Is 1,200 calories enough?

emma83841
emma83841 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm kind of worried that 1,200 calories is too low to be healthy. I've lost weight a while back from eating 1200, but now I'm starting to think that it might've been muscle or water weight or something that's not fat. I'm going to try and workout at the gym every other day, and on the days I'm not at the gym I'll do just do simple workouts at home. I just want to lose this extra weight and be healthy. Thanks! :glasses:

Replies

  • str160
    str160 Posts: 8 Member
    Most likely is way too low.
    How tall are you/weight/activity levels(training and day job)?
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    It's not enough if you're also exercising but you'll get extra to eat when you log your workouts.
  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
    Unless you are a very tiny person then yes - it is way too low - fat loss is minimal and your metabolism might crash.
    look for a TDEE calculator online (www.iifym.com being one) and see for yourself how much you really need.
    you want to loose weight drop approx 15% to your TDEE.
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    Unless you are a very tiny person then yes - it is way too low

    I'm not sure I'd agree with that. I'm 5'4, bang on average height for the UK and US (according to Wikipedia), and 80% of my TDEE is 1224 (I know you said 15%, but most recommendations I see are 80%). So with only 24 less calories I'd hardly say it is 'way too low'.

    Obviously OP will have to work out if it's right for them, and will need to be eating back exercise calories (I hope you are, OP, otherwise it is way too low). I'm just saying that everyone seems to freak out about 1200 being so low, but for a lot of people it's just right.
  • Orient_Charm
    Orient_Charm Posts: 385 Member
    It worked for me for long time.
    and now I am working on about 1350 average ( Including rest day ).
  • sunsetzen
    sunsetzen Posts: 268 Member
    Unless you are a very tiny person then yes - it is way too low

    I'm not sure I'd agree with that. I'm 5'4, bang on average height for the UK and US (according to Wikipedia), and 80% of my TDEE is 1224 (I know you said 15%, but most recommendations I see are 80%). So with only 24 less calories I'd hardly say it is 'way too low'.

    Obviously OP will have to work out if it's right for them, and will need to be eating back exercise calories (I hope you are, OP, otherwise it is way too low). I'm just saying that everyone seems to freak out about 1200 being so low, but for a lot of people it's just right.

    Wait, what? Who says 80% of your TDEE, ever? The max recommendation I've ever seen is 20%, unless you're extremely obese then maybe 25/30% but good god, 80%??

    Tothe OP, Yes, 1200 is too low. How tall are you, how much do you weight, what is your age, and how active are you?
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    Unless you are a very tiny person then yes - it is way too low

    I'm not sure I'd agree with that. I'm 5'4, bang on average height for the UK and US (according to Wikipedia), and 80% of my TDEE is 1224 (I know you said 15%, but most recommendations I see are 80%). So with only 24 less calories I'd hardly say it is 'way too low'.

    Obviously OP will have to work out if it's right for them, and will need to be eating back exercise calories (I hope you are, OP, otherwise it is way too low). I'm just saying that everyone seems to freak out about 1200 being so low, but for a lot of people it's just right.

    Wait, what? Who says 80% of your TDEE, ever? The max recommendation I've ever seen is 20%, unless you're extremely obese then maybe 25/30% but good god, 80%??

    Tothe OP, Yes, 1200 is too low. How tall are you, how much do you weight, what is your age, and how active are you?

    Whoops, I meant eat 80%, not take 80% off.
  • VanillaBeanSeed
    VanillaBeanSeed Posts: 562 Member
    The ultimate debate.

    After watching a serious of shows about gastric bypass surgery and how people are limited to LOW calorie consumption for the rest of their lives after the surgery.. how can it be truely unhealthy?

    Thats where I am confused.

    I can understand that at first, their body is living off the excess weight.. but once the weight is gone, their stomach is still the size of an average egg and they are unable to consume (ad absorb) normal amounts of calories......

    ..
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
    I can understand that at first, their body is living off the excess weight.. but once the weight is gone, their stomach is still the size of an average egg and they are unable to consume (ad absorb) normal amounts of calories......

    I always wondered this too! I think because the stomach gradually expands back to a normal size over the time they're losing weight, so when they get down to a healthy weight they should have learnt to eat a good diet so will be able to eat a normal amount and keep the weight off. Of course some people don't have and end up having multiple gastric bypass surgeries.

    At least that's what someone told me, not entirely sure if that's how it works.
  • Phoenix_Warrior
    Phoenix_Warrior Posts: 1,633 Member
    Just make sure you're eating back exercise, in the very least to net 1200. It wasn't enough for me, personally. I'm 5'5" and 126 lbs and lose weight eating 1550 on non exercise and around 1900 on work out days. It's a numbers game. Play around with intake. Pick one way, give it a couple weeks, then go from there.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Use http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    Much, much healthier way to lose weight! Just pick a good goal with them (20% deficit usually works) and use that on MFP.
  • sunsetzen
    sunsetzen Posts: 268 Member
    Unless you are a very tiny person then yes - it is way too low

    I'm not sure I'd agree with that. I'm 5'4, bang on average height for the UK and US (according to Wikipedia), and 80% of my TDEE is 1224 (I know you said 15%, but most recommendations I see are 80%). So with only 24 less calories I'd hardly say it is 'way too low'.

