If you’ve been eating 1,200 calories

And you aren’t losing weight.

I’m going to help you figure out why.

But more importantly, I’m going to tell you exactly what to do to fix it.

If you’re new here, my name is Nick.

I’m kind of a goof who makes too many dad jokes (and I’m not even a dad), and I also like lifting weights and drinking too much iced coffee (even in the winter).

But aside from that, I’m a normal (well, semi-normal) person, just like you.

A normal person who in my early adult life, gained a lot of weight.

And tried everything in the world to try and get it off.

Including eating 1,200 calories.

And just like you, I wasn’t losing weight on it.

Until through years of trial and error, and extensive research.  I learned how to fix it.

Then I lost the weight for myself.

From there, I helped my online coaching clients learn how to do it too

Like Heidi,

Who lost 45 pounds working with me.

So if you want to learn how to fix the problem

And want to learn why you aren’t losing weight eating 1,200 calories.

Read on.

But don’t skip around.

Read the whole damn thing.

Every word, every bad joke (there will be a few for sure).

Deal?

Good, let’s go.

 

 

How Fat Loss Happens

Fat loss occurs when you eat less calories than your body expends.

This is called a calorie deficit.

And it is the only way your body loses fat.

A calorie is a unit of measurement for energy.

Your body uses energy to support it’s daily functions, and keep you alive and thriving.

And when your body gets less energy than it needs to support these functions, that’s when your body burns fat.

So logically, at 1,200 calories you’d be in a pretty severe calorie deficit.

And since you’d be in such a heavy calorie deficit, you’d lose weight very quickly right?

Well, there’s a few problems with that.

Okay, so weight loss is hard, right?

You know what’s really hard?

Eating 1,200 calories consistently.

That’s why the number one cause of not losing weight on a 1,200 calorie diet is sticking to it.

Most people require more than 1,200 calories to actually feel full in a calorie deficit.

And 1,200 happens to be the minimum amount required to keep your body alive and functioning.

How much energy do you think your body is going to have when it’s running off the minimum amount required?

Your energy levels are going to be extraordinarily low.

By a certain point, your body will tell you enough is enough.

You’ll reach a point where you’re constantly daydreaming about food,

Then suddenly, through no fault of your own, you find your body listlessly dragging it’s way into the kitchen, with your mind completely out of the equation.

And then an hour later you find yourself covered in cheese doodles with your fingers caked in orange powder, with little to no memory of the preceding events.

And then what has happened?

Well, you definitely aren’t at 1,200 calories anymore.

And you are no longer in a calorie deficit, because you ate 1,400 calories worth of cheese doodles that weren’t even that good.

So by playing detective here, we can analyze these situations and begin to see why you aren’t losing weight on 1,200 calories.

Because you aren’t actually eating 1,200 calories.

 

Your week probably looks like:

Monday: 1,200 calories, feeling great!

Tuesday: 1,200 calories, this is easy!

Wednesday: 1,200 calories, I’m hungry.

Thursday: 1,200 calories, I can do it.

Friday: 3,500 calories, oops I ate a single cheese doodle and then the entire bag.

Saturday: 3,500 calories, well yesterday was ruined, so why not today too?

Sunday: 3,500 calories, I’ll get back on track tomorrow.

 

And the cycle repeats anew.

And if we do some quick math here, we see that your weekly intake is closer to 2,200 calories.

Obviously this is just an example, and this isn’t probably exactly what you’re doing.

But I’d guess if you found this article, the shoe fits in some way.

 

Okay, so maybe you aren’t going crazy in the cupboards at the end of the night on 1,200 calories.

Well, my dear friend.

If you aren’t, well then you probably aren’t actually eating 1,200 calories.

You may be eating much more.

If you’ve ever weighed out a serving of peanut butter, then you’ll understand what I mean.

If you haven’t, here’s an exercise for you.

You’ll need a food scale for this, you can usually get one for about $12, and it’s a solid investment if you’re trying to lose body fat.

So grab your food scale, place a jar of peanut butter on top.

Turn on the scale, and set it to grams.

With the jar on top, it should read zero gram (if it doesn’t, tare it).

Now grab a spoon, and take out enough peanut butter until it says -32 grams (one serving).

Surprised by how little peanut butter there is?

So if you’re convinced you’re eating 1,200 calories.  I want you to actually find out.

Use the food scale, weigh everything out.

Track every bite, lick and taste that goes into your mouth.

Find out if it’s accurate.

 

Like I said earlier, 1,200 calories is really hard to stick to.

You may do great with it for the first week, then decide it’s too hard, and go back to it.

Over and over again.

Truth be told, I don’t blame you.

It’s a road I’ve been down, and many others before you.

 

It looks something like this:

Week 1: 1,200 calories

Week 2: This is too hard, going to take a break

Week 3: I’ll get back on track next week

Week 4: 1,200 calories.

 

This pattern is taking you out of a calorie deficit.

And the point I’m really trying to hammer home here is:

You need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight.

 

You’ve just learned the most important thing above.

The reason why you aren’t losing weight eating 1,200 calories is because you aren’t actually eating 1,200 calories.

So how do you fix it?

Should you be more strict?

Should you buckle down harder?

Surprisingly, the answer is no.

The answer is to eat more calories.

Because more calories will help sustain you better, and you’ll be much more likely to adhere to it.

So here’s your action item for the day:

Go grab this Free Fat Loss Calorie Calculator

Input your numbers directly into this.

I want you to ruthlessly stick to the calorie range given for 60 days.

Track your consistency.

Go out and get a calendar, a black marker, and a red marker.

Every day you are within your calorie target, draw a big red X on the calendar for that day.

Every day that you are over your calorie target, draw a big black O on the calendar for that day.

If at the end of the 60 days, you have less than 12 Os (which is 80% consistency), and you haven’t lost weight, go back to the paragraph on inaccurate tracking.

Need help further than that?

E-mail me – [email protected].

I am always willing to help.

So remember,

Sustainable calories matter

Track everything ruthlessly

Don‘t give up.

Much love,

Nick