Behind the 1200-calorie-a-day diet?

candylilacs
candylilacs Posts: 614 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I was trying to pawn off my dozen German chocolate cupcakes on my students today and one refused saying she can't eat one (200 calories) because she's on a 1200 calorie/day diet. She told me that she ran two miles this morning.

"That's a little low if you are being active," I said.

"But that's what Dr. Oz recommends."

Is this what caused the spate of 1200 calorie-a-day posts? Dr. Oz?

Replies

  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
    It makes me sad when people listen to Dr. Oz... :(
  • candylilacs
    candylilacs Posts: 614 Member
    I know. He's been wrong before!
  • Emmienz
    Emmienz Posts: 29
    I think it all depends on the person , Im personally on a 1200 a day diet im just under 5ft and i sit at a desk all day for work , Im not hungery as i full my day with plenty of healthy choices and i work out and eat back ALL my calories gained ... This works for me ive lost 5kgs or 10lbs in 4 weeks :) .. but i no it doesn't work for everyone
  • generallyme2
    generallyme2 Posts: 403 Member
    I'm not a Dr. Oz fan either :/ I do know that many of us here at MPF are on 1200 cal plans, but if you exercise, you get more (I usually average 1500-1750). That said, 2 miles doesn't really burn off that much (around 200 cal, give or take) so maybe she already counted that in her day and planned for it so the cookies didn't fit in.

    Kind of sucks. My students used to bring me a lot of treats and stuff (they all knew I am a huge chocolate fan) but some were kind of gross looking or not up my alley and I don't like to eat food made in strangers kitchens, so sometimes I'd take one to be polite and save it for 'later' since I was talking the whole class anyway.
  • WishToBeMiniMiss
    WishToBeMiniMiss Posts: 3
    Hey. Just wondering how important it is to meet my 1200 calories per day goal. After exercise I'm always around 300-400 calories short. I'm making my portion sizes smaller and find that I'm not very hungry after I wag what's on my plate. I don't snack so I really don't eat outside of breakfast lunch and dinner. Plus I'm drinking more water, instead of fizzy drinks which fill me up also. Thanks
  • snazzyjazzy21
    snazzyjazzy21 Posts: 1,298 Member
    Hey. Just wondering how important it is to meet my 1200 calories per day goal. After exercise I'm always around 300-400 calories short. I'm making my portion sizes smaller and find that I'm not very hungry after I wag what's on my plate. I don't snack so I really don't eat outside of breakfast lunch and dinner. Plus I'm drinking more water, instead of fizzy drinks which fill me up also. Thanks

    VERY important. You need to eat back your exercise calories too, if you're not already doing that. 1200 is the bare minimum for women, and for most it's actually under their BMR and not the best for long term, healthy, weight loss. If you struggle to meet your goal go for things like nuts, oils, cheese, avacado, etc. These are very calorie dense so you don't need much to meet your goal.
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,511 Member
    The 1200 calorie myth (or something similar) has been around as long as I can remember. Back in the 80s we bought a copy of "Christie Brinkley's Outdoor Fun and Fitness Book" and in it she talked about how you should eat 10 calories for every pound of goal weight. My sister's goal became 1200 and mine was 1100. Even back then I remember being baffled at how one could expect to survive on so little.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I remember eating probably about 1,000 calories a day and losing very slowly, as well as running a few days a week. When I signed up at the gym and got a trainer, he helped me figure out a plan based on how much I wanted to lose, how often I wanted to work out, etc. etc. I was shocked to find my calorie intake to lose weight would be approximately 1360 calories a day. That seemed like a lot of food, but I followed his plan perfectly and lost my eight at a healthy rate.

    The problem was that I gained about 25 pounds back because I forgot how to eat properly (I've always exercised, but not everyday. I was just running a few times a week).

    Now, i exercise every day, which includes walking and running, and I eat quite a lot and I have lost 18 pounds slowly. Only about 8 more pounds until I can wear all all of my old clothes that I love. I am very excited!

    My point is if you eat starve yourself, you will get sick. 1200 calories a day is starvation.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    2 miles doesn't really burn off that much (around 200 cal, give or take) so maybe she already counted that in her day and planned for it so the cookies didn't fit in.

    Not necessarily. If you run two miles at 6.0 mph you will burn more calories than if you run at two miles 5.0. Other factors come into play, as well, such as how much the runner weighs :)
  • YAYJules
    YAYJules Posts: 282 Member
    I get sad for new dieters that work so hard to do "the right thing," and limit themselves to 1200 and don't eat the exercise calories back. They get frustrated with themselves easily, get ravenously hungry, and don't understand why their body demands food, and they give into a binge. It's frustrating just starting out. People who weigh more to begin with will need more calories to start with, and can work their way down, but 1200 for someone who is 100+ pounds overweight? It's not sustainable for the long haul. I wish TDEE was as "common knowledge" as "eating 1200 calories to lose weight" is.

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