Results on 1200 calories

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  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    I did 1200 calories for about 9 months while I lost 50 lbs. I didn't adjust for my very little exercise (walking). It worked well for me. There were occasional splurges, but I was pretty consistent in weighing my food and tracking every bite. I've slacked off now and have gained 5 lbs back, but I'm still okay. I did not develop an eating disorder! I am healthy! 53, female. 173 lbs to 125 lbs (this am). 5' 2.5".


    that sounds good for you - and you meet the criteria of people for whom 1200 can be appropriate - female, older, shorter, not very active.

    The pushback usually comes when somebody 30 years younger, 6 inches taller, and higher activity level plans to do same calorie level as you.

    But if I were 6" taller and had a higher activity level, then the calculator also wouldn't have given me 1200 calories either! I did the calculator at my previous weight, moderate exercise, and 6" taller. I would have been barely overweight and have been given 1600 calories per day to lose 1 pound a week.

    I think the calculator works. It gave me 1200, and that's what I did. So I find it weird that people provide cautionary tales of failure when the calculator gives the person 1200 calories.

    It was off by around 500 or so calories daily (maintenance number) for me, so the weight loss goal was also too aggressively low.

    The so called calculator spits out a number that's essentially the average for similar people. Most people are close to average. A few are a bit off, high or low. A rare few are surprisingly far off.

    That's the nature of statistical estimates. There's a bell curve, in this case a pretty tall narrow one (small-ish standard deviation). Most people are near the middle of the bell. Further out from the middle (higher or lower calorie needs, in this case), there are fewer people.

    The calculator is a good starting point, because most people are close to average. That's how to place a bet: Go with the odds to start, adjust when you have enough experience data.

    On top of that, some people set up MFP asking for a 2 pound a week weight loss rate when that's too aggressive in their case, or say they're less active than they really are, or otherwise give data that leads to an aggressively low, potentially risky goal.






  • Brigit42
    Brigit42 Posts: 39 Member
    noodlesno wrote: »

    I think the calculator works. It gave me 1200, and that's what I did. So I find it weird that people provide cautionary tales of failure when the calculator gives the person 1200 calories.

    I think that the cautionary tales are just saying that the calculator won't be suitable for everyone but probably most. It is about starting somewhere and the calculator is a great tool to get you to the start line.

    It is about knowing yourself and appreciating yourself and your body well enough to treat it well.


    True! Plus, if you're not feeling well on the 1200 limit you might just give up. Picking calories and weight needs to be sustainable and realistic. I'd like to be 125 pounds but it's not realistic or sustainable so I made a different goal.

    Being healthy should always be the overall goal.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,225 Member
    noodlesno wrote: »

    I think the calculator works. It gave me 1200, and that's what I did. So I find it weird that people provide cautionary tales of failure when the calculator gives the person 1200 calories.

    I think that the cautionary tales are just saying that the calculator won't be suitable for everyone but probably most. It is about starting somewhere and the calculator is a great tool to get you to the start line.

    It is then about working out what is right for you. That will only be known through the personal experience of tracking weight loss and kcals.

    The only thing I would caution about is if you are on a diet of ANY kcals (whether that is 1200kcals or higher) and you are losing more than 2lbs a week regularly and having adverse health implications such as fatigue, lightheadedness, hair loss, loss of period (if that applies to you), excessive thirst. Please up your calories as you are damaging your body and putting yourself in danger.

    For me, those symptoms kicked in at 1500 kcals but for others it may never happen even at 800 kcal diet.

    As you can see from the screenshot below. The calculator would have put me at 1240kcals which is a dangerous kcal output for me. However, I am not an average person as I have one fake breast due to reconstruction and carry a lot of muscle as I am a powerlifter. So my metabolism is higher than most and my weight is not totally reflective of my body fat due to 9lbs of fake breast I carry. Even when I was a UK size 8, I was classified as overweight in BMI.

    wsk1ag29s7fv.png

    It is about knowing yourself and appreciating yourself and your body well enough to treat it well.

