1200 calorie diet and exercise.

mandykins18

I have seen a lot of contorversy on people being a 1200 calorie diet and exercising; some people say that you must make up the extra calories you loose when you exercise. But whats the point? I was confused on this topic to so i asked my doctor and she said you just need the nourishment from the 1200 calories but you do NOT need to make up the calories that are burned during your work out.

mallory3411

It's different for each person. Personally unless you're already tiny I think 1200 is too low for anyone to eat. If you eat your 1200 calories a day and do a workout which causes you to burn 300 you're body is only getting 900 to run. I spoke with my Dr when I first started here and was told to not eat below BMR. ... that includes making up for calories burned through exercise.

EricaTeach

Ok, I've been thinking about this and kind of confused. My goal is 1200 cal too and I'm not sure how to go about this. Should I eat above that and then work out a lot to burn off the amount I go over? Eating just 1200 cal and then working out on top of that doesn't sound right. I wouldn't say I'm tiny, I have an average body with excess I just need to loose one pant size and tone up.

brh1029

I agree, I have been below 1200 several days and feel I am overeating to get to 1200

MrsSherrill

Ok, i was confused with this topic as well but now im even more confused after finding out my BMR. My BMR is set to 1,422 calories .. so why did MFP set my daily calories to 1,200. if i am supose to eat all my BMR why wouldnt that be my daily calorie intake vs. the 1,200?

Viva_Karina

i don't sweat it too much. If i'm hungry i will eat, if not, i know i will be hungry the next day.

But I usually count my calories for the week. Gives me a little more leeway when eating.

Your body will tell you if you need to eat more. And by this your body will tell you it's HUNGRY!

if your energy is up and your not hungry, don't force yourself to eat.

just my opinion

iGlad

I eat about 1400 per day and work out about 5x per day burning about 800 via Herat rate monitor not the machine monitor .. As long as the weight is coming off then whcih it is then I'm happy.. If you wake up hungry then you need to eat more!!

Soapstone

I have my goal set to 1200, but unless I am having a rest day, it's really, really hard for me to not eat at least 1400. In fact, I almost passed out a few days ago when I went to the gym in the morning after a net calorie day of around 600-700. It scared me a lot- I ate a lot more that day, took lots of water, and took it easy. Now I take a protein bar to the gym with me just in case, and am not hard on myself if I go a little over. I'm very out of shape, so to ask myself to burn 600-800 cal a day in exercise and only eat 1200 is crazy. It's different for everyone, just don't be too hard on yourself, and remember the point is to become increasingly healthy, not just to decrease weight.

vanessabs

I was wondering if 1200 calories is a realistic daily goal for an average size person. I have been doing 1200 calories for 3 weeks now. I do not feel like I have lost as much weight as I should have (2 pounds). I work out 3-4 times a week (35-45 minutes cardio plus weights) and have been for 5 months so it is not like I am suddenly building muscle. I have heard that if you do not eat enough your body will burn muscle instead of fat thus you will not lose weight. I don't have trouble eating only 1200 calories and I'm not starving, I just think I should be seeing better results. Should I actually increase my calories a couple hundred? Any opinions?

Loserbabe2012

I feel like im over eating to get 1400

lizard053

Funny how everyone has a different story of what to do and what not to do. According to the literature from my doctor's office, the total calories burned in a day (BMR, exercise, normal activities) needs to be higher than the number you ingest to lose weight. If you go more than 20% below that level, you need to be under a doctor's care. It's a lot of math, but basically, 1200 calories isn't enough food for most active people. If you live a completely sedentary lifestyle, then it's fine. But if you exercise at all, you most likely need more in the long run.
You always have to listen to your body. It will tell you what you can and cannot do.

AdrienneB33

When I saw a nutritionist a few months ago I was told that I should aim for 1,500-1,600 a day (this is with a weight loss goal in mind) but that anything lower than that wasn't enough to be eating and she thought that it would be negatively affecting my weight loss.

I have started trying to follow the South Beach Diet and although they don't have a counting calories mentality in their diet, they do encourage you to eat about 1,500-1,600 calories a day as well as a min as well.

Recently however with some things that have been going on I have been a bit off kilter with my diet plan so I've been logging calories and not always meeting my calorie goals and not 100% on the SBD and my losses haven't been what I wanted them to be.

3dogsrunning

I have seen a lot of contorversy on people being a 1200 calorie diet and exercising; some people say that you must make up the extra calories you loose when you exercise. But whats the point? I was confused on this topic to so i asked my doctor and she said you just need the nourishment from the 1200 calories but you do NOT need to make up the calories that are burned during your work out.

