1200cal/day really works.

Shaylyn1986

being stuck eating 1200 at maintenance sounds like hell. Why would anyone want that?

For most people, that would suck. But punch some numbers into BMR calculators... There are people who fit into the range of 1200 maintenance. Smaller people, older people... If you only need 10 gallons to fill your gas tank, why try to stuff in more?

Now I like to think that I exercise so that I can eat more (cause I freakin love to eat)...

This.

I work an IT job and run a guild on a video game at night with my bf. I don't exercise much other than walking the pup so I don't need more than 1200 which is recommended for my height/weight. Been doing this for 5 years, never gained the weight back.

TX_Rhon

Why in the hell is this thread still going?

OMG...........i was just thinking the same thing.........You rock!

Lleldiranne

After reading some of the posts on this thread I am a little confused. I am just starting my weight loss journey, so obviously i still need to continue educating myself, but what is wrong with a 1200 cal diet? My suggested cal intake on here is 1380 daily...is that okay? I have over 100 pounds to lose, so maybe it is ok when you have a lot of weight to lose? I've struggled with an eating disorder (bulimia) for over 10 years, and for the past 4 years have maintained a decent intake of food without too many episdoes of binge eating. I eat atleast twice a day, but it is usually junk food. I am extremely active, I hit the gym 7 days a week in the mornings, walk during the afternoon, and do videos before bed everday. My problem is I eat pizza as my daily meal, and use junk food as fuel to give me enough energy to workout though the day.

I am finally at a place mentally where I am ready to lose weight the right way and develop a healthy relationship with food. The site gave me a daily amount of cals to eat to lose 2lbs per week, but I saw people mentioning some other caloric amount ( and using 10-20% of that amount). is that somehting I should look into? I know I am going to have to start eating 6 small meals a day, however I do not really like things that would be considered healthy, would it be safe to juice my meals so I could take them like shots? Will that ultimately mess up my metabolism ....or anyhting else? For those people losing weight on a 2000 plus calorie diet, how are you doing it? Are you extremely active?

With 100+ pounds to lose, the goal of 2 pounds per week is a good one. So, yes, you can start by following MFP's suggestion of 1380 (and, while it doesn't seem like it on paper, that 180 calories can make a big difference in energy levels, etc). Just make sure you eat back your exercise calories, as that is how MFP is designed to work and that's why it gave you 1380 and not something higher. With all the exercise you listed, it's very likely that your actual intake will be something like 1800-2000 calories
per day.

You can lose successfully on a higher amount, but it may be less than 2 lbs per week. And remember, everything is estimates based on population averages, so you may need to tweak things a bit. But give it a full month unless you are super hungry or lethargic, which would indicate a need for more calories.

{Sorry for the mini-hijack, but I wanted to answer this poster's question. We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread…}

Mborroto25

Can't judge success after one week. Come back when you have been at your goal and on maintenance for at least a year.

By the way each loss, no matter how small should be celebrated and ENCOURAGED. So be gone with your sarcasm and negativity

Yes you're right, each loss should be celebrated and encouraged but she's right about not judging after one week. Your weight fluctuates daily and I think its possibly water weight. Just to make sure, maybe you should weigh yourself again in like a month.

ejsmom02

The REAL question should be why is MyfitnessPal suggesting that almost everyone eat 1200 calories (despite their starting weight). This can be very confusing to someone just starting out. This is how it usually goes:

1. You hear great things about MyfitnessPal so you sign up
2. MFP suggests 1200 calories
3. You experience weight loss at 1200 calories
4. You start to read community postings and fitness blogs and realize that you don't have to live at 1200 calories.
5. You change your calories and through trial and error find out what works for YOU.

Why be so snarky and condescending about someone not knowing better?
God bless all of you who started MFP knowing everything about fitness. I see why a lot of people don't bother asking questions.

