1200 calorie question

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  • Gretaholden1
    Gretaholden1 Posts: 18 Member
    edited April 2018
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    I joined my fitness pal and originally did the recommended but I like you had a lot of weight to lose. After about 6 months I had had enough and threw in the towel. I gained all the weight back quickly. This time I restricted myself to 1000 calories a day. The first month I lost 26 pounds, the 2nd month I lost 18. I only weight once a month so I'm not sure how much I have lost this month for a few more days. Occasionally I eat more protein when I get really hungry, not all the time. I eat natural foods, no processed junk. My original intention with the low calorie restriction was to kick start my diet, but I fell into a routine I can live with so just stuck with it. I eat fish twice a week. Unfortunately, something was wrong with the fish I had last night and I have been worshipping the porecelian god. So all my calories yesterday and today are off. I was wondering how to log these abdomenal exercises. I am sore from my heart to my belly button. LOL Good luck and I hope this helps.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    Shay4025 wrote: »
    Hi kchuch77,

    I too am starting over again. I have about 40lbs to lose. Last time I tried to lose weight I set my weight loss goals to 2lbs per week, which resulted in failure as it was something I could not maintain. Most doctors recommend 1lb per week which is much more attainable. It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1lb. If you want to lose 2lbs per week that means you will need a deficit of 7000 calories.

    If you are incorporating weight training as part of your weight loss journey, know that as you lose weight and gain muscle you may need to increase your calorie intake. If you don't, as your husband stated you will plateau. This happened to me during my last weight loss journey. I was doing Jenny Craig and I was working with a trainer. Jenny Craig had me on a 1200 calorie diet, but as I gained muscle I notice that I was feeling always feeling hungry and I wasn't losing any weight. As a result, my Jenny Craig trainer up my calorie intake and I started losing weight again.

    As for the low carb/high protein diet, I tend to gain weight on this style diet. I try not to follow any diet fad as they are hard to maintain. Instead focus on areas of your health you need to improve. For example, if you are watching your cholesterol then eat foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, if sodium is your problem then a low sodium diet is best for you.

    Remember to always listen to your body. What works for someone else may not always work for you. Get your doctor's or a nutritionist opinion on what type of diet will work for you base on your health history.

    you arent going to gain much if any muscle on 1200 calories. you may get some newbie gains if new to lifting,or obese and have a lot of weight to lose, buts its not going to be a lot and its definitely not going to be enough that you will plateau and need more calories. most muscle is gained in a calorie surplus. you can gain muscle doing a recomp but that takes a long time and eating at a very small deficit(250 calorie deficit or less) or at maintenance. its also not going to cause weight to stop either.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
    edited April 2018
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    kchuch77 wrote: »
    Hi guys!

    I am starting over again today. I have a few questions...

    1. I have 75 lbs I want to lose. Anyone who has/had this much to lose...what did you set your calorie limit at to start? Is it ok if I set mine at 2 lbs per week loss? (Which would be 1200 a day for me at 41 yrs old, 5’2”)? My husband tells me that is too low & I will stall & have to cut back even more?
    2. Anyone watch my 600 lb Life? How do these people start out at 1200 calories a day?? And why does the doctor recommend low carb/high protein to them if only calories matter?

    Thanks for any input! :-)

    Hi OP! Just wanted to basically agree with what some other posters have said. Start with 1 lb per week and lightly active. (You could probably get away with 1.5 lbs for a little bit, if you really wanted to, but those lower calorie ranges can be tough). You can eat whatever you want and what you feel is healthy for you. I always suggest starting with what you usually eat, then make a note of what foods fill you up, and what foods leave you hungry and make it difficult to stick to your calorie goal and tweak from there. Really focus on logging accurately and consistently at least in the beginning - even if the item seems like nothing, even if the day is going way off plan. This way you have some nice hard data to work with, and can tweak your numbers or your method from there.

    Good luck!
  • kchuch77
    kchuch77 Posts: 31 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    kchuch77 wrote: »
    Hi guys!

    I am starting over again today. I have a few questions...

    1. I have 75 lbs I want to lose. Anyone who has/had this much to lose...what did you set your calorie limit at to start? Is it ok if I set mine at 2 lbs per week loss? (Which would be 1200 a day for me at 41 yrs old, 5’2”)? My husband tells me that is too low & I will stall & have to cut back even more?
    2. Anyone watch my 600 lb Life? How do these people start out at 1200 calories a day?? And why does the doctor recommend low carb/high protein to them if only calories matter?

