I also wouldn't recommend the 1200 diet. The best way to determine what you should be eating is by calculating your TDEE based on your day to day activity level, reducing that slightly and then adding exercise to your routine. The basic concept of CICO. In my case:

My TDEE (sedentary) is somewhere between 1900 and 2000 cals (my BMR is just shy of 1600 cals, I'm tall at 5'10") and therefore I have set my target calorie intake to 1700 per day, a deficit of 200-300. I aim for 3-4 days weight/resistance training at the gym, and 3 days of roughly 30 min cardio (outdoor jogs). I do double up on those (e.g.: Jog in the morning and gym in the evening) to ensure I have rest days.

If I stay significantly below the 1700 then that will be because I am not particularly hungry that day. Equally, I try not to eat back my exercise calories, although I will eat some if I need them.

Once I reach my goal weight and body fat % I will start working on a reverse diet to get my calories back up with a view to refine my muscle tone more.

This way of working will allow you more freedom and to eat the foods you like. Today I had a cornetto ice cream as an afternoon snack, and it easily fits in to my calories for the day. Very satisfying!

You really don't have to starve yourself or cut out foods in order to get results.

I have been doing 1200 calories for a month and a half, and have lost 11 lbs so far. I plan on keeping 1200 calories until about 1 August and then slowly add in more calories until I am at my maintenance weight. I am currently at 138 lbs. I do have a day a week where I eat a good meal and don't care about the calories and also a snack within the week beyond my 1200 calories. I found the first 2 weeks difficult, had a week in the middle where I wanted to just say forget it, and now I am back without issues. I think that 1200 calories is a good range for me to lose 2 lbs a week. Will let you know how another month goes!

1200 is so frustrating sometimes. I can stay in that range if I do a 16:8 intermittent fast (eat within an 8 hour window each day) and stay away from sugar/refined carbohydrates/fried food as much as possible. So if I have a 500 calorie lunch and a 700 calorie dinner, I can be pretty satisfied.

Try ramping down the calories slowly instead of cutting down to 1200 right away, starting by replacing carbs/sweets with fruits/veggies. So if you're eating 1800 now, go a week at 1600, then 1400, then 1200. Up the exercise too; it helps. And if net 1200 is inadequate, then eat more; you know your own body better than MFP does.

I'm "officially" at the 1200 level, but it's not enough. I've upped it to 1400-1500 a day, and that's working well for me. Looks like I'm not as sedentary as I thought I was!

Tried it and failed miserably. I was so hungry ALL the time.

stephanieross1 wrote: »

I eat 1200-1500/day but on the high fat low carb diet. And it is filling, its the only way i can eat less without staring at the clock for more food. And I have energy and am not hangry

My question is- how do you eat 1200 on Keto or LCHF? I'm on Keto and because I'm consuming high fat, it is very high in calories. I end up eating 1600-1700 Cal/day I'm 5'4". Sometimes I still feel hungry at the end of day. Would love to know what your meals are like to be able to keep it that low. The only way to have a deficit or hit below 1400 is to skip meals or IF.

Being 5' tall and sedentary, I shoot for 1000 (but will take 1200), which I can only reach with exercise and healthy choices. No room in my diet for any junk. Filling healthy things I love include fruits (apples, kiwis, clementines, cantalope, bananas), cooked veggies (i love peas cooked with onions and plenty of spices), oatmeal (look up savory recipes for low-sugar options!), tofu stir fry. I love turkey-and-cucumber sandwiches on that super-healthy super-dense bread; it's so satisfying and far more nutrient-dense. I also will do protein shakes on occasion, though I don't like relying on processed food.

