struggling with a 1200 calorie allowance

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  • LunaGreen
    LunaGreen Posts: 118 Member
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    You will get people saying 1200 is not enough but it depends on age height and activity. I am 5'2" 54 years old and don't move much. 1200 is fine for me and I am losing although slowly. If I want to eat more I move more but I try to net 1200 calories


    This.

    1200 works for me - but I never actually only eat 1200. I exercise and eat them back. When I first started I was extremely sedentary, working from home and hardly moving at all. I needed an 'eating back' system to convince myself that getting up off my *kitten* was worth it. Now I hula hoop every day :)

    ^^^ This also...
    I'm super happy on 1200 cals and try to eat 6 times/day, (add me, my diary is open!) also this year I started eating paleo which has already helped LOTS!
    My start weight was 198 and for my first 20 lost just about all of my exercise was 1 hour of hula hooping/day!! haha
  • Amanda_Gx6
    Amanda_Gx6 Posts: 320 Member
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    I plan my meals ahead of time, sometimes I use my diary to figure out of what I want to eat will make me go over and then I adjust what I plan to eat accordingly. Once you get the hang of planning it simplifies things.
  • CaliforniaAJ
    CaliforniaAJ Posts: 196 Member
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    I plan my meals ahead of time, sometimes I use my diary to figure out of what I want to eat will make me go over and then I adjust what I plan to eat accordingly. Once you get the hang of planning it simplifies things.

    This!

    I do the same. Over my morning coffee I plan my food for the day, so that I can balance calories throughout the day. i am on 1200 and I exercise 400- 550 calories 5 out of 7 days. I do not eat all my exercise calories back, but if I go over 1200, I make sure wit's within the range. I normally end up on 1200 - 1400 not counting exercise calories lost, but normally nearer 1200.

    Now that I am thinking about what I am going to eat ahead of time, rather than randomly stuffing food in my face, I am finding that not only do I enjoy what I eat so much more, but I need much less.

    I used to snack in the evening in front of the TV. Now, even though I leave myself a calorie allowance to do so, I rarely feel the need!
  • kwantlen2051
    kwantlen2051 Posts: 455 Member
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    Good advise above on setting reasonable expectations to start.
  • Lauracanbe125
    Lauracanbe125 Posts: 17
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    I just joined so I will let you know!:happy:
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
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    Hi try to use this..will give your daily calorie requirements.. =)

    scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    ^^^This.

    Eat at least your BMR. 1200 is typically not enough and (imo) setting you up for failure. I've tried 1200 before and it was not sustainable long term especially if you plan on working out.
  • kkows
    kkows Posts: 19
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    I do the same. I'm on 1250 this week because at 1500 I was losing but still eating rubbish. Now I have to earn my rubbish ;)
  • mercurybebe
    mercurybebe Posts: 32
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    Jo...are you kidding me? There is NO WAY 1200 calories is appropriate for you per day. You are absolutely ridiculous and not eating and then splurging is going to just cause up and down weight. How about you do it in a more healthy manner?

    And before anyone yells at me, I am her wife and this is the first I've heard of a 1200 calorie diet, which is ridiculous for someone who fits into the same size tops as my very athletic/in shape 14yr old daughter. GET A GRIP.
  • mercurybebe
    mercurybebe Posts: 32
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    This might explain your headaches too. And being on 1,000mg of metformin (for PCOS) while only eating 1200 calories is NOT SAFE.
  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
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    I set up MFP for my mother who is 56 and 5'2, MFP set her to 1200 calories per day. I told her it was too little and I set it to 1500 calories per day without exercise and she is losing 1.5-2lbs per week. She hasn't even started working out yet...
  • rachelchard
    rachelchard Posts: 1 Member
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    The only way I can cope with 1200 cals is if I exercise and eat the cals back

