1200 Calories a day!

1500 or less for me, and some days its harder than others to stay under.

You must be tiny to stick to 1200 or less. Even at 5'3 when I got down to 110 lbs I had to eat 1500 to maintain.
Now I'm 145 and have to eat 1600 or under to lose.
Good luck!

I stick to 800 to 900kcal. The hard part is to find nutritious food, so you can have less calories, while still getting all the nutrients - but is helps you building a healthy diet. You should be fine with 1200kcal.

It's not too hard when you get used to it. But I don't have a plan per se other than saving most calories for a big dinner. I eat what I want and swap out higher calorie foods for lower calorie substitutions when I can and when they are palatable. Feel free to add me. My diary is open to friends.

Are you eating 1200 or netting 1200? I'm trying to net 1200 right now, which means I'll end up actually eating somewhere around 1400-1500. If you're netting 1200 too, we can encourage each other! (But if you're eating only 1200, that might be a little low, unless you're tiny and have very little weight to lose.)

sandimejia25 wrote: »

Supper excited to start a weight loss plan!
Need to stick to 1200 calories or less.

What is your plan??

With 8 pounds to go.....a moderate weekly weight loss goal is 1/2 pound a week. 1200 is a default minimum on MFP and it's before any exercise. So it's highly likely you can eat more and still lose weight.

I eat more (& lose slower) because my goal is fat loss. The larger the deficit, the harder it is for your body to support existing lean muscle. The choice is yours.

timtakel wrote: »

I stick to 800 to 900kcal. The hard part is to find nutritious food, so you can have less calories, while still getting all the nutrients - but is helps you building a healthy diet. You should be fine with 1200kcal.

How....and how can you tell a young OP is "fine" at the default minimum calories without knowing any of their stats?

OP, Please check out psulemon and TeaBea's replies.

timtakel wrote: »

I stick to 800 to 900kcal. The hard part is to find nutritious food, so you can have less calories, while still getting all the nutrients - but is helps you building a healthy diet. You should be fine with 1200kcal.

Um.....promoting very low calorie diets is against MFP rules.

Newsflash - you're male....you're not getting all the required nutrients. Your default minimum on MFP is 1500. Fast weight loss = a fair amount of muscle loss.

I'm 1200 too! I'm only 5 feet tall. I put on 46 pounds during my second pregnancy and trying to get back to prepregnancy weight.

Mine is 1200 but ends up being around 1500 with exercise. It's been going well 1-2 lbs lost / week.. At first I was hungry but then I started eating more roast vegetables, and kept more low calorie foods around.. If I want to splurge on a pint of ice cream, I just buy a pint of artic zone ice cream (has no fake junk in it and is only 150 calories)..so cravings are covered. I drink seltzer and water, eat outshine bars when I'm hot, do cardio 4-5 x / week and strength training 2-3 x per week. I am 5'3" 135lbs (current weight). I buy quick foods from the natural food store deli like tuna salad, zucchini salad and egg salad; I just make sure there is no added sugar in them.. works for me even not knowing the exact calorie count.. I just weigh it and eat about 4 oz per sitting.

I am 5' 4' and my Dietitian has me at 1800 or 2000 calories a day, when I started the program I weighted 230. I am now at 216 lbs. I am suppose to try each one or in between to see what number works for me. I found that I do lose weight and that on most days what I eat dose not even get to 1800 so 1800 is my calorie intake for now. The reason for this is because I am getting my body use to the amount of calories each day which in turn I am NOT starving myself but I am still losing weight. I am learning to eat right, watch my portions, and yes I'm even trying to make peace with the foods that are not good for me. I have not cut out anything other then I do not eat much cheese or drink milk (Silk Soy, unsweetened, in place of milk). I DO eat fast foods but I have cut down on them and I am working on making my own recipes. I DO NOT ADD SALT to anything, not even in recipes (salt make me blow up like a balloon)! I use Organic Stevia in place of sugar, I do eat sugar when someone else makes something but I do not put it in my coffer or tea. I drink more water then what I most likely log. Also, I exercise at least 5 days a week, I either go to the gym or if the weather is bad I do chair exercises and other exercises, and weights at home. I am not that active because of health problems so what I am doing now is working and I want it to be the new norm for me. Just like breathing!

A few thoughts...

--Whether 1200 is ok is based on a lot of factors. The "guided goals" is a good way to help make sure your food, lifestyle, and exercise goals are compatible.
--Don't just drop to 1200. You'll feel like you're starving to death. Drop slowly over a few weeks, say 100 a week, until you're there.
--If you're going to have low calories, every calorie you ingest must be high quality nutrition. Make sure you're prepared to eat that way.
--Don't just use MFP to track what you've eaten, use it to plan your food plan for the entire day. You can then make changes to ensure you're meeting your nutrition goals.
--Please ensure your doctor is ok with 1200 per day. Don't just do it.

Good luck!

I'm on 1200 for the last 10 weeks lost 43 lbs

I'm supposed to take in a lil over 3000 calories a day. I usually can only get around 2800 in me.

salaita1968 wrote: »

I'm on 1200 for the last 10 weeks lost 43 lbs

As a man, you should be eating more. The minimum recommended for a male is 1500 calories. At 1200 calories, you will not meet all your nutritional requirements. And if you are eating at the low, you should be supervised by a doctor or dietitian.