1200 cal is NOT enough
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1200 is the minimum someone should be eating unless they're under the supervision of a doctor (or are very short).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 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.
The way my doctor sets calorie goals for his patients is to use BMI to find a healthy goal weight, then multiply that by 10.
Looking at this BMI chart: http://www.shapeup.org/bmi/bmi6.pdf
1200 calories could be a healthy goal for someone below 5'7", though extrapolating I think that for someone below 4'6" that would be too much.
To lose weight, ignore net calories. Don't eat back what you exercise.
To maintain weight, you might need to eat back some.
Here's a post I did about setting goals, both weight and calorie: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/setting-goals-6670450 -
As per GoKaleo would say...STFU and eat the damn food.
And 1200 calories is basically what you would eat if you were in a coma and being tube fed just to keep you alive.0 -
WOW Peraverde - did you used to be one of the backbiters at WW?
EXCUSE ME!
Hi there Daisyalahmad ,I actually agree with you! For me, I tried 1200 calories a day to "jump start" my weight loss and it has had the opposite effect. I want to eat all the time, no matter how much protein I get, and I feel utterly defeated because I haven't lost weight at that level. I went and calculated my TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) and it was almost 2500 calories. ANYTHING under that and I will lose weight. Based on the calculator I used I need to eat approximately 1500 calories a day to lose 2 pounds a week, which is healthy. I am a woman who is 5'5", 313 lbs, and 45 years old. I do weight training 3 days a week. I've upped my calories and am having more success. Down 38 pounds so far! Yay me!
Maybe you should try one of the ADF's. I use EODD* but was bashed by management (and now have one strike against me) for suggesting it - but you could look up the JUDDD group here which is the exact same eating plan and is apparently okay to suggest - Go figure???
Anyway it works great and is really easy for me
*Every Other Day Diet
written by Krista Varady, Ph.D. and Bill Gottlieb, CHC
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/06/08/alternate-day-fasting.aspx
Why would she do that plan? She's having great success losing now.
???
I had not read it to the end before I suggested and then I saw it and changed it before I even read yours!
what a bunch of "jump on everyone" nasties here - just like I said in my first reply to the original post
Over sensitive much?0 -
I said "1200 calories isnt like a universal number that is meant for everyone"
...you then went on to say " or anyone really" ......
To me, this meant, 1200 is not enough as a universal number or for anyone...... Apologies if this is not what you meant!
For some of us...and I mean me.... to be absolutely specific!...... Losing weight at TDEE hasn't happened, losing weight at 1200 and eating back exercise calories, hasn't happened also. I am finding it hard to find my numbers! I am glad eating in excess of 1200 works for you... Great! It doesn't for others!!!
If you're eating back exercise calories and your small enough to where 1200 is enough for you I see nothing wrong with that.
Hmm, 19 years old and knows it all! Unless your are extremely brilliant, you aren't old enough to have any credentials to make any of your advice credible. I see no scientific studies backing your position. Quite frankly, I wouldn't accept your attitude from my own kids who are considerably older than you. How about you do you and I'll do me and let everyone else do what they want to do?
If you don't agree you don't have to comment. I swear everyone wants to use the 'age thing' as an argument.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.
Some find 1,200 calories enough others don't. Furthermore, 1,200 calories is the value set by MFP. To each their own and if it is working for them, more power to them. I had no problem with 1,200 calories and I'm sure other smaller women have not problem with it either. I did calculate my BMR and TDEE too.
Please stop perpetuating this myth that all small women have to eat like birds. I fell for that too often. I'm just shy of 5'2 and 1200 was NOT enough for me based on the amount/kind of exercise I was doing.
If you're over 50, under 5'4 and sedentary or lightly active it's probably fine. Otherwise, it's not. I notice all the people who are defending it are in the beginning of their diets or what looks to be based on the amount they lost.
I have never met a person who was athletic or super fit (not talking about skinny fat, I'm mean fit like OP) who only ate 1200 calories a day. Have you?0 -
That tells me you made too big of a change too quickly from what you were previously consuming.I think the 1200 is BS. I did it and just lasted 3 days.
On the 3rd night I was opening the fridge more frequently than ever
It's best to drop no more than 1000 cal per day, without going under 1200 total calories.
