I only ate 1200 cals a day for about 2 months?? I know it's awfully low.. and I know it's the bare minimum any one should eat with out doctors supervision... but I'm going to Florida in about 2 1/2 months.. and would really love to just loose some extra extra weight before going..

I'm definitely against doing a extremely low cal diet long term, and my normal range is 1400-1700... and I know slow and steady wins the race and I'm definitely ok with that.. but Do you think it would be horribly unhealthy if i aimed for 1200 each day for the next 2 months? I actually do feel full most days on 1200 but I eat more to stay with in a normal healthy range...

If you weighed 150 pounds and were having a hard time losing those last 10-20 pounds then I think it would be perfectly appropriate.

But women who weigh more need to eat more to get enough food and nutrition to fuel their bodies. It sounds like you're saying your desire to lose weight for the short term overrides any long term concerns about your health.

Plus, I would think it's a recipe for a backfire. You may be okay eating 1200 calories for a while, but the sneaky part of eating so little is that it frequently results in binging and backsliding and weight gain and feeling like a failure.

So, will it kill you? No, I don't think so. But I also don't think it would have the results you're looking for! My advice, eat healthy, work out, lose whatever weight you do and then really enjoy Florida feeling the best you have in years!

I started calorie counting about 3 months ago.. before I knew I was even going to go to Florida I just booked the trip this week and I knew I would have to loose slow, steady and most of all healthy! because I KNOW that's the right way to loose it and keep it off permanently.. I just thought maybe I could give myself a little extra boost before going.. to look a little less hideous in a swim suit! but regardless you are right I will still be the thinnest and the healthiest I've been in over 4 years even just being 32 lbs less! so I could look at it like at least I'm going after I've lost some weight.. and I still have 2 and half months to loose more I have plans on being in my 250's-260's by the time I go! so even that is better then being over 300!

Eating too little can backfire like Heather said. The other thing is, it really is important to eat enough to lose weight. Not only can hunger trigger overeating or binges, but your body needs enough calories to function. You might actually lose better at 1400-1600 rather than at 1200. I've seen it for other people (and myself) that adding a few healthy calories can kickstart a weight loss.

I recently saw a video (on MSNBC) of a woman who lost all her weight by allowing herself only 1200 calories a day. She did this for over a couple of years and she started at 400 pounds so I doubt a couple of months wil hurt you as long as you eat the healthiest foods you can eat and get all your water in and exercise reasonably.
Even Jillian Michaels put her female contestants on 1200 calories a day and I am pretty certain she knows what she is doing.
Good luck.

Why not keep your same calorie intake and up your exercise? The great thing about it is that you keep all the nutrients when you do this but get rid of some of the calories. Walking is a good bet.

I've heard some people claim that they've eaten 1200 calories since they were 300+, but I assume that's under doctors supervision.

You're going to have to talk to a nutritionist, I think, because a lot of people stop losing if they eat too little. For example, if I ate under 1500 when I was 250, then I wouldn't lose anything.

You'll deal with a lot of nutritional difficulties and emotional problems- you're going to have to eat foods you hate, or risk getting really sick.

I agree with the suggestion to try some exercise, instead of trimming calories. Weight training would be great, but any exercise would be beneficial. You'd be amazed how quickly you can see a difference in your muscles. So you will look better in time for your vacation as well as reaping health benefits and building a foundation of calorie burning muscle for your future weight loss.

Good luck and have a blast in Florida!

Hi Kelly (you of the stunning 80lb pix ) can you remember what sort of calorie range you were in at the 250 mark until now?
I started off at 225, aiming to eat 1500, then I moved to 1400 but when I look back at my records, my monthly average is only 1332. That's kind of accidental but like lots of folks I fear going higher.
I'm a bit shorter than you, a bit lighter than you, a bit higher bmi than you but basically not that much different, so I'd really appreciate your input. Thanks.

Sure, I have my calorie journal right here...
When I was around 250, I was eating 1500-1600
Around 225 I moved down to 1400-1500
and today I usually eat 1300-1400

These are my averages, I calorie shift randomly, so I have a couple of higher days and a couple of lower days a week.

Averaging 1400 at your weight should work, I imagine. We have to be careful, somewhat, because we're going to want to keep cutting calories as we get smaller, so hitting 1300ish in your 220s doesn't leave a lot of room to decrease. Try 1400 for a week, and see what happens. Or if 1350 is working for you, then keep going with it.

I agree with some of the others that while eating 1200 calories won't bad for you, it will likely backfire. A few years ago I ate only 1200 calories for a month because I had a pool party to go to. Sure, I lost 5 lbs for the party, but after the party I went on a two-week binge that resulted in gaining back all the weight plus some.

I think it depends. It seems like you are losing at your current calorie level so like others suggested, you might want to up the activity, but keep the calories the same. Do you already work out most days?

In my sordid dieting story, I used to be able to drop weight at 1500-1700 calories a day. When I started again (and for the last time) trying to lose weight and working out with a personal trainer, I set the same calorie goal. Only, I wasn't losing. At all. I gained and lost and regained and re-lost the same 3 lbs for nearly 8 weeks. So, I decided to drop my calories to 1300 avg and suddenly I started losing. For whatever reason, my body - through years of yo-yo dieting - just didn't want to lose at 1500-1700 cals. In my case, I've been doing this for 4 weeks now and I haven't binged or gained back any of the weight. I lose at 1-2 lbs a week and it just seems to work for my body. For me, too, it has helped with the "eating just to eat" mentality. At 1600 calories, if I still had some 200 cals left for the day, I'd snack just because I felt like I should eat all my calories, even if I wasn't hungry. It also helped with the late night snacking - after all, I would think, I still have some calories left. What better than popcorn at 9 pm? lol

My "limit" is 1400 calories, but most days are around 1300.

How about trying calorie cycling? A few days a week have 1200, couple days 1400, one day a week 1700? This way you'll be getting the best of both and less risky?

I like that Idea ring master! I have calories cycled in the past and realyl enjoyed it.. I think I'll start that again and start working out at least 4-5 times a week

Sounds like a great plan, Maria!