On a 1200 calorie diet? How's it going?

I have been on a 1200 calorie program for 7 weeks now.  The friend that got me started said I would easily take off 25 pounds in the first six weeks. However I have only lost 12 and tomorrow is weigh in day and I don't think I have lost any this week.  I'm 28 and weigh 200 lbs.

Anyone else on a 1200 diet?  Do you lose regularly?  Are you losing fast?  Do you lose best when you make sure you eat all 1200 calories?  Sometimes I find myself lower then 1200 and I wonder if it is not helping me to go lower.  You know the whole starvation mode. 

if you have lost 12 lb in 7 weeks then you are doing just fine -- but eating 1200 calories is too little.  I know, I know....  1200 calories is too few, especially if you are 200 lb now.  And for goodness sake -- don't go lower.  I started at 210 and last about 2 days on 1200 cals.  Jacked it up to 1400-1500 (sometimes 1600-1800), added some exercise and lost 50 lb in 4.5-5 months

I am now eating 1700-1900 regularly, but exercising quite a bit, and still losing slowly.  I'm less than 8lb from goal.

WOW!!! That's like 10 pounds a month!  Sometimes I think weight comes off easier for different people.  I have been taking aerobic classes since Feb. and love to work a sweat. When I realized that alone was not getting the weight off I started counting calories.  I have also cut out sugar and white flour. I feel really good at 1200, I'm never hungry.  However I do notice when I go under I lose less.  Maybe I should try 1400 and see what happens.

I should say that my exercising is pretty intense, and I was working without a heart monitor at the time so although on paper my deficit was never (ok, maybe 3 times) over 1000, I suspect CC was underestimating my burn.  Which is why I kept upping my cals.  I lost most at the beginning, it slowed down tremendously after a couple of months.

I also ate very cleanly. I am a volume eater so I like lots of food -- probably 1/3 to 1/2 my cals came from veggies and fruit.  My fiber averages about 50-60g per day and I drink about a gallon or more water (only water -- but that's because I never was a soda/tea/crystal light drinker) per day.

Averaging 1-2 pounds per month is the best way to go -- you are more likely to keep it off.  Furthermore, the more calories you eat while you are losing weight, the greater room you have to reduce if you hit a plateau -- you are also able to maintain on a higher  calorie level (I have ABSOLUTELY no desire to eat 1400-1500 calories for the rest of my life..., I don't want my body to get used to it)

I lose more by eating more. Not to mention, I would just give up and overeat all the time if I tried to stick to 1200. I tried a 1200 cal diet a couple months before CC and I lost NOTHING after the first week (lost like 4 lbs that week. . . not fat, of course). Now I know why. I"m very active and I probably had a deficit of well over 1000 all the time and I became unbearably hungry, all the time.

I'm eating 1500-1600 now, occasionally more on workout days (every other day). It's worked well--2 lbs a week for the first 4 weeks. i don't expect the rate to continue but it's a nice way to start. Only 2 lbs for about 10 days or so, then a steady decline. I think when you find the numbers that are right for you, you'll know.

Good luck.

let me start by saying that staying at 1200 calories consantly is hard for me, i LOVE food! so i do go over from time to time. sometimes i lose 1 pound a week constantly. but mostly ill go down like 4 pounds then gain 2 then lose 3 then gain 2 then lose 4 again. anyways. when i stick to calorie counting i usually lose an average of 1.2 pound a week. you're doing great. as long as your losing that's progress. good luck, you're on the right track!

to Coach_K

Wow - that's awesome!  How often and how long did you exercise in order to lose that much weight?

Thanks 

Hi becomingjessie,

I weight about the same as you do.  I too have been struggling with the 1200 calorie diet - not losing at all!  It's crazy.  I'm in my 40's and thought it was because of my age.  But reading this forum has made me realize that maybe I'm not eating enough calories.  I think I'm going to take their advice and up my calorie intake, and like Coach_K said up the fiber intake too.

Hang in there. We can do it. 

Original Post by cinzia2008:

to Coach_K

Wow - that's awesome! How often and how long did you exercise in order to lose that much weight?

Thanks

thanks -- I swim (swam) 3500-5000 yards/meters, 3-5 days per week, in 60-90 mins -- all interval training (I still compete).

I eat between 1200-1400kcal when trying to shed pounds...I don't go below 1200, but I might go up to 1500 every now and then. This works best for me...I don't have that much to lose now, only abt 10-15lbs, but if you're overweight and have more than 30 pounds to lose then its best to eat between 1400-1600 and not go lower...u can lower it down to 1200-1300 when u get close to your goal weight, then zig zag and go abit higher every now and then.

If you're 200lbs, the odds are that 1200 calories really isn't enough for you... especially if you are exercising. It burns calories to keep your body going, so you need to eat more than someone who's 130lbs or so, and you don't want to go into starvation mode from consistently undercutting your requirements. I'm the happiest at 14-1500 calories a day, plus exercise of course.

