Can Ya'll Help Me Understand This?

bc92487
bc92487 Posts: 22 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So I am on this 1200 calorie diet... I've seen so much negativity towards it... sooo what should I do? I'm 5'7" and currently 196#... I see a nutritionist once a month who said this is the way to go... I can't excersice much because I can't raise my pressure. I have a horrible time just carrying in the groceries... so weight lifting is out for now. My disease is Idiopathic Intercranial Hypertension... I did have a shunt (drain) placed in my spine a year ago this past June... I would love to know how to make my diary public and get a good support group going for myself. So help with this lifestyle change and utilizing the site would be great. :sad:

Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings - diary sharing is bottom left.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
    1200 calories sounds reasonable to me, I'm a "no exercise" type myself, though it's sheer laziness in my case, not a medical issue. If you follow your doctors' advice, you should do fine. Whenever it's a matter of trusting your doctor or trusting some random person on the Internet, always trust your doctor, or get a second opinion from a different doctor. Most people around here seem to think you can only lose weight if you work out like a fiend, but I'm proof that you can lose weight while eating junk food, fast food, and not doing a lick of exercise—you just have to stay in a calorie deficit. I try to stay in the 1200-1350 range, and as long as I've been successful at keeping to those numbers, I've been losing weight steadily.

    Best of luck to you, both with your weight loss and with your medical condition. You'll have nutritional requirements as a result of your medical condition, no doubt, make sure you follow your doctors instructions faithfully with regards to your diet.
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
    I'm an inch taller than you and I've been losing weight while eating 1400-1600 a day. If you are not satisfied on 1200 and don't feel like it's working, then increase your calories. Your nutritionist isn't the be-all and end-all on health or your body.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
    I'm an inch taller than you and I've been losing weight while eating 1400-1600 a day. If you are not satisfied on 1200 and don't feel like it's working, then increase your calories. Your nutritionist isn't the be-all and end-all on health or your body.

    :huh:

    OP, like I said earlier, your doctor is the one who needs to sign off on your diet plan, not random people on the internet. You're going to get a lot of "you need to eat more calories!" advice around here, for some reason, and unless your doctor says you need to eat more calories, take the advice with a grain of salt. Not literally of course, every grain of salt counts toward your sodium intake for the day. :bigsmile:
  • bc92487
    bc92487 Posts: 22 Member
    Thank you guys... Now can someone tell me how to form some type of support... like friends or something? I mean I'm good with 1200 calories personally. I am not telling everyone they have to do the same. I do have 6 doctors watching my diet. I do blood work monthly due to my medications so I don't want anyone saying I'm supporting an unhealthy diet or pushing it on people... :)
  • Leeann1979
    Leeann1979 Posts: 1,090 Member
    The main reason why people don't like the 1200 calorie diets is because it isn't a sustainable, realistic long term approach to permanent weight loss. Anyone can lose weight eating that little, but unless you plan to eat that little for the rest of your life, its not going to last. I've lost weight so many times eating little calories, and always gained it back, plus more.
  • barbaradetz
    barbaradetz Posts: 23 Member
    Stick with professional advice especially if you are dealing with a health problem.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
    The main reason why people don't like the 1200 calorie diets is because it isn't a sustainable, realistic long term approach to permanent weight loss. Anyone can lose weight eating that little, but unless you plan to eat that little for the rest of your life, its not going to last. I've lost weight so many times eating little calories, and always gained it back, plus more.

    False. 1200 calories is a weight loss calorie limit, not a maintenance calorie limit. You didn't gain that weight back by eating 1200 calories a day. You gained it back because you thought that after you got down to your goal weight, you could resume "eating normally", which is of course the same eating style that put you in the position of having to lose weight in the first place.

    Maintenance is a whole different animal. Basically, you have to stay on a diet for the rest of your life if you want to maintain your weight. That doesn't mean 1200 calories. That means finding your personal maintenance calorie total, and sticking to it. That's true regardless of how you lost the weight in the first place.
  • Leeann1979
    Leeann1979 Posts: 1,090 Member
    Come back in a year from now and see if you are still eating 1200 calories happily. You are brand new to this site, you haven't been doing it long enough.
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
    Come back in a year from now and see if you are still eating 1200 calories happily. You are brand new to this site, you haven't been doing it long enough.

    Listen, kitten, I've been managing my weight for my entire adult life, and I'm in my 40s. I won't be eating 1200 calories a year from now, since I only have 8 more pounds to lose, and I'll probably be at my goal well before the end of THIS year. You'd realize that if you had actually bothered to read my post, but whatever. I'll be eating MAINTENANCE calories a year from now. :drinker:

    I find this particularly amusing coming from someone who is sitting at ZERO on their ticker. :huh:
  • Katla49
    Katla49 Posts: 10,385 Member
    You can lose weight even if you have limited ability to exercise. DH and I started this together almost a year ago, and we're both slimmer and healthier than we were when we started. I have the luxury of exercising, but DH has health issues that limit him. I've lost more weight, but we're both successfully losing unwanted pounds and feeling better..
  • kae_blah
    kae_blah Posts: 180 Member
    Here is one group that can provide support while you are on 1200 calories a day - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/11724-the-1200-club.

