I abandoned 1200 calories per day, and so should you

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kmclame
kmclame Posts: 7 Member
in Getting Started
Hi everyone,

This post is mainly concerned with the myth that 1200 calories per day is ideal for losing 2lb/week. This is the number that myfitnesspal will spit out at you if you want to lose a lot of weight and you don't exercise much. I followed this 1200 calories/day goal for about 6 months, and I am here to tell you that, if your current goal is 1200 calories per day, you should really reconsider.

First of all, a bit about myself so that you can compare to my circumstances. I am a 23 year-old female, 5'7", and I weight 150 lbs. I am a university student and during the period where I was eating 1200 calories/day, I was not exercising much at all. I have been sitting at the same weight (+/- a couple pounds) for about a year.

While I was eating 1200 calories per day, I was not a happy camper. I was constantly hungry, and I found myself skipping meals in order to maintain that goal. In addition, I was not losing any weight. And I can say with 100% confidence that eating 1200 calories/day for 6 months didn't make me lose a SINGLE pound. I had been sitting at the same weight the entire time. I was fed up, and I started reading into the 1200 calorie/day myth a bit more. I took some advice and I calculated my BMR, which was about 1500 calories/day. I was scared to increase my intake though, because I was afraid of gaining weight.

About 2 months ago I increased my calorie intake to about 1700 calories/day. Guess what? I'm still sitting at the exact same weight. This makes me realize in retrospect how much I was starving my body. I am also much happier now. I am not afraid to eat throughout the day. I can have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in between. I have also started working out for an hour per day on the exercise bike in hopes of overcoming my plateau. But the point of this post is that 1200 calories was definitely not ideal for me, and there is a chance that it is not ideal for you. Calculate your BMR and bump up your intake if 1200 calories is not working for you. Your body needs nourishment and there is definitely more to losing weight than limiting your calories. I know that there are already posts about the 1200 calorie misconception, but I just wanted to tell my experiences and try to get the message across that 1200 calories is not something to automatically swear by.
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Replies

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    so you're saying that reducing calories input didn't give you a weight loss. This is the whole basis on which MFP works !
  • kk_140
    kk_140 Posts: 518 Member
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    Well everyone is different. It has worked wonders for me!
  • cpcoursec
    cpcoursec Posts: 82 Member
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    I really wish people would just post their experiences and leave it at that, rather than I did it and so should you.
  • redzgal
    redzgal Posts: 255 Member
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    I don't think calling it a myth is correct. Everyone loses differently, it all depends on your body composition. So, what didn't work for you doesn't mean it won't work for others.
  • zeal26
    zeal26 Posts: 602 Member
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    I'm glad you've found what works for you.

    1200 is working fine for me to be honest. I am only hungry if I am out of the house longer than planned and can't get anything to eat. I eat three meals a day and snack at least three times.
  • BreannaHayes1
    BreannaHayes1 Posts: 122 Member
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    I hit a plateau and then gained weight on 1200 calories a day. I increased my intake kept my workouts the same and started eating workout calories! It's amazing how much better I feel & I lost the weight that I gained from the plateau so I'm praying I'll break through it!!!

    However, the 1200 calorie diet did work wonders for me because it got rid of my water weight! It all depends on you.
  • Sunbrooke
    Sunbrooke Posts: 632 Member
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    Did you use a food scale? This sounds like under estimating calorie intake. At 5'7" 150, 1200 should have led to weight loss.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    1900 calories just seem so much better. JS :wink:
  • cnl91_W
    cnl91_W Posts: 89 Member
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    I really wish people would just post their experiences and leave it at that, rather than I did it and so should you.

    ^ THIS
  • tech_kitten
    tech_kitten Posts: 221 Member
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    I'm on 1200/day and am 5'3" and I have lost 20+ lbs so far. Calories In - Calories Out = Loss/Gain. It's as simple as that. Perhaps you had a week/month or whatever that your water weight fluctuated and it didn't show loss as much as you'd like or you weren't logging properly (which is common because it's hard to calculate complex things not in MFP db), but you would be losing body mass at 1200 calories/day at your height/weight due to your BMR and activity.
  • kmclame
    kmclame Posts: 7 Member
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    You're absolutely right, the title of my post is misleading. I apologize for that. What I'm trying to say is that if 1200 calories per day is *not* working for you, try to up your intake and don't be afraid to do so. Everyone is different and I'm not trying to undermine those who have been successful at 1200 calories.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
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    I love reading about how people realized 1200 calories per day is ridiculous and is not the way to set yourself up for long-term success.

    What I hate is when people comment on these threads with, "Well it works for me!" Of course it works - you're depriving your body of the calories it needs, so you're likely to lose weight. HOWEVER, if you CAN eat more and still lose, why the hell wouldn't you?

    What annoys me about these 1200 calorie people is that they don't listen to reason, and they don't rely on simple math. Your BMR and TDEE are insanely useful numbers, and unless you're 3 feet tall, eating 1200 calories per day puts you at too much of a deficit.

    And then there's those people that say, "I know I should eat more than x amount of calories, but I'm not hungry and I can't force myself to eat!" If you can't eat more than 1200 calories, how did you get fat in the first place?!
  • EHisCDN
    EHisCDN Posts: 480 Member
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    On 1200 calories a day you should lose weight if you are logging accurately (you'll be eating at a deficit). But there are other things to consider when setting your calories goals - like satiety and compliance and whether you're eating at your BMR or you could be losing lean body mass.

    Anyway 1200 didn't work for me either because I love to eat. Now I eat 1650 a day and I'm happier.

