what's your experience with a 1200 calorie diet or less?

Dilvish · November 2018

Does this type of calorie restriction really do what it says? All of the articles I have read say that to drop below this level causes "starvation mode".
For me, my usual intake was around 2600 calories a day. maybe more. I am 260 lbs @ 5 foot 9 inches and 53 years old male.
According to the "calculators", faster weight loss is around 1400 calories yet at around my level of 1250 calories, I am only losing 1.5 lbs. per week.

I'd like to lose between 2.5 to 3 lbs a week but I'm not sure if I need to add a few more calories to avoid "starvation" mode or to restrict the calories even more.

I am exercising but only burning about 400 -500 per day "water walking". Beyond that, because of pain and mobility issues, I do virtually nothing else (sedentary).

Anyone else in this boat? I need to drop 30 lbs in 3 months to avoid diabetes. I've already dropped 10.5 lbs. in 4 weeks but most of that was in the first week when I was at 900 - 1000 calories per day. The following week I did the same caloric intake and I actually gained a pound back over the previous weeks loss. I assume the first week it was water loss and not fat. The third week I bumped up to 1250 calories and lost the 1.5 lbs i mentioned earlier

It's frustrating as hell

Beeingthin · November 2018

The game is all about a calorie deficit. You aren’t going to lose weight by adding more calories though I don’t believe you should be on such a restricted calorie diet. I’m not in the medical field, but my first thought with you being on very low calorie diet and hardly losing was to get your thyroid checked. It is very frustrating when you want the weight gone now, but the healthy way to do it is a steady slow weightloss. I’m sure you’ve heard that a million times by now.

Kdp2015 · November 2018

Are you weighing your food and how do you know diabetes is coming in 3 months?

HollyPFlax · November 2018

There is no such thing as "starvation mode". Creating a larger calorie deficit will result in faster weight loss.

However, it is not healthy to eat under 1200 calories per day. You are unlikely to be able to take in necessary nutrients, especially if you keep this up for some time. Men are generally not advised to go under 1500 per day. Another reason this isn't advised is that starving yourself will cause you to be hungrier. On occasions where you would allow yourself to eat more, like a party or when you're out for drinks, you may then go overboard and undo a lot of your progress. You should try a smaller deficit and aim for 1 lb per week. You can always burn a few hundred more calories with daily exercise.

Why do you need to lose the 30 lbs in exactly 3 months to prevent diabetes? Can it not wait a couple more months to set in? Focusing on losing at a slower pace with gradual changes is generally what leads to success for many of us!

TavistockToad · November 2018

i did it for 12 weeks (with a non logged cheat meal once a week) and lost 12lbs in 12 weeks... i was hungry, but it did the job.

back then i also didn't care/understand about body composition.

maureenkhilde · November 2018

First why exactly do you think you have to lose 30 pounds in 3 months that is totally unrealistic? I am a type 2 diabetic. And I have never had any of my Dr's state I needed to lose X amount of weight in a certain time frame. What I heard is yes you need to lose weight. And the most common statement is just losing 5% of your weight can make a big difference. So at 260 5% is 13 pounds. I am going to suggest that be your first goal. When you make that go for another 5%.

What you are attempting to do is not a good way to do it, basically a crash diet so to speak. What you need is to truly change your mindset on how you approach eating overall. How do I know well I started out at 305 in May 2018. Currently at 234, and still working on it. And hey I am same height 5'9.

If MFP comes up with 1400 as your lowest calorie intake to lose 2 lbs per week then you can use that. Read the stickies all over on MFP. And you will get lots of good solid advice from others. My take is a bit different because I am a T2D been one for going on 18 years. And I want you to think about what you are trying to do, and why from a bit of a different angle. I was there once, and tried exactly what you are attempting and it did not work. Good Luck on your lifestyle journey.

cmriverside · November 2018

Are you under a doctor's care with this low calorie plan? It's going to be really important to make sure you are getting enough protein and nutrients - pretty hard on 1400 or less.

And then, like Kdp2015 said - weigh all your food on a food scale and log it diligently. Do that consistently and learn from your FOOD diary.

It will come off - just have patience and eat good whole foods, with plenty of vegetables and lean protein consistently.

smolmaus · November 2018

Who told you to lose 30lb in 3 months? Was it a doctor? A doctor who didn't give you any advice on how to achieve it?

