1200 Calorie Diet Does it work and how long?

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  • lisawinning4losing
    lisawinning4losing Posts: 726 Member
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    I just started a 1,340 a day diet though I'm letting myself go slightly over if a I work it off with exercise. I was a bit confused by the OP because you said that you were hovering in the mid 180's then dropped "down" to 188? Did you mean to say 178? Anyway, yeah I would imagine that at 1,200 calories a day and working out every day you would lose weight very quickly, but as others have said make sure you're also getting enough to keep your metabolism healthy. Congrats on your progress so far, that's discipline!
  • Skarlet13
    Skarlet13 Posts: 146 Member
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    I think you may be overestimating your exercise calories. You would have to be going very hard on the elliptical to burn that much in 60 minutes. There's a difference between net burn and gross burn.

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?page=single
  • lisawinning4losing
    lisawinning4losing Posts: 726 Member
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    By the way, what do you eat on a 1200/day diet? Is it mostly lean meat and vegetables, like a high protein, low carb diet?
  • RNsusieQ
    RNsusieQ Posts: 20 Member
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    I lost weight eating 1400 a day but gained it right back as soon as I stopped eating so little. 1200 is probably too low for your body. Check out In Place of A Road Map to help understand how to lose weight, lose body fat & gain muscle.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
  • MB2MN
    MB2MN Posts: 334 Member
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    [/quote]

    I meant do you use a scale to weigh your food?
    [/quote]

    THIS. So much this. If you're new to "dieting" (I prefer "mindful eating") then you definitely need to be measuring your food. It is SO easy to underestimate portion sizes, especially with things like peanut butter, where just an extra TBSP adds 100 calories. I would definitely suggest tracking measurements for everything you eat until you really get the hang of what portions look like. I was SHOCKED when I saw how small a cup of cereal was for instance and that I was probably eating 3 servings when I thought it was just one.

    If you truly eat 1200 calories you will lose, plain and simple. Your ticker says you still have 40ish lbs to lose so there is no reason that you wouldn't lose if you accurately track.
  • Mollique
    Mollique Posts: 62
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    First off, forget about starvation mode. It doesn't apply unless you have been eating an extremely low calorie diet for months and have almost zero body fat.

    I question the fact that you were not losing on 1200 a day (for one). Do you have a food scale? Do you measure your liquids out in cups?

    How are you calculating your calorie burns when working out, and are you eating those calories back?

    Some fluid retention in the muscles when you work out is very normal, and can mask fat loss.

    If you really are in a calorie deficit, you cannot gain more than maybe 1 or 2 noobie muscle lbs. Muscle gaining requires a calorie surplus.

    How did you decide on 1200 calories?

    ETA: Please use the 'quote' function so we can tell who you are answering in your posts. Thanks!

    Hi sorry guys and thanks for the advice on the quote function. You pointed out some great things! First off I am not educated on calculating body fat, exercise, or liquids. I do have a scale and I do measure myself in certain areas. I used my fitness pal to generate how many calories I should eat. I also calculate my calorie burn from exercising with my fitness pal (although I feel like it may be wrong) for example burning 800 calories from 60 minutes of eliptical. I really do not feel like i'm starving specially after being used to the diet. Mainly because I eat a lot of the right food such as fruits and vegetables. Thank you so much for replying!

    I meant do you use a scale to weigh your food?


    no I do not. how important is it? and does it change the amount of calories???
  • georgecarl7
    georgecarl7 Posts: 42 Member
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    How many calories does it take to be in the 'starvation' mode? Over 300 and under 700?
  • MB2MN
    MB2MN Posts: 334 Member
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    I think you may be overestimating your exercise calories. You would have to be going very hard on the elliptical to burn that much in 60 minutes. There's a difference between net burn and gross burn.

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?page=single

    No, you can burn that much especially if you are 40lbs overweight, which her ticker says. I can keep my HR at 80% on the elliptical if I have a high resistance...which is around 600 cals an hour for me as per my HRM and I'm 130 lbs.
  • MB2MN
    MB2MN Posts: 334 Member
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    [/quote]


    no I do not. how important is it? and does it change the amount of calories???
    [/quote]

    Yes, hugely. You could be guessing something is half the size it really is. Twice the serving size equals twice the calories.
  • Mollique
    Mollique Posts: 62
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    I think you are reading too much into a loss which occurred over a one week period (if I have read your first post correctly).

    You can do everything right and weight loss is still not linear - meaning there will be weeks of staying the same, even going up a bit - but as long as your overall movement is downwards then you are losing weight.

