Is 1200 calories a day enough??

bananarama3

I am a gastric bypass patient, post surgery 21 months. Lost 92lbs easily now I have hit a platue and it wont budge so i am trying the 1200cals that this sight recommended to see if the scale moves. I want to lose 30 more lbs which would put me at 160. I belong to a gym and find it hard to work out and in januarary I go back to college plus work full time. I am 52 and want to be healthy I just feel overwhelmed right now Bananarama3:yawn:

veganbabe133

My body was starting to actually gain weight from holding onto all the calories I wasnt consuming, if that makes sense. So I just recently upped my calories to 1500. In my opinion, with the average person needing 2000 cal a day, 1500 seems like a reasonably adjustement and you could def do the same, in leu of the holidays too!

maryheld

I would think the 1200 calories a day would be your goal to meet that weight goal if you were NOT exercising at all. I started at 162, wanted to lose 1 lb / week and my goal weight is 145 and with NO exercise it says my daily goal is 1340 calories. I've gone from 162 to 156 in 5 1/2 weeks, and that INCLUDED THANKSGIVING WEEK (I had company all week and ate out every night and was consistently 800 calories over my limit the whole week).

As you record your workouts, it will allow you to eat more calories each day.

That's just my 2cents. I'm not a professional or anything...lol.

lasinbb

I'm also using tools on Beachbody (teambeachbody.com) and they said for max healthy weight loss, including pretty highly intensive workouts 6 days per week, that I should aim for 1300. I would up your calories a little to at least 1300 or 1400... maybe even a little higher especially on the days you work out. You can always lower them once you get adjusted if you want. I'm feeling great at 1300 but I needed more when I first started. My friend did a program and without exercise she ate 1200. She did great and is keeping it off but seemed to lack energy during the weight loss phase.

Low cal foods - OK - I love: laughing cow wedges, Ezekiel bread, greek no fat yogurt in place of sour cream - I also use it to make low cal onion dip (yummm!!) which I eat with veggies, veggie slices or low fat cheese, part-skim moz sticks. Often I make this meal: 1/2 cup of cooked Quinoa, spinach, a laughing cow wedge. I microwave that until hot, then add some thai hot sauce and put greek yogurt on top. It's a great combo of carb/fat/protein and I love the taste. I try to aim for meals around 300 and eat more than three per day. I'm a vegetarian so perhaps someone else can give ideas for meet options.

Good luck!!! Welcome to the community!

Josie_lifting_cats

I'm 160, and MFP likes to put me at 1,200 a day (even at one pound a week). At the end of a month at 1,200 I hadn't lost a thing and was beyond frustrated. I began to "not care" as much, and wasn't really tracking. The weight began to drop off like crazy.

Right now I'm doing 30 Day Shred and reduced to 1,250 a day on my own, but I'm not losing a thing again.

I recommend 1,400-ish, and see what happens. This last bit is probably going to be slow for you and I, but we'll get there! ;-)

xxcatyxx555

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!

Im pretty much exactly where you are and going where you want to go i consume at least 1600 a day, I went to weight loss camp and they said that is how much you need to be eating just make sure to work out EVERYDAY at least a little

baisleac

Not unless you are TINY!

20 lbs to go? Aim for 1/2 to 1 lb per week. You might not lose as fast, but what you lose will be more likely to be fat, rather than muscle.

healthyliving_girl

When I started on MFP, it gave me like 1400 calories. I thought I was starving. I was pissed off. It didn't work for me. So, I chenged it to 1700 when I first started. (I was also 176 lbs and 5'5" if the weight/height range helps.) I was probably eating like 2300 calories a day before MFP - sometimes way more.

Most nutrition experts will say that whatever you were eating...you should subtract 500 calories a day from the total, or you shock your body too much.

so, why do something so drastic and then feel starving, discouraged, and miserable? If I had continued at 1400 when I first started, I would have felt like a failure and quit for sure.

I've been on MFP since July and had been set at 1700, then 1650, then 1600, and then 1570. I also eat back the majority of my exercise calories. I lost 28 lbs. this way. I do work out pretty hard now...but when I started, I worked out 15-20 minutes on the elliptical. Now I work out about an hour a day, 4-6 times a week. It doesn't feel like work like it did when I first started.

I have also learned what foods are "better" in terms of filling me up and being less calories. It was a process - a process I learned because I did it gradually. And I'm grateful I did.

Anyhow, that's my story. Hope it helps.

Pebble321

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.

