Question for the seasoned dieters. Thanks!

Most don't have to survive on 1200. 1200 is often too low for many unless they are very old, very small and very sedentary and very short ...
Lots of people manage on lower cals though . find an activity you enjoy and do it daily to earn more calories .
I lost all my weight eating around 1800-1900. I eat 2200-2600 right now at maintenance.

Most people here eat more than 1200 calories.

You dont treat every meal like a gourmet meal- leave all the fancy extras for special occasions.

You either eat really small portions, don't make it "gourmet," or increase your calories.

But there's nothing wrong with skipping breakfast. Just make sure it doesn't leave you so hungry that you overeat at lunch. But I'm in the same situation... I prefer to eat breakfast later or not at all. No biggie.,

I can't! I would need to eat only 1200 a day to lose a pound a week, so I adjusted my expectation to half a pound a week. I also started exercising a lot more, to earn extra calories.

bellabonbons wrote: »

I have a special event coming up in June so I'm going to 2 pounds per week weight-loss plus hitting the gym a lot plus I do cardio I don't want to go 1 pound weight loss I need to go with 2 per week. I think I will try to stick with the 1200 cal a day for guaranteed 2 pounds per week weight-loss and I'll just skip breakfast.

So basically... you're just going to ignore that advice the seasoned dieters are giving you?

Does this special event require a weigh-in at the door to gain entrance? What if you don't hit your goal?

Also, doing 1200 calories, plus exercise, you're expected to eat those exercise calories back. To not do so would be starving your body of much needed nutrition. You can also kiss much needed LBM goodbye. You'll probably lose some hair, your nails will become brittle... etc.

It would behoove you to go with a less aggressive and sustainable pace. Especially with only 30 lbs to lose.

bellabonbons wrote: »

I have a special event coming up in June so I'm going to 2 pounds per week weight-loss plus hitting the gym a lot plus I do cardio I don't want to go 1 pound weight loss I need to go with 2 per week. I think I will try to stick with the 1200 cal a day for guaranteed 2 pounds per week weight-loss and I'll just skip breakfast.

Who guaranteed this? Where is this guarantee? Can I get one?

bellabonbons wrote: »

Actually I have a registered dietitian that I consult with and my personal physician who all say 1200 is OK and you'll lose about 2 pounds a week. To the positive and inspiring dieters thank you. But definitely. I plan to increase to 1400 this week and see how it goes. I could be pleasantly surprised. It's always great to get additional suggestions, inspiration and what works for others. It is just an adjustment to make the changes.

Like others have stated, there are no guarantees in weight loss. And weight loss is NOT going to be linear, so don't get disappointed and give up if you don't see yourself losing two pounds a week. Also please don't be surprised or disappointed if you don't see anything happening on the scale for a bit after increasing calories if you do choose to increase to 1400 (which I hope you do) - this does not indicate that you should drop your calories again, but simply that it takes the body some time to adjust to changes in calorie intake.

And again, as others have stated, 1200 is low for most people. 1400 sounds more sustainable, and frankly more enjoyable. If you increase your activity level, you may well be able to eat above 1400 and still lose quite readily. Have you tried using a TDEE calculator to estimate your daily calorie burn, such as that at scooby's workshop or fitnessfrog? I am only 5'2 (but admittedly am quite active) and can lose eating much more than that.

At least, as you are doing your own cooking, you can keep careful and fairly accurate track of how much you are eating. Be sure to use the recipe builder and weight your portions for best accuracy. I also do my own cooking (although I would hesitate to lay claim to being a gourmet, I guess) and I find it much easier to calculate my intake than if I go out to eat or go to a friend's for dinner.

tl;dr: don't expect to lose 2lb a week consistently whether you eat at 1200 or 1400 because weight loss isn't linear and is affected by things like hormones, exercise, and sodium intake, so don't give up if you don't see your "guaranteed loss," and please consider calculating your TDEE to get a better idea of how many calories you burn per day and consequently what your intake should be, as 1200 and even 1400 could be quite low for you. You'd be surprised at what healthcare professionals will tell you. I work with an RN who is deeply worried by the fact that I practice intermittent fasting because "breakfast is the most important meal of the day and you need to jumpstart your metabolism"

ETA: TDEE calculator: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

bellabonbons wrote: »

Actually I have a registered dietitian that I consult with and my personal physician who all say 1200 is OK and you'll lose about 2 pounds a week. To the positive and inspiring dieters thank you. But definitely. I plan to increase to 1400 this week and see how it goes. I could be pleasantly surprised. It's always great to get additional suggestions, inspiration and what works for others. It is just an adjustment to make the changes.

I agree with your dietician that 1200 isn't going to hurt you during your loss phase.

Also, skipping breakfast or even breakfast & lunch isn't going to hurt you. Pick the eating schedule that works best for you.

It's very possible to eat gourmet and also eat small overall calories. I think that's how most of Hollywood eats, and most celebrity chefs, for sure. You just have to have small volumes of the higher calorie dishes or stick to lower calorie dishes. Gourmet food isn't all high calorie. I actually find it easier to cook low cal if I do go more gourmet. Expensive ingredients are satisfying without being fried or doused in butter or cheese or served on a thick crust. Look at the portion sizes in most gourmet restaurants.

Good luck!

bellabonbons wrote: »

Thank you. It is always helpful to seek additional opinions. I also take a recommended multi vitamin mineral daily that was recommended by the registered dietitian who I have consulted the last few years. 1200 is limiting but according to my doctor, safe. Just difficult when one is used to a higher level. My initial question to the experienced dieters was how they survive on 1200 per day. Not is it safe. The experts I have consulted with assured me that it is safe. Plus staying well hydrated. Thanks for your input. I also have a low thyroid which makes it more challenging. But a member here who also has a low thyroid shared that she's losing on 1400 per day. I will do 1400 daily this week and see how it goes. The positive people here are awesome. Rare to run across ones who are belittling but I am sure there are a few.

No one is belittling you.

Yes, you did ask how do we survive on 1200 calories, and the answer is that almost all of us don't. We've learned, over our time on MFP, that it wasn't an appropriate goal, wasn't right for us, was too aggressive, that we love food too much, whatever. We learned that we could still lose weight at a reasonable rate while eating more than that minimum. That's how we survived. We did research. We did trial and error. We listened to others members.

Many long time users on MFP have issue with the 1200 calorie minimum. Yes, it is safe. That's why it's a recommended minimum. The problem lies wherein a user is eating 1200 calories and adds in exercise (as you stated you plan to do) and is therefor "netting" less than 1200 calories. That's when things start going awry. That's when the things I listed earlier start happening, due to malnutrition. So if you are going to add in exercise, you should expect to actually be eating more than 1200 calories.