Am I The Only Eating 1200 Cals A Day?

13

Replies

  • lilimini
    lilimini Posts: 56
    I am the same! I am set to 1200. Usually, find it hard to make it to 1200, as I eat lots of greens and fruits and lean meat and only drink water. I find that it does get close or over 1200, if I eat yogurt or anything other than water like coffee or even fruit juices. But, it is important to eat lots of greens and make sure you eat enough protein - that way your weight loss regime is something sustainable and is not something that will be hard to maintain in the future.

    Although I have been on MFP for a year, I have lost 10lbs this month alone, just sticking to these calories and exercising 6-7 days a week. I think that cutting back on the sugar and only drinking water, increasing veggies and fruits and lean meat - have resulted in a big loss this month :)
  • beautifuldiskize
    beautifuldiskize Posts: 95
    There is actually a thread/link somewhere on here where someone posted a link to a source PROVING that 1200 calories or even 1000 calories per day is FINE and that your body will not even come CLOSE to starvation mode so all of you people talking about anorexia need to hush.
  • Ndelawter85
    Ndelawter85 Posts: 1
    I am eating 1200 as well ... don't feel alone :-)
  • cutlooseat60
    cutlooseat60 Posts: 19
    I'm eating 1200 calories too. I recently started giving MFP my all. I do work out every day and have had little success in weight loss. Maybe I need to increase my calories.
  • cutlooseat60
    cutlooseat60 Posts: 19
    Have you always exercised 6-7- days a week and how many calories do you burn from your work outs. I just really started getting into swimming everyday and I'm hoping to see better results. Up till this point my weight loss was not that great. I joined MFP about a year ago and never got into it completely. I have a new out look and am really trying to give it my all this time. I would be interested in hearing more from you in the area of your work outs since you lost 10 lbs recently.
  • robdel302
    robdel302 Posts: 292 Member
    You can but it depends on how many calories you actually burn a day. One issue is that the calorie estimates on MFP are often a bit on the low end. The sedentiary option lists the examples as "bank teller or desk job". While the job may fit a lot of people on this site, it sets the default calories setting REALLY low. I think it's around 1200 for a woman and 1800 for a man. This average is more likely a day when someone lounges at home and watches TV all day. We're likely to burn way more calories by just doing our daily activitiy likes going to work, walking around the office, cleaning, etc...

    For example; I have an armband (bodymedia) the tracks my calories burned around the clock and it's 90% accurate. I have a desk job which means at sedentary it defaults to about 1800 for my age and weight. On the days I DON'T work out, I average about 2700 calories burned a day. At an 1800 calorie limit this would put my defecit in starvation territory. So even though the desciption matches my job, I have to use a higher setting.
  • cindybpitts
    cindybpitts Posts: 213 Member
    It Absolutely Does Work For Me.And My Body Is Not Complaining.Im Not Starving Myself Any Ways Just Eating Less As Instructed And It Feels Good.
    Can you eat 1200 for the rest of your life? As soon as you eat over you will gain. Do the TDEE - 20%..best way ever to lose and you get to eat more.
  • amt49
    amt49 Posts: 5
    No, I am also on 1200 cals a day and have lost 15lbs since 13 may.
  • amt49
    amt49 Posts: 5
    No, I am also on 1200 cals a day and have lost 15lbs since 13 may.
  • MargoWhiteWalton
    MargoWhiteWalton Posts: 16 Member
    I always stay around 1200 as that is also my set allowance. I also make sure I walk my 2 miles everyday...and that allows me 332 more calories! So far its working!

