Below 1200 calories?

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cpotter4
cpotter4 Posts: 116 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Has anyone ever set there goals to below 1200 calories before? I know it puts you into starvation mode, I am just wondering.

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  • debbiestine
    debbiestine Posts: 265 Member
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    I'm only 5 2", so I am fine on 1000 calories (averaging) a day. I eat 3 meals and have 2 snacks. I've always worked out 4x's a week but only recently started losing weight b/c of this web site and realizing how much sugar and fat i was consuming. I'm at 118 now and look a lot better even though I still have a flabby torso (heredity?).
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
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    Has anyone ever set there goals to below 1200 calories before? I know it puts you into starvation mode, I am just wondering.
    Please, no.

    Eating below 1200 calories does not "put you in starvation mode".

    You can have a safe, rapid weight loss eating less than 1200 calories per day. When you eat a very low calorie diet, certain changes happen in your body. You may drop weight very, very quickly. You may have some negative effects, too. And, guess what, you may have negative side effects from losing weight on a "regular" diet.

    Please, banish from your mind the idea that "X happens if you do Y." when it comes to losing weight. That's just not how it works.

    While folks here scream and wail about low calorie diets, what they're reacting to are reports that "X percent of people experienced…". There are very, very few absolutes.

    Eating below 1200 calories worked very, very well for me - 95 pounds in 7 months and, in January, my starting weight was, IIRC, 195 and I dropped 7 pounds to get down to 188. That took me 14 days even though I was about 18% body fat (that's fairly low for a 55 year old male).

    Zero negative side effects from my dieting and I've had bloodwork, physical exams, a stress EKG, etc.

    My stats are here:

    http://cbeinfo.net/weight.htm

    and here's a picture of me holding 95 pounds of pork loins:

    http://cbeinfo.net/images/Doug-holding-pork-loin.jpg
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I think it's appropriate in some situations. I'm small and not overweight and I sit at a desk all day. If I didn't get any physical activity thoughg exercise there is NO WAY I could lose weight at 1200 calories a day.

    So if you're, say, inactive and around 100 pounds and you want to lose a small amount of weight you'll probably need to go lower than 1200.
  • auditorz
    auditorz Posts: 15
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    My gosh can't believe some of you people think you have to go below 1200 cals a day to lose weight..... sick.

    Lift weights eat protein and anybody can lose weight at much higher calorie levels.

    Sure you could instead lay in a coffin and starve your body until your daily metabolish is below 1200 but why would you want to live like that? Might as well be dead.
  • WalkWoman
    WalkWoman Posts: 34 Member
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    I'm always amazed at how much some people can eat and still lose weight. I'm only 5ft 1 and have desk job so only get exercise when I go to the gym, power walking etc - which I do regularly. I eat a very healthy diet, lots of veg, proteins etc but of course have other stuff like a shot of brandy (my little treat) or a bit of chocolate - always within my calorie goal. I have lost 8lb since starting in Jan and now put back 2lb cos not exercising cos of work, bad knee and now a virus - the gods are conspiring against me, or challenging me. I'm taking it down to 1,000 cals without exercise. I'm not starving, hungry, deprived, waiting for my coffin - ur funny - I'm happy and motivated to lose this weight in the riight way. We are not all built the same, we all have to work out what works for us. Most people's dieting calorie allowance would make me fat as a hippo!
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    My gosh can't believe some of you people think you have to go below 1200 cals a day to lose weight..... sick.

    Lift weights eat protein and anybody can lose weight at much higher calorie levels.

    Sure you could instead lay in a coffin and starve your body until your daily metabolish is below 1200 but why would you want to live like that? Might as well be dead.

    Really? Herein the posting above ^ lies total overexaggeration!!!

    I beg to differ, not anybody can lose weight at much higher calorie levels thanks very much, not everybody wants to lift the beloved weights either.

    By the way, many people die from being grossly overweight, that usually occurred when they ate like a pig and didn't stop. Why would anybody want to live like that I wonder, they may as well be dead.....

    Do you see how terrible that sounds?

    Two sides to every story eh.
  • babybluefire
    babybluefire Posts: 100 Member
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    Nursing both my children I ate less then 800 cals a day, I just was not hungry for more and was not getting exercise due to having a tiny colicky baby around. I am part native american. I am barely 5'4'' I can live on air if I have to. currently I have my basic goal set to 1200 and even though exercise cals push me into the 1500 range most days I know if I go over I just gain weight.


    So yea if you are female short and of native american or hispanic decent its totally feasible to need less then 1200 a day to loose weight or heck even maintain.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    Double posting
  • debbiestine
    debbiestine Posts: 265 Member
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    um, I lift weights twice a week, do kickboxing, pilates, and step. I go over everyday on my protein and fiber. I still only eat around 900 calories a day. I have more energy than most women half my age. :)

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