did I miss something?

KeViN_v2pt0

I've been a MFP member for quite a while now, but have been really getting into it that last month (really want to get myself back on track). I log everyday, and I come on the message boards...and mostly lurk. But one thing I notice is it seems that a lot of people have been given only 1200 calories for the day to lose weight. I have about 20lbs to lose and MFP gave me almost 1400 calories for each day, and I put in sedentary as I have an office job and my setting was to lose 1lbs a week. I've since gone and changed my calories to use IIFFYM as I do exercise at least three times a week and since reading the posts it seemed like a good idea to go by TDEE.

I guess I don't have a question, per se, but how are so many people set to 1200 calories a day to lose weight...and how do they survive?

MFP told me 1500 calories. It also says that when I complete my calorie goals each day that I will gain 4 lbs in 5 weeks if I keep eating that way. Its a great app!

RachelRuns9

But does it calculate the calorie deficit correctly even without exercise?

It tells me that I burn 2010 daily. How did it calculate that? Even without considering exercise it's off compared to the other calculators.

herblackwings39

I've been a MFP member for quite a while now, but have been really getting into it that last month (really want to get myself back on track). I log everyday, and I come on the message boards...and mostly lurk. But one thing I notice is it seems that a lot of people have been given only 1200 calories for the day to lose weight. I have about 20lbs to lose and MFP gave me almost 1400 calories for each day, and I put in sedentary as I have an office job and my setting was to lose 1lbs a week. I've since gone and changed my calories to use IIFFYM as I do exercise at least three times a week and since reading the posts it seemed like a good idea to go by TDEE.

I guess I don't have a question, per se, but how are so many people set to 1200 calories a day to lose weight...and how do they survive?

Some people are older or quite short and 1200 calories is appropriate for them before exercise. I think some people with less to lose want to lose more quickly and put in sedentary when they're not and/or that they want to lose 2 lbs a week so the program gives them 1200 calories. It's not sentient and will go by the information that a person inputs.

TigerBite

I eat 1200 because I am short and I am sedentary. I also have an underactive thyroid. I tried eating at least half of my exercise calories (I use my heart rate monitor for an estimate) back for 3 months, but I gained a significant amount of weight back. I have to stick with 1200 to lose, otherwise I just maintain or gain depending how many of my exercise calories I eat back. I have been doing this for 4 years now and I am just fine with it.

Either you aren't logging your food properly or you are not properly medicate w thyroid hormone ... I'm willing to bet you aren't properly medicated, especially if you are T4 only ... I'm 5'2 and have an underactive thyroid as well, weigh less than you, and I eat WAY more than you ...

SLLRunner

Ah, another thread pearl-clutching over "1200 calories". I'll tell you why people really get in a tizzy about it, because it makes their calorie totals seem higher by comparison. There are a lot of reasons why people eat in the 1200 range, but to hear the fearmongers around here tell it, we're all about to drop dead from starvation. :grumble:

But, you are interpreting those against 1200 calories or below as being fearful, ans starvation mode is a myth. Unless you are really tiny, 1200 calories or below is generally the default for people to lose quickly. It's about fast results, maybe vanity in some cases, and 1200 calories can't be sustained long term. There is a huge leap between 1200 calories or fewer and maintenance calories. If you go from small 1200 to maintenance in one leap you will undoubtedly gain weight back. It just seems common sense to me.

fariaai

I was 180 pounds in January 2012 I lost quite a bit of weight dieting, exercising and walking I had become 145 in June 2013. However I went off my diet and exercise routine and I'm now 158. I just started using fitness pal and it set my calories to 1200. I tried it for a week and even exercised along with it (I do interval training and cardio) so I'm just wondering should I increase by calories to about 1400 for a week? (I don't eat my burned calories back)

Thanks!