When is 1200 calories appropriate? (hint: almost never)

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/74/5/579.long

That discusses a meta-analysis of 23 studies spanning thousands of participants.

Conclusions: Five years after completing structured weight-loss programs, the average individual maintained a weight loss of >3 kg and a reduced weight of >3% of initial body weight. After VLEDs or weight loss of ≥20 kg, individuals maintained significantly more weight loss than after HBDs or weight losses of <10 kg.

From within the study: weight-loss maintenance, percentage weight-loss maintenance, and reduced weight were significantly lower with HBDs than VLEDs.

And also within: After VLEDs or after weight losses of ≥20 kg, individuals maintained a significantly greater weight loss at 5 y than after HBDs or weight losses of ≤10 kg. Our analysis suggest that individuals are more likely to sustain long-term weight losses of ≥5% of initial body weight if they participate in VLEDs or lose ≥20 kg initially. This is not consistent with the common recommendation that individuals lose weight slowly and set initial weight-loss goals of ≈5% of their body weight (3,6).

(In plain English- dieters who lost their weight on deeper deficits maintained significantly better 5 years out than those with more shallow deficits.)

I used to think I had to eat 1200 or under to lose weight. Have been eating around 1600 since mid November and even with some cheat days, I've lost over a stone. So glad I finally came to my senses and educated myself on the healthier way to lose weight.

Not all calories are the same. 200 calories worth of Doritos won't give you the same nutritional value as a 200 calorie salad.

At the same time, 1200 sounds awfully low for the general populace. Ultimately, it all depends on the individual. :-)

I weigh 183 starting this for a second time and MFP started me off with 1200 but when I calculated BMR it gave me 1,560 calories... The first time I used MFP I was a little less (176 lbs) than how much I'm starting with now so it USED to be 1340 calories.... how many calories should I bump it up?? Should I put it back to 1340?

Question, do you mean 1200 calories all together with working out
... or with out it... like today I'm at 1800(ish) because of working out.

The link in the first post doesn't seem to be working. :-(

MFP always advised me to eat 1700+ calories, never have I seen it go to 1200. If I only eat 1200 or less, it actually warns me that I am eating too little.

I have been on a strict 1000-1200 calorie diet a few times in my life. Three years back, I lost 60 pounds in a matter of 7 weeks adhering to it religiously. However, when I returned to work (we have summers off), I started my bad habits but it took 3 years to put all the weight back on.

January 1, I started the diet again. I usually net about 1000 calories a day. I have lost ten pounds in 9 days. Yes, you are hungry for the first few weeks but you curb your appetite by bulking up on good calories. Calories in one pound of broccoli is MUCH less than a "diet meal" that will leave you hungry.

This "diet" is a way to discover new, healthier foods, shrink your stomach so you get full faster and get use to smaller portions. Should you be one 1000 calories forever? NO. But for a month or two, as long as you adjust yourself as needed (getting too tired all the time, up the calorie count, etc.) Then, when it is time to get off the diet, you get full faster and you have a taste for GOOD food and not fast food. Don't do what I did and overeat after you get off your diet. That is how the pounds get put back on.

So please understand that under certain circumstances and under supervision of yourself (and maybe a loved one), a 1000-1200 calorie diet can be good. It wasn't until the advent of the fridge that we became such over eaters. Why are other DEVELOPED countries skinner? Because they do not gorge like us. They eat enough to survive.

PS. Before people try to throw "medical papers" at me about health risks. Answer this for me: "Why does the gastric bypass weight loss surgery do to make you lose weight?"

Answer: Makes your stomach so small that you eat very little, therefore, your calorie intake is minimal (usually only a couple of hundred for the first few months). I call my diet the "Gastric Bypass diet without the surgery".

MFP always advised me to eat 1700+ calories, never have I seen it go to 1200. If I only eat 1200 or less, it actually warns me that I am eating too little.

