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

[Lilacdreamowl]

I’m two stone overweight. I’ve started calorie counting and upping up my steps and on couch to 5k in my third week.
i can’t stick to 1200 calories :( i find it very tough. I have one meal a day where i allow carbs that i like such as bread, rice or pasta as whenever I’ve tried very low carb it just doesn’t work. The other two meals I don’t have carbs.
im ranging between 1205-1500 this week.

Can I still lose weight if i do a smaller deficit instead? Wanted to hear other experiences on a smaller deficit and how long it took?

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

No animal.products could very likely lead to B12 deficiency without very careful supplementation. I'm suffering this despite eating red meat.

Black coffee, cucumber

I think you’re right to be sceptical - even in small quantities, fats are very satiating. We need some fat for optimal take-up of the essential fat-soluble vitamins.

1lb a week is a steady achievable weightloss. If you try to move too fast you fall off the waggon every weekend and end up losing nothing. 1600 is far more manageable!

We also need different amounts though - my calorie allowance just to maintain my weight is 1700 (and that’s assuming I at least go for a long walk or do some other exercise) so there is no way I’d lose anything on 1800, and I’m currently a stone away from where I’d like to be.

If OP is only two stone overweight then she’s starting with a lot let to play with - and if she is short, that can be much lower!

MFP is notoriously too low in its calorie targets

I suggest skipping breakfast. It's much easier to do on 2 meals.

I'm doing 1200. It's working, I'm going to do a couple more weeks then relax it slightly and reduce the rate of the weight loss.

Hang in there. Try not to think about food. Think about the results instead.

I am 10 stone and 5’8”. MFP has me on 1,200. I can lose 1-2lb per week eating 1,650 average per day, with tons of protein and 25-30g fibre.

1,200 is starvation and not sustainable unless you are really short!

I’ve lost successfully at 1250 a day before over a 4 month period - lost 2 stone - with daily aerobic exercise of 25 mins plus - and higher impact than walking

out of interest - what height would you class as short ? 5 ft 4? 5ft 1?

im not saying you’re wrong btw 1200 can be difficult to sustain

OP i have successfully lost half a stone on 1650, but it was painful and took weeks and I was bored out of my mind.

I prefer a short sharp shock and 1200 for 4 weeks is preferable to me and I lose 8lbs pre holiday or whatever.

I am very good at it once I'm a week in. I know if gets me results so I stick to it.

This is combined with exercise though too.

Yes a small deficit and staying consistent is the best method. It will take slightly longer but will also last longer. Yes people lose weight on 1000 or 1200 calories but they must have willpowers of steel and I would question whether their diet was nutritious enough

And also what happens when they go back to eating normally? Having slowed down their metabolism and their body has gone in to starvation mode.

Just eat a healthy diet and exercise (preferably heavy weights).

I do 1200 a day to lose weight

roughly

b 300 - porridge or toast egg bacon
l 300 - ham/chicken/tuna sandwich/jacket /pasta
t 500 - chicken - sausages - spag bol - micro meals
s 100 - crisps or small chocolate bar