1280 calories a day, is this realistic?

kkyishkkii

I'm on a target of 1280 calories per day and am really struggling to meet this on the days where i'm not spending 90 at the gym. Its not like i am eating unhealthy to be fair, my fat sugar and protein intake is all pretty low, but i do not have much time to sit and plan out a weeks meals.

Any suggestions?

morganadk2_deleted

its my understanding that 1200 is the min for a small sedentry woman , i think for men its 1500 min for a small sedentry man!

read these! they might help

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficit

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

good luck on your journey!

Melis25Fit

Men's minimum is 1500 a day, so you should figure out how to change that!

meggonkgonk

What speed do you have your loss set at? (2lbs? 1.5lbs? 1lbs?) I had my settings at 1lb a week, but at a certain weight it gave me a goal of 1250, and I changed my settings to .8lbs a week and my goal is 1350 now, before exercise.

You can either 1) adjust your settings to give a higher allowance 2) Try out higher protein and/or fiber foods to keep yourself fuller longer 3) Work in about 1/2 hr of walking everyday for some wiggle room calories

msemejuru

I get 1200 so I feel your pain. On days I don't work out, I break up my meals so I am eating every few hours. Instead of oatmeal and a banana I'll have oatmeal then the banana an hour later. Mini meals help. I'll also add steamed veggies to lunch and dinner for bulk. I have a steamer insert for my pot so it is easy cleanup and only adds 60 cals to each meal. I also really track my water to make sure I am drinking lots.

erickirb

I would change your goal fro 2/lbs per week to 1.5 to get you to around 1500 cals and be sure to eat most or all of your exercise calories.

2bFitNTrim

Hmmm, 1280 seems low for a guy. I'm a 5ft woman & trying to keep mine around the 1200-1300 range. I'm sure others will have advice on what may be better for you.

See? ^^ They beat me to it :happy:

MzBug

Pssst... the 1280 is if you do NOTHING exercise wise. When you log your exercise it will add those calories to your 1280 and they are available for you to utilize. MFP has your calorie deficit built in so you would lose the 2 pounds a week WITHOUT exercising just consuming the 1280. Got to fuel the body when you exercise, so use some or all of those exercise calories!

Chicka_Boom

I'm at 1200, and I usually can stay within that range pretty well. I try to exercise frequently, and on those days I allow myself some additional calories to keep my energy up. (If you enter in your exercise MFP adjusts your caloric goals for the day.)

I stay within my goal by being consistent and eating out infrequently - usually I have grilled chicken and steamed vegetables for lunch and dinner and steel cut oats with a banana for breakfast. With 1200 calories, there isn't a lot of wiggle room. However, I was under the impression that men are generally supposed to consume more calories, so it may be that you need to double check your goals. Did you enter your gender, height, activity level, etc?

If you can't do 1200, then figure out a level that is workable for you. You might check out a basal metabolic rate calculator to get an idea of where you should be. Generally, to lose a pound you need to cut 3500 calories, and you shouldn't try to lose more than two pounds per week or you may wind up losing muscle instead. Good luck!