How much should I have lost on 1,200 cals a day?

[BarryWhiteIsMyBrother]

I've been on 1,200 calories a day since the middle of August. I very VERY rarely go above and often only take in 1,000. I am a curvy/hourglass size 10 and if I eat more than 1,200 cals a day I don't lose weight. My job is very sedentary so I don't do any exercise during the day and after work I'm too tired/lazy to do anything but have dinner and watch a movie.

How much weight should I/am I likely to have lost since starting in mid August? I haven't got any scales so I'm relying on my clothes which have become somewhat looser but I am curious. I am 5.4' if that helps. I can squeeze into a size 8 but I'd say I'm still a size 10.

When I was doing 1200 a day religiously I lost 2lbs a week for the first few weeks, then 1lb a week from there on. I was 11st at 5'6", aiming for 9st 7lbs, so wasn't a huge amount to lose. (I fell off the wagon at 10st, hoping to get back on this week, after my birthday )

When I did 1200 calls, I lost a stone from August until about now. It took me from a big size 12 to a small size 23, couldn't quite squeeze into a 10 but 12 was loose and looked pretty good.

I maintain on that, also sedentary. I'm 5'4 and 50kg.

I’m losing a steady pound a week on 1800 cals.

I do a fair amount of exercise though. Running three times a week and exercise DVDs.

It depends on what your TDEE is and then what the deficit between that and 1200 calories is. I am really short, small frame, quite sedentary and my TDEE is about 1375 calories. So I would not lose anything really on 1200 calories a day if I was staying sedentary. I find that to lose weight, I need to really up the exercise and come in at about 1100 calories absolute maximum, preferably 1000.

I think my TDDE is around 1,670 although those calculators are not often accurate, right?

I was reading a good rule of thumb to lose weight is to have a daily calorie deficit of 500. With my TDDE being around 1,670 and me taking in 1,200 I'm thinking I should be taking in fewer calories still.

I don’t trust the TDEE calculators. Apparently mine is around 1500 if sedentary. I’m not, I walk 8-15 miles a day, but still gain if I eat over 1200. I’m 5’6” and 9st 6lb. I

It doesn't sound like you have any weight to lose, which is why it would be slow. Id lose a LOT very quickly on 1000 to 1200 a day, because I'm considerably heavier to start with. But also much more active.

@Howmanysleepsnow I get they are just general guidelines but yes, I'm not relying on mine either.

@ImFree2doasiwant I do have some weight to lose (I still have 'folds' on the sides of my back, just above my waist, for example) but not loads. I have decided I will weigh myself at the end of the lockdown (I'm in England) and see where I'm at. I won't hide the fact that I'm quite anxious about it!

I’m your height and at a size 10 I would lose about 0.5kg-1kg a month and then at about where you are now I would need to add exercise to continue losing.

I'm currently finding that on maintaining on 1200. It's really depressing as I'm 5.3 and 11 stone. I've plateaued for six weeks and nothing is shifting . I'm now doing slimfast for the last 2 weeks to make sure I'm calculating properly and NOTHING! I think this is just what happens when you get older and I'm going to need to cut down even more!

I now understand why I've been yo-yo ing for years though! 2000 cals a day makes me fat!

That's another thing - I guess I'm not far from perimenopause so I want to lose this weight before it gets even harder.

I think you have to have a 500kcal defecit per day to lose half a kilo a week.

I wouldn't focus on just losing weight at peri stage, it's when we start to lose a lot of muscle tone and start becoming weaker, this means the effects of old age will hit so much harder. Try and fit in some resistance training, I'm not saying hit the gym when they're open but look on YouTube for stuff
You can do at home. A pack of resistance bands are cheap, there's lots of scientific evidence out there about the importance of maintaining strength and muscle tone.

Bonus is you'll be burning more calories and look more slim!

@StormyInTheNorth Yes, that's what I thought too.

@stillfeelingmad I have resistance bands and I used to lift weights (fairly heavy ones). I never enjoyed it but I fancied trying to tone up. I never got the beautiful arms despite I trained with a PT three times a week. I think in order to have 'Hollywood' arms you need to have nearly zero fat on! I may dig out those bands and do some resistance training again. Yawn....