Shaylyn1986

The REAL question should be why is MyfitnessPal suggesting that almost everyone eat 1200 calories (despite their starting weight). This can be very confusing to someone just starting out. This is how it usually goes:

1. You hear great things about MyfitnessPal so you sign up
2. MFP suggests 1200 calories
3. You experience weight loss at 1200 calories
4. You start to read community postings and fitness blogs and realize that you don't have to live at 1200 calories.
5. You change your calories and through trial and error find out what works for YOU.

Why be so snarky and condescending about someone not knowing better?
God bless all of you who started MFP knowing everything about fitness. I see why a lot of people don't bother asking questions.

Amen. I've chosen to eat 1200 calories a day Mon-Thurs for 5 years and I haven't: died, become seriously ill, lost all my muscle tone, become depressed, gained weight back, hated life and eating etc.

bcattoes

The REAL question should be why is MyfitnessPal suggesting that almost everyone eat 1200 calories (despite their starting weight). This can be very confusing to someone just starting out. This is how it usually goes:

1. You hear great things about MyfitnessPal so you sign up
2. MFP suggests 1200 calories
3. You experience weight loss at 1200 calories
4. You start to read community postings and fitness blogs and realize that you don't have to live at 1200 calories.
5. You change your calories and through trial and error find out what works for YOU.

Why be so snarky and condescending about someone not knowing better?
God bless all of you who started MFP knowing everything about fitness. I see why a lot of people don't bother asking questions.

MFP didn't suggest 1200 calories for me. I'm not sure it suggests it for anyone that exercises, but it didn't even suggest it for me at sedentary.

Serah87

The REAL question should be why is MyfitnessPal suggesting that almost everyone eat 1200 calories (despite their starting weight). This can be very confusing to someone just starting out. This is how it usually goes:

1. You hear great things about MyfitnessPal so you sign up
2. MFP suggests 1200 calories
3. You experience weight loss at 1200 calories
4. You start to read community postings and fitness blogs and realize that you don't have to live at 1200 calories.
5. You change your calories and through trial and error find out what works for YOU.

Why be so snarky and condescending about someone not knowing better?
God bless all of you who started MFP knowing everything about fitness. I see why a lot of people don't bother asking questions.

MFP is set up that your suppose to eat back most of exercise calories, you know when you put your exercises and it adds more calories for you to eat, yeah that, something you missed!!!! Just saying.... :frown:

Mcgrawhaha

The REAL question should be why is MyfitnessPal suggesting that almost everyone eat 1200 calories (despite their starting weight). This can be very confusing to someone just starting out. This is how it usually goes:

1. You hear great things about MyfitnessPal so you sign up
2. MFP suggests 1200 calories
3. You experience weight loss at 1200 calories
4. You start to read community postings and fitness blogs and realize that you don't have to live at 1200 calories.
5. You change your calories and through trial and error find out what works for YOU.

Why be so snarky and condescending about someone not knowing better?
God bless all of you who started MFP knowing everything about fitness. I see why a lot of people don't bother asking questions.

mfp did not suggest 1200 for me, i chose it! it all depends on what you enter for activiy level, current weight, and amount of weight you wish to lose per week. 1200 is the rock bottom number, thats why its given out alot. for example, now that i have lost all my weight, if i enter in that i want to lose 2 pounds per week, it gives me a calorie number of 1200, but then states that its only 1.5 pounds loss per week, because it wont allow me to go under 1200.in order for me to now lose 2 pounds a week (if i wanted to) i would need to eat well under 1200, however, mfp will not allow that. when i was 100 pounds heavier, in order to lose 2 pounds per week, it gave me a higher number, however, i chose 1200. the only reason we see 1200 so often, is because it is the rock bottom calorie number that mfp is willing to set anyone at.

ejsmom02

Again, keep your snarky comments to yourself. Its NOT something that I missed. MFP can be confusing for those starting out, that was my whole point. Eventually people have to find out what works for them. Again, there really is nothing to be rude about. Either comment to HELP this young lady or be quiet.

