Is eating 1200 calories really safe?! And if so, what is the best way to do it?

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  • charlireah
    charlireah Posts: 100 Member
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    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    You don't need to lose any weight - to shed fat you need to start lifting weights, that gets great results imo.

    Great OK that's what I'll do!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    charlireah wrote: »
    I am but I'm still unsure of how many calories to consume?

    If you are unsure of cals to consume, how has your weight been doing eating at 1500+ recently?? that'll tell you if you need to up them etc.
    Maintenance for me at 5ft 2"/46yrs is 2100-2300, (I'm active)
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    you say you are already a healthy weight and that you are thin, but still want to lose a couple of lbs? reducing your calorie intake is probably not the best thing for you here - you are more interested in getting stronger and fitter, and improving body composition.

    Start looking into lifting heavy weights. Brisk walking is great for your cardiovascular system, but to build muscle (to drop the body fat) you ought to include some resistance training.

    just as an aside - have you had your body fat measured professionally? 20% is pretty low for a woman.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    charlireah wrote: »
    I am but I'm still unsure of how many calories to consume?

    you don't need to be in a deficit for recomp, so keep eating the same amount that you eat now.
  • charlireah
    charlireah Posts: 100 Member
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    OK will do!
  • charlireah
    charlireah Posts: 100 Member
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    girlinahat wrote: »
    you say you are already a healthy weight and that you are thin, but still want to lose a couple of lbs? reducing your calorie intake is probably not the best thing for you here - you are more interested in getting stronger and fitter, and improving body composition.

    Start looking into lifting heavy weights. Brisk walking is great for your cardiovascular system, but to build muscle (to drop the body fat) you ought to include some resistance training.

    just as an aside - have you had your body fat measured professionally? 20% is pretty low for a woman.

    Yes I have. :) Well athletes can be as low as 10% and things like that so fortunately I'm healthy. O just want a more toned physique.
  • charlireah
    charlireah Posts: 100 Member
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    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    charlireah wrote: »
    I am but I'm still unsure of how many calories to consume?

    If you are unsure of cals to consume, how has your weight been doing eating at 1500+ recently?? that'll tell you if you need to up them etc.
    Maintenance for me at 5ft 2"/46yrs is 2100-2300, (I'm active)

    Well everyday I eat 1500, but once in the week I eat 2000 because I go out for a meal and I have to allow that excess so I have stayed the exact same weight since I was 17 (I'm now 24) so this tells me this is close to my BMR but I'm no expert :(
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    If you want to get stronger, this is not going to do it.

    What is your exercise program?

    How do you plan to eat less calories if you don't track?
  • LPflaum
    LPflaum Posts: 174 Member
    edited May 2016
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    I'm eating 1200 currently, trying to lose another 7 or so lbs on top of the 7 i've lost and do a massive recomp. I sometimes find I actually struggle to get enough calories, here is what a typical day looks like for me:

    breakfast- two cups of coffee with non-dairy creamer and a very small amount of sugar

    lunch around noon- 1/4 lb ground beef sauteed with 1tbsp fish sauce, 1tbsp soy, salt & pepper topped with 2 c of spinach (wilted, no oil), one fried egg + 1 egg white, and 2 tbsp of sriracha (it sounds weird, but trust me, this little bowl is awesome)

    "snack" 4pm- 2 scoops of protein powder (i use muscle milk light) mixed with 2c of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

    dinner 8pm- 6oz of lean protein, 2-3 cups of steamed or baked veggies, and either peas, spaghetti squash, or a baked sweet potato

    My personal goal is high protein, moderate fat and carbs, low complex carbohydrates (sugars and starches). I'm finding that the high protein diet is really helping me sustain the muscle gains while keeping me full
  • trishfit2014
    trishfit2014 Posts: 304 Member
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    From 17 to 24 you should gain weight. Your body finishes growing. Your bones get denser etc. Gaining a few pounds in those years is healthy. I don’t think you need to lose weight but rather gain some muscle. You should continue at the 1500 and lift weights. Keep those bones strong and build some muscle.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited May 2016
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    charlireah wrote: »
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    charlireah wrote: »
    I am but I'm still unsure of how many calories to consume?

