1200 cal is NOT enough
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I'm a man weighing 162 lbs at 5'10" - and small boned. I was at 172 a few months ago before I became immersed in myfitnesspal. My goal was to get down to 164. I must be using this application wrong because it says for me to do a net 1530 calorie per day diet to get down to 164. I admit I have not "checked in" with weight. So maybe I should do that and it will raise my daily net calorie requirement. Also on alternate days I burn 660 calories and around 1000 calories, so about 5900 calories per week.
I do mostly cardio workouts (brisk swimming and cardio machines) but do about 20 minutes of weight lifting 3 days a week.
I do see from experience that even for me a net of 1530 calories is too little. I probably should have a net of 1900 calories. And lately I have been eating more to make that number red colored at the end of the day. I feel better about it.
My need is to keep sodium down below 1700 on the average since I'm trying to get off of BP medicine. And I also got rid of added sugar in my diet and eat mostly whole foods, and mostly plant-based.
But for a man even my size, 1500 net is too low.
Three key issues that people run into when setting up calorie goals: (1) MFP calorie recommendations are pre-exercise. If you get 1500 (or 1200, for a lot of women), that is a net number, and you are expected to eat back exercise calories. So if you are averaging 5900 calories burned from exercise on top of that, MFP would expect you to eat back on average 850 calories per day--quite a difference from 1500. (2) MFP's "sedentary" is really sedentary (and badly explained). If you walk around at all, or do household activities, or have small children you are chasing about, etc., you are almost certainly not sedentary, even if you have a desk job. If you have a Fitbit, let it adjust your goal. (3) You are expected to exercise your own judgment about the rate at which you should lose. If you don't have that much to lose, asking for 2 lb/week will get you a low calorie goal, and is probably more aggressive than makes sense (although depending on how you feel having a good amount of activity may make it more possible for longer).
If you compare the TDEE method and the MFP method and make them equal for the exercise you plan to do (i.e. assume you will eat back exercise calories when doing MFP method) and the amount you are trying to lose (if your TDEE is 2500, 20%=1 lb a week, not 2), they are basically the same.0 -
I think people should pay attention to how they feel! If you feel good on a certain number of calories, then eat that number of calories, if you feel sick and unhealthy on a x number of calories, then change it! Do whatever works for you!0
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Dunno
Why would it differ from an overweight person dieting down compared to someone that is not overweight?Please do share your sources of minimum fat intake levels while dieting and while overweight. I'm happy to learn.0 -
Omg, I fainted, and bleed to death from eating 1,200 calorie diets for months... NOT!
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I lost a lot of weight eating at 1200 calories. I was always so hungry though. Then I started eating normally and I put on all the weight back and more. I now am doing the slower route of eating above my bmr but below my tree and it's working out fine. It's going slowly but I prefer it.0
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Well, for what it's worth, here is the info from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is what my nutrition textbooks base their recommendations on:
The Low-calorie Diet (LCD)
An LCD limits calories, but not as much as a VLCD. A typical LCD may provide
1,000–1,200 calories/day for a woman
1,200–1,600 calories/day for a man
The number of calories may be adjusted based on your age, weight, and how active you are.
An LCD usually consists of regular foods, but could also include meal replacements. As a result, you may find this type of diet much easier to follow than a VLCD.
In the long term, LCDs have been found to lead to the same amount of weight loss as VLCDs.0 -
Omg, I fainted, and bleed to death from eating 1,200 calorie diets for months... NOT!
And I have turned into a raging madperson because I can't have chocolate or tasty, filling food at 1,200 calories!
/cry0 -
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I don't promote low calories. I promote the stopping of spreading misinformation like "you can't hit your macros at 1200". You'd have to have some pretty odd macro goals to not be able to hit them in under 1200.
Any chance you get to promote or support someone eating low calories you take. Like that adult male 6' tall, a young male. And your defense is well people don't adhere to minimums on fat intake. That's just ridiculous.
Most people don't adhere to minimums for 'fat and other stuff'. And even if they did and ate a whopping 700 calories of protein a day, that leaves an also-whopping 500 calories for 'fat and other stuff'.I do agree it's absurd. It's possible to get in enough protein with that many calories. But fat and other stuff? It can be pulled off, but you really have to know what you're doing and have good discipline. Most people on here don't know what they're doing.
For someone who joined 2 weeks ago, you have lost a lot of weight and seem to have the whole population pretty much figured out, and have decided you know more. :huh:
You put no thought into what he might need as far as protein and fat go but automatically say it's fine. Just makes no sense. Especially when you personally have no idea what a 24 year old male needs. You're just spewing randomness.
Most fat intake recommendations are expressed as percent of calories, so 1200 doesn't preclude any recommended level. The one organization I know that does set a daily minimum independent of calories is Weight Watchers, which requires 2t. (around 80 calories) per day of healthy oils.