    QFT. I'd even strengthen the bolded a bit: If a person experiences those symptoms at any weight loss rate, even one lower than 2+ pounds a week (with no other probable explanation), I'd suggest eating a bit more (slowing down).

    Those symptoms, and maybe a few others like sleep disturbance, can be the canary in the coal mine. Worse can be coming, if one tries to power through with "willpower". (Are bad things guaranteed to happen? No. But it's a red flag.)

    Calorie deficit (weight loss) is a stress on the body, even though we hope for long term positive results from doing it. It can be cumulative with other sources of life stress, both physical and psychological. Some common examples of stressors are too-intense exercise for current fitness level, high-pressure job, daily difficulties in family relationships, poor quality/quantity of sleep, sub-ideal nutrition, pre-existing health conditions, and more. Too-high total stress can have physical side effects.

    From observing friends, I also think some people can be more (or less) inclined to experience stress under the same set of circumstances, or to be less physically resilient to stress when it does happen. I don't intend a "blame the victim" stance there, because I don't think we necessarily have full explicit control over either our stress-reactiveness or our resilience to stress.

    We come to our current stage in life with different personalities, outlooks, cultural assumptions, some genetic tendencies, physical robustness, etc. pre-installed as a product of everything from family genetics to the totality of our life experience. We may be able to work on changing some of our pre-installed circuitry to some extent. Improving fitness, getting to body weight, seeking out counseling/support, and getting better nutrition is part of that, right?

    But our current state is where we are now for how we experience stress, and how resilient we are in the face of it.

    It would be nice if there were an instant switch to flip by someone saying "be less stressed" or "be more resilient" but it doesn't work that way, IME.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,253 Member
    edited January 2023
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    But if I were 6" taller and had a higher activity level, then the calculator also wouldn't have given me 1200 calories either! (snip) So I find it weird that people provide cautionary tales of failure when the calculator gives the person 1200 calories.
    (snip)people set up MFP asking for a 2 pound a week weight loss rate when that's too aggressive in their case, or say they're less active than they really are, or otherwise give data that leads to an aggressively low, potentially risky goal.

    QFT ... plus yes, sufficient quantities of spices CAN add up. even if so many of them list their values at 0 Cal... per 0.25 gram... and then you find USDA or European values and discover they are 199Cal per 100g, just under the "randomly selected" cut-off to report as zero! :lol:
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,282 Member
    I did 1200 calories for about 9 months while I lost 50 lbs. I didn't adjust for my very little exercise (walking). It worked well for me. There were occasional splurges, but I was pretty consistent in weighing my food and tracking every bite. I've slacked off now and have gained 5 lbs back, but I'm still okay. I did not develop an eating disorder! I am healthy! 53, female. 173 lbs to 125 lbs (this am). 5' 2.5".


    that sounds good for you - and you meet the criteria of people for whom 1200 can be appropriate - female, older, shorter, not very active.

    The pushback usually comes when somebody 30 years younger, 6 inches taller, and higher activity level plans to do same calorie level as you.

    But if I were 6" taller and had a higher activity level, then the calculator also wouldn't have given me 1200 calories either! I did the calculator at my previous weight, moderate exercise, and 6" taller. I would have been barely overweight and have been given 1600 calories per day to lose 1 pound a week.

    I think the calculator works. It gave me 1200, and that's what I did. So I find it weird that people provide cautionary tales of failure when the calculator gives the person 1200 calories.


    yes I realise that.