Point 1: MFP is a learning tool. You have to learn the app and how to eat for YOU.

Point 2: There are too many people on here making unnecessary and snarky comments to someone LEARNING something new. In other words give people a break. If the topic pissed you off why come in and be nasty? Simply move on to another topic. My goodness.

ejsmom02

See..this is exactly the explanation I needed when I first started. At over 200 pounds it was suggested that I take in 1200 cals. After noticing that that was not enough food I researched to find that I didn't have to live at 1200 unless I choose to.

mfp did not suggest 1200 for me, i chose it! it all depends on what you enter for activiy level, current weight, and amount of weight you wish to lose per week. 1200 is the rock bottom number, thats why its given out alot. for example, now that i have lost all my weight, if i enter in that i want to lose 2 pounds per week, it gives me a calorie number of 1200, but then states that its only 1.5 pounds loss per week, because it wont allow me to go under 1200.in order for me to now lose 2 pounds a week (if i wanted to) i would need to eat well under 1200, however, mfp will not allow that. when i was 100 pounds heavier, in order to lose 2 pounds per week, it gave me a higher number, however, i chose 1200. the only reason we see 1200 so often, is because it is the rock bottom calorie number that mfp is willing to set anyone at.
[/quote]

Mcgrawhaha

See..this is exactly the explanation I needed when I first started. At over 200 pounds it was suggested that I take in 1200 cals. After noticing that that was not enough food I researched to find that I didn't have to live at 1200 unless I choose to.

[/quote]

yeah, 2 pounds a week is maximum weight loss, therefore, by choosing this number, your cals will be set lower than normal... no lower than 1200 tho! change your goals to, lets say, 1 pound per week, or change your activity level to lightly active or moderately active, and watch that calorie number rise!

Silvermist16

The REAL question should be why is MyfitnessPal suggesting that almost everyone eat 1200 calories (despite their starting weight). This can be very confusing to someone just starting out. This is how it usually goes:

1. You hear great things about MyfitnessPal so you sign up
2. MFP suggests 1200 calories
3. You experience weight loss at 1200 calories
4. You start to read community postings and fitness blogs and realize that you don't have to live at 1200 calories.
5. You change your calories and through trial and error find out what works for YOU.

Why be so snarky and condescending about someone not knowing better?
God bless all of you who started MFP knowing everything about fitness. I see why a lot of people don't bother asking questions.

Yep,agreed. MFP suggested 1200 calories for me too. And it is hard. As soon as I am better from this cold/flu I will exercise more so I can eat more!

Mia_RagazzaTosta

I want this to roll so it gets off my topics list.

Mia_RagazzaTosta

Rolllllllllll

juliemouse83

So because I'm a numbers dweeb...if a person is eating 1200 calories a day, 7 days a week, that is 8,400 calories per week. *shudder*

Then you have these people that come in and say that they are doing the same and it works for them, and then it comes out that they're eating 1200 calories during the week and pretty much going over that 2-3 days per week and that they are maintaining and/or doing just fine.

Is it just me, or does that mean that they really AREN"T doing 1200 calories a day? That'd be MORE than 8,400 weekly, therefore =/= to the OP.


ok, and yeah, it's a little slow and this post keeps popping up. :flowerforyou:

Shaylyn1986

So because I'm a numbers dweeb...if a person is eating 1200 calories a day, 7 days a week, that is 8,400 calories per week. *shudder*

Then you have these people that come in and say that they are doing the same and it works for them, and then it comes out that they're eating 1200 calories during the week and pretty much going over that 2-3 days per week and that they are maintaining and/or doing just fine.