I aim for between 1200 and 1300 calories Monday through Friday. During the weekends I tend to give myself a little slack because that is when I spend time with my boyfriend and therefore eat a little more casually then i would alone. I still keep it around 1400 to 1500 on those days but i am also very active on the weekends with swimming, gardening, playing with our dogs, riding the quad, etc. I have been fairly successful in the last couple weeks with that plan and have lost about 4 pounds. I am 146 right now and trying to get to 130ish so because I am a little smaller my calorie requirements might be smaller. I also think switching it up like i do on the weekends helps my body not go into starvation mode. I also allow myself the treats i cant live without. if i am craving a Good HUmor Chocolate Eclair Ice Cream bar, i eat it!  then i go hop on my bike for about 30 minutes and cycle through my neighborhood! Also, if i am craving something terrible like Mozzarella Cheese Sticks, I get them, then make my boyfriend eat half of them! it helps to satisfy my cravings and allow me the bad foods I LOVE but not over eat them and not go crazy and binge because i am no restrictive! And i always eat a salad as the first part of my lunch and dinner. then i order a small entree (kids size if the plae allows it) and then just eat a little of the entree then pass the rest on to my zero body fat boyfriend.

Im supose to be on 1200 but I eat about 1500 a day. im 30,5'1" and started at 215lb in 1 month I dropped 10 lbs.And this was without exercise.  If i rember right CC had my calories at 1600 and something but that just seemed like to much to me.

I don't mind it, and I don't find it particularly difficult, but I give myself 100 calories in "grace" calories/day in case the 1200 leave me feeling hungry.  This way I know I have something to fall back on (however small) if I find that the 1200 didn't hit the spot.  I also let myself eat more on the weekends, and I eat a little more if I've exercised (ex: 2-3 km hike 3-4x/week)

Yes, I am on a 1200 cal. diet and no I am not shedding the pounds that fast. 4 pounds in a little over a week. I find it difficult to stay on it . I tend to go over to about  around 1300 or 1400  . Some days it works well but mostly I feel unsatisfied , I get full but not that fulfilled feeling. I walk daily but will be increasing the excercise . Mostly, I stay away from sugar but I am not really a sweet craver.

Four pounds in a week!  Thats amazingly fast!  You have to give youself more credit.  Most people (myself included) lose 1/2 - 2 lbs a week.

I think eating a bit more of the right things will  help you loose weight. When I began watching my calorie intake I was 215 pounds (6 feet, 21 years old), but after monitoring my food and exercising between 30 and 45 minutes each day I lost 11 pounds in two weeks. I tried eating 1200 cals once but got so hungry that I think a reasonable amount for your own body is the way to go. Once you begin building muscle your body will need more energy anyway to help it keep going throughout the day - so eat more good-for-you calories so that your body isn't starving and not shedding the pounds. I am still a long way from my own goal, but a person has to keep going!

I have been on a 1200 calorie diet since the end of april. I have lost almost 20lbs and I still want to lose 15-20 more lbs. I don't feel hungry because I eat a lot of vegetables and fruits. I have a calorie deficit of about 6500-7000 a week. I have been losing about 2 lbs per week. My weight goal is 115 lbs and I'm 5"3.

CC+ suggests I eat 1250 calories per day now that I've lost 55 lbs. I just can't imagine eating so little.  Usually, I take in 1500 - 1600 per day and I'm still dropping weight. My goal is to lose 5 lbs. per month. For those of you satisfied at 1200 calories I applaud your will power. You have my upmost respect and admiration.  Have a great day all!

I'm on 1200 calories as well, while eating the right things. Here is what I have learned. Eat fiber, anything with high fiber is excellent. Also, if you eat 1200 calories a day, make sure you burn 2200 calories a day as well. If you add on exercise to your burn meter, than that's an extra 200 calories you can eat. If you burn 2400 calories a day, then eat 1400 calories. I started this for about a month and have began to lose 2 pounds a week. But, as some have mentioned, you should go more than that, it's not healthy.

Good luck!

I zigzag my calories but most days (when I'm really lazy and don't exercise) I eat the recommendation of 1200 for my diet. On days I do light to moderate exercise I eat around 1300 cals. When I do my full work out I up my intake to about 1400.

I've been doing this for a few months now and it seems to be working pretty good. Just a lost of about 1 pound a week. I'm not complaining, that's for sure! I personally rather take it nice and slow than drop too much per week so I can be confident to keep it off once I get to my goal weight.

The 1200 per day cals isn't that hard for me to do. For some reason, I don't get very hungry throughout the day (even sometimes on the days that I exercise), but I usually force myself to eat in order to reach the goal of cal intake for that day. I think it has to do with the fact that I ONLY drink water and nothing else (picky eater & drinker lol). I drink lots of it! It helps keep me full pretty easily until my next meal.