What is the female obsession with a 1200 calorie diet?
bostonwolf
Posts: 3,038 Member
I'm honestly curious. Does one of the magazines like Cosmo push it as the magic number for dieting? As if that one number works for everyone large and small, strong or weak, short or tall?
It just strikes me as very odd that half the diet related threads here involved 1200 calories and whether or not it's appropriate for the poster.
Please, I ask for some enlightenment on this issue.
It just strikes me as very odd that half the diet related threads here involved 1200 calories and whether or not it's appropriate for the poster.
Please, I ask for some enlightenment on this issue.
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Replies
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Speaking for myself ..... I eat a lot more than 1200 ...... Lol0
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I apologize, I don't mean to say all women eat that way. On my friend list that certainly isn't the case. We are all lifting far too much weight to eat that little.
It's just that we see at least 10 threads a day like this one:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1015351-is-this-an-ok-1200-calorie-diet-plan-for-the-day?page=1#posts-15557337
Where someone is netting 200-400 calories a day after exercise and asking if this is OK?
Short answer: NO, it's not OK.0 -
I thought it was because 1200 cals is MFP's minimum allowed.0
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IMO when people post suggestions of a 1200 calorie diet it is more of a caution to not go below 1200 calories. After reading a LOT of posts that is the conclusion I have come to. Not necessarily endorsing 1200 calories but it seems to be the bottom line. Personally I sit better at 1400-1500 (*average before bonus exercise cals) and I am a short (albeit curvy) female!0
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^and to clarify again "we" refers to men and women on my FL. I am a man, I occasionally eat more than 1200 calories at 1 meal.0
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IMO when people post suggestions of a 1200 calorie diet it is more of a caution to not go below 1200 calories. After reading a LOT of posts that is the conclusion I have come to. Not necessarily endorsing 1200 calories but it seems to be the bottom line. Personally I sit better at 1400-1500 (*average before bonus exercise cals) and I am a short (albeit curvy) female!
Understandable, but with the wealth of information here and online about TDEE and how to get a good read as to what your actual calorie consumption is, why not do that and then determine the appropriate calories and macronutrient breakdown?0 -
I eat 1800-2100 a day and workout 5x a week. I use the TDEE method and I lost almost a pound and a half last week. the 1200 cal a day diet is BS in my opinion. I did that diet and gained back 20 pounds because my body couldn't adjust to eating more once I tried to eat more than 1200 a day again.0
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Yeah, I can't do 1200 - in fact I added up 1200 a day plus a typical week's worth of exercise calories and divided it by 7 - I usually eat an average of about 1700-1750 a day and that works for me.0
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I would faint eating that little..... I lift heavy..... 2200 is my minimum I consume each day.lol0
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It's a governmental guideline - a minimum intake to maintain reasonable health.
Most websites and magazines won't advocate lower for fear of being sued.
People are impatient, ala, push it to the max regardless of individual needs.0 -
I think mfp sets the intake at 1200 calories for any female who chooses to lose 2 pounds per week. Isn't that correct? If so, I would think that's why so many people come in to the forums asking about 1200 calorie diets.0
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It's just the lowest number of calories that a woman is supposed to eat unless directed by a qualified medical professional, as a presumed safeguard against starvation. The recommended minimum for men is 1800 calories.0
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Not sure but it's inhumane IMO. I think 1800 is inhumane some days0
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I think some sort of study years ago indicated that 1200 calories is the lowest amount an average woman should eat for weight loss (potentially based off average BMR). People took that information as the golden standard and ran with it. Often people are of the all-or-nothing mentality, so when they hear they can lose weight the "healthy" way by eating 1200 calories they jump into it. They want to lose weight fast and they think more (as in more of a deficit) is better. MFP sets many of our calories at that level initially when we say we want to lose 2 pounds a week.0
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Multiple places (includig MFP) give it as the lowest amount you can normally eat nutritiously. I guess some people don't read past that and automatically think that the fewest calories will be the fastest way to lose weight. (Personallly, I think they're wrong, especially if they want to keep the weight off.) I've seen many people say MFP recommends that amount for them, but when you go through the numbers with him or her, you'll find that it does not recommend it for that person. So... I can't quite explain it either, but it does seem to be what many people (not just women although they are more likely to) think of as the "magic" number.