    I also found that the weeks I was under my allowance did not neccesarily correlate with the weeks I lost the most - but overall l was losing, so the program was working.

    PS: I do not agree with the starvation mode term that is bandied around on here - but I do think you should be eating back your exercise calories, or at least most of them - especially on a low figure of 1200.
    ie you should be netting 1200, NOT eating 1200 only, plus exercising


    ok great advice thank you!
  • Mollique
    Mollique Posts: 62
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    I just started a 1,340 a day diet though I'm letting myself go slightly over if a I work it off with exercise. I was a bit confused by the OP because you said that you were hovering in the mid 180's then dropped "down" to 188? Did you mean to say 178? Anyway, yeah I would imagine that at 1,200 calories a day and working out every day you would lose weight very quickly, but as others have said make sure you're also getting enough to keep your metabolism healthy. Congrats on your progress so far, that's discipline!


    oh my gosh I totally meant 178 hhahahaha thank you!
  • Mollique
    Mollique Posts: 62
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    I think you may be overestimating your exercise calories. You would have to be going very hard on the elliptical to burn that much in 60 minutes. There's a difference between net burn and gross burn.

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?page=single

    this is helpful! thank you!
  • Mollique
    Mollique Posts: 62
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    By the way, what do you eat on a 1200/day diet? Is it mostly lean meat and vegetables, like a high protein, low carb diet?


    I honestly eat a lot of bread (i know its bad...) But i try to eat fruit each day and vegetables.. I drink a green smoothie every other day.
  • Mollique
    Mollique Posts: 62
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    I lost weight eating 1400 a day but gained it right back as soon as I stopped eating so little. 1200 is probably too low for your body. Check out In Place of A Road Map to help understand how to lose weight, lose body fat & gain muscle.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    Thank you!
  • Mollique
    Mollique Posts: 62
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    I TOTALLY MEANT 178 HEHE :)
  • akaMrsmojo
    akaMrsmojo Posts: 764 Member
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    I am not a fan of the 1200 plan, it is an arbitrary number set by MFP not to go lower than. It is not the magic number we need for weight loss. It is hard to maintain and most of the time the number is way too low.

    I never eat below my BMR. I would read more about how to set goals. Also google TDEE, when I started I just read everything I could and my goal is 1582 and I eat back my calories.
  • nainai0585
    nainai0585 Posts: 199 Member
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    When I first started to loose weight I had myself set at 1500 calories a day and eating back work out calories only because that was what a friend was doing. Within a few weeks I changed it to 1200 calories and not eating back exercise calories because that was what I wanted to do. After 8 weeks I had lost 20 lbs while working out 5 days a week for 1.5-1.45hrs (I am 5'7"). After the 2 months I found I was VERY moody and not the best person to be around. I bumped my calories up to 1400 while still not eating back exercise calories and it worked well for me. 58lbs lost now and I am slowly transitioning to maintenance for the next several weeks.

    My suggestion is to start at 1200 and stay there for a few weeks to a month. Do a lot of research during this time (clinical research, not opinions) and judge how you feel and how your moods/behaviours may be affecting those around you. After the 2 weeks or so, reevaluate where you are and whether or not you want to increase your calories or keep them the same.

    Good luck!
  • davert123
    davert123 Posts: 1,568 Member
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    For me it depends on what you consider successful. If you want just the number on the scale to move so you can pat yourself on the back and say you have done well then 1200 a day will do it. What is happening inside your body may not be what you are really wanting though. you are going to be burning loads of lean body mass along with the fat if you stick to 1200. You are becoming weaker while not getting rid of all the fat you think you are. Each to their own. If the number of the scale flatters you more than what you look like or what is good for you then fill your boots. If you want to be lean and fit then going slower is better
  • Mollique
    Mollique Posts: 62
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    I am not a fan of the 1200 plan, it is an arbitrary number set by MFP not to go lower than. It is not the magic number we need for weight loss. It is hard to maintain and most of the time the number is way too low.

    I never eat below my BMR. I would read more about how to set goals. Also google TDEE, when I started I just read everything I could and my goal is 1582 and I eat back my calories.


    Thank you I will!
  • callyart
    callyart Posts: 209
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    If you're exercising you should be eating some of your work out calories back.

    I have been averaging on 1,100-1,400 calories depending on exercise and how hungry I am, and I have lost 14lbs (1 stone) in 6 weeks.

    I think it is all about balance in what you eat, too. Making sure you get enough protein, fibre etc.

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