What is the 1200 calorie based on?

HCalanAlfano

Hi!
I've been searching for answer to this question without finding a verifiable conclusion.
I try to eat 1200 net calories a day, mostly non-meat proteins, vegetables and fruits. I'm generally pretty fit; I do cardio, toning/flexibility and strength throughout the week regularly (5 days/week, every week) and only use MFP to keep track of my calorie intake, not really to lose a lot of weight. But, I've never had a flat stomach. Its the latest physical challenge I've picked up!
This past week I've been eating far below 1200 calories partially as a test to see if that would help me reach my goal. After about 5 days of trying to stay around 900-1100 calories, I can tell its been working! But, I don't want to continue to do this if it is seriously detrimental to my health.
I'm just under 5'0 and weigh 113 lbs. My measurements are 34-24-34 and I am 22 years old. Is this a safe way for me to eat 4-5 days a week? I have a history with eating disorders, so I am trying to be cautious of any lifestyle choices that would cause me to slip back into bad habits.

BWBTrish

its very simple Your body uses about 1200 calories to stay alive( some people a bit lower others higher but avarage)...so feed your organs That is to stay alive... so doing nothing just breathing and keep your body alive.

Now your choice is to take important calories that keep your body alive/going away. and use to do all the other things than sleep/breathing etc.

Now there are results online for this that a comatose person is using around that amount of calories. That is were the number comes from.

When you do more you need more calories. So that is were the fact comes from that you damage your body when you eat less.
However there are very low diets....and only wise to do under doctor supervision ( most of the time there is a health reason to do this)

Otherwise ( even as test) a very dumb thing to do!
And of course it works!!!! you lose weight indeed..... but it is NOT healthy.

zoeysasha37

Imo , eating 900 calories isn't a good idea. Even though you are rather tiny and don't need a huge amount daily, I think that's still very low.
Since you stated that you've had issues with disordered eating, I would talk to your doctor about this. Counting calories may not be recommended depending on what phase of recovery your in.
I'd definitely have this talk with a professional to get the best advice possible. Best of luck to you.

Liftng4Lis

If you are eating 900-1000 a day, obviously you still need to be under the supervision of your doctor for your disorder. It's not history, its current.

brianpperkins

The average woman needs in the neighborhood of 1200 net calories to get the nutrition needed for a healthy body. That doesn't mean that 1200 is the magic lowest number for all people. At under 5 feet tall and in the healthy weight range already, your BMR is about 1320 ... that puts your sedentary caloric needs around 1585 per day ... then your deficit comes off that number ... a 400 calorie per day deficit then takes you under 1200.

With a history of eating disorders, the right people to talk to about setting a manageable goal weight and appropriate daily deficit are your doctors and therapists.

shadow2soul

It will have a negative effect on your health. Eating less than 1200 calories risks not getting enough Macro/Mirco nutrients (1200 is a minimum for a reason). Less than 1000 and it's pretty much guaranteed you aren't meeting your bodies nutritional requirements. Malnutrition can seriously damage your insides and has a lot of nasty side effects (some of which aren't reversible).

Minor Side Effects:

• weakness
• fatigue
• cold intolerance
• irregular menstrual periods
• dizziness
• constipation

Major Side Effects:

• Gallstones
• Gout
• Malnutrition

Long-term Effects:

• Lose muscle mass (which results in lower metabolism)
• osteoporosis

Negative Side Effects of Eating Less than 1200 Calories per day

emmadavies127

I've just began my journey and put myself on 1200 Cal per day but after reading that I think I will add few more. I'm trying to loose last stone, I'm 5 2 and currently 9 stone 3. I thought it would get it off easier as I'm really struggling.

Elise4270

My guess is that if that's the way you want to eat for the rest of your life, keep at 900-1200.

Your metabolism will slow down and that includes your brain. Shoot for a calorie intake that you want to live with.
Sounds like you are at a good place to start manitence. Id add plenty of lean protein and some weights to keep the lean look you probably want.

brianpperkins

Elise4270 wrote: »

My guess is that if that's the way you want to eat for the rest of your life, keep at 900-1200.

