1200 calories a day
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I do about 1300 and I'm losing a pound a week. I feel very full and satisfied but I eat tons of vegetables !! My diary is open if you want to look. I'm 5"8, 133 pounds for reference so if you're a bit bigger you could eat more and still lose. I wouldn't focus on trying to do it super fast. A pound a week is fine no matter what weight you're at! Just move in the right direction. Even if 1500-1700 (maybe even higher depending on activity and weight) is totally fine if it's more sustainable4
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RedheadedPrincess14 wrote: »I do about 1300 and I'm losing a pound a week. I feel very full and satisfied but I eat tons of vegetables !! My diary is open if you want to look. I'm 5"8, 133 pounds for reference so if you're a bit bigger you could eat more and still lose. I wouldn't focus on trying to do it super fast. A pound a week is fine no matter what weight you're at! Just move in the right direction. Even if 1500-1700 (maybe even higher depending on activity and weight) is totally fine if it's more sustainable
Out of interest, may I ask why you are trying to lose weight when you are already towards the lower end of the weight range for your height?
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Yes I do use a food scale every single time. I also measure using measuring cups and spoons depending on the food item. I am still feeling good and have a lot more energy than I used to eating all junk foods.2
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Hi all, I'm shooting for 1200/day. Over the last year, I've actually gained 3 lbs! : ( My issue is that I was actually eating WAY more - particularly fats - because I wasn't measuring. I started measuring and I'm like, "THAT'S a tablespoon???" Wake up call. So, I'm working on it.
Here's my snag. I hate meat. I'm working on eating fish and my dr has me drinking a protein shake each day. But it's fruit, soy milk and protein powder coming to - 300 calories. It does not fill me up so I have an ounce of almonds. This takes me up to 463. At breakfast. And while a piece of ezekiel bread with peanut butter and some fruit fills me up until lunch, the protein powder doesn't.
Any thoughts or ideas on this? I have been reading that it's less about calories and more about WHAT you're eating. If you eat 1,500 calories of veggies, meat and fats it impacts weight loss positively. If you've got refined carbs in there but you're eating 1,200/day you can gain. I don't know if this is a thing, but I'm asking.2 -
Hi all, I'm shooting for 1200/day. Over the last year, I've actually gained 3 lbs! : ( My issue is that I was actually eating WAY more - particularly fats - because I wasn't measuring. I started measuring and I'm like, "THAT'S a tablespoon???" Wake up call. So, I'm working on it.
Here's my snag. I hate meat. I'm working on eating fish and my dr has me drinking a protein shake each day. But it's fruit, soy milk and protein powder coming to - 300 calories. It does not fill me up so I have an ounce of almonds. This takes me up to 463. At breakfast. And while a piece of ezekiel bread with peanut butter and some fruit fills me up until lunch, the protein powder doesn't.
Any thoughts or ideas on this? I have been reading that it's less about calories and more about WHAT you're eating. If you eat 1,500 calories of veggies, meat and fats it impacts weight loss positively. If you've got refined carbs in there but you're eating 1,200/day you can gain. I don't know if this is a thing, but I'm asking.
Weight loss or gain is all about calories. What foods you eat and your macro % affect satiety and health. For weight loss, 1200 calories is 1200 calories is 1200 calories. But 1200 calories of some foods may leave you hungry while 1200 calories of other foods may fill you up.
Personally, if I was eating 1200 calories, I wouldn't be wasting 300 of them on a shake. On days I'm going to fall short of my protein goal, I'll have a protein shake as an afternoon snack - just a scoop of powder in skim milk, less than 200 calories. Working lentils, beans, shrimp, and more eggs into my diet helped increase my protein without doubling down on chicken
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Hi all, I'm shooting for 1200/day. Over the last year, I've actually gained 3 lbs! : ( My issue is that I was actually eating WAY more - particularly fats - because I wasn't measuring. I started measuring and I'm like, "THAT'S a tablespoon???" Wake up call. So, I'm working on it.
Here's my snag. I hate meat. I'm working on eating fish and my dr has me drinking a protein shake each day. But it's fruit, soy milk and protein powder coming to - 300 calories. It does not fill me up so I have an ounce of almonds. This takes me up to 463. At breakfast. And while a piece of ezekiel bread with peanut butter and some fruit fills me up until lunch, the protein powder doesn't.
Any thoughts or ideas on this? I have been reading that it's less about calories and more about WHAT you're eating. If you eat 1,500 calories of veggies, meat and fats it impacts weight loss positively. If you've got refined carbs in there but you're eating 1,200/day you can gain. I don't know if this is a thing, but I'm asking.
I've heard the same thing about the type of calories making a difference but then I hear it's only about caloric deficit. So I don't know. I just eat as clean as I can and stay around 1,200.