I think this is great advice... 1200 is never enough for me, though if I have a big exercise day my calories sometimes come in just under 1200 but I don't think this is good in the long term - your body needs energy.

erceg

For me sometimes that is great and sometimes is little depend on how many calories I lose during my gym time.
Also if Im at the gym 4 times a week that is great
I think it is differnt for each person
Good luck

jrose1982

I started at 1200 calories and paid close attention to feeling hungry or sluggish. I planned to increase it by 100 calories each week until I found a calorie level that felt satisfying (expecting to land around 1400-1600). You might try doing that to figure out how many calories you need. There are also BMR calculators to help with this (which, I think, is how MFP calculates it) but I don't trust them. They say I need to eat 2300 calories/day to maintain, but I've been "maintaining" at 1800-1900/day for a long time.

Surprisingly, 1200 calories feels fine for me so long as I meet my protein and fiber needs. On days that I'm low on protein or fiber I feel hungry and sluggish.

Also, as others have mentioned, your calorie goal is NET calories. That's how much you should eat on a lazy day. You have to eat more when you exercise.

Food ideas:

I start every day with a bowl of oatmeal with half a scoop of protein powder and some dried fruit to sweeten it (although, I'm now looking for alternatives for the dried fruit). Not the instant packets - they add sugar and stuff to it. If you're gonna do this buy quick oats and make your own grab and go packets in ziplock bags.

For lunches and dinners, I mix together one serving of meat and 1-2 servings of low-calorie vegetables (usually spinach, for me). If I need carbs I will also add rice or pasta, or I'll add bread and make a sandwhich out of it. Then for flavor I use either salsa, salad dressing (1 TBSP only, italian dressing or some kind of vinegrette), or mustard. I do some variation of this meal twice a day: once for lunch, once for dinner. Usually one of these meals has a carb and one does not.

In addition, I also eat 1-3 servings of fruit each day. Be careful measuring your servings because fruit is high in sugar and therefore high in calories.

Each of these meals is around 300 calories, with significant variations from the type of fruit, or the type of meat.

Pebble321

I have lost 12 pounds in 10 days and weighed 308. My program said to eat 1500 calories a day but that is way too many to eat for me because right now, I cannot do anything right now except walk in my house due to a lot of health problems.
Having said that...I only allow myself 1000 per day because I am not able to be active right now.

Are you aware that MFP sets your daily calorie allowance without taking exercise into account?
That means that even without exercising you should be able to eat up to your recommended allowance and still lose weight.
Don't short change yourself when it's not necessary!

NINAjustdoit

WOW! Thank you for all the advice! I can't get over the amount of support there is here!! I think the majority of you are right, 2lbs a week may be a bit too much. After I adjusted my weekly weight loss goal to 1 lb, MFP adivsed I eat 1550 calories per day ... which seems much more realistic to me. I think for me1200 calories would be really hard to stick to both short and long term.

Thanks again!!

Pebble321

WOW! Thank you for all the advice! I can't get over the amount of support there is here!! I think the majority of you are right, 2lbs a week may be a bit too much. After I adjusted my weekly weight loss goal to 1 lb, MFP adivsed I eat 1550 calories per day ... which seems much more realistic to me. I think for me1200 calories would be really hard to stick to both short and long term.

Thanks again!!

Very sensible - and a good way to long term success. I lost most of my weight eating around 1500 - 1600 net cals a day - maybe not so fast as someone on 1200 cals, but it meant I could stick to it and that is incredibly valuable.

Good luck!

LisaKyle11

when you log your workouts you will get/earn calories that will be added to your base of 1200... so more realistically, your average goal could look like 1400-1600 a day -- which is much healthier and sustainable.

you should try to 'net' your base of 1200 each day, regardless.

good luck!:happy:

JayMndz

1200 cal a day is a lot of food if you consumed healthy food. Im in 900-1000 cal and cook my own food with lots of vegetables, chicken, turkey, fish and my fruits are strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. I dont get hungry and I run about 1.5 miles twice almost everyday and I do my High Intensity Interval Training three times a week. My advice, listen to your body and make necessary adjustment that fit you. My nutritionist advice to me was, eat just enough calories that your body could burn in a day and not the other way around.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

It isn't A LOT of nutrients---period. Yeah you can eat pounds of vegetables but then you're deficient in fat or you can load up on fruit but you'll run into the same problem--I will never concede that it's a lot of food if you're eating a balanced diet.

dawnclemons1571

I just joined also and my goal is 1200 calories a day, too. It is enough but it's hard. I just started Saturday 7-14-12 and I have only came in under 1200 calories once and the I went over the 3 other days. I trying to adjust but I know that I can do it and so can you!!

purpletunic

Just wanted to add my input. I've been doing 1200 calories and sometimes I'm slightly over, others I'm under by 50 or so calories... Everyone's body is different. A lot of people have better results on a higher amount of daily calories, but for me, I never have. I'm 180 lbs, and when I upped my calorie level I found it difficult to lose weight. I'm trying to lose around 30-50 lbs, so it's important to do what works for you. I take green tea/apple cider vinegar supplements from Jamieson with breakfast and lunch, since starting them I've had no problem sticking to 1200 calories without being hungry. I modify a lot of high fat/calorie recipes to be healthier and more filling and I'm also vegetarian.

