Females trying to lose weight...READ THIS

13

Replies

  • VCYoga
    VCYoga Posts: 13 Member
    MFP set my goal to be 1200 and to be honest sometimes I eat 1200 and sometimes I eat 1500, sometimes more!. I just try to listen to my body. For example, a day where I missed a work out, I probably won't be as hungry, so I might only have 1200 calories, but since my diet is often packed with fruits and veggies that is often enough! If I'm still hungry, I eat more! I never refuse my body food when it's hungry. It's been working pretty well for me. :) I try to think of my daily caloric intake as more of a range, and try to think of it that balances out over the course of a week. If I eat 1200 one day and 1800 another day, that averages out pretty nicely. Honestly, it just depends on if I'm very hungry that day or not. But I always eat more on workout days hehe. :)

    +1
    I dont always have to be under the 1200 set for me.
  • minlyn22
    minlyn22 Posts: 104 Member
    Bump - for reading later... Thanks!
  • Nessiechickie
    Nessiechickie Posts: 1,392 Member
    Just wondering....
    I eat 1200cals... below and above.. but I generally only get about 30mins of cardio (3-5days a week) and work a desk job 5 days a week.
    Am i considered inactive?
  • dare2love81
    dare2love81 Posts: 928 Member
    Just wondering....
    I eat 1200cals... below and above.. but I generally only get about 30mins of cardio (3-5days a week) and work a desk job 5 days a week.
    Am i considered inactive?

    Nope. Sedentary is strictly for people who don't ever exercise, period. And are restricted to bed rest. Most people who aren't on bed rest are at the very least considered to be "lightly active".
  • Nessiechickie
    Nessiechickie Posts: 1,392 Member
    Just wondering....
    I eat 1200cals... below and above.. but I generally only get about 30mins of cardio (3-5days a week) and work a desk job 5 days a week.
    Am i considered inactive?

    Nope. Sedentary is strictly for people who don't ever exercise, period. And are restricted to bed rest. Most people who aren't on bed rest are at the very least considered to be "lightly active".

    So then what If I eat my calories back,
    say my calories are set at 1200 and work off 450 calories... but i eat my calories back and so I have had 1600cals in the day....... is that still wrong? as in what this post is saying? I'm a bit confused lol

    Thanks for the help :flowerforyou:
  • nmncare
    nmncare Posts: 168 Member
    Brill!
  • Redhead_23
    Redhead_23 Posts: 58
    The people who do "fine" on 1,200 a day also log "cleaning, cooking and standing as exercise.". I stuck to 1,200 for a week once. Lost 3 pounds. I spent the next week non stop bingeng and gained 5 back. Lovely.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    Just wondering....
    I eat 1200cals... below and above.. but I generally only get about 30mins of cardio (3-5days a week) and work a desk job 5 days a week.
    Am i considered inactive?

    Nope. Sedentary is strictly for people who don't ever exercise, period. And are restricted to bed rest. Most people who aren't on bed rest are at the very least considered to be "lightly active".

    So then what If I eat my calories back,
    say my calories are set at 1200 and work off 450 calories... but i eat my calories back and so I have had 1600cals in the day....... is that still wrong? as in what this post is saying? I'm a bit confused lol

    Thanks for the help :flowerforyou:
    No, that's fine. Usually when people say they eat 1200 calories, we assume they mean they gross 1200 calories. You're actually "eating" 1600 calories, but you net around 1200 because you exercise. Which is good because you're fueling your workouts.
  • dare2love81
    dare2love81 Posts: 928 Member
    Just wondering....
    I eat 1200cals... below and above.. but I generally only get about 30mins of cardio (3-5days a week) and work a desk job 5 days a week.
    Am i considered inactive?

    Nope. Sedentary is strictly for people who don't ever exercise, period. And are restricted to bed rest. Most people who aren't on bed rest are at the very least considered to be "lightly active".

    So then what If I eat my calories back,
    say my calories are set at 1200 and work off 450 calories... but i eat my calories back and so I have had 1600cals in the day....... is that still wrong? as in what this post is saying? I'm a bit confused lol

    Thanks for the help :flowerforyou:

    Nope, you're doing it right. The post is saying people who only eat 1,200 calories (or less) and then go try to exercise even more calories off, are doing more harm than they're realizing. So, yes, eat your exercise calories back.
  • Nessiechickie
    Nessiechickie Posts: 1,392 Member
    Just wondering....
    I eat 1200cals... below and above.. but I generally only get about 30mins of cardio (3-5days a week) and work a desk job 5 days a week.
    Am i considered inactive?

    Nope. Sedentary is strictly for people who don't ever exercise, period. And are restricted to bed rest. Most people who aren't on bed rest are at the very least considered to be "lightly active".

