1,200 - but what if you're eating good food?

lemonsurprise

I know the general consensus is that 1,200 is far too low for the majority of people. But is this still the case if somebody is eating a great diet? This would consist of no "treats" but tonnes of veg, nuts, seeds, pulses.
I find when home cooking a meal, it's so easy for a BIG meal to be under 400 calories when all the ingredients are completely natural. Plus dairy is kept to an absolute bare minimum (soon to be none) and meat isn't in my diet (ethical reasons).
Surely this is better than an 1,800 calorie a day diet with a treat or 2? Or is it not?
And also people say that it's not a happy way to live and hard to keep up - but how can it be when you're eating two or 3 BIG meals a day and then a snack too?!

mayfrayy

what is good food? good/bad, it doesn't matter.
It's not a matter of nutrition, its a matter of energy requirements.



arbitrary numbers mean nothing

LernRach

what exactly are in your "big" meals that are 400 calories? if you don't eat meat and potatoes and pasta type food come to more then that if it is considered "big" amounts....

lemurcat12

Plus dairy is kept to an absolute bare minimum (soon to be none) and meat isn't in my diet (ethical reasons).

This bit is going to make it harder to get adequate protein without spending a bit more in calories, probably.

There are a couple of issues: nutrition (which I personally think can be met on 1200 better than many meet it on higher levels, so in theory I agree with you, but it's harder work if your calories are lower) and not having an overly aggressive deficit (eating enough to fuel your activity). Lots of times what people mean about 1200 being too low (especially when people are doing 1200, don't have much to lose, and are quite active and not eating back exercise calories) is the latter.

Also, one has to consider sustainability over time. I thought 1200 was great when I started and had no desire for "treats" or the like. For a year, I think it's much less so, and probably gives you less practice in how to maintain a healthy balanced diet that you will keep for a lifetime. But you have to know yourself.

AliceDark

Is the 1200 calorie diet allowing you to hit appropriate macro targets, calculated according to your body weight? (On a side note, do you know how to calculate appropriate macro targets?) Are you coming close to hitting the RDA for a variety of micronutrients? If yes, then it's a healthy diet. If no, then it's not.

Branstin

Whether 1200 or 1800 is appropriate depends on the person. Many people cannot provide their bodies with the required amount of nutrients, support a healthy calorie deficiency, and properly fuel their workouts for a long period of time on 1200 calories a day. No one is going to deny that 1200 may not be appropriate for some people. The majority of the objections on this forum has to do with people not properly setting up their profile and eating an inadequate amount of calories, like 1200, because it's the number MFP generated based on bad data input.

Kalikel

Most MFP posters don't think that there is any difference between potato chips and spinach. Nothing is good or bad. The other day someone was arguing that deluxe pizza is probably more healthy than baked chicken breast.

As far as weight loss goes, they're right. You can and will lose weight on a calorie deficit, even if all you eat is pizza and ice cream. You can eat a lot more food if it's healthy food, though.

Many people suggest that making junk food 1/5 of your diet is the best plan.

You should ask your doctor.

Than decide what you want.

_Zardoz_

You should ask your doctor.

This seems to be your response to every thread

RGv2

Most MFP posters don't think that there is any difference between potato chips and spinach. Nothing is good or bad. The other day someone was arguing that deluxe pizza is probably more healthy than baked chicken breast.

As far as weight loss goes, they're right. You can and will lose weight on a calorie deficit, even if all you eat is pizza and ice cream. You can eat a lot more food if it's healthy food, though.

Many people suggest that making junk food 1/5 of your diet is the best plan.

You should ask your doctor.

Than decide what you want.

Can you post the link to this thread. It sounds INteresting.

meshashesha2012

if it's working for you and you're OK with it then why do you need our approval?

you're an adult buying and preparing your own food, why are you looking to some strangers in the internet to agree or disagree with what you do?

PS Im losing just fine (2 pounds per week average) eating 1700-2000 calories on average.

Kalikel

You should ask your doctor.

This seems to be your response to every thread

I know, lol.

But it's true. They know more and they know that individual's needs.

randomtai

Most MFP posters don't think that there is any difference between potato chips and spinach. Nothing is good or bad. The other day someone was arguing that deluxe pizza is probably more healthy than baked chicken breast.

As far as weight loss goes, they're right. You can and will lose weight on a calorie deficit, even if all you eat is pizza and ice cream. You can eat a lot more food if it's healthy food, though.

