Anyone else on 1200 a day?
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Seems really low to me since anything less is starvation. This is what was recommended for 2lbs a week and for 1.5 lbs I only get 1300. I don't know seems low to me, anyone else out there working with this number too?
I am on 1200 calories per day. I've been here one week now and so far have found I can stick to the calorie amount providing I eat a breakfast consisting of eggs and space out my meals.
It must be working because I feel excellent and have lost 6lbs. Just another 24lbs to go lol.0 -
I just started as well and thought the same thing, 1200 was way to low, but after this week of tracking my food intake, I find I'm full with even less than 1200 calories a day. I lost 4 pounds so far (I'm sure its water weight) but I'm hoping this works,,,Good Luck
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I'm on 1200 per day. So far I'm hanging in there. At first it was very hard and I was very hungry. Now I think my body has adjusted but it's not easy.0
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I'm really not understanding why everyone seems to think that 1200 calories a day is torture.
3 cups of salad have less than 90 calories. I can eat a salad topped with ground turkey and a low calorie marinara sauce and have a very filling lunch for less than 300 calories. Throw in some carrots and a fruit cup, and I'm feeling great. Strawberries have like 3 calories a piece. Egg whites are also very low calorie. It's all about what you eat.
If you eat high calorie stuff, you won't be able to eat as much. Honestly, now that I've become more aware of what I'm actually eating, I stay full longer than I did when I was eating 3000 calories a day. And I feel better since I'm eating veggies and low fat protein.
If I workout, I eat back my calories. I'm definitely not hurting however.
Also, I'm 5'8 and about 180 pounds so I'm not exactly a small person.0 -
I'm really not understanding why everyone seems to think that 1200 calories a day is torture.
3 cups of salad have less than 90 calories. I can eat a salad topped with ground turkey and a low calorie marinara sauce and have a very filling lunch for less than 300 calories. Throw in some carrots and a fruit cup, and I'm feeling great. Strawberries have like 3 calories a piece. Egg whites are also very low calorie. It's all about what you eat.
If you eat high calorie stuff, you won't be able to eat as much. Honestly, now that I've become more aware of what I'm actually eating, I stay full longer than I did when I was eating 3000 calories a day. And I feel better since I'm eating veggies and low fat protein.
If I workout, I eat back my calories. I'm definitely not hurting however.
Also, I'm 5'8 and about 180 pounds so I'm not exactly a small person.
I agree - if you eat the right foods, and a balanced, healthy diet, 1200 cals can be very filling. I'm 5'0" and 45, with a sedentary job, so I aim for 1100-1200 cals a day - at 1200/day, with no additional exercise, I would only lose 0.3 pounds per week, and at my height, exercising doesn't really burn up the cals very quickly (I'm very jealous of people who can burn 500-1000 cals in an hour - I'd have to work out 2-4 hours to get there, which isn't reasonable). I eat a lot of fruit, veggies, lean proteins cooked without added fats, and some whole grains and potatoes. I have my Skinny Cow treat every day, and usually some other low cal treats. I feel great, and when I eat this way, I sometimes have trouble making it to 1200. The days I get into trouble are when I start eating processed foods that are higher in calories, but not necessarily more filling, making it even easier to overeat. As the above poster said, you can have a huge salad with protein for less than 300 calories and feel stuffed, but in a good way. It's all in what you choose to eat. But, if you are taller or more active, by all means, take advantage of the extra calories you can eat :-) But still stick with healthy foods 0 -
I'm doing 1300 now and I started at 1200, but in the middle I went up as high as 1500 without gaining an ounce, so if 1200 seems low for you then try a slightly higher goal until you get used to eating less. If you've been eating a lot more (say 2500/day) and you suddenly drop to 1200 you're at less than half what you were before and your body is going to be stressed.
If you choose to continue with a low goal you have to plan carefully. LOTS of protein, lots of good fat, legumes, etc. Lower the carbs, not because they're "bad" but because you get hungry again sooner after eating them. If I eat 100 calories worth of popcorn it's high volume but I'll be hungry again in an hour. If I eat 100 calories of unsalted almonds I'll be satisfied for much longer. Also a problem can arise if you're eating processed or take out foods since you get so little for your calories and end up having to skip a meal to make your calorie goal for the day.
I would personally recommend starting with a slightly more maintainable goal, like 1500. Once you're used to tracking and you know which foods keep you full the longest, then you can lower your goal if you need to.
Also I don't know if it's already been said, but if you've only got 10-15 lbs to lose you shouldn't have your settings on losing 2 lbs per week. Set it to .5-1 lb per week and you'll get much more sustainable results.0 -
1200 calories isn't low? I barely manage to hit that target everyday & I eat loads.0
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I cannot do this for too many days in a row or I am starving. I am jealous of those who can. I want to know what they eat. I eat alot of fruits and vegetables and still am over 1200 and hungry.0
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I cannot do this for too many days in a row or I am starving. I am jealous of those who can. I want to know what they eat. I eat alot of fruits and vegetables and still am over 1200 and hungry.
