself feeling deprived and hungry (depending on your activity level)

    That being said yes you will lose weight on 1200 a day...but the real question is do you want to lose it that way and will you keep it off and how long will you last at 1200 a day before you say ....f this I need some food.

    Thanks Steph :) I agree with what you say and I have thought about this... I used to eat chocolate bars and crisps and honestly awful food...student living maybe? I don't know. I was just getting stupid. Now I've switched to healthier foods and cut out the crap and I'm not actually feeling too hungry or anything. To maintain a lower weight I think I need 1,444 calories a day so when/if I lose the weight I will try that for a few months and see how I do. For me, anything in the region of 9.5-10.5 stone is ok I'm just out of my weight allowance for my height at the moment :)

    Thanks for your advice!!
  • xAndreaWx
    xAndreaWx Posts: 17 Member
    Hiya :) I was a similar starting weight to you at 11st 2lb and I've lost 2 stone following the 1200 calorie diet.. if you eat right you wont go hungry. I wasnt super strict, I have drunk alcohol and sometimes the calories went up to 1400ish a day but I found that 1200 a day calories was generally plenty and that combined with 4 days a week cardio exercise has really done it for me :) good luck x
  • egrusy
    egrusy Posts: 196 Member
    I didn't have much to lose, and was able to lose it on 1200 a day. I try to make sure most of the calories I take in are from dense and nutritious foods so I will feel satisfied. Empty calories such as found in junk food wouldn't do that for me. Be sure to get the most out of your allotted calories and good luck! :smile:
  • chelseaisabella
    chelseaisabella Posts: 23
    I didn't have much to lose, and was able to lose it on 1200 a day. I try to make sure most of the calories I take in are from dense and nutritious foods so I will feel satisfied. Empty calories such as found in junk food wouldn't do that for me. Be sure to get the most out of your allotted calories and good luck! :smile:

    Brilliant! Thank you! Glad to hear you lost your weight :):)
  • chelseaisabella
    chelseaisabella Posts: 23
    Hiya :) I was a similar starting weight to you at 11st 2lb and I've lost 2 stone following the 1200 calorie diet.. if you eat right you wont go hungry. I wasnt super strict, I have drunk alcohol and sometimes the calories went up to 1400ish a day but I found that 1200 a day calories was generally plenty and that combined with 4 days a week cardio exercise has really done it for me :) good luck x

    Brilliant!! This is so great to know! I don't work out that much so I'm guessing my weight loss will be a lot slower but as long as I can get there I will be so happy!! :D Thank you and congratulations on your achievements!!
  • egrusy
    egrusy Posts: 196 Member
    Brilliant!! This is so great to know! I don't work out that much so I'm guessing my weight loss will be a lot slower but as long as I can get there I will be so happy!! :D Thank you and congratulations on your achievements!!

    I don't work out that much either and have a sedentary job but was able to lose 1/2 to 1 pound a week. Some weeks I didn't see any loss; it's very important to be patient! You didn't gain the weight overnight, and you won't lose it overnight either.
  • fabafter5
    fabafter5 Posts: 200 Member
    Brilliant!! This is so great to know! I don't work out that much so I'm guessing my weight loss will be a lot slower but as long as I can get there I will be so happy!! :D Thank you and congratulations on your achievements!!

    I actually lose more when I don't work out, then it's just calories in vs. calories out for me. When I am working out I have to add in a whole other set of factors for more me to steadily lose. Like not eating too little, getting enough sleep, muscle soreness and drinking enough water.
  • Stage14
    Stage14 Posts: 1,046 Member
    For me, 1200 calories was never going to be sustainable as a lifestyle, so I have it up pretty quickly. I'm losing weight more slowly now, but I don't feel hungry, I don't have to watch every single thing I eat every single day, and my body is changing more steadily than it ever did on 1200. I also work out 4-5 times a week.

    Yes, you'll lose weight on 1200 a day with no exercise, but whether or not you'll be happy with the results or able to keep it off isn't something we can predict.
  • chelseaisabella
    chelseaisabella Posts: 23
    Thank you for these last three replies! They have really helped me understand what I'm doing a lot better and what I can expect from this diet. Again, thanks so much :)

    As for whether 1,200 calories a day is sustainable, I think when I'm at/under my target weight I will start to increase my calories to the predicted maintenance allowance and see how that works for a few months. If I'm still losing weight I will up my calories more and if I am gaining weight I will have to re-evaluate the situation.

    For food today, I've had:

    Tomato Soup with two slices of crackerbread, Snack a Jacks and for dinner Chicken and Broccoli Pie. I still have 590 calories left! So for a snack I will probably have some greek yoghurt and fruit and can even have a hot chocolate before bed. I think that's pretty good going? That will be under 1,200 too.
  • igotabulletproofheart
    igotabulletproofheart Posts: 104 Member
    It's not a diet, it's just a partiucular number of calories which you should stick to.

    Will it work? Only if you stick to it.

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