There have been a few documentaries/ articles going around recently about VLCD's (as low as 800kcal a day) to reverse the signs of type 2 diabetes in people who already have it. There's a bit about it on the NHS website if you want to have a look. The key takeaway I think is:

"Check with your GP or the doctor in charge of your diabetes care before trying such a drastic diet. There's no point losing a lot of weight on a crash diet if you put it straight back on afterwards – and the yo-yo effect on your weight could have health implications."

Also "Starvation mode" is not real. You can't eat too few kcal to lose weight but what you can do is give yourself a case of actual malnutrition. No energy, can't concentrate, your hair can fall out, your life will generally be miserable. And it's not sustainable. Unless a real medical doctor has told you that you absolutely must lose weight as fast as possible what you're doing is unnecessary and counter productive to your long term health.

bigbandjohn · November 2018

I did 1200 calories for 3 months and lost 36 lbs. It was very difficult. I may have been wrong for going that low (6' male near your age), but I did achieve success. I am glad I'm back to my old plan (1.5 lb/week). It's a lot easier than before.

youngcaseyr · November 2018

Starvation mode isn't really a thing, but starving yourself is and it's an unsafe, unsustainable way to lose weight. Exercise can be good for you, but you don't have to exercise to lose weight. Much of the weight lost when a person begins a diet can be due to loss of water weight, but if you continue to eat with such a severe deficit, some of your weight loss will be from fat, but you will also lose muscle mass and risk other aspects of your health.
Gaining one pound in a week is not a bad thing a long as your weight loss trends downward over a period of time. Most people will tell you to eat how any calories MFP tells you to, plus about half of the calories you burn through exercise, though the former is not necessarily "required". Eat at a moderate deficit, exercise if/when you can, weigh (and log) your food and you will lose weight. It can be motivating and exciting to lose weight fast, but it is typically healthier and more likely to stay off if you approach weight loss as a long term goal rather than something that can/will/should happen as soon as possible.

wilmapf · November 2018

Dilvish wrote: »

Does this type of calorie restriction really do what it says? All of the articles I have read say that to drop below this level causes "starvation mode".
For me, my usual intake was around 2600 calories a day. maybe more. I am 260 lbs @ 5 foot 9 inches and 53 years old male.
According to the "calculators", faster weight loss is around 1400 calories yet at around my level of 1250 calories, I am only losing 1.5 lbs. per week.

I'd like to lose between 2.5 to 3 lbs a week but I'm not sure if I need to add a few more calories to avoid "starvation" mode or to restrict the calories even more.

I am exercising but only burning about 400 -500 per day "water walking". Beyond that, because of pain and mobility issues, I do virtually nothing else (sedentary).

Anyone else in this boat? I need to drop 30 lbs in 3 months to avoid diabetes. I've already dropped 10.5 lbs. in 4 weeks but most of that was in the first week when I was at 900 - 1000 calories per day. The following week I did the same caloric intake and I actually gained a pound back over the previous weeks loss. I assume the first week it was water loss and not fat. The third week I bumped up to 1250 calories and lost the 1.5 lbs i mentioned earlier

It's frustrating as hell

The Calorie intake is set by the app depending on your height, sex, age, and also the amount of pounds you wish to loose weekly.
So, taking all your facts in consideration, and the little amount of calories set in the app, I assume you just set the app to loose more than 2 poudns per week wich is extreme since the healtiest it is to loose 2 pounds tops.
To avoid starvation and all the side efects (cravings, reebot weight) of a too low calorie based diet, you should reset your weight loss goal to 2 pounds per week, and check the kind of macros (carbs, protein and fat) you are taking with your foods.

Wizard87 · November 2018

I'm the exact same height, weight and age. This is my second time using MFP. The first time I did the 1200 calorie diet, and it was very effective. I lost nearly 20 pounds in two months. But, it was very difficult and I hit several weeks when my weight didn't change at all. And I went back up within 5 months.
I'm doing MFP again now, and I"m using 1500 calories. I find it much more tolerable, and I figure that increases my compliance. Keep in mind, for people like us, we can lose weight at 2000 calories a day. Or even 2100. It just will take longer.
Also, pay attention to whether you are cheating. Even a little. I know I do. An extra slice of bread with butter a day can throw you way off.
I found MFP to be the most effective thing I've tried, because it makes me think about food. I realize I can eat 2 burgers off the bun instead of one on (yes, I know fat intake is an issue). I pick out the least damaging snacks I can. Snacking is still an issue, but if you're going to do it, at least minimize it's impact.

