1200 too low?

Prayerwarrior7

This is what someone posted on another thread in response to someone else.

BTW: Depending on your height, age, and activity level, 1200 could be too low.

But this is the figure MFP gave me. I get 200 extra from exercise. Should I tweak the figures? How? Thanks.

katiegud

You can change it by changing your goal (like going from 2 lbs a week to 1 lb a week). If you're short though, the numbers stay pretty low.

Prayerwarrior7

My height is 5'4" and I weigh 145 pounds. My target is: 135 pounds so 10 pounds to lose. Not much but not easy to lose either

Ang108

Most people are told by MFP they should eat 1200 calories, because they input as a weight loss goal two pounds a week. Unless people are very overweight that is too much and difficult to sustain, because for most people 1200 calories are not enough to maintain energy and stay healthy.
I suggest people should figure out their maintenance calories, then chose a sustainable weight loss goal ( like one pound max a week ) and then subtract calories accordingly.
For a pound of loss that would be 3500 calories deficit a week which turns into a 500 calorie deficit a day. This is a general rule, because age, height, weight and activity level are additional factors.
For example: I am almost 70, 4' 10.5" tall, and moderately active and my maintenance level is low. This does not allow me to lose a pound a week, because I would get way less than 1000 calories to eat. I chose .5 pounds a week and eat 1200 calories and have so far ( slowly, but consistently ) lost 65 pounds. I am doing well with a varied diet and am never hungry. But that is only because my age and height play a big role in the amount of calories I ingest....and the type of food I eat ( but that's for another discussion ).

Prayerwarrior7

Thank you so much

Francl27

1200 is fine for a lot of people because most people underestimate their food intake anyway.

3dogsrunning

Prayerwarrior7 wrote: »

My height is 5'4" and I weigh 145 pounds. My target is: 135 pounds so 10 pounds to lose. Not much but not easy to lose either

2 lbs a week is too high of a goal for 10 lbs to lose.

malibu927

You won't hit two pounds per week since 1200 is the lowest it will go. Set your goal to half a pound a week since you only have 10 to lose.

Kalikel

If you don't start higher than 1200, it's hard to know if you could've eaten more and still have lost weight. Set it a little higher and see how it goes for a few weeks. If you can't lose, you can always drop back down.

It's best to start high so that if you want to cut the number later, when losing gets harder, you can do that. IMO, anyway.

3dogsrunning

Kalikel wrote: »

If you don't start higher than 1200, it's hard to know if you could've eaten more and still have lost weight. Set it a little higher and see how it goes for a few weeks. If you can't lose, you can always drop back down.

It's best to start high so that if you want to cut the number later, when losing gets harder, you can do that. IMO, anyway.

I also agree. I'd prefer to start out higher and cut back if I need rather than eating less than I need to.

Prayerwarrior7

Thanks everybody

Kanga_Kate

I have just tried a week of 1200, and I found it quite hard. I think possibly because it was a difficult week at work, but also because it felt like I was depriving myself which I hadn't felt like when I was on 1500 for nearly a month. I might try it for 1 more week and see if it improves. Generally I exercise about 200-400 calories back most days.

Good luck to all - don't give up! We'll get all of our own goals with enough time!