1200 a day

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keiraev
keiraev Posts: 695 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started doing MFP about 6 weeks ago and I have lost 7lb eating roughly 1400/1500 cals a day after exercise. Have to admit that I had quite a few "bad" days during that time where I pretty much ate and drank what I liked. In the past this always would've made me fall off the wagon and I would regain all the weight- but this time I have somehow managed to pull myself together and climb back on even after a bad day/weekend.

I do wonder though if I would have made any more progress if I had stuck to my calories properly- I have never ever stuck to a 1200 calorie diet but I have decided to do it for two weeks just to see what happens. Some diets actually recommend that you do this to kick start and then you can move back up to 1400/1500 cals a days afterwards.

I know I don't have loads to lose but 10lb just seems like an enormous mountain to climb at the moment. A friend of mine did 1200 cals a day (after exercise) and lost more than 5lb in a week- they weren't overweight either!

Who else has done 1200 a day and for how long? And how long before you plateaued? I really don't think I can manage this for more than a fortnight and am not planning on weighing myself until July 1st!

Replies

  • shelbyfrootcake
    shelbyfrootcake Posts: 965 Member
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    I've been doing 1200 calories for ages. I'm not particularly strict with myself as I'm 10lb from my target and feel like I need to start acclimatising to a less restrictive daily intake a bit. On 1200 a day it's taken ages to lose weight still. Admittedly, I'm a terribly example as my job is completely sedantary and I didn't have a great deal to lose in the first place, hence by MFP told me I'm only allowed 1200.

    1200 is hard and if you're losing on the method you're using now, stick with it. If you don't *need* to restrict yourself so much, don't do it.
  • cha36jennings
    cha36jennings Posts: 99 Member
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    Well I did 1200 for about 7 weeks and I only lost weight in the 1st 2 weeks. After that I remained the same weight until I upped my calorie intake to 1450. I kept at this for 2 weeks in which I lost weight again.
    I am now back down to 1200 for a week and I will probably increase to 1450 after this week.
    I think that zigzagging will work for me but everyone is different.
    If you can't manage 1200 for too long, increase it for a couple of weeks and see how the weight loss goes
    Good luck!
  • stella77
    stella77 Posts: 282
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    I have done it for the firts 3 months and it was fine, esp that I got to eat my exercise calories so it wasn't 1200 every day.
  • MobyLovesPie
    MobyLovesPie Posts: 29 Member
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    Well I did 1200 for about 7 weeks and I only lost weight in the 1st 2 weeks. After that I remained the same weight until I upped my calorie intake to 1450. I kept at this for 2 weeks in which I lost weight again.
    I am now back down to 1200 for a week and I will probably increase to 1450 after this week.
    I think that zigzagging will work for me but everyone is different.
    If you can't manage 1200 for too long, increase it for a couple of weeks and see how the weight loss goes
    Good luck!

    I find the same thing. I hit a plateau on 1200kcal then move up to 1450kcal and plateau again. So I've started to zig zag a little.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I am about the same weight as you, i was 140 when i started and am now 134. the first week i didnt stick to my 1200 cals, but since then apart from 1 long weekend on holiday i have pretty much stuck to it and have lost the 6 pounds in 5 weeks. I have lost 1 or 2 pounds each week so far. Once i get down to 130/132 i will probably reduce my loss to 0.5 pounds so that i can increase my cals a bit gradually before i go up to maintenance cals.

    Hope that helps!
  • Naomi_84
    Naomi_84 Posts: 197 Member
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    I started MFP 6 weeks ago on 1200 a day and lost 7lbs in 4 weeks but for the last 3 even though I have changed nothing about what I was doing I have stayed the same, it's so frustrating. After advice on here I am increasing my calories to 1500-1600 a day with exercise to see how I do, I'm praying to see results next week. Good luck
  • kettlenic
    kettlenic Posts: 148 Member
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    I have 56 pounds to lose and am trying it at 1200 cals - obviously eating excercise cals - do you think I should up my cal intake - will I still lose?

    Howe many cals per day are you allowed when maintaining?
  • marianne_s
    marianne_s Posts: 986 Member
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    I joined Rosemary Conley (diet club in the Uk) in January and was a memebr till the end of March - for the 1st 2 weeks you're daily calorie allowance is 1200 (no eating back exercise calories).

    I lost 9 lbs in 2 weeks.

    The 3rd & 4th week you're daily calorie allowance is 1400 (no eating back exercise calories).
    In the 3rd week I kept my calories at 1200, because I was so used to it & thought it was going to give me a greater loss - but I only lost 0.5 lbs that week. I got told of my the group's adviser, she told me that 1200 calories is only for short term, as my body would go into starvation mode (which is where I first heard the term)

    By the end of the 1st month, I had lost a stone (14 lbs) - which is pretty much expected, because that is how the diet is advertised - "Lose a stone in a month on the Amazing Inch Loss Diet".

    To make sure getting the correct benefits from MFP, read the link (MFP basics) in my signature.
    For those of you that have a small amount left to lose, you really need to make sure your settings are correct.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    I have only about 20lbs to lose which is coming off painfully slowly but that doesn't bother me too much. I am only 5' and my BMR is anywhere between 1252 and 1350 (depends on the site I use), meaning my maintenance calories are about 1560.

    beacsue i do not have a lot to lose, I think it is harmful to go too far below your BMR (I don't have enough excess fat for my body to use that up on a daily basis). I have set my calories to 1300 which for me is a comfortable figure to aim for.

    To be perfectly honest I am fairly lax about calorie counting. I know I never even get close to going over my sodium intake because I tend to eat fairly clean and do not add salt to things. What is important to me, and why I stay here and log my meals is that it gives me a focus to stay eating healthily. Before this I did limited exercise (climbing once a week and scuba diving in the summer season) and tripped and fell in the chip shop once a week or so. Now I have upped the exercise and haven't been near the chip shop except at the weekends when it doubles up as a fishmonger. Even without looking at my calories it is impossible for me NOT to be healthier and lose weight given that I have made subtle changes to my lifestyle.

    Personally I would look closely at how much you want to lose, and what your BMR and maintenance rate is. Choose a figure somewhere in between that and make that your calorie goal. I don't think you need go down to 1200 a day, and I think it a mistake that so many people are on that as a calorie goal. If you are losing weight (at quite a fast rate) then why change it?
  • kkellam1
    kkellam1 Posts: 182 Member
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    Who else has done 1200 a day and for how long? And how long before you plateaued? I really don't think I can manage this for more than a fortnight and am not planning on weighing myself until July 1st!

    My experience may or may not be relevant, since I am a big guy and started with 100+ to lose. I have done 1200 a day for the last 4 1/2 months, with an occasional day jumping to 1400 and occasional days dropping to 1000. 90% of the time 1200 is right where I end the day. Also, that is total calories, I do not eat back exercise.

    So far, I have not plateaued at all and have consistently dropped weight. Some may say that is too low, but my doctor has discussed my diet with me and has no problem with it whatsoever. So far, 75 pounds.

    Anyway, my point is that you really can do 1200 without feeling like you are suffering. It takes looking for places to cut calories and taking advantage of all of them. Personally, I don't feel deprived in any way when it comes to food. Sure, there are things that I miss, like french fries and chinese food. However, I try to make sure that everything I do consume is tasty and enjoyable, along with being a good source of nutrients. Sometimes I feel like I eat better than the rest of my family in terms of both quantity and quality of meals. Fresh veggies, fruits and lean meats are key.

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