1200 calories a day = 28" waist Levi's 501

[lou967]

Hi I am starting today to eat 1200 calories a day. I'm 5'8 and currently weigh 13st. I lost 6st 2 years ago and reached 10st. Unfortunately life/work got in the way and I took my eye of the ball and regained. I did calorie counting before and it worked, so I am trying again.

I'm hoping to fit into my beloved 28 Waist Levi's 501 jeans. I treated myself to a pair, once I'd slimmed down. I want to wear them again.

Well we are having a bit of a tapas feast tonight and then it's day 1 tomorrow.
I will pick your brains for jeans at the end of this!

Good luck and you can do it :)

OP I've been doing exactly this and I've lost 12 lbs since the start of lockdown. I'm only 6.5 lbs away from my 'target weight' now and I feel great.

Eating 1200 calories is entirely possible - I thought I would be hungry but I haven't been. Although I'm not sure it would be sustainable if I wasn't furloughed, so now was the best time to do it for me.

@herecomesgeralt well done you. That's amazing. You must feel better for losing the weight? What size were you and are you now?

@EvenPhilip enjoy your meal. :)

I'm very tall (nearly six foot) so I carried the weight 'well', but my stomach was piling the weight on, as were my thighs. I've always been a size 8-10, but over the past year I've been buying size 12.

Now my size 12 things are too big and some of the size 8 things I was going to get rid of fit again. I'm over the moon as I was really sad to be getting rid of some of the clothes!

@herecomesgeralt you've done amazing. It's also motivated me to not bin my clothes too. I was going to bin mine. But I can't part with them. I'd be sad to see them go. I'm sure you were the same.

Any tips? Apart from 1200 cals a day?

@lou967 I find it better to eat the bulk of the calories in the evening, as that's when I'd normally snack. I hate being hungry in the evening. So I eat a small lunch to keep hunger at bay, no snacks, and the rest on dinner in the evening.

I don't eat breakfast, but I rarely did before either, so that hasn't been much of a change.

What works for me may not work for others though. Others may be more active in the day and need more of a boost earlier on. I think one small meal/one larger meal has worked for me though, so it could be swapped round!

@herecomesgeralt yes I agree. What works for you may not work for me or others. To be honest, I get hungry throughout the day. It might be that my body hasn't adjusted to the lower calories I'm consuming. I'm doing no snacking too. I'm not giving up.

@lou967 wishing you the best of luck with it!! I think now is the perfect time to make a positive change, with no restaurants/cafes to lure us in.

@herecomesgeralt thank you. Yes no cafes/restaurants or takeaways open. It's making it easier. 501's I will be wearing you soon. Haha.

I get starving at about 4.30/5. That's when I want a piece of toast and tea or some biscuits!

I could happily eat my main meal of the day at 6 but my family all like to eat later which is annoying.

@ITonyah same here. Could be eating something now. I get hungry around 4-5. I'm trying to discipline myself and eat at 6-7.

Can I join as well please? Going to start again tomorrow - I had managed to lose half a stone since the start of the year, but then put it all back on in lockdown. So currently 11st 4lbs, but as I'm only 5ft 2 that's really not good. Would like to be around 10 stone.

Downloading MFP now!

@BookSkark yes welcome. You can do it. Keep tracking and let us know how you get on.

Went for a walk. Managed to do 2 miles. I must start to go further as I get fitter and the weight starts coming off.

I can't walk at the moment! I've really hurt my calf muscle. I'd live to go for a walk.

@ITonyah sounds painful. Are you ok?

Yes its a bit better than yesterday. Nothing I can do about it, just need to wait for it to heal. I was running regularly and really enjoying it and it just twanged at the end of my last run. Think I've torn it.

Glad to see lots have joined this thread. I wasn't expecting such a lot of followers/joiners.

I started feeling really hungry so decided to make a massive vegetable pasta that takes a while to make so I could 1, dine off the smell 2, have leftovers for the next few days.

There's no calories in smelling

How long should I keep my jeans before I admit defeat? I was thinking Christmas and if I haven't slimmed into them then I'd sell.

What's everyone's thoughts?

Set Christmas as a decision point.

If you are nearly there and still making progress, set yourself another decision date. But ‘still making progress’ is key.

I agree with @yinmnblue and if you sell them (which you won’t with the MN support group!) Buy yourself something else that makes you feel good with the money!