1200 calorie a day diet
jemam2015
Posts: 12 Member
Hi everyone, I wanted to know if anyone else on here is cutting down to 1200 calories, iv just started two weeks ago and finding it really enjoyable, I like knowing that I’m controlling my portions but still eating foods that I love. I’m starting to get abit repetitive with my food though and need some ideas on low calorie foods. I also go to the gym 3 times a week and I burn 500 calories a time as I go swimming too
13
Replies
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I like to leave this link on these kinds of threads in case people haven't had an opportunity to evaluate if 1200 calories is appropriate for them :
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
Also, as an fyi, MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise calories, otherwise you risk netting a dangerously low amount of calories.
I'm sure you'll have others come along soon who are also set at 1200 calories. There are often threads like this.
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Hi am here to loose some weight I weigh 185 and I quite smoking and realized that I lost one addiction and gained another2
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My doctor told me to get on this site and start with 12,000 calories
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Very nice0
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I’m on the 1200 cal a day too!
I’m doing spin classes at the gym 3 times a week. The biggest struggle I have though is eating at night. I just get hungry around 10-11ish 😓3 -
I like to leave this link on these kinds of threads in case people haven't had an opportunity to evaluate if 1200 calories is appropriate for them :
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
Also, as an fyi, MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise calories, otherwise you risk netting a dangerously low amount of calories.
I'm sure you'll have others come along soon who are also set at 1200 calories. There are often threads like this.
This is good, but long. To try to summarize: Most women, with the exception of those who are short and sedentary, should be eating more than 1200 calories to lose weight safely and effectively. Eating 1200 can be risky for other women because it can lead to a higher risk of falling off your diet as well as lack of energy, muscle loss, and nutritional deficiency.
In certain cases, 1200 is appropriate. But for many women, they should be eating more. Especially if you are working out. If you are working out, and not eating those calories back, you are under eating even more.12 -
Thanks for that link. It’s a well-written article and put some things in perspective for me.3 -
I'm not new ... I just fell off the wagon ... I weighed 375 at me heaviest ... I lost 250 lbs ... and my weight has been between 120-128 since 2012 ... Today I got on the scale and I weigh 133 ... that's not so bad I said ... but the kicker is that my BMI is off the chart at 133 where it has been 128 for years ... I have decide to get back to My Fitness Pal to get back on track ... My exercise is nil ... I have not made time for it because of going straight to bed from being so tired of having so many hours working ... I have a full time job and a part time job ... I get 60 hours a week between them ... NO MORE EXCUSES ... I have got to make changes in eating healthy again and counting those calories like I used to ... I am not mentally there yet to get the exercise into my schedule ... I'll get there just not yet ... I would love to join this to gain the motivation ... I'm in if that's ok for me to join ... Any insights would be helpful ... Thanks!!!!!8
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I like to leave this link on these kinds of threads in case people haven't had an opportunity to evaluate if 1200 calories is appropriate for them :
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
Also, as an fyi, MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise calories, otherwise you risk netting a dangerously low amount of calories.
I'm sure you'll have others come along soon who are also set at 1200 calories. There are often threads like this.
This is good, but long. To try to summarize: Most women, with the exception of those who are short and sedentary, should be eating more than 1200 calories to lose weight safely and effectively. Eating 1200 can be risky for other women because it can lead to a higher risk of falling off your diet as well as lack of energy, muscle loss, and nutritional deficiency.
In certain cases, 1200 is appropriate. But for many women, they should be eating more. Especially if you are working out. If you are working out, and not eating those calories back, you are under eating even more.
I guess it's my crazy hope that some people are willing to spend a few minutes educating themselves before making decisions concerning their health.
BTW, many will say, "but 1200 is what MFP gave me", but that is based on the info you entered into your profile, including your current activity level not including purposeful exercise and your desired weekly weight loss goal. Many go for 2 lbs/week, because who wouldn't, right? But that rate of loss is only intended for those who are quite obese.
