1200 Calories?!

misskirsty_b · January 2012

i'm on 1200 cal - in 6 weeks have lost 8lbs. started at 161 at 5'5" x

beckylawrence70 · January 2012

I've been doing 1200 calories with exercise for a little over a week now and lost 6lbs so far........6 more to go!

Sweet_Potato · January 2012

It's not hard. I eat constantly, and I eat a lot of sweets, but I haven't found the 1200/day diet to be significantly different than when I wasn't counting calories. Portion control is key! My diary's open if you want to see just how much you can eat for 1200 calories.

The tougher part for me has been losing weight-- I've been doing this since October and only lost a pound. I used to eat my exercise calories, but I've recently started eating only 50-75% of them.

miss_magzy · January 2012

Question: Do you stick to your 1200 or do you eat back whatever you burn off exercising? Like I burn approx 400-600 cals a day, so If I didn't eat those back my net would only be 800 calories in a day..would that send my body into starvation mode?

I'd like to know that too.. Am i supposed to eat back some of those calories or stick to the 1200 only? thats the only part that I am worried I am doing wrong

Jackie9950 · January 2012

I do 1200 cals a day and ussually eat back 1/2 my exercise cals. When I hit a plateau I bump my calories up to 1600 cals for 1 weeks and then bump it back down. It seems to reactivate my metabolism to continue losing. I also found that doing different exercises each week helps as well! I have been on MFP and dieting since 9/11/11 and I have lost 36 lbs.

Jeff92se · January 2012

You're supposed to be keeping a net min calories. For those of you that are losing more than 2lbs a week, I'd worry about being able to sustain that and the muscle mass loss

rosebud8506 · January 2012

Don't you feel you have no energy if you eat only 1200 cals and then exercise 3-4 x a week? I burn on average 500-600cals per workout and I feel fatigued when I don't eat as much say the day before. I base my diet on a lot of protein and whole grains.

19kat55 · January 2012

Is everyone doing 1200 calories like 4'3" and 95lbs?

I'm 5'8 1/2 and started at 206

brushe · January 2012

I'm eating about 2000-2400 per day. Burning 400-800 per day. I'm netting about 1500-1800 per day. Which for me is a 1lb loss per week. Lost 20 so far since 10.15.11. Haven't lost weight in about 3 weeks, but my measurements are getting smaller and I'm leaning out.

Jeff92se · January 2012

Is everyone doing 1200 calories like 4'3" and 95lbs?

I'm 5'8 1/2 and started at 206

Are you calculating the 1200 from your BMR and the desired 1-2 lbs a week weight loss or you just coming up with amount arbitrarily?

krystalg83 · January 2012

I just joined and mine is 1200 calories but i seem to be going over on the fat and protein

is this normal or am i just not eating the right foods?

meisme33 · January 2012

My MFP target is to eat 1590 calories per day. After 10 days of it I'm finding I have a hard time being hungry enough to eat all of those calories (which I'm stunned by), so I supplement a protein shake after my 45 minutes on the elliptical each night. If you include the exercise into the calorie deficit, I'm only netting around 1000 per day. I'm down 8.5 lbs in that 10 days.

Note: I'm 6'2", started at 238

dobenjam · January 2012

I averaged 1200 cals per day, and along with 30-45 minutes of elliptical 1-2 x per day, 5 days per week, lost almost 70 lbs. I averaged about 3 lbs per week, some weeks 5 lbs. I'm at a comfortable 2500 cal maintenance and have kept the same weight for a year, even with reduced exercise. I lift weights 3-4x per week but rarely do cardio - although I need to start for general cardiovascular fitness.

With limited calories, ensure that the food you eat is nutrient dense. Lean protein and fiber with every meal to keep you full. It's amazing how much vegetables you can eat for so few calories. I used to go through a 9oz bag of spinich a day. Egg whites, tuna/salmon, chicken breast, greek yogurt, fruits, peppers, quinoa, almond milk, whey protein isolate, etc. Very little cheese, bread, potato, white rice, pasta. Lot's of water and 3-4 cups of green tea a day, plus vitamins.

