how to sucessfully maintain a 1200 cal. diet
Replies
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Maybe that is what is happening to me...I have been losing for two weeks straight at 2 lbs per week weight loss. I am doing the 1200 daily and I work out about one hour a day and I eat them back...maybe I shouldn't eat them back. Confused about this stuff and some what disappointed that I worked extremely hard last week and I ate the calories I burned and I gained 1 1/2 lbs back. Please help anybody.
It could be, or it could also be that your muscles need a break. I know when I work out hard, the next day the scale goes up, because my muscles retained water and need to relax for a day.0 -
Maybe that is what is happening to me...I have been losing for two weeks straight at 2 lbs per week weight loss. I am doing the 1200 daily and I work out about one hour a day and I eat them back...maybe I shouldn't eat them back. Confused about this stuff and some what disappointed that I worked extremely hard last week and I ate the calories I burned and I gained 1 1/2 lbs back. Please help anybody.
It could be, or it could also be that your muscles need a break. I know when I work out hard, the next day the scale goes up, because my muscles retained water and need to relax for a day.
Yea, maybe so! I will do that and see what happens...Thanks!!0 -
I am at 1200 cals. Fell free to add me if you like.Anyone out there been able to maintain a 1200 cal. diet?0 -
[quotelol!!!]I didnt know that I could eat those cals. back after exercise. This might help out quite a bit.
Eating exercise calories back doesn't work for everyone. I get a lot of people suggest it and so does MFP, but for me it never has worked, I always gain when I try to eat them back. Each person is different, so my advice is to play with it and find out what works best for you. Every time I've tried to eat more then 1200 I've gained as well, again I had to play with it.
Actually it works for everyone who does not have a slow metabolism or thyroid issue. Most likely the issue with it not working is you are either over estimating your calories burned (not using a HRM), or under estimating what you actually ate (not measuring liquids and weighing solid foods) Other than that, you must eat them back to meet your goal deficit.
Or she could be gaining muscle.
If I had to eat 1200 a day and could not eat back my exercise calories, I would not exercise.
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[/quote][quotelol!!!]I didnt know that I could eat those cals. back after exercise. This might help out quite a bit.
Eating exercise calories back doesn't work for everyone. I get a lot of people suggest it and so does MFP, but for me it never has worked, I always gain when I try to eat them back. Each person is different, so my advice is to play with it and find out what works best for you. Every time I've tried to eat more then 1200 I've gained as well, again I had to play with it.
Actually it works for everyone who does not have a slow metabolism or thyroid issue. Most likely the issue with it not working is you are either over estimating your calories burned (not using a HRM), or under estimating what you actually ate (not measuring liquids and weighing solid foods) Other than that, you must eat them back to meet your goal deficit.
Or she could be gaining muscle.
If I had to eat 1200 a day and could not eat back my exercise calories, I would not exercise.
LOL!!0 -
I do within reason, been doing it for about 3 months now. I found it really hard to start with as i did not reduce it down slowly, so not only did i cut out all the stuff i loved to eat, but halved my intake. Stupid really, but fortunatly i was so focused i stuck with it, but the slow steady approach is far better.
After a couple of weeks i got into the swing of it. It is finding a level of what you like, mixed in with really healthy stuff. I eat a lot of chicken and veg and throw in upto 200 calories of bad stuff, such as chocolate etc if i want it.
I aim for the 1200 net a day if i do not exercise and upto 1400 net if i exercise. 1200 on days i work out just is not enough, i can really feel it in my legs (i only work out lightly at the minute) but the big thing for me is not feeling guilty if am under or over on a day, i use 1200 to aim for, it is not a golden rule that you must stick to.
Once i have lost another 14lbs i am upping mine as i hope to be a lot fitter and will do more exercise and will want to build muscle, so i do not see it as a long term for life figure.
1200 just does not work for everyone, but it is a place to start, take a few weeks to figure it out, once you get it right you will be dropping pounds. If need to be at 1600 what does it matter if you are losing weight.
Allow yourself a while to figure out what you want and like to eat, what you can and cannot leave out . Try new stuff, found a love of a couple of veggies and a few other things i would not have normally eaten. Now a fan of celeraic.
Take your time and enjoy the process, if you do not enjoy it you wont stick to it.0 -
I do within reason, been doing it for about 3 months now. I found it really hard to start with as i did not reduce it down slowly, so not only did i cut out all the stuff i loved to eat, but halved my intake. Stupid really, but fortunatly i was so focused i stuck with it, but the slow steady approach is far better.