    I would also like to add, just because you're a small person doesn't mean you can't eat and still lose. I'm 5'1 with a petite frame and I continue to lose while eating more (granted I also exercise 3 times a week).
  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
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    And then there's those people that say, "I know I should eat more than x amount of calories, but I'm not hungry and I can't force myself to eat!" If you can't eat more than 1200 calories, how did you get fat in the first place?!

    THIS!!!
  • gemmamummy
    gemmamummy Posts: 185 Member
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    I started on 1200 calories, was a miserable cow and got hunger anger constantly! I'm only 4'11 and 102 pounds and I found it hard to live on 1200. It just proves that calorific requirement differ depending on your lifestyle/body type n size as well as many other factors. I now eat 1600 a day and work out 4 times a week and don't bite anyone's head off through hunger!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I love reading about how people realized 1200 calories per day is ridiculous and is not the way to set yourself up for long-term success.

    What I hate is when people comment on these threads with, "Well it works for me!" Of course it works - you're depriving your body of the calories it needs, so you're likely to lose weight. HOWEVER, if you CAN eat more and still lose, why the hell wouldn't you?

    What annoys me about these 1200 calorie people is that they don't listen to reason, and they don't rely on simple math. Your BMR and TDEE are insanely useful numbers, and unless you're 3 feet tall, eating 1200 calories per day puts you at too much of a deficit.

    And then there's those people that say, "I know I should eat more than x amount of calories, but I'm not hungry and I can't force myself to eat!" If you can't eat more than 1200 calories, how did you get fat in the first place?!

    Wow. You really seem to spend a lot of time worrying about what others do. Chill out. Relax. Live your own life.
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
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    Good for you. I also abandoned the 1200 calorie/day way of life and I'll never go back.

    It worked amazingly for me for about 6 weeks. Then, I got HUNGRY! I couldn't work, couldn't sleep, was literally pacing around my house and that's when I said enough is enough. I'm now staying around 1300 to 1600 calories a day and much happier.

    Everyone has to find what works for them. There's no harm in trying new things and being open minded.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
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    Hi everyone,

    This post is mainly concerned with the myth that 1200 calories per day is ideal for losing 2lb/week. This is the number that myfitnesspal will spit out at you if you want to lose a lot of weight and you don't exercise much. I followed this 1200 calories/day goal for about 6 months, and I am here to tell you that, if your current goal is 1200 calories per day, you should really reconsider.

    First of all, a bit about myself so that you can compare to my circumstances. I am a 23 year-old female, 5'7", and I weight 150 lbs. I am a university student and during the period where I was eating 1200 calories/day, I was not exercising much at all. I have been sitting at the same weight (+/- a couple pounds) for about a year.

    While I was eating 1200 calories per day, I was not a happy camper. I was constantly hungry, and I found myself skipping meals in order to maintain that goal. In addition, I was not losing any weight. And I can say with 100% confidence that eating 1200 calories/day for 6 months didn't make me lose a SINGLE pound. I had been sitting at the same weight the entire time. I was fed up, and I started reading into the 1200 calorie/day myth a bit more. I took some advice and I calculated my BMR, which was about 1500 calories/day. I was scared to increase my intake though, because I was afraid of gaining weight.

    About 2 months ago I increased my calorie intake to about 1700 calories/day. Guess what? I'm still sitting at the exact same weight. This makes me realize in retrospect how much I was starving my body. I am also much happier now. I am not afraid to eat throughout the day. I can have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks in between. I have also started working out for an hour per day on the exercise bike in hopes of overcoming my plateau. But the point of this post is that 1200 calories was definitely not ideal for me, and there is a chance that it is not ideal for you. Calculate your BMR and bump up your intake if 1200 calories is not working for you. Your body needs nourishment and there is definitely more to losing weight than limiting your calories. I know that there are already posts about the 1200 calorie misconception, but I just wanted to tell my experiences and try to get the message across that 1200 calories is not something to automatically swear by.

    How does what you did help someone who wants to drop weight? I don't understand. You're eting more but still at the same weight. Was your goal maintenance?
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    Options
    I love reading about how people realized 1200 calories per day is ridiculous and is not the way to set yourself up for long-term success.

    What I hate is when people comment on these threads with, "Well it works for me!" Of course it works - you're depriving your body of the calories it needs, so you're likely to lose weight. HOWEVER, if you CAN eat more and still lose, why the hell wouldn't you?

    What annoys me about these 1200 calorie people is that they don't listen to reason, and they don't rely on simple math. Your BMR and TDEE are insanely useful numbers, and unless you're 3 feet tall, eating 1200 calories per day puts you at too much of a deficit.

    And then there's those people that say, "I know I should eat more than x amount of calories, but I'm not hungry and I can't force myself to eat!" If you can't eat more than 1200 calories, how did you get fat in the first place?!

    Wow. You really seem to spend a lot of time worrying about what others do. Chill out. Relax. Live your own life.

    Wow, you seem to know a lot about me by reading that one response. You must be a clairvoyant or something. No, I don't "spend a lot of time" worrying about these things. As if you aren't annoyed by anything. Get over yourself.
  • jlynnm70
    jlynnm70 Posts: 460 Member
    Options
    How about agree to disagree - what works for some, doesn't work for others, and visa versa.

    For some 1200 works, for others not so much. Age, lifestyle, what you eat (filling foods, or junk), and all sorts of things come into play.

    I'm not going to condemn someone for eating more, or less than I do - do what works, when that stops working, change something. Other than that, to each their own.

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