Feeling guilty of eating 1200 calories

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  • blondageh
    blondageh Posts: 923 Member
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    I did a week of 500-800 calories and didn't lose anything. I then bumped it up to 1200-1500 and started losing again. I am not so sure about the "starvation theory" being true, but I do know from my own personal experience, I have to eat to lose. I don't understand it, but I know what works for me. I force myself to eat healthy stuff now to get my calories up there.
  • brandyme
    brandyme Posts: 400 Member
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    What a load of crap. Nobody needs to eat more than 1400 calories unless they're bulking? Please tell me the name of this doctor so I know to avoid him.

    Are you kidding?!

    As a female 5'3, 125lbs (doesn't sound bulky to me) you would need to eat at least 1503 calories a day just to fuel your body sufficiently... that is if you didn't exercise at all!
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
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    I hope this is something you can overcome. I don't feel guilty about food. I love food! I do try to keep my calories between 1800 and 2200 (right now). But I don't feel guilty if I'm over and I certainly don't feel guilty for meeting that goal. :flowerforyou:
  • MyBodyMyMachine
    MyBodyMyMachine Posts: 49
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    It is sad and frustrating that you've been shamed into thinking that 1200 calories is too much, when in fact it is very likely starving you slowly, and killing your metabolism. If you want to lose weight and preserve your health, eat more. Eat quality foods that support your life and activity level. If you want to kill your metabolism and happiness and fuel your workouts with precious muscle instead of fat, keep eating 1200 or less.
  • NovemberJune
    NovemberJune Posts: 2,525 Member
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    Your body maintains at 1400, you lose at 1200.

    You really think this is the same for everyone, except the "seriously overweight"? That shows that you really don't understand weight loss or calorie deficits. Do you know that if you really maintain at 1400, you would lose less than half a lb per week (not saying that's a bad thing--my point is that most people would lose more than that on 1200 calories and that they would maintain on much higher than 1400)? My maintenance calories are around 2100. If I wanted to bulk, I'd aim for around 2300 or so. If I want to cut, I aim for between 1600-1900. And I'm a 5'4" female. Many people, especially men but also women, need many more calories.
  • qtgonewild
    qtgonewild Posts: 1,930 Member
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    Many of us used to eat 1200 calories in one sitting. And Im guessing that would include you OP. So why on earth would you feel guilty eating 1200 for an entire day. WTF is wrong with people. Im just sayin.
  • brandyme
    brandyme Posts: 400 Member
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    It is sad and frustrating that you've been shamed into thinking that 1200 calories is too much, when in fact it is very likely starving you slowly, and killing your metabolism. If you want to lose weight and preserve your health, eat more. Eat quality foods that support your life and activity level. If you want to kill your metabolism and happiness and fuel your workouts with precious muscle instead of fat, keep eating 1200 or less.

    Thank you! Very sad and frustrating, indeed.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    tumblr_m30hekb67R1qh01r8o1_500.gif
    I eat 1200 calories in one meal sometimes :P
  • PhearlessPhreaks
    PhearlessPhreaks Posts: 890 Member
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    I always eat anywhere from 1200-1400 calories a day. Normally no more than 1400. There is no need to eat more than 1400 calories a day, especially if your losing weight or trying too. Your body goes into starvation mode if you eat less than that, but your body wont go into starvation mode at 1200. I work in an office that the chief of Medicine works at and those are his words. Between 1200-1400 calories is sufficient. Your body maintains at 1400, you lose at 1200. Given if you are seriously overweight, you would probably lose eating a bit more than that as well or someone trying to put on tons of muscle but eventually when your body gets down to an ideal weight 1200 is losing, 1400 is maintaining and anything above that typically is gaining.

    I know everyone has different opinions, just sharing what I've learned, experienced and have been taught by our doctors. =)

    I must be a special snowflake... I'm eating around 2,000 calories a day (more when I eat back my exercise cals) and while yes, I am breastfeeding a baby, I'm still waay above your 1400 maintenance, and yet, I'm steadily losing weight.

    It's not about a set number, it's about what each individual body requires based on a variety of factors. For you, perhaps those numbers work, but they don't for everyone, and may not for the OP.
  • milbwk
    milbwk Posts: 4 Member
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    everyone is saying 1200 is not enough - that is what myfitnesspal set for me - of course I get more if I exercise? really confused?
  • TheDoctorDana
    TheDoctorDana Posts: 595 Member
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    I find it very difficult to eat 1200 calories, actually. I often have to throw in a beer or ice cream to do it. I actually lowered my allotment to 1,000 so I wouldn't have to fill up on empty calories, but then my body held on to everything.

    So, adding more protein and seeing if that makes it easier. Best way to say it, I'm not that into food and if one vitamin could sustain me for a day, I'd do it.




    Sounds like you have a very unhealthy relationship with food. Seriously, how did you get to be overweight?
  • rosellasweet
    rosellasweet Posts: 163 Member
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    My BMR is 1340. 1200 would kill me (well not literally). I have calories set to 1300 on MFP. I almost always eat back some or all of my workoit calories.

    You must be very tiny! I'm 5' 4" and mine is 1600. Even if I dropped to 130, which is 10 pounds below my goal weight, my BMR would be 1400. No offense is you are really tiny, I'm just amazed by that BMR.
    What a load of crap. Nobody needs to eat more than 1400 calories unless they're bulking? Please tell me the name of this doctor so I know to avoid him.

