1200 cal is NOT enough
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I am 52 and 5' 2", and it is not good to eat 1200 till you get there, it will lower your metabolism, and your maintenance will be lower. They say all the time on here if you have more than 20 to lose, 2 lbs./week is safe weight loss, if you have 10-20 - 1 lb. per week is safe weight loss, under 10 - 0.5 per week is safe weight loss.Well I don't really give a what you think. I happily eat 1200 a day (+ eating back some from exercise), don't feel hungry and have energy for at least 3 runs & 2 bike rides or long walks a week.
Edit: I see you are 5' 8" ,around 130lbs and only 19 yrs old?? Well my stats are very different - I'm 5' 3" and 51 yrs old. When I'm down to my target, I will then increase to a maintenance level.
Safe weight loss means you are not creating a lower set point for your body so you can't go back to eating normally without gaining, you are not losing muscle or bone because you are not giving your body enough nutrition, etc. There can be very serious consequences if you eat too little for too long.0 -
Oh my god. Before you reply you should probably read all the things I have already addressed. I'm leaving this forum, it genuinely cracks me up that people want to defend an unhealthy fad diet. Yes is works for some but NOT all.
People are not defending an unhealthy fad diet though - they are defending 1200 calories as being right for some people. Not all - nobody else is saying that either.
I don't get how you agree it works for some but then still say it is an unhealthy fad.
Anyway it's past midnight here - you are leaving the forum and I am going to bed.
Good night
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1200 calories a day works great for me when I need to lose a few pounds. I am a short, 61 year old woman. For you to say that it's not enough for anyone is as wrong as saying that it's right for everyone0
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1200 is hard work and masses of self-control for someone used to more.
It would be a very short, slight adult that survives on 1200 calories.
I am 177cm (69.5 inches) and am carrying a mass of 163+ kilograms (390 pounds).
I set 2075 calories with 25 minutes walking as my daily targets. My hope is that I get a trend going which will lead me to the 80kg-85kg I ultimately want to reach.
It would be foolhardy in my case to try to meet my energy and concentration needs with a 1200 calorie regime.
For the few who can set 1200 as a realistic and comfortable daily goal, GOOD LUCK.0 -
Do a search http://www.myfitnesspal.com/post/search and you'll come up with lots of people who tried it, lost a little, gained it back... but were still out the money.I am tentatively trying the plexus. please no hate. I eat a heavy balanced diet loaded with lots of fresh fruit, veggies and lots of water. I have lost 3 1/2 pounds in 14 days and an overall 11 inches so far. I walk 5 miles 5 days a week. so we shall see if it works. my boyfriend doesn't believe it is the plexus that is helping and wishes I would not do it. if anyone has any info on the plexus who is not an ambassador, I want and need info. I want to know if I am just throwing my money away. the people who sell it are just money hungry people who could care less about me. I don't like the attitude and would love to know who out there has honestly tried it and made a honest go of it. I don't want any hate mail please.
I got 35 pages of results when I entered "plexus" in the search window.
Anything that requires you to make a huge change in what you eat, or buy special powders or pills, or is a MLM scheme, or isn't able to back up their product with solid research (NOT done or sponsored by the company!), or wants you to use their product in place of most meals, is a scam & you should stay away.
Better to eat a reasonable amount of calories and real food, so you can maintain your eating habits once you're at your goal weight. (And it costs less.)
At 5'8" you should be between 125 - 160 lb. Start with the highest healthy weight & see how you feel once you get there. Maybe you'll want to stay at 160, maybe you'll want to lose a little more.
To get there, eat no more than 1600 cal per day.
If you're really hungry at the end of the day, eat back 1/3 to 1/2 of your exercise calories.
As you get close to your goal, nudge your calories up 50-100 cal every couple weeks until you're stable at your goal weight.
You might get up to as much as 2400 cal for maintenance.0 -
I think that it is a way to change the way you think about food. At least it is for me. Some people live very sedentary lives and aren't burning enough for more than that. Yes I agree that we should all take responsibility for our individual journeys, but sometimes that starts with HOW we think about our food and what we are taking in. It is because of the number goal that I am able to make better choices about my food. After spending a few weeks tracking I know what 1200 calories looks like in a typical day. (Man do they fly by with wine!) I usually make pretty good and healthy food choices, but I take in too much of it. Sure I love my brown rice and I still eat it, but do I need 2 cups in one serving? No! Should I never have Flamin Hot Cheetos ever again? No! Having a number goal has helped me remember that I really don't need more than about a 1/2 cup serving of brown rice with my meals, and if I want those cheetos then I had better take my butt for a run! I am looking for a quick fix, having a number gives me concrete way to think about how to reach my weight loss goals.0
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"DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS" - absolutely LOVE it DeWitch!!! Lmao!0
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I am 52 and and have an office job, and no thank you, I never want to have to live like that.This is one of those moments that I wish time travel were possible... so that the OP's 40- or 50-something year old, post-menopausal self who has a sedentary 9-5 job can come back and whack her upside the head and say "WTH were you thinking?"
I thought I knew everything at 19 years old, too.
Sincerely,
A 45-year old, post-menopausal woman with a 9-5 desk job -- who managed to lose HEALTHFULLY at 1200 calories/day and has been successfully maintaining for 2.5 years at 1400 calories/day.
