Can I go below 1200 calories?

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2

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  • fitmama0914
    fitmama0914 Posts: 83
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    Scoobys workshop says for recomp, I need between 1700 and 2000 depending on exercise (wow), and for -20% 1600. I guess I'll stick with 1600 for now and see where it takes me. The only weight I have access to right now are my kids, lol.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    Look into You Are Your Own Gym, by Mark Lauren. It's bodyweight strength training, so you don't need anything to get started.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    How confident are you in your logging? Many people aren't honest about their logging, don't log completely, and rarely if ever weigh/measure what they eat. When you log 1300 calories, are you sure you're really eating 1300 calories?
  • fitmama0914
    fitmama0914 Posts: 83
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    Honestly I'm confident until dinner. I rarely eat breakfast, and when I do, it's hard to screw up logging it, or lunch. And I usually try to overestimate everything else. I'm trying to come up with a doable meal plan, because I don't have much control over what I eat. I live in a 2 family household, and share dinner time. I don't usually cook, because my sister and I are polar opposites with food. She generally doesn't like what I cook because I don't drown everything in butter and salt, and she boils her vegetables in butter. Yes. So, I try to eat very little. I need to come up with healthy stuff I can eat with minimal cooking, or prep ahead of time.
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
    edited December 2014
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    Serah87 wrote: »
    fitmama0914 wrote: »
    I'm 5'2 and 113 pounds, with a small frame. I can wear my 10 year old's clothes, and can't even gain weight on purpose. I just store fat. At 1300, that's eating when I'm hungry. I thought my diary was open. ...My daily intake has been inconsistent because I've been trying to get to 1600, and can't. I've never had a problem with overeating, just was not very active. I don't eat much junk food, but usually pick salty over sweet when I do.

    I am 5'2, 45 yrs old and at the moment weigh 113 pounds, my maintenance calories is around 2400-2600 calories, to lose weight, 1 pound a week, I did 1800-2000 calories.

    OP you 30 yrs old, you mostly definitely should be eating more and your BMR is more then 1300 cals.. JS

    :o Sorry to highjack the thread, but how do you DO that?!?! I'm only a couple of years older than you, one inch taller, 65 lbs heavier, and I can't net more than 1400 to lose weight! And I'm hungry! Tell me your secret!

    ETA: I just read your profile -- you are inspiring! Congratulations!! Now if I could only find 2-3 extra hours in the day I could work out the way you do. LOL
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    If you are maintaining at 1300 (only possible in VERY few cases like being very short and thin+thyroid problems and possibly a lost limb), you are likely underlogging food and/or overlogging exercise. You can either pay better attention to these aspects, or change to 1100 as you mentioned. It will not be dangerous since what you are an overlogger and would eat over that number anyway.
  • terar21
    terar21 Posts: 523 Member
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    Hmmm, well I took a look at your diary and are all of those homemade logs things that you personally put the nutritional facts in for? If not, then your calories are really just estimated and probably not close to what you're eating.

    But beyond that, it's definitely time for you to focus on strength training. Search for posts on incorporating weights into your weekly routine. Purely focusing on cutting calories will make you lose weight (as long as your logging accurate from this point forward) but it won't take care of the belly fat problem. Train your body.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    terar21 wrote: »
    Hmmm, well I took a look at your diary and are all of those homemade logs things that you personally put the nutritional facts in for? If not, then your calories are really just estimated and probably not close to what you're eating.

    But beyond that, it's definitely time for you to focus on strength training. Search for posts on incorporating weights into your weekly routine. Purely focusing on cutting calories will make you lose weight (as long as your logging accurate from this point forward) but it won't take care of the belly fat problem. Train your body.

    ^^ All of this. You have a lot of generic food entries that don't completely add up. 1/2 cup mashed potato - 65 calories. So there's no butter or milk in your mashed potatoes?

    Generic Apple plus 2 tbsp peanut butter - 150 cals. 2 Tbsp of PB by itself is usually more than 150 cals so how can that plus an apple be less?

    I also still am not entirely clear on what your goals are. You don't want to lose weight, so what did you enter into the system, that you want to maintain? Is that where you are saying MFP gave you 1600? Where did the 1300 come from?

    Again - if you aren't looking to lose weight, which it doesn't sound like you should be at your current stats - you should look into more strength training options.