    ^THIS. "No one should be eating more than 1400 calories" is a broad statement. Did the doctor provide specifics? I'm a short lady and like I said above, my BMR is 200 calories above your limit. Do doctors use BMR? Also, I exercise 5-6 times per week but with moderate workouts. What about someone who is extremely active or trying to gain muscle mass? I'm not a doctor but it doesn't seem like I can gain the muscle I want with 1400 calories. Unless I ate my exercise calories back.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    everyone is saying 1200 is not enough - that is what myfitnesspal set for me - of course I get more if I exercise? really confused?

    Figure out your TDEE
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
    Eat at a deficit of this.
    Lose weight.

    Simple.
  • Turnaround2012
    Turnaround2012 Posts: 362 Member
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    Hi.. I am a 5'8" Male 192 lbs and I am gradually losing weight by eating 1900-2100 calories per day and doing daily exercise. On really heavy exercise days (stairmaster or weights) I actually eat 2300-2400 calories or more!

    I used to starve myself to lose weight, but not any more :-)

    this post really helped me to understand all the acronyms and terms on this site.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/975025-in-place-of-a-road-map-short-n-sweet?hl=short+and+sweet&page=1#posts-14887744

    Keep reading the forums ... there will be a lot of great advice.

    Remember, some of the best advice won't necessarily be "sugar coated" .. it may come off as blunt or even harsh.. but there is some element of truth in most posts
  • rosellasweet
    rosellasweet Posts: 163 Member
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    I must be a special snowflake... I'm eating around 2,000 calories a day (more when I eat back my exercise cals) and while yes, I am breastfeeding a baby, I'm still waay above your 1400 maintenance, and yet, I'm steadily losing weight.

    It's not about a set number, it's about what each individual body requires based on a variety of factors. For you, perhaps those numbers work, but they don't for everyone, and may not for the OP.

    I must be special too! I've been steadily losing a pound a week. Someone has to explain to me how they can barely eat 1200 calories. My grilled chicken with brown rice, green beans, and a salad usually has 500 calories and that's just one meal.
  • aquadoxi28
    aquadoxi28 Posts: 9
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    LOL I find it funny that MFP automatically assumes that I need 1200 calories. It figured that amount when I was 175 pounds and again at 140. I had a hard time losing weight- the scale would not budge. I spent a year with MFP and lost a total of 5 lbs. Thats just stupid. So I decided to look into this more and with the help of my Fitbit, I am able to see that the goal isnt really how many calories consumed as it is how many calories are burned. Its so much more accurate! I can see that the days I am lazy, I am not in my goal zone to lose 1.5 pounds a week. MFP was too confusing. For example, last week, my daily calories were 855, 976, 1240, 1161, 1193, 1105. I had one day where I was over the 1200 daily calorie limit MFP set for me, every other day has been lower! And I am losing! I do feel guilty eating 1200 calories, only if my Fitbit tells me that I haven't burned enough calories to register a weight loss by doing so. I dont even bother with MFP anymore...I only keep it so that I can scan my food into my iPhone which sends to my Fitbit site since they dont have that feature on their site yet and I dont have time to manually enter everything.
  • Carmella9
    Carmella9 Posts: 171 Member
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    Apologise for being blunt but if it is not enough calories MFP would not autimatically set this!

    I can guarentee you that if I ate anymore than 1200 I would not loose weight.

    My stats:
    Weight 10 St 4 Lbs
    Height: 5 ft 4 inch
    Highest weight: 12 st 8
    Lowest weight 10 st 4
  • megalin9
    megalin9 Posts: 771 Member
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    I always eat anywhere from 1200-1400 calories a day. Normally no more than 1400. There is no need to eat more than 1400 calories a day, especially if your losing weight or trying too. Your body goes into starvation mode if you eat less than that, but your body wont go into starvation mode at 1200. I work in an office that the chief of Medicine works at and those are his words. Between 1200-1400 calories is sufficient. Your body maintains at 1400, you lose at 1200. Given if you are seriously overweight, you would probably lose eating a bit more than that as well or someone trying to put on tons of muscle but eventually when your body gets down to an ideal weight 1200 is losing, 1400 is maintaining and anything above that typically is gaining.

    I know everyone has different opinions, just sharing what I've learned, experienced and have been taught by our doctors. =)

    Are you freakin' kidding me? So it doesn't matter one's height, weight, age, gender, activity level, etc.? Everybody should just stick between 1200-1400 calories? Everybody maintains on 1400 calories? Please tell me you're a troll. These doctors are idiots.

    :noway:
  • Carmella9
    Carmella9 Posts: 171 Member
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    I agree that someone heavier in weight could loose by lowering calorie intake to more than this but that is only because they have been eating alot more calories prior to dieting.

    I maintain on around 1400 anything over that means i put on weight.
  • DebbieLyn63
    DebbieLyn63 Posts: 2,650 Member
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    everyone is saying 1200 is not enough - that is what myfitnesspal set for me - of course I get more if I exercise? really confused?

    Most people who say that 1200 is not enough are either male, younger than 45, or exercise on a regular basis.

    For an average middle aged woman who doesn't do a lot of exercise, 1200 can be appropriate.
    It all depends on your particular situation.

    And MFP is set up to eat more when you exercise. Not everyone needs to do that, but many do.

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