Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been doing 1200 cal a day for about 7 months now. I am pretty small (5'2") and needed to lose a LOT of weight.

You can do it if you do a lot of vegetables, berries, not overly caloric fruit/grains and protein like fish and chicken which is lower in calories. Most of the days I don't feel like I am starving; a few days I do. But ultimately, I only recommend it if it's sustainable for you. (For example, I know keto works for a lot of people but I couldn't do it long term, so I never did it.)

How much have you lost so far in the 7 months? (I'm a similar height and also have a fair bit to lost. I just need to get jump started.)

Lost 51lb so far. I was 180 and now am 129.

I want to lose 61lb total so I am almost there but once I hit normal BMI for my height/build, the weight loss slowed down a lot, probably because there is a lot less to lose. (I was losing about 2lb a week but now it's down to 1lb a week on same diet/exercise routine.)

Things that work for me: a LOT of lean protein (fish/chicken/turkey), full fat but no added sugar yogurt with either berries or apple slices, a lot of root vegetables, zucchini and cauliflower instead of pasta, eggs, not too caloric/too sweet fruit (plums, berries, cherries, papaya.) I have to have my meals like clockwork because there is little wiggle room. I basically do 300 cal for breakfast, a snack to get to me 400 before lunch, 300 for lunch, another hundred between lunch and dinner to get me to 800 and then 400 cal dinner. (I mean, the calorie numbers vary but I found that having smaller main meals but snacks in between works better for me than three larger meals and no snacks.) I am also doing low carb but not keto, so refined sugar is out and so are things like potatoes/corn/bread/rice/etc but that's a personal thing, I think 1200cal would work just fine even if you don't do that. I avoid high calorie foods like cheese and nuts because they don't give much bang for your buck, I don't use oil in cooking (same reason). I prefer my vegetables either roasted or cooked through in part because dressing is very caloric and salad without dressing is not my thing.

So it's doable, and the good thing is when I first started, I was losing weight really fast and it's psychologically very encouraging. So I recommend it

This is inspiring! Can I ask your age, and how you got jump started? What finally prompted you to get serious and do this? (I've been thin plenty of times before, but tend to gain back the weight. I love sweets as a "treat." Otherwise my habits are pretty good.)

I am 43. I was always slim and then not slim but within healthy BMI until mid-30s and my second child, after which I basically ballooned. Some of it is probably genetic because there are no skinny people in my family - none of them are "we eat whatever and have good metabolism" crowd and I am not either. I finally got jump-started because I went from an already bad weight in low 170s to 180 which was pretty terrifying to me to see - for some reason psychologically it was just worse. That, plus the fact that all the news were talking about how obesity is a high risk factor for COVID (yes, I always knew excess weight is a risk factor for a lot of things, but for some reason it never sunk it before), and that my always excellent blood pressure started getting higher - not in high territory yet but certainly higher than it's always been. Plus, there was more time/routine to cook and track because I am now home. My initial goal was 145 which would still be overweight but not too horrifically so and 35lb from where I was, but once I hit 170 and realized that this diet is bearable for me, I decided to go for 119 because that was the weight I was in college and a few pounds less than when I got married in my mid 20s.

For me, the hardest thing was to start. Once I started, I didn't have too much problem with sticking to it because I am a very routine-oriented person (consistency is key for me, I can't do cheat days because it will wreck it for me though I have friends who do that just fine.) And the longer it goes on, the better because then it feels even more of a waste of effort to stop. Plus, once you lose enough weight, it's cool to look in the mirror and see your body look different, see the clothes fit differently. I was able to dig out clothes I haven't worn in 15 years and fit in them.

Re: dessert. I don't think it's a problem if it keeps within your calorie limit. I don't do desserts because I am also doing low carb but I think an occasional dessert if it fits within the 1200 cal daily regiment won't wreck things for you.

I think the biggest mind switch for me was to accept that this is basically a long term/permanent change - both because it will take a long time to lose the weight I want to lose but also because I will have to calorie count and restrict sugar (that one because it really helps me control my hunger and keep the weight off, but I have PCOS, probably not an issue if you don't) for the rest of my life. I mean, I obviously won't be on 1200 cal diet for the rest of my life but I don't think I could ever again just eat anything and everything I want without thinking about it or I will be right back where I started.

