Does the 1200 diet work?

Hello,
I'm 5'1 and work with a registered dietitian to make sure I'm fueling my body right.
I have been on a 1200-1350 cal for almost 6 months. It has worked great for me, but you have to make sure you are eating the right cals. It's easy to become malnourished while eating fewer cals. It took me a few weeks to find my sweet spot to lost weight. I will lose about 0.5lbs if I eat 1200 cals and do not workout. I will maintain my weight at 1300 cals without working out and if I eat 1200 cals and workout (3 mile fast walk) I will lose 1-1.5lbs a week.
Find what works for you and make sure you are eating enough of the right foods to stay healthy. I would also recommend doing some research, reading books and talking to a R.D or your M.D.
I also love the book Choose to Lose: The 7-Day Carb Cycle Solution. It has some great information, and it worked really well for me.
Everyone's body is extremely different and will respond differently to cals and food intake.

Hope this helps,

Good luck!!

Yes it does work as far as losing lbs. I lost 41 lbs eating 1200 calories(I gained back 30 and am currently on my journey to be the healthy wife and mother that my family deserve. This time though NOT on a daily1200 calorie diet. I eat the recommended calories by mfp which is like a1350 and I do 30-40 minutes of moderate cardio (brisk walking) and heavy lifting on alternating days resting Sunday's. I must add that I have lost 19lbs this time and gained (a little) lean body mass (muscle), I look better this time at 214 than I did before at 200. The scale does not always show everything you need to see. You may drop 50lbs but if half of that is muscle loss, which WILL happen with extreme diet and no exercise, then it does very little for your body composition, you will simply be a smaller version of how you already look, which for me is unacceptable. I intend to work my fanny off and be FIT not skinny... skinny fat just isn't very attractive. Whatever you choose to do make sure it's something you can stick to the rest of your life. There are no quick fixes that will give lasting healthy results. I use to swear by1200 cal diet but now I wouldn't recommend it. Just my $0.02 worth. best wishes.

It worked for me at the start of my weight loss. I would eat back SOME of my work out calories. Eventually when I got closer to the weight I wanted to be and began working out a lot more seriously I HAD to increase my calories or I'd be starving. Just make sure you're eating good for you foods.

kwelsi wrote: »

So far I've managed to stay under or at my 1200 calorie diet for a week today! I'm doing well, I feel great about eating right and I'm not starving.
However, I've been reading in the forums that some people say they stay on a 1200-1400 calorie diet. I am 5'1 and I was wondering if it is okay to go a little bit past 1200 calories?
While I do work out, I was also wondering if that's necessary.

Can I get an answer from someone who has lost weight using this diet without working out either? All answers are helpful though!

1200 is MFPs lowest minimum default. So yes, a large portion of women can lose weight when eating more. ...AND this is a net number....meaning 0 exercise has been factored in. This is why MFP adds calories back.

Why would you want to eat more (lose at a slower pace)? Three possible reasons...

1. You want something sustainable. Weight loss takes time. If you are going to be miserable, you are more likely to binge. Some women handle 1200 better.
2. You want a lifestyle change. Something that is less aggressive is going to be closer to future maintenance calories. This makes for an easier transition from "dieting" to maintenance.
3. You may be closer to goal. Losing weight at the quickest possible pace is not the best way to support lean muscle mass. You could lose fat+muscle. Very overweight people don't need to worry about possible muscle loss for awhile.

Hi. I'm 5'3 and set my calories around 1400. I've lost about 35lbs in about 8 months. Most of the signifcant weight I lost was in the several months before I started working out. You'll see other people say this but losing weight is really 80% diet and 20% exercise. Now I'm exercising too. I was 223 when I started and this morning I was 189. I still have a long way to go to get to 140 and I can't imagine not exercising if only because I eat back exercise calories. (Although a lot of times its more a case of drinking back exercise calories. I like a glass a wine each night and that's tough to fit in the calories without exercise or starving.)

OP - 15 pounds to lose and 18 years old.

I can almost guarantee that 1200 is not enough for you. This is the BMR (basal metabolic rate) of very petite, senior ladies. BMR is you in a coma...even less than sedentary.

At 15 pounds to lose your weekly goal should be small.....1/2 pound a week (sorry). MFP bottomed out to 1200 on you because your weekly goal was aggressive.

If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.

This thread has tons of good info for newbies.....

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants