1200 not enough cal?

skittlebitz

Please don't give this advice. It's ignorant and it's not healthy for someone OVER 200lbs. Thanks.


OP, if you eat 1200 calories when you're starting to lose weight, you will have no where to go when your weight loss stalls and you need to reduce calories to keep progressing down the scale. Additionally, should you drop weight at that extreme speed, you may find you'll be left with a lot of excess loose skin, as opposed to losing more slowly and looking great naked when you're done by incorporating weightlifting into your routine in addition to a much milder caloric deficit.[/quote]

^ all of this.

elv1ra

1200 is pretty low. Being that restricted works against you. It severely limits what you can fit into your daily calorie allowance and makes it really hard to stick to long term and in real life situations. It will also slow down your metabolism as your body learns that its only getting 1200 calories a day to fuel it. That means that "cheating" and going over your target every once in a while is actually good for you! I aim for 1500 a day, but know that even if I end up at around 2000, my body will still burn that much so its no big deal and im not doing any "damage".

clin71funyika

I think it depends on if you work out or not. If you have 1200 calories a day then burn say 500 exercising then no it's not enough for you. I usually eat less then 1200 but I'm on medication to help curb my appetite.

livingleanlivingclean

I would personally not try dieting on less than my bmr.... But that's just me. 1200 calories sounds like hell

ashleyjongepier

This is my second time using myfitnesspal, first time I stuck to 1200 cals a day, sometimes more like 800 net cals and I did lose weight but I also drove my b12 and iron levels into the ground. My hair was falling out as well. I got so obsessed with not eating much and over doing it with cardio. Then I had a rebel phase where I stopped logging and gained some back, that brings us to now.

I am 5'3 and 214 lbs, I have mine set to 1.5lbs lost a week which gives me 1400 cals with my workouts I eat anywhere from 1400-2000 or more cals and I'm still losing and I dont feel like death!

Weight loss isn't a race, theres no need to eat so few calories, I feel.

kshama2001

Shana67 wrote: »

Iwilldothis4myself wrote: »

So I weigh 215 pounds and I am 5'6. I set my cal to lose 2 pounds a week. It gave me 1200 cal a day. I lost 4 pounds week one. I am happy. I am drinking lots of water and don't feel hungry like I thought I would. A coworker is giving me a hard time saying that 1200 call is not enough and that I'm starving my body. Is that true? What is your opinion and/or experience?

Okay, first of all, don't listen to your co-worker. One of the biggest mistakes we make in our weight loss journeys is listening to random people. I am doing very well on 1200/day and do not feel deprived. I am eating mostly lean protein, LOTS of veggies (which fill me up), some fruit and a little cheese. And wine EVERY night. Play around with what you eat and when - 1200 is fine.

For the record, I am on Day 23 and down 11 lbs.

Do you have similar stats to the OP, who weighs 215 pounds and is 5'6"?

HutchA12

Sarah4fitness wrote: »

Shana67 wrote: »

Iwilldothis4myself wrote: »

So I weigh 215 pounds and I am 5'6. I set my cal to lose 2 pounds a week. It gave me 1200 cal a day. I lost 4 pounds week one. I am happy. I am drinking lots of water and don't feel hungry like I thought I would. A coworker is giving me a hard time saying that 1200 call is not enough and that I'm starving my body. Is that true? What is your opinion and/or experience?

Okay, first of all, don't listen to your co-worker. One of the biggest mistakes we make in our weight loss journeys is listening to random people. I am doing very well on 1200/day and do not feel deprived. I am eating mostly lean protein, LOTS of veggies (which fill me up), some fruit and a little cheese. And wine EVERY night. Play around with what you eat and when - 1200 is fine.

For the record, I am on Day 23 and down 11 lbs.

Please don't give this advice. It's ignorant and it's not healthy for someone OVER 200lbs. Thanks.


OP, if you eat 1200 calories when you're starting to lose weight, you will have no where to go when your weight loss stalls and you need to reduce calories to keep progressing down the scale. Additionally, should you drop weight at that extreme speed, you may find you'll be left with a lot of excess loose skin, as opposed to losing more slowly and looking great naked when you're done by incorporating weightlifting into your routine in addition to a much milder caloric deficit.

To be fair the chance of weightloss stalling is close to nil given ops height unless she goes underweight, but I believe eating at a higher calorie amounts that goes down with her weight would be better and healthier. It will also help you stay with it mentally OP.

ElizabethOakes2

Shana67 wrote: »

=
Okay, first of all, don't listen to your co-worker. One of the biggest mistakes we make in our weight loss journeys is listening to random people. I am doing very well on 1200/day and do not feel deprived. I am eating mostly lean protein, LOTS of veggies (which fill me up), some fruit and a little cheese. And wine EVERY night. Play around with what you eat and when - 1200 is fine.

For the record, I am on Day 23 and down 11 lbs.

I'm on 1200 + half my exercise calories, too, and doing quite well. A lot of it comes down to what you eat Lean protein, lots of veggies, some good carbs like brown rice, oatmeal, etc.
(Today, I didn't exercise and I'm looking at my calories sadly knowing that I don't get a cookie tonight. Unless I go hula hoop for a bit... hmmm...)

I do plan to go up to 1400 when I get to 165 lbs, since I also anticipate that my fitness levels will have increased to burn more in my exercise. It's not sustainable long term.

CoffeeNCardio

I did 1200 calories to lose the first 25 lbs of my 61 total goal. I was in the obese BMI during that, and did not find it particularly uncomfortable. But almost immediately after entering "overweight" category, it became unsustainable because...

1. My logging got better. I got better at it, I bought a food scale, so I was FOR REAL getting 1200, when I was probably going over before.
2. I moved more. As you lose weight, your calorie allowances decrease and you have to move a lot if you want to eat more. 1200 simply isn't good enough if you're doing an exercise regimen, even if you log and eat back those calories. I was logging 700cal/day at the 1200 level and missing out on food I could have had because I work out at night and by then I don't feel like eating those back. Not healthy.
3. I no longer have the fat stores I did when I started this. When I was in the obese category, my body had plenty of reserve energy to make up for a large deficit and continue to make me feel good even without as much food. Now, I still have too much body fat, but it's just not being burned quick enough, nor is there enough to maintain that feeling of general well being at such a drastic deficit.

I have frequently preached on here about the virtues of a 1200 calorie goal. It really is good in some situations for some people, but it's the minority. The vast VAST majority of people, and I'm definitely including you in this OP, do not need to do 1200, and probably shouldn't. And don't take my talking about BMI obese to mean you should do 1200, because someone who's in the very highest BMI would go into shock doing 1200 probably. They need more calories than did 176lb me just to survive.