    Siansonea is giving you great advice, the advice given by your doctor and professionals with access to your detailed medical history should be given more weight (mind the pun) that people on an online forum. Also do not forget to have a plan to transition to increase exercise (suitable for any physical limitations you may have) and to transition to maintenance.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    The only thing I'd say is your BMR is probably slightly higher... maybe around 1400 calories daily. If you can eat that much, you're less likely to see metabolic or hormonal adaptations that will make weight loss harder and weight regain more likely. It may go a little slower though, but not by a huge amount.
  • Railr0aderTony
    Railr0aderTony Posts: 6,803 Member
    Come back in a year from now and see if you are still eating 1200 calories happily. You are brand new to this site, you haven't been doing it long enough.

    Listen, kitten, I've been managing my weight for my entire adult life, and I'm in my 40s. I won't be eating 1200 calories a year from now, since I only have 8 more pounds to lose, and I'll probably be at my goal well before the end of THIS year. You'd realize that if you had actually bothered to read my post, but whatever. I'll be eating MAINTENANCE calories a year from now. :drinker:

    I find this particularly amusing coming from someone who is sitting at ZERO on their ticker. :huh:

    Kitten? HAHAHA

    tumblr_lognpmebcE1qjmniro1_400.gif

    This is getting interesting now.

    BawxZ.gif
  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
    Mmmm, popcorn (in 100 calorie paks, of course). :love:
  • kellyskitties
    kellyskitties Posts: 475 Member
    I can see their point- you need to create a deficit somehow and if you can't do it with exercise you do it with diet. It's also said you can't out run your fork. I believe that even for myself. I have a few physical restrictions that I am slowly overcoming.

    You go with what your personal medical panel says. Just keep in mind, many on here who don't know your story may encourage you to up calories.

    I would encourage you to eat those calories in proteins/fiber to get full and lean towards plenty of whole foods that are filling - meats, veggies, fruits etc.

    I'm okay with what you are doing - getting healthier with your restrictions would be tricky. Good luck and wish you better health!!
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    My disease is Idiopathic Intercranial Hypertension... I did have a shunt (drain) placed in my spine a year ago this past June...

    I gotta say, that's a sufficiently non-trivial condition that you should probably be seeking advice from your doctor(s). My limited understanding is that obesity is a significant contributing factor, so it may well be that your lowest risk path is to get the weight down anyway you can, as fast as you can.

    Good luck!

    ETA: There is a "1200 Club" somewhere on MFP, that's probably the safest place to go, there are some pretty aggressive folks on the main boards who will insist on giving grief for the "1200" thang.
  • Unknown
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  • Siansonea
    Siansonea Posts: 917 Member
    Come back in a year from now and see if you are still eating 1200 calories happily. You are brand new to this site, you haven't been doing it long enough.

    Listen, kitten, I've been managing my weight for my entire adult life, and I'm in my 40s. I won't be eating 1200 calories a year from now, since I only have 8 more pounds to lose, and I'll probably be at my goal well before the end of THIS year. You'd realize that if you had actually bothered to read my post, but whatever. I'll be eating MAINTENANCE calories a year from now. :drinker:

    I find this particularly amusing coming from someone who is sitting at ZERO on their ticker. :huh:

    Kitten? HAHAHA

    tumblr_lognpmebcE1qjmniro1_400.gif

    This is getting interesting now.

    BawxZ.gif

    Hahah...I guess I don't exist since I have no ticker.

    10 lbs on ticker = expert!!!!!!

















    kitten

    If there's an actual flaw in my advice, by all means, pontificate. If not...what's your point, exactly?:huh:

    I'm a 44 year old woman who hasn't had a BMI in the "overweight" range since the early 1990s. Tell me again how I'm so terrible at this whole weight management thing, why don't you?:drinker:
  • emirror
    emirror Posts: 842 Member
    OP - to get a support group of friends on here, I would just keep on posting to threads. It will establish what your personality is like, and you will also find people who are of like mind. When you read posts by someone who seems nice or interesting, then click on their user name. Check out their profile, and then click the button to send them a friend request. Most people like to get a little note letting the person know why you want to be their friend.

    You'll make some buddies in no time. :-D
  • tehboxingkitteh
    tehboxingkitteh Posts: 1,574 Member
    Pass the popcorn, please.

    tumblr_inline_mszwa6bn2T1qz4rgp.gif
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,025 Member
    mermaid.gif?w=612&h=400
  • TheCalorieSMASHER
    TheCalorieSMASHER Posts: 162 Member
    Come back in a year from now and see if you are still eating 1200 calories happily. You are brand new to this site, you haven't been doing it long enough.

    Listen, kitten, I've been managing my weight for my entire adult life, and I'm in my 40s. I won't be eating 1200 calories a year from now, since I only have 8 more pounds to lose, and I'll probably be at my goal well before the end of THIS year. You'd realize that if you had actually bothered to read my post, but whatever. I'll be eating MAINTENANCE calories a year from now. :drinker:

    I find this particularly amusing coming from someone who is sitting at ZERO on their ticker. :huh:

    Kitten?

    1279705271_sleepy-kitten.gif
  • bc92487
    bc92487 Posts: 22 Member
    I honestly didn't mean to start anything. I just wanted some advice. Thank you to all who gave great advice. <3

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