Come on, mfp. 1200?

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  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
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    katandwaves wrote: »
    Why does myfitnesspal suggest 1,200 calories a day? I am 5'8, about 190 pounds. I work full time so I'm at a desk all day. I'm doing about 3+ days a week of spinning/elliptical.
    Any suggestions on what my calorie goal should be?

    Uhhh, you get to eat back your exercise calories. Im thinking that will give you an extra 200-300 calories several times as week.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    Ila1227 wrote: »
    I want to loose 40-50 pounds. But I am 67 and it seems to even get harder to lose weight


    I just want to say that you dont look 67,you look a lot younger
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Shana67 wrote: »
    SezxyStef wrote: »


    as I said if you really are eating 1200 chances are you are losing more muscle than you think.

    ETA: muscle definition comes from losing the fat on the muscle not from building extra muscle.

    Does it really. I had no idea =/ I am not losing muscle, and I am very strong. Not everyone is built the same, burns calories the same, has the same body. This is how I have always been.

    anybody trying to lose weight is losing muscle...me included...but with low calorie intake unless you are prefect on your protein macro etc you are losing more than you think...but won't take this any further...you believe what you want and eat how you want as it is of no consequence to me...I just truly was trying to help.

    It is unfortunate that you refuse to get it.

    Not actually true that everybody loses muscle when dieting.
    If someone loses a large amount of weight then they will inevitably lose LBM just because they are smaller - but muscle is just one component of LBM.

    I know you are trying to help and I agree with the methods you are promoting but you are exaggerating to say anybody losing weight is losing muscle.

    I agree that not all weight lost is muscle but anything I have read the higher the deficit the more muscle loss...and even at a smaller deficit there is some muscle loss. It is inevitable. see quotes below

    "This observation was made by researchers at Rockefeller University. Researchers looked at the effect of different daily caloric deficits on weight loss. As might be expected, the fewer calories the subjects consumed, the more weight they lost. What wasn’t expected was where the weight loss came from. In individuals who moderately reduced their daily caloric intake, 91% of the loss was fat and only 9% was muscle. But in subjects who severely reduced their daily caloric intake, fat represented 48% of the total weight loss and muscle 42%. In other words, the greater the daily calorie restriction, the greater the loss of muscle mass."
    Pacific Health Labs

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/muscle-loss-while-dieting-to-single-digit-body-fat-levels-qa.html/

    and this does say done well you don't lose muscle while dieting...so I will concede not all people lose muscle while losing weight but these people aren't the norm either (esp here on this subform) and I truly believe that the average person while dieting is losing some muscle...and unless they are smart about it...ie eating enough protein, calories and doing some form of resistance training they lose more than they think.

  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    try2again wrote: »
    For the benefit of other readers, 1500 calories is considered the lowest that is safe for a man.

    By whom ? Where ?

    MFP hasn't implemented such a limit, at least not in a way that works reliably on all platforms
  • try2again
    try2again Posts: 3,562 Member
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    yarwell wrote: »
    try2again wrote: »
    For the benefit of other readers, 1500 calories is considered the lowest that is safe for a man.

    By whom ? Where ?

    MFP hasn't implemented such a limit, at least not in a way that works reliably on all platforms

    I was under the impression the lowest calorie allowance MFP would spit out for a man was 1500, much like it does 1200 for women. I apologize if I am mistaken about that. Doing a quick search of various health sites turned up a safe minimum for men of anywhere between 1500-1800. I'm certainly not an expert, but it seems safe to say 1200 is not recommended for a man.
  • snerggly
    snerggly Posts: 112 Member
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    I am not small but I am old. 1200 calories was hard until I changed my diet to more fiber dense foods. I still go over from time to time but I don't sweat it. I can't stand getting hungry, my blood sugar drops and I become evil. I think that everyone's bod is different and you have to do what is best for you.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    try2again wrote: »
    Doing a quick search of various health sites turned up a safe minimum for men of anywhere between 1500-1800. I'm certainly not an expert, but it seems safe to say 1200 is not recommended for a man.