Unless you're in the height range where being 120 lb is a healthy goal weight, why would you be eating so little?
And now you've set your healthy goal weight at 180?? So you must be at least 6' tall.0 -
1200 is the minimum someone should be eating unless they're under the supervision of a doctor (or are very short).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 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.
The way my doctor sets calorie goals for his patients is to use BMI to find a healthy goal weight, then multiply that by 10.
Looking at this BMI chart: http://www.shapeup.org/bmi/bmi6.pdf
1200 calories could be a healthy goal for someone below 5'7", though extrapolating I think that for someone below 4'6" that would be too much.
To lose weight, ignore net calories. Don't eat back what you exercise.
To maintain weight, you might need to eat back some.
Here's a post I did about setting goals, both weight and calorie: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/setting-goals-667045
1200 is the minimum someone? Isn't this what I JUST got yelled at for because a statement like that ignores a persons height, weight, gender, age. 1200 IS NOT a universal number.0 -
As per GoKaleo would say...STFU and eat the damn food.
And 1200 calories is basically what you would eat if you were in a coma and being tube fed just to keep you alive.
Or it is what you would eat if you were a shorter older not very active woman trying to lose weight.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.
Some find 1,200 calories enough others don't. Furthermore, 1,200 calories is the value set by MFP. To each their own and if it is working for them, more power to them. I had no problem with 1,200 calories and I'm sure other smaller women have not problem with it either. I did calculate my BMR and TDEE too.
Please stop perpetuating this myth that all small women have to eat like birds. I fell for that too often. I'm just shy of 5'2 and 1200 was NOT enough for me based on the amount/kind of exercise I was doing.
If you're over 50, under 5'4 and sedentary or lightly active it's probably fine. Otherwise, it's not. I notice all the people who are defending it are in the beginning of their diets or what looks to be based on the amount they lost.
I have never met a person who was athletic or super fit (not talking about skinny fat, I'm mean fit like OP) who only ate 1200 calories a day. Have you?
I love all of your comments!! I could learn a lot from you. You know how to pose an argument. I agree with everything you just said ^^^0 -
EDIT: (Although I would be a little hesitant to agree with 1200 calories AND a net lower than that? I mean trust your dietitian. She clearly knows more than I do. :-*)
This is a good thread for you, OP, because you will be ahead of the game in how to think about people that don't fit the average. My net is lower than 1200, because I don't eat back exercise calories, because MFP puts your minimum at 1200 no matter what. On the same day that MFP tells me to eat 1500, Fitbit is saying 1100 (with everything logged.) I don't stick to one particular plan anymore, I just try to stay within maintenance, so I eat more if I'm hungry and I eat less if I'm not. The weeks I eat more on average, I tend to maintain (and gain a little water weight.) The days I stick close to Fitbit, I lose, but still less than a pound a week.
Everyone is netting a calorie deficit when losing weight, that's just how weight loss works. Many of your patients will have varying circumstances, and after a while these differences won't sound so extreme. Right now, I'm not overweight, but my doctor thinks shedding some pounds will help with my medical issues. I don't have a number goal, my goal is to figure out where my body feels its best and stop there (or gain back a few to get to what seemed like the right maintenance number.) But if I eat 1500 calories regularly, losing even a small amount of weight will take a very long time. I know you have clarified all this, but since we are on the net topic, netting less than 1200 still isn't that big of a deal for some people. But you're right-it's not necessary for most.0 -
I agree. 1000 calories is the recommended calorie intake for a one year old, and about 500 more for an 8-10 year old (seriously).
I really don't understand MFP's algorithm. They recommended 1600 for me, and that's over 200 less than my BMR.0 -
Hmm, 19 years old and knows it all! Unless your are extremely brilliant, you aren't old enough to have any credentials to make any of your advice credible. I see no scientific studies backing your position. Quite frankly, I wouldn't accept your attitude from my own kids who are considerably older than you. How about you do you and I'll do me and let everyone else do what they want to do?
you must have missed that part where she said she took a mini class.......0 -
At 19, it's pretty easy to lose weight. You can also eat more.
After babies and age, it gets more difficult.
You do what you do, and we'll do what we do.0 -
As per GoKaleo would say...STFU and eat the damn food.
And 1200 calories is basically what you would eat if you were in a coma and being tube fed just to keep you alive.
