Is 1200 calories really enough for me??

sarahertzberger

I really need some advice, my weight loss so far has gone no where, but I'm honestly just trying to figure out how many calories I should really be consuming, I'm pretty active, I'm a stay-at-home mom of 4 kids so I don't get much time to sit down, and other than this past week I usually workout 5 days a week.
When I put my numbers into mfp it says I should be eating 1200 calories and that just doesn't seem like enough to me, but when I was eating 2000 calories as I was told before by someone at my gym that did nothing for me as far as losing weight. I'm 5'2" and I'm 23 years old and I'm currently 185lbs. is 1200 calories enough for me, will I be able to lose weight like that?

aquarabbit

It's different for everyone. Are you eating your exercise calories back? I'm the same height and was at 170 when I started. I lost weight when I was netting 1200, but I found it a little limiting socially and hard to maintain. I also plateaued after a while despite exercise. And I have 0 kids. Personally, I would up your calories a little bit. Sounds like you need some energy! When I upped my calories to netting 1300, I lost weight at a more steady rate and it even that 100 extra calories made it so much easier to stay within my calories. And I always eat back my exercise calories. You could always try TDEE too. I have no idea how to do that, but so many people on here use that method I'm sure there's plenty that could give you the breakdown.

sarahertzberger

I do eat back the exercise calories, but I have that problem too of making my meals fit that small amount it just seems so little to me.

Bounce4

It really isn't much is it. :sigh: I try very hard to stay in the 1200 calorie area and then I eat back my 200 exercise calories so 1400 total. Even that seems like not much. I only meet that goal about 4 days a week. I must have been eating waaay over 2000 before.

Anyway - I'm slowly learning to plan my meals for the protein and *real* food, fruit for sweets, and then I eat enough vegetables to feed a small army, lol. I am such a pasta/rice/bread person but if I eat them - I just can't stay within the calorie goals for the day. I do not drink calories ever anymore because I want them for food!

It also gets a little easier. I was sooooo damn hungry those first two weeks. I just could not fill up on that amount of calories even if I ate a bushel of veggies. Now I do feel full and satisfied after a meal. I still go to bed wanting to eat sometimes though. It is 10pm and I want to eat something right now but I'm trying to ignore it.

sweetnlow30

I have always tried losing with the highest calorie allowance I could. I am 5'3" and at your weight was losing 1-2 pounds a week while eating 1600. I imagine you could eat way more than 1200 and still lose at a steady rate. There is a great calorie calculator here:

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

I have always found it to be very accurate

kiwitechgirl

What did you tell MFP your activity level was, and how much did you tell it you wanted to lose per week? I would definitely think you could be eating more - I eat 1410 and exercise calories back, and while the weight isn't flying off I don't have much left to lose so slower is much better.

Bounce4

I have always tried losing with the highest calorie allowance I could. I am 5'3" and at your weight was losing 1-2 pounds a week while eating 1600. I imagine you could eat way more than 1200 and still lose at a steady rate. There is a great calorie calculator here:

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/calorie_calculator.htm

I have always found it to be very accurate

Wow - thanks for that link. Maybe I don't need to feel so defeated by eating more calories!

kelseymaccombs

I've been steadily losing weight losing the TDEE-20% method. I went to the TDEE calculator here: http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
and put in your stats. You should be eating 1550 calories a day PLUS your exercise calories. You don't want to eat below your BMR. Try it out for a month, if it isn't working, reevaluate. But do try it and give it some time.

UsaJewels05

When you exercise do you know how many calories your burn? Cause if you ARE eating your calories back you should be fine. My profile is set up a little different. I am 5'11 and weigh 219.4. I exercise 5 days a week. I have my calories set at 1800, but I normally NET 1200 a day, but I am eating anywhere from 1600-1800 calories per day and burning about 450-600. On the days I do not exercise I normally try to stay under 1500 calories. Sometimes I only net around 1400. So depending on how long you are working out on those 5 days a week you should be fine, but 1200-2000 is a big jump, so maybe add 200 calories and see how you feel then.

MyRummyHens

Well put it this way, I'm just under 5'1 and just under 100lb and 1800 calories holds my body weight and I'm a mum of one on my feet most of the day. This does include my workouts which are 3x heavy lifting and 3x pilates per week, so I'm probably burning 600 calories a week there which are factored in already. I honestly think I'd keel over and die on 1200 calories a day, I could never drop below 1500 and make it last longer than a few days. A 600 calorie drop when you are a petite and busy female is quite a lot.

In your shoes I think I'd try either upping your calories to 1400 and then eating back exercise calories (if that motivates you to exercise), or aim to hit a minimum of 1500 and max of 1600 per day and don't count exercise calories and then just see how you feel.