Successful losers eating 1200 calories

I know that 1200 calories is the "bare minimum" around here, but I have been instructed to average this intake by my doctor in order to lose weight.  Hoping there are others out here in the same situation, and have successful stories.  I've been doing this for three weeks now, and not seeing the results I expected (dropped the first two weeks, now gained it back).  Anyone with any experience that can weigh in would be appreciated.

Info on me: female, 28yrs old, 5'4", 200lb, sedentary job all day, go to the gym almost every night & vary my workout each time (elliptical, stairs, stationary bike, walking on treadmill)

Keep going!  It really does (slowly) work.  I am 5'4" (age 48) was 182 now 166 (started July 4, so averaging 1.67 lbs/wk) also on the 1200 per day.  Also, I sit most of the day, have been doing mostly treadmill w/some stationary bike and weight training thrown in - but not much, because I was concerned that that was slowing down the weight loss.  A couple of times I have been stuck for a few days, but that is mostly around my period.  Hang in there!

Original Post by pchca:

 I've been doing this for three weeks now, and not seeing the results I expected (dropped the first two weeks, now gained it back).  Anyone with any experience that can weigh in would be appreciated.

Unfortunately, doctors are often very poor advisors when it comes to nutrition and weight-loss advice.  What you're describing.... initial losses followed by unexpected gains.... is the classic pattern that accompanies a crash diet.

You're 20 years younger than the second poster so you need more energy.  You're also heavier and you're exercising.   If you want to see steady weight-loss I'd suggest you use the CC calculator, enter your stats, go with a 'light' activity level and a realistic target date (1 - 2lbs a week) and see what number comes back.  I think it'll be in the 1600 region.

If you keep going with 1200 I think you'll get discouraged at the lack of progress, will find it difficult to keep going and could end up by stopping all together.

Just to add an example to gi-jane's ever-intelligent advice: I'm 24, 5'4, 227 lbs, I workout with weights 3 times per week, and I eat about 1800 calories a day (2000 on workout days). I lose approx 1 lb per week.

Hello pchca!

I was doing the same thing when I started CC, eating 1200 cals and exercising like a mad woman. After 4 weeks of this I was so burnt out that I gave up!

Well, after being on CC for awhile I have learned so much more about the way I burn cals and upped my intake.

After I gave up the 100th time at 223lbs with no results I increased my cals to 1400 on light days and 1600 on workout days. Since then (May 15th 2009) I've lost 25lbs!

I'm 30 5'3" and now 198 til Friday when I hope I have dropped another pound!

Oh yeah BTW I'm not cranky anymore now that I started eating more. I would get so irritable on 1200 that I'd binge to chill out! lol!

Thanks for all the input.  Maybe I will try upping the calories and see how that goes. 

Original Post by minda_spk:

Just to add an example to gi-jane's ever-intelligent advice: I'm 24, 5'4, 227 lbs, I workout with weights 3 times per week, and I eat about 1800 calories a day (2000 on workout days). I lose approx 1 lb per week.

Isn't GI-Jane awesome? Her posts are everywhere and always flawlessly helpful. I'll often go through the forums. If I see her icon I always stop and read- she's so spot-on about nutritional info! 

Lol. GI-Jane Posts fan club, anyone? XD

Thank you for sharing this! I was originally told to intake 1900 calories, but I wasn't losing weight. I starting taking in 1500 calories and noticed that I started to drop, but it has been slow. I will have to try 1200 calories! Again,  thank you for sharing this. It means so much.

Original Post by myvstarpops:

Lol. GI-Jane Posts fan club, anyone? XD

 That's very kind but if you check out a longish thread in the Weight-Loss forum you'll find my halo is severely tarnished with one member at least!!!  That'll teach me to assume people have a sense of humour.....  LOL!

Original Post by gi-jane:

Original Post by myvstarpops:

Lol. GI-Jane Posts fan club, anyone? XD

 That's very kind but if you check out a longish thread in the Weight-Loss forum you'll find my halo is severely tarnished with one member at least!!!  That'll teach me to assume people have a sense of humour.....  LOL!

Down with Jane and her intolerant ways!

I don't think that is a very good idea. I started out doing simply 1200 calories a day, and began to lose, but eventually, I hit a plateau. Upping my calorie intake recently, I've had much better results, surprisingly. I suggest 1500-1600.

In the last week I've upped to 1500-1700 cals and cut down a tad on the exercising, and lost 5lbs!  So I'll keep this up and see how it goes...

As you lose weight your energy needs naturally go down a little... If you stick with 1500-1700 and keep losing - great.   But if, 15 or 20lbs down the track, you find you stop losing again, then you could go for 1400-1600 or increase your exercise a little and see if it helps.

Well done losing 5lbs....  I'm sure you'll see a steady 1lb or so every week now.

i have a feeling that the 1200 calorie mark works for the average/light weight, dont know but from my experience even at 1300 calories i still lost....depends on our bodies i guess, good luck just have patience ; )

The calorie tool on this website says I should be eating 1200 to lose weight, but the other website (pcord or ccord - I forget what it is) - said I should eat 1600.  That's a HUGE difference!  Any advice?

The calculators on this website are very flawed. I'd find an actual calculator online or in a book.

As always, I agree with GI-Jane (well, I think she is a little hard on my occasional glass of wine, but other than that).

Many, many doctors subscribe to the go on a restrictive diet, lose the weight quickly so that you can reduce the health risks of being overweight as soon as possible.  They think we overweight people are "broken" and the sooner we get fixed, the better.  The extreme of this is bariatric surgery.

But, there is lots of research that shows that most people who lose weight quickly by low calorie diets either don't reach their goals, or put weight (with interest) back on quickly.

So much better to make haste more slowly by adding movement, improving the quality of foods eaten, and eating slightly less than needed for maintenance (about 500 calories a day deficit will lead to about a pound, on average, a week).  These kinds of changes would lead to a 50 pound loss in a year, and there is a good chance you would be able to keep it off for the rest of your life.

There is also a lot of credible evidence that even a 10% reduction in body size (20 pounds for you) has tremendous health benefits.