    Depends on the man. My RMR is 1600 cals/day. An obese man might be prescribed a VLCD. I believe the US IOM suggests a minimum of 1200 - 1500 for men and 1000 - 1200 for women seeking to lose weight.
  • lexylondon
    lexylondon Posts: 89 Member
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    I'm 6ft, 75 kgs and on 1200 a day.. I'm a stay at home mum who goes to the gym or aerobics classes for atleasr an hour 7 days a week. I've chose sedentary but probably lightly active and then add exercise calories in which I try not to eat back.1200 is tough at first but with the help of coffee lol I've steadily lost 1kg (about 2lbs) a week over the past 6 weeks.
  • lexylondon
    lexylondon Posts: 89 Member
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    Make sure you do weight training on the 1200 cal diet..and make a good amount of the 1200 protein...preserve your muscle.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    lexylondon wrote: »
    I'm 6ft, 75 kgs and on 1200 a day.. I'm a stay at home mum who goes to the gym or aerobics classes for atleasr an hour 7 days a week. I've chose sedentary but probably lightly active and then add exercise calories in which I try not to eat back.1200 is tough at first but with the help of coffee lol I've steadily lost 1kg (about 2lbs) a week over the past 6 weeks.

    You are precisely the person for whom 1200 is totally inappropriate. Tall and active. Not to mention that if you aren't eating back those calories you are netting far below that.

    How much weight are you trying to lose? 2 lbs/week is also far too fast to spare lean muscle loss.

    This, plus you're already at a healthy weight so you should only be aiming for half a pound a week.
  • Citycat2015
    Citycat2015 Posts: 86 Member
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    I am on 1200 a day and must admit I felt judged when reading a few of the earlier comments. I understand, Sexy Stef, that you are trying to help but please note that not everyone is 130 pounds and trying to lost the last 10. Some people need to drop some pounds fast for health reasons and 1200 net is widely accepted as the minimum amount to lose weight.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    Citycat2015 wrote: »
    I am on 1200 a day and must admit I felt judged when reading a few of the earlier comments. I understand, Sexy Stef, that you are trying to help but please note that not everyone is 130 pounds and trying to lost the last 10. Some people need to drop some pounds fast for health reasons and 1200 net is widely accepted as the minimum amount to lose weight.

    Your statements are a bit contradictory. 1200 net is the minimum amount to lose weight, not the average, which means that the recommendations that Steff and others in this thread are making, that it may not be appropriate for everyone and that many people can lose weight eating more, are completely valid and reasonable.

    If you need to drop a lot of weight quickly for health reasons you should be doing that under the guidance of your doctor and the recommendations of strangers on this board shouldn't bother you if they are not applicable to your situation...
  • Citycat2015
    Citycat2015 Posts: 86 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    Citycat2015 wrote: »
    I am on 1200 a day and must admit I felt judged when reading a few of the earlier comments. I understand, Sexy Stef, that you are trying to help but please note that not everyone is 130 pounds and trying to lost the last 10. Some people need to drop some pounds fast for health reasons and 1200 net is widely accepted as the minimum amount to lose weight.

    Your statements are a bit contradictory. 1200 net is the minimum amount to lose weight, not the average, which means that the recommendations that Steff and others in this thread are making, that it may not be appropriate for everyone and that many people can lose weight eating more, are completely valid and reasonable.

    If you need to drop a lot of weight quickly for health reasons you should be doing that under the guidance of your doctor and the recommendations of strangers on this board shouldn't bother you if they are not applicable to your situation...

