People on 1200cal/day

LushLoni

Hi All

I have just started on the 1200 cal/day allowance to lose 2lbs a week.

I'm surprised I get the warning on days when I am 3 calories short of 1200... So if you are on the 1200 day allowance, I just wanted to ask if you stick religious to 1200 or below, or you go over by 50 or so?

I'm not able to exercise at the moment as on Monday I injured my foot and can't do anything!

privatetime

I'm in a similar boat. I just started with MFP. I'm set to lose 2lbs/week, which allows me 1.200 calories/day. I also sustained an injury which is preventing me from doing cardio. (I still do abs, and arms. And it only happened a couple of days ago - the day I started MFP, and I'm going to try some cardio tomorrow. So...it's hopefully just a brief vacation from cardio.)

I stick to my 1,200 calories, for all intents and purposes.

I am finding insight with the fat/carb/protein pie chart, though. As an experiment, I'm going to try to optimize those numbers for a week or so, and see if I have any positive results.

I can't make head nor tails of my MFP predictions, though. Only once, earlier today, when I was still several hundred calories below my daily limit, did it indicate I was on-track