Others on 1200 calories/day?

I wear a pedometer because my physical activity changes dramatically day to day and that helps because I walk a ton.
I usually find that if I can get 200-300 cal for breakfast, the rest of the day goes smoother. For lunch, a simple sandwich tends to be lowest in calories... wheat bread, turkey breast, miracle whip.... maybe some romaine.
The other thing that's really worked for me is filling up on fibrous foods since they're lower in calories for the most part.

Hi, I just joined today and have not finished my profile or added any food but I am going to be at the 1200 calories per day too. I find it hard to stay motivated and am limited by what I can do as exercise. I guess I would try to figure out what food or meal is causing you to go over and try to critique it. I am a huge sweets person and love carbs so right from the beginning I knew what I needed to do. Reduce junk food to only once and awhile, smaller portions of carbs. Good Luck! I'll try to keep you posted on the calorie amount.

After filling out the MFP info, my calorie goal is just 1200 on mfp and I find it hard to meet it without going over by 2-300 calories. Also I know I need to exercise (and can add those calories back on as more food) but just have not been able to get myself to do so consistantly. How has 1200 cals worked for you and how have you overcome your unwillingness to get out that door and walk, jog, bike or swim? Thanks for any support.

the best way really is to find your maintenance calorie intake, it can take weeks, start with LBM X 14 CALORIES, run that for a week or 2, exercise and see how your weight fluctuates until it stabilizes to a certain weight on that food intake and exercise intensity/duration... then start decreasing carbs slowly... GIVE YOURSELF TIME... 1-1.5 lbs a week is golden.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1208857-need-1200-cal-friends-for-accountability-and-support?hl=1200+cals

This topic is posted on the threads almost daily. Have a read through on this one (the one that came up first when I searched). Read through the WHOLE thing, cuz you might find some interesting information (especially since you are new). Pay particular attention to the post by user Trogalicious. He's got great advice and has lost something like 150 lbs.

For me, I've been at it 3 weeks with this app and haven't lost an ounce. I'm very frustrated. I am at 190 lbs, need to lose about 50 to try to maintain functionality and comfort level for major back issues- most of my spine is fused, I have 5 discs remaining, and 2 of those have degenerative changes already)

I am working hard. I track everything that goes in my mouth, down to my darn gummy vitamins. I have ditched a major Diet Coke habit.

Since New Years, I've gone to yoga 5x a week minimum, and have been going 7 days recently. It's the first workout that hasn't left me quite dependent on pain medication after more than a week or two. I have even managed to get strength and flexibility up enough to take part in the more challenging and higher calorie burining Vinyasa classes a couple of the days.

I am also finding that I have a hard time using all of 1200 cal without going over (Doctor doesn't want me eating more to make up for exercise and I am on adipex to help control appetite) . Eating 900 cal a day is pretty darn easy. But when I start incorporating additional snacks, it gets dicey- I end up throwing half of something out to eek it in right and prevent the temptation to finish whatever it is off...

Before I started dieting, my normal day would be about 1700 to 2000 cal/day. Suspecting my metabolism is rather screwed...

*frustrated*

For me, I've been at it 3 weeks with this app and haven't lost an ounce. I'm very frustrated. I am at 190 lbs, need to lose about 50 to try to maintain functionality and comfort level for major back issues- most of my spine is fused, I have 5 discs remaining, and 2 of those have degenerative changes already)

I am working hard. I track everything that goes in my mouth, down to my darn gummy vitamins. I have ditched a major Diet Coke habit.

Since New Years, I've gone to yoga 5x a week minimum, and have been going 7 days recently. It's the first workout that hasn't left me quite dependent on pain medication after more than a week or two. I have even managed to get strength and flexibility up enough to take part in the more challenging and higher calorie burining Vinyasa classes a couple of the days.

I am also finding that I have a hard time using all of 1200 cal without going over (Doctor doesn't want me eating more to make up for exercise and I am on adipex to help control appetite) . Eating 900 cal a day is pretty darn easy. But when I start incorporating additional snacks, it gets dicey- I end up throwing half of something out to eek it in right and prevent the temptation to finish whatever it is off...

Before I started dieting, my normal day would be about 1700 to 2000 cal/day. Suspecting my metabolism is rather screwed...

*frustrated*

I'm no expert here, but I think you are not getting enough at 900 calories (if I am reading this right). Your body is probably in starvation mode and you won't lose weight there....... maybe start a new thread?

I'm doing 1,300 a day but I eat back calories that I burn, or at least some of them. I intentionally set my goal low just in case I cheat a little sometimes. My philosophy is to aim for the moon so maybe I'll hit a star.

1200 is not hard for me. I eat a very light breakfast if I eat breakfast usually around 200 calories or less. Lunch is usually around 350, than workout and have a low calorie snack, then dinner than if I am low on calories a snack. The trick is to eat low calorie foods like veggies, tofu noodles, fish, turkey and such

1200 is not hard for me. I eat a very light breakfast if I eat breakfast usually around 200 calories or less. Lunch is usually around 350, than workout and have a low calorie snack, then dinner than if I am low on calories a snack. The trick is to eat low calorie foods like veggies, tofu noodles, fish, turkey and such

I'm on 1200 too and i usually have a hard time meeting it. I usually average 150 breakfast 300 lunch and then have 750 left for dinner/dessert/snack.

I also don't work out, unless you count the 5 minute walk to the bus

MFP is quite notorious for setting calorie goals FAR too low, regardless of height and weight. For example, it told me to eat 1200, and my BMR (the bare amount of calories I need to LIVE) is 1280. And I am extremely tiny, only 5 feet. So unless you are smaller than me, or bedridden, it is almost a CERTAINTY that you are eating too little. (This can result in lean muscle loss, chronic fatigue, metabolism damage, and bingeing due to over-restriction.)

Go to

http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

and enter your height/weight/activity level.

Subtract 10-20% from the number it calculates for you, and that is the number of calories you should be eating a day in order to lose weight.

After filling out the MFP info, my calorie goal is just 1200 on mfp and I find it hard to meet it without going over by 2-300 calories. Also I know I need to exercise (and can add those calories back on as more food) but just have not been able to get myself to do so consistantly. How has 1200 cals worked for you and how have you overcome your unwillingness to get out that door and walk, jog, bike or swim? Thanks for any support.

the best way really is to find your maintenance calorie intake, it can take weeks, start with LBM X 14 CALORIES, run that for a week or 2, exercise and see how your weight fluctuates until it stabilizes to a certain weight on that food intake and exercise intensity/duration... then start decreasing carbs slowly... GIVE YOURSELF TIME... 1-1.5 lbs a week is golden.

I'm sorry, but this is wrong. All of it.

First of all, nobody's maintenance is anywhere NEAR LBM x 14 calories. That's completely insane. When I calculated that, it said my "maintenance" was below my BMR. By that logic I should be maintaining at 1260, whereas in reality, (something this poster might not have a firm grasp of) I am losing on 1,800. I am 5 feet tall, by the way.

Wrong. So, so wrong.

Second of all, there is no need to decrease carbs, at all. Carbs are not the enemy, nor do they have any bearing in weight loss, as long as you are in an appropriate calorie deficit for your height/weight.