After a couple of weeks i got into the swing of it. It is finding a level of what you like, mixed in with really healthy stuff. I eat a lot of chicken and veg and throw in upto 200 calories of bad stuff, such as chocolate etc if i want it.
I aim for the 1200 net a day if i do not exercise and upto 1400 net if i exercise. 1200 on days i work out just is not enough, i can really feel it in my legs (i only work out lightly at the minute) but the big thing for me is not feeling guilty if am under or over on a day, i use 1200 to aim for, it is not a golden rule that you must stick to.
Once i have lost another 14lbs i am upping mine as i hope to be a lot fitter and will do more exercise and will want to build muscle, so i do not see it as a long term for life figure.
1200 just does not work for everyone, but it is a place to start, take a few weeks to figure it out, once you get it right you will be dropping pounds. If need to be at 1600 what does it matter if you are losing weight.
Allow yourself a while to figure out what you want and like to eat, what you can and cannot leave out . Try new stuff, found a love of a couple of veggies and a few other things i would not have normally eaten. Now a fan of celeraic.
Take your time and enjoy the process, if you do not enjoy it you wont stick to it..
I think thats the key enjoying it and not beating myself up. Then I become the emotional eater.0 -
i guess i better change my goal then , i want to loose 17 lbs on a 1200 cal a day , it has not been possible yet to not go over 1200 cal a day dammit , what should i do ? ps are you a Canadian too ?0
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i guess i better change my goal then , i want to loose 17 lbs on a 1200 cal a day , it has not been possible yet to not go over 1200 cal a day dammit , what should i do ? ps are you a Canadian too ?
with only 17lbs to go your goal should be between 0.5 and 1.0 lbs/week and you should also be eating back the calories that you burn. this way you will retain most of your lean mass instead of losing a large % of muscle.
Not sure who you were asking, but yes I am from Canada (east coast, Halifax , NS).0 -
I didnt know that I could eat those cals. back after exercise. This might help out quite a bit.
Eating exercise calories back doesn't work for everyone. I get a lot of people suggest it and so does MFP, but for me it never has worked, I always gain when I try to eat them back. Each person is different, so my advice is to play with it and find out what works best for you. Every time I've tried to eat more then 1200 I've gained as well, again I had to play with it.
I'm the same way. I can not eat back my exercise calories... it's like there was no reason for me to workout as I dont lose anything when I do that! I eat 1450 a day and strive to workout at least 4 days a week for 25-30 mins now (I'm just starting) and in 2 weeks my goal is 1 hr a day for 4 days.0 -
I have been on 1200 cals for three weeks and have lost 6 pounds. That is a very acceptable rate of loss for me, since my goal was 31 pounds. I have not found it difficult at all, and in reality I am eating more than I was before. Just eating better. They key is to be mindful of how you use that 1200 calories. I eat alot of raw veggies and lean meats. I also have snacks (almonds, pistachios, yogurt, etc)... the key for me is to keep eating throughout the day and not eat all my calories in big meals!0
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I'm at 1300 but am sometimes stretching to even get there. I eat very low calorie foods. My diary is public if you want to take a look.0
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it doesn't suck for me unless i want to drink. then that junk starts to get complicated.0
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I've been on the 1200 cal diet for about a week now. Usually, I go over 1200 cal but I include exercise which usually brings me back under the 1200 cal goal. My problem, I think, is too many carbs. I have to cut down on the carb intake.0
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I always have a good breakfast, and I will plan what I'm having for dinner and enter that in the morning. That way, I"m left with X calories that I can consume during the day without going over. Nothing worse that pootling along all day then finding there are no calories left for dinner!0
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I am on a 1200 cal diet. Feel free to add me and look through my diary for an food inspirations, though they're all very basic. :P0
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I am on the 1200 calories as well. I decided to not worry so much about my calories but the choices I make. I get more fresh fruit and veggies in and I feel good about it. If I go over 1200 I am ok with it. I didn't get fat eating carrots0
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The secret to being successful is to plan, plan, plan! I end each day with planning my food diary for the next day. If I put in what I am going to eat, I can see the calorie content before I begin the day. If I see I have planned too many calories, then I adjust accordingly by deleting some foods and switching to something else. If I don't plan, iIknow I will over eat my calories.0
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I have no issues normally, although I do work out as well so that helps maintaining everything.0
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Know your own body. When I don't eat enough calories, I notice that my energy level during exercise isn't there. I just can't get as intense as I would like.0
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Please read my blog, I explain the whole NET calories thing, as well as discuss my personal experience with starvation and the dangers of certain attitudes towards food.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Quasita/view/let-s-be-truly-honest-about-starvation-mode-1991210 -
I think there are a few key things:
1) eat good foods - fresh veg, lean meat etc. Junk foods or even the healthier pre-prepared foods can be either high is calories or don't keep you full for long, or, usually, both. Eating better quality food keeps you fuller, longer.