tinkerbellang83 · November 2018

Wizard87 wrote: »

I'm the exact same height, weight and age. This is my second time using MFP. The first time I did the 1200 calorie diet, and it was very effective. I lost nearly 20 pounds in two months. But, it was very difficult and I hit several weeks when my weight didn't change at all. And I went back up within 5 months.
I'm doing MFP again now, and I"m using 1500 calories. I find it much more tolerable, and I figure that increases my compliance. Keep in mind, for people like us, we can lose weight at 2000 calories a day. Or even 2100. It just will take longer.
Also, pay attention to whether you are cheating. Even a little. I know I do. An extra slice of bread with butter a day can throw you way off.
I found MFP to be the most effective thing I've tried, because it makes me think about food. I realize I can eat 2 burgers off the bun instead of one on (yes, I know fat intake is an issue). I pick out the least damaging snacks I can. Snacking is still an issue, but if you're going to do it, at least minimize it's impact.

It wasn't very effective, if you regained?

Deviette · November 2018

Starvation mode isn't a thing. If you eat less calories, you'll lose more weight.

Why do you want to lose between 2.5-3lbs a week? The maximum recommended is 2lb a week. An amount that is actually more than suitable for your stats. 1200 is too low for a man, the lowest you should be eating as a complete minimum is 1500kcals. Don't make this harder than you need to. Misery doesn't burn calories. Losing weight is the most effective way you can combat diabetes, sure, but if you eat too low and crash too quickly, you can bring a whole host of other health issues. Don't swap one problem for another.

However one thing I would hasten to point out: Weigh loss is not linear. Nor does it instantly react to what you've done the day before or that week. Your weight can be affected by how you were eating the previous week. And remember, your body doesn't reset because you've got to Monday, or your weighing day. Stop jumping all over the place with your plan. Eat an appropriate amount of calories, and stick with it. The weight will come off.

You want to know my experience on 1200kcal: It was awful. I was on it for about 3 weeks or so. I only sometimes made the goal (I was often about 100kcal over) because I was STARVING. All. the. time. Strings of days when I stuck to my goal, I couldn't think about anything other than food. I was irritable, I couldn't concentrate, I couldn't think, I was tired all the time, but at the same time I couldn't sleep. It was also affecting my training performance. My muscles took longer to recover after sessions, even though I wasn't working as hard. And I was so hungry all the time. It came to a head when I almost fainted during a training session. After that I vowed have a less aggressive deficit and eat more. And since then I've been steadily losing. And I've been so much happier.

Edit: I also forgot to mention: I wasn't losing weight any faster than when I upped my calories (probably because I wasn't actually doing much in the evenings except laying on the sofa due to being exhausted. Afterwards I actually started going out for walks and just doing stuff around the house)

nutmegoreo · November 2018

wilmapf wrote: »

Dilvish wrote: »

Does this type of calorie restriction really do what it says? All of the articles I have read say that to drop below this level causes "starvation mode".
For me, my usual intake was around 2600 calories a day. maybe more. I am 260 lbs @ 5 foot 9 inches and 53 years old male.
According to the "calculators", faster weight loss is around 1400 calories yet at around my level of 1250 calories, I am only losing 1.5 lbs. per week.

I'd like to lose between 2.5 to 3 lbs a week but I'm not sure if I need to add a few more calories to avoid "starvation" mode or to restrict the calories even more.

I am exercising but only burning about 400 -500 per day "water walking". Beyond that, because of pain and mobility issues, I do virtually nothing else (sedentary).

Anyone else in this boat? I need to drop 30 lbs in 3 months to avoid diabetes. I've already dropped 10.5 lbs. in 4 weeks but most of that was in the first week when I was at 900 - 1000 calories per day. The following week I did the same caloric intake and I actually gained a pound back over the previous weeks loss. I assume the first week it was water loss and not fat. The third week I bumped up to 1250 calories and lost the 1.5 lbs i mentioned earlier

It's frustrating as hell

The Calorie intake is set by the app depending on your height, sex, age, and also the amount of pounds you wish to loose weekly.
So, taking all your facts in consideration, and the little amount of calories set in the app, I assume you just set the app to loose more than 2 poudns per week wich is extreme since the healtiest it is to loose 2 pounds tops.
To avoid starvation and all the side efects (cravings, reebot weight) of a too low calorie based diet, you should reset your weight loss goal to 2 pounds per week, and check the kind of macros (carbs, protein and fat) you are taking with your foods.

