How do you people stay at 1200 a day??

i am at 1200 a day but i also have a 1 year old and i am on my feet 4 days a week working and i am also bfing i have managed to do it and i am down 8lbs since i started a little over a week ago i am shocked how much i have gone down but i have the same thing for breakfast every morning

If you open your diary, we could take a look and perhaps give you some more specific suggestions...

I've been doing 1250 calories/day for months now... and have only slowly been losing... i would plateau for a month, lose a lb.. plateau again... despite changing workouts, etc.. I just upped my calories to 1600.. and ZOOOOOOMMMM I feel so much better and I'm losing again! I thought I would feel like crap eating more... but I feel great! My body is thanking me! I supposed some people can make it on 1200 calories.. and I did just fine... but when I finally started eating more, my body started loving it!!

I'm only 5' tall, so I really have to stick to the guidelines. So I exercise every day to add to my daily allotment. I was lucky - I found exercise that I L-O-V-E... Dance-based cardio classes!!! I usually take a day off each week, and on those days, I just accept that I will gain a little back.

:drinker:

Are you yourself trying to eat 1200 calories a day, or are you just wondering how other people do it? If you're trying to stick to 1200 that's probably way too few calories for you. I haven't read thru all 6 pages of responses, so perhaps this has already been stated. I see on your profile that you set out to lose 170 some-odd pounds (I can't remember the exact number) and you've lost 22 already. Judging by that, I'm guessing that you must weigh at least in the mid 200s. I'm no weight loss expert, but unless you're on some kind of closely monitored medically supervised diet, 1200 calories a day seems awfully low for your current weight. I didn't drop my calories back to 1200 until I weighed 140 lbs. and was trying to lose those last 15 lbs. Even then, I was eating around 1500 and then burning off around 300 through exercise.

I've only just started on here, but so far haven't had any issues... Couple of pieces of fruit for breakfast, half chicken breast, some rice & veges for lunch (usually leftovers from the night before) then fruit again in the afternoon with 20 almonds, followed by fish/chicken/steak and veges for dinner... No sauces or anything, as I've found thats where the calories are.. It tastes pretty bland but eyes on the prize right? Lemon juice is amazing to flavour steamed veges...

You can't cut down to 1200 straight away if you've been eating alot more than that though, slowly cut down maybe cut it by 200 cals a week?

Okay I'm on a 1300 calorie diet. It hasn't been overly hard to stick with the 1300 calorie diet. For me it's about finding satisfying lower calorie foods, drinking lots of water, and eating 5 times per day. I eat every 3-4 hours that I'm awake.. so by the time I get hungry again I'm eating again. I could do it without exercising and eating back but I do exercise so I do get extra calories which makes it that much easier. Essentially those extra calories come back in the form of protein shakes or extra veggies for me.

You've gotten some great advice about adjusting your settings and so on. For comparison, I'm 5'3", have 100 more lbs to lose, and my daily allowance is about 1600 - up to 1800 if I exercise.

I suggest checking out the Communities for people you have common goals with - whether it's pounds to lose, starting weight, or whatever. You might pick up tips that are more specific to your needs there!

Best wishes!

OMG I can't.

I eat ~1800ish on comfortably 'low' days. When I excercise is the ONLY time I ever lose weight. I do not know how people just eat salad!!!!!

I started at 1200 cals a day, but I usually eat around 1300 now... I have a 'day off' so really on a weekly look at things I eat more if you balanced it out.

Anyways, I realized REALLY quickly that if I was to be satisfied on even 1300 cals a day I would have to eat alot healthier. Now it's really second nature. I know what calories I aim for with each meal and snack and go from there. I eat alot of the same things.

So it can be done, you can be full and actually eat healthy! Well you have to or you would starve LOL!!!

Just my two cents, you've lost 22 pounds already, don't sell yourself short! You've got a ways to go, but it isn't like you haven't budged. As far as exercise, don't jump into an hour a day of hardcore stuff or you are likely to quit in a couple of weeks, You;d be surprised how a half hour brisk walk done every day adds up and is quite easy to do. Look up 23 1/2 hours on You Tube, it changed how I look at exercise, you don;t have to run marathons to be healthy! As far as the hunger thing, try for higher fiber foods as they'll make you feel full longer, choose lean proteins and veggies over starches if you have the choice and google low glycemic foods as these will lead to less spikes in blood sugar and tend to last in your system longer. Also drinks lots of water, and green tea (unsweetened) is a good addition to your daily regimen.

Don't be discouraged - you have made progress already. This is a learning process - if it were really easy, we would've done it quite a while ago. I only go over calories when I indulge in sweets/non-nutritious carbs. I eat 3 meals & 2 snacks a day with moderately low carb, moderately hi-protein and 25g of fiber (helps me feel full). The closer I get to my fiber & protein goals, the fuller I feel. Sometimes I'm under in calories but it's because I'm not hungry. Macros are an individual thing - we find what works and use it until it's time to adjust them.

You dont HAVE to eat 1200 calories a day to lose weight!! STOP starving yourself. Eat between your BMR and TDEE.

^^^ THIS!

double ditto!!!

Im 1200 but i also do two protein shakes a day, and add a spoon of fiber to it. then, i have typically a large 500-700 calorie meal, and i split that into two, so i can eat "dinner" twice. Then i also have a few snacks in the evening, to try to get to my calories, but like today.. im 400 under! I am one that cant seem to get enough calories. I am 35 years old, 5'6" and weigh 222 pounds currently. i am ALWAYS searching for little things to eat to help me with calories. Yesterday, i had a six pack of beer and was under goal.. tonight, under goal even after eating half of a king size three muskateer!

It works differently for different people. I have never been a eater. I am obese, and yet i was lucky if i ate 800 calories before i started this. I have crohns disease, so i was always throwing up.. which meant early in the morning, i certaintly didnt want to eat!! The shakes help me by putting something light on my stomach, and giving me ALOT of nutrients!!

You just have to find what works for you! Every one is different, thats what makes us special.