Thank you!!! This is very helpful. (I'm 49 years old with 3 kids. Since we're the same height, and were nearly the same weight, this is so useful to me. I recently weighed myself for the first time in about 9 months, and I was shocked to see I was 174, which at 5'2" is definitely overweight.) So your example is inspiring. One more question: Are you doing this with Noom, or just on your own? (I've lost on my own before as I had the condescending tone of diet people. But then again, maybe I need something like that since I know what I should eat, but just eat the wrong things anyway.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been doing 1200 cal a day for about 7 months now. I am pretty small (5'2") and needed to lose a LOT of weight.

You can do it if you do a lot of vegetables, berries, not overly caloric fruit/grains and protein like fish and chicken which is lower in calories. Most of the days I don't feel like I am starving; a few days I do. But ultimately, I only recommend it if it's sustainable for you. (For example, I know keto works for a lot of people but I couldn't do it long term, so I never did it.)

How much have you lost so far in the 7 months? (I'm a similar height and also have a fair bit to lost. I just need to get jump started.)

Lost 51lb so far. I was 180 and now am 129.

I want to lose 61lb total so I am almost there but once I hit normal BMI for my height/build, the weight loss slowed down a lot, probably because there is a lot less to lose. (I was losing about 2lb a week but now it's down to 1lb a week on same diet/exercise routine.)

Things that work for me: a LOT of lean protein (fish/chicken/turkey), full fat but no added sugar yogurt with either berries or apple slices, a lot of root vegetables, zucchini and cauliflower instead of pasta, eggs, not too caloric/too sweet fruit (plums, berries, cherries, papaya.) I have to have my meals like clockwork because there is little wiggle room. I basically do 300 cal for breakfast, a snack to get to me 400 before lunch, 300 for lunch, another hundred between lunch and dinner to get me to 800 and then 400 cal dinner. (I mean, the calorie numbers vary but I found that having smaller main meals but snacks in between works better for me than three larger meals and no snacks.) I am also doing low carb but not keto, so refined sugar is out and so are things like potatoes/corn/bread/rice/etc but that's a personal thing, I think 1200cal would work just fine even if you don't do that. I avoid high calorie foods like cheese and nuts because they don't give much bang for your buck, I don't use oil in cooking (same reason). I prefer my vegetables either roasted or cooked through in part because dressing is very caloric and salad without dressing is not my thing.

So it's doable, and the good thing is when I first started, I was losing weight really fast and it's psychologically very encouraging. So I recommend it

This is inspiring! Can I ask your age, and how you got jump started? What finally prompted you to get serious and do this? (I've been thin plenty of times before, but tend to gain back the weight. I love sweets as a "treat." Otherwise my habits are pretty good.)

I am 43. I was always slim and then not slim but within healthy BMI until mid-30s and my second child, after which I basically ballooned. Some of it is probably genetic because there are no skinny people in my family - none of them are "we eat whatever and have good metabolism" crowd and I am not either. I finally got jump-started because I went from an already bad weight in low 170s to 180 which was pretty terrifying to me to see - for some reason psychologically it was just worse. That, plus the fact that all the news were talking about how obesity is a high risk factor for COVID (yes, I always knew excess weight is a risk factor for a lot of things, but for some reason it never sunk it before), and that my always excellent blood pressure started getting higher - not in high territory yet but certainly higher than it's always been. Plus, there was more time/routine to cook and track because I am now home. My initial goal was 145 which would still be overweight but not too horrifically so and 35lb from where I was, but once I hit 170 and realized that this diet is bearable for me, I decided to go for 119 because that was the weight I was in college and a few pounds less than when I got married in my mid 20s.