MFP says more than 1200 cals for me but I am a bigger and a guy. My wife is doing it as well and it says 1200 for her. This diet/exercise routine sounds almost exactly like mine (good green tea is great for you and keeps hunger away) but I also add a 2oz wheatgrass juice shot and 8-12oz of ABC (apple beet carrot) juice a day. I'm almost never hungry but I eat something healthy when I am and it lasts for a while.

I'll also say that your tastes will change. If you don't like most of these things, give it time. Your body will start to grave the good foods once you detox and get a lot of the chemicals out of your system.

Sweet_Potato · January 2012

I just joined and mine is 1200 calories but i seem to be going over on the fat and protein is this normal or am i just not eating the right foods?

It would help if we could see what you're eating and how much you're going over. I think it would be easy to exceed the protein goal if you're eating fish or meat (I typically get close even without it).

The fat's a bigger concern, but if you're not extremely over the limit and it's mostly coming from good sources like nuts and avocado I don't think you need to worry about it.

rose313 · January 2012

I have been at 1200 for 6 months, I have lost 5 pounds but I was eating a lot of fast food so that may explain why I didnt lose more. Im comfortable at 1200 and I eat back my exercise calories.

19kat55 · January 2012

MFP set my calorie goal for me based on my weight and desire to lose two pounds per week. I have not lost two pounds every week but am quite happy with the rate of loss nonetheless. I am eating very clean, no wasted calories. Most days eat between 900-1000 unless I exercise that day then I eat close to 1200

19kat55 · January 2012

Is everyone doing 1200 calories like 4'3" and 95lbs?

I'm 5'8 1/2 and started at 206

Are you calculating the 1200 from your BMR and the desired 1-2 lbs a week weight loss or you just coming up with amount
arbitrarily?

MFP set my calorie goal for me based on my weight and desire to lose two pounds per week. I have not lost two pounds every week but am quite happy with the rate of loss nonetheless. I am eating very clean, no wasted calories. Most days eat between 900-1000 unless I exercise that day then I eat close to 1200

Jeff92se · January 2012

MFP set my calorie goal for me based on my weight and desire to lose two pounds per week. I have not lost two pounds every week but am quite happy with the rate of loss nonetheless. I am eating very clean, no wasted calories. Most days eat between 900-1000 unless I exercise that day then I eat close to 1200

Then you're not eating at the MFP set calories. You ever get that warning thing when you complete your diary?

I'm not here to crticize but I feel that people purposely eat under their allotment on purpose. I don't feel that's the correct way to do it. But everyone is different I suppose.

mrsjennifermaffei · January 2012

Trying to stick to 1200 calories and since last summer I've lost 30lbs....

note* when I say trying to stick...that means I went over by 100-200cals on certain days, i never leave calories uneaten unless i worked out like a madman and just simply cant eat them all.

19kat55 · January 2012

MFP set my calorie goal for me based on my weight and desire to lose two pounds per week. I have not lost two pounds every week but am quite happy with the rate of loss nonetheless. I am eating very clean, no wasted calories. Most days eat between 900-1000 unless I exercise that day then I eat close to 1200

Then you're not eating at the MFP set calories. You ever get that warning thing when you complete your diary?

I'm not here to crticize but I feel that people purposely eat under their allotment on purpose. I don't feel that's the correct way to do it. But everyone is different I suppose.

That is true, I am not. But I know my body and what it takes for me to lose weight better than a program set to standards for the population as a whole. Some doing exactly what I do might lose 5 pounds per week and others .2 pounds a week. Everybody's body is different. I know in my 56 years what I need to do to lose it. I feel great, have lots of energy. My hair isn't falling out. So I am getting plenty from the good foods I eat.

1200 Calories?!

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