And be aware that while MFP may give you 1200 calories to lose a certain amount per week, 1200 is the lowest amount it will give any woman, so that may or may not result in achieving the rate of loss you entered (but you shouldn't try to undercut it... it's like that for a reason).11 -
DeadlineMAY2019 wrote: »I’m on the 1200 cal a day too!
I’m doing spin classes at the gym 3 times a week. The biggest struggle I have though is eating at night. I just get hungry around 10-11ish 😓
This is me too! But iv learnt to leave around 100 calories out of my 1200 for around 9pm to have a small snack then I’m ok 😊
1 -
I like to leave this link on these kinds of threads in case people haven't had an opportunity to evaluate if 1200 calories is appropriate for them :
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
Also, as an fyi, MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise calories, otherwise you risk netting a dangerously low amount of calories.
I'm sure you'll have others come along soon who are also set at 1200 calories. There are often threads like this.
This is good, but long. To try to summarize: Most women, with the exception of those who are short and sedentary, should be eating more than 1200 calories to lose weight safely and effectively. Eating 1200 can be risky for other women because it can lead to a higher risk of falling off your diet as well as lack of energy, muscle loss, and nutritional deficiency.
In certain cases, 1200 is appropriate. But for many women, they should be eating more. Especially if you are working out. If you are working out, and not eating those calories back, you are under eating even more.
I guess it's my crazy hope that some people are willing to spend a few minutes educating themselves before making decisions concerning their health.
BTW, many will say, "but 1200 is what MFP gave me", but that is based on the info you entered into your profile, including your current activity level not including purposeful exercise and your desired weekly weight loss goal. Many go for 2 lbs/week, because who wouldn't, right? But that rate of loss is only intended for those who are quite obese.
And be aware that while MFP may give you 1200 calories to lose a certain amount per week, 1200 is the lowest amount it will give any woman, so that may or may not result in achieving the rate of loss you entered (but you shouldn't try to undercut it... it's like that for a reason).
I haven’t read into anything about doing 1200 but I just thought give it a go and if I can’t do it then il have more calories but I seem to be fine. I’m still eating things I like and very rarely go over, only by about 10 calories which is nothing anyway. I thought I’d be more hungry as I work out too but I’m not and I still have lots or energy so so far so good for me il see what the scales say tmro
2 -
I like to leave this link on these kinds of threads in case people haven't had an opportunity to evaluate if 1200 calories is appropriate for them :
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
Also, as an fyi, MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise calories, otherwise you risk netting a dangerously low amount of calories.
I'm sure you'll have others come along soon who are also set at 1200 calories. There are often threads like this.
This is good, but long. To try to summarize: Most women, with the exception of those who are short and sedentary, should be eating more than 1200 calories to lose weight safely and effectively. Eating 1200 can be risky for other women because it can lead to a higher risk of falling off your diet as well as lack of energy, muscle loss, and nutritional deficiency.
In certain cases, 1200 is appropriate. But for many women, they should be eating more. Especially if you are working out. If you are working out, and not eating those calories back, you are under eating even more.
I guess it's my crazy hope that some people are willing to spend a few minutes educating themselves before making decisions concerning their health.
BTW, many will say, "but 1200 is what MFP gave me", but that is based on the info you entered into your profile, including your current activity level not including purposeful exercise and your desired weekly weight loss goal. Many go for 2 lbs/week, because who wouldn't, right? But that rate of loss is only intended for those who are quite obese.
And be aware that while MFP may give you 1200 calories to lose a certain amount per week, 1200 is the lowest amount it will give any woman, so that may or may not result in achieving the rate of loss you entered (but you shouldn't try to undercut it... it's like that for a reason).
