Dangerously near 1200!

wildmamatiger

When I began MFP, my daily calorie goal was 1280. As I have been losing, it fell first to 1230 and then again to 1210. I know that 1200 calories is needed to avoid starvation mode.

It worries me that my suggested goal is so close to 1200. I'd love to exercise everyday and eat some exercise calories to distance myself from the 1200, but my schedule does not allow for that right now. I work from 8 am to 9 pm many days. My schedule will ease up in April (thankfully).

Does anyone have any comments/suggestions?

Bottom line: Is losing 2 lbs. a week to much for me right now?
...Or if I am really only burning a small amount each day, will I really go into starvation mode, or will I be fine?

Thanks!

NoAdditives

You won't go into starvation mode from having a small calorie deficit, starvation mode occurs when your calorie deficit is too large for an extended period of time. You should be fine at 1200 calories, but if you find that you don't have time for exercise and you're hungry all the time you should eat a little more.

traceybett

Thank you for posting this. I would love to see suggestions as well. I am too tired after work sometimes to do cardio, but want to achieve the 2 lb per week loss.

I don't have your answers, but I do wonder the same thing

like_whoa82

I agree... i suggest that you keep a zip lock of carrot sticks or something kinda like that to keep away any cravings since you are so low on calories. Keep up the good work!

bizco

You won't go into starvation mode at 1200 net calories. MFP set my net calories at 1200 and I've been sticking to that as my goal since I started. As far as losing 2lbs. per week, it depends on how much weight you have to lose. For obese people, it's fine. MFP and many others recommend losing 1lb. per week if you're not obese.

xraychick77

starvation mode is a myth. and so is the whole 1200 calorie limit. do your own research please and dont believe the wives tales that people who have no idea spew on here.

NoAdditives

starvation mode is a myth. and so is the whole 1200 calorie limit. do your own research please and dont believe the wives tales that people who have no idea spew on here.

Starvation mode is absolutely NOT a myth. If you get a low enough amount of calories (for your body) for a long enough period of time your metabolism will slow down and you won't lose weight. It happened to me and as soon as I started eating enough I lost weight immediately. There are plenty of people on this site with similar stories. It does happen, it is real.

ScatteredWriter

If you are a smaller person (and it sounds like you are, based on your caloric requirements), you may have trouble losing quickly without exercise.

I am 5'1", and if I don't exercise, I don't lose weight. Pretty much at all.

Yes - I still lose slowly if I eat around 1200 calories per day, but I just don't have the energy to get through the day!

If it were me, I'd find ways to work in bursts if high-intensity exercise throughout the day. 10 minutes here and there will add up.

I also focus on moving as much as possible throughout the day - I have a standing desk, I walk around the house during work breaks (I'm a work-from-home writer), and do other things to stay active. When I worked at an office, I took the long way to the bathroom, parked at the far end of the parking lot, etc. Those extra steps add up!

backinthenines

Two pounds of fat loss a week require a deficit of 7000 calories a week. That's obviously a daily deficit of a thousand calories a day.

Whether that's feasible for people depends on their basal metabolic rate and any calories earned from exercise..

Without exercise, someone who for example only has a bmr of 1500, eating 1200 will not give you a sufficient deficit.

So you either reduce your expectations about how quickly you'll lose or get training.

wildmamatiger

Thanks for all of the feedback. As far as the last post goes, my daily amount of calories burned (per MFP) is 2,210 so the 1,210 it is telling me to eat will sufficiently allow me to lose 2 lbs. a week.

My main concern was starvation mode, which I feel better about because I do have my two days a week that I work out and eat more. So eating close to 1200 on the other days should be okay.

Thanks again!