There's no way he got 1400 from MFP. It won't go under 1500 for a man.

OP, if your doctor is telling you to exceed safe weight loss, go back and get his recommendations on how to do that safely or see a registered dietician.

tinkerbellang83 · November 2018

nutmegoreo wrote: »

wilmapf wrote: »

Dilvish wrote: »

Does this type of calorie restriction really do what it says? All of the articles I have read say that to drop below this level causes "starvation mode".
For me, my usual intake was around 2600 calories a day. maybe more. I am 260 lbs @ 5 foot 9 inches and 53 years old male.
According to the "calculators", faster weight loss is around 1400 calories yet at around my level of 1250 calories, I am only losing 1.5 lbs. per week.

I'd like to lose between 2.5 to 3 lbs a week but I'm not sure if I need to add a few more calories to avoid "starvation" mode or to restrict the calories even more.

I am exercising but only burning about 400 -500 per day "water walking". Beyond that, because of pain and mobility issues, I do virtually nothing else (sedentary).

Anyone else in this boat? I need to drop 30 lbs in 3 months to avoid diabetes. I've already dropped 10.5 lbs. in 4 weeks but most of that was in the first week when I was at 900 - 1000 calories per day. The following week I did the same caloric intake and I actually gained a pound back over the previous weeks loss. I assume the first week it was water loss and not fat. The third week I bumped up to 1250 calories and lost the 1.5 lbs i mentioned earlier

It's frustrating as hell

The Calorie intake is set by the app depending on your height, sex, age, and also the amount of pounds you wish to loose weekly.
So, taking all your facts in consideration, and the little amount of calories set in the app, I assume you just set the app to loose more than 2 poudns per week wich is extreme since the healtiest it is to loose 2 pounds tops.
To avoid starvation and all the side efects (cravings, reebot weight) of a too low calorie based diet, you should reset your weight loss goal to 2 pounds per week, and check the kind of macros (carbs, protein and fat) you are taking with your foods.

There's no way he got 1400 from MFP. It won't go under 1500 for a man.

OP, if your doctor is telling you to exceed safe weight loss, go back and get his recommendations on how to do that safely or see a registered dietician.

It might not through guided set-up but you can set it manually below the recommended amount.

nutmegoreo · November 2018

tinkerbellang83 wrote: »

nutmegoreo wrote: »

wilmapf wrote: »

Dilvish wrote: »

Does this type of calorie restriction really do what it says? All of the articles I have read say that to drop below this level causes "starvation mode".
For me, my usual intake was around 2600 calories a day. maybe more. I am 260 lbs @ 5 foot 9 inches and 53 years old male.
According to the "calculators", faster weight loss is around 1400 calories yet at around my level of 1250 calories, I am only losing 1.5 lbs. per week.

I'd like to lose between 2.5 to 3 lbs a week but I'm not sure if I need to add a few more calories to avoid "starvation" mode or to restrict the calories even more.

I am exercising but only burning about 400 -500 per day "water walking". Beyond that, because of pain and mobility issues, I do virtually nothing else (sedentary).

Anyone else in this boat? I need to drop 30 lbs in 3 months to avoid diabetes. I've already dropped 10.5 lbs. in 4 weeks but most of that was in the first week when I was at 900 - 1000 calories per day. The following week I did the same caloric intake and I actually gained a pound back over the previous weeks loss. I assume the first week it was water loss and not fat. The third week I bumped up to 1250 calories and lost the 1.5 lbs i mentioned earlier

It's frustrating as hell

The Calorie intake is set by the app depending on your height, sex, age, and also the amount of pounds you wish to loose weekly.
So, taking all your facts in consideration, and the little amount of calories set in the app, I assume you just set the app to loose more than 2 poudns per week wich is extreme since the healtiest it is to loose 2 pounds tops.
To avoid starvation and all the side efects (cravings, reebot weight) of a too low calorie based diet, you should reset your weight loss goal to 2 pounds per week, and check the kind of macros (carbs, protein and fat) you are taking with your foods.

There's no way he got 1400 from MFP. It won't go under 1500 for a man.

OP, if your doctor is telling you to exceed safe weight loss, go back and get his recommendations on how to do that safely or see a registered dietician.

It might not through guided set-up but you can set it manually below the recommended amount.