    Obviously OP will have to work out if it's right for them, and will need to be eating back exercise calories (I hope you are, OP, otherwise it is way too low). I'm just saying that everyone seems to freak out about 1200 being so low, but for a lot of people it's just right.

    Wait, what? Who says 80% of your TDEE, ever? The max recommendation I've ever seen is 20%, unless you're extremely obese then maybe 25/30% but good god, 80%??

    Tothe OP, Yes, 1200 is too low. How tall are you, how much do you weight, what is your age, and how active are you?

    Whoops, I meant eat 80%, not take 80% off.

    Ah ok! Phew, I got a bit worried for you :laugh:
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    The ultimate debate.

    After watching a serious of shows about gastric bypass surgery and how people are limited to LOW calorie consumption for the rest of their lives after the surgery.. how can it be truely unhealthy?

    Thats where I am confused.

    I can understand that at first, their body is living off the excess weight.. but once the weight is gone, their stomach is still the size of an average egg and they are unable to consume (ad absorb) normal amounts of calories......

    ..
    Because it's not generally considered unhealthy. That's one reason MFP uses it as a floor. If 1200 was unhealthy, wouldn't they use a higher value? Usually there is no calorie floor in published diet plans, just the advice to shoot for losing no more than 2 lbs. a week. Though when there is a floor it's often 1200 or 1500 for men because those levels are pretty non-controversial.
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
    I find it to be just right for me when I need to break through a plateau. 1200 a day for a week is basically a mini cut phase for me. At 5'4" and 118 (I consider that pretty tiny) I find it way too low to sustain long term, but perfect for breaking through a plateau.

    In my personal opinion, if you stick to 1200 a day, plus exercise for a long period of time, you are going to burn out no matter what your size.
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
    I can understand that at first, their body is living off the excess weight.. but once the weight is gone, their stomach is still the size of an average egg and they are unable to consume (ad absorb) normal amounts of calories......

    I always wondered this too! I think because the stomach gradually expands back to a normal size over the time they're losing weight, so when they get down to a healthy weight they should have learnt to eat a good diet so will be able to eat a normal amount and keep the weight off. Of course some people don't have and end up having multiple gastric bypass surgeries.

    At least that's what someone told me, not entirely sure if that's how it works.


    You are correct. My mother had the surgery. After losing 40 lbs immediately, she stretched her stomach back out and is now back to eating a stick of butter with every meal.
  • rella_1003
    rella_1003 Posts: 70 Member
    I've been on a 1200 calorie diet for just over a month and its worked out fine for me, I've lost 6 pounds so far
  • DjinnMarie
    DjinnMarie Posts: 1,297 Member
    I've been on a 1200 calorie diet for just over a month and its worked out fine for me, I've lost 6 pounds so far

    How often do you exercise? Do you eat at a net 1200 calories? Or just 1200 calories despite exercise?
  • rella_1003
    rella_1003 Posts: 70 Member
    I've been on a 1200 calorie diet for just over a month and its worked out fine for me, I've lost 6 pounds so far

    How often do you exercise? Do you eat at a net 1200 calories? Or just 1200 calories despite exercise?

    I've only recently started exercising and that's just pilates or walking so I don't burn that many calories nonetheless I do eat back all my exercise calories. I definitely eat 1200 net calories, anything less than that is bad for you
  • cuinboston2014
    cuinboston2014 Posts: 848 Member
    The only way you can really get enough vitamins, nutrients, and macros in from 1200 calories is by very carefully selecting your foods. You can do it, but it's hard and there is really no room for junk as it would need to be packed with nutrient dense foods.

    It also depends on your height, weight, and activity level.

    I'm 5'10", 187 lbs currently, and I workout hard 5-6 times a week. I used to try to eat 1500 calories and found that even that, most days, is too low. On rare occasions when I'm just not hungry I will eat 1200-1500 calories but that's not my goal. For me, when I eat between 1500-2000 calories I am losing slowly but surely, have great energy for my workouts and am recovering from long runs or heavy lifting sessions with no issues. I can eat 2000 calories most days and lose.

    There's no way I could sustain 1200 calories a day, now or ever. I always intend to workout and train for long distance races. My point, after lots of boredom rambling, si that everyone is different.

    Very few people can eat healthy enough on 1200 calories to maintain it. If you wanted to do this you should be very small to start with and not very active. That's my .02

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