    Thanks for any input! :-)

    Hi OP! Just wanted to basically agree with what some other posters have said. Start with 1 lb per week and lightly active. (You could probably get away with 1.5 lbs for a little bit, if you really wanted to, but those lower calorie ranges can be tough). You can eat whatever you want and what you feel is healthy for you. I always suggest starting with what you usually eat, then make a note of what foods fill you up, and what foods leave you hungry and make it difficult to stick to your calorie goal and tweak from there. Really focus on logging accurately and consistently at least in the beginning - even if the item seems like nothing, even if the day is going way off plan. This way you have some nice hard data to work with, and can tweak your numbers or your method from there.

    Good luck!

    Hi Kimny72! :-) this is awesome advice, thank you! I love that I can eat whatever I like, just within my calorie limit. I have tried restricting whole food groups in the last, but that obviously didn’t last very long. I had a delicious turkey, tomato, mayo sandwich for lunch today & tracked everything. Off to a good start! :-)
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited April 2018
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    Shay4025 wrote: »
    kchuch77 wrote: »
    Shay4025 wrote: »
    Hi kchuch77,

    I too am starting over again. I have about 40lbs to lose. Last time I tried to lose weight I set my weight loss goals to 2lbs per week, which resulted in failure as it was something I could not maintain. Most doctors recommend 1lb per week which is much more attainable. It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1lb. If you want to lose 2lbs per week that means you will need a deficit of 7000 calories.

    If you are incorporating weight training as part of your weight loss journey, know that as you lose weight and gain muscle you may need to increase your calorie intake. If you don't, as your husband stated you will plateau. This happened to me during my last weight loss journey. I was doing Jenny Craig and I was working with a trainer. Jenny Craig had me on a 1200 calorie diet, but as I gained muscle I notice that I was feeling always feeling hungry and I wasn't losing any weight. As a result, my Jenny Craig trainer up my calorie intake and I started losing weight again.

    As for the low carb/high protein diet, I tend to gain weight on this style diet. I try not to follow any diet fad as they are hard to maintain. Instead focus on areas of your health you need to improve. For example, if you are watching your cholesterol then eat foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, if sodium is your problem then a low sodium diet is best for you.

    Remember to always listen to your body. What works for someone else may not always work for you. Get your doctor's or a nutritionist opinion on what type of diet will work for you base on your health history.

    Thank you so much Shay4025! :-) I think I will start at 1 lb per week loss then & see how I feel. I want to start working out...I know I have bad circulation in my legs, so I was thinking at least some walking in addition to lifting weights. I see others recommend eating back just 1/2 your exercise calories..whats your opinion on that? Eat back or not eat back?



    Hi kchuch77,

    Not sure why people would want to eat back the calories they burn during exercising, especially if your goal is to lose weight. I'm no expert, but I listen to my body cues. If I felt overly hungry or dizzy after exercising then I know that I didn't eat enough calories or hydrate enough to accommodate my activity level for the day. I would then eat or drink something to help with what my body was telling me.

    Below is an article I found that talk about this same subject. I hope that it can help you answer your question.

    http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-should-i-eat-back-my-exercise-calories/

    Because this site expects you to. It takes that into account when you are setting up your profile. And that blog says you may not want eat back all of your calories. But if you eating 1200 calories per day, and burning off 300, for a net of 900 calories, that's not good.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Shay4025 wrote: »
    kchuch77 wrote: »
    Shay4025 wrote: »
    Hi kchuch77,

    I too am starting over again. I have about 40lbs to lose. Last time I tried to lose weight I set my weight loss goals to 2lbs per week, which resulted in failure as it was something I could not maintain. Most doctors recommend 1lb per week which is much more attainable. It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1lb. If you want to lose 2lbs per week that means you will need a deficit of 7000 calories.

    If you are incorporating weight training as part of your weight loss journey, know that as you lose weight and gain muscle you may need to increase your calorie intake. If you don't, as your husband stated you will plateau. This happened to me during my last weight loss journey. I was doing Jenny Craig and I was working with a trainer. Jenny Craig had me on a 1200 calorie diet, but as I gained muscle I notice that I was feeling always feeling hungry and I wasn't losing any weight. As a result, my Jenny Craig trainer up my calorie intake and I started losing weight again.

    As for the low carb/high protein diet, I tend to gain weight on this style diet. I try not to follow any diet fad as they are hard to maintain. Instead focus on areas of your health you need to improve. For example, if you are watching your cholesterol then eat foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, if sodium is your problem then a low sodium diet is best for you.

