1200 Calories/day everyone says its wrong?

andreaurrutialol

Please help me understand why the 1200 calories a day is bad? me and my coworker both got that amount and I know there has to be something wrong with that. I read the "so you're new here" and it stated that it was incorrect. So how am I suppose to know how many calories/day I should really be eating?

Greenrun99

Search Feature. Billions of Posts with your exact title.

tristen_leigh

There are literally tons of threads exactly like the one you're about to start. All you have to do is scroll through them and read. You will find all the answers you need.

Mia_RagazzaTosta

I bet you both entered that you want to lose 2 pounds a week, right?

andreaurrutialol

Not even, I put just 1/week

sjdowhower

I get 1200 calories a day too. I put 2lbs a week because I needed to lose 94 lbs to start. I eat 1300-1500 depending on my exercise and I've lost 23 lbs in 2 months. I found 1200 is too little I was still somewhat hungry towards the end of the day when I was eating back my exercise calories. Eat them back and do what's best for your body!

knt6742

Search the threads and you'll find plenty of answers.

Just remember for MFP it's netting 1200 calories. So you eat back your exercise calories. I'm small so I have it set to 1/2 pound a week and it's set at 1200 but most days I eat 1500 due to exercise calories.

diannethegeek

1200 calories is appropriate for some smaller, sedentary women. Remember that MFP expects you to log your exercise and eat back the extra calories you earn, so it tends to set goals on the low side.

The 1200 calorie minimum is more about nutrition than weight loss. It's difficult to eat less than 1200 calories and not be deficient in something.

There are some great links on this site to help double-check your calorie goals. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

nosebag1212

lol @ 1200 cals a day, that's probably not even your bmr, would probably shoot myself if I could only eat that much each day, why do people think they need to starve themselves to lose weight

andreaurrutialol

Yea on average after eating my breakfast and lunch I leave the office and go to the gym Im excited that I have worked out enough to have a decent dinner and I end the night with 238 calories or so left over of my 1200. Idk maybe Im doing it wrong lol

TeaBea

Not even, I put just 1/week

1200 is MFP's lowest default number. So it's fair to say that many times that number is not appropriate. MFP gave you 1200 based on "I want to lose XX pounds per week."

Do you have less than 10-15 pounds to lose? Then a more appropriate weekly goal would be 1/2 pound a week. The reason for the low weekly goal is your body has far fewer reserves than bigger people. The goal of healthy weight loss is to lose fat (and not muscle). Large calorie deficits don't support muscle mass especially when you have fewer reserves.

andreaurrutialol

Interesting. I feel full throughout the day tho cause of all the water I drink. I remember back when I was 170 in like 2006 I did a 3 month diet with Physician Weight loss Center and my last month I was on 800 calories a day! I never felt hungry. I guess I was also younger back then too

TeaBea

Yea on average after eating my breakfast and lunch I leave the office and go to the gym Im excited that I have worked out enough to have a decent dinner and I end the night with 238 calories or so left over of my 1200. Idk maybe Im doing it wrong lol

1200 is a NET number. Do you log your exercise? If so, MFP gives you more calories for exercise. This way people who can't/won't exercise still lose weight.

So are you eating 1200-238 .....962 calories? Your body is using more than that for daily function; heart lungs, kidneys....so yes, you are doing it wrong. This basic function is called BMR.

If you are logging exercise & eating those calories back.....that's a good start. Just know that MFP's calorie burns are "guesstimates" and tend to be generous.

TeaBea

Interesting. I feel full throughout the day tho cause of all the water I drink. I remember back when I was 170 in like 2006 I did a 3 month diet with Physician Weight loss Center and my last month I was on 800 calories a day! I never felt hungry. I guess I was also younger back then too

"Feeling full" is over rated. Feeling full does not support lean muscle mass....actual food does. If you want to lose weight in a hurry, just accept that you will be losing lots of lean muscle mass. Your body fat percentage won't be as low as it could be.

andreaurrutialol

For example. Today I have left from my 1200 calories 785 so I will do about 370 at the gym leaving me with 1155 for dinner? I never eat that much for dinner any way. But thats what I meant

diannethegeek

For example. Today I have left from my 1200 calories 785 so I will do about 370 at the gym leaving me with 1155 for dinner? I never eat that much for dinner any way. But thats what I meant

So have a snack. Or dessert. Or a higher calorie dinner. Or use your exercise calories tomorrow. Or plan to include more calorie dense foods into your day (butter, olive oil, nuts, peanut butter, ice cream, whole eggs, full fat dairy, Greek yogurt, granola, dark chocolate, avocado, cheese, fruit juices, protein shakes or smoothies, etc).

easjer

For example. Today I have left from my 1200 calories 785 so I will do about 370 at the gym leaving me with 1155 for dinner? I never eat that much for dinner any way. But thats what I meant

Yeah . . . if that is standard, you are under-eating, though I would question your calorie burn accuracy.

