Yes, 1200 calorie diets work!

1200 calories, if done correctly, is more than sufficient.

I am doing a diet of 1200 or less. Average about 1000 over last 53 days. I have lost 18 pounds and feel great. Feel free to browse my diary. I go for my proteins first, then enjoy good healthy vegetables and fruits. There have been days that I have had less than 800 calories, but felt full. Why eat extra food just to make a number?

I am monitored weekly by our nurse at my place of work and my PCP is impressed. I have never felt so much full of energy in my life before. I have cerebral palsy which causes spastic and tight muscles along with a scissor gait when I walk and limited use of left arm. I feel so much more agile and less off balance having lost weight.

I started on 4/15/15 with MFP at 182 lb. (5'10") and am now 164 lb. In the proceeding year I was as high as 195 lb. and nearly a 40 inch waist. Today I and fitting comfortably in 32's. I want to be down at the lower end of the BMI scale near 130 lb. and a 28-30 waist or wherever my body feels best. This weight might seem lower, but having CP, I do not have the typical muscle mass. In my teens I was around 112 lb. and that was considered normal for my CP.

Responses welcomed!

I know I will be trolled and flamed for posting this message but I am sick and tired of everyones high horse mentality when it comes to calorie counts. 1200 calories, if done correctly, is more than sufficient.

I began my journey January 1, 2014. I just completed 5 months and have lost over 55 pounds. I went from 280 to 225 and I feel great. Average calorie count is 1050 with an initial goal of 1200. After a few months, I moved my goal to 1400 and now I am at 1600. Yes, if you plan on just eating a cheeseburger at 1000 calories for the day, your screwed and will harm yourself. But let me give you an idea of my meals.

Breakfast is high protein egg sandwich OR oatmeal and high fiber toast. Either one is about 300 calories. Lunch is a special K protein bar at 170 calories. Dinner is either chicken breast with rice (370 calories), Large Baked potato with veggies (about 500 calories) or an extra large salad (350 calories). You see, at the end of the day, I have ample protein and fiber, good source of fuel (Carbs) and come in under 1000 calories. This leaves me some wiggle room if I want a small (and smart) dessert, some fruit with my lunch, or anything else. You see, I picked HEALTHY, LOW CALORIE foods to fill me up.

I will repeat. 1200 calorie diets, eating garbage, will allow you to lose weight but you will not feel good. But 1200 calorie diets that are low calorie, high nutrient food is a great way to lose the weight and keep it off.

Someone here will complain about my use of a protein bar. Many argue they are candy bars on steroids. They are meal replacements, quite tasty and have good nutrients (fiber and protein being the main ones). Regardless, you can not argue with the results. This diet has allowed me to lose over 55 pounds in 21 weeks. Right now, I average a weight loss of 1.2 pounds a week!

So before you all chastise someone for asking about a 1200 calorie diet, troll someone who supports the 1200 calorie diet, or even worse, name call (eating disorder, stupid, unhealthy) those who use the diet, take a look in the mirror. Why do you hate the low calorie diet so much? I think if you are honest with yourself, you will realize that is comes down to will power. Doing 1200 calories is the hardest diet out there. You go to bed hungry for the first few weeks before your body adjusts. Many don't make it past the first few days. So although I applaud those of you who are eating better and losing 0.2 or 0.4 pounds a week because you think everyone needs to eat 2000 calories and just exercises the deficit off, I wish you would applaud those of us who have the will power to change and who are losing 1.5 to 2 pounds a week because we refuse to listen to those who say it can't be done....

Let the trolling and flaming begin....