Is 1200 calories a day enough??

NINAjustdoit

I just joined MFP and set up my goals. I weigh 165 lbs and want to loose 2lbs a week with my final goal weight set at 145 lbs. I plan on working out 4 times a week for an hour. MFP suggested I eat 1200 calories a day. This seems really low, is 1200 calories a day enough???

PS - Low calorie meal ideas would be really appreciated!

UponThisRock

Not in my opinion, but many around here eat that or even less.

Acg67

Possibly but it doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room for hitting your minimums for proteins and fats, so you'd require very low cho.

why not start somewhere around 1,600cals and adjust as needed?

Jeff92se

1200 as a base? I don't know. At 180lbs I was allowed 1800.

But when you workout you will be able to add calories. ie... 1 hour of jogging would be around 600-700 calories. Now on that day, you are allowed 1800-1900 calories.

AnninStPaul

I just joined MFP and set up my goals. I weigh 165 lbs and want to loose 2lbs a week with my final goal weight set at 145 lbs. I plan on working out 4 times a week for an hour. MFP suggested I eat 1200 calories a day. This seems really low, is 1200 calories a day enough???

PS - Low calorie meal ideas would be really appreciated!

2lb per week is on the aggressive side; I'd go with the MFP-recommended 1.5 lb/wk and re-evaluate closer to goal.

tigersword

If you're only trying to lose 20 pounds, 2 pounds a week is way too much. You should be aiming for 1 pound a week.

wigglentwink

It really just depends on what and how often you eat. I eat about 900-950 a day and run 3-5 miles in the morning and do 30-60 min of crosstraining in the evening. It's enough for me and I'm 170. I don't snack, though.

UponThisRock

It really just depends on what and how often you eat. I eat about 900-950 a day and run 3-5 miles in the morning and do 30-60 min of crosstraining in the evening. It's enough for me and I'm 170. I don't snack, though.

This is dangerous

DisneyAddictRW

I struggled to lose weight on 1200 calories and gained back my weight. I adjusted mine higher and things are going much smoother. I need calories in order to lose.

psych101

My advice:

Lower your goal per week to 1lb or even to 0.5lbs per week. This will give you more calories....mmm more calories

xx

misty8parker

You get more calories if you workout. My goal is 1200 but I often do 1300-1500 (or more on just plain OFF days). I eat alot of spinach, romaine, fruit, yogurt, tofu, pico de gallo.....basically fruits and veggies with beans and black rice or quinoa....nutrient rich and low cal!! Low cal cheese ...baked chicken or boiled, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts....... It is probably a low goal but I dont lose my mind if I dont make it. So, if you arent eating tons of veggies....not much food.

kimmerkay

I started last week and it put me at 1200 calories,, and I weighed 251 pounds....I was like,,,no way. and I bumped it up to 1400. I feel better there. I'm just try it for a few weeks and see what happens to my body. Everyone is so different and the whole journey is trial and error..... Maybe you could do a few days at 1200 and see if you feel too starving. Remember you will get the exercise calories to eat back. That can be quite a few calories. The days you don't exercise may leave you a little hungry. Play with it and see what works for you.

blueimp

I set my goal to the 1200 calories; 60-08 g carbs my nutritionist recommended. An hour of aerobics every day increases the calories available to 17-1800 or so. I don't eat all of my exercise calories.

maddymama

1200 is enough, provided you add in your exercise calories when you exercise. You don't want to go below 1200 after exercise.... you want 1200 plus most of your exercise calories.
If I were you, I'd try for 1 lb weight loss a week, it'll give you a bit more wiggle room.

MaggieMay131

No. You will find yourself tired and sluggish and probably hungry. I'd start with about 1500 and see how it goes, you can adjust accordingly!

MaggieMay131

It really just depends on what and how often you eat. I eat about 900-950 a day and run 3-5 miles in the morning and do 30-60 min of crosstraining in the evening. It's enough for me and I'm 170. I don't snack, though.

This is dangerous

truth.

Alexdur85

I was eating 1200 calories plus exercise calories and I lost 16lbs. Now I've hit a plateu and have been very hungry lately. I've upped my cals for myself to 1400 without exercise and plan on eating my exercise cals back. You have to eat to lose!

AveryWays

1200 is enough, provided you add in your exercise calories when you exercise. You don't want to go below 1200 after exercise.... you want 1200 plus most of your exercise calories.
If I were you, I'd try for 1 lb weight loss a week, it'll give you a bit more wiggle room.

