1000-1200 diet! Who did it?

I can't see your diary, and the intensity of your exercise needs to be accounted for, as well as your metabolism - but I'd guess that you are eating too few calories for healthy weight loss.

You may be putting your body into starvation mode. Are you eating often enough? If you workout and limit your calories to 1,000 per day, your body is going to hold onto everything it can because it thinks you are starving (think back to primal days, our bodies are conditioned to hold calories because it's not sure when you will find the next meal). You may also want to watch your sugar intake after lunch (limit fruit in the afternoon)

Allow yourself 1,200 - 1,500 calories a day, workout and the weight will come off. 1-2 lbs a week is normal so don't expect much more at your size. Eat only natural foods (nothing that comes in a package) and be consistent with your routine.

For workouts, always vary your workout. Muscle memory will get in the way of weight loss. If you run every day on the treadmill, your muscles won't be as challenged as time goes on. If you chenge it up, your body won't know what to expect. Come up with a weekly workout (what you are going to do each day - make sure every day isn't the same). Do thiis for a few weeks and change it u again. You can recycle your workouts a few weeks later

Good luck, you look great!

There are multiple school's of thought on weight loss. Both of them have sound principles

1. Eat More Weigh Less
2. Eat Less Weight Less

1. As you eat less, your body recognizes the lack of calories and slows down the rate at which it expends energy....less energy coming, means it must be more efficient in how it uses it. You eat more calories for awhile to get the engine going again, then eat less...eat more...eat less, etc..etc.. "Starvation Mode" as it often called is one of the most overused, and least understood principles. If starvation mode were that important, why aren't there any fat starving refugee children? Starvation mode does exist, but it is way, way, down the road, so long as you have enough energy (fat) to use.

2. However you figure it out, mix it up, package it, low carb, high carb, low fat, high protein, etc.. You need a deficit of 3500 calories to lose a single pound. That is the only solid given fact among all diet plans....3500 calorie deficit = 1lb weight loss. Therefore if you have a net calorie deficit over a week period of time that equals to 3500 calories, you will have lost 1lb. Depending on how tall you are, how much you weigh now, will depend on how many calories you need to exist. BMR is a good estimate, as are other methods, none of them are 100%, but they are good estimates.

In the end it comes down to you, and what you are most comfortable with. If you've found a plan that suits your lifestyle 1000 - 1200 calories, and you're ok with low carb and higher protein, then stay with that, nothing wrong with it at all. If that plan is not working for you, look to change some things up....try a different plan.

Whatever you try, give it time to work, examine both diet, exercise, and .....sleep, make sure you have a balance of all three.

good luck!

I found that if I ever went under 1200 NET calories per day, my weight loss would stall. If i kept it between 1200-1400, I would lose 2.5 lbs per week.
You have to use your NET calorie value, though. Not just counting food, otherwise your body will hold on to the fat.

I ate whatever I wanted as long as it fit into my calorie requirement. Carbs/Protein/Oreos, doesn't matter.

I have done 1200 cals for 22 mths and have lost 102 lbs I dont usually eat back my exercise cals. if I have a really good workout sometimes I will eat back 100-200 cals (once in awhile). You probably should aim for at least 1200-1300 cals. Hope this helps. Stick with it you can do it

I almost spend in my Polar 600-1000 calories per day... !!!

so basically you're burning almost everything you eat through exercise, let alone normal daily activity.

sorry hun, but you are setting yourself up for failure.

if you are working out intensely you NEED to eat. check out the group eat more to weigh less.

I promise eating 1000-1200 calories a day and working out a lot is going to backfire, cause your weight loss to slow down, make you tired and irritable, lower your immune system, for long periods of time it will cause muscle atrophy, skin dullness, hair falling out etc. My guess is that a combination of all of these things will make you give up.

You say on your profile that getting healthy is one of your goals. I don't think eating 1000 calories a day while exercising is going to do that for you.

Please do yourself a favor, and treat your body in a healthy way.

I too was on a low cal program <1,000 for about a month. I found that I did not have much energy for vigorous exercise you are describing. I upped my calories a bit and starting eating whole grain carbs and lost more weight then then I ate limited carbs.

The fear of undereating is terribly overblown here. It is not true that if you don't eat enough you will not lose weight. Turn on any reality weight loss show. They do extreme deficits and they lose weight at lightening speed.

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It only works in a short term. If you consistently stay with low calorie intake your metabolism will eventually slow down too to match your intake.

The fear of undereating is terribly overblown here. It is not true that if you don't eat enough you will not lose weight. Turn on any reality weight loss show. They do extreme deficits and they lose weight at lightening speed.

It's a lot like the myth of the 'fat burning zone' with heart rates. You burn a higher % of fat but you burn less of it.

fair enough. a lot of people do lose weight on VLCD. The fact of the matter is that there are healthier options to lose weight.

but whatever, do what you want. continue to eat your 1000 calories a day and wonder why you aren't losing. I'll be over here eating 1800+ calories enjoying my normal meals and enjoying extra energy and fueling my body so that it can be HEALTHY. oh and did I mention I still lose a pound or two a week?

The fear of undereating is terribly overblown here. It is not true that if you don't eat enough you will not lose weight. Turn on any reality weight loss show. They do extreme deficits and they lose weight at lightening speed.

....

It only works in a short term. If you consistently stay with low calorie intake your metabolism will eventually slow down too to match your intake.

If that was true humans could survive without food. Our BMR does slow a little in times of famine. It doesn't grind to a halt or even fall 50% or even 20%. We get a little more efficient is all. Our bodies are not immune to the laws of physics. Everything requires energy/fuel. Body fat is a perfect source of energy/fuel for the human body. It's what millions of years of evolution came up with to even out uneven food conditions across a lifespan.

Some of us can't eat 1800 calories a day and lose 1-2 lbs./week. My TDEE is often 1800, and that's WITH exercising a lot.

Losing slowly IS good for you. You feel less deprived, you get more used to a healthier lifestyle. But you can't say that everyone needs to eat more to lose weight faster. It's just not true. Lack of results is the biggest cause of giving up. We need to find a balance of results and satiety that works for each of us.

I currently weigh 230 started at 260 almost 3 months ago when i started my diet I was eating 1400 Cal working out 60 minutes a day burning 700 calories /work out, getting tired of working out every day I cut my intake to 1200 calories and working out 5 days a week same 60 minutes etc etc I have lost 30 pounds in 2 months and 2 weeks ( 3 months on June 16) Just make sure your not hungry if your hungry your body will hit starve mode and not let you give up calories. Good luck

I try to stay right at 1200. I found if I was going lower that just wasn't getting the results I wanted out of exercise.

I have lost about 100 lbs in 7 months but not just the calorie deficit. I also eat low carb. No carbs until noon and then veggies and one serving of fruit a day. I don't really eat any grains except an occasional thin corn tortilla with low sodium (Mission brand - 2 for 80 cals, 16 carbs and only about 30 mg sodium so I can fit them in once or twice a week).