Is it just me, or does that mean that they really AREN"T doing 1200 calories a day? That'd be MORE than 8,400 weekly, therefore =/= to the OP.


ok, and yeah, it's a little slow and this post keeps popping up. :flowerforyou:

I did 1200 calories a day to lose the weight I needed. I now stagger my calories 1200 Mon-Thurs and weekends, including fridays, are free days where I eat moderately what I want. Could I do 1200 every day? yes but I'm in maintenance mode so there is really no need because over the course of 5 years I've learned that taking 3 days off isn't going to make me gain. That being said, it's important to remember that those 3 days are free days *in moderation* so I'm not downing a full dominos pizza but I'm likely eating1600-1900. My point was that the OP can do 1200calories a day for her diet and maintain that 80% of the time in the future.

VixenInTraining

This whole thread is *kitten*

GET IT OFFFF HERRREEEEE

Mia_RagazzaTosta

Peace out, 1200 calories

Shaylyn1986

I don't even get why people are so mad. Who gives a F?

You learned that exercise allows you to eat more calories? Super for you. Some people aren't like you.

mcblevins

^^^^ This, this is so right.

pinkraynedropjacki

Why the hell is this topic even still going yet allowed to roll?

diannethegeek

I love that this rolled. In for round 2 of OMG You MUST try 1200/cals! vs. Um... no.

belindanjumo

I don't even get why people are so mad. Who gives a F?

You learned that exercise allows you to eat more calories? Super for you. Some people aren't like you.

I totally agree.

marilou0511

Why the hell is this topic even still going yet allowed to roll?

Pinkraynedropjacki, congratulations on reaching your goal! It's still going because YOU and I are still reading the posts!! :laugh:

mcibty

Why the hell is this topic even still going yet allowed to roll?

mcibty

I think this debate is usually between the newer members and the ones who have been ongoing for some time. Most people will start at the magic 1,200. Most people will lose a good amount of weight on 1,200. Those who experience this will sing its praises and say they will live on this forever because they're 'not hungry' and 'couldn't imagine eating more', but you WILL eventually get to the point where it will no longer work for you, and you'll then have to deal with the inner-debate of eating more, which, eventually, you will. It's an experience thing. I don't know why you keep arguing the point.

lauren3101

The REAL question should be why is MyfitnessPal suggesting that almost everyone eat 1200 calories (despite their starting weight). This can be very confusing to someone just starting out. This is how it usually goes:

1. You hear great things about MyfitnessPal so you sign up
2. MFP suggests 1200 calories
3. You experience weight loss at 1200 calories
4. You start to read community postings and fitness blogs and realize that you don't have to live at 1200 calories.
5. You change your calories and through trial and error find out what works for YOU.

Why be so snarky and condescending about someone not knowing better?
God bless all of you who started MFP knowing everything about fitness. I see why a lot of people don't bother asking questions

MFP doesn't suggest that nearly everyone start at 1200 calories. Most of the people that are put at 1200 calories do so because they either have 10lb to lose but want to get it all off ASAP, so they set their weight loss to 2lb per week, and/or they wrongly think they are sedentary, and/or they log their exercise calories but completely ignore MFPs suggestion to eat them back.

SuperCrsa

MFP doesn't suggest that nearly everyone start at 1200 calories. Most of the people that are put at 1200 calories do so because they either have 10lb to lose but want to get it all off ASAP, so they set their weight loss to 2lb per week, and/or they wrongly think they are sedentary, and/or they log their exercise calories but completely ignore MFPs suggestion to eat them back.

Too true! I also joined up and wanted to lose as much weight as freaken possible, so set the weight loss goal to MAX and ended up with 1200 cals. That didnt last long! :laugh:

neandermagnon

I don't even get why people are so mad. Who gives a F?

You learned that exercise allows you to eat more calories? Super for you. Some people aren't like you.

exercise allows everyone (yes everyone, even you) to eat more food because physics, chemistry and biology

if you want to eat only 1200 cals/day then yeah, who gives a F.... but really.... what's the point? I don't understand the appeal of trying to survive on so little and then boasting about it online and treating everyone who suggests that you can get better long term results by eating more as though they're attacking your religion....