    Exactly this! Just do a bit of exercise, even a brisk walk will earn you extra calories, an hours running and I earn an extra 650 calories, so over the week it evens out, some days I'm over, some under. But I can't do the 1200 without exercise. Its too hard long term and unsustainable.
  • ktrn0312
    ktrn0312 Posts: 723 Member
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    Bump
  • karenh
    karenh Posts: 44 Member
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    I can stay around 1200 a day as long as I eat very clean. There is no room for extra splurges which right now and maybe forever is a good thing because a splurge for me often leads to a total loss of control. I will eat back some of exercise calories but not all of them. I would not worry about going over a little if you feel good. I eat small meals/snacks every few hours to avoid getting starving and losing it in the afternoons. My highest calorie meal is dinner but I don't eat after 8 pm...only water. A big glass of water before a meal really helps me feel like I've eaten enough and keeps my energy level up. I watch that my carbs don't go over the recommended level on the diary but I don't worry about the sugar because if I have 2 pieces of fruit in a day that puts me over. It is the added processed sugars I think you need to watch out for so I eat very little bread and no chips, crackers, cookies, etc. I have done things this way for a long time and it works for me and I lose weight. My problem is getting about 1/2 way to goal and losing my motivation, feeling like it's taking too long, getting too busy with other things in life which cause me to have less time to cook and plan meals etc. I have to cook healthy and plan meals in order to feel good and stay on this plan. I hope some of this is helpful and every one is welcome to friend me. I need friends to help keep me motivated and support me when I get to the 1/2 way point and beyond. I hope that I have something to offer to support my friends as well!
  • nlabrosse86
    nlabrosse86 Posts: 12
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    Most people try to jump in and start with the "Lose 2lbs" a week program. Start at a lb or 1/2 a lb until your stomach shrinks, and you get use to the smaller portion sizes, then lower your calorie count. Determination isn't a bad thing, but don't make the boulder too big to push up the hill. Start with a smaller stone, then when you are use to pushing it, make the stone bigger. Don't set yourself up for failure. JMO

    Solid advice!
  • lindsaymarcin
    lindsaymarcin Posts: 81 Member
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    Everyone says you are starving yourself at 1200, but I am doing just fine with it!. In fact that's where my doctor said I would need to be if I wanted to lose any significant weight. I drink a TON of water (8+ cups) and if I want to eat extra I try to get in some exercise. It's not impossible! After a week or two I got over the hungry feeling and it became easier.
  • lowfatveg
    lowfatveg Posts: 19 Member
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    I increased mine to 1450 some days I hit just over 1200 and some days I need more we all diff you need to find what works for you
  • amyx593
    amyx593 Posts: 211 Member
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    My MFP is set at 1200 calories, but I always eat around 1600, give or take. I exercise daily.

    You need to eat your exercise calories back. It's not hard to stick to, as long as you're eating whole, healthy foods.
  • padams2359
    padams2359 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    If you have a sweet tooth, get Fibre One 90 cal brownies and bars are lowest cals for the punch. They definately serve double duty. I ate more sweets while dieting. Become a creature of habit, salad with different meat,fish, veggies and dressing (I make my own) for lunch, your dinner will open up for you. Side or snack it with different low fat/low sodium crackers (cals over sodium is key) and laughing cow light cheese (about 5 different flavor),and you will find your dinners open up to 500 to 600 cals at a time when you can enjoy them. Salads also travel easier. 1/2 a can of tuna fish gives tons of protein, and different salad dressings will change the flavor. A red wine vinagrette works great. Jicama is great in a salad. Pan fry several chicken breast, and you are good for days. JMO
  • joan23_us
    joan23_us Posts: 263 Member
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    Its interesting that many of you say you don't worry to much about the natural sugars in fruit. I used to do weight watchers ( lost 50lb, but its maintaining where I fall down ) and on the weight watchers plan mostveg and fruit are considered free to eat I.e. not counted in your food intake and it used to work too. So the question question is... Is fruit andveg worth counting/should you count it? Any thoughts?

    everything must be accounted for if you can, natural sugars in fruits are also carbs, if you eat it 'free' everyday the extra calories in there could mean the difference bet. you think you are in a deficit or not. I track basically all the foods that comes in my body.
  • joan23_us
    joan23_us Posts: 263 Member
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    Anyone else following a 1200 routine? If so, how did you make it work for you? Right now i am following it pretty closely but if i go over by 100 or so i don't sweat it.

    Thanks!!

    If I may... how did you come up with this calorie intake number, did you put in the information 'no activity' at all. Do you exercise to coax the fat or you are trying to burn all of it quickly hence the low intake hoping it should do the trick. In my opinion just looking at your profile pic you'll be better off eating 1800 calories and doing half an hour to forty minutes of resistance training or moderate intensity cardio to start with. BUILD a monster of a metabolic capacity is what you should be aiming for at first in a fatloss journey, starving not so much. GOODLUCK

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