    If the calculator is used correctly - ie some people select 2lb per week when 2lb is too aggressive for the amount they have to lose.

    and some people just go for 1200 calories, getting that number from somewhere random (ie not individualised) without using MFP calculator at all

    and some people don't realise 1200 (or any MFP generated number) is that amount Net - and do a lot of excercise and dont eat any calories back

    and some people, like somebody earlier in the thread, think they should aim for under the 1200 they were given.

    so like I said before, 1200 is suitable for some people- if calculated correctly and followed correctly

  • jyoti_0
    jyoti_0 Posts: 87 Member
    VickiMe89 wrote: »
    Hey! I wanted to hear positive stories from those that have lost weight following a 1200kcal diet. I find it strange how everyone sees it as dangerous or the cause of eating disorders. And I can google that if I need to - so only positive stories please :smile: it’s working well for me so far so I just wanted to find some similar people! I have 50lb to lose altogether ❤️

    The thread is abut positive stories about 1200 calories. So I'm skipping all the negative stories.
    Long live the 1200, positive stories thread :)
  • jyoti_0
    jyoti_0 Posts: 87 Member
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    jyoti_0 wrote: »
    VickiMe89 wrote: »
    Hey! I wanted to hear positive stories from those that have lost weight following a 1200kcal diet. I find it strange how everyone sees it as dangerous or the cause of eating disorders. And I can google that if I need to - so only positive stories please :smile: it’s working well for me so far so I just wanted to find some similar people! I have 50lb to lose altogether ❤️

    The thread is abut positive stories about 1200 calories. So I'm skipping all the negative stories.
    Long live the 1200, positive stories thread :)

    I am positive that 1200 calories isn't the right answer for everyone. For some, yes.

    Positive.

    the 1200 calories people are not saying it is. Are they? They are just trying to motivate those, for who it is.
  • BartBVanBockstaele
    BartBVanBockstaele Posts: 623 Member
    edited January 2023
    jyoti_0 wrote: »
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    jyoti_0 wrote: »
    VickiMe89 wrote: »
    Hey! I wanted to hear positive stories from those that have lost weight following a 1200kcal diet. I find it strange how everyone sees it as dangerous or the cause of eating disorders. And I can google that if I need to - so only positive stories please :smile: it’s working well for me so far so I just wanted to find some similar people! I have 50lb to lose altogether ❤️

    The thread is abut positive stories about 1200 calories. So I'm skipping all the negative stories.
    Long live the 1200, positive stories thread :)

    I am positive that 1200 calories isn't the right answer for everyone. For some, yes.

    Positive.

    the 1200 calories people are not saying it is. Are they? They are just trying to motivate those, for who it is.
    I am one of them. While 1200 calories is still a bit too high for me, it is about right as a maintenance diet and could possibly be even a tad higher for maintenance. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a 1200 kcal diet on the condition it is well conceived, but that condition is just as true for a 4000 kcal diet. Some of us simply are more efficient in extracting energy from food than others or are built to make more efficient use of the energy we ingest and that has consequences. Denying those consequences makes us fat, after which we will be told to eat less anyway. Just because we aren't in conformity with some stereotype, doesn't make us reprehensible. It doesn't make us superbeings either. It just makes us who we are.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,259 Member
    jyoti_0 wrote: »
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    jyoti_0 wrote: »
    VickiMe89 wrote: »
    Hey! I wanted to hear positive stories from those that have lost weight following a 1200kcal diet. I find it strange how everyone sees it as dangerous or the cause of eating disorders. And I can google that if I need to - so only positive stories please :smile: it’s working well for me so far so I just wanted to find some similar people! I have 50lb to lose altogether ❤️

    The thread is abut positive stories about 1200 calories. So I'm skipping all the negative stories.
    Long live the 1200, positive stories thread :)

    I am positive that 1200 calories isn't the right answer for everyone. For some, yes.

    Positive.

    the 1200 calories people are not saying it is. Are they? They are just trying to motivate those, for who it is.

    That was in part an attempt at a humorous response to your request for POSITIVE stories. It also was just a reminder, as others have stated, that it really isn't for everyone. It's a number that has been misused very much in the past as "the" calorie goal for everyone.
  • BartBVanBockstaele
    BartBVanBockstaele Posts: 623 Member
    jyoti_0 wrote: »
    MFP recommended 1200 calories for me. I have been following it and by a simple deficit of 150 calories a day, I have lost more than10lbs in 90 day.