I haven’t read into anything about doing 1200 but I just thought give it a go and if I can’t do it then il have more calories but I seem to be fine. I’m still eating things I like and very rarely go over, only by about 10 calories which is nothing anyway. I thought I’d be more hungry as I work out too but I’m not and I still have lots or energy so so far so good for me il see what the scales say tmro
I don't know your stats, so for all I know, 1200 may be perfectly fine for you.
But as a general rule, I don't think a compelling reason to eat the bare minimum of calories for a woman is because a person can. People who under-fuel their bodies often feel fine... until they don't. And then it can be a long road to reclaim their previous health & energy levels.
Are you eating back any of your exercise calories, because your comment suggests you are not? When a person is already eating the bare minimum of calories, any additional deficit you create through exercise puts you in dangerous territory (again, whether it "feels" like it or not). Why not just use MFP the way it was designed? 8 -
I like to leave this link on these kinds of threads in case people haven't had an opportunity to evaluate if 1200 calories is appropriate for them :
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
Also, as an fyi, MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise calories, otherwise you risk netting a dangerously low amount of calories.
I'm sure you'll have others come along soon who are also set at 1200 calories. There are often threads like this.
This is good, but long. To try to summarize: Most women, with the exception of those who are short and sedentary, should be eating more than 1200 calories to lose weight safely and effectively. Eating 1200 can be risky for other women because it can lead to a higher risk of falling off your diet as well as lack of energy, muscle loss, and nutritional deficiency.
In certain cases, 1200 is appropriate. But for many women, they should be eating more. Especially if you are working out. If you are working out, and not eating those calories back, you are under eating even more.
I guess it's my crazy hope that some people are willing to spend a few minutes educating themselves before making decisions concerning their health.
BTW, many will say, "but 1200 is what MFP gave me", but that is based on the info you entered into your profile, including your current activity level not including purposeful exercise and your desired weekly weight loss goal. Many go for 2 lbs/week, because who wouldn't, right? But that rate of loss is only intended for those who are quite obese.
And be aware that while MFP may give you 1200 calories to lose a certain amount per week, 1200 is the lowest amount it will give any woman, so that may or may not result in achieving the rate of loss you entered (but you shouldn't try to undercut it... it's like that for a reason).
I haven’t read into anything about doing 1200 but I just thought give it a go and if I can’t do it then il have more calories but I seem to be fine. I’m still eating things I like and very rarely go over, only by about 10 calories which is nothing anyway. I thought I’d be more hungry as I work out too but I’m not and I still have lots or energy so so far so good for me il see what the scales say tmro
I don't know your stats, so for all I know, 1200 may be perfectly fine for you.
But as a general rule, I don't think a compelling reason to eat the bare minimum of calories for a woman is because a person can. People who under-fuel their bodies often feel fine... until they don't. And then it can be a long road to reclaim their previous health & energy levels.
Are you eating back any of your exercise calories, because your comment suggests you are not? When a person is already eating the bare minimum of calories, any additional deficit you create through exercise puts you in dangerous territory (again, whether it "feels" like it or not). Why not just use MFP the way it was designed?
Yes sometimes I do eat the extra calories iv burnt only if I need them though. I haven’t looked into it properly as you suggest but I am eating lots of vegetables and low calorie foods so I’ll be full which gives me the energy
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I like to leave this link on these kinds of threads in case people haven't had an opportunity to evaluate if 1200 calories is appropriate for them :
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
Also, as an fyi, MFP is designed for you to eat back your exercise calories, otherwise you risk netting a dangerously low amount of calories.
I'm sure you'll have others come along soon who are also set at 1200 calories. There are often threads like this.
This is good, but long. To try to summarize: Most women, with the exception of those who are short and sedentary, should be eating more than 1200 calories to lose weight safely and effectively. Eating 1200 can be risky for other women because it can lead to a higher risk of falling off your diet as well as lack of energy, muscle loss, and nutritional deficiency.
In certain cases, 1200 is appropriate. But for many women, they should be eating more. Especially if you are working out. If you are working out, and not eating those calories back, you are under eating even more.