  • fitmama0914
    fitmama0914 Posts: 83
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    I actually didn't know that about the Apple and pb thing. Usually I do a search for the individual ingredients in stuff, and log it that way. ..like with the homemade stuff. And sometimes I do forget the little stuff, but not always. My goals have been changing as I go along. I suspect that I am more into yoga and running. So basically, regardless of end weight, I want to lower my bf and have enough muscle to have some definition, and strength.
  • NerdieMcChub
    NerdieMcChub Posts: 153 Member
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    MAINTENANCE at 1300????
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    fitmama0914 wrote: »
    I actually didn't know that about the Apple and pb thing. Usually I do a search for the individual ingredients in stuff, and log it that way. ..like with the homemade stuff. And sometimes I do forget the little stuff, but not always. My goals have been changing as I go along. I suspect that I am more into yoga and running. So basically, regardless of end weight, I want to lower my bf and have enough muscle to have some definition, and strength.

    There are a lot of inaccuracies in the database, which is why people recommend using the recipe builder as well as weighing and measuring all your own food when you log it.

    But that's also why when you initially said you were maintaining at 1300 cals/day, people questioned the accuracy of that statement. If you've been choosing the wrong entries in the database, not weighing your food, and not logging consistently, it is likely you are consuming more than you think, making your maintenance number much higher.

    It is a very common issue actually when people don't get the results they were hoping for and then open up their diaries, people can usually spot the problem areas pretty quickly.

  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Yoga and running are great but they are going to give you lean and stringy muscles. The lifting is what is going to strengthen and tone your core. I'd rather you refer to your tummy as soft rather than fat, and consider your goal toning rather than losing.
  • corgarian
    corgarian Posts: 366 Member
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    If weight loss isnt even your goal why on earch would you DROP calories? You say you want definition then you need to start lifting weights and eating more. If you dont have access to weights look up body weight exercises.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    Kruggeri wrote: »
    fitmama0914 wrote: »
    I actually didn't know that about the Apple and pb thing. Usually I do a search for the individual ingredients in stuff, and log it that way. ..like with the homemade stuff. And sometimes I do forget the little stuff, but not always. My goals have been changing as I go along. I suspect that I am more into yoga and running. So basically, regardless of end weight, I want to lower my bf and have enough muscle to have some definition, and strength.

    There are a lot of inaccuracies in the database, which is why people recommend using the recipe builder as well as weighing and measuring all your own food when you log it.

    But that's also why when you initially said you were maintaining at 1300 cals/day, people questioned the accuracy of that statement. If you've been choosing the wrong entries in the database, not weighing your food, and not logging consistently, it is likely you are consuming more than you think, making your maintenance number much higher.

    It is a very common issue actually when people don't get the results they were hoping for and then open up their diaries, people can usually spot the problem areas pretty quickly.

    All of this. This is a great post that walks you through the most accurate way to log your food on MFP:

    community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1234699/logging-accurately-step-by-step-guide/p1
  • fitmama0914
    fitmama0914 Posts: 83
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    I've been doing bw workouts, and circuit training.

    And I will consider my belly "fat" until I can no longer fit 3 fingers under it. And "toning" is building muscle/ losing fat....
  • emailme178
    emailme178 Posts: 557 Member
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    are you sure its even fat on your tummy and not that little bit of loose skin post baby??? that's pretty normal you know... toning and weights... and def no reducing calories!!! don't overestimate either if you need to up calories... underestimate and eat more!
  • emailme178
    emailme178 Posts: 557 Member
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    cheese, peanut butter(organic), almonds, lots of healthy things that are not hard to make that can make a big impact
  • fitmama0914
    fitmama0914 Posts: 83
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    emailme178 wrote: »
    are you sure its even fat on your tummy and not that little bit of loose skin post baby??? that's pretty normal you know... toning and weights... and def no reducing calories!!! don't overestimate either if you need to up calories... underestimate and eat more!

    The whole "if you can pinch an inch" thing is what I am sort of going by. I sure hope it's not just skin. :( If it is, then I think I'm out of luck. But I have lost a couple inches, so Idk.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    If you don't have access to a gym find things around the house to lift. Do pushups until they are easy then have one of your kids sit on your back and do them. A couple gallon milk bottles filled with water or sand make great "dumbells".
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    fitmama0914 wrote: »
    I've been doing bw workouts, and circuit training.

    And I will consider my belly "fat" until I can no longer fit 3 fingers under it. And "toning" is building muscle/ losing fat....

    Most people here avoid the term "toning" because it's so misleading and a lot of people use it without really understanding the process.

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