To find it too hard to stick to 1200 calories a day

It very much can be. The aim is not to restrict the calories to the point where it becomes painful. The point is to lose as much weight as possible on as high calories as possible. With weight loss, you will inevitably hit a plateau and will need to reduce calories at some point. If you start at 1200, you have nowhere to go. If you start at 1800, you may need to drop to 1700 after a few weeks/months, then 1600 etc. So it gives you a lot more flexibility and makes a diet much easier with less chance of the wheels coming off.
The mistake people make is have unreasonable expectations of what a healthy weight change rate is. JMS calculator is probably set to somewhere between 0.5-1% of bodyweight per week, whereas all the media was (and is) full of "lose 50lbs in 3 weeks" type of articles since the 90s. This is why it is giving you higher calories than you expect.

Does anyone follow the ideas/recipes of Broccoli Mum (I found her on Instagram)? Low calorie density, high volume, but eating a lot of vegetables, no animal products, and no oil. I find if I eliminate fats from my diet (eg oil, cheese, & yoghurt) I am left with a feeling of hollowness and emptiness, no matter how much volume I eat.

Anyway, just a thought. I'm active, weight lifting heavy & can only lose weight very slowly if I cap at 1500 calories a day (5' 5"). It's tough!

Well if you’re on a diet, yes you will be under eating in order to lose weight. Not everyone is 5ft 8 and can eat 1800 calories to lose weight. Are you suggesting the TDEE calculators are incorrect? Mine is 1600 ish with sedentary, 1800 or so if I do my daily steps. So to lose 0.5lbs a week i’d have to eat a maximum of 1300 cals. Most people want to lose more than 0.5lbs a week.

People always bash the short ladies and suggest they are lying, yet the numbers speak for themselves. Try adding your own stats and put yourself at 5ft 1 and you’ll find out you can only lose weight if you’re eating 1200 max. I don’t understand why people have a problem understanding that or seem to think people are lying. Not every woman can eat 2000 cals a day without gaining and they aren’t all the same. Many women are short and that unfortunately means they need less food, making dieting really difficult. Getting bashed and accused of lying is ridiculous.

Low carb with fasting is the only thing that has worked for me. I eat between 12 & 6/7. Main meal at work is a gigantic colourful salad that the whole team gasps at as it’s so bloody beautiful. Full of healthy fats, avocados etc & protein. Keeps me full all day. I’ve had to change dinner to something light as I was eating for the sake of it. My body actually wants a light meal in the evening. I still have brown rice but have swapped out white rice and pasta for quinoa which has been a game changer.

The James Smith one is very good. Gave me exactly the same as my PT did. I was losing weight on 2,200.

It’s a sustainable way to lose weight as you are never hungry and can eat anything.

A lot of people on here have weird ideas about weight loss, and calorie needs. Try it the sensible way. Record religiously, sauces, cooking oil, the lot and you will see it works!

See also Ben Carpenter for more sensible advice, as well as the Fitness Chef. Great Facebook Group

I have a sedentary office job. I don’t really take a lunch. I have half an hour sitting at my desk to eat. I just go on a 10 min dog walk when I get home and I’ve bought some dumbells so I do a 15 min workout with those before bed.

I'm trying to stick to 1,200 net calories a day too. The only way I can do it is burning 300 extra and eating 1,500.

I have an office job too and am taking my full hour lunch break and walking with a weighted vest.

With 1890 tdee I would say drop to 1600. It's simple calories in vs calories out to get going. If you're really going for it then whatever exercise you do don't track it in my fitness pal and just keep on 1600.

Please don’t listen to these people advocating fad diets.

high volume, low calorie foods with a good amount of protein at each meal is sustainable.

don’t drink your calories

Plenty of water

try and increase your excercise a little

aim for about 200 calories per day lower than your TDEE but don’t binge at weekends. If you know you have more at weekends, maybe a drink or a takeaway, have a few less in the week

You'd be better off doing 5:2 or 16:8

It’s not. And most TDEE calculations are too high.

