New here. 360lbs and doing the 1200 calorie diet. Am I nuts?

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Replies

  • beckyjeanleemaddox
    beckyjeanleemaddox Posts: 154 Member
    Talk to your dr. about it. I'm no expert but I've read some books and got tips from MFP users. I've lost over 30 lbs in 3 months. Here's what works for me. I eat around 1200 calories but that's a personal choice and seems to best work for me. I have increased my water intake. I eat a lot of bulky low calorie food. Protein helps me to keep from getting hungry. I don't eat a lot of heavy carbs at night. (like potatoes, bread, pasta. Instead of cake and pastries )I eat fruit. I wear a fitbit and found I'm a lot more active than I though esp at work. I exercise on the weekends. Personally I don't think any food is evil, lots of people on her lose weight and still have sweets, chips etc. Chips and sweets trigger binges for me so I stay away from them. This is my 3rd time around and I don't think of it as a diet, rather I think of it as a lifestyle change that I can live with the rest of my life.Don't quit b/c you have an off day, I see people drop out and slowly slip back into their old habits. Just start fresh the next day.:smile::smile: Find friends on here that you have something in common with, I think that's helped me more than anything having friends that understand you!!! Good luck and blessing on your journey.
  • lovebig30
    lovebig30 Posts: 167 Member
    my average calories intake is between 1600 and 2500 depending on workout for the day and I still lose at average rate of 1lb a week I do lots of heavy lifting so I lose inches faster than pounds most time. no need to starve yourself at a high weight you can have more calories and still lose. choice mainly nutrition dense foods and have treats. lots of water. if you feel hungry a lot check your protein levels make sure your getting enough.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    I'm sure I was allotted around 1900 calories a day to lose 2lbs a week when I was your weight. 1200 is just ridiculously low and won't give you all the nutrients you'll need to see you through to your goal weight. Eat more and be full of energy and vitality would be my advice.
  • Stopin_da_yoyo
    Stopin_da_yoyo Posts: 138 Member
    Wow 1200 cals sounds insanely low. Im 260 and eat 1700 per day and am still losing quite fast. Im not sure if 1200 and your stats is sustainable/healthy. Sustainability is the key+logging honestly everyday.

    Good luck.
  • clairetomkinson84
    clairetomkinson84 Posts: 66 Member
    Depends on what you eat I guess, you should be aiming to get all your vitamins and minerals etc. They did a study on people what ate low calorie like that and that was fine. Mine is 1200 too and I find it very sustainable, I'm never hungry and I even allow myself treats. Good luck :-).
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    When you have a LOT of weight to lose you CAN safely have quite a big deficit for a LITTLE WHILE assuming you can handle it. It will make you very cranky and hungry at your weight but you can do it for a couple months without any real damage, just to give you a big boost.

    I started at 220, did 1200 for probably 2 months, dropped about 25 lbs (was a nice kick start) You should NOT try to sustain 1200 calories at your size for very long or you will see other issues. I think I went from 1200 NET to about 1900 NET after the first few months and was still losing about 3 lbs a week for quite some time. I really only slowed down when I started weight training / working out but by this point the number on the scale is no longer important - now I go by the mirror and the fit of my clothes. I have lost less then 10 lbs since the start of the new year but have gone from a size 12 to a 7. I did another stint of 1200 NET recently for another kick start and am now working my way back up to 1600 NET at 5'6 145lbs.

    So, you can do it for a few months but after that initial drop you will want to up your calories to a more reasonable amount for your size. Read the links that people have posted and you will find a lot of really good information. Good luck to you!
  • Megkynaf
    Megkynaf Posts: 18 Member
    you should probably be eating more like 1800 to 2200 calories depending on your bmi and activity level. 1200 is too little your gonna kill your metabolism.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    My worries are:

    1) You'll push yourself too hard at the beginning and end up giving up in a few months, still far from goal.
    2) By the time you reach 10 - 20 lbs above your goal, your body will be accustomed to eating 1200 cals and it will no longer be effective, really stalling your efforts.

    There's really no reason to reduce your food consumption by so much so soon. You don't really want to lose more than 2 pounds a week and I don't think MFP would have needed to put you on a 1200 cal diet to get you there.