    Remember to always listen to your body. What works for someone else may not always work for you. Get your doctor's or a nutritionist opinion on what type of diet will work for you base on your health history.

    Thank you so much Shay4025! :-) I think I will start at 1 lb per week loss then & see how I feel. I want to start working out...I know I have bad circulation in my legs, so I was thinking at least some walking in addition to lifting weights. I see others recommend eating back just 1/2 your exercise calories..whats your opinion on that? Eat back or not eat back?



    Hi kchuch77,

    Not sure why people would want to eat back the calories they burn during exercising, especially if your goal is to lose weight. I'm no expert, but I listen to my body cues. If I felt overly hungry or dizzy after exercising then I know that I didn't eat enough calories or hydrate enough to accommodate my activity level for the day. I would then eat or drink something to help with what my body was telling me.

    Below is an article I found that talk about this same subject. I hope that it can help you answer your question.

    http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-should-i-eat-back-my-exercise-calories/

    3 times for emphasis!

    Because your eating goal on MFP will create weight loss with NO exercise, since it's not accounted for.

    And MFP is trying to teach a life lesson regarding weight management.
    You do more, you eat more.
    You do less, you eat less (the kicker direction for most).

    To lose weight, a tad less in either case.

    And listening to your body is usually why most are here trying to lose weight.
    It speaks a foreign language to vast majority - and there is no understanding of what it is saying.
    Dizzy after a workout is more of a physical gesture than a language - meaning you didn't understand what had been said already, and it required that gesture or shove to get the point.

    And that blog also isn't taking into account what MFP is helping to do - track calories.


    You are probably thinking of every other site out there where your eating goals are based on planned exercise being done. That is different than MFP.
  • Shay4025
    Shay4025 Posts: 4 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    Shay4025 wrote: »
    kchuch77 wrote: »
    Shay4025 wrote: »
    Hi kchuch77,

    I too am starting over again. I have about 40lbs to lose. Last time I tried to lose weight I set my weight loss goals to 2lbs per week, which resulted in failure as it was something I could not maintain. Most doctors recommend 1lb per week which is much more attainable. It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1lb. If you want to lose 2lbs per week that means you will need a deficit of 7000 calories.

    If you are incorporating weight training as part of your weight loss journey, know that as you lose weight and gain muscle you may need to increase your calorie intake. If you don't, as your husband stated you will plateau. This happened to me during my last weight loss journey. I was doing Jenny Craig and I was working with a trainer. Jenny Craig had me on a 1200 calorie diet, but as I gained muscle I notice that I was feeling always feeling hungry and I wasn't losing any weight. As a result, my Jenny Craig trainer up my calorie intake and I started losing weight again.

    As for the low carb/high protein diet, I tend to gain weight on this style diet. I try not to follow any diet fad as they are hard to maintain. Instead focus on areas of your health you need to improve. For example, if you are watching your cholesterol then eat foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, if sodium is your problem then a low sodium diet is best for you.

    Remember to always listen to your body. What works for someone else may not always work for you. Get your doctor's or a nutritionist opinion on what type of diet will work for you base on your health history.

    Thank you so much Shay4025! :-) I think I will start at 1 lb per week loss then & see how I feel. I want to start working out...I know I have bad circulation in my legs, so I was thinking at least some walking in addition to lifting weights. I see others recommend eating back just 1/2 your exercise calories..whats your opinion on that? Eat back or not eat back?



    Hi kchuch77,

    Not sure why people would want to eat back the calories they burn during exercising, especially if your goal is to lose weight. I'm no expert, but I listen to my body cues. If I felt overly hungry or dizzy after exercising then I know that I didn't eat enough calories or hydrate enough to accommodate my activity level for the day. I would then eat or drink something to help with what my body was telling me.

    Below is an article I found that talk about this same subject. I hope that it can help you answer your question.

    http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/ask-the-dietitian-should-i-eat-back-my-exercise-calories/

    Because the calorie goal MFP gives you doesn't include exercise, and expects you to log your exercise and eat some of those calories back. Your calorie goal already includes the deficit you requested. If you exercise and don't eat those cals back, you will lose faster than you wanted and will probably be undereating.

    1200 is the minimum a sedentary woman should be eating. Many women who don't log their food accurately think they are eating 1200 calories and exercising and feeling fine, but once they start using a food scale and logging diligently they realize they were eating more than they thought. Which is fine if they are losing weight at their desired pace, but not fine if they are telling other women to eat 1200 cals and exercise. Because for most, that would be a recipe for disaster.