Those % of calories are implied to be of maintenance calories (for a person of normal weight for their sex, age, height). CDC says 20-35% of that. I got 2100-2200 maintenance calories, 20% of that would be 420-440 calories minimum from fats which comes out to be about 45-50 grams, I weigh 72 kg so rough estimate for total numbers would be 2/3 your weight in kg in grams or 0.8 times your lean mass in kg in grams.0 -
Sure are setting yourself up for success with a couple slices of peach for breakfast and plain chicken for dinner and 900 calories a day.Omg, I fainted, and bleed to death from eating 1,200 calorie diets for months... NOT!
You knowledge and attention to proper nutrition
> Not even once.
Success? You bet, I am more successful these 7 months considering I lost 77 lbs!
I wasn't done eating for the day. If I eat over 1,200 good then. I basically eat to avoid hunger. So not everyday will be 1,200 on the dot, sometimes under or over. I don't binge eat either. Too damn stubborn for that.0 -
Omg, I fainted, and bleed to death from eating 1,200 calorie diets for months... NOT!
And I have turned into a raging madperson because I can't have chocolate or tasty, filling food at 1,200 calories!
/cry
Try working in a chocolate shop. Thankfully I don't even think about eating a piece.0 -
I see a lot of people on here do not know how much to eat. 1200 is practically the amount for a small child. 1200 calories was my lunch yesterday, not a days worth of intake! I don't want to hear any excuses like "I'm never hungry" or that you cant find any high calorie foods that are healthy.
My diet is heavily plant based. Even if my foods are not high calorie, I eat frequently and that adds up!
Furthermore, if you can't meet a simple calorie goal you shouldn't even be exercising and causing further damage to you body.
1200 calories isnt like a universal number that is meant for everyone (or anyone really) if you want to know how much you should really be eating calculate your BMR and then add calories based on your activity level OR calculate your TDEE which I highly recommend.
It seems most of you want quick and instant results but under eating isnt the way to do it. Permanent and HEALTHY results that you can sustain are going to take time, effort, and certainly a hell of a lot more food.
That's good for You!
That's not good for me...thanks :ohwell:
Im 4'2, 40 yrs old and have it set as sedentary.
I know that a child at this height would weigh about 75 lbs...clearly Im not a child as I have a chest that carries more weight than a childs so I have to accommodate for that.
I don't know if MFP goes any lower than 1200 because I never messed with it once it set me up.
I eat normal things...Ive just learned to swap out some old ways w/ some new ways and have learned a lot along the way by some wonderful people on here.
Please don't judge and make claims based on Your body...its not nice!0 -
And who decided that 1200 is barely enough for a "small child?"
Among other things, you do realize that the older you get, the fewer calories you need? At almost 60, 5'1" and 104 pounds, 1200 isn't far off my mark and certainly gives me plenty of nutrition if I fill it with nutrient dense food.0 -
I actually have to disagree with this, and I apologize in advance. I actually have a medical issue, that my body can't process the calories and fat as well as a normal body could. So, while some people could have a normal caloric intake of, say, 1450... the 1450 for me, would cause me to gain weight. I absolutely exercise, and I eat right, and by all means, I'm never hungry. By saying that no one should ever have 1200 calories, that it isn't healthy, is, at best, wrong, and at worst, ignorant. Some people don't have bodies to process food in large quantities. For you, it's not enough, and that's a-ok. But for others, it's perfect.0
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The OP is right. All these people disagreeing with her for all the wrong reasons. Some of you saying "im fine on 1200 calories" You are damaging your body. Like the OP said, figure out your bmr and tdee. If you cant lose on more than 1200 calories then you are eating more than you think.
My BMR is 984 according to the MFP calculation. I don't think I'm damaging anything by eating 1200 calories.0 -
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The argument is always made that someone can get proper nutrition on 1200 calories by eating the right foods including lots of fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, you can't.
Sure are setting yourself up for success with a couple slices of peach for breakfast and plain chicken for dinner and 900 calories a day.Omg, I fainted, and bleed to death from eating 1,200 calorie diets for months... NOT!
You knowledge and attention to proper nutrition
> Not even once.
Success? You bet, I am more successful these 7 months considering I lost 77 lbs!
I wasn't done eating for the day. If I eat over 1,200 good then. I basically eat to avoid hunger. So not everyday will be 1,200 on the dot, sometimes under or over. I don't binge eat either. Too damn stubborn for that.
I'm not going to argue against that. Because I agree. I wouldn't stay on 1,200 forever. Once I lose so much of my storage tank, I wouldn't be able to do the excessive exercise I do now. I was disagreeing with that someone couldn't lose weight on 1,200 calories without getting sick, messed up, etc.