    As per online sources, one needs a deficit of 3,500 calories to lose one pound. And I have accumulated a deficit of 35,000 calories over a period of 90 days (since Nov '22), and I am around 12lbs lighter now.

    I eat 3 square meals a day, no snacking. At 1,200 calories a day, that comes to 400 calories in 3 meals. I eat slightly less than that and keep my calories intake near 1,080 calories, every day. I eat low calories, mostly steamed food. That makes it easy to stay full in 350 calories in a meal.

    I also sip water through the day, which keeps hunger pangs away.

    I try to eat my dinner early, at the most by 7 pm. That gives my body a 12-13 hour window like intermittent fasting. I'm pre diabetic so I can't stay hungry, and take my breakfast around 8.30am.

    My breakfast is the heaviest meal, then lunch less than that, and dinner is the lightest meal of the day.

    These simple rules have helped me a lot in this "regaining my health" journey.
    That puts us at approximately the exact same level. I eat, on average, six meals a day, and that works fine. Like water that follows the path of least resistance, I follow the path of least hunger, within my energy budget.
  • jyoti_0
    jyoti_0 Posts: 87 Member
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    jyoti_0 wrote: »
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    jyoti_0 wrote: »
    VickiMe89 wrote: »
    Hey! I wanted to hear positive stories from those that have lost weight following a 1200kcal diet. I find it strange how everyone sees it as dangerous or the cause of eating disorders. And I can google that if I need to - so only positive stories please :smile: it’s working well for me so far so I just wanted to find some similar people! I have 50lb to lose altogether ❤️

    The thread is abut positive stories about 1200 calories. So I'm skipping all the negative stories.
    Long live the 1200, positive stories thread :)

    I am positive that 1200 calories isn't the right answer for everyone. For some, yes.

    Positive.

    the 1200 calories people are not saying it is. Are they? They are just trying to motivate those, for who it is.

    That was in part an attempt at a humorous response to your request for POSITIVE stories. It also was just a reminder, as others have stated, that it really isn't for everyone. It's a number that has been misused very much in the past as "the" calorie goal for everyone.

    My apologies, didn't get it at first <3
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,259 Member
    jyoti_0 wrote: »
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    jyoti_0 wrote: »
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    jyoti_0 wrote: »
    VickiMe89 wrote: »
    Hey! I wanted to hear positive stories from those that have lost weight following a 1200kcal diet. I find it strange how everyone sees it as dangerous or the cause of eating disorders. And I can google that if I need to - so only positive stories please :smile: it’s working well for me so far so I just wanted to find some similar people! I have 50lb to lose altogether ❤️

    The thread is abut positive stories about 1200 calories. So I'm skipping all the negative stories.
    Long live the 1200, positive stories thread :)

    I am positive that 1200 calories isn't the right answer for everyone. For some, yes.

    Positive.

    the 1200 calories people are not saying it is. Are they? They are just trying to motivate those, for who it is.

    That was in part an attempt at a humorous response to your request for POSITIVE stories. It also was just a reminder, as others have stated, that it really isn't for everyone. It's a number that has been misused very much in the past as "the" calorie goal for everyone.

    My apologies, didn't get it at first <3

    And mine as well. It's important to be cognizant of how a message will be received. I guess I didn't do a very good job of that this time. Wasn't the first; won't be the last.

    For what it's worth, my base was 1661 plus activity (I set MFP to sedentary and let my wrist device add movement) when I was deep in weight loss, and it's been set to 1771 plus activity for the last four years. Sometimes there's an intentional adjustment when I need to run a short-term deficit rather than resetting the goal. My average daily calorie consumption since 1 October 2022 is 2070. I have lost over 14 pounds during that period back to my goal weight/maintenance range.