You might lose weight eating that low, but that weight will be comprised of muscle, bone tissue and fat instead of just or mostly fat. Of course, 1200 might be appropriate in some circumstances. Just depends.

andreaurrutialol

Yea I understand. Im doing just cardio at the gym to knock the weight off and then weights later on when Im at the weight I want to be at. I know a lot of people say doing weights is good for you too but Im scared to

diannethegeek

Yea I understand. Im doing just cardio at the gym to knock the weight off and then weights later on when Im at the weight I want to be at. I know a lot of people say doing weights is good for you too but Im scared to

Weights are great because they help to retain your muscle mass while you're losing. It's a lot easier to keep your muscle mass now instead of having to rebuild what you've lost after you reach your goal weight. I wish that I had started them sooner while I was losing.

_lyndseybrooke_

1200 calories?! That's far too high. Stick to 500-600 per day or less and absolutely NO carbs, sugar, or fat. I mean it, none! Even one slice of bread a day will make you fat. Water with lemon juice for breakfast and lunch and a tablespoon of plain tuna with three stalks of celery for dinner is what I eat every day. I also run on the treadmill for two hours each day, or at least until I pass out from sheer exhaustion. And don't lift weights EVER, it'll just make you bulky.

....I kid, of course.

ksy1969

Yea I understand. Im doing just cardio at the gym to knock the weight off and then weights later on when Im at the weight I want to be at. I know a lot of people say doing weights is good for you too but Im scared to

this is great if you want to lose muscle. If you want to retain your current muscle you need to be lifting weights and eating getting enough fuel (food) to keep up with muscle repair.

I don't think anyone has said it yet, but how can you need to lose weight if you are full with the miserable low amount of calories you are eating?

Also, I just seen your tracker says you only have 10lbs to lose. You don't need to take that off fast. Do it slow and steady. Lift weights. Shoot for only losing a half a pound a week or even less. 10lbs is not a lot of weight.

Elvirka_xoxo

My day starts out with 1200/day but it's because I also want to lose 1/day. However, throughout the day it calculates the amount of how much I burned and changes my calorie intake. For example, yesterday I started with 1200 but after working out, having a soccer game, and my daily activities, my goal changed to 1800 because of how much calories I burned.

cwolfman13

And oddly enough, it is transpiring pretty much like all the others....

MsMaryMac48

1200 calories is the LEAST amount of calories you should eat to fuel your body and expect weight loss. If you exercise your body needs more fuel so you eat "back" those calories. Sounds counter productive I know but if you don't get in enough calories to fuel your body it stops your metabolism. So plan your meals so that you eat NO LESS than 1200 calories a day and then when you figure out your exercise schedule and average calories burned you can factor those energy needs in to your diet as well. Any less than 1200 calories is not good for your body to function. They set that as the goal to be sure you are achieving that amount of calorie intake while at the same time you WILL see weight loss even if you do not exercise one minute.

andreaurrutialol

Yea thats what happened when I was on the 800 cal/day diet. I never once worked out. Now Im going insane at the gym 4-5 times a week. I will start incorporating weights now. And I eat pretty good meals! My lunch is my favorite meal of the day lol

MsMaryMac48

Your body needs fuel to function and to build muscle. So focus on eating enough protein, weight training and your metabolism will pick up. If you only have 10 pounds to loose you really need to be lifting weights to pump up the muscle to burn more calories but you won't build any muscle if you aren't eating enough of the right foods. Cardio is great for weight loss but does stall when you hit that wall. Good Luck. I actually love my weight training days and was bummed when I started a new program that cut out cardio for the first four weeks. But now I see that it was to help my body focus on muscle growth to speed up my metabolism. After a few weeks we will incorporate the cardio again.

ES110791

1200 calories a day is not appropriate or healthy for anyone. You should never eat below your BMR. You will lose, but weight loss at any cost is unhealthy and not worth it.

andreaurrutialol

Your body needs fuel to function and to build muscle. So focus on eating enough protein, weight training and your metabolism will pick up. If you only have 10 pounds to loose you really need to be lifting weights to pump up the muscle to burn more calories but you won't build any muscle if you aren't eating enough of the right foods. Cardio is great for weight loss but does stall when you hit that wall. Good Luck. I actually love my weight training days and was bummed when I started a new program that cut out cardio for the first four weeks. But now I see that it was to help my body focus on muscle growth to speed up my metabolism. After a few weeks we will incorporate the cardio again.

Thanks this was helpful! I am excited to go to the gym after work today :)

3laine75

I, personally, had no problems eating 1200 (+ exercise cals). I did it for a good few months and my body didn't go into 'starvation mode' and store all my food as fat.

I'm cutting again at the moment on 1700 but if my weightloss slows, I'll be happy to drop to 1500/1300/1200

1200 turns up so often as it's a recognised minimum - if you can stand to lose weight slower, consider upping your calories, if not, it won't kill you.

kalmf

Best advice ever!

andreaurrutialol

I, personally, had no problems eating 1200 (+ exercise cals). I did it for a good few months and my body didn't go into 'starvation mode' and store all my food as fat.

I'm cutting again at the moment on 1700 but if my weightloss slows, I'll be happy to drop to 1500/1300/1200

1200 turns up so often as it's a recognised minimum - if you can stand to lose weight slower, consider upping your calories, if not, it won't kill you.

Thats what I was thinking too lol. Im eating all day and I workout to be able to eat more for dinner. Im happy. I just keep reminding myself it isnt going to happen over night and I have to stay CONSISTENT