    But hey, whatever floats your boat. Maybe talk to a professional about it to make sure.
  • Megkynaf
    Megkynaf Posts: 18 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=road+map&page=16#posts-17023296 read this and do some calculations its helpful.
  • bbcrews
    bbcrews Posts: 1
    Good for you!! Just getting started is half the battle. I think you have the right attitude and yeah, you're going to feel hungry. Eat lots of fruits and veggies!!! And be forgiving of yourself. You can do this!!
  • littlefoot612
    littlefoot612 Posts: 156 Member
    I'm 5'1 , was at 273lbs 62 days ago and started at eating1700 cal/day but have reset my daily total to 1400. On a normal day I am usually between 1200 and 1400 per day. For me that's 3 meals and 3 snacks per day and I don't find myself hungry but my body now does tell me when it's mealtime/snacktime. At this point I am just moving slowly from sedentary to active and will up my daily calorie count if required. My current BMR is 1689 and current BMI is 48.4 (down from 51.6). Start out at your suggested BMR and adjust if you need to. 1200/day is a minimum guideline that you should try not to go under and not really sustainable for the long term. For me this has to be a way of life from now on and can I live with the restrictions of a 1200 cal/day eating plan for the rest of my life? Probably not.
  • countscalories
    countscalories Posts: 418 Member
    Please don't do that. Just because you weigh a lot does not mean it's okay to punish your body like that.

    Done right, it's not punishment at all. A body with that many reserves doesn't need any macros it can't derive from those reserves.

    Just make sure to do it with competent, professional help.

    Seriously? What is the big hoopla over 1200 calories? It's not punishment. The REAL punishment is living in a prison made of fat. Ugly, unhealthy, bulging, life-limiting and life-shortening FAT. We endure everything from humiliation to disappointment because we are FAT. Not to mention the myriad health problems that we get for dessert.

    If someone has a lot of weight to lose (not a 150-pound person with 20 to go), has gotten MD approval and goes for check-ups, feels good, and seems to be handling it, what's the big deal with 1200 calories? People are not going to starve or get Beriberi! As the weight comes off, their activity level usually goes up (it becomes easier to move around). Their caloric intake can be increased, and the whole "machine" will run more smoothly.

    You can't eat the foods you crave because you are trying to lose weight? Boo hoo. Here's a suggestion: Have the undertaker cut a slot in your super-sized coffin so that the pizza delivery guy can just slide the pie right in. You'll be happy with your food, and it'll be your family going "Boo hoo" -- for you. Nice thought, huh? Grow up. We're fat because we gave in to our cravings far too often. Eating is not a hobby; find something else to do with your time. It can be done.

    Some people in the MFP forums could be more supportive of folks, regardless of what their PERSONAL plan is. Being fat is difficult enough. Let's not undermine each other. Calling someone's plan "crazy" is pointless and rude. Bravo to everyone here on MFP for your weight-loss efforts, whatever method you've chosen. Despite the crappy bickering that goes on here, I still thank the heavens above for all of you. You've helped me lose 62 lbs since Jan. 1. (Now y'all can shoot me, but if you don't use silver bullets, I'll be back...)

    Please read the comment this was in response to (especially before posting your own rudely belittling response). The "please don't" comment was not in response to VLCD diets in general but specifically in response to the ABSURD, DANGEROUS, AND IRRESPONSIBLE suggestion that it would be okay for her to STOP EATING FOOD ENTIRELY and use supplements for "quite a while." NOT OKAY. NOT EVEN A LITTLE OKAY. MONUMENTALLY F***ED UP LEVELS OF WRONGNESS.






    Do I think idiots on the Internet should advise obese people to go on VLCD diets with a hand-wavy caveat "under doctor's supervision"? F*** no. Leave it to the actual medical professional who is familiar with the details of a patient's case to give extreme advice, please. Yes, being obese is unhealthy. So is having appendicitis. Ouch, my appendix hurts! Should I cut it out myself with an exacto knife? Or should I maybe get myself under a doctor's care? SEE HOW THAT WORKS?

    Gee, don't blow a gasket! My comment was regarding the 1200-calorie thing in general (which is constantly beaten to death on MFP), not specifically about the OP's issues. I was not being rude; the "you" I referred to was a collective "you" (meaning all of us), and included myself. I think you're overreacting just a bit. I NEVER advised anyone to do VLCD, VHCD, VLFD, VHFD, VLHD, VH-1, or any other kind of diet, nor did I ever advise anyone to stop eating food entirely. I don't believe in substituting supplements for food, so I don't know where that one came from, either.