I guess it's my crazy hope that some people are willing to spend a few minutes educating themselves before making decisions concerning their health.
BTW, many will say, "but 1200 is what MFP gave me", but that is based on the info you entered into your profile, including your current activity level not including purposeful exercise and your desired weekly weight loss goal. Many go for 2 lbs/week, because who wouldn't, right? But that rate of loss is only intended for those who are quite obese.
And be aware that while MFP may give you 1200 calories to lose a certain amount per week, 1200 is the lowest amount it will give any woman, so that may or may not result in achieving the rate of loss you entered (but you shouldn't try to undercut it... it's like that for a reason).
I haven’t read into anything about doing 1200 but I just thought give it a go and if I can’t do it then il have more calories but I seem to be fine. I’m still eating things I like and very rarely go over, only by about 10 calories which is nothing anyway. I thought I’d be more hungry as I work out too but I’m not and I still have lots or energy so so far so good for me il see what the scales say tmro
I don't know your stats, so for all I know, 1200 may be perfectly fine for you.
But as a general rule, I don't think a compelling reason to eat the bare minimum of calories for a woman is because a person can. People who under-fuel their bodies often feel fine... until they don't. And then it can be a long road to reclaim their previous health & energy levels.
Are you eating back any of your exercise calories, because your comment suggests you are not? When a person is already eating the bare minimum of calories, any additional deficit you create through exercise puts you in dangerous territory (again, whether it "feels" like it or not). Why not just use MFP the way it was designed?
Yes sometimes I do eat the extra calories iv burnt only if I need them though. I haven’t looked into it properly as you suggest but I am eating lots of vegetables and low calorie foods so I’ll be full which gives me the energy
This reply is for lurkers and others in the thread:
How a person feels is not always a reliable indicator of whether that person is under-eating, particularly early on in the weight loss process when a person is eager and excited to see results. Nutritious food- quality- is great, but does not compensate for a lack of quantity. You can put the highest grade of gas in your car, but if you only fill it halfway, you're still going to run out of gas sooner than you would have otherwise. An excellent read on how MFP figures your calorie allowance, how exercise calories fit it, and the potential problems with under-eating:
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10569458/why-eating-too-little-calories-is-a-bad-idea/p1
I am absolutely not anti-1200 calorie diets- they are certainly appropriate for some people- just want to see everyone approach it in a reasonable, sustainable, & healthy way. Wish you all the best 18 -
Thanks 😊0
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MFP gave me the 1200 for my calories goal and totally hating it. Recently got to the point where I went eff it and went on a huge binge eating rampage and gained 10 lbs now I got 20 lbs to loose vs 10 😧. Just trying to find a way to make thoes 1200 calories count I guess. Not used to having such a restricted ammout but then again have had a huge lifestyle change too recently.4
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MFP gave me 1200 too. (I’m short 5.1, 117 start)
I am going low carb to meet that low cal. I miss my bagel and pasta but eating textured food and keeping busy is helping so far.
If I want to eat high calories, I up the exercise and try burning!
I see little progress and it keeps me motivated.2 -
I'm also supposed to eat about 1200 cals. But it's really hard not too beat myself up after having more than 200 cal. I got really conscious of all the calories I consume daily. Especially since my bulimia turned to anorexia recently, as said by my therapist. I'm supposed to be recovering right now
. Sorry for my rant. I just really feel trapped in this body. It feels like I've been this way forever, even though it's only been 2 years 
. 2 -
I'm on 1200 calories a day as well and feel the same way! I don't know if you use Pinterest but there's a lot of low calorie food ideas on there 🙂4
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DeadlineMAY2019 wrote: »I’m on the 1200 cal a day too!
I’m doing spin classes at the gym 3 times a week. The biggest struggle I have though is eating at night. I just get hungry around 10-11ish 😓
I go to bed and bring 1 Hershey kids and a bottle of water.