Totally agrees. MFP has me on 1,200 calories with loosing 1 lb a week. With the amount of exercise and lifting I do, I do try to eat up my exercise calories as much as I can plus I eat 5-6x a day. There are days I burn close to 700-900 calories so I do my best to make sure my net calories is close to 1,200.

jocraw66

It really just depends on what and how often you eat. I eat about 900-950 a day and run 3-5 miles in the morning and do 30-60 min of crosstraining in the evening. It's enough for me and I'm 170. I don't snack, though.

That just seems so unhealthy to me.


I have lost a lot of weight and I can tell you that when you set your calorie deficit so low that this weight loss thing feels very diet like. I don't want to feel as if I am on a diet. I want to feel as though I can still enjoy my life.

I'd suggest upping your calories to at least 1400/1600 and see where you are. Most people eat far more than that before they really start paying attention to exactly what they put in their mouth.

lizziebeth1028

2lbs a week is lot to try to lose. I would lower that to 1lb a week. Slow and Steady will get you there and it's a more sustainable diet, you won't feel deprived

mom2my5sons

not for me! I am hungry on 1200 cals-and much more likely to give in to those cravings. I'm better off eating 1400-1500 nutritious calories and fueling my body. I was set at 2 lbs/week for a while-and I didn't lose a thing. I changed that to 1 1/2 lbs/week-and now I'm losing. And much less hungry and cranky

psych101

It really just depends on what and how often you eat. I eat about 900-950 a day and run 3-5 miles in the morning and do 30-60 min of crosstraining in the evening. It's enough for me and I'm 170. I don't snack, though.

Good grief, how do you survive on 900 calories a day. I've had that many calories by lunchtime

FITnFIRM4LIFE

It really just depends on what and how often you eat. I eat about 900-950 a day and run 3-5 miles in the morning and do 30-60 min of crosstraining in the evening. It's enough for me and I'm 170. I don't snack, though.

That just seems so unhealthy to me.


I have lost a lot of weight and I can tell you that when you set your calorie deficit so low that this weight loss thing feels very diet like. I don't want to feel as if I am on a diet. I want to feel as though I can still enjoy my life.

I'd suggest upping your calories to at least 1400/1600 and see where you are. Most people eat far more than that before they really start paying attention to exactly what they put in their mouth.

Agree with above! Not enough food to fuel your body..You can lose weight and eat:-) Good Luck and good health 2 you.

BobbyClerici

No, and MFP recommend 1 lb per week, so you might want to reconsider your timeline. But good luck either way.

You can do this!

sarahgilmore

2lb a week is not a sensible goal for someone your weight.

You'll probably find you lose just as much if not more on a lesser goal, as you won't be tired and cranky, and your body won't start to slow down.
Sure one can eat 1200 a day, but if their underfueling means they burn 400cal less a day in incidental exercise, then they're no better off than eating 1600.

karinaes

no, it is not!!!

IamDCGuru

@ pounds a week is a really agressive goal and 1200 calories is crazy low especially if your working out. I almost eat that at one meal lol. If your eating clean then you can eat more calories. You need calories for energy. Test it and see how you feel and if you feel sluggish or tired add more calories. Make sure you get enough protein and eat lots of veggies. You will feel full longer and want to eat less.

sugarfairy9

MFP has told me that i should be aiming for 1200 calories but am struggling to eat that much, MFP has told me i am in starvation mode.

i currently eight 168lbs but would like to get down to 147 - losing about 1 lb aweek.

i also go to the gym 3 nights a week for an hour at a time.

any advice

jenniet04

I'm 162 lbs and I have mine set to 1448, which is my BMR. I don't necessarily eat back my exercise calories but my days may vary from 1400-1600 calories eaten each day. I just try to keep it under 1800 calories eaten as a goal depending on how active I've been.

pinkgigi

I eat 1500 cals a day and still I am sometimes very hungry. I do a lot of exercise, though. 1200 + exercise cals sounds more sustainable, although be careful with the estimated calorie burns mfp gives you, because I found they can be quite high.

Good luck.

GG

jenniet04

MFP has told me that i should be aiming for 1200 calories but am struggling to eat that much, MFP has told me i am in starvation mode.

i currently eight 168lbs but would like to get down to 147 - losing about 1 lb aweek.

i also go to the gym 3 nights a week for an hour at a time.

any advice

Women should not eat any less than 1200 calories each day. That is the minimum needed just for basic bodily functions, so if you are exercising that means you need even more calories. You should probably be eating at least 1400 on non exercise days and up to 1800 on exercise days depending on how many calories you burn.