    "Hand- wavy caveat"? C'mon, now. You said to "Leave it to the actual medical professional who is familiar with the details of a patient's case..." Seems you skipped right over the part in my comment where I wrote about getting approval from one's own MD (this means "...actual medical professional who is familiar with the details of a patient's case...", doesn't it? Right. I never said that people should be their own doctors. Was this a reading comprehension error on your part, or were you just in a bad mood when you posted your reply? Your bombastic "removing your own appendix" analogy, while interesting, is irrelevant. In my comment, I do believe I mentioned something about going for check-ups. In other words, the person would be "...under a doctor's care". We're sort of agreeing with each other in many ways. Isn't that just horrible!

    (Anyway, good luck to you on your weight loss journey)
  • dongarvin
    dongarvin Posts: 41 Member
    Even though you're just starting this journey find a way to incorporate some exercise and you can increase your calorie intake. Start small/slow - a walk to the end of the block and back - add a little more every other day.
    We all need to eat, it's not easy to re-learn to eat the right things in the right portions. Maybe start with more calories per day and work your way down to 1200.
  • lisakarenza
    lisakarenza Posts: 76 Member
    I've been sticking to 1250 calories since the new year, yes I've had bad days but think everybody does at some point. I started at 326lb and am currently 256lb. So yes it can be done, long term? Well I'll have to see but at the moment I'm enjoying being the most successful I have been in losing weight . Good luck!! ????
  • bluecastle12
    bluecastle12 Posts: 3
    Well...I've actually taken health and fitness classes so while there are many theories I've heard this from those pesky scientists. Plus personal experience.

    Science part:

    You should not just let yourself be hungry. You body is hungry because it needs something. Wither that be an apple, some protein or just water. Also, you should not be making yourself miserable. Unless you have mega self control or develop an eating disorder, you will eventually crack and think "screw it I'm hungry" and overeat. That will both have a negative effect on your mental state and ruin your diet.

    There really is such a thing as starvation mode. It's there in case you get lost in the wilderness and don't have access to food. An unlikely scenario in modern times but possible. Your body will store what it already has in an attempt to not die.

    Additionally, thin is not necessarily healthy. Even if you lose all of the weight and become rail thin you could still be unhealthy if you are not eating enough food to get nutrients. I know a lot of people don't care about health but if they are super thin but that is moronic. 1200 calories means you have to be very careful to get all of the nutrients you need every day.

    Personal experience:

    I am way heavier than I've ever been. I've always been reasonably healthy (never super thin but since I ate healthy and worked out it was clearly a body type thing) but in the last two or so years that has changed. I started thinking about it and I freaked out and also went down to 1200 calories. I didn't lose any weight. I gained weight. I was getting upset. I went up to 1420 calories and started dropping weight like crazy (I was at 269 and am down to 257 so losing more than 2 lbs a week is ok when one is that large). I also upped my protein and that triggered the weight loss.

    Weight loss is complicated and you need to experiment. You might not start losing weight at first. If that happens then try something else. Either way, don't punish yourself. So your fat. It's one of your faults. But would you recommend someone punish him or herself because they have a bad temper? I hope not. It's about change not penalizing.

    Anyway, that's my 0.02 ...take it or leave it.
  • focused4health
    focused4health Posts: 154 Member
    Yes you have nailed it. 1200 is not enough. 1600 minimum with a daily stroll around the block to get you started. Having said that I dont count calories anymore.
  • JoT2013
    JoT2013 Posts: 55 Member
    You need to be eating around the 2800 cal mark, and do gentle exercise such as walking to start off with.

    I started on 1200 cals but after reading up on it and listening to advice on the forums, I upped to 1750 a day.

    My weight has steadily decreased since upping my cals and I'm never hungry, nor do I feel deprived...not that I don't have my 'bad' days but don't we all? lol

    You need to find a way to lose weight that is sustainable over a long time...such as your lifetime :smile:

    Good luck :happy:
  • Sarn5
    Sarn5 Posts: 3
    I am just starting and struggling to stick to the amount recommended (1820cals) in order to lose one pound a week. Your body needs more calories.. I think you should definitely check on this site to see how many calories you should be eating to lose a max of 2lbs a week. Sticking to 1200 calories means you are going to deprive your body of essential nutrients and before long that weight will go back on again because I think you will find it is not sustainable.

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