  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,226 Member
    edited January 2023
    JustaNoob wrote: »
    I am starting at 1200, logging accurately, seeing what the scale trends are then adjusting over time. A big mistake I think I've made in years past was adding too much too soon. I'd add a ton of exercises, overestimate how much I was burning, then underestimate how much I was eating. Then I would not lose anything and be super frustrated because it felt like I worked so hard and didn't get anywhere.

    This year, I am walking a little and focusing on my nutrition. I've lost 14lbs this month (7 in the first week which I assume was water weight.) As the year progresses, I'll watch and add workouts/ more calories depending on what the scale says. I have a lot to lose and I just wanted to begin at a place where I knew without a doubt that I was in a deficit then build from there.

    Eating 1200 has made me understand how important certain foods are for satiety.
    You're not alone. I discussed this as a common issue in an earlier post and I think others have concurred

  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,839 Member
    JustaNoob wrote: »
    I am starting at 1200, logging accurately, seeing what the scale trends are then adjusting over time. A big mistake I think I've made in years past was adding too much too soon. I'd add a ton of exercises, overestimate how much I was burning, then underestimate how much I was eating. Then I would not lose anything and be super frustrated because it felt like I worked so hard and didn't get anywhere.

    This year, I am walking a little and focusing on my nutrition. I've lost 14lbs this month (7 in the first week which I assume was water weight.) As the year progresses, I'll watch and add workouts/ more calories depending on what the scale says. I have a lot to lose and I just wanted to begin at a place where I knew without a doubt that I was in a deficit then build from there.

    Eating 1200 has made me understand how important certain foods are for satiety.
    You're not alone. I discussed this as a common issue in an earlier post and I think others cave concurred

    Depending on the timeline (duration of the stall), the estimates could have been fine, but the water retention from the exercise was masking fat loss
  • refactored
    refactored Posts: 455 Member
    edited January 2023
    I admit I roughly aim for 1200. I am desk bound most days but I do walk as exercise. I say roughly because trying to be accurate with my calories turns me ocd and is not good for me. Previously I got into a cycle of exercising to eat and I struggled with the calorie cycling that resulted when I couldn't exercise. I was also exercising a lot but not getting the results probably because I was also overestimating exercise calories and underestimating food calories as a PP also experienced. I am a sloppy calorie counter. For example, I tend not to count veges because I think it fosters a good relationship with them. So I aim for 1200 but probably eat more than that in reality. My weight loss has been steady at around .5 to 1 pound per week.
  • tomcustombuilder
    tomcustombuilder Posts: 2,226 Member
    refactored wrote: »
    I admit I roughly aim for 1200. I am desk bound most days but I do walk as exercise. I say roughly because trying to be accurate with my calories turns me ocd and is not good for me. Previously I got into a cycle of exercising to eat and I struggled with the calorie cycling that resulted when I couldn't exercise. I was also exercising a lot but not getting the results probably because I was also overestimating exercise calories and underestimating food calories as a PP also experienced. I am a sloppy calorie counter. For example, I tend not to count veges because I think it fosters a good relationship with them. So I aim for 1200 but probably eat more than that in reality. My weight loss has been steady at around .5 to 1 pound per week.
    Then you're on the right track. People generally have different tracking styles but as long as they work then more power to 'em.

  • sbelletti
    sbelletti Posts: 213 Member
    edited January 2023
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    sbelletti wrote: »
    I love the comments about how 1200 calories can be different for different people. As a vegetarian, 1200 calories can be a LOT of food for me, so I never really had to "manage" hunger. If I chose 1200 calories of peanut butter and ice cream, I can see where there might be some issues. 😁

    Speaking as someone who's also vegetarian, I don't think that's the whole story. I think some people are more subject to hunger on any given mix of food than others.

