1200 calories works for me!

Options
Hbazzell
Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I know I will get grief for this but I am begining to think that not everyone responds to food and exercise the same way. We ARE snowflakes!

I have seen friends get awesome healthy at 1800 calories TDEE method and also on the 1200 calorie eat back your workouts method. I also havea friend who worked out hard, including weights, ate mostly protein and good fats, but tried to work off ALL of the calories she ate that day (for a short period).

I started this about a year ago at 1200 calories and lost 15 lbs at 2 lbs a week give or take. Then I read about TDEE and eat more to weight less and upped it. I gained everything back at only 1700 calories a day. So, now I am back to 1200 (eating back some of my workouts though) and I am seeing the scale go down and I am feeling fine energy wise. 1200 calories of good healthy foods like eggs, fage yogurt, veggies, and protein isnt hard!

Anyway, this is kind of a rant. I am just here to say, if it works for you and you arent harming yourself, then go for it. See what works best for you and what you can stick with.

If 5:2 is your thing, do it! If TDEE works, do it! If you only eat red M&Ms then fine! Just be happy and healthy.


Rant complete :)
«13

Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Options
    are you reposting this because the mods locked down your other thread where you said you only netted 500 a day..???
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    Options
    That was not me and this isn't a repost. I don't really post much. I think the last thing I posted was pumpkin recipes lol.
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    Options
    ...and 500 is wayy low. That is harming your body and is no way healthy. I would not condone that. I eat about 1200 calories, if I eat 1400 it's because I burned 200. Look at my profile pic, I am obviously an eater.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Options
    my bad, I confused you with someone else...
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    Options
    no biggie :)
  • aimforhealthy
    aimforhealthy Posts: 449 Member
    Options
    OP you seem really petite from your profile pic. If you're healthy, not always hungry and have plenty of energy on 1200 calories, no one's going to tell you to do anything different. Knock yourself out and good luck.
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    Options
    Thanks for calling me petite haha. I wish! I am actually 5'8" and 169lbs.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    Options
    i dont think anyone is saying that you will not lose on 1200 a week ..they are just saying that it is not sustainable and then at some point you will binge or being eating at a higher level and put the weight back on ..

    you could of had same results and done 1pound per week loss and ate at 1400 per day which is not as much restriction ..
  • EdwardNortonFan43
    EdwardNortonFan43 Posts: 150 Member
    Options
    Good for you! I've been on a 1200 calorie a day diet these past few weeks, too.
  • Sovictorrious
    Sovictorrious Posts: 770 Member
    Options
    liz-lemon-oh-brother_zps037707d8.gif
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    Options
    @ndj

    I tried 1700 and 1500, and 1400 and didnt lose (I stuck with them a couple months each). I stay about the same minus water weight flux.

    Some days I eat allll day but I am eating broccoli and spinach and spaghetti squash so I am eating a lot and getting nutrients but I am ending at 1200. I dont feel like I will binge because I am not feeling starved. I am going to give it 5 weeks and re evaluate.
  • aimforhealthy
    aimforhealthy Posts: 449 Member
    Options
    Thanks for calling me petite haha. I wish! I am actually 5'8" and 169lbs.
    GIRL. I'm also 5'8" and weigh 164 and let's just say I don't carry it as well as you do cause no one's calling me petite. :)

    I haven't looked at your diary, but 1200 calories on a diet primarily consisting of lean meats and veggies can be a lot of food. The couple of weeks I tried an all-paleo diet for s***s and giggles, I had a hard time netting above 1000 - and I was hitting all my macros and ate quite a lot of food. I'm sure you're not starving. Do you find it challenging to sustain week after week?
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    Options
    @AIMFORHEALTHY

    You look amazing! Like I would never think you weigh close to what I weigh. It must be in all the perfect places.

    I am a pescatarian so I eat fish, eggs, minimal cheese, and vegetables. Recently tried to reduce carbs; that is the only thing I struggle with. I am over them a lot but I have them set to 30% so it isn't too bad. I have some Oreos in my diary recently that were in the house tempting me but most of my food is pretty nutritios. One day I ate like 12 ounces of salmon too. That was a beast day lol.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Options
    Great job taking the time to try out various intakes and put real effort into finding what works for you. Good luck in your fitness and health journey. :flowerforyou:
  • KyliAnne26
    KyliAnne26 Posts: 209 Member
    Options
    Yay! I'm glad we're friends :) You look awesome, and I'm totally jealous of your cute hair bob.
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    Options
    Well, you eat back your exercise calories, so you're using MFP the way it was designed. If it wasn't working, I would be more surprised.
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    Options
    Thanks to those who are supportive of the "what works for you" method :) I have just noticed, as most have, that anyone here who is on a low caloire diet gets bashed heavily on this site and I just wanted to advocate for those who feel pressured to change whats working for them just because someone else says so.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Options
    I am honestly not trying to give you a hard time here - just trying to put this into context. You admit that you do not log regularly on your profile, and you have only logged for the last 6 weeks, with quite a few missing days during that period. How do you know that you are eating at that level? Also, you are averaging over 1,400 on the days you log (you do mention you eat your exercise calories back).

    I am not a 'you have to eat more or your hair will drop out and you will go into starvation' person, but I am just wondering how you are making the assertion that 1,200 works for you?
  • EdwardNortonFan43
    EdwardNortonFan43 Posts: 150 Member
    Options
    I am honestly not trying to give you a hard time here - just trying to put this into context. You admit that you do not log regularly on your profile, and you have only logged for the last 6 weeks, with quite a few missing days during that period. How do you know that you are eating at that level? Also, you are averaging over 1,400 on the days you log (you do mention you eat your exercise calories back).

    I am not a 'you have to eat more or your hair will drop out and you will go into starvation' person, but I am just wondering how you are making the assertion that 1,200 works for you?

    Does it really matter? She is obviously happy with what she is doing.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Options
    I am honestly not trying to give you a hard time here - just trying to put this into context. You admit that you do not log regularly on your profile, and you have only logged for the last 6 weeks, with quite a few missing days during that period. How do you know that you are eating at that level? Also, you are averaging over 1,400 on the days you log (you do mention you eat your exercise calories back).

    I am not a 'you have to eat more or your hair will drop out and you will go into starvation' person, but I am just wondering how you are making the assertion that 1,200 works for you?

    Does it really matter? She is obviously happy with what she is doing.

    Read the comments in the thread and try to actually read what I am asking. I am not bashing her at all.

Categories