Is 1200 calories a day enough??

jimmie25

if you are used to eating say 1900kcal, dropping to 1200 is only going to make you hungry..

Buddhaboy

I bet you that you that at your current weight MPF would recommend you only try to lose 1 pound a week
That would push up your caloire intake a bit
Also if you factor in workouts, you could add up to 600 more caloires

Dmborgstrom

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

Your body will go into starvation mode if not giving enough calories. Which means EVERYTHING you eat will be stored as fat because it thinks you aren't getting a meal tomorrow. If you eat more, you will start to sluff the extra weight because your body will know it is getting regular intervals of nutrients needed. You have to eat to lose. Try to eat a protein snack or 2. It will fuel your muscles and help you reach your calorie goal.

therealkittymao

I totally agree with everyone who says go slower! Losing 1 pound a week will push you up to 1400 and then you can eat back your exercise calories (there are people who say you shouldn't and people who say you should, I usually eat about half of mine). I am about the same size as you, roughly, I started at 174 at the beginning of September and I am at about 155 now... Ironically, I took a conservative approach and it has equaled a little under 20 pounds in two months! I am glad I didn't get really aggressive because I am sure I would have burned out on it. Also, if I were you, I would also focus on weight-training, just do LOTS of strength moves. he Jillian Michaels DVDs are affordable, and they have a really nice balance of cardio and toning. Since you are close to your goal weight already (you don't need to lose 30+ pounds or anything), I think strength will actually boost your weight loss a lot (as opposed to doing lots and lots of just cardio). Yay, I am happy for you! Good luck!!!

GoatHeadSticker

Try eatingwell.com for low cal recipies.

mhig011975

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.

I agree.... well done

sweet110

The politic answer: Well, everyone is different. So, experiment with what will work best for you. People seem to thrive and lose weight on a variety of caloric inputs.

My personal experience: I'm 4'11, not a body builder, and at my highest weight of 178 pounds, I ate more than 1200 calories, regardless of whether you include or exclude exercise calories. I have no idea how any adult maintains their sanity on this amount of food without a motivating ideological reason (buddhist monk, a belief in calorie restriction in order to live forever...) or without being bedridden or wheelchair bound.

But...people also wildly inflate calorie burns. I've seen folks post millions of calories burned with 35 minutes on the eliptical while reading a magazine. Highly unlikely...but it probably means they get to more comfortably nosh on 1600 or 1700 calories a day while technically on a "1200 calorie" plan.

yogaheart18

http://weightloss-genie.blogspot.com/

queenbuffy

I eat around 1200 calories a day and go to the gym for at least an hour and a half five days a week, I am losing weight sooo slowly, maybe 1lb a week? I guess it all depends on your body and what your 1200 calories are from. But, no 1200 calories is definitely not too low. If you want to lose 2lbs a week your probably going to have to set your calorie goals even lower.

trilikeagirl

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

rotflmao. TRUTH!

melissalangelage

I use Lite n Easy (I am in Australia) and it sends me a meal of 1,200 calories per day consisting of breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner. Breakfast and lunch are each in two parts which I split up by an hour. So I basically eat hourly and chew alot of gum in between (bad for the stomach, I know, but it takes the yummy flavour of the last meal out of my mouth so I don't want to keep eating eventhough I'm full) I don't feel hungry or deprived this way, by eating so often.

I am not eating my exercise calories though and sometimes can net nearly 0 as I usually burn just over 1,000 calories a day

Mawskittykat

People who have an extrreme amount of weight to lose could get by losing 2 pounds a week but for your weight and goal I would suggest 1 pound a week. You have to eat to lose. You will reach a plateau fast trying to lose too fast, I would be better to lose it slower and the plateau wont happen so quickly. Plus it wont come back as quick after the goal has been met.

MissFit0101

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.

I agree with this... and to OP no I don't think 1200 is enough. I would probably not go less than 1300 if it were me.

Articeluvsmemphis

1200? did you set your lifestyle activity as sedentary? 1,200 isn't very much, but you can get by on it, I try to eat way more, just remember quality determines how you feel after eating a certain amount of calories. i feel better eating 200calories of veggies/fruits/yogurt, things like that vs. a candy bar

maddymama

I use Lite n Easy (I am in Australia) and it sends me a meal of 1,200 calories per day consisting of breakfast, snack, lunch, snack and dinner. Breakfast and lunch are each in two parts which I split up by an hour. So I basically eat hourly and chew alot of gum in between (bad for the stomach, I know, but it takes the yummy flavour of the last meal out of my mouth so I don't want to keep eating eventhough I'm full) I don't feel hungry or deprived this way, by eating so often.

I am not eating my exercise calories though and sometimes can net nearly 0 as I usually burn just over 1,000 calories a day

Ummmm... How are you even standing at this point if you are consistently netting near 0? Either you are overestimating how much your burn or underestimating how much you eat........ either way it does not sound healthy to me. In addition, the Lite n Easy website doesn't recommend netting 0, the most they recommend is going under by 300-ish calories a day through exercise... so netting 900-ish calories.

I'd much rather net 1200-1400-ish a day and lose the weight slowly.

jrhm

I don't usually meet my calorie goal, but I eat some of my exercise calories most days. I found that "dieting" is just not my thing, so I just cut down on the amounts of stuff I eat, then I can eat all the stuff Iike and not feel deprived. Have to watch the proteins and vitamins. Also, watch your sodium. But, they are right, you have to eat to loose, if you don't eat, you won't have the energy to exercise! And that is one of the keys to loosing.

Twins2007

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

EXTREMELY....!

08caseyk

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!

I've eaten 3 full meals that added up to be 586 calories, and thats including drinks. It depends on what you eat really. 2 egg whites and extra lean turkey bacon in the morning is a little less than 100 and it fills you up. But depending on how you feel i'd do between 1200-1600

dlcotton

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.

JediMaster_intraining

it wasn't enough for me unless i exercised a lot! i moved mine to 1360 and this is much easier to stick with.