The point is fueling your body.
The point is maintaining muscle.
The point is many people will struggle on 1200 calories and the simple act of eating some exercise calories back may be the difference between failing and succeeding at weight loss even if it means going it a little slower.
The point is MFP is not set up to take into account exercise. When a nutritionist figures out you calorie intake, they account for your base rate (the amount of calories you need just to survive), your day activity (ie your job and other day to day stuff) and how active you plan to be (ie how much you will exercise). They already account for your exercise so if you are going by their number, you don't eat back your exercise calories because it is already accounted for. MFP is set up differently , it only takes Ito account your base and your daily activity, no exercise, which is why it says to eat them back. I wonder if your doctor is aware of the difference in the two formulas.

mandykins18

It does depend on the person; but an average size person. (im 5"9 168 lbs) can work out and eat 1200 calories a day. Your body just needs to absorb the nutrition from the food but exersice and lowering your calorie intake is fine. How i would decide if this is for me or not is try a couple days eating 1200 calories and exerice if you feel fine then im sure it is okay for your body. If you find yourself feeling light headed or irritable then i would eat the calories that you burn. And dont hesitate to ask your doctor any questions.

Redgal56

Funny! This is exactly what I asked yesterday. My doc says eat less move more.

j3nn14er

I'm currently doing 1200cal and running off like 300-400 a day. sometimes I eat back, sometimes I eat less. seems to be working for me okay. Although I do feel like I could easily binge any second I'm pretty good at holding myself in line ^_^

ANeWcRe8N

I have seen a lot of contorversy on people being a 1200 calorie diet and exercising; some people say that you must make up the extra calories you loose when you exercise. But whats the point? I was confused on this topic to so i asked my doctor and she said you just need the nourishment from the 1200 calories but you do NOT need to make up the calories that are burned during your work out.

The point is fueling your body.
The point is maintaining muscle.
The point is many people will struggle on 1200 calories and the simple act of eating some exercise calories back may be the difference between failing and succeeding at weight loss even if it means going it a little slower.
The point is MFP is not set up to take into account exercise. When a nutritionist figures out you calorie intake, they account for your base rate (the amount of calories you need just to survive), your day activity (ie your job and other day to day stuff) and how active you plan to be (ie how much you will exercise). They already account for your exercise so if you are going by their number, you don't eat back your exercise calories because it is already accounted for. MFP is set up differently , it only takes Ito account your base and your daily activity, no exercise, which is why it says to eat them back. I wonder if your doctor is aware of the difference in the two formulas.

^^ This

adams4101

I actually had a similar problem when I first started working out and joined a gym. I joined mfp and after a month I had only lost 5 lbs. The best info I got was to lose weight you need to do cardio 5-6 days a week, to maintian you need to work out 3-4 days a week. I'm not sure if this is accurate, but once I started doing cardio 6 days a week I really started to see the weight come off. Just a suggestion.

bugtrain

Funny how everyone has a different story of what to do and what not to do. According to the literature from my doctor's office, the total calories burned in a day (BMR, exercise, normal activities) needs to be higher than the number you ingest to lose weight. If you go more than 20% below that level, you need to be under a doctor's care. It's a lot of math, but basically, 1200 calories isn't enough food for most active people. If you live a completely sedentary lifestyle, then it's fine. But if you exercise at all, you most likely need more in the long run.
You always have to listen to your body. It will tell you what you can and cannot do.

I totally agree with this......

3dogsrunning

It does depend on the person; but an average size person. (im 5"9 168 lbs) can work out and eat 1200 calories a day. Your body just needs to absorb the nutrition from the food but exersice and lowering your calorie intake is fine. How i would decide if this is for me or not is try a couple days eating 1200 calories and exerice if you feel fine then im sure it is okay for your body. If you find yourself feeling light headed or irritable then i would eat the calories that you burn. And dont hesitate to ask your doctor any questions.

Except that at 5'9 and 168 lbs and 18 years old your BMR is over 1600. That is your base rate, just what your body uses to survive, without day to day activity, without exercise. So if you are eating less than that, you aren't even eating enough to fuel your body properly, let alone your day to day activities and your exercise.
Lowering your calorie intake is fine. Eating lower than your BMR is not recommended.

nitepagan

I have seen a lot of contorversy on people being a 1200 calorie diet and exercising; some people say that you must make up the extra calories you loose when you exercise. But whats the point? I was confused on this topic to so i asked my doctor and she said you just need the nourishment from the 1200 calories but you do NOT need to make up the calories that are burned during your work out.

You should not go below 1200 calories, so if you are exercising and burning up 300 calories. You should be eating at a 1500 calorie level. If you eat below that level, you are consuming less than 1200, which could reduce your BMR and stop the weight loss.

tracybarnes1

i don't sweat it too much. If i'm hungry i will eat, if not, i know i will be hungry the next day.

