1200 Calories a day!

TeaBea

texasf1ght wrote: »

I see a lot of people freaked out by the 1200 cal goal. MFP gave me that goal even when I started around 200 lbs. I'm still on 1200/day at 171. I'm 5'4", and I have it set on lightly active because I'm a teacher and walk around a good deal during work. When I workout I usually eat back half the calories, so I'm eating closer to 1400 cals/day. It's been a very slow process even at the 1200 goal. I work out 5-6 days per week doing a variety of cardio exercises and lifting.

People "freak out" over 1200 because it's a minimum DEFAULT. Any woman 4'6" tall.....or 6' tall can get a goal of 1200 calories....if her weekly goal is high enough.

The point is 1200 is appropriate for a small percentage of women (older AND petite).....but 1200 is only common because so many have overly aggressive weight loss goals. Large deficits make it hard for our bodies to support existing lean muscle. Moderate paced weight loss is a higher percentage of fat lost.

Pound per week goals
75+ lbs set to lose 2 lb range
Between 40 - 75 lbs set to lose 1.5 lb range
Between 25-40 lbs set to lose 1 lb range
Between 15-25 lbs set to lose 1 -.50 lb range
Less than 15 lbs set to lose 0.5 lbs range

AnnePotter1

I'm at 1200 based on my age, height, and a 1.5 to 2lb weekly weight loss. I am not a vegetarian, but enjoy cooking vegan and vegetarian meals which give me a lot of nutrition for my calories. I've tried some of Hummusapien's recipes, which are on this sight and they are delicious!

DaTruBlondie

Depending on your information we gave the app does it just give us a calorie goal a day?

psuLemon

DaTruBlondie wrote: »

Depending on your information we gave the app does it just give us a calorie goal a day?

Yep, the way the calculates your caloriea is by your inputs. It will takes your stats (height, weight, age) and your lifestyle (sedentary, lightly active, etc...) and come up with a estimated total daily energy expenditure (aka maintenance calories). From there it ask you what you want to lose and it will create a deficit or surplus based on your rate (2 lbs is tdee - 1000 calories, 1 lb is tdee - 500) and all in between. The only limiting factor is mfp will not allow anything under 1200 calories.

Since the lifestyle factor does not include exercise and you already have a deficit, is why you are supposed to eat back exercise calories.


What mfp doesnt tell you is what is an acceptable per week loss. While 1 to 2 lbs is the general normal, it doesnt mean that you should go aggressive, especially if you are lean. What mfp and other sites dont tell you are the associated issues with high deficits, especially for those who do not know nutrition and the requirements (higher protein with resistance training) and precautions required to minimize things like muscle loss and minimizing adaptive thermogenesis.

SherryTeach

sandimejia25 wrote: »

Thanks so much for all your comments!
I'm feeling just fine with what I am eating. Altough I am calculating how many calories I'm taking in according to the meals online. The 1200 calories end up being 1500 more or less since I don't use exact measurements.

I am 5'1 and currently weight 128. So the suggested calorie intake was 1200 to meat my goal of 120 in 5 weeks. With 2-3 days of exercise.

I have now men recording my meals for 5 days. 4 more weeks to go!


Good luck everyone!!

Actually, it's not four more weeks to go because to maintain that weight, you will still need to be careful about your calories. I'm 5'1" and currently 106 pounds. Maintaining my current weight requires that I stay about about 1300 calories a day. But I'm also 60 so that is a factor.

heybales

okimo75 wrote: »

how do you increase your calorie intake? right now mine is 1200 and I would like to increase it to at least 1400-1500.............

Change either your activity level - are you really a sedentary 45 hr weekly desk job/commute with no kids and outside exercise a bump on the log all evening and weekends?
or more honestly Lightly Active.

And/or change your weight loss goal - did you pick 2 lb weekly with only 20 lbs left to lose - then better to pick 1 lb weekly.

Both those options that you picked made the eating goal where it is.

And in case you missed it in many of the comments to this topic - the eating goal given by MFP is ONLY on non-exercise days. Because that's what it starts the math with. Eating less than day with no exercise.
You exercise though, you burn more, you eat less to burn fat, you'll be eating more than day with no exercise.
So log your workouts and meet your daily eating goal.

sandimejia25

AnnePotter1 wrote: »

I'm at 1200 based on my age, height, and a 1.5 to 2lb weekly weight loss. I am not a vegetarian, but enjoy cooking vegan and vegetarian meals which give me a lot of nutrition for my calories. I've tried some of Hummusapien's recipes, which are on this sight and they are delicious!

How long did you start? And have you lost weight as the calorie intake projected?

jaqcan

chismmegan wrote: »

I'm set on 1200 calories also. I changed my goal to 1lb a week and it only gave me 70 extra calories..so I just went back to 2lbs a week. Which I am absolutely not doing so I don't know where MFP is getting these numbers.

Because MFP will not let you choose a calorie goal below 1200. You will not lose 2lbs a week eating 1200 calories.
FOR EXAMPLE: If your current maintenance calories are 1770, and you chose 2lbs per week, that's 1000 calorie a day deficit. So your calorie goal would only be 770. That's NOT ENOUGH food for your organs to function properly. So the lowest MFP will set any female is 1200. That's why when you change it to 1 lb a week you only get 70 more calories. In the calculation you are actually getting 500 more calories, but you'd never be set up at only 770 in the first place.

Kris_ott

I'm at 1200 a day too. I eat back some exercise calories so I end up actually eating around 1400 which seems to be manageable but I have to be careful. I find logging everything I eat helps a lot to keep me accountable but I do find it tough.

traceyu2

courtneylykins5 wrote: »

It's not too hard when you get used to it. But I don't have a plan per se other than saving most calories for a big dinner. I eat what I want and swap out higher calorie foods for lower calorie substitutions when I can and when they are palatable. Feel free to add me. My diary is open to friends.

traceyu2

Hey Courtney, I'm doing the same 1200 calories or less a day. I make sure I drink alot of water also.

tattooed4life99

I myself am on a 1200 calorie diet. My dietitian recommended that. I weigh 185 lbs. I need to be at 115-155. I lost 35 so far. Just need more support

AnnPT77

I'm at 1200 net, 5'5" tall, age 59, SW (4/17/15, pre-MFP) 183, CW 150, UGW 130ish. Set at one pound/week (was 2 when I started), plan to go to 0.5 when I hit 145. Eating 1400-1500 most days after exercise. Ovo-lacto vegetarian since 1974.

Eating mostly whole foods, mostly at home.

A few key strategies ( besides being able/willing to cook ;-) ): Don't eat the pasta, eat what I would've put on it. Don't eat the sandwich, eat what I would've put on it. Identify calorie-efficient protein foods I enjoy, including snack items. Weigh nearly every food (hassle first few days, then easy). Eat plenty of non-starchy veg. Satisfy sweet cravings with fresh/frozen fruit (no added sugar). Be active to earn more food. Drink ridiculous amounts of water.

jlampman82

I'm on a 1200 calorie diet but I'm on the optifast diet through a dietician and hospital. I started at 250 lbs and have lost 11 lbs in 4 weeks. I'm still working at adjusting my diet. I ate way to many carbs. I also didn't drink any water. It's been a huge commitment for me.