I'm aware of that, but then he still didn't get that number from MFP.

Wizard87 · November 2018

tinkerbellang83 wrote: »

Wizard87 wrote: »

I'm the exact same height, weight and age. This is my second time using MFP. The first time I did the 1200 calorie diet, and it was very effective. I lost nearly 20 pounds in two months. But, it was very difficult and I hit several weeks when my weight didn't change at all. And I went back up within 5 months.
I'm doing MFP again now, and I"m using 1500 calories. I find it much more tolerable, and I figure that increases my compliance. Keep in mind, for people like us, we can lose weight at 2000 calories a day. Or even 2100. It just will take longer.
Also, pay attention to whether you are cheating. Even a little. I know I do. An extra slice of bread with butter a day can throw you way off.
I found MFP to be the most effective thing I've tried, because it makes me think about food. I realize I can eat 2 burgers off the bun instead of one on (yes, I know fat intake is an issue). I pick out the least damaging snacks I can. Snacking is still an issue, but if you're going to do it, at least minimize it's impact.

It wasn't very effective, if you regained?

I agree, from that standpoint. I regained not because of MFP, but because I stopped using it. I had a series of family tragedies hit, so one by one healthy habits disappeared. I stopped running. I ate crap when sitting by my mother's side. I stayed up late and ate chips. MFP was effective to do what I expected. If I stayed on it forever, I'd likely be in better shape now. But I don't want to be wedded to this site for the rest of my life.

Deviette · November 2018

Wizard87 wrote: »

tinkerbellang83 wrote: »

Wizard87 wrote: »

I'm the exact same height, weight and age. This is my second time using MFP. The first time I did the 1200 calorie diet, and it was very effective. I lost nearly 20 pounds in two months. But, it was very difficult and I hit several weeks when my weight didn't change at all. And I went back up within 5 months.
I'm doing MFP again now, and I"m using 1500 calories. I find it much more tolerable, and I figure that increases my compliance. Keep in mind, for people like us, we can lose weight at 2000 calories a day. Or even 2100. It just will take longer.
Also, pay attention to whether you are cheating. Even a little. I know I do. An extra slice of bread with butter a day can throw you way off.
I found MFP to be the most effective thing I've tried, because it makes me think about food. I realize I can eat 2 burgers off the bun instead of one on (yes, I know fat intake is an issue). I pick out the least damaging snacks I can. Snacking is still an issue, but if you're going to do it, at least minimize it's impact.

It wasn't very effective, if you regained?

I agree, from that standpoint. I regained not because of MFP, but because I stopped using it. I had a series of family tragedies hit, so one by one healthy habits disappeared. I stopped running. I ate crap when sitting by my mother's side. I stayed up late and ate chips. MFP was effective to do what I expected. If I stayed on it forever, I'd likely be in better shape now. But I don't want to be wedded to this site for the rest of my life.

I think the argument is that you also never gave yourself a chance to learn healthy habits. You never learnt what an appropriate meal size was, or what it felt like to eat maintenance calories, or how to fit junk food into your overall diet in a balanced way.

Because you lost weight too fast you didn't learn how to eat like someone at a lighter weight. You only learnt how to eat like someone who was starving themselves. So of course you gained the weight back when you got out of the habit of logging. You didn't have the tool that reminds you that you shouldn't eat more than that.

This often happens with those who lose weight too quickly, we just go back to how we ate before and it's not a great surprise that the weight comes right back at'ch. I hope that this time you give yourself the time to develop the healthy habits that will mean you won't need to always use MFP (I know that this is my goal once I've reached maintenance). Best of luck!

confidenceinrain · November 2018

On the days I've eaten under 1200 (rare--once in a while because I wasn't able to eat lunch and dinner was low cal etc) I've been so so hangry and tired the next day. I'd probably be cranky enough to murder if I did it long term. So that's my experience--I don't think it's a good idea unless you have a doctor prescribing it and guiding you.

Dilvish · November 2018

Kdp2015 wrote: »

Are you weighing your food and how do you know diabetes is coming in 3 months?

I've already gotten the diagnosis but if I can lose 30 lbs in 3 months it's proven it can reduce or erase diabetes. Fortunately this diagnosis has only had me as diabetic within the last year. My blood test results from the previous year were clean albeit close to pre diabetes so I know I've only had the condition for no more than 12 months. I have a chance to reverse it.

what's your experience with a 1200 calorie diet or less?

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