1200 Cal Diet and Need Running Buddies

I don't know anything about you but I'm guessing that 1200 calories is way to low if you are training for distance running..... have you checked this calculator out?

http://www.marathon.ipcor.com/marathon-nutrition-calculator.htm

if you are running you need more that 1200 cals per day or else you are heading for burnout and injury. most people don't listen to this advice of course but I thought I would let you know so if you carry on you will know why you have broken down when you do

Yes, if you want to run, you need more calories. Try to NET at 1200, otherwise you will hurt your body.

if you are running you need more that 1200 cals per day or else you are heading for burnout and injury. most people don't listen to this advice of course but I thought I would let you know so if you carry on you will know why you have broken down when you do

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Feel free to add me I'm on 1200-1400 cal diet, however I eat my calories back most of the time. A bit slow (45min /5km) but I love running. Two times a week I try to hit 5km. Last few days took a break due to sickness now back on the track from tomorrow. See you!

1350 Cal a day here and I started C25K over the weekend (Day 3 is tomorrow). I was in the Army for 5 years and I N E V E R liked running. Put an 80 lbs pack on my back and go for a 12 mile march, cool. Morning PT of 4 mile run, not cool. Sprints, hate em.

However, running... like broccoli, is something I just have to put back into my "diet". Some form of cardio is necessary and right now, C25K is it.

:happy: I just started the 1200 calorie diet and have been running for about 2 weeks now. I'm attempting to train up for a half marathon or at least do some 5k's and 10k's and integrate running into a new healthy lifestyle. I love the running but they aren't kidding when they say you have to give it a full month before it feels good. I'm dying with the 1200 calorie diet and would love to have some friends out there that are trying to make it through as well. I've got 20 lbs to lose in order to be in ideal running shape and look pretty good. Feel free to add me and we can chat about our runs and the hungry diet.

If what you say is true about training for a half, then you will need to take in a lot more then 1200. I am training for my second half marathon, and I don't run that fast either....probably a 10:00 pace tops....and I eat 1800 a day, more on long run days. When you get to the last weeks of your training you will really need to be hitting calorie marks, anything too low and your runs will start suffering, especially your longer runs.

I won't try to talk you out of running a half, though if you are brand new to running I suggest focusing on the 5K, then the 10K and -then- the half marathon....this way you are allowing a slow transition for your body. There is so much going on in your body that you really should go slow and ease into the next distance up.

I am also training for my first Half Marathon next month. But last year I focused on increasing the distance and working on endurance by running several 10ks and 15ks. I personally could not train for a marathon and only eat 1200 calories a day. I can burn over 1000 easily on my long runs.

I am trying to loose weight, but not at the expense of affecting my runs. I have noticed that when I do not eat right ( or fuel my body) my runs get affected. I do not run for weight loss even though it is an awesome benefit of running, I run because I love it.

I am pretty sure you could run and eat 1200 calories and loose weight, but I do not think that is a healthy way of doing it. Good luck in your training and in your first Half.

Oh I do not follow TDEE, my calories are set to 1400 and I eat some of my exercise calories back. On days when I run long I eat about 2000 calories.

Well this is just a terrible idea.

Most people need more than 1200 a day if they are sedentary, unless you are under 5 feet tall and already light. If you are running you need way more calories than that or you will lose muscle mass. You will feel constantly tired and sluggish, be starving all the time, and end up get injured or giving up. Never, ever eat below your BMR.

I also run and I eat anywhere from 1800 to 2700 calories a day depending on how far I run or what kind of workout I am doing, and I have been steadily losing weight. If you are eating 1200 a day, then running 4 miles, you are forcing yourself to live on 800 calories that day. Even if you eat back your running calories, after a couple of months at 1200, your body will go into starvation mode and you will plateau, in both your diet and your running. You will lose muscle mass, and it will kill your metabolism. I know, because it happened to me on the old WW plan. They had me at 1200 a day and I felt horrible. I eventually gained all the weight back, and now it is 10 times harder to lose because I lost so much muscle mass. A pound of muscle burns about twice as many calories at rest as a pound of fat. So when you have a very restricted diet, your body starts unloading the high maintenance muscle, not the low maintenance fat.

Here is a quick BMR calculator:

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

You should eat 1.2 times your BMR if you are sedentary, more if you active. There is a chart on the site. Good luck!

Hi, im just starting up mfp again and this time im running 2 miles at least 5 days a week while sticking to 1,200 a day.

However on days when i run i do try to eat back some of the calories i have burnt...

Feel free to add me and we can support each other on here

The other thing you need to think about is long term sustainability and happiness. If your calories are too low and you're starving all the time, your quality of life is going to go down and your body will go into starvation mode, stalling your weight loss. Your body is alerting you to the hunger because it's craving more nutrients. You need to feed your body and keep the metabolic gears spinning.

Drink lots of water. Eat high quality nutrient dense food. Eat healthy, low calorie snacks when you get hungry and stay within a reasonable calorie goal. That's been my plan and I've lost 22 pounds in a 5 weeks. Never once have I let myself go hungry.

Best of luck with your plans and goals.