1200 calories a day

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  • Liftslikeagoddess
    Liftslikeagoddess Posts: 44 Member
    edited August 2017
    I'm doing 1,200 cals per week have been for close to three weeks now. I'm doing just fine and I'm dropping a lot of weight.... some nights I feel a little hungry, but nothing like I need to eat or I'll faint.

    I have loads more energy than I did before, waking up a 6am and staying awake longer too. I guess it's finding what's right for your body and your needs. If I am hungry, I will eat.

    Right now, I'd struggle eating more than 1200 cals as I've not been hungry.

    In terms of dropping weight; it's all over the place. 13lbs in three weeks.. I'm guessing a lot of that was water weight. But, it's about finding what works for you :)
  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
    1200 calories a day and not feeling deprived depends on your body (size) and what you eat. If you eat very lean/low calorie protiens (mainly plain white fish or chicken), a ton of plain raw or lightly steamed vegetables and then just a cup of complex carbs (brown rice). That's a lot of food volume to hit 1200 calories a day. That's literally 6 meals a day of switching between 4oz chicken & 4oz cod, plus a cup or two (if leafy greens) of green, plain vegetables (raw or lightly steamed) and 2 of the meals with 1/2 cup brown rice.
  • subs2boom
    subs2boom Posts: 8 Member
    I have stayed under 1600 calories a day and have lost 22 lbs in the last 30 days. I am trying to follow a more "keto" diet approach keeping my carbs way low and protein way high. It kinda sucks but its working. Oh... I also have a lot of weight to lose which probably contributes to the loss. If you dont have much weight to lose it will probably be harder.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    edited August 2017
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    subs2boom wrote: »
    I have stayed under 1600 calories a day and have lost 22 lbs in the last 30 days. I am trying to follow a more "keto" diet approach keeping my carbs way low and protein way high. It kinda sucks but its working. Oh... I also have a lot of weight to lose which probably contributes to the loss. If you dont have much weight to lose it will probably be harder.
    subs2boom wrote: »
    I have stayed under 1600 calories a day and have lost 22 lbs in the last 30 days. I am trying to follow a more "keto" diet approach keeping my carbs way low and protein way high. It kinda sucks but its working. Oh... I also have a lot of weight to lose which probably contributes to the loss. If you dont have much weight to lose it will probably be harder.

    22lbs in 30days? So 5.5lbs a week on avg - how is that even remotely healthy...

    She said she had a lot to lose . . . 5.5 pounds a week should be fine, as long as she weighs well over 500 pounds (based in the "lose no more than about 1% of body weight per week" guideline).

    Of course, for someone who weighs less than the mid-500s, 5.5 pounds a week would be risking loss of muscle mass. That would be unfortunate, because muscle is so difficult/slow to gain back especially for women . . . not to mention that loss of muscle is one of the key things that can down-regulate our calorie requirements long term, so that we burn noticeably fewer calories at the same size as someone who never went through weight loss, which of course makes it that much harder to keep the weight off.

    But of course you, @deannalfisher, know that. I'm not sure whether everyone else on this thread does, though. ;)

    It seems ironic to me that those eager to lose fast and be off the diet are those most likely to suffer reduced maintenance calorie requirements long term - not only unable to eat like they used to without regaining, but unable to eat as much as others their goal size without regaining. Sadly, it's "hello, yo yo". I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

    I wasn't responding to the OP but someone further down the thread - who had 'gone keto'...

    But yes - I know there is this aggressive desire in many of us to lose weight fast but as someone often points out it's a marathon not a sprint (plus I like food wayyy to much to cut down to that level but at 148lbs I'm maintaining on avg 2600 right now)
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,868 Member
    I eat 1200 calories daily and also eat my exercise calories. I'm 5'2" and 62. In order to be healthy about it I started cutting out the carbs and adding more protein and fat from avacados (I love them).