Your metabolism will slow down and that includes your brain. Shoot for a calorie intake that you want to live with.
Sounds like you are at a good place to start manitence. Id add plenty of lean protein and some weights to keep the lean look you probably want.

She won't maintain at that level ... especially with her claimed activity level. Basic math.

HCalanAlfano

Thanks for all your responses! If anyone has any resources they find credible that I could read up on, please send me a link

These are the calculators I used to choose 1100 as my ball park number, if anyone is interested: 1) http://www.healthycalculators.com/calories-intake-requirement.php
2) http://www.calorieking.com/interactive-tools/how-many-calories-should-you-eat/?ref=nav
3) http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

@Lifting4Lis, thanks for your reply, too! Even though you didn't answer the question I asked at all, I appreciate your concern. Just so you and @Thorsmom05‌, five years ago, I ended a daily binging and purging process I started at 13. Its been a decade since then, and half a decade since the worst of it. Eating disorders and depression are mental illnesses that require a lifetime of attention, and I realize that. I'm really very proud of my progress, and its in my nature now to take on new physical challenges every so often. This 'flat stomach thing,' is just the latest. Thanks for your encouragement.

I think I will go back to 1200 calories/day, with more strength training/toning. Hopefully, I will have a great accomplishment to update you all on before summer!

MKEgal

1200 calories is for a woman of average height to get the nutrients she needs. (1500 for an average man.)
You're well below average height.
(And the 1200 is actual total calories, not net. Ignore net.)

Here's a post I did about setting goals. It includes links to several BMI calculators. (The first is a table which doesn't go low enough for you, so ignore it.)

The third one says that if you're inactive, you need just over 1400 cal/day to maintain your current weight, which gives you a BMI of 22.1. (That's actual total calories.)

Harvard Medical School says that if you're active at least 30 minutes per day you need about 15 calories per pound. At your current weight, that would be 1695.

shadow2soul

HPCalantog wrote: »

Thanks for all your responses! If anyone has any resources they find credible that I could read up on, please send me a link

These are the calculators I used to choose 1100 as my ball park number, if anyone is interested: 1) http://www.healthycalculators.com/calories-intake-requirement.php
2) http://www.calorieking.com/interactive-tools/how-many-calories-should-you-eat/?ref=nav
3) http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/

@Lifting4Lis, thanks for your reply, too! Even though you didn't answer the question I asked at all, I appreciate your concern. Just so you and @Thorsmom05‌, five years ago, I ended a daily binging and purging process I started at 13. Its been a decade since then, and half a decade since the worst of it. Eating disorders and depression are mental illnesses that require a lifetime of attention, and I realize that. I'm really very proud of my progress, and its in my nature now to take on new physical challenges every so often. This 'flat stomach thing,' is just the latest. Thanks for your encouragement.

I think I will go back to 1200 calories/day, with more strength training/toning. Hopefully, I will have a great accomplishment to update you all on before summer!

I looked at your calorie links. With the information you provided:

First link says : 1312 to lose 1lb per week
Second link says: 1100 to 1300 (...doesn't include your exercise for some reason)
Third link says: 1316 to lose 0.7lbs per week

The only one that suggested 1100 is the second link. The other sites say that with your exercise, you should eat close to 1300 to lose weight.

HCalanAlfano

brianpperkins wrote: »

Elise4270 wrote: »

My guess is that if that's the way you want to eat for the rest of your life, keep at 900-1200.

Your metabolism will slow down and that includes your brain. Shoot for a calorie intake that you want to live with.
Sounds like you are at a good place to start manitence. Id add plenty of lean protein and some weights to keep the lean look you probably want.

She won't maintain at that level ... especially with her claimed activity level. Basic math.

@brianpperkins‌, that's strange since I've been keeping my calorie count around 1200 for the past two years and have mostly maintained my current body.

@Elise4270‌, thanks for a response without so much sass! I've only asked few questions on this forum, and some of the responses we're getting are why. I still haven't received any sources, yet I'm seeing a lot of lack of support for all the people on here trying to reach a goal and turn over a new leaf! So, thanks again.

