1200 per day

kdavid1987

This is just me, but I am at 1200 cal a day - I find that eating the right foods at the right time makes this number work for me without getting too hungry and binging. Some days I do go up to as much as 1500 cal if I am working out really hard that day but otherwise I am sticking to 1200 as a rule. 5'5 female, 29 years old, SW: 202 lbs, GW: 150 lbs, CW 178 lbs. I've lost between 1.5 lbs and 2 lbs a week on average. Accurate logging is the holy grail to weight loss! Be mindful not to overestimate calories burned exercising or underestimating calories consumed.

kokonani

janejellyroll wrote: »

kokonani wrote: »

I personally think 1200 is too low. No matter what the experts say about eating at deficit, it actually will leave me hungry and tired to get a good workout. I'm 5'4", CW 116lbs, and I'm supposed to eat 1200 or so at maintenance?.. but I eat 1600-1700. I feel way more satisfied! Have you read about increasing calories to lose weight/burn fat?

What calculator gives you a goal of 1,200 to maintain? I'm 5'4, 108, and my sedentary calorie goal is 1,460.

Every calculator is different, but yeah you're right. It somewhere around 1400 for me too. But even that is too low. So I've increased to 1600-1700 and much better!

chelllsea124

MommaGem2017 wrote: »

I just don't understand the point of logging food if the person doesn't actually know for sure how much they're eating. Weighing/measuring seems quite necessary 'to me' because I certainly wouldn't know 1 oz of cheese at a glance - no way.

When I first started logging, I didn't have the SLIGHTEST idea of how inaccurate I was. Not only that, but I thought the idea of a food scale was flat out silly/useless! Flash forward 2 months and looking back I cannot believe how dumb I was trying to log everything without it. I literally feel like such an idiot. You're absolutely right... I would have had no idea how much an oz of cheese was at a glance. Weighing food is SO necessary!

In conclusion, a food scale changed my life and my logging is sooooo much more accurate! And also, I am 20x more inclined to log something if I can weigh it.

AliceDark

MommaGem2017 wrote: »

I just don't understand the point of logging food if the person doesn't actually know for sure how much they're eating. Weighing/measuring seems quite necessary 'to me' because I certainly wouldn't know 1 oz of cheese at a glance - no way.

It's really not literally necessary. People lost weight for a LONG time before food scales were common. All that's required for weight loss is that you put yourself into a calorie deficit; accurate calorie counting, while helpful, is not required. It might not be entirely helpful for someone to hear that the ONLY way to lose weight is through weighing your food, because that method doesn't work for everyone.

MommaGem2017

AliceDark wrote: »

MommaGem2017 wrote: »

I just don't understand the point of logging food if the person doesn't actually know for sure how much they're eating. Weighing/measuring seems quite necessary 'to me' because I certainly wouldn't know 1 oz of cheese at a glance - no way.

It's really not literally necessary. People lost weight for a LONG time before food scales were common. All that's required for weight loss is that you put yourself into a calorie deficit; accurate calorie counting, while helpful, is not required. It might not be entirely helpful for someone to hear that the ONLY way to lose weight is through weighing your food, because that method doesn't work for everyone.

My point wasn't about why people don't weigh - It was why do people even go onto MFP to log food if they're not taking the time to make sure it's accurate. There seems no point to logging then. They'll see "generally I ate this in unknown quantities" but it's not going to be useful info.

Luna3386

I used to think this about myself. But then I started using a food scale and a deficit I could actually stick to for more than a few days. Voila. It's simple, not easy, but simple.

peaceout_aly

perkymommy wrote: »

I've been at this weight loss thing over and over so I know what to do and my biggest problem is staying on plan. I was at goal for many years and was always thin growing up and as a young adult. My "biggest" years (other than when pregnant) have been the last seven years and going back and forth with losing weight.

Does anyone else lose slowly even at 1200 per day? On days I walk or work out I don't eat back those calories either. The weight comes off slow. I got to goal last year and stayed there for most of the year but gained it all back very quickly this past winter. Now it seems the weight doesn't want to come off at all or I'm having a hard time jump starting my weight loss and that just makes me want to be content where I am and give up.