2 -
Hi everyone, I wanted to know if anyone else on here is cutting down to 1200 calories, iv just started two weeks ago and finding it really enjoyable, I like knowing that I’m controlling my portions but still eating foods that I love. I’m starting to get abit repetitive with my food though and need some ideas on low calorie foods. I also go to the gym 3 times a week and I burn 500 calories a time as I go swimming too
I find friends on mfp who publish their diaries are the most helpful. If you publish your food diary for friends I’m happy to accept your friend request. I get good ideas, especially for dinner.
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paige07042011 wrote: »MFP gave me the 1200 for my calories goal and totally hating it. Recently got to the point where I went eff it and went on a huge binge eating rampage and gained 10 lbs now I got 20 lbs to loose vs 10 😧. Just trying to find a way to make thoes 1200 calories count I guess. Not used to having such a restricted ammout but then again have had a huge lifestyle change too recently.
Oh no ☹️ how many roughly are you used to eating? I probably ate around 3000 probably more as I didn’t watch what I ate at all and I juat grabbed chocolates and sweets and wouldn’t look how many calories they were, I’d have about two takeouts a week so I thought this would be really difficult for me but it’s not.
I always plan what I’m going to have the next day the night before so I know how many calorie I have left and it stops me wanting to just eat anything. Plus iv lost another 2lb today, so I must be doing something right?
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weatherking2019 wrote: »MFP gave me 1200 too. (I’m short 5.1, 117 start)
I am going low carb to meet that low cal. I miss my bagel and pasta but eating textured food and keeping busy is helping so far.
If I want to eat high calories, I up the exercise and try burning!
I see little progress and it keeps me motivated.
You can still have those foods, opt for the thin bagels at juat over 100 calories per bagel and maybe have with a light cheese spread, that’s only around 150 calories then you could have fruit with yoghurt or some cereal with the remaining breakfast calories.2 -
NotThatImportant1083 wrote: »I'm also supposed to eat about 1200 cals. But it's really hard not too beat myself up after having more than 200 cal. I got really conscious of all the calories I consume daily. Especially since my bulimia turned to anorexia recently, as said by my therapist. I'm supposed to be recovering right now . Sorry for my rant. I just really feel trapped in this body. It feels like I've been this way forever, even though it's only been 2 years .
Things take time though nothing happens in a day, if you really want to change then you will, when you first see progress that will do wonders and will motivate you to keep going, aslong as you enjoy it you will succeed! Don’t beat yourself up for having just 200 calories just make sure you have foods you like and you will enjoy it more. Don’t be sorry, people need to talk about these things and be honest it’s all part of the process x
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Just be careful with this one, love. If your body actually needs more than 1200 (especially with working out), all you’ll be doing is throwing your body into starvation mode, which will kill your metabolism and do the exact OPPOSITE of what you want it to do.14
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erikaashleykehn wrote: »Just be careful with this one, love. If your body actually needs more than 1200 (especially with working out), all you’ll be doing is throwing your body into starvation mode, which will kill your metabolism and do the exact OPPOSITE of what you want it to do.
*sigh*
No.
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/starvation-mode/10 -
erikaashleykehn wrote: »Just be careful with this one, love. If your body actually needs more than 1200 (especially with working out), all you’ll be doing is throwing your body into starvation mode, which will kill your metabolism and do the exact OPPOSITE of what you want it to do.
Not a thing.7 -
I didn’t realise there was people out there who still believed in starvation mode.7
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It's a myth that refuses to die.6
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erikaashleykehn wrote: »Just be careful with this one, love. If your body actually needs more than 1200 (especially with working out), all you’ll be doing is throwing your body into starvation mode, which will kill your metabolism and do the exact OPPOSITE of what you want it to do.
Iv checked online and it says I need around 1500 per day it’s strange how your body can go into starvation mode yet I don’t feel hungry2
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