Results on 1200 calories
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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.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
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.
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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 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.
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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.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.
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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 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
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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 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
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.
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I'd also suggest that "be cautious about your health and well being" is a positive message. It's a sign that people - strangers - care. I don't see how that's negative.
We do see people here think 1200 (or less) is somehow necessary for all, and eat too little for their situation. We do see people here for whom the calculators (with honest inputs) produce too low a calorie goal for a given amount of weight loss, and lose too fast. People other than the OP do read these threads.
Many of those offering cautions have said that 1200 is right for some people, and that watching one's results (scale and feelings) is key.
Wanting people to be happy, healthy and successful is meant positively. I understand why it might feel like criticism, though, and I'm sorry if it seemed I was disrespecting you in any way because that was not my intention. I comment on these things primarily because MFP legit told me 1200 was right for me (I'm old, not very big, sedentary) plus I could do it pretty easily, but I still had bad health outcomes. While that's rare, it can happen. I want others to be healthy, happy and energetic while accomplishing their weight management goals.
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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.5 -
You're not alone. I discussed this as a common issue in an earlier post and I think others have concurredI 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.
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tomcustombuilder wrote: »
You're not alone. I discussed this as a common issue in an earlier post and I think others cave concurredI 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.
Depending on the timeline (duration of the stall), the estimates could have been fine, but the water retention from the exercise was masking fat loss0 -
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.4
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Then you're on the right track. People generally have different tracking styles but as long as they work then more power to 'em.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.
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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.3 -
I have lostLiveOnceBeHappy wrote: »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".
I did this too for 10 months. The weight came off. I don't have an eating disorder either. I don't understand why people can't just let others do what works for them.5 -
No success, I was starving all the time. Went up to 1,400 calories a day and so much happier! 4
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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.6
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1200 calories can be as filling as you make it. One piece of dessert can equal that, and we all would still be hungry!
I am an older basically sedentary woman. I have been on the 1200 calorie lifestyle for almost a year. Dropped from 185 to 134. I don’t feel hungry, but I also have realized that I cannot eat a whole plate of nachos, have a few drinks and still order deserts.
I still can if I we’re to choose to, just means I eat fewer calories throughout the week, to indulge on the weekends.
I enjoy vegetables, frozen works great for 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.6 -
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.3 -
That makes two of us. I think frozen vegetables trump sliced bread. They are, by far, the best thing that ever happened to me.TexasBlaze wrote: »I enjoy vegetables, frozen works great for me.
I concur. We might well wish that CICO was wrong, but it isn't and it couldn't possibly be.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.1 -
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.
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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!1
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