1200 cals

LindsayT2012

My calorie intake is set at 1200 a day. I am scared to eat that many I dk why. Is anybody else feeling this way

food4thought7

That's not many at all. If you do not eat at least that then your body will most likely go into starvation mode. Good luck!

mmk137

imo 1200 is the lowest I would go, otherwise like Morgan said your body goes into starvation/famine mode, and that's not good for you.

you'd be amazed how quickly 1200 goes though.

purpletrillium

Once you start seeing how many calories are in the average breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you'll see that it's easier to be over 1200 in a day.
Maryanne

Kikilicious84

1200 cals is actually very low.

Try adding some nuts or a small PB & Honey sandwich.

LindsayT2012

im eating around 900 or so i dk what my deal is

Victoriav99

1200 is low....

Akjenn89

Yep, like a bunch of other people have said. Don't be intimidated by the number. It's time to bump up your calorie intake! I was actually in the same boat, where eating above 1200 seemed like a chore in the beginning.

It wasn't until I actually started tracking what I ate that I realized I really -didn't- eat. The average level (not everyone is this, but average) just to maintain your weight for women is around 2,000 calories! No reason to eat such a low amount of calories.

Edit: http://www.shapefit.com/basal-metabolic-rate.html <--- that is kind of a cool website to look at if you're interested at what range of calories you should be sitting at to maintain.

Speedy89

starvation mode is a myth...think about anorexics and bulimics. They net close to 0 calories, do their bodies look like they're clinging to fat? Not at all.

They have a host of other health problems, but that's neither here nor there.

But yes, 1200 is quite low...though everyone's caloric needs are different. If you feel good, have enough energy, are in a positive mood, and your mind feels active, then 1200 may be enough for you. If not, then maybe you should up it a bit.

I am comfortable consuming 1200 in a day, every once in a while my net calories are under 500 for a day (after exercise I mean - I run a lot). But I also have those days when I get ravenously hungry and eat a ton...and my muscles usually bulge after a day like that. Also, I do find that my runs are a lot easier if I have eaten well for the past 24 hours.

Best to feel it out to see what's best for you, as long as you know the facts in either case.

Also make sure you're taking a multivitamin and a fish-oil supplement.

tinywithaBIGheart

starvation mode is a myth...think about anorexics and bulimics. They net close to 0 calories, do their bodies look like they're clinging to fat? Not at all.

They have a host of other health problems, but that's neither here nor there.

But yes, 1200 is quite low...though everyone's caloric needs are different. If you feel good, have enough energy, are in a positive mood, and your mind feels active, then 1200 may be enough for you. If not, then maybe you should up it a bit.

I am comfortable consuming 1200 in a day, every once in a while my net calories are under 500 for a day (after exercise I mean - I run a lot). But I also have those days when I get ravenously hungry and eat a ton...and my muscles usually bulge after a day like that. Also, I do find that my runs are a lot easier if I have eaten well for the past 24 hours.

Best to feel it out to see what's best for you, as long as you know the facts in either case.

Also make sure you're taking a multivitamin and a fish-oil supplement.

this helped me out a lot for some reason

toque_de_miel

I wouldn't stress about the 1200... It does seem low and trust me, it's easy to go through pretty quickly (I, too, am set for 1200 cals a day)

But it's definitely doable - and I've went from 129 to 116 eating that amount and working out about 5 days a week since August 24th.

Speedy89

this helped me out a lot for some reason

Glad to hear it.

ScoutMomAng

im eating around 900 or so i dk what my deal is

your body is going to go into starvation mode eating only 900 calories. weigh loss will become much more difficult over a period of time.

Biancalee76

I have the same problem. Most days I am around 800-900. I really have to struggle to break 1000. I don't know if I am scared of going over, or I'm just not as hungry.

ScoutMomAng

1200 calories is not low. It is the lowest you should go in order to lose weight. I don't think MFP will ever drop your calories below 1200. 1200 is doable. I've been doing it for a while.

babyblake11

starvation mode or not, you will get sick if you eat lower than your bmr... its not healthy. so 900 is definetly too low. stop stuffing around and eat food~!

maidentl

You might want to give this a read:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/363584-eating-more-weight-loss

Rompa_87

this helped me out a lot for some reason

Glad to hear it.

Starvation mode is no myth...

Yes anorexics have super low fat. They also tend to have bone problems, mineral deficiencies and next to no muscle... Infact many have higher percentage of body fat (~30%) because they have next to no lean muscle. So while their total fat is low it makes up most of their body as opposed to individuals with some fat but much more lean muscle.

Also they look disgusting compared to fitness models. Apart from competition prep these fitness models eat upwards of 2000 calories a day. So you can eat more and look hot or starve yourself and look like a skeleton....hmmm?

Nancy_hc

Dont be scared! calories 101 says that if you burn as many as you eat then you'll be good. But if you took the Calories 202 class you'll learn that whats also important is they TYPE of calories your burning. For instance... 1 cake = 1200 calories... but so do 3 balanced meals with plenty of protein and fiber (see what I'm getting at?). My goal (for weight loss) is 1500. There are days where I eat 1300 and feel terrible bc it was friend chicken, candy, and soda or whatever. and days where I've eaten 1600 but feel great becuase it was lean proteins, complex carbs, and TONS of veggies! Realize that certain foods take MORE energy just to digest them proteins and fiberous foods) while others take much less (sugars). ALSO, certains foods will be put to good use throughout your body - for muscle rebuilding, join lubercation, even fat burning processes! While others are just going to give you quick energy and then the rest stored as fat bc it cant be used for anything else.

I think you're ready to take the next step and start looking at your calories as more than just CALORIES. What are those things your eating doing to benefit your body? If its only to provide energy... maybe you dont need it. But if it also has a primary (or secondary) purpose of providing vitimins, proteins, fiber, then its prolly better for you anyway than something of the same caloric value. What everone is saying about going into starvation mode is TRUE though... even if you're eating all those good for you foods, if your body isn't getting enough of what it needs it wont put those good nutritions to good use, its going to store it as fat bc thats what our bodies are designed to do when we're not getting enough nutrition.

#1 priority of our bodies is to ensure we have enough energy to move around and keep essential processess working (heart pumping.. lungs breathing.. etc).
#2 priority is reparing damaged area of our body (we damage our bodys EVERYDAY just by living, so this rebuilding process is happening constantly.. but not if the body is focused on storing energy)
#3 priority is fat burning (these of course are broken down in basic forms) this wont happen unless your doing enough for your body to let them other 2 happen. So - dont starve yourself, its actually counter-productive in the long run.

trelm249

For the average adult with a reasonable activity level should rarely have a compelling health reason to drop below 1200 calories for any sustained period of time. The body needs fuel to recover and rebuild after exercise and to encourage the metabolism to run at a high level.

To try and stay super low while functioning at a high level (exercising and doing the work involved in losing weight stresses the body) is just as logical and rational as adopting a sedentary lifestyle and maintaining a caloric intake of 3500+ calories and thinking that you won't eventually succumb to metabolic syndrome.

Same faulty logic at the other end of the spectrum.

Speedy89

Starvation mode is no myth...

Yes anorexics have super low fat. They also tend to have bone problems, mineral deficiencies and next to no muscle... Infact many have higher percentage of body fat (~30%) because they have next to no lean muscle. So while their total fat is low it makes up most of their body as opposed to individuals with some fat but much more lean muscle.

Also they look disgusting compared to fitness models. Apart from competition prep these fitness models eat upwards of 2000 calories a day. So you can eat more and look hot or starve yourself and look like a skeleton....hmmm?

I think you missed the point of what I was saying, but it's fine.