The OP was saying I couldn't make it. I can definitely lose weight and exercise a lot on this calorie goal.0 -
If your body couldn't process them as well, you'd gain less from the same amount...I actually have to disagree with this, and I apologize in advance. I actually have a medical issue, that my body can't process the calories and fat as well as a normal body could. So, while some people could have a normal caloric intake of, say, 1450... the 1450 for me, would cause me to gain weight. I absolutely exercise, and I eat right, and by all means, I'm never hungry. By saying that no one should ever have 1200 calories, that it isn't healthy, is, at best, wrong, and at worst, ignorant. Some people don't have bodies to process food in large quantities. For you, it's not enough, and that's a-ok. But for others, it's perfect.0 -
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Sure are setting yourself up for success with a couple slices of peach for breakfast and plain chicken for dinner and 900 calories a day.Omg, I fainted, and bleed to death from eating 1,200 calorie diets for months... NOT!
You knowledge and attention to proper nutrition
> Not even once.
Success? You bet, I am more successful these 7 months considering I lost 77 lbs!
I wasn't done eating for the day. If I eat over 1,200 good then. I basically eat to avoid hunger. So not everyday will be 1,200 on the dot, sometimes under or over. I don't binge eat either. Too damn stubborn for that.
If you don't want to listen that's fine. Experienced members are telling you what's up. The people who don't end up listening are gone before they know it. I have been working on my weight since i was 13yrs old. Most of the time I'd read books educate myself(this was before the internet, people actually read books). i would lose some weight and gain it back. There are 2 parts to success education, and experience. If you fail at something, it's because you don't have the education or you don't have the experience. I was just lacking experience. I just kept on trying. Eventually I got up to 425lbs. Tried again, dropped down, gained some back etc..
When I came on MFP, i was about 340lbs. I would share my "education" on the forums, people would just talk crap, tell me how i was "wrong", and "what do you know, you're fat?" etc... I remember this one girl who would criticize me. She lost about 80lbs when I met her on the forums. I saw her on the forums a few months ago, she's struggling. You know what? she gained back all her weight and more. Where are all the people who would run their mouth, all the people who wouldn't listen? 98% of them, haven't seen them around for years now.
I messed up last year, lost my weight, gained back about 60lbs. Negative thoughts and emotions starts to mainfest. I eventually got back on track and dropped it again. I know this guy who was a big role model on the forums, he was over weight, got ripped, then got fat again, now he's gone.
What's the difference from me and those people who haven't been around? Experience and education. Some where educated I don't deny that, 2 people who are experienced, and educated in the subject are telling you what's up.
All the people who say "well i eat 1,200 cals a day" check their age, if they're not older, check how long they been here... more than likely less than a year. They don't know what's up, they just think they do.
What got me out of my 60lbs weight gain was my experience, I knew how to handle it, and exactly what to do. Most people do not. They just jump right back in to the crap that threw them off in the first place.
Honestly I am doing something very similar to what you're doing. It's possible to be successful on it. But it's very hard and very unlikely. You really have to know what you're doing. If the white guy in red shorts is right, you ate some peaches and something else for breakfast? You're doing it wrong. Honestly, I am not even sure if I will be successful with this extreme stuff. How is your electrolyte balance? are you consuming enough protein to conserve LBM? Are you getting the proper types of fats? How are you maintaining your metabolic rate and prevent it from crashing? How are you managing your leptin levels? Do you know any of this? It's risky, very risky. You really have to know what you're doing to pull it off for the long term.
Losing the weight isn't the hard part, the hard part is keeping it off. Send an email to CyberEd, he lost over 310lbs and has kept it off for a few years now. Tell him you're eating 1,200 calories. See what he says.
I was fat when I was a kid and I did the same thing then as now. I survived and I was in great shape, I didn't have a problem with my health. I got depressed years later and that crashed me. Now I'm beating myself over that and I WILL NOT FAIL. I will be here throughout this whole year not lying about my exercise or diet. I am not going to lie, it is incredible hard, but I am an incredible person. To go from one side of being completely depressed, to doing everything in my power to take complete control. How many people that were severely depressed do that without medication or support? I did this on my own before coming here and signing up.
I spent many lonely nights exercising because I was so damn pissed at myself. 150 lbs, that is a lot of weight to lose. I am not the only person in the world to diet this strict and make it. AND I AM SURE AS HELL NEVER WANT TO RETURN TO THAT STATE OF WELL-BEING.
I should note, I gained the weight because I was depressed. You can read my story anytime. If I never got depressed I wouldn't of gained all that weight.0 -
Dear OP: you're not every woman and man of every age and size.
There's a reason there are BMR and TDEE calculators.0 -
The OP is only 19 years old! If she were mostly sedentary and middle aged I am sure her opinion would be VERY different.0
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I'm not sure why I've kept up with this thread since it started, I think it's making me paranoid
I no longer know what is right anymore o.00 -
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