Many people suggest that making junk food 1/5 of your diet is the best plan.

You should ask your doctor.

Than decide what you want.

Who's most? :huh:

lemurcat12

Most MFP posters don't think that there is any difference between potato chips and spinach. Nothing is good or bad. The other day someone was arguing that deluxe pizza is probably more healthy than baked chicken breast.

As far as weight loss goes, they're right. You can and will lose weight on a calorie deficit, even if all you eat is pizza and ice cream. You can eat a lot more food if it's healthy food, though.

Many people suggest that making junk food 1/5 of your diet is the best plan.

You should ask your doctor.

Than decide what you want.

Who's most? :huh:

Imaginary people.

Iron_Feline

Most MFP posters don't think that there is any difference between potato chips and spinach. Nothing is good or bad. The other day someone was arguing that deluxe pizza is probably more healthy than baked chicken breast.

As far as weight loss goes, they're right. You can and will lose weight on a calorie deficit, even if all you eat is pizza and ice cream. You can eat a lot more food if it's healthy food, though.

Many people suggest that making junk food 1/5 of your diet is the best plan.

You should ask your doctor.

Than decide what you want.

Who's most? :huh:

Imaginary people.

In for all these MFPers who say this as I've still never met one. :flowerforyou:

WalkingAlong

I know the general consensus is that 1,200 is far too low for the majority of people.

I think people only thinks that's the general consensus because it's a popular mantra among many prolific posters. I'm pretty sure that a good portion of this site's users know, and some of us will even speak up and say, that 1200 for someone with excess body fat is usually fine, which is why MFP uses it as a floor.

ldrosophila

Add a couple tablespoons of oil those will beef up the calories for you.

Kalikel

Most MFP posters don't think that there is any difference between potato chips and spinach. Nothing is good or bad. The other day someone was arguing that deluxe pizza is probably more healthy than baked chicken breast.

As far as weight loss goes, they're right. You can and will lose weight on a calorie deficit, even if all you eat is pizza and ice cream. You can eat a lot more food if it's healthy food, though.

Many people suggest that making junk food 1/5 of your diet is the best plan.

You should ask your doctor.

Than decide what you want.

Who's most? :huh:

The ones who routinely say that there is no good or bad food. Most threads end up with a majority of people falling into that category. Often, they will actually deny that junk food exists. No such thing.

Deluxe pizza is more healthy than baked chicken breast - that sort of thing.

k8blujay2

Most MFP posters don't think that there is any difference between potato chips and spinach. Nothing is good or bad. The other day someone was arguing that deluxe pizza is probably more healthy than baked chicken breast.

As far as weight loss goes, they're right. You can and will lose weight on a calorie deficit, even if all you eat is pizza and ice cream. You can eat a lot more food if it's healthy food, though.

Many people suggest that making junk food 1/5 of your diet is the best plan.

You should ask your doctor.

Than decide what you want.

Who's most? :huh:

The ones who routinely say that there is no good or bad food. Most threads end up with a majority of people falling into that category. Often, they will actually deny that junk food exists. No such thing.

Deluxe pizza is more healthy than baked chicken breast - that sort of thing.

In for the hyperbole.

kgeyser

I know the general consensus is that 1,200 is far too low for the majority of people. But is this still the case if somebody is eating a great diet? This would consist of no "treats" but tonnes of veg, nuts, seeds, pulses.
I find when home cooking a meal, it's so easy for a BIG meal to be under 400 calories when all the ingredients are completely natural. Plus dairy is kept to an absolute bare minimum (soon to be none) and meat isn't in my diet (ethical reasons).
Surely this is better than an 1,800 calorie a day diet with a treat or 2? Or is it not?
And also people say that it's not a happy way to live and hard to keep up - but how can it be when you're eating two or 3 BIG meals a day and then a snack too?!

Ok, let's talk about the bolded part. Suppose you do eat 1200 calories a day of a great diet, and 1200 is your calorie goal. Suppose my calorie goal is 1800. I eat 1200 calories of the same exact great diet that you do, then fill in the remaining 600 calories with whatever foods fit into my calorie, macro, and micro goals. How would the 1200 calorie diet "better" than the 1800 calorie diet? If you are claiming that you are able to get adequate nutrition on your 1200 calorie great diet, then all my nutrition needs would also be met from the 1200 calorie great diet portion of my intake, right?