I eat 1,300-1,400 x day (this ups to 1,600-1,800 in the winter) and for me, it's maintenance. I drop to 1,200 and I'll get a slight cut but I barely lose anything and if I do, it's slowly. I'm also 4' 11", so that makes a difference. BUT I give myself a cheat meal or two x week so those "cheat" days make up for what I'm lacking all the other days. Are you weighing your food? This makes a big difference as well. Are you taking bites and not logging? Also, makes a difference.

AliceDark

MommaGem2017 wrote: »

AliceDark wrote: »

MommaGem2017 wrote: »

I just don't understand the point of logging food if the person doesn't actually know for sure how much they're eating. Weighing/measuring seems quite necessary 'to me' because I certainly wouldn't know 1 oz of cheese at a glance - no way.

It's really not literally necessary. People lost weight for a LONG time before food scales were common. All that's required for weight loss is that you put yourself into a calorie deficit; accurate calorie counting, while helpful, is not required. It might not be entirely helpful for someone to hear that the ONLY way to lose weight is through weighing your food, because that method doesn't work for everyone.

My point wasn't about why people don't weigh - It was why do people even go onto MFP to log food if they're not taking the time to make sure it's accurate. There seems no point to logging then. They'll see "generally I ate this in unknown quantities" but it's not going to be useful info.

Using a food scale is most accurate, but using measuring cups and spoons can still be moderately accurate, and eyeballing portions is even more accurate than not paying attention to portions at all. If you get someone to start logging, that in itself can change their food habits. (It's the thing about how observing something also changes that something). If they can move upward from a less-accurate method of measurement to a more-accurate measurement, that's going to increase the effectiveness of their logging, even if they don't move all the way to the most-accurate method. It's not true that you either use the most-accurate thing or there's no point in even trying.

Also, not everyone uses tools like MFP for the same purposes, and that's okay. If you have someone who lives on fast food and they start using MFP to track servings of fresh fruits and vegetables, that's awesome. They may not be getting the most accurate picture of their calorie intake, but they're using the tool in a way that can improve their health.

Finally, using a food scale to measure down to the gram isn't always mentally healthy for everyone. It may be the case that downgrading to a less-accurate method (measuring cups/spoons or eyeballing) could be the most healthy thing someone can do for themselves.

AnnPT77

But weighing is easier and quicker than measuring with cups/spoons! To me, that makes it feel less obsessive.

Not everyone needs to weigh (or even log), but for those struggling to lose, better pinning down the accuracy of calories consumed can be a great help in figuring out what the problem is.

Besides having the scale, there are some tips that make weighing easier (by far) than cups/spoons:

• Assembling a salad in a bowl, a stew in a pan, sandwich on a plate? Put the bowl/pan/plate on the scale, zero, add an ingredient, note the weight, zero, add the next ingredient, note the weight . . . .
• Using something from a carton or jar, or cutting a slice from a hunk of cheese? Put the container or chunk on the scale, zero, take out portion, note the negative value (it's the amount you took out).
• Eating a whole apple, banana, un-hulled strawberries, corn on the cob? Weigh the ready-to-eat food, eat the yummy parts, weigh the core/hulls/peel, subtract & note.
• I like to keep a few clean plastic yogurt-tub lids around to weigh small items, like a handful of nuts or chopped hardboiled eggs or something. Drop the lid on the scale, zero, add item, note weight, eat or use - just a quick rinse of the lid under the faucet & you're done.
• I also use an old junk-mail envelope to scribble the items while I’m cooking to spare spills on my electronic device, and record the results after.

No measuring spoons to scrape out, or wash, except when you need to measure liquids . . . and you can weigh some of them, too.

Easy, accurate.

Even if you feel the need for the accuracy of weighing, please don't worry about estimating to the point of avoiding eating at friends' homes or that sort of thing. IMO, that's where it gets obsessive. Don't risk your friendships for 10% better accuracy in calorie-counting 5% of your meals. Estimate a little high if you must, then move on with life.