My doctor told me to stay right around 1200 calories a day. But is this enough? too much?

Input please

I alternate my calories each day so that my body doesn't adjust to anything and doesn't plateau. 1200 cals some days, 1600 one day a week, 1800 day. All spread out. Depends on how many cals you are burning if you exercise.

We started out walking 1.5 miles last week and this week we started at 2.25 miles, now we're at 2.56 hoping for 3 miles by the end of the week or early next week.

I think it is a little low. 1200 seems to be a fixation point for so many people. Either as the "you must only eat 1200" or "do not go below 1200."

What we need and can still lose on is as individual as we are. Try using this calculator as a starting point. You can tweak up or down as necessary

http://www.sheerbalance.com/nutritio...n-calculators/

It doesn't really matter. Even if you believe in "starvation mode," (the theory that too low a calorie intake can have lasting negative effects on metabolism) it doesn't occur overnight and unless you've been chronically starving yourself the effects probably aren't permanent. You have plenty of room to experimeint.

So experiment. Experiment with different calorie levels and ranges, with different carb, protein, and fat ratios, with different diets and eating styles. Experiment as much as you want - but remember that the longer you do the experiment, the better chance you have of really learning what's going on. If you try a new plan every week, you'll find it difficult to decide which plan works best for you.

Most doctors do suggest 1200 calories, but I suspect it's more tradition than fact-based. They realize most people want to try to lose as quickly as possible. And that's fine, if it works for you. If you're unreasonably hungry on 1200 calories, you can try changing what you eat or the calorie level. Ultimately you will find what works best for you, if you don't let frustration defeat you.

Remember that even a failed experiment isn't a failure. There's no crime in learning what doesn't work for you. Persistence and learning to combat frustration are perhaps the most universally important tools you can have.

I never could have gotten this much weight off, if I had allowed myself the "normal" amount of frustration. I had to learn to avoid frustration at all costs (and for me, that meant making small changes that I was willing to commit to whether or not it resulted in weight loss. That was my way of avoiding weight loss frustration - taking it out of the equation completely by refusing to expect any amount of weight loss. That way, each pound I lost was a surprise gift. That may not work for everyone, but it's working for me)

As long as you can get all your nutritional needs met and you're not starving you'll be fine. If you're having problems with it being that low try experimenting with different levels to see what works best for you.

I've seen a few people on this site who lost all their weight staying at 1200 (starting at 300+). You have to remember to not go below this, or your body will definitely suffer. When I started at your weight, I lost my first hundred pounds at 1400 cals. Try a few days at 1200, 1400, etc, and see which is most comfortable for you. The key is not to eat so little that you feel deprived and start to overeat again.

I suspect you could eat more and still lose pretty well.

You should really use a BMR calculator (just google it) to determine what calorie level you should be eating based on your weight/height, etc. Once you know that number, you can reduce by 500-700 per day (also depending on the amount of exercise you are doing) and that should give you a good number to work from to lose about a lb a week.

I can tell you from experience, if you do start out eating too little, you will of course lose more weight at first (and a lot of that may be muscle mass you are losing) you will get to a point where you will have to eat more in order to keep losing because of this "so-called" starvation mode your body can go into if you do not eat enough, especially if you are also burning more calories by increasing your exercise.

How did your doctor come up with this # of 1200/day? Maybe you should ask if you haven't yet. Your calories should vary each day depending on how much you are burning (if you exercise that day or not), etc.

Hummm. Well, if he is your Doctor, and you trust him enough to choose him to be your physician...and he has a medical degree, I think I would follow his advice OR seek a second opinion from another DR. Us chickies here at 3FC are not Doctors and it is against the TOS to give medical advice. LOL

I've encountered doctors who know next to nothing about nutrition, so listen to his advice but don't feel too bound to it unless you have spoken with him at length about your dieting and reckon he really does know his stuff.

1200 is one of these numbers which gets thrown around a lot, but it really isn't suitable for everyone. It may turn out to work for you, but I'd suggest lowering your calorie intake gradually, and stopping if you get to a point where you're constantly hungry, getting into a binge/starve pattern, or experiencing other warning signs. The most important thing about a diet is that you can live with it comfortably and happily, after all.

I guess it depends on what you are eating. For me 1200 doesn't work because my meals tend to be 400 each, so at 1200, there would be no room for snacks. I average 1500 and i am okay with that, some days i may eat 1200 and others 1800. Personally, i think i'd feel restricted at 1200, and i'd worry about hitting a plateau and having no wriggle room.

Let us know how it goes!

All of you are SUCH an inspiration! I also fluctuate by hundreds of calories a day (1500-2000) but momentarily I am focusing on changing the way I eat and if I lose 1 or 2#s a month I am ok with that. I've been eating horribly for half a century so I'm taking baby steps in re-losing the weight and huge ones in the items I am introducing to my menus and especially eliminating from my choices.

I think everyone has different metabolism depending on weight, age, genes. Try a few different levels, but definitely don't go below 1200 or your body will not get the nutrients it needs.

I started on 1200 calories. I lost weight quickly about 10-12 lbs a month. Then I stalled for over 3 weeks. Trying not to get frustrated.... I picked up my intake to 1300-1500 calories daily.....and the weight has started coming off again!! Yay! I personally find it hard to consume all the calories I need when I'm eating healthy, so I do have a day or two in my week where I only eat 1000 calories.
Less isn't always better when it comes to calories...just listen to your body, be patient and don't be afraid to experiment.
Good luck!