Under 1200--- how do ye do it? o.O

I've been taking in about 1200 calories a day for the last two months. And it has left me soo weak, starving, exhausted, dizzy.....

Alot of people on this that I have come across are actually surving on 500calories a day....AND LESS!.....As well as exercising on top of that!.......Alot of people are fasting, or doing liquid fasts etc......I've no interest in doing this to get the record straight......

I'm just wondering how in god's name do these people have the energy to live???:huh:

It is seriously boggling me :noway: :huh:

1200 cals a day is ridiculous, why do you feel like you need to eat so little?

My calorie intake is around 1600 calories and I am still losing weight. You need to increase your calories. Just increase the healthy foods and fruits to make up for the extra calories. Also, starting eating every 2-3 hours. It helps you get more calories in. Even if all those snacks are is fruit or yogurt, it will help keep your matabolism up, help you satisfy your caloric needs, and will help your energy.

The trick for me is to never let myself get hungry......so you have to eat nutritious foods and not waste any calories....oh and I really make sure I have at least 60 to 70 calories per day of protein. When I started the protein is when I could stay on a 1100 to 1200 cal per day plan. I also include Unjury protein powder supplements once a day 2b sure I get the protein right. I like the chocolate in my hot coffee and the strawberry in Crystal Light lemonade as it is only 100 calories and 20 grams of protein...this is the only brand that I cannot taste when mixed in. It took me a long time to figure out that not allowing myself to become hungry was the key to my losing.....good luck to you and hope this helps!!!

READ MY POST PROPERLY

Right. I read your post carefully word for word. Did you read my reply?

Not exactly feeling the attitude...

It is not healthy to eat less than 1200 calories, and for most 1200 calories is not enough.
Try eating at least 1300.. and go up a little from there if it doesn't help you feel better.
Also look into what you are eating within those 1200 calories. Are you eating empty calories, or good fats/proteins and other nutrients? Eating within a calorie limit does not necessarily mean you can eat whatever you want as long as you don't exceed that limit. It takes dedication, and changing your diet.
Also, perhaps start taking a vitamin supplement- you may not be getting enough nutrients and that's why your body is fighting you.

would be good to open your diary to see what your eating. i find that helps.
by the way i havent got an eating disorder either.

I already have like 1200 calls by lunch time, i think MOST people need more than that. I know i couldn't do it

So what type of answers to this are you looking for?
Are you just having a conversation about how other people are eating too little? Where as appropriate responses would be "yea, those people are crazy"
or are you looking for actual answers?
"I eat 1200 and feel fine eating x,y,z"
Also, on a side note, did I read that right that you are lying in your diary to please your friends and boyfriend? That defeats the purpose of logging imo.
BTW, I net 1200 and feel great. Losing 1-2 pounds a week now and running 3 x a week. So I think its individual and based on your current weight / metabolic needs.

What I mean is by my post is......How are these people surviving on just a few hundred calories a day alone??? when I am here so weak and exhausted after only eating 1200....

I'M JUST ASKING A GENERAL QUESTION! Nothing about myself ha..... As in like noone should be able to get through every day just taking in like 500cals

They're not thriving. They're starving themselves to be skinny. It's not healthy and no one should aim for under 1200 without being under a doctor's direct supervision. Usually they would only do this if the patient is very obese and it is more harmful to their health to stay that way rather than to be on a very low calorie diet for a short time.

Choose to be strong and eat healthily. I started at 1200 calories and agonized for almost a year. Couldn't lose and keep off 5lbs, it kept springing back. Then I started reading and learning from educated posters here who offered facts and websites and sources. I learned, and I listened to the people here whom have had the most success. Now I eat at 1700 calories and I am able to lose weight while still having energy and being able to eat food I enjoy as well without stressing.

People who eat only 500-1200 calories a day are doing it ALL wrong!!! These people think that cutting calories means losing weight....well that is just not true! You need to EAT and when I say eat I mean CLEAN FOODS.(whole grains,veggies,lean protein,fruit) I have lost more weight by eating MORE food (clean foods) when I cut my caories I gained weight because my body went into starvation mode!!

I lasted about a month at 1200 (net) before bumping it up to 1350, then 1500.

By being older / shorter / lighter to start with.
Or not exercising much.

I eat 1200-ish and I find it very do-able, but I eat very heathy foods and I cook / make nearly everything from scratch. So I might have Greek yogurt and fruit, or Bircher Muesli, or smoked salmon and scrambled eggs for breakfast. Homemade soup, or Greek / tuna / chicken salad for lunch with lots of raw veg, and a casserole, stir-fry or burger for dinner. There's even some cals left for the odd glass of wine or piece of chocolate or ice cream.

That might sound like a nightmare if you're teenaged / early twenties / a beefy bloke, but for an older woman, it's absolutely fine.

Im an "older" woman at 53 and eat 1800 a day

Im sorry but people are assuming i have an eating disorder. I've began taking in about 1700cals a day.

I know your post wasn't about you but are you taking in 1200/day for months (and you're miserably uncomfortable with it) or you've been taking in 1700/day?

To answer your original question, how some people are not miserable at low cal levels... It's because not everyone is you. We come in all sizes, ages, activity levels, discipline levels, belief systems. There are people who survive just fine on very low cals and they don't have eating disorders. They choose to eat that way for whatever reasons, not always appearance related. There is a lot of evidence that the less you eat, the longer you live, for example. It's very easy to think everyone is either exactly like you or else they are stupid and ill-informed.