    I wasn't trying to argue - just offer my perspective. I feel that I have just as much right to comment and be here as anyone else even if my experience is not the same as yours. Of course I am under the guidance of my dr. This is a very tough and maybe even life saving journey for many people here beyond losing a few vanity pounds and we come here for support.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited June 2016
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    Citycat2015 wrote: »
    I am on 1200 a day and must admit I felt judged when reading a few of the earlier comments. I understand, Sexy Stef, that you are trying to help but please note that not everyone is 130 pounds and trying to lost the last 10. Some people need to drop some pounds fast for health reasons and 1200 net is widely accepted as the minimum amount to lose weight.

    When I first started losing weight, I was put on a very low calorie diet (800 calories) because I needed to drop weight fast for health reasons. It was short term and fully supervised. These are special cases which do not apply to the average person trying to lose weight. No judgement there, anyone could pick any number. If someone chooses to pick a number too low or too high for their particular case that's also their call, but they need to understand and be prepared for the consequences. I'm saying this with zero judgement. I often make calorie decisions that are not optimal, but I make them fully aware of the facts. If what you get out of it outweighs any possible negative effects for you, then by all means.

    I believe things that are being said are more for people who believe 1200 calories is the rule and are not aware they could eat more if they wanted or that it might not be the best thing for their goals.
  • DollyPS
    DollyPS Posts: 28 Member
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    I'm still tweaking my calorie intake so range from 1400-2000 per day depending on my exercise levels.

    I couldn't survive on 1200 no way. I'd feel dizzy and sleepy so no and my body the crafty git would cling on to the fat as it would think it was being starved. Been there done that so no ta.

    I'm 50 and 5ft 3in

    I am slowly losing but I am now exercising more (6 x times a week)

    Thats not why I came here it was actually to tone up my belly as I have skin skirt blurgh horrible but I am doing it slowly as in not rushing it as I lost and gained cos I was miserable as I was hungry all the time.

    What works for one doesnt work for another. We are after all different.


  • ogtmama
    ogtmama Posts: 1,403 Member
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    DollyPS wrote: »
    I'm still tweaking my calorie intake so range from 1400-2000 per day depending on my exercise levels.

    I couldn't survive on 1200 no way. I'd feel dizzy and sleepy so no and my body the crafty git would cling on to the fat as it would think it was being starved. Been there done that so no ta.

    I'm 50 and 5ft 3in

    I am slowly losing but I am now exercising more (6 x times a week)

    Thats not why I came here it was actually to tone up my belly as I have skin skirt blurgh horrible but I am doing it slowly as in not rushing it as I lost and gained cos I was miserable as I was hungry all the time.

    What works for one doesnt work for another. We are after all different.


    But you must be exercising...I know that a 1200 net only allows me to lose one pound a week and I'm 5'2. I maintain at 1700 and would definitely gain fairly quickly at 2000.

    I often think that half this argument is a miscommunication between eating and netting 1200.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I am not saying 1200 isn't appropriate for anyone at all...depending on the situation it very well could be hut chances are it's not appropriate for 85% of the people doing it.
  • frankiesgirlie
    frankiesgirlie Posts: 669 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »

    I lasted a whole 3 days on 1200 calories before i lost the plot :noway:

    OP change your goal from 2lbs a week down 1-1.5lbs. I'm also 5'8, 147lbs and am losing eating 1600 calories, it's very slow but the scale is still going down.


    This^^^^
    My first 2 weeks on MFP were tough because I was trying to lose too fast. At 5' 9" with a goal weight of 140, and less than 15 lbs to lose, I found out real quick from knowledgable MFP friends and from reading these boards that I didn't need to starve to lose weight.
    In hindsight I probably was just losing at lot of muscle every time I crash dieted over the years.
    Now I have my settings at 1/2 lb per week rate of loss, I eat back most (75-80%) of my exercise calories (per Fitbit) and am slowly but steadily losing. My base is 1440 with setting at sedentary and I end up eating between 1700-1800 gross calories.
    If I were starting at 190 lbs. I would put my settings at 1 lb per week loss. Good luck to you!! You've got this!

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