ETA:
WebMD and some other "medical" sites also recommend this as the absolute minimum for anyone not under specific, medically supervised guidance. But just because it's the minimum doesn't mean it's where most people should be. When you add in exercise calories, almost everyone, even a small, inactive woman trying to lose weight, should be eating more than 1,200 calories/day. And at 1,200 the foods eaten should be "nutrition dense" since otherwise you'll probably be missing critical nutrients.0 -
Honestly I eat around 800-1000 calories a day and excercise 3-4 times a week... I tried 1200 calorie diets and found no result... this is just where my body wants to be its not a diet its a lifestyle0
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I think mfp sets the intake at 1200 calories for any female who chooses to lose 2 pounds per week. Isn't that correct? If so, I would think that's why so many people come in to the forums asking about 1200 calorie diets.
No. MFP sets 1200 as the minimum that you should eat, regardless. The recommendation MFP gives is based on your current size and activity level, minus the rate at which you wish to lose.0 -
I didn't really read all of the other responses, so I apologize if I repeat someone. The 1200 calories noted in diets refers to the minimum they recommend a person eats (when you aren't exercising) to lose up to 2 lbs per week. No matter what your size is, to lose 1 lb your calorie deficit needs to be 3500. Therefore if you are only eating 1200 calories a day, you could lose up to 2.2 lbs in a week. Of course, if you exercise you get to eat more. The main focus really isn't sticking exactly to 1200 calories, but more the deficit between what you consume vs what you burn to lose weight. Hope that helps!0
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I've always wondered this as well. Personally, I think it's because many do not understand how calories in/out really works and don't understand that they can actually lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way (albeit somewhat slower) with a higher calorie intake. What really gets me shaking my head are the ones that think 1200 calories should be their gross and they end up netting 500 calories or whatever with their exercise..and somehow they think they're being healthy and what not. I also think a lot of women have been "programmed" to think they should be eating like little birdies if they want to stay slim or lose weight.
I know when my wife got on here and it gave her the arbitrary 1200 she just chuckled and told MFP to f itself and input her own custom goal using TDEE. When she was losing (now just maintaining, but lost a good 20 Lbs) she was grossing around 1800-2000 calories or so, but she didn't obsess. She just ate food, ran, hit the gym and did all of the above consistently for some time and lost the weight.0 -
I actually went to a different site so I could get a differing opinion of what my calories and macros should be and adjusted my numbers on MFP. I would not say my food diary is perfect by any means but I am trying to increase my protein to aid in my strength training. I am also doing intermittent 5:2 fasting. So my 'feast' days are much higher in cals than my "fast" days but the average over the week is 1400-1600.
P.s. the second site that I used to determine my ideal cal consumption was about 200 calories higher than MFP... I will gladly eat those extra 2000 -
I eat 1800-2100 a day and workout 5x a week. I use the TDEE method and I lost almost a pound and a half last week. the 1200 cal a day diet is BS in my opinion. I did that diet and gained back 20 pounds because my body couldn't adjust to eating more once I tried to eat more than 1200 a day again.
I'm sure it works for some people who are very, very small, but I agree that for most people it's not appropriate, yet it seems to be the starting point for so many people I was just wondering where the idea comes from.
If people can do it without being hungry all the time go for it, I just find it hard to believe that this is the case.0 -
I eat 1800-2100 a day and workout 5x a week. I use the TDEE method and I lost almost a pound and a half last week. the 1200 cal a day diet is BS in my opinion. I did that diet and gained back 20 pounds because my body couldn't adjust to eating more once I tried to eat more than 1200 a day again.
Do you wonder if you might gain if someday you stop working out 5x a week? Seems a similar risk to me.
1200 a day is not BS for *me* because I'm not working out/lifting very much (my daily exercise is usually a brisk walk with my dog ).0 -
It is pushed by almost every pop magazine.
They say "experts" said that is the lowest amount of calories you can eat while getting all your nutrients.
They have pictures of low calorie high volume food and they swear you can stay full on that diet.
They put a picture of a gorgeous model next to their "break through diet plan" and hope you will subconsciously equate buying their magazine and following their ridiculous diets with looking like the random model in yoga attire next to the article.