For me, the hardest thing was to start. Once I started, I didn't have too much problem with sticking to it because I am a very routine-oriented person (consistency is key for me, I can't do cheat days because it will wreck it for me though I have friends who do that just fine.) And the longer it goes on, the better because then it feels even more of a waste of effort to stop. Plus, once you lose enough weight, it's cool to look in the mirror and see your body look different, see the clothes fit differently. I was able to dig out clothes I haven't worn in 15 years and fit in them.

Re: dessert. I don't think it's a problem if it keeps within your calorie limit. I don't do desserts because I am also doing low carb but I think an occasional dessert if it fits within the 1200 cal daily regiment won't wreck things for you.

I think the biggest mind switch for me was to accept that this is basically a long term/permanent change - both because it will take a long time to lose the weight I want to lose but also because I will have to calorie count and restrict sugar (that one because it really helps me control my hunger and keep the weight off, but I have PCOS, probably not an issue if you don't) for the rest of my life. I mean, I obviously won't be on 1200 cal diet for the rest of my life but I don't think I could ever again just eat anything and everything I want without thinking about it or I will be right back where I started.

Thank you!!! This is very helpful. (I'm 49 years old with 3 kids. Since we're the same height, and were nearly the same weight, this is so useful to me. I recently weighed myself for the first time in about 9 months, and I was shocked to see I was 174, which at 5'2" is definitely overweight.) So your example is inspiring. One more question: Are you doing this with Noom, or just on your own? (I've lost on my own before as I had the condescending tone of diet people. But then again, maybe I need something like that since I know what I should eat, but just eat the wrong things anyway.)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been doing 1200 cal a day for about 7 months now. I am pretty small (5'2") and needed to lose a LOT of weight.

You can do it if you do a lot of vegetables, berries, not overly caloric fruit/grains and protein like fish and chicken which is lower in calories. Most of the days I don't feel like I am starving; a few days I do. But ultimately, I only recommend it if it's sustainable for you. (For example, I know keto works for a lot of people but I couldn't do it long term, so I never did it.)

How much have you lost so far in the 7 months? (I'm a similar height and also have a fair bit to lost. I just need to get jump started.)

Lost 51lb so far. I was 180 and now am 129.

I want to lose 61lb total so I am almost there but once I hit normal BMI for my height/build, the weight loss slowed down a lot, probably because there is a lot less to lose. (I was losing about 2lb a week but now it's down to 1lb a week on same diet/exercise routine.)

Things that work for me: a LOT of lean protein (fish/chicken/turkey), full fat but no added sugar yogurt with either berries or apple slices, a lot of root vegetables, zucchini and cauliflower instead of pasta, eggs, not too caloric/too sweet fruit (plums, berries, cherries, papaya.) I have to have my meals like clockwork because there is little wiggle room. I basically do 300 cal for breakfast, a snack to get to me 400 before lunch, 300 for lunch, another hundred between lunch and dinner to get me to 800 and then 400 cal dinner. (I mean, the calorie numbers vary but I found that having smaller main meals but snacks in between works better for me than three larger meals and no snacks.) I am also doing low carb but not keto, so refined sugar is out and so are things like potatoes/corn/bread/rice/etc but that's a personal thing, I think 1200cal would work just fine even if you don't do that. I avoid high calorie foods like cheese and nuts because they don't give much bang for your buck, I don't use oil in cooking (same reason). I prefer my vegetables either roasted or cooked through in part because dressing is very caloric and salad without dressing is not my thing.

So it's doable, and the good thing is when I first started, I was losing weight really fast and it's psychologically very encouraging. So I recommend it

dp I think you are making a mistake at avoiding nuts because they do have a lot of nutrients. For example, nuts are a good source of fat, ( monounsaturated), fiber and protein. They also have omega 6 and omega 3 and vitamins and minerals including magnesium and vitamin e. You can overdo it but, if you only eat the serving size or like I do buy the Planters Nutrition packs ( 180 calories) nuts can be a part of your diet.

but don't just take my word about it: https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/why-nutritionists-are-crazy-about-nuts

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been doing 1200 cal a day for about 7 months now. I am pretty small (5'2") and needed to lose a LOT of weight.