But I usually count my calories for the week. Gives me a little more leeway when eating.

Your body will tell you if you need to eat more. And by this your body will tell you it's HUNGRY!

if your energy is up and your not hungry, don't force yourself to eat.

just my opinion

I guess I'm considered tiny now...but I completely agree with this, I hardly ever come close to my 1200 cal., most of the time eating 900 cal. I am not forcing myself to starve, I just eat all I can and stop when I'm full...If I workout of course my body will ask for more and I eat more. I don't however believe you should make a habit of going over what MFP sets as limits (they are there for a reason). So with working out 1200cal and add a few cals in if you get hungry, after a workout!

*I have done this method from Feb 2011-till now and kept all my weight off (lost all of my weight feb-aug, and went on a cruise). You do what your body wants! I realize this will not be the case for a person with a lot more weight to lose.

njmp

I agree, I have been below 1200 several days and feel I am overeating to get to 1200

How??? I mean I can do under 1200 but it's HARD!!! How are you overeating to get to 1200? I'm not criticizing, haha I really want to know!!!

tracybarnes1

I agree, I have been below 1200 several days and feel I am overeating to get to 1200

How??? I mean I can do under 1200 but it's HARD!!! How are you overeating to get to 1200? I'm not criticizing, haha I really want to know!!!

add me and look at my food diary.

denisemichele

bump. i have been wondering this myself. shouldnt it be your bmr plous 1200 calories minus bmrequals calorie deficit? every 3500 calories is equal to losing one pound so.....

denisemichele

and then minus exercise. sorry

3dogsrunning

bump. i have been wondering this myself. shouldnt it be your bmr plous 1200 calories minus bmrequals calorie deficit? every 3500 calories is equal to losing one pound so.....

I am not exactly sure what you mean.

It should be your BMR + your daily activity = TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). Both numbers can vary. Your BMR depends on your sex, height, weight, etc.
TDEE - 500 calories = your daily calories goal for a weight loss of 1lb a week, as you point out 3500 calories = 1lb, 7x500=3500

The problem is, MFP doesn't account for exercise in the TDEE, other formulas do. So if you use MFP numbers, you need to account for exercise as well.

loveharmonybeauty

I just became a member of this website and began 1200/day and feel I am starving. Likely I can get down to it soon. I can't imagine exercising without more food. I am 5.10, big boned girl

alexsmith01

When I joined I read heaps about this and different people say different things.
My understanding is that you should have 1200 net - so if you eat 1200, then exercise 300, then you should eat 300.

But this is what I plan to do:
To lose 2 pounds per week MFP told me to eat 1200, but to lose 1 pound per week it told me to eat 1500, which is also my BMR.
So, my eating calories are set at 1200, but in reality I am aiming to eat no less than 1200, but no more than 1500 (not taking into account my exercise calories). Giving myself this range means that some days I eat more and some days I eat less depending on how hungry I am.
I am then ignoring exercise calories, because I usually burn around 300-400 per workout, and at the end of the week my plan is to get my weekly summary and see what my average net calories per day are - and they should be closer to 1200 calories.

I want to lose weight, but I've been struggling to stick to the diet when I have to eat an exact amount of calories each day, because some days I want to eat less - and I would force myself to eat more to meet the calorie requirements - and then other days I would go over and feel guilty about it. This would happen whether I was at 1200 or 1500. I think it's easier when there is a range because then on days when you are less hungry it doesnt matter if you are lower in the range and days when you are more hungry you can eat more knowing that as long as you stay within the range it is ok. I plan my meals in advance to be 1200 so that if I am still hungry I have a 300cal buffer - which is quite a lot if you use it wisely.

Keep in mind I'm no pro, and started trying out this method two days ago so no idea whether or not it works! Haha.
If anyone eating approx 1200 calories (healthily) wants to add me I'd be happy to accept - filling, healthy, low calorie meal ideas would help me heaps!

ravenrxx

I eat about 1400 per day and work out about 5x per day burning about 800 via Herat rate monitor not the machine monitor .. As long as the weight is coming off then whcih it is then I'm happy.. If you wake up hungry then you need to eat more!!

I definitely agree with this. At the end of the day, its about how you feel and if your losing weight it is working. Keep up the healthy lifestyle, cause it sure beats you eating 5 big macs a day.

herblackwings39

Ok, i was confused with this topic as well but now im even more confused after finding out my BMR. My BMR is set to 1,422 calories .. so why did MFP set my daily calories to 1,200. if i am supose to eat all my BMR why wouldnt that be my daily calorie intake vs. the 1,200?

You probably put that you wanted to lose 2 lbs a week so MFP takes 1000 calorie cut, but won't set you lower than 1200.