About that shake. Would you maybe be willing to change the fruit out for vegetables? Not sure what fruit you're using or the calories but if you used kale or spinach leaves I think that's a very minimal amount of calories for 2 cups worth.0 -
Hi all, I'm shooting for 1200/day. Over the last year, I've actually gained 3 lbs! : ( My issue is that I was actually eating WAY more - particularly fats - because I wasn't measuring. I started measuring and I'm like, "THAT'S a tablespoon???" Wake up call. So, I'm working on it.
Here's my snag. I hate meat. I'm working on eating fish and my dr has me drinking a protein shake each day. But it's fruit, soy milk and protein powder coming to - 300 calories. It does not fill me up so I have an ounce of almonds. This takes me up to 463. At breakfast. And while a piece of ezekiel bread with peanut butter and some fruit fills me up until lunch, the protein powder doesn't.
Any thoughts or ideas on this? I have been reading that it's less about calories and more about WHAT you're eating. If you eat 1,500 calories of veggies, meat and fats it impacts weight loss positively. If you've got refined carbs in there but you're eating 1,200/day you can gain. I don't know if this is a thing, but I'm asking.
There are lower calorie protein shakes, you don't have to do that exact one with fruit. Do a low calorie plain one and then eat your peanut butter and bread, skipping the almonds, and you should arrive at a more favorable calorie count. You also don't need to stick to 1200 a day to lose weight in most cases.
What you've been reading is not entirely correct. Weight loss is about calories FIRST, then what you're eating/how you're eating is just a way to get nutrients and feel less hungry (has little to do with weight loss). You will never ever gain on 1200 a day if you're logging correctly (unless you have dwarfism or some such) even if you're spooning sugar into your mouth for that amount of calories. The problem with refined carbs is that some people don't feel satisfied eating them, and that some refined carb foods are high in fat and therefore in calories. I have been losing weight eating refined carbs in controlled amounts to fit my calories averaging 1800 calories a day, so no this is not a thing.6 -
i'm only 5'2" so that's part of the reason I'm 1200-1400 calories per day. I used to always be hungry trying to eat this little...until keto. fat is the key to feeling full. It's not drinking tons and tons of water. It's satisfying your hunger. ketogains is a great resource.
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i'm only 5'2" so that's part of the reason I'm 1200-1400 calories per day. I used to always be hungry trying to eat this little...until keto. fat is the key to feeling full. It's not drinking tons and tons of water. It's satisfying your hunger. ketogains is a great resource.
I'm 5'3" and do 2600 a day...and weight stable (my goal)
Fat may make you feel full but not everyone7 -
deannalfisher wrote: »i'm only 5'2" so that's part of the reason I'm 1200-1400 calories per day. I used to always be hungry trying to eat this little...until keto. fat is the key to feeling full. It's not drinking tons and tons of water. It's satisfying your hunger. ketogains is a great resource.
I'm 5'3" and do 2600 a day...and weight stable (my goal)
Fat may make you feel full but not everyone
Yep, my morning oatmeal keeps me full for hours, and potatoes are probably the most satiating food for me. I could plow through one of those grocery store rotisserie chickens like it's nothing and be looking around for something else to eat
I have always tended to overeat fat, so keto wouldn't help someone like me. 5 -
deannalfisher wrote: »i'm only 5'2" so that's part of the reason I'm 1200-1400 calories per day. I used to always be hungry trying to eat this little...until keto. fat is the key to feeling full. It's not drinking tons and tons of water. It's satisfying your hunger. ketogains is a great resource.
I'm 5'3" and do 2600 a day...and weight stable (my goal)
Fat may make you feel full but not everyone
5'2", 45, and my weight has stayed stable this week eating 2500-4000 Calories. Fat not only doesn't make me feel full but because I don't have a gall bladder it empties me out for around 24hours if I eat too much.2 -
I couldn't do it at all was absolutely starving. I increased to around 1500 and still lost. That 300 made a huge difference to me3
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WinoGelato 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 will take your place!
I'm 5'2 and over 40 with a desk job and maintaining my weight under 120 lbs with a TDEE of 2200. I lost my weight (> 30 lbs) eating between 1600-1900 calories/day. The simple fact is that most people, even petite women, don't need to go as low as 1200 to lose. They either buy into that magic number, or they've chosen too aggressive of a goal for themselves (2 lbs/week is not realistic for someone with less than 50 lbs to lose) or they aren't eating back exercise calories.
What happens time and again in these situations is that people think they have to go all out with a big calorie deficit, they convince themselves jay dieting is supposed to be miserable and it's ok to be hungry, and they end up not sticking with it.... perpetuating this yo yo cycle.