    I also suspect the number of calories a person needs to maintain also makes a difference in how hungry they get even on a perfect-for-them mix of foods at a given calorie amount, i.e. I'd speculate that someone who needs 3000 to maintain may well be more hungry at 1200 than would be someone who needs 1500 to maintain. Calorie needs aren't purely a matter of size and age, either, or entirely those plus current activity level - it seems like there are some mystery factors that lead some relatively rare few of us to be significant outliers when it comes to calorie estimates from MFP (or TDEE calculator, or fitness trackers).

    Like you, I didn't have trouble appetite-wise at 1200, even though it was too low for me (as measured by loss rate and eventual health consequences). In my case, I don't really attribute that lack of appetite struggle to being vegetarian (I became obese as a vegetarian after all, and not entirely on non-sating foods). I attribute it more but to simply being lucky to be a person not inclined to (or sensitive to?) major hunger sensations. Even when I've been underfueled in my subjective opinion - like on some long days on vacation paddling a canoe and portaging for hours with minimal intake - the need is more likely to manifest as brain fog or fatigue, rather than hunger sensations.

    There's a lot of variation in people's reported subjective experience with hunger, appetite, and cravings, and I don't disbelieve their reports just because they're unlike mine, or because I think my way of eating is necessarily objectively and universally more filling (though I do suspect most people will find whole foods more filling, generally).

    On top of that, it seems that mindset about one's food matters physiologically, bizarrely enough.
    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21574706/

    That has some interesting implications, potentially.

    But we digress from OP's question.

    Hence my response specifically stating MY own personal experience. I don't make any statements on what may or may not work for anyone else. OP asked for our personal experiences. That's what I shared.
  • RiversMommy2023
    RiversMommy2023 Posts: 2 Member
    No success, I was starving all the time. Went up to 1,400 calories a day and so much happier! :)
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,282 Member
    JLG1986 wrote: »
    I’m not great at a 1200 calorie diet. It’s just too restrictive. But what has worked well for me in the past is a 1200 calorie NET diet - if I count exercise calories, then I can often eat 1500+ calories a day and still net 1200. Much easier (at least for me personally) to eat full meals and not feel too deprived.

    As you are suppossed to do following MFP

    If MFP gives you 1200 or any number, eat that plus exercise calories.
  • BartBVanBockstaele
    BartBVanBockstaele Posts: 623 Member
    TexasBlaze wrote: »
    I enjoy vegetables, frozen works great for me.
    That makes two of us. I think frozen vegetables trump sliced bread. They are, by far, the best thing that ever happened to me.
    I still believe in the science of calories in calories out. I love my zero calorie spray butter. Once everyone actually counts the calories of EVERYTHING they use in preparation of food, they will be shocked at the extra calories not counted. Not intentionally, but just from not realizing.
    I concur. We might well wish that CICO was wrong, but it isn't and it couldn't possibly be.
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,722 Member
    I did well on 1200 for awhile, now ~1500 that I’m close to maintenance.

    I’m pretty small and inactive to begin with so even eating 1200-1300 calories a day I drop about 20 pounds in a year (from 150—130). That’s about half a pound a week. I also take “diet breaks” every once in awhile where I eat at maintenance (~1600) for a couple of weeks.

    The only issue with 1200-1300 is I feel I get hungry more often so I have to be really careful about choosing satiating foods.

    I know what I need to do to eat more calories at maintenance (build muscle) and that’s my next goal.
  • Rockymountainflyer
    Rockymountainflyer Posts: 26 Member
    edited January 2023
    I've lost 30 pounds in 13 months using myfitness pal, set to 1200 calories and walking 2-3 miles a day and not eating more because of it. I range from 1100-1300 calories per day and a couple times per month go to 1500ish. My doctor told me to look up my base metabolic calories, which turned out to be only 1330. She also recommended 1100 calories per day. 1200 is not some medical rule. I would definitely work with your doctor vs. google lol. I am rarely "full" but usually satiated. It has worked for me. By the way, I also have gluten+dairy+corn allergies, so I just eat "real" foods and can't really eat out either. No alcohol as with this low, drinking calories is just silly!