HCalanAlfano

@Shadow2Soul, I actually posted those as a resource for other people to use for themselves...kind of like how I asked for people to send me a resource I could read about the 1200 calorie rule for myself What did you get?

Since your so interested in my results, I will humor you. I obviously did not want to go up in my calorie count even after seeing the numbers around 1300 to lose weight, since my 1200 calorie count has (so far) maintained my look.

Good luck with your own fitness goals!

brianpperkins

HPCalantog wrote: »

brianpperkins wrote: »

Elise4270 wrote: »

My guess is that if that's the way you want to eat for the rest of your life, keep at 900-1200.

Your metabolism will slow down and that includes your brain. Shoot for a calorie intake that you want to live with.
Sounds like you are at a good place to start manitence. Id add plenty of lean protein and some weights to keep the lean look you probably want.

She won't maintain at that level ... especially with her claimed activity level. Basic math.

@brianpperkins‌, that's strange since I've been keeping my calorie count around 1200 for the past two years and have mostly maintained my current body.

@Elise4270‌, thanks for a response without so much sass! I've only asked few questions on this forum, and some of the responses we're getting are why. I still haven't received any sources, yet I'm seeing a lot of lack of support for all the people on here trying to reach a goal and turn over a new leaf! So, thanks again.

Then you weren't logging accurately.

shadow2soul

HPCalantog wrote: »

@Shadow2Soul, I actually posted those as a resource for other people to use for themselves...kind of like how I asked for people to send me a resource I could read about the 1200 calorie rule for myself What did you get?

Since your so interested in my results, I will humor you. I obviously did not want to go up in my calorie count even after seeing the numbers around 1300 to lose weight, since my 1200 calorie count has (so far) maintained my look.

Good luck with your own fitness goals!

I get around 1800 to lose a little over 1lb per week based on my exercise level. 2000 for exactly 1lb per week loss.

Except for your second link which tells me at most I should eat 1450 at most (since outside of exercise, I'm lightly active...even marking the highest activity level says 1600 at most which is still not enough). That wouldn't be enough for me. I know based on loss vs intake data that I maintain somewhere around 2600 calories at my current weight/activity level with exercise. So eating 1450 would give me a deficit of around 1150. I also know that there is no way I would be able to sustain my workout intensity and duration at that low of a calorie amount.

shadow2soul wrote: »

Negative Side Effects of Eating Less than 1200 Calories per day

^^^^I did give you a link in my post before you even asked. Which has references at the bottom of the page.

HCalanAlfano

Got it, thanks for that! That was sort of thing I was asking for.

Though you don't need to explain what you got or do. I don't think anyone here owes anyone an explanation if they don't feel like they do.

Good luck losing that extra weight! I know I'm looking at an extra 2-3 inches, myself. Have a nice day and thanks again for your responses!

brianpperkins

HPCalantog wrote: »

Got it, thanks for that! That was sort of thing I was asking for.

Though you don't need to explain what you got or do. I don't think anyone here owes anyone an explanation if they don't feel like they do.

Good luck losing that extra weight! I know I'm looking at an extra 2-3 inches, myself. Have a nice day and thanks again for your responses!

You do realize that you're already in the healthy weight range ... right?

WalkingAlong

John Barban wonders where the frequent 1200 floor came from, too.
http://johnbarban.com/weight-loss-fallacies-2lbs-per-week-and-1200-calories-per-day/

LoseIt and MFP say the NIH recommends 1000-1200 minimum for women. I'm guessing it's a range to accommodate small people like you? I've never actually seen that range in a NIH publication but I haven't looked hard, either.

There are tall people who claim to maintain at 1400. I don't know how much of it is logging error vs. reality but if you maintain at 1200, you're probably not hurting yourself physically spending a short time around 1000. But, yeah, watch the ED thing because you're so small already. A 24" waist is pretty tiny.

HCalanAlfano

@brianpperkins‌ I know I'm at a healthy range for my height. But I'm not one for complacency. I've already achieved my goal weight(s) at this time and have a new physical challenge I've picked up. If you read my responses then you would know that, as well as that I'm not looking to lose weight necessarily, I'm looking to gain a flat stomach and lose 2-3 inches to do so.