2) exercise and eat back your exercise calories. If you are using an HRM you are probably good to eat back all of them, if using MFP's calorie calculator, eat back around 75% as it tends to give high burns for some reason
3) drink a lot of water, at least the 8oz recommended, it really ndoes keep you going between meals0 -
That is my goal for weight loss mode. I try but usually go over a bit. I'm still losing though.0
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I'm only able to maintain a 1200 cal diet if I workout so I can eat those extra calories, otherwise I go over........0
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I stuck to 1200 most of the time until I lost the amt of weight that I needed to lose (that took from March-Nov) That being said, I always ate my exercise calories back. Eating protein like almonds, greek yogurt, etc, helped to keep me from feeling so hungry. Good luck!0
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I didnt know that I could eat those cals. back after exercise. This might help out quite a bit.
Eating exercise calories back doesn't work for everyone. I get a lot of people suggest it and so does MFP, but for me it never has worked, I always gain when I try to eat them back. Each person is different, so my advice is to play with it and find out what works best for you. Every time I've tried to eat more then 1200 I've gained as well, again I had to play with it.
I never count my walking to and from work as exercise as I do it everyday, only eat back the calories on real work outs (my dancing and swimming etc), I do feel I am loosing a bit but I really don't want to weigh myself yet!0 -
bump to read later !
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Thanks for the heads up and I will definitely take it into account. I still have a large amount of fat stored in the adapose tissue around my midsection and I figure a large portion of my NEW weight loss will be derived mainly from my stubborn existing fat stores. I use the example of having a 42/44 waist to now having a 35 waist. Still have a very small spare tire. In summation I want to lose 20lbs more then I will go into maintenance mode and then growth mode. However, I do appreciate what you have told me and will take heed once I reach my ultimate weight loss goal. :-)
Put it this way, when I was over that I stayed at 212 for a solid month. I dialed it back to the 1200 - 1350 mark and lost 2lbs in a week. Lets see what happens this week. If I lose 2 more this week then I am going to ride it out for another 20lbs. My goal is to do this (1200-1350) for one month and see what happens.I try to stay at 1,200 - 1,350 as I get my best results. I did spend a month eating 1,800 per day though. I wish I had a clear cut way to stay there (1,200) but I just truly watch what I eat and I have learned to grab things that are going to make me full.
Richgreen, as a guy do you find a 1200 cal diet works? No issues with plateaus or slower metabolism?
Just interested as most men are not recommended below 1500 (girls get 1200). I am on about a similar level and struggling to eat more than 1200 now...
Erickirb makes a good point but I am eating v healthy and a few nutrient supplements getting all the nutrients I need.
If it works for you. Just keep in mind that a good portion of those 2lbs is likely from lean muscle, not just your fat stores. You might want to ask yourself, do you want to lose weight, or lose fat. If your answer is weight then by all means eat less, if you answer was fat, then you may want to eat a lot more. Eating less you will get to your goal weight faster but you will have a higher BF% at that weight then if you did it slower.0 -
I actually often find it difficult to eat all of my 1200 calories because it seems like too much. I think this is because of what I eat (even though I do add some high cal/junk food to it, I still don't tend to go over). You can definitely look at my diary for some ideas. I've decided (
) to keep bread/pasta etcetera to a minimum (though they do have these 50 calorie tortillas I use when I need to use something like that), and eating a lot of vegetables and protein packed stuff. I try to eat every couple of hours (sometimes it doesn't happen, though), and when I just want something to eat, I go for something seriously flavor packed with few calories (olives are my friend!). Plus drinking 1-2 cups of water with each meal/snack (depending on the size). 0 -
I have 1200 calories after my mid morning meal. Not sure how anyone survives on 1200 calories.0
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