You can do it if you do a lot of vegetables, berries, not overly caloric fruit/grains and protein like fish and chicken which is lower in calories. Most of the days I don't feel like I am starving; a few days I do. But ultimately, I only recommend it if it's sustainable for you. (For example, I know keto works for a lot of people but I couldn't do it long term, so I never did it.)

How much have you lost so far in the 7 months? (I'm a similar height and also have a fair bit to lost. I just need to get jump started.)

Lost 51lb so far. I was 180 and now am 129.

I want to lose 61lb total so I am almost there but once I hit normal BMI for my height/build, the weight loss slowed down a lot, probably because there is a lot less to lose. (I was losing about 2lb a week but now it's down to 1lb a week on same diet/exercise routine.)

Things that work for me: a LOT of lean protein (fish/chicken/turkey), full fat but no added sugar yogurt with either berries or apple slices, a lot of root vegetables, zucchini and cauliflower instead of pasta, eggs, not too caloric/too sweet fruit (plums, berries, cherries, papaya.) I have to have my meals like clockwork because there is little wiggle room. I basically do 300 cal for breakfast, a snack to get to me 400 before lunch, 300 for lunch, another hundred between lunch and dinner to get me to 800 and then 400 cal dinner. (I mean, the calorie numbers vary but I found that having smaller main meals but snacks in between works better for me than three larger meals and no snacks.) I am also doing low carb but not keto, so refined sugar is out and so are things like potatoes/corn/bread/rice/etc but that's a personal thing, I think 1200cal would work just fine even if you don't do that. I avoid high calorie foods like cheese and nuts because they don't give much bang for your buck, I don't use oil in cooking (same reason). I prefer my vegetables either roasted or cooked through in part because dressing is very caloric and salad without dressing is not my thing.

So it's doable, and the good thing is when I first started, I was losing weight really fast and it's psychologically very encouraging. So I recommend it

This is inspiring! Can I ask your age, and how you got jump started? What finally prompted you to get serious and do this? (I've been thin plenty of times before, but tend to gain back the weight. I love sweets as a "treat." Otherwise my habits are pretty good.)

I am 43. I was always slim and then not slim but within healthy BMI until mid-30s and my second child, after which I basically ballooned. Some of it is probably genetic because there are no skinny people in my family - none of them are "we eat whatever and have good metabolism" crowd and I am not either. I finally got jump-started because I went from an already bad weight in low 170s to 180 which was pretty terrifying to me to see - for some reason psychologically it was just worse. That, plus the fact that all the news were talking about how obesity is a high risk factor for COVID (yes, I always knew excess weight is a risk factor for a lot of things, but for some reason it never sunk it before), and that my always excellent blood pressure started getting higher - not in high territory yet but certainly higher than it's always been. Plus, there was more time/routine to cook and track because I am now home. My initial goal was 145 which would still be overweight but not too horrifically so and 35lb from where I was, but once I hit 170 and realized that this diet is bearable for me, I decided to go for 119 because that was the weight I was in college and a few pounds less than when I got married in my mid 20s.

For me, the hardest thing was to start. Once I started, I didn't have too much problem with sticking to it because I am a very routine-oriented person (consistency is key for me, I can't do cheat days because it will wreck it for me though I have friends who do that just fine.) And the longer it goes on, the better because then it feels even more of a waste of effort to stop. Plus, once you lose enough weight, it's cool to look in the mirror and see your body look different, see the clothes fit differently. I was able to dig out clothes I haven't worn in 15 years and fit in them.

Re: dessert. I don't think it's a problem if it keeps within your calorie limit. I don't do desserts because I am also doing low carb but I think an occasional dessert if it fits within the 1200 cal daily regiment won't wreck things for you.

I think the biggest mind switch for me was to accept that this is basically a long term/permanent change - both because it will take a long time to lose the weight I want to lose but also because I will have to calorie count and restrict sugar (that one because it really helps me control my hunger and keep the weight off, but I have PCOS, probably not an issue if you don't) for the rest of my life. I mean, I obviously won't be on 1200 cal diet for the rest of my life but I don't think I could ever again just eat anything and everything I want without thinking about it or I will be right back where I started.