(Personally I believe you should fuel your workouts, and give your body what it needs...but who am I to argue with the people who sell magazines lol)
There are also nutritionists who will put people on these types of diets, however, they have to be very careful to eat a very balanced diet while restricting the calories so severely. I don't think anyone recommends it for a long term solution (At least I hope not!)
To me it is a fad left over from the super skinny models of the nineties... Hopefully people are starting to wake up and see that strength and health does not equal starvation and super skinny... If they disagree they should look up the popular fitness models diets...those ladies eat roughly 2500 a day and look SO much better then the starved 12 yr old boy look that people seem to want. (And if you look at them a couple weeks after a competition they do not regularly maintain the super muscular look. When not competing they look feminine, strong and curvy.
Check her out...
http://ingridromerofitness.com/2012/04/30/my-diet-the-most-asked-question-ever-have-that-hot-bikini-body-youve-always-wanted/0 -
I think that's because 1200 calories is usually the amount doctors suggest women should eat when trying to lose weight. For years I thought 1200 calories was that magic number that I shouldn't go above, and as a result I ended up putting weight on, especially in pregnancy when I had to eat more than that or I felt ill.
Saying that, I did lose half the weight I've lost by eating 1200, but once I joined MFP I realised I was wrong, and now aim for 1600. I feel a lot better for it, and have plenty of energy for work, exercise and looking after my young kids.
I went to get the pill when my son was a few months old, and the nurse was a right ***** to me and told me I should eat 1000 calories a day. I had a young baby and was exercising 5 times a week. I was furious and wrote a letter of complaint. I'd love to go find that woman now!0 -
I am set to 1200 I eat back most if not all my workout calories. I use a HRM so hopefully I am in the correct ballpark with what I burn. I am only 5ft tall so for me that is the right amount to lose weight. I have to be honest what I have learned about all this working out losing weight...is it is NOT one size fits all. No two bodies work the same. It is trial and error to see what fits you best.0
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I would faint eating that little..... I lift heavy..... 2200 is my minimum I consume each day.lol
Same here, but only because I'm trying to lose fat. I still lift heavy and do cardio but try to be around 2200-2500 net. Which means I'm usually eating 3000+ calories a day.0 -
I thought it was because 1200 cals is MFP's minimum allowed.
^^THIS! There are many women who are older, shorter, etc that eat below 1200 as well, you just can't say it on MFP or you will get reported. 1200 is the safe number to claim. While 1200 is certainly not an appropriate amount for everyone, there are quite a few people that it works for while they are losing weight. You just need to be more careful with HOW you spend those calories, to make sure you get enough protein and other nutrients.
Some people also shoot for 1200, but don't measure everything 100% accurately, so maybe they are actually eating 1300-1400 cals. Aiming for a lower goal gives more flexibility and room for error.
BTW, 20+ years ago, 1000 calories a day was the standard amount to lose weight for most women, so 1200 is more than it used to be.
What I question is why so many people freak out when others choose to eat at that level because it works for them? If it is too few calories for them, they will soon figure it out for themselves.0 -
I think mfp sets the intake at 1200 calories for any female who chooses to lose 2 pounds per week. Isn't that correct? If so, I would think that's why so many people come in to the forums asking about 1200 calorie diets.0
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I am set to 1200 I eat back most if not all my workout calories. I use a HRM so hopefully I am in the correct ballpark with what I burn. I am only 5ft tall so for me that is the right amount to lose weight. I have to be honest what I have learned about all this working out losing weight...is it is NOT one size fits all. No two bodies work the same. It is trial and error to see what fits you best.
Totally agree. I think because I"m 6'3 and currently around 290 I just find eating that little food shocking.0 -
Here are my stats:
127 pounds, 5'3. I want to lose about 5 pounds. I have a desk job. MFP gives me 1200 calories to lose .7 pounds per week (net, not gross). That is just how it is for some people who may not have too much weight to lose.
I personally use TDEE -20, however, it is not that far off.
I do Stronglifts, so I eat more on my lifting days, and if I am hungry, I eat. But if my goal is to lose weight I have to have a deficit.0
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