1200 Calories Per Day

I have been eating 1200 cals a day since I started. I am down about 6lbs in the first 12 days. Since it isn't a ton of food I make sure that I eat a lot of veggies and drink plenty of water. I am not suffering at all. However, I am currently fairly inactive and am just starting that slowly. I generally eat yogurt and homemade granola for breakfast, lean meat and veggies for supper and my lunch varies. A can of tuna on salad greens and a cup of soup today. Yesterday I had a large chef's salad made with greens, cooked egg whites, chopped ham, cheese and dressing. It kept me quite full. Snacks are usually fruit or popcorn. I agree that if you are miserable you will not succeed. I have just started so I have that newbie enthusiasm....if/as that wanes I will make allowances and adjustments. That may mean my weight loss slows but I am in it for the long term, for my health, so I am ok with that. I figure I didn't put on an extra 40-50 lbs overnight so I can't expect to lose it overnight either

Be forewarned, this is only MY opinion, not an indictment on people who have different nutritional and motivational needs. That said....

When I first decided to lose weight a few years ago, all I was interested in was seeing the number on the scale drop. I was very successful in my first attempt, losing 60 pounds in less than six months. I was not very big to begin with, so I had to eat a very restrictive diet to do this. I had no interest in exercising and this was because people on this forum were always promoting their weight loss plans that had no physical activity and they were losing. Thinking I had found the magic bullet for weight loss, I turned my calories down to 1200 and plugged away.

And yes, I lost. I lost weight nearly everyday- as long as I stuck to the diet. If I went out of town for vacation or took a weekend off from counting, several pounds would reappear and take weeks to get rid of. I also started to notice pain in my joints and muscles. I went overseas on a trip to bury a family member and that was the end of counting calories. I was just too restrictive, and I went kind of crazy after that. I was so hungry and I missed eating full meals so much. I stayed away from counting calories for almost 2 years after that and gained some of the weight back.

This time around, I am focusing on fitness and health. I am taking a much more scientific approach to weight loss and made sure I knew my proper BMR, TDEE, body fat percent, bone density and other important numbers before I decided how many calories I actually need. I eat between 1500 and 1800 calories depending on the day and workout (lifting, running, stair climbing, etc) 5 times a week. I focus on my macros so I can help my body as much as possible during this process. I want to lose fat, but I also want to grow my muscles and improve my metabolism. Sure, I'd love to look like a super model in a few weeks, but that sort of loss is not realistic and it doesn't last. If your diet isn't something you can do for life, the results will be temporary. And I know a few people are rolling their eyes right now and thinking "whatever, I just want to look better." That's fine. Just know that without making it something you can realistically do all the time, you will only look better until you eat your fill again a few times. For me, that is just not a way to live. But I'm not 20 anymore and I am concerned with my health and longevity more than how I look to others.

By the way, on my new, higher calorie diet, I am still losing. I might not lose quite as fast (sometimes I lost seven pounds in a week the last time around) I can already see the results. My waist is smaller, my thighs are trimmer and my endurance has grown exponentially. I'm also eating at a 20% deficit from my TDEE, but I am never hungry. In fact, because I focus on macros, I sometimes get too full to finish my meals. It doesn't feel like I'm on a diet. It feels like I'm taking care of myself for the first time in years. My body feels great and my mood has lifted tremendously. I am taking good care of myself and giving back to this body that has given me so much.

Yes, you can lose weight at 1200 calories because that's how science works, but fast isn't always better. It depends on what the end goal is. If you're willing to wait, do it slowly and focus on health, you will look better as a result, even if it takes longer and it will last longer because it will become a habit. If you just want to lose pounds for an upcoming event, by all means cut as much as you want out of your diet. Just be aware that when you lose like that, you will lose muscle along with the fat, so you might not like how your body looks once you're at your goal.

Just a few (tons) of thoughts on it. Again, this is just my experience. I wish I had discovered the slow and steady way of losing weight years ago though because if I had, I wouldn't be overweight now. Having patience with yourself is such a difficult thing, but it does pay off.