    Unfortunately for many of us, "listening to our body" is what got us overweight, and many beginners (myself included, back in the day) will be led off course by listening to our body and doing what "feels" right. The beauty of MFP is that with accurate and consistent logging you can learn and create new habits that will help you get that skill back.



    Ok good to know. Never suggested that anyone should be on a 1200 calorie diet and exercise. I was only stating what I did in the past and my results. I do recommend seeking a doctor or a nutritionist advice before beginning as everyone's health needs are different. For example, if you have limited mobility or if your lifestyle does not permit you time to exercise then reducing you calories will probably work for you. If not, then a higher caloric intake base on your activity level would work for you.

    Also, when I say listen to your body I meant along the lines of how does your body feel after exercising or when you don't get enough sleep. Do you feel sluggish or more hungry? The three factors that play a role in losing weight is diet, exercise and sleep. When one is out of balance you feel the effects. When I don't get enough sleep I tend to eat more and have no energy to exercise. Also when I increase the intensity of my exercise I also tend to be very hungry after my workout. Knowing this about myself, I know to walk with either a snack such as a yogurt or milk. As a result, I don't stop at a fast food restaurant on the way home.

    For me, I'm using MFP to track the kind of foods I eat. I am more interested in the amount as well as the type of fats, sodium, cholesterol, carbs, proteins and sugars I intake on a daily basis and adjusting my diet so that it can align with my health needs.

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    OP you can set your loss to 2lbs a week saying you have 75lbs to lose. Go into MFP settings and tell the app that's your goal and it will work out the calories for you.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    Shay4025 wrote: »
    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    Shay4025 wrote: »
    Hi kchuch77,

    I too am starting over again. I have about 40lbs to lose. Last time I tried to lose weight I set my weight loss goals to 2lbs per week, which resulted in failure as it was something I could not maintain. Most doctors recommend 1lb per week which is much more attainable. It takes a calorie deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1lb. If you want to lose 2lbs per week that means you will need a deficit of 7000 calories.

    If you are incorporating weight training as part of your weight loss journey, know that as you lose weight and gain muscle you may need to increase your calorie intake. If you don't, as your husband stated you will plateau. This happened to me during my last weight loss journey. I was doing Jenny Craig and I was working with a trainer. Jenny Craig had me on a 1200 calorie diet, but as I gained muscle I notice that I was feeling always feeling hungry and I wasn't losing any weight. As a result, my Jenny Craig trainer up my calorie intake and I started losing weight again.

    As for the low carb/high protein diet, I tend to gain weight on this style diet. I try not to follow any diet fad as they are hard to maintain. Instead focus on areas of your health you need to improve. For example, if you are watching your cholesterol then eat foods that are low in saturated fat and cholesterol, if sodium is your problem then a low sodium diet is best for you.

    Remember to always listen to your body. What works for someone else may not always work for you. Get your doctor's or a nutritionist opinion on what type of diet will work for you base on your health history.

    you arent going to gain much if any muscle on 1200 calories. you may get some newbie gains if new to lifting,or obese and have a lot of weight to lose, buts its not going to be a lot and its definitely not going to be enough that you will plateau and need more calories. most muscle is gained in a calorie surplus. you can gain muscle doing a recomp but that takes a long time and eating at a very small deficit(250 calorie deficit or less) or at maintenance. its also not going to cause weight to stop either.


    Like I said one size doesn't fit all when it comes to weight loss. I am not a very tall person and an extra 40lbs for my frame puts me at obesity levels. Therefore on a 1200 calorie diet I did see significant weight loss and I did gain muscle. Now I am not talking body building type kind of muscles, but muscles was replacing the fat that was there. Therefore I had to increase my calorie intake to continue losing weight.

    you dont replace fat with muscle,The human body doesnt work that way. fat covers the muscle you have so if you were seeing more muscle its due to losing the fat over what you already have. I am not saying you didnt gain some,but it wasnt a lot. 1200 calories for most people is a 1000 calorie deficit. thats not enough to be trying to build muscle.

    its hard for a woman to build muscle even in a surplus,let alone trying in a big deficit . and increasing your calories to keep losing weight? IF and thats a big if you were gaining a lot of muscle you would not need to up your calories to continue to lose weight. muscle per lb burn about 6 additional calories. you would have still been losing weight had you not upped your calories. you upped your calories but you were still in a deficit of calories so you still lost weight

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