Thanks for your initial comment, which was so helpful! As I said before, after this overall experience on this forum, I am going back to 1200 calories with more strength/toning time at the gym. Good luck with all your weight loss goals!

HCalanAlfano

Thanks, @WalkingAlong! That is the sort of thing I was looking to read

brianpperkins

HPCalantog wrote: »

@brianpperkins‌ I know I'm at a healthy range for my height. But I'm not one for complacency. I've already achieved my goal weight(s) at this time and have a new physical challenge I've picked up. If you read my responses then you would know that, as well as that I'm not looking to lose weight necessarily, I'm looking to gain a flat stomach and lose 2-3 inches to do so.

Thanks for your initial comment, which was so helpful! As I said before, after this overall experience on this forum, I am going back to 1200 calories with more strength/toning time at the gym. Good luck with all your weight loss goals!

If your goal is a recomp, an aggressive deficit isn't needed. Deficits are for weight loss ... period.

cincysweetheart

brianpperkins wrote: »

HPCalantog wrote: »

@brianpperkins‌ I know I'm at a healthy range for my height. But I'm not one for complacency. I've already achieved my goal weight(s) at this time and have a new physical challenge I've picked up. If you read my responses then you would know that, as well as that I'm not looking to lose weight necessarily, I'm looking to gain a flat stomach and lose 2-3 inches to do so.

Thanks for your initial comment, which was so helpful! As I said before, after this overall experience on this forum, I am going back to 1200 calories with more strength/toning time at the gym. Good luck with all your weight loss goals!

If your goal is a recomp, an aggressive deficit isn't needed. Deficits are for weight loss ... period.

THIS^^^

If you are already at a healthy weight, but you want a flatter stomach… It sounds like you need to focus more on weight training than on calorie deficit.

HCalanAlfano

"As I said before, after this overall experience on this forum, I am going back to 1200 calories with more strength/toning time at the gym."

Thanks though, @cincysweetheart‌ & @brianpperkins!

@brianpperkins‌, thanks again for all your tips! I can tell you've learned a lot since you lost 3 pounds Have a nice night! And good luck with the rest of those pounds! I'm sending good vibes your way.

FatFreeFrolicking

If you are eating 900-1000 calories, your eating disorders aren't history. They are alive & present. Patients in recovery are advised to eat 2000+ calories a day (usually closer to 3000).

Please seek help from a psychiatrist/psychologist who specializes in eating disorders.

TimothyFish

For a week, eating below 1200 isn't likely to cause great harm, unless you have certain medical conditions. But it isn't wise to try to sustain that lifestyle. There are things your body needs to operate that it can't get from stored fat. The 1200 calories is the minimum number of calories you need to provide your body with those things. But based on your picture, you need to be eating more than that.

segacs

HPCalantog wrote: »

"As I said before, after this overall experience on this forum, I am going back to 1200 calories with more strength/toning time at the gym."

And /thread.

brianpperkins

HPCalantog wrote: »

"As I said before, after this overall experience on this forum, I am going back to 1200 calories with more strength/toning time at the gym."

Thanks though, @cincysweetheart‌ & @brianpperkins!

@brianpperkins‌, thanks again for all your tips! I can tell you've learned a lot since you lost 3 pounds Have a nice night! And good luck with the rest of those pounds! I'm sending good vibes your way.

I'm not trying to lose any weight ... so the good vibes of a person with a history of eating disorders who is in a healthy weight range but now eating 1000 cal per day might be best kept for themselves. Just an observation. Deficits are for weight loss. Even with your slightly upped caloric goal, you still are running a deficit to lose nearly 1 lb per week .. if you accurately log.

Liftng4Lis

Why don't you try a re-comp?

dbmata

HPCalantog wrote: »

I've been searching for answer to this question without finding a verifiable conclusion.

A baseline variable value that a programmer wrote into the calorie counting application.

It's not based on anything but whim.

sunnyside1213

Guys, us shorties need less food. I am 5"1". My TDEE - 20% - 1036 calories. If I eat over this, I gain weight. If I want to lose, I have to stick to about 900 to 950 a day and it it really slow. No way I can eat 1200 calories a day.