Everyone's different, so play around with the numbers to find something that works for you!

cocoamande

I have for the past 6 weeks been on 1200 calories. I weigh 214lbs. I have lost 16lbs during this time. I think it depends on the individual and how you use your calories. Whether you eat a little and eat what you want or choose to eat more healthy and "stretch" your calories

blackcoffeeandcherrypie

I'm on 1200 calories and for the first time ever I feel great - I feel full and healthy from what I'm eating, it feels like the right amount for me.

I am only short (less than 5 foot) so I set my mfp settings to sedentary, and then I add in the exercise that I do, which means there are frequent days when I can fill my face and still have a ton of calories left over. It's also a good motivation to exercise, if I feel like having something nice later on. But if I have a lazy day and do nothing, 1200 calories feels like the right amount for me.

For example today I cycled to and from work, which takes about 70 minutes in each direction and burns about 1100 calories in total. I've eaten 3 solid, filling meals, drank milk for drinks and had fruit for snacks and I'm still only at 446 net! Yet I'm sat here feeling like I have a 'food baby' because I had such a big dinner and I'm full. It would seem ridiculous to me to go and try to cram in another 800 calories that my body is not in the slightest bit hungry for, just because of some myth about less than 1200 calories net being bad for me.

There is a lot of scaremongering about calorie amounts. I agree with others who say that 1200 calories is fine if you are eating healthily, lots of fruit and veg, lean meat, nuts, etc. I think the important thing is to listen to your body and be aware of your energy levels. If you feel good and active in yourself then it obviously works for you, and I'm a big fan of finding out what works for you.

It's worth thinking about those who have gastric sleeve operations. They are on significantly less than 1200 calories a day for a very long time, hence their drastic weight loss. Now I'm not saying that gastric sleeves have no side effects, but if a severely reduced calorie diet was so bad for us, then doctors wouldn't recommend them, would they?

tl;dr - if 1200 calories works for you, then great, go for it. If not, figure out something else and do that instead. But do what works for *you* as that is most likely to succeed in the long run.

nicsflyingcircus

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

Add calorie dense foods, ie fat!

mseslee

i'm actually eating 1200 calorie a day, you just have to watch what you eat. I snack every two hours or so while i'm at my desk, eat a good lunch and by the time I get home i'm so full that i barely eat dinner but I will snack on something.

You have to keep in mind that working out on 1200 and inputting your workouts, you get more calories since you burned someone off during your workout.

_Terrapin_

OP did you get your answer from December 2011? Gosh I hope so.

AllOutof_Bubblegum

Unless you are WELL under 5ft and sedentary, in my experience....No. Not enough.

tmauck4472

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!

Probably if your going to eat your exercise calories back.

Roaringgael

Your probably should set your weight loss at a much lower rate ie .5 to 1lb per week.
You don't have much to lose and it would be effective to lose it slowly as you would then probably keep it off.
Eat back some of your exercise calories is also a good plan.

Shoechick5

This thread makes me so sad. With all the good nutritional information out there and information on fueling your body people still insist on starving themselves to lose weight And there's at least one of these a week.

cylence82

I'm trying to get down from 155 or so to 135 at 2 pounds a week and MFP targeted me at 1200 a day. I work out everyday. I try to do 3 miles on the stationary bike at least 3 times a week, and most days I do a set of 300 various crunches and 3 sets of 40 pushups. I don't track steps or anything like that.

I've hit my goal in about 2 months and feel great. My abs are starting to look decent and overall I feel healthier. 1200 calories a day/2 pounds a week can be done IF you are eating the right foods. My diet consists mostly of fresh fruits, hard boiled eggs, baked poultry, and spinach, but I do let myself eat whatever I want on the weekends. I come up short on fat and carbs most days, but I would think my weekend splurges make up for this.

BUT everyone is different and short of consulting a medical professional, the best thing you can do is use common sense. I'm a 32 y/o 5'9" male with a somewhat sedentary lifestyle so this works for me, but it might not be right for you. If you are larger or get more exercise 1200 a day is probably too little for you. If you are smaller it may be perfect.

WalkingAlong

This thread makes me so sad. With all the good nutritional information out there and information on fueling your body people still insist on starving themselves to lose weight And there's at least one of these a week.

Don't be too sad. Usually it's just tired old, 3 year old threads getting resurrected, like this one.

1200 isn't starving, either. And people are smart enough to know that they can eat more and lose slower. They pick from the options the MFP plan offers. Two lbs. a week is one. With all the fear of 1200, you'd think people would find a site with a higher floor in their diet plan. Except there isn't one.