With time, I've found a few foods that don't work for me that I don't miss: I don't miss dairy most of the time, but I will miss meat. If I skip out on dairy it saves me calories and a stomach ache but doesn't leave me any less satisfied. I don't miss white bread all that much honestly; sometimes I eat the middle of a sandwich with a fork. I don't miss chips and dip as long as I can have carrots and hummus, something with crunch. I don't miss sugar all that much (except on my period). I don't miss multi-beer bar nights (I had to reign in my drinking in order to see results tbh). I do miss potato chips and french fries, but I have those only on occasion. And I don't miss eating a big breakfast OR late-night snacking as long as I've had good satisfying meals during the day (I guess this is an IF type deal). And lastly, I don't miss stuffing myself: I try to pay attention to fullness signals throughout a meal, since portions at restaurants are designed for larger people.

I found an interesting article on weight loss for petite women: mostly about having to be stricter about portions and about snacks, about the importance of exercise, etc. We don't have as much leeway as a 250 lb guy on an 1800 calorie diet. I've tried so many times in the past and ended up getting frustrated and rebounding; dieting is not fair to us smaller/feminine folk.

It's an adjustment, but there are some food cravings you'll have to break in order to do 1200 without feeling deprived. But you shouldn't be starving all the time; if you are, please adjust your strategy.

rbunt wrote: »

Hello, I am new to this group. I am trying a low carb high protein diet four days a week but I can't get to 1,200 calories without going over in fat! I know if I don't eat 1200 calories I will slow down my metabolism right? Any ideas? I'm a little confused if I should worry about good fat from almonds etc... or do I just worry about the other types of fat in my diet when checking numbers. I am 5'3 and 124 pounds. I am wanting to tone up and lose four more pounds. I play tennis and work out on the treadmill as my workouts. Feel free to look at my diary. Some days are my high carb days which is two days a week.

Last I checked the metabolism thing is not as scary as people say it is. If your weight dips too low and/or you eat significantly less than your body needs your metabolism will take a hit, but yeah depending on your height/weight you could go below 1200. I'm not promoting an extreme diet; calculate your TDEE accurately so as not to lose more than 1% of your body weight per week, and eat back exercise calories and find what works for you. You shouldn't be distractedly hungry all the time and you shouldn't drop weight too quickly.

As for protein/fat, try cooking with a nonstick pan if you aren't already doing so. I found it really helps cut down on oil used. Good fat is still fat; eat it in moderation. But if it fits into your calorie allowance and makes you feel satisfied, you should still lose weight. Other ways to get protein without the fat: chicken/turkey breast, protein shakes, swap processed carbs for more whole-grain products, etc. I can't see your food diary so I don't know where the fat is coming from, but as long as the diet works for you, don't worry so much about going over in one macro.

@ABTballet98 I sometimes struggle reaching 1200 also. When I don't meal prep sometimes I only get 700 a day which is terrible! For some reason I can't really tell if I'm hungry so I have a set schedule when I need to eat to make sure I get at least 1400-1500 calories a day.

I lost 15lbs over 3 months of doing a very strict diet with all meals prepped at 1400 calories a day. After I reached my goal weight I stopped the strict diet and tried maintenance. I had gotten spoiled having my meals at the ready so when I was making my own meals, not tracking calories and eating only when I felt hungry I lost another 5lbs in just two weeks. I recognized the problem, changed my ways and now am back up to my goal weight and feel much better! I really have to monitor my calorie intake or I don't get enough.

DananaNanas wrote: »

timtam163 wrote: »

I found an interesting article on weight loss for petite women: mostly about having to be stricter about portions and about snacks, about the importance of exercise, etc. We don't have as much leeway as a 250 lb guy on an 1800 calorie diet. I've tried so many times in the past and ended up getting frustrated and rebounding; dieting is not fair to us smaller/feminine folk.

Do you remember where you found this article? And/or have you heard of/read "The Petite Advantage?" I think my mom was reading it at one point but I don't really feel comfortable talking to her about weight loss.

Here you go! This was very helpful: http://anymanfitness.com/fat-loss-considerations-for-petite-females-and-those-with-slow-metabolisms/

Also yes I saw this article in Marie Claire about it, though I object to a few of the points (that you have to/can be selfish, which isn't a choice for people with stressful lives; that you have to eat breakfast; etc.): http://www.marieclaire.com/health-fitness/news/a6858/petite-advantage-diet/