1200 cals

Is it more important to have the weight gone quickly or to keep the weight off in the long-term? I would say the latter is better and that 2Ibs is too aggressive with the amount you have to lose. Much better, in my opinion, to aim for 1-1.5 Ibs per week and work on making lifelong changes than to do a fast track weight loss and regain it all again. Just my opinion from having seen numerous people take the same path on here over the years.

rachelpower82 wrote: »

Im 5ft 8 with around 50lb to lose. Ive set a goal at 2lb per week which puts me on 1200 cals, is this right? I know i'll have to cut back quite drastically along with filling up on lots of veg and low cal lean foods. I want the weight gone asap!

1200 before exercise is the lowest default minimum (meeting nutritional guidelines). Anyway, it may be 2 pounds a week.....or it's just as low as the program will go. Weight loss will slow down as you get closer to goal too.

2 pounds a week is more appropriate for people with more than 75 pounds to lose. Fast weight loss has it's disadvantages. Drastic cuts make it harder for your body to support existing lean muscle mass, so you don't lower body fat % by as much as you could have.

"Clean" eating (whatever your definition is) is not required for weight loss.....it's all about calories. Dietary fat doesn't make you fat. There are a number of bodily functions that need dietary fat (example ...vitamin absorption). Plenty of people lose weight eating higher fat.....it's just choices.

My advice if you are going that route is to make sure you exercise regularly so you can eat back more calories on those days. For example, I run 3x per week. On those days I get anywhere from 400 to 800 extra calories (depending on how far I run), which allows me to indulge a bit and not feel like I'm restricting myself. It makes it much easier to stick to my own goal of 1300 calories on non-running days. Planning ahead is key to being able to eat that little and not get so hungry that you end up bingeing. But I really don't think it is sustainable over the long term if you have to do that every day. So find a high-calorie-burning activity you enjoy (or at least can stick with) and I'd say you can do it.

I agree with all above, set your weight goal to 0.5 to 1 lb per week. 2 lbs a week sounds enticing I know, but trust me when I say it only damages your metabolism in the long run and makes it harder to lose weight if you hit a plateau (i.e. if you are eating at the bare minimum, you can't go down when you stop losing weight). I personally have mine set to 0.5 pounds per week so I can eat around 1900 calories a day. This ensures that when I hit the eventual platuea, I can re-evaluate my daily intake and reduce if necessary.

I eat 1200-1300 a day and I think It may be to much because I lost over 60 pounds but have hit a plateau for a really long time.. I weigh 155, 5 foot 6

Ive been at this for only 2 weeks so im no expert, but also have around 50 pounds to lose. Im also doing 1200 cals and feel good. Protein shake for breakfast, subway sandwich for lunch, greek yogurt snack, and a healthy dinner (steak, chicken, fish) with a small side, tgen usually another small snack (yogurt, popcorn, etc). Somedays I feel fuller than b4 I started counting calories! Just go by what your body tells you!

The research I have seen suggests that a good goal for sustainable weight loss is 10% over a 6 month period. I have generally tried to set my goal at that level and budget my daily net calories that way and then if I beat it, it's great and I've done better than the goal.

For losing 2lbs/wk MFP might be right at 1200cal/day, but it's just an approximation. The important thing to remember is that is NET CALORIES. It will be much easier to maintain the level of calorie deficit for 2lbs/week loss with significant exercise than through diet alone.

So smart of you to check in!!

I'm 39, 5'8" and started a weight loss program last May 1, 2016 at 195.8 pounds. My initial goal was to get to 150# - I hit 148.6 on August 20, 2016. (I'm 3 days away from celebrating one year at goal, yippee!) When I started losing weight quickly, I was concerned by the rate, but never felt deprived or like I was starving myself, so I just kept doing what I was doing.

Full disclosure - I was on Weight Watchers. However, I was always exceeding my allotted points, so about two months in, I started double tracking on WW and MFP, so I could see my calories. I was averaging between 1400-1600 calories a day. My primary exercise was walking; but I am a stay at home mom with two kids under 4, so I'm pretty active and usually hit over 10,000 steps without much effort. I didn't start really exercising purposefully until I was almost at goal, and didn't start going to the gym for weight lifting until six weeks after I reached my goal.

I kept dieting to lose weight until March of this year when I hit 133# and felt I had gotten too slender for my preferences. So I gained a bit of weight back and have maintained around 138-142.

I'm sharing this because I did lose the bulk of my weight very rapidly, and that's usually an indicator that one won't keep the weight off. But so far, I'm doing okay.

Don't be afraid to experiment with different daily/weekly calorie goals to find what suits your needs. If you don't feel deprived or moody or starving at 1200 calories, then perhaps that suits you. But please don't needlessly suffer through your days trying to reach a particular goal by a specified time. Make sustainable changes and go at a rate that still allows you to feel good throughout the process.