1200 calories a day
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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 ?
If you're the same "Gibby" I knew from a while back, you have a very "all or nothing" attitude and want to diet in order to get the weight off as fast as possible so that you can go back to "eating normally".
I'll tell you again now what I told you then - if you're overweight, you CAN'T go back to eating how you used to eat. Eating that way is what gave you the excess weight, so you need to learn to think differently about food and make some sustainable changes to help you keep your weight down in the future. Struggling to stick to 1200 calories for long enough to lose your excess weight so that you can then go back to eating in your previous fashion is a sure fire way to put the pounds back on and have to do this all over again.
You can still go out with your friends, eat pizza, and whatever else you love... you just can't do it all the time, or in as much volume as you used to. If you really want to keep the weight off, you have to be ready to change some things permanently, not just for a few weeks or months. Stop "dieting", and learn to eat a suitable amount for the weight and activity level you want to maintain.
If you're a different Gibby, then by all means ignore this advice and carry on!
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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.34 -
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.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...
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MegaMooseEsq wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »hydechildcare wrote: »hydechildcare wrote: »I eat between 1200-1300 calories a day. Here is how to do it with out feeling hungry. Vegs lots and lots of vegs. Limit bread, rice, potatoes and you will be fine. My doctor told me 1200-1500 calories are what women need. She also told me to limit and very small quantities of starches. Before eating the starches on my diet of 1200 calories I would be hungry all day. Now I eat most veges and protein and do not feel hungry all day.
No offense, but your doctor was wrong. There are plenty of women on here (some in their 40s and 50s, btw) who have reached their healthy goal weight and maintain on over 2000 calories a day. I'm 44, 5'4" 130 lbs and I maintain on 1800 per day and lost weight on 1500.
Not directed at you but just in general, we need to stop perpetuating this myth that all women need to be borderline hungry while eating like little fragile birds to be a healthy weight. Your body needs fuel, fat, protein, and fiber to be strong and healthy and active. And the majority of women will need more than 1200 to achieve that, even while they are trying to lose weight.
I'll get off my soapbox now
I think it depends on your body. I can not eat that many calories and lose weight. Eating meat, vegs, nuts, and high fiber bread. I fill up and feel full faster and longer than when I eat pasta and other carbs. I know that if I eat 1500 calories per day. I will feel sick from eating to much or will end up eating junk food to meat those calorie goals of 1500. It depends on your needs, like everyone else has said listen to your body. I listen to mine and this is what it is telling me from years of trying and failing. I have finally found something that works for me that I can manage with out the hungry feeling that normal is there.
you don't need to eat junk food to hit 1500cal - I avg 2600 a day and aside from a cookie or cupcake the vast majority of my food is healthy grains, lean proteins and fat - and i'm 5'3". 148lbs
I sometimes wonder if people who complain about not being able to eat an extra couple hundred calories have ever heard of cheese.
Mmmm cheese I sprinkle cheese on lots of things to get extra fats 10 -
deannalfisher 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.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.12 -
i eat an AVERAGE of 1200 cal a day. some days i eat 900, other days i eat 1400. depends on my activity level for the day. i found a great app where you input the number of calories you want to eat and it will give you a weekly zig zag calorie guide. i found it to be very helpful because some days, i am just not hungry and other days (usually the day after i work-out) i am famished.13
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deannalfisher 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.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)3 -
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) .4 -
Exercise! You will feel better and look better and get to eat those exercise calories while maintaining the same deficit. All win-win.1
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I was at 1200 net for a while - age 59, 5'5" 155-ish pounds at the time - and felt fine . . . until I didn't. Realized I was losing too fast (just a bit over 2 pounds a week) and started correcting, but the fatigue/weakness that resulted did take a few weeks to reverse. Not good.
These days, at 61, I'm in my second year of maintenance at a weight in the 120s (128 point something this morning), eating around 2100-2300, having lost in total about 1/3 of my starting body weight in just under a year
Some do fine (for real) on 1200. Some lose unsafely fast, and feeling good at the time can be a misleading yardstick.
My advice: Watch your actual weight loss rate, don't let it linger above about 1% of bodyweight weekly - less as you get within 25 pounds or so of goal. At 10 or fewer to goal, 0.5 per week is a really good idea.
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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.2
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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.2 -
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.4
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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 19 -
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 4
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I lose less than half a pound per week on 1200 calories. No. I am not satisfied and comfortable when I do it. I've been at this awhile and I know what I'm in for when I do it, and I know that I might gain back because it usually drains me. That's my own issue.
If you don't need to do it. Don't.6 -
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 2 -
i take in around 1200 calories a day as of right now, i feel great, not to say every day is like that, but for the most part i fell fine, im 73 inches tall i started out at 324, i did not start out eating 1200 calories a day , i was working out mon wed fri and no cardio so my maintenance calories were right around 3200, i started out at a 500 def, it put me at right around 2800 calories, i did that for a long time and i lost weight, but the weight comimg off was all over the place little here little there, i have had my body fat tested 3 times with hydrostatic testing and im around 170 to 175 of lean body mass at 0 percent body fat, so for my macros my protein i would set it at 1 gram for every pound of lean body mass, so 170 to 180 on the protein, for fat i would take fish oil, and the rest of the fat would be trace fats from the protein im taking in, i only take in veggies for my carbs, 1200 calories is were im at right now, i have 2 cheat meals a week and i eat what ever i want, then i go back to my eating plan, i do this for 6 to 12 weeks, after that i bring my calories up to maintanence for two weeks, i keep my protein the same but i add in a lot more fat and carbs, for two weeks, then i start it all over again, as for supplements, i take vitamins, fish oil, magnesium, calcium citrate, zinc, potassium,psyllium husk fiber, i also make my own preworkout mix it is creatine, beta alanine, l citruline malate, caffeine, l theanine, green tea extract powder, and two primatine tabs, my weight is at right around 230 to 235 right now, this is what works for me, my goal is to keep my lean body mass at 170 to 175, everybody is different, the main thing here is you have to find out what works for you, there is a big difference between just losing weight and just trying to lose body fat only, also knowing when to make small ajustments so you keep moving forward in this game of numbers, its really not that hard if you know what you are doing, good luck8
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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.3 -
I would only go for 1200 calories I had no choice (older, shorter, lighter, sedentary), or if I were very highly active. In the first case you simply have no choice. Eating more is not an option because if you do you wouldn't lose. The second case is a choice, but if you're burning a minimum of 500 or more true net calories a day (that's a lot of real not over-estimated activity) you would netting 1200 but actually eating 1700 or more. That's doable for many active people, although still not necessary. How much would you lose? That depends on your stats, and then there is the issue of being able to sustain such an active lifestyle. If you're going from zero to full force active I doubt this would be a good sustainable choice.5
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