I already addressed this, I corrected myself and said it was healthy for someone in your circumstances.0 -
If you live THAT sedentary of a life you are compromising your health anyway, being fit is about eating right, and being active and exercising.I think that it is a way to change the way you think about food. At least it is for me. Some people live very sedentary lives and aren't burning enough for more than that. Yes I agree that we should all take responsibility for our individual journeys, but sometimes that starts with HOW we think about our food and what we are taking in. It is because of the number goal that I am able to make better choices about my food. After spending a few weeks tracking I know what 1200 calories looks like in a typical day. (Man do they fly by with wine!) I usually make pretty good and healthy food choices, but I take in too much of it. Sure I love my brown rice and I still eat it, but do I need 2 cups in one serving? No! Should I never have Flamin Hot Cheetos ever again? No! Having a number goal has helped me remember that I really don't need more than about a 1/2 cup serving of brown rice with my meals, and if I want those cheetos then I had better take my butt for a run! I am looking for a quick fix, having a number gives me concrete way to think about how to reach my weight loss goals.0 -
Oh my god. Before you reply you should probably read all the things I have already addressed. I'm leaving this forum, it genuinely cracks me up that people want to defend an unhealthy fad diet. Yes is works for some but NOT all.
1. Post a blatant troll post
2. Backtrack when called out
3. Claim to not be trolling and amused at all the stupid people
4. ?????
5. Flee forum and never return
Nice job.0 -
Just don't forget some of those "repercussions" are permanent, take bone loss for example...and in that case you would have to live with it.Sooooo......if you want to eat more than 1200 calories then do it. Nobody is stopping you from eating what you feel you need to eat. Ranting and throwing a hissy fit on how some of us do things isn't changing anything. I will do what I want and how I want and if there are repercussions because of it, it will be me who has to deal with it. Bees to honey darling. Raging about this doesn't get anyone anywhere.
I think it is a mistake to assume you can "fix" whatever problems can happen, you can prevent them by not doing that to your body in the first place, but permanent damage is just that, there is no "fixing" it. It is better to make sure your body is getting the nutrition it needs.
I am 52 with healthy muscles and bones, and I can eat way over 1200 and not gain.0 -
I see a lot of people on here do not know how much to eat. 1200 is practically the amount for a small child. 1200 calories was my lunch yesterday, not a days worth of intake! I don't want to hear any excuses like "I'm never hungry" or that you cant find any high calorie foods that are healthy.
My diet is heavily plant based. Even if my foods are not high calorie, I eat frequently and that adds up!
Furthermore, if you can't meet a simple calorie goal you shouldn't even be exercising and causing further damage to you body.
1200 calories isnt like a universal number that is meant for everyone (or anyone really) if you want to know how much you should really be eating calculate your BMR and then add calories based on your activity level OR calculate your TDEE which I highly recommend.
It seems most of you want quick and instant results but under eating isnt the way to do it. Permanent and HEALTHY results that you
can sustain are going to take time, effort, and certainly a hell of a lot more food.
You seem to make the assumption that everyone is all the same. I'm 5'1 136 pounds and 48 years old and I live a mostly sedendary life as a stay at home mom. Of course I wouldn't have the same calorie requirements of a 19yr old, unless I was extremely active or a seasoned athlete. For me personally, 1200 calories a day, sometimes even less is fine and no I don't get very hungry. But if I do then I will eat. There are even times when I will occasionally go over my goal but only because I exercised and I am eating some of those calories back. And even then I'm forcing myself. Not everyone has the same appetite for the same desire to eat as much food as the next person. Maybe that number comes from people eating in larger quantities to begin with may find it hard to limit their calories to 1200 and may require more. But I haven't been a very heavy eater for quite a few years and this seems completely normal to me. I am NOT starving myself. If I even attempted to eat 2000 calories daily I would surely gain. I also have an open diary. You're welcome to look.0 -
I felt sorry for myself when I got a hiatal hernia and stopped exercising for a while for the most part, I felt like total crap, I gained weight easily, and pretty much it just stunk. I said to myself, if I have to live like this I would rather not...now I am back to my healthy fit self and I am sorry but life is a lot more worth living like this than eating starvation calories and feeling like crap all the time.For most people 1200 is not enough but for some it is especially older women and those who can't or know they won't exercise0 -
This is one of those moments that I wish time travel were possible... so that the OP's 40- or 50-something year old, post-menopausal self who has a sedentary 9-5 job can come back and whack her upside the head and say "WTH were you thinking?"
I thought I knew everything at 19 years old, too.
Sincerely,
A 45-year old, post-menopausal woman with a 9-5 desk job -- who managed to lose HEALTHFULLY at 1200 calories/day and has been successfully maintaining for 2.5 years at 1400 calories/day.
Best post EVER!!! LOL!0 -
I'm actually glad to read this post - I have no opinion either way. But I am concerned that since recently becoming vegetarian and having joined Weightwatchers I rarely seem to eat 1200 calories. I cooked veggie stews and soups, I eat loads of potatoes, porridge, fruit & veg, beans, tuna etc. I have completely given up butter, cheese, meat (now eat Quorn), white bread, white pasta, white rice (all brown now) and no treats, sugary drinks etc. But I'm always full because the meals I make are bulky and filling. And I confess always have a glass of wine in the evening. But every day I've been getting the MFP "too few calories" message. The weight is dropping off me, I have far more energy and I don't crave fatty or processed food any more. Am I doing something wrong/causing myself harm? Always glad for advice as I'm not a nutritionist and not too knowledgeable about nutrition..0
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Oh my god. Before you reply you should probably read all the things I have already addressed. I'm leaving this forum, it genuinely cracks me up that people want to defend an unhealthy fad diet. Yes is works for some but NOT all.
It is not an "unhealthy fad diet." It is simply a caloric amount.0 -
I never ever eat more than 1200 a day even on my exercise days which are 4 times a week. You need to try being a 55 yr old post menopausal woman and see how you get on eating more. If I go over my 1200 (I have this week on 3 days and I KNOW I'll regret it) You can bet your sweet bippy that I'll gain.0
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Thanks:)"DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS" - absolutely LOVE it DeWitch!!! Lmao!0
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