The key to sticking to 1200-1400 is to stop eating three meals. There’s no need; it’s a ritual we have but not one based on any medical or biological need. Drop either breakfast or lunch and you’ll get on much better. You’ll be used to it within a week. Three meals are too many to try to squeeze 1200 calories into. You end up cutting out/depriving yourself of things you want and then giving up.

Try doing 1400 but add more exercise. The first two weeks are the hardest, your body is used to more & will send you a lot if hunger signals.

Our metabolisms slow phenomenally as we age and lose muscle mass.

1200 cals is maintenance for me. I'm five feet 1, I've lost 3.5 stone in 7 months on Mounjaro, eating between 800 and 1100 cals.
I've upped a bit recently over xmas and put on a few pounds so having to reduce intake to belo 1200. Anything more and I'd be back up to 15 stone in a year. Depressing but unfortunately that's how my metabolism is.

I guarantee unless you are tiny and underweight that you will be consuming more than 1,200 calories per day if you are gaining weight. You will be underestimating your calories somewhere. The most common causes are spreads, drinks, sauces & oils.

It sounds cliche but the best diet is one that you will stick to.

If you are struggling on this, then you’re not going to stick to it and you’ll end up not losing or putting on weight.

It is much better to give yourself more calories but stick to that over the week (if you overeat one day then eat less over the next few days) because you’ll still be more likely to stick to it.

My friend was doing 800kcal a day but lost weight doing 2000kcals.

She would go really low for a a couple of weeks and not be able to stick to it and then overeat/binge and then a few weeks later feel guilty and starve herself again.

She then did 2000kcals but didn’t binge and so over the week/month she actually ate less calories overall.

Increase it and stick to it and see how you get on for the next couple of months.

I’m 60 and I put on weight if I eat 1200 calories a day. It’s very silly to say that is what a toddler should eat - while that may be true, it’s also too much for people who are very short or who are forced to be sedentary and who need to lose weight as a result.

MFP tells everyone 1,200. It’s wrong.

I’ve lost a stone on 1,700 ish per day.

Have a read (or listen) to ultra processed people by Christmas van tulleken. It's really interesting. It's not a weight loss book but it has lots of information about how food is made and why we have such problems with eating too much (it's actually designed that way). I've changed the way I eat and weight is slowly coming off. 1 stone so far without feeling hungry and miserable.
I would pass out if I ate as little as you. I'm 50 and 5.4. Exercise is good for us always but losing weight is almost entirely about food and eating good whole real food is definitely the right way for me (after a decade of unsuccessful dieting). Good luck

This is what you said technically I think Im a few pounds over the BMI maximum for a health weight
Thats not a ‘chunky’ person.
I didn’t say you should feel good at it. I didn’t speak to feelings at all.

My 22kg dog eats 1200 cals.

I think some grown ups are doing it wrong.

Re not being sedentary , I wish. Desk bound 8.30 to 5. Get home 6. Too knackered and time poor to do any exercise other than my walk to work. Add in plantar fasciatus and osteo arthritis and sedentary it is.

You’re unreasonable to keep eating “white carbs.” Substitute huge amounts of vegetables - eat more broccoli or courgette than you ever think possible. They’ll fill you up for about a quarter of the calories of bread or rice.

My last post to you as why you're so arrogant as to think you speak for someone else or override health advice and monitoring that I have is incredible!!

Im not at a 'healthy' BMI that is the point. I know what weight suits me and my personal health outcomes are better when Im at the weight I need to be at

'overweight' health outcomes have in some studies, only some studies, have been more positive than 'healthy' weight outcomes in the very elderly. In a number of studies (look up bluezones and the research around that) the outcomes are the absolute opposites to that and longevity and expectancy and health is maximised at underweight weights. The picture is not cut and dried

Each person needs to do what is right for them. You dont get to decide how good or healthy someone feels at particular weights.

1200 sounds pretty low and it might lead to bingeing if you get really, really hungry.
Can you incorporate weights into your routine somehow?
Muscle burns lots more calories than fat, even when resting. This would mean you could eat more than 1200 cals which could be tough to stick to.
You will not get bulky with weights (unless you up your calories) you will get lean and burn more fat. This is what you want. YouTube has some great weights videos. Kettlebells are good too.