r/1200isplenty

I’m 40F, 158 cm, and my weight has basically always fluctuated between 50–56 kg. I seem to have the same cycle over and over again: I slowly gain weight until I hit around 56 kg, decide I don’t like it, diet for three months to go back down to around 50 kg, then go back to eating “normally” and slowly gain it again over the next 9 months.

I’m actually pretty active. I run long distance and usually do 1–2 half marathons a year, so there are periods where I train quite a lot (but also get hungry, so I tend to not lose weight in a those training blocks). I bike to work, hike, walk a lot, etc. My job is partly sedentary, although in some periods I’m on my feet and walking around most of the day.

But I’m also 158 cm tall. There’s only so much energy a small body needs.

What gets me is when I look at all the recommendations for what a healthy diet should contain. Get enough protein. Get 25–30 g of fiber. Eat legumes. Eat several portions of fruit and vegetables. Healthy fats. Whole grains. Calcium. A portion of nuts (how the hell can I fit that in a diet?! Feels like I reach maintenance calories with a handful of cashews).

I genuinely like all of those foods.
But by the time I’ve eaten all the things I’m supposed to eat, I’ve basically used my calorie allowance. 😂 Where is the chocolate? The cheese? Crisps? A beer? A big portion of pasta and a creamy sauce. The random pastry someone brought to work? The “fuck it, I want pizza tonight” calories? Wä

I know technically you can fit anything into your diet in moderation, but when your maintenance calories are relatively low, “moderation” sometimes feels like three bites. So basically I have to keep my strategy of eating all those things in moderation, accepting I’ll gain some weight and then lose it again… Or keep the same weight and only eat healthy almost all the time.

Meanwhile, my 185 cm male partner can eat three perfectly normal meals, have a substantial evening snack, casually eat something I would consider an entire extra meal, and announce that he’s still in a deficit.

Any other short women feel like maintaining your weight means choosing between eating the nutritious diet everyone recommends and actually having some room left for indulgence?

Usual recommendation is 1.6g/kg bodyweight to not lose muscles but I think most people here are around 30% body fat so according to lean mass it should be around 0.8-1g/kg bodyweight at minimum.

I also see unusual hate against whole foods and insistence to rely on "high protein products" and supplements. Okay, it's good if you have the option but very few people don't have that luxury.

We need to remember that protein also has calories so if you're satieted then you don't need to have extra protein. Remember, if you're having more protein then inevitably you got additional calories from carbs and fats.

How many grams of fat are you eating? I know it’s very important for hormonal health and want to focus on it more. I’m pretty good with protein and fiber.

I feel like there’s only so much I can squeeze in on 1200 calories.

e.g. 400 for breakfast, lunch and dinner? 600/600 for lunch and dinner? curious to know what works for everyone!

i normally do 200 for lunch and 1000 for dinner because i cant escape family made meals that are usually high in calories for dinner .. but i prefer saving my calories for the night anyways! its a bit easier mentally

I am so good throughout the whole month, but when my period hits I swear to god my stomach is a bottomless PIT. I can eat and then 30 minutes later I’m hungry again. Not peckish hungry but like, having the urge to raid the kitchen and eat everything in sight.

Besides the whole drink more water eat more protein yeah yeah I do that already. What foods can I eat that may actually satiate me?? Or what’re some really low cal things I can just shovel in to quench that urge.

Thank you!

I’m 5’4 (163cm) and around 123 lbs (55.6 kg). If I eat 1200 calories daily will I actually loose any weight ? My bmr is a little over 1300 calories per day and i walk 10k steps per day

Anyone have any good video suggestions that are worth watching or any advice in general about “unwarping” long ass pieces such as steel fences or aluminum tailgates or even I beams that get stiffeners n based plates welded that cause warp. I’m 23 been welding full time since 2021, it’s one of the skills I never even touched base on at any point and know it would be extremely valuable if I knew how to

just curious, what do you do?