    I've been eating this way for years. When I slip, I gain weight. There's very little wiggle room. But 1200 calories, for me, is very sustainable. I'm currently losing about 2 pounds a month, with about 6-8 pounds to go (I've lost 16 pounds in the past 8 months) .
  • scrappy25
    scrappy25 Posts: 77 Member
    edited August 2017
    Exercise! You will feel better and look better and get to eat those exercise calories while maintaining the same deficit. All win-win.
  • GemstoneofHeart
    GemstoneofHeart Posts: 865 Member
    Some days I eat at 1200 calories but they are never days that I exercise. I'd say maybe 2 days a week are at 1200. One day a week I eat maintenance at 2000, and the other 4 days are usually around 1400. It balances out to being on average 1400-1500 calories. I lose about 1 pound a week and I never feel deprived. I like losing slower and feeling more satisfied because it is sustainable for me. If I stall, I'll eat at 1200 for a few days to "reset" my mind frame and get back on track.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Depends a lot on your stats. I'm under 5 feet tall and lost my weight on 1200+exercise calories. I'm in maintenance now. If you're very short, 1200 may be appropriate for you. Keep in mind that it is a baseline and that MFP is designed for you to eat back exercise calories. If you're taller or if you have a lot to lose, you can likely start with a higher number of calories. What *isn't* helpful are blanket statements claiming that 1200 is too little for everyone.

    If you decide that it's for you, I highly recommend including lots of veggies, fiber, and lean protein in your diet. That will help you feel full and get the nutrients you need while staying within that calorie budget.
  • sosteach
    sosteach Posts: 260 Member
    I have been doing 1200 calories since April. I have lost 50 pounds. I am 5'8. I am going to lose another 50. It has been a learning curve to figure out what foods keep me full that are within my calorie limits and how to spread it out but most days I do fine. If I feel like I am "starving" I drink some water and take a walk and if I still feel that way I eat something.
  • zjpq
    zjpq Posts: 198 Member
    I am set to 1260 but I eat exercise cals back and usually have 300 to 400 or so extra a day. I'm averaging roughly 1650 I think the last few weeks and losing 1.5 a week. Feel like I'm eating heaps actually lol kitkats included ;)
  • igarcia13
    igarcia13 Posts: 59 Member
    Gibby349 wrote: »
    Is there anyone who is losing weight who are surviving off of 1200 calories a day and when I say surviving I mean feeling full and satisfied .Also are you dropping two pounds a week from doing this ?

    I think everybody is different. I average about 1200 a day and I'm losing weight and I'm satisfied with my food (not full, big difference). I don't get a "starving" feeling but when I do, I get some water. Some days I'll eat a little more but I try to balance it out with my workouts. Don't now your stats but maybe try to start slow. Cut 500 calories each week until your body gets used to eating less. Feel free to add me. I have my food diary open :smile:
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Psychgrrl wrote: »
    For the most part, this thread makes me really sad. It seems people are being overly restrictive, not getting enough nutrients (and by the time you see/feel the effects, the damage has set in and takes so much time and effort to fix) and have no where to go down, calorie-wise, as they lose weight and need to drop the ceiling a bit. I mourn for all the lean mass being lost along with the day and water weight.

    It just seems like folks take the most extreme and restrictive approach and that's usually not necessary. The weight didn't come on overnight, and it's not coming off that way, either. Weight-loss is a marathon, not a sprint.

    Someone in here said once, "Whoever eats the most and loses weight wins."

    I'm 5'3, lost almost 120 pounds and have been in maintenance for almost three years. At 46, I'm in better shape now than I was at 30. Please take care of yourselves! It's worth it in the end to get there and be able to hold on to what you've lost.

    If it makes you feel any better, I still contend that easily half of the women who say they are eating 1200 and feel great and it's plenty of food... aren't using a food scale and aren't actually eating 1200 cals. The rest are divided between, smaller older women who really do have lower calorie needs and are appropriately eating that little, and unfortunately the rest are the women you are speaking to. I just wish people weren't as fast to encourage other women to eat so little. Like you, it makes me sad :(

    What makes me sad is that as one of these smaller women I had to stick to 1200 before exercise to lose weight. I'd do enough exercise just so that I had enough to eat while losing at a faster pace than 1 pound a month. No way would I have restricted myself so little if I didn't need to. I enjoy eating too much for that.
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