    Curious, do you eat your exercise calories very much? I also am at 1200 and walk two miles a day.
  • kglading
    kglading Posts: 80 Member
    I eat about 1200cals a day, regardless if I exercise a lot or not. I'm 5'2 145 lbs. Started out at 175 lbs, so it's worked so far for me, and I do exercise a lot most days. Feel free to add me if you'd like!
  • robot_potato
    robot_potato Posts: 1,535 Member
    Mine is set to 1600. With exercise I eat 1900-3000, depending on what kind of day it is. I am 5'7" 160 lbs
  • christianteach
    christianteach Posts: 595 Member
    I've been eating around 1200 for the past couple of months but I'm going to experiment with eating a little more.
  • Kiss_Her_Act
    Kiss_Her_Act Posts: 92
    Wow Guys You're So Informative.I Think There's Still A Lot I Need To Learn When It Comes To Nutrition And Fitness.Thank You For Your Response.
  • NonnyMary
    NonnyMary Posts: 982 Member
    I have mine set at 1,800 calories a day.. but I sometimes - not on purpose only eat 1,200. MFP warns me that im not eating enough calories. but since i eat till full, then i really dont want more than that. I am not sure MFP is calculating all my food choices, since I eat out at lunchtime at work, and MFP does not always have my choice, so I use another that I think is similar, anyway long story short - I might be eating more than 1,200 and do not know it.

    but I dont want to eat more just becuse it is telling me i need to eat more. I dont know if this is good or not.
  • ST99000722
    ST99000722 Posts: 204 Member
    Netting below 1200 calories is advocating a Pro-Ana lifestyle.

    Simply not true for everyone, especially for short women with super petite frames such as myself. These blanket statements are the one thing that annoys me on MFP.

    Everything else is amazing though. :flowerforyou:

    Thank you !!! :flowerforyou:
  • alwayskungfu
    alwayskungfu Posts: 92
    You really need to find out what your resting metabolic rate is, ie if I lay on my back all day I burn 2200 just to function, so thats my base and when I exercise I eat most of it back, so I hover within a pond of my ideal weight, if I did not eat back my exercise burn I would loose, simple. Also keep an eye on your macros, eat balanced . Try not to think diet, have a long term lifestyle mindset, focus on becoming a stronger better version of you, be kind to yourself and take your time, be mindful. peace :0)
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,659 Member
    It Absolutely Does Work For Me.And My Body Is Not Complaining.Im Not Starving Myself Any Ways Just Eating Less As Instructed And It Feels Good.
    Can you eat 1200 for the rest of your life? As soon as you eat over you will gain. Do the TDEE - 20%..best way ever to lose and you get to eat more.

    This is where confusion comes in on MFP - noboldy needs to stick to the 1200 calories for life, if they did they would continually lose weight.

    Once their goal weight has been met, they then go onto maintenance, the person definitely does not remain on 1200 calories per day lol.
  • AlishiaB314
    AlishiaB314 Posts: 1
    MFP has my net goal set at 1200 cals a day also
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    Hey There..

    I've been Reading Posts And It Seems Like Everyone Is Eating 2000+ Calories.And They Think 1200 Is Too Low.But Then MFP set me for 1.2 A Day.Is There Anyone Else On 1200?

    I am on 1200 calories per day, there are loads of people on MFP doing the same, however, many never post on these forums because of the anti-1200 calories brigade.

    I think that must be so. I keep telling myself not to waste my time responding to alarmist posts about 1200, but I hate to see people misled, and the fact is that 1200 healthy calories is not starving oneself and it's an absolute necessity for some people to lose weight. Some need to go below that.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    I have my food diary open and based on that (esp yesterday) I had to eat more after my workout to get over 1200....eek. for me I eat a lot but it is all about what you eat in my opinion. if you stay at 1200 all the time your body will get used to it, try upping it for a day or two in a healthy way, then back down to your regular food. You don't want to go into starvation mode....
  • toutmonpossible
    toutmonpossible Posts: 1,580 Member
    I have my food diary open and based on that (esp yesterday) I had to eat more after my workout to get over 1200....eek. for me I eat a lot but it is all about what you eat in my opinion. if you stay at 1200 all the time your body will get used to it, try upping it for a day or two in a healthy way, then back down to your regular food. You don't want to go into starvation mode....