    So then what If I eat my calories back,
    say my calories are set at 1200 and work off 450 calories... but i eat my calories back and so I have had 1600cals in the day....... is that still wrong? as in what this post is saying? I'm a bit confused lol

    Thanks for the help :flowerforyou:
    No, that's fine. Usually when people say they eat 1200 calories, we assume they mean they gross 1200 calories. You're actually "eating" 1600 calories, but you net around 1200 because you exercise. Which is good because you're fueling your workouts.
    Okay thanks just making sure. :smile: :flowerforyou:
  • FancyPantsFran
    FancyPantsFran Posts: 3,687 Member
    Great article. Thanks for sharing!!!
  • gurlygirlrcr80
    gurlygirlrcr80 Posts: 162 Member
    15 months, 113 pounds lost, 5'11" and less than 1300 calories a day (because I need to eat up to my calories so i'm over 1200 but under 1300) and I don't add in my exercise calories (of which i lift 4 days a week on top of sports and cardio) and it was RECOMMENDED BY MY DOCTOR AND A NUTRITIONIST (who i meet with every 3 months). So different things work for different people. And just because it doesn't work for you doesn't mean it doesn't work.
  • bl1nk6
    bl1nk6 Posts: 175
    1200 did work great for me but as soon as i lost a couple of stone i wanted to start exercising and added a couple of hundred cals as recomended the weight started to pile back on.

    after hearing about the Cambridge diet where people are eating around 400 cals a day for 3 weeks then bingeing out for a week and starving themselves again for 3 weeks , i really dont think 1200 cal diets are that bad to be honest. its sufficient enough to keep your body and organs functioning without exercise isnt it?
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    wtf_zps504ed2e1.gif.... yeah:noway: ... acording to this"scoby" scale im

    You Daily Calorie Requirements

    Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) 1328
    Daily calories to maintain weight (TDEE) 1594
    Daily calories based on goal in step 6 1275



    so 1200 not realy that bad for me.. was going to say more... but dont have time to stirpot_zps5634c54c.gif

    From those numbers I'm guessing you chose tdee-20% for your daily calorie allowance, with less than 50lb to lose you could cut this to 15% or even 10% cut so it's not so aggresive
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    1200 did work great for me but as soon as i lost a couple of stone i wanted to start exercising and added a couple of hundred cals as recomended the weight started to pile back on.

    after hearing about the Cambridge diet where people are eating around 400 cals a day for 3 weeks then bingeing out for a week and starving themselves again for 3 weeks , i really dont think 1200 cal diets are that bad to be honest. its sufficient enough to keep your body and organs functioning without exercise isnt it?

    Well no, not really, your BMR is the amount of calories your body needs to function and there aren't many people who's BMR are 1200 or below
  • williamsbr
    williamsbr Posts: 2
    Can I just say how great it is to finally raise my caloric intake goal. I was as 1150 which was ridiculous and unable to attain, and recently raised to 1300, I feel so much better and feel like I can workout harder. We will see what the scale says but regardless it feels much more sustainable. Has anyone else had this experience?
  • loubidy
    loubidy Posts: 440 Member
    So nice to read an article that doesn't make me angry!!
  • branflakes1980
    branflakes1980 Posts: 2,516 Member
    A friend posted this article on my FB page last night. I don't have access to FB at work, I have seen alot of posts today in regards to this topic exactly, and for the life of me I couldn't find this stinkin article to post in these threads. Thank you for posting this, and please dont be upset that I quoted your quote in a few threads. :flowerforyou:
  • Kaylaef
    Kaylaef Posts: 194 Member
    My diary says I eat 1200, but that's mostly a guide line for sure! I do not weigh my fruit, I kinda measure my veg and meat...and I definitely sneak a piece of cheese while I'm cooking without entering it. I think if I was really good about all that stuff, I'd probably be closer to 1500/1700. I started at 217 and am at 199 I am not normally hungry. I am only lightly active because I have multiple sclerosis. But I try to be super active on the weekend with my dog...and then normally on the weekend, I have wine. I don't know, I like it as a guideline, but then, I'm not anal but everything little thing. I'm down 18 lbs and my energy is up, also...sleeping better. So I'm pretty stoked about that.
  • bl1nk6
    bl1nk6 Posts: 175
    1200 did work great for me but as soon as i lost a couple of stone i wanted to start exercising and added a couple of hundred cals as recomended the weight started to pile back on.

    after hearing about the Cambridge diet where people are eating around 400 cals a day for 3 weeks then bingeing out for a week and starving themselves again for 3 weeks , i really dont think 1200 cal diets are that bad to be honest. its sufficient enough to keep your body and organs functioning without exercise isnt it?

    Well no, not really, your BMR is the amount of calories your body needs to function and there aren't many people who's BMR are 1200 or below

    oh right! well maybe i was given the wrong info. Im no expert ;)
  • NotASoul
    NotASoul Posts: 25 Member
    I think it's subjective - I've realised (by calorie counting out of pure curiousity) that quite often if I completely cut out snacking and just eat three meals a day my calorie intake does end up around or below 1200 calories...