It's probably because you haven't artificially lowered your metabolism below what it can be by eating too little for too long.
Good for you.
Now, if you are really hungry after eating a meal of just fruit and vegetables, which would be about nothing but carbs, you may have an issue with insulin spiking clearing your blood sugar too low too fast, which can easily make you hungry.
If you also feel tired shortly after eating this type of meal, you might want to experiment and cut back on the fruits, only eat the veges and a good sized piece of protein with about 14 almonds.
If you don't get the same effect, and the calories are about the same, your body would be overreacting to the carbs. Which is not at all unusual for folks trying to lose weight.
Compared to that skinny friend that can eat pasta and bread and not have a problem!0 -
1200 calories isn't low? I barely manage to hit that target everyday & I eat loads.
A messed up metabolism would indeed cause that.0 -
I'm on 1200 a day (well, 1240). So far it's been alright...it has its moments of frustration and moments of "this is no problem!" Mostly though, it's "another 100 calories or so would be nice, just to have if I wanted it." I just restarted MFP so I'll see how 1240 works for me; if I'm not getting much progress I'll increase the calories to 1400 or so.
As far as people going under 1200...I won't pass judgement, but I will say that I hope those who are doing that are doing so under medical supervision because there are health risks attached.0 -
1200 calories isn't low? I barely manage to hit that target everyday & I eat loads.
A messed up metabolism would indeed cause that.
I said I eat loads of food & barely manage to reach 1200 calories, that has nothing to do with my metabolism, it has to do with the kind of food I eat, I eat low calorie filling food.0 -
If you want to find it less torturous, there is a good literature on satiety promoting, low calorie density food. Dr Barbara Rolls has written a diet based on it called the Volumetric Diet. Or save your money, and eat lots of oats and rink lots of water.0
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Yes, but once you add exercise then your calorie goal goes up. So, I typically walk 4miles a day at a very brisk pace (4.5-5mph) and that gives me an additional 341 calories.
Yes, this! I eat back all exercise calories and work with weekly rather than daily goals to mix it up a bit. I have a low goal as not masses to lose and I'm short!0 -
yes I eat 1200 per day. But I eat mostly whole foods, I eliminated white carbs and I eat a lot of protein. Try this and you will find it easier to stick to.0
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I'm on this and not finding it too tough at the moment but I do usually have excercise cals to add on... I have eaten chips and dumplings in the last week!... just not very many... mostly I eat lots of veg and stuff and keep off the booze and cheese.. they are my downfall!
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I am on the 1200 a day. Been on it for 8 days now but ended up eating more (1300-1400 cal) most of the time. It is hard but I have become wiser by choosing carefully what I eat. I eat what I really like, cheese, chocolate and some dessert and cut down on the carbs. Also I went into exercise to get more calories.0
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hi all
yes im 1200 a day and so far im finding it very easy
ive found that every time im feeling hungry im having a glass of water then if im still hungey after i will then eat something.
another way to boost weight loss is have your carbs in morning and lunch then a carb free dinner in eve i did that before xmas and lost 22lbs in 4 months.0 -
I was doing 1200 a day but dropped weight too quickly (I dropped 10 lbs in the space of time I was looking to drop 5, eek) so have pulled it up to 1400-1500. I really liked having to pick the most nutrient rich foods, when I was doing a lower calorie intake so I' having a bit of trouble finding high quality foods to add into my diet to pull the calorie count up a bit. With exercise (walking around 20 miles a week, jogging maybe 5-10) I would have to eat like 2000 a day. There's no way I can do that without eating constantly or just giving up and eating trash.0
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Yep but I reach that total most days but I also tend to fall under by around 100 calories too. There's only so much good food in the house and I can't afford to buy loads just to reach their recommended total. I feel good eating the 1000-1200 + exercise calories that I do and I'm steadily losing weight with no bad side effects. I've never been a massive eater, I just didn't eat the correct things when I did est so I suppose that's why I'm not finding it too difficult.
Drink lots of water and keep yourself occupied so you don't feel like you have to eat loads.
Also, pay attention to the other stuff you're eating. Carbs/protein/sugars. It's not just about reaching the calorie goal. Most people who think they're hungry are actually thirsty so have a glass of water first.0 -
Fill up on veggies! They have very, very low calories. Try not to drink your calories away too. The more water you drink, the more full you feel too!0
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Welcome to the 1200calorie a day this doesnt work failure crew.
Eat at 1600calories for 2 weeks and call me in the morning!
you folks should compare numbers with other calculator websites.
Fat to Fit Radio has put out some awesome info and calculators on their tools page
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/
Do the military bodyfat calculator...i'll use my numbers as an example:
Here's the information that you entered:
Sex: male
Weight: 141 pounds
Neck: 15 inches
Waist: 32 inches
Hip: 35 inches
Based on this information, you have a lean body mass of 119 pounds. Your lean body mass includes everything in your body that's not fat. Now that we know your lean body mass, let's find out how much fat you're carrying around. We'll subtract your lean body mass from your weight and find you currently have 22 pounds of fat on your body.