Why would they feed me and OP the same amount? We have pretty different stats. I actually hope they'd give OP more than 1200 calories to keep her alive. Most people are not talking about maintaining at 1200, they are talking about a deficit. It takes one to lose.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.
Some find 1,200 calories enough others don't. Furthermore, 1,200 calories is the value set by MFP. To each their own and if it is working for them, more power to them. I had no problem with 1,200 calories and I'm sure other smaller women have not problem with it either. I did calculate my BMR and TDEE too.
Please stop perpetuating this myth that all small women have to eat like birds. I fell for that too often. I'm just shy of 5'2 and 1200 was NOT enough for me based on the amount/kind of exercise I was doing.
If you're over 50, under 5'4 and sedentary or lightly active it's probably fine. Otherwise, it's not. I notice all the people who are defending it are in the beginning of their diets or what looks to be based on the amount they lost.
I have never met a person who was athletic or super fit (not talking about skinny fat, I'm mean fit like OP) who only ate 1200 calories a day. Have you?
Perpetuating what myth? - Nobody is saying ALL small women have to 'eat like birds'. They are saying 1200 is often right for shorter older less active women.
If you are shorter but NOT older and NOT less active, then this isn't you.
Also to clarify, as I have been one of the defenders - no, I am not in the beginning of my diet, I started losing weight in January 2013, got to goal weight November 2013 and maintained since then.
I agree, people who are athletic or super fit probably wouldn't be eating 1200 calories - but then they wouldn't fit into category of less active, would they?0 -
Please stop perpetuating this myth that all small women have to eat like birds. I fell for that too often. I'm just shy of 5'2 and 1200 was NOT enough for me based on the amount/kind of exercise I was doing.
If you're over 50, under 5'4 and sedentary or lightly active it's probably fine. Otherwise, it's not. I notice all the people who are defending it are in the beginning of their diets or what looks to be based on the amount they lost.
I have never met a person who was athletic or super fit (not talking about skinny fat, I'm mean fit like OP) who only ate 1200 calories a day. Have you?
You assume all the people are just beginning. This is not my first account. And you're right, I'm not actually athletic or superfit, and I won't be due to lifelong medical issues. Why is it strange that people are not the same?
Of course more athletic and superfit petite women can eat more than those who are not. Math and science pretty much guarantee this. Not every petite woman has the desire or even ability to be one of them, though. Should someone else in this thread risk being in a wheelchair to do more exercise just to be someone else's physical ideal?0 -
imagine that.. a 19 year old that already knows it all
A 19 year old going to school to be a Nutritionist knows something about nutrition, wow imagine that!
Wow! Just wow!0 -
I said "1200 calories isnt like a universal number that is meant for everyone"
...you then went on to say " or anyone really" ......
To me, this meant, 1200 is not enough as a universal number or for anyone...... Apologies if this is not what you meant!
For some of us...and I mean me.... to be absolutely specific!...... Losing weight at TDEE hasn't happened, losing weight at 1200 and eating back exercise calories, hasn't happened also. I am finding it hard to find my numbers! I am glad eating in excess of 1200 works for you... Great! It doesn't for others!!!
If you're eating back exercise calories and your small enough to where 1200 is enough for you I see nothing wrong with that.
Hmm, 19 years old and knows it all! Unless your are extremely brilliant, you aren't old enough to have any credentials to make any of your advice credible. I see no scientific studies backing your position. Quite frankly, I wouldn't accept your attitude from my own kids who are considerably older than you. How about you do you and I'll do me and let everyone else do what they want to do?
If you don't agree you don't have to comment. I swear everyone wants to use the 'age thing' as an argument.
Welcome to Internet forums!
People can comment whether they agree with you or not.0 -
Hmm, 19 years old and knows it all! Unless your are extremely brilliant, you aren't old enough to have any credentials to make any of your advice credible. I see no scientific studies backing your position. Quite frankly, I wouldn't accept your attitude from my own kids who are considerably older than you. How about you do you and I'll do me and let everyone else do what they want to do?
you must have missed that part where she said she took a mini class.......
I corrected myself, I apologized. I never said I know everything. JC0 -
At 19, it's pretty easy to lose weight. You can also eat more.
After babies and age, it gets more difficult.
You do what you do, and we'll do what we do.
I agree0
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