    If it does, you're not doing what you should, and unless you are weighing absolutely everything you eat, it's pretty unlikely you are accurate. and no, I'm not talking about measuring with measuring cups, I'm talking about weighing with a food scale.

    You don't have to get irritable, it was just an observation. And even if I'm not accurate, I would have to be out by quite a lot for it to be much above 1200. The things I don't weigh (with a scale - I don't own measuring cups...) are fruit and vegetables anyway so unlikely to be throwing calculations out by much.
  • mccindy72
    mccindy72 Posts: 7,001 Member
    I think it's subjective - I've realised (by calorie counting out of pure curiousity) that quite often if I completely cut out snacking and just eat three meals a day my calorie intake does end up around or below 1200 calories...

    If it does, you're not doing what you should, and unless you are weighing absolutely everything you eat, it's pretty unlikely you are accurate. and no, I'm not talking about measuring with measuring cups, I'm talking about weighing with a food scale.

    You don't have to get irritable, it was just an observation. And even if I'm not accurate, I would have to be out by quite a lot for it to be much above 1200. The things I don't weigh (with a scale - I don't own measuring cups...) are fruit and vegetables anyway so unlikely to be throwing calculations out by much.

    I'm not being irritable, I'm trying to be helpful. As fruit has quite a bit of sugar in it, and is dense, by not weighing an apple or a banana, you can be off by quite a few calories. with one fruit.
    when I said you were doing the wrong thing, i meant not eating over 1200 calories. You aren't eating enough. Unless you weigh 90 lbs and are about 5 feet tall, and are extremely sedentary, it's not likely your calories should be 1200 or below.
  • NotASoul
    NotASoul Posts: 25 Member
    Ok, maybe I was being vague - I only occasionally eat below 1200 calories per day, and it is not something I realised I might be doing until the last few days, when out of curiosity I measured my approximate calorie intake on a day when I had mostly cut out snacking. I am aware of the inaccuracy involved, which is why I stated "around" 1200 rather than simply "below"; usually it's somewhere between 1000 and 1300 if I'm not snacking, presumably around 1800-2000 if i am snacking (haven't tested yet).
  • CocoLaMocha
    CocoLaMocha Posts: 26
    Thanks for enlightening me on caloric intake! My question is, if my goal is to lose weight and build muscle, how much of my exercise calories do I eat back? I presently consume about an average of 1400-1500 calories daily. I workout 4 times a week, in which I burn about 400 calories (not including weight training). I weight 136lbs, and 5'4.5. Thanks you guyz!
  • tiggerlgh
    tiggerlgh Posts: 73 Member
    1200 NET has been working well for me. On the average day I eat 1400 calories or more by eating back some/most (depending on the day) of my exercise. I don't feel hungry at all and I have lost over 30 lbs (since I really started counting calories in Oct 2013).

    My TDEE per Scooby's is 1464 (with 20% cut), so most days I am right there (some days more some less). i will change my cut as I get closer to goal. Really eating back calories should put you close to your TDEE.

    The only days I eat close to 1200 are days I just stay in and do nothing but lay on my couch watching TV/Movies....which normally doesn't occur that often.
  • codycsweet
    codycsweet Posts: 1,019 Member
    Good read I even posted it to my Facebook
  • judychicken
    judychicken Posts: 937 Member
    Bump
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    If people used MFP the way it was designed, this wouldn't be anywhere near an issue. It gives 1200 as a very minimal baseline when a user selects sedentary. If the user is sedentary, he or she should eat back their exercise calories and log all activities above sitting on their butt at their job (this is why MFP includes housework and carrying bags in their exercise section).

    If you set your activity level to sedentary, go work a job where you're on your feet for eight hours THEN go work out and expect to survive on only 1200 calories a day, you're going to have a bad time.

    By logging all my activity for a few weeks (I use a HRM for at home workouts and track walking with runkeeper) as an experiment, it seemed I needed to consume about 1600-1800 calories a day to NET 1200. I then went and ran my numbers through scooby's accurate calorie calculator again (I run my numbers every few months or when my exercise routine changes) and it estimated I should be consuming about 1800-1900 a day to lose weight.

    The numbers work out pretty similar, if you use the tool properly.
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    Thanks for enlightening me on caloric intake! My question is, if my goal is to lose weight and build muscle, how much of my exercise calories do I eat back? I presently consume about an average of 1400-1500 calories daily. I workout 4 times a week, in which I burn about 400 calories (not including weight training). I weight 136lbs, and 5'4.5. Thanks you guyz!

    If you want to burn fat and build muscle you need to be eating at maintenance and lifting heavy weights. Try and get your body fat measured and throw out the scale.
  • venusfactortruths
    venusfactortruths Posts: 2
    I think dieting is the best way for weight loss. It is regarded as natural way. So it should follow for the betterment for both body and health.

Categories