Is 1200 cals per day too low?

monica182

I am your height and started off at about 260. I initially ate at 1600 cals a day and was losing one pound per week. I was very sedentary. After 50lbs lost I now eat 1500 cals a day and do purposeful exercise of at least 40 mins a day and am losing 2 lbs per week. I will probably up my calories by another 100 or so once I get under 200lbs to slow the rate of loss a bit. I would rather lose one pound a week consistently eating enough that I don't feel too deprived then drop a load of weight quickly at lower cals but put it all back by going back to 'normal' eating because I can't sustain 1200 calories a day.

amaraujo0521

I follow iifym diet. (counting macros up to an assigned calorie intake) and like a lot said it depends on the person and other factors like your stats. For example. I am 32 5'5" 157 sedentary during the day but try to exercise 3x week for 90min. My maintenance calories are about 1600. Now if i was 10 years younger my maintenance calories are about 200 cal more. If i take away workouts my calories are 1300. So little things here and there change your requirements. And its going to be different for everyone. I hope this makes sence.

abbielombardo

Hi there!
I am no expert but I do know a few things about caloric intake and that is definitely too low! With so few calories, sure, you will lose weight, but it won’t be sustainable. 1200 calories likely isn’t even enough to keep your body functioning. You will feel lethargic and restricted, which may cause you to binge eat, which has the opposite effect that you want. If you are new to weight loss, start by cleaning up your diet by eating whole foods, but remember to treat yourself from time to time! I have tried using the macro calculator on MFP and i find it terribly inadequate. Try using bodybuilding.com or another site to find out your macros. Hope this helped!

LuckyAndi

I'm 5'5", started out at 200lbs, and 1200 calories was way too low for me. I'm most comfortable (and sane) and still lose about 1lb a week eating no less than 1400. I lost 27lbs two years ago that way.