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

LivingtheLeanDream

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

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

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

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

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

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.