As the wise rabbit once said, "the winner is one who eats the most and still loses the weight"
Same here. I'm just shy of 5'2, over 50, with a desk job, and maintain under 115 lbs. I was losing on 1600-1900 calories/day. Current TDEE is ~2000.3 -
Hi all, I'm shooting for 1200/day. Over the last year, I've actually gained 3 lbs! : ( My issue is that I was actually eating WAY more - particularly fats - because I wasn't measuring. I started measuring and I'm like, "THAT'S a tablespoon???" Wake up call. So, I'm working on it.
Here's my snag. I hate meat. I'm working on eating fish and my dr has me drinking a protein shake each day. But it's fruit, soy milk and protein powder coming to - 300 calories. It does not fill me up so I have an ounce of almonds. This takes me up to 463. At breakfast. And while a piece of ezekiel bread with peanut butter and some fruit fills me up until lunch, the protein powder doesn't.
Are you tracking Fiber in your food diary? I swapped out Sugar and Sodium for Fiber and Iron (I'm anemic). Protein shakes alone don't fill me up either - I need fat and fiber in them as well.
Here are some combinations that I find very filling:
Any thoughts or ideas on this? I have been reading that it's less about calories and more about WHAT you're eating. If you eat 1,500 calories of veggies, meat and fats it impacts weight loss positively. If you've got refined carbs in there but you're eating 1,200/day you can gain. I don't know if this is a thing, but I'm asking
I would lose on 1200 calories of junk if I could stick to it, which I couldn't because 1200 isn't enough calories for me in the first place and I don't find junk filling at all. I could have 1200 calories worth of pizza or ice cream at a sitting and feel hungry again the same time I'd feel hungry after 400 calories of fish, potato, and broccoli.
Here's a meal suggestion for you - tuna, cottage cheese, lettuce, and lots of your favorite salad veggies. My tuna comes packed in oil otherwise I would add a little olive oil or mayo.2 -
Hi all, I'm shooting for 1200/day. Over the last year, I've actually gained 3 lbs! : ( My issue is that I was actually eating WAY more - particularly fats - because I wasn't measuring. I started measuring and I'm like, "THAT'S a tablespoon???" Wake up call. So, I'm working on it.
Here's my snag. I hate meat. I'm working on eating fish and my dr has me drinking a protein shake each day. But it's fruit, soy milk and protein powder coming to - 300 calories. It does not fill me up so I have an ounce of almonds. This takes me up to 463. At breakfast. And while a piece of ezekiel bread with peanut butter and some fruit fills me up until lunch, the protein powder doesn't.
Any thoughts or ideas on this? I have been reading that it's less about calories and more about WHAT you're eating. If you eat 1,500 calories of veggies, meat and fats it impacts weight loss positively. If you've got refined carbs in there but you're eating 1,200/day you can gain. I don't know if this is a thing, but I'm asking.
Calories count most for weight loss.
What you eat matters for nutrition and satiety.
I'm a vegetarian, and don't need to use protein shakes unless I'd like to, and I get plenty of protein.
Is there a reason your doctor has you on the protein shake other than getting supplemental protein?1 -
i'm only 5'2" so that's part of the reason I'm 1200-1400 calories per day. I used to always be hungry trying to eat this little...until keto. fat is the key to feeling full. It's not drinking tons and tons of water. It's satisfying your hunger. ketogains is a great resource.
I'm 5'1" and eating 1800 to create a 400 (or more) calorie deficit.
Height has nothing to do with how many calories you eat.
Also? I always used to be hungry and have mad cravings until I put more starch back in my diet. I wasn't properly fueling my workouts and my body was rebelling.
Starch is my key to feeling full.
I'm posting all of this to illustrate the statements about satiety can't be made in any way other than representing individual experience. Because satiety is completely individual.5 -
I've lost 37 pounds in a little over 90 days eating 1200 calories a day, no problems. But I'm only 5'3 and don't do any physical activity. Keep my protein up and carbs low- like under 120 a day.3
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I just started 1200 calories and below a few days ago plus exercise. I thought I was going to be hungry but surprisingly I'm not. For breakfast, 1 cup black tea or coffee, 1 cup nonfat milk, 1 serving whole wheat cereal. For lunch, 1 cup brown rice and 1 small fish with veggies and soup made from calamansi juice, it is like lemon. For dinner 2 slices of bread, 1 slice of turkey bacon,1 serving of butter or 1 cup nonfat milk and 1 serving of whole wheat cereal plus some tropical fruits. I would drink more than 8 glasses of water for the whole day.0
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I've been on JC and it's 1200 calories. I feel full all the time and sometimes can't even eat what I'm supposed to because I'm so full. I think it's just about what I chose to eat - before I was on this and on a 1200 calorie diet, I was starving. I think bread and sugars just make you hungrier.2
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