I have been on a strict 1000-1200 calorie diet a few times in my life. Three years back, I lost 60 pounds in a matter of 7 weeks adhering to it religiously. However, when I returned to work (we have summers off), I started my bad habits but it took 3 years to put all the weight back on.

January 1, I started the diet again. I usually net about 1000 calories a day. I have lost ten pounds in 9 days. Yes, you are hungry for the first few weeks but you curb your appetite by bulking up on good calories. Calories in one pound of broccoli is MUCH less than a "diet meal" that will leave you hungry.

This "diet" is a way to discover new, healthier foods, shrink your stomach so you get full faster and get use to smaller portions. Should you be one 1000 calories forever? NO. But for a month or two, as long as you adjust yourself as needed (getting too tired all the time, up the calorie count, etc.) Then, when it is time to get off the diet, you get full faster and you have a taste for GOOD food and not fast food. Don't do what I did and overeat after you get off your diet. That is how the pounds get put back on.

So please understand that under certain circumstances and under supervision of yourself (and maybe a loved one), a 1000-1200 calorie diet can be good. It wasn't until the advent of the fridge that we became such over eaters. Why are other DEVELOPED countries skinner? Because they do not gorge like us. They eat enough to survive.

PS. Before people try to throw "medical papers" at me about health risks. Answer this for me: "Why does the gastric bypass weight loss surgery do to make you lose weight?"

Answer: Makes your stomach so small that you eat very little, therefore, your calorie intake is minimal (usually only a couple of hundred for the first few months). I call my diet the "Gastric Bypass diet without the surgery".

Oh god there is so much wrong with this post *backs out of thread quietly*

MFP always advised me to eat 1700+ calories, never have I seen it go to 1200. If I only eat 1200 or less, it actually warns me that I am eating too little.

I have been on a strict 1000-1200 calorie diet a few times in my life. Three years back, I lost 60 pounds in a matter of 7 weeks adhering to it religiously. However, when I returned to work (we have summers off), I started my bad habits but it took 3 years to put all the weight back on.

January 1, I started the diet again. I usually net about 1000 calories a day. I have lost ten pounds in 9 days. Yes, you are hungry for the first few weeks but you curb your appetite by bulking up on good calories. Calories in one pound of broccoli is MUCH less than a "diet meal" that will leave you hungry.

This "diet" is a way to discover new, healthier foods, shrink your stomach so you get full faster and get use to smaller portions. Should you be one 1000 calories forever? NO. But for a month or two, as long as you adjust yourself as needed (getting too tired all the time, up the calorie count, etc.) Then, when it is time to get off the diet, you get full faster and you have a taste for GOOD food and not fast food. Don't do what I did and overeat after you get off your diet. That is how the pounds get put back on.

So please understand that under certain circumstances and under supervision of yourself (and maybe a loved one), a 1000-1200 calorie diet can be good. It wasn't until the advent of the fridge that we became such over eaters. Why are other DEVELOPED countries skinner? Because they do not gorge like us. They eat enough to survive.

PS. Before people try to throw "medical papers" at me about health risks. Answer this for me: "Why does the gastric bypass weight loss surgery do to make you lose weight?"

Answer: Makes your stomach so small that you eat very little, therefore, your calorie intake is minimal (usually only a couple of hundred for the first few months). I call my diet the "Gastric Bypass diet without the surgery".

Oh god there is so much wrong with this post *backs out of thread quietly*

"He who claims able to cast stones but doesn't does not mean they ARE able to cast stone."

I am curious on what is SO wrong with a personal story???? No where in there did I claim expertise or medical documentation. I simply spoke of experience. So please, cast thy stone.

I'm not the one who said that, but I suspect that she may have had a problem with the "makes your stomach so small" claim.

But like I said, I'm just guessing here.

The reason I leave my planner at 1200 is because I don't get to set my portion sizes, so I rely on so much estimation to record my calories. Also, when eating 1450 calories or more, even with exercise, I have been feeling really sick and full lately.