    If you are unsure of cals to consume, how has your weight been doing eating at 1500+ recently?? that'll tell you if you need to up them etc.
    Maintenance for me at 5ft 2"/46yrs is 2100-2300, (I'm active)

    Well everyday I eat 1500, but once in the week I eat 2000 because I go out for a meal and I have to allow that excess so I have stayed the exact same weight since I was 17 (I'm now 24) so this tells me this is close to my BMR but I'm no expert :(


    So your weekly totals are 11000 calories, are you sedentary? as that is low enough. When you're younger you have a higher TDEE in general but that declines a little each decade.
    My thoughts are that if you are indeed maintaining on 11000 calories, you are inaccurately logging those calories.
    Of couse if sedentary and petite then that figure isn't far away...
    BMR is the base metabolic rate, ie if you were to lie comatose all day and not get out of bed. TDEE is calculated: BMR plus NEAT (any movement other than actual exercise) + Exercise = TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).
  • charlireah
    charlireah Posts: 100 Member
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    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    charlireah wrote: »
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    charlireah wrote: »
    I am but I'm still unsure of how many calories to consume?

    If you are unsure of cals to consume, how has your weight been doing eating at 1500+ recently?? that'll tell you if you need to up them etc.
    Maintenance for me at 5ft 2"/46yrs is 2100-2300, (I'm active)

    Well everyday I eat 1500, but once in the week I eat 2000 because I go out for a meal and I have to allow that excess so I have stayed the exact same weight since I was 17 (I'm now 24) so this tells me this is close to my BMR but I'm no expert :(


    So your weekly totals are 11000 calories, are you sedentary? as that is low enough. When you're younger you have a higher TDEE in general but that declines a little each decade.
    My thoughts are that if you are indeed maintaining on 11000 calories, you are inaccurately logging those calories.
    Of couse if sedentary and petite then that figure isn't far away...
    BMR is the base metabolic rate, ie if you were to lie comatose all day and not get out of bed. TDEE is calculated: BMR plus NEAT (any movement other than actual exercise) + Exercise = TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure).

    I'm quite active ID like to think :) I do 3 hours of fast walking a week plus 30-40 hours on my feet at work (I never sit down always rushing) so according to MFP I'm "active"
  • charlireah
    charlireah Posts: 100 Member
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    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    If you want to get stronger, this is not going to do it.

    What is your exercise program?

    How do you plan to eat less calories if you don't track?

    I do track as best I can but I don't weigh my food
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    charlireah wrote: »
    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    If you want to get stronger, this is not going to do it.

    What is your exercise program?

    How do you plan to eat less calories if you don't track?

    I do track as best I can but I don't weigh my food

    Tracking food is great but if you want to get stronger, it isn't about tracking food but exercise.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
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    charlireah wrote: »
    I have been advised by some people that to shed a couple of pounds and basically drop some fat percentage (I want to get leaner and stronger) I should eat 1200 calories a day. Does anyone have further advice and info about this?
    I eat approx 1500 calories a day. I do not weigh my food. My BMI is 20, my fat percentage is 20, I weigh 7st12 and I am 5ft 2, 24 years old.

    So because I am shorter, naturally I should eat less but BMR calculators have told me that my BMR is around 1800, which sounds like too much.

    My current exercise:
    3 hours of fast paced walking.
    Always on my feet at work, rushing around 30 hours a week. (I know this isn't real exercise but my legs ache and I do sweat after a good day of grafting so it has to count for something right???)

    Thanks everyone!!!

    PS I am aware that my weight is already healthy and I am thin. This is about a leaner lifestyle and a stronger body :)

    When I was 20 I lost weight on 900-1000 cal a day. Don't recall how long - a couple of months I think - and I kept it off for many many years. There's no magic number. Everyone is different. For me now, 1200-1300 is about the most I can eat and not gain weight, as long as I am exercising. Those advertised numbers are just averages - there will always be people at the top and bottom of those ranges. Find what works for you.

    As to your 3 hours of fast paced walking - is that something you do after work? I mean, is that a specific walk that you do each day? If so, you would be better to track your mileage than your time. Or get a HRM to measure how much energy you are actually expending. Often people overestimate this.
  • bclarke1990
    bclarke1990 Posts: 287 Member
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    pvju wrote: »
    Since you are lean and really pretty active rather than reducing calories I would step up the protein. Getting lean means lots of it - a nauseating amount imo - along with lifting weights. 1200 calories is safe as long as it's hitting your nutrician requirements. However at your age and activity level I would suspect you need more calories.

    What makes you think you need a "nauseating" amount of protein to get lean, lol.

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