How much would you expect to lose if you ate this every day

[FattyFatFace]

1x bowl porridge with 150ml skimmed milk
1tsp honey
15 blueberries
A bag of salad leaves
A tin of baked beans
40g 50% reduced fat cheddar
2x "light" cereal bars (70cal each)
2x fat free yogurts (50cal each)

Total approx 1200 cal

I've eaten this every day for 2 weeks and have only lost a pound, I expected a bit more!

Please no judgement - I am well aware that I'd be better off without the artificial snacks and more protein etc. But I have a very sweet tooth and want to keep to 1200 cals. I am also neurodivergent with many food aversions, so I thought I'd try eating the above every day for a few weeks just to see what happens. I'm slightly overweight, not loads to lose, but a stone or two would do me good.

Yea that seems strange
People will come on and say things like are you drinking enough blah blah
But reality is calorie deficit is the only way to go.
Keep going you may have a big lose this week
Best of luck

I’d expect maybe 1 lb. if that. 1200 kcal isn’t very far below my BMR, and I’m not overweight to start. It wouldn’t be enough of a calorie deficit to do much, and the fillers in the “light” foods wouldn’t help.

How much activity are you doing? If you're not hugely overweight and pretty sedentary, then I think about 1lb would be reasonable for that many calories, sorry!

I'd keep at it- how many lbs do you want to lose?

Are you maybe eating too little and your body has gone into starvation mode and is conserving calories to function? I went to 1200 for a while and went back up to 1500 a day and actually lost more at 1500 than the 1200. Are you doing any exercise as well - I walked 5km virtually every day.

Nothing sadly!

Depends on your activity level and current muscle mass.

If I was lifting heavy weights 4x a week, 4x 45 min HITT or spin classes a week, and walking 10000 steps a day (though commuting and daily work activity) then I’d expect to lose 3 or 4lb in 2 weeks on 1200 cals.

You need re-do your plan and add more variety in your diet. Eat your favourites on alternate days. There is not enough vegetables and fibre. You should have loads of it. Green peas, beans, courgettes, add chickpeas or butter beans to salads. Low fat foods are not going to help you as research has proven this. You can lose weight without exercising but it speeds it up.

I’m tall and a bit overweight at the moment so I would lose 5 or 6 pounds in two weeks if I stick to that (and it was my first two weeks so that would include some water weight).

What's your starting weight?

I've been losing weight (on much higher calories, but same principle), it's not always linear and immediately reflected in the scales. Some weeks it barely changes, others I can lose over a kilo.

light ceral bars, light yoghurts are full of artifical sweeteners that go against your gut health. You end up getting more bad gut bacteria that will wreck your diet. Diet merchandised foods are temporary and not good in the long term.

You need to eat the right foods to do weights or running, aerobics to get the process of burning fat. 1200 calore plan will not be deducted by exercise.

What's your current weight & height & activity level. Have you worked out your current maintenance calories?

Mine are 1730, so with a 500 daily deficit I'd expect to lose on average 1lb per week. But I'd average that over a month to take into account hormonal fluctuations, water retention etc.

Think positively about the 1lb loss though, if your weight has been increasing then your not only reversed that in the last 2 weeks but you have lost as well. That's a great starting point and you just need to carry on. On 2 months you'll be 1/2 a stone down.

Thanks all, especially those who have offered advice and/or encouragement!

I'm 10 stone exactly at 5ft 2 and I walk fast for an hour per day, but don't do gym type workouts. I'm on my feet backwards and forwards most of the day, not sedentary.

I just did this which is interesting

Oops, this is the section I meant to add

Probably about 5lbs.

I think it depends on what you were eating to begin with though, eg if you were obese and eating several thousand calories a day, and switched to what you’re eating now, the weight would probably fall off a lot quicker.

I’d hope for a pound - I’m also short & small and despite being active my maintenance calories are about 1750.

I’m currently trying to shift 5lbs of holiday weight & it absolutely sucks!

I'd lose loads but I have plenty to lose and am very active.

It all depends what food you eat. If you just count calories without looking at fresh foods then get a Slimfast type foods- these are short term and ineffective because they are not natural but highly processed foods. It is not just about numbers but what you stomach has to put up with.

Too many carbohydrates - all that sugar in the yoghurts etc. Not enough protein.

Why not try something like Fage Greek yoghurt (nothing in it but milk & yoghurt culture) with a flavoured protein powder? They are quite sweet.

Eggs for breakfast. More vegetables.

Make your own beans/ pulses dishes. That way you can make them without all the sugar.

Nothing
About 4 days in i would lots it and binge

Up your calories to about 1800 and triple your protein

I'm currently on 1200. I have an injury so it's not as big a deficit. I'm not overweight just aiming to get to mid BMI. I won't lose a lot. 15 years ago it would have fallen off.

If I ate that much (and I did when I wanted to lose weight recently) for 2 weeks I'd lose 5/6 lb.

However I'm on my feet all day, god knows how many steps, lifting and carrying.

5' 6" 10 stone ish.

I knew someone would mention starvation mode. Starvation mode is a myth, and 1200 cals isn’t starvation.

It does look very low in protein and comparatively high in carbs OP. I do understand ND food aversions (I am ND myself) but if you could switch out some of the carbs for some protein you’ll feel fuller for longer too.

I’ve eaten similar to this for the last four and half weeks and lost 15lbs.

smoothie, made with a small quantity of four fruits blended with a couple of table spoons high protein yogurt or Keifer.

An absolutely massive salad with at least five types of salad and protein such as chicken, tuna, ham and a bit of cheese. Or a two egg omelette with three types of veg.

Protein, such as fish, chicken, pork loin with about four types of veg (mostly different from the ones I had at lunch).

Two sugar free boiled sweets and I one highlites hot chocolate.

Water, herbal tea. Minimal dressings and sauces.

I could never eat that in a day, it's hardly any food, and it's not even good food. I would be utterly starving and binge my way out of it. I would also be exhausted.

There are much better ways to exist on minimal calories