    For the last time, 1200 does not put you into starvation mode. It is not even classified as a Very Low Calorie Diet.
  • scrttwtt
    scrttwtt Posts: 30
    I'm on 1200... basically because I am short (so need fewer calories than a tall person), and have a low level of activity in the day (so need fewer calories than an active person). That said, with some exercise, I actually end up being able to eat 1600, which is plenty.
  • caitlynah12
    caitlynah12 Posts: 34
    When I tracked my food religiously, and before I started going to the gym regularly, I was at 1,200. Made sense as I'm short. I've fallen off the food tracking w/ MFP wagon and need to start at it again. I think now mine should probably be bumped up to 1,250.
  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
    Why Are Some People Capitalizing Every Word Of A Sentence Like This?
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,659 Member
    Hey There..

    I've been Reading Posts And It Seems Like Everyone Is Eating 2000+ Calories.And They Think 1200 Is Too Low.But Then MFP set me for 1.2 A Day.Is There Anyone Else On 1200?

    I am on 1200 calories per day, there are loads of people on MFP doing the same, however, many never post on these forums because of the anti-1200 calories brigade.

    I think that must be so. I keep telling myself not to waste my time responding to alarmist posts about 1200, but I hate to see people misled, and the fact is that 1200 healthy calories is not starving oneself and it's an absolute necessity for some people to lose weight. Some need to go below that.

    Then you and I are of the same mindset, because that is exactly what I tell myself too, but then I see some anti-1200 posts on the forums, couple that with some of the bro-science incorporated into some of those postings and it could be a recipe for disaster for some poor sod trying to do their best with their weightloss attempts - then when they are told to eat more......... scary isn't it :(
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,659 Member
    I have my food diary open and based on that (esp yesterday) I had to eat more after my workout to get over 1200....eek. for me I eat a lot but it is all about what you eat in my opinion. if you stay at 1200 all the time your body will get used to it, try upping it for a day or two in a healthy way, then back down to your regular food. You don't want to go into starvation mode....

    For the last time, 1200 does not put you into starvation mode. It is not even classified as a Very Low Calorie Diet.

    Is it doing your head in too? :laugh:

    The bolded quoted post above should be taken notice of, because it is true whether people like it or not.
  • SydneyRenee2
    SydneyRenee2 Posts: 49 Member
    Really depends on your age & height. I'm 40 and 5'8" and I try not to go over 1300. I take about a 750 calorie deficit from my TDEE.
  • tjthegreatone
    tjthegreatone Posts: 324
    In my opinion 1200 is only sustainable maybe if you're a 5 foot nothing woman who is mostly sedentary. Otherwise :noway:
    There is NO WAY I'm buying that women at average height and above feel, living lives with even light activities can feel 'satisfied' with that amount of food everyday...no. I think there is a lot of denial, people ignoring hunger cues and being too scared to eat more because they are on a 'diet'.

    If you are overweight or obese your body is clearly well used to receiving a lot more than 1200 a day, and it doesn't matter that it's all low energy foods now, you can't fool your body into accepting that a plate of veggies provides the same amount of energy as whatever your normal dinner used to be. Once your body has used up that fuel you will be hungry.

    Starvation mode is something that gets touted a lot. I don't believe that it kicks in at 1200...probably at a much lower level. And even then, people should still continue to lose weight. HOWEVER, if you eat that little over a long period of time, your body is bound to adapt to become more efficient at using fuel, so weight loss may be rapid initially but will slow down. More importantly you will probably lose far more muscle than fat (if you are morbidly obese, you will probably have enough of both to spare so that the loss of lean body mass is not so devastating...which is probably one of the reasons why some nutritionists advocate VLCDs for morbidly obese people).

    I reckon this is why many 'dieters' experience rebound weight gain when they go back to eating normally again.
  • MzManiak
    MzManiak Posts: 1,361 Member
    1200/day isn't even enough for me at 5'1" 109lbs sedentary...

    But if you think it's working for you.... :drinker:

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