Your body fat percentage is 15.6%.
Then do the BMR calculator. This tool gives you exactly what to eat per your activity level. again using my info.
Katch-McArdle Forumla
The numbers above are fairly accurate, however they don't take into account your lean body mass. A more accurate formula that does take your lean body mass into account is the Katch-McArdle formula. Since many of us have scales that will tell us our current body fat, this formula may yield more accurate results. Based on the information you provided, body fat percentage of 15%, you have a lean body mass of 120 lbs., and your BMR is 1548 calories.
How Many Calories Should I Eat?
Based on your goal weight, the following chart was generated. The chart shows the number of calories that you should eat on a daily basis to reach your goal weight. At Fat 2 Fit Radio we advocate eating like the thin, healthy person that you want to become. The calorie levels you see in the chart are not extreme, but they do create that all important caloric deficit that is required to get you to your goal weight in a safe manner. Once you reach your goal weight, you will continue eating the same number of calories for the rest of your life to maintain that weight. You'll never be on a diet again.
Based on how much activity you do on an average day, the calories in the right column will be the number of calories that you will be able to eat at your goal weight. If you start eating those calories right now (eating like the thinner you), you will eventually become that thinner person. As you get closer to your goal weight, your weight loss will start to slow down. It is OK to eat a few hundred calories less per day (200-300) to speed up your weight loss at this point.
Activity Level Daily Calories
Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) 1852
Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/wk) 2122
Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 2392 <
This is me BTW.
Very Active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days/wk) 2662
Extremely Active (hard daily exercise/sports & physical job or 2X day training, i.e marathon, contest etc.) 2932
Notice the BMR number of 1500? If I was eating at 1200 daily I would be robbing my vital organs of important nutrients. This is a metabolism killer and I wouldnt lose any weight after a while.
In fact i'm eating so well that even at 2500 calories a day i'm still losing .5lbs a week.
If I drop it down to 2200calories id probably lose a pound a week.
So to sum up...do the research before you start experimenting with your vital organs and hormones.
Eating too low could really screw you up!
Good luck!0 -
I am and it is starvation level!How can people live of off 1200 calories a day???I went over my caloric intake yesterday....Maybe I just am not eating the right foods....I try to make foods that I make for dinner for my family healthier so I am not tempted to eat junk.0
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I'm on 1200 and I can do it, but not every single day.
I get the best results from having a few days a week higher - 1500 range. I also don't eat low fat anything, and I eat whole foods - the entire egg, regular butter in small amounts, even mayo - the full fat kind. I find my satiety is much better with whole foods, and with more protein and fewer carbs than MFP provides.
The days I go higher, sometimes I exercise for the extra calories sometimes I don't. It feels like my progress stalls if I stick to a low number for a long period of time with no variation.
Oh, and one other thing: 1200 is painful for the first couple weeks, and I don't know if my stomach shrinks a little or I just calm down, but it gets much easier.0 -
1200 calories isn't low? I barely manage to hit that target everyday & I eat loads.
A messed up metabolism would indeed cause that.
I said I eat loads of food & barely manage to reach 1200 calories, that has nothing to do with my metabolism, it has to do with the kind of food I eat, I eat low calorie filling food.
And a messed up metabolism would make that low calorie filling food feel like enough.
If metabolism is moving along at a good clip, you can eat the most fluffy stomach stuffing items that are low calorie, and as soon as it empties and your body realizes it needs more calories to feed muscle, grow hair/nails, fight off infections, ect, you'd be hungry again.
It's exactly why you'll see the comments from time to time, "I'm eating what you are eating and can't get buy below 1400/1600 without feeling starving" and the other info is about the same.0 -
I did 1200 a day when I first started. When I lost 20 lbs. I upped it to 1 lb. a day. After the holidays I tried going back down to 1200 and I couldn't do it. I was so hungry, even with eating exercise calories, and on the days I don't happen to get any exercise, it gets way too difficult to stay in the calorie range. So I may lose slower but atleast I'm not feeling deprived.0
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I am on 1200 a day, but i usually burn an extra at least 500, so I eat those calories as well! Seems to be working for me!0
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I think that is the lowest you can go if you want to lose 2 pounds a week. I think that is the default. But I eat more whatever MFP tells me to because I exercise most days of the week. So I go to Curves and burn min 433 on the circuit and it adds in that many extra calories for me to eat. So I think I have to eat closer to about 1600 calories. But the weight is falling off.0
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I'm on 1200 a day! I'm trying to drop 30 whopping lbs! I don't want to feel deprived, but I want to be healthy!
Good luck to all, add me if you'd like share motivation and give each other support!0 -
Yo!
But I almost always eat close to 1600 cals and balance out the 400 with exercise - usually intense Iyengar or Ashtanga yoga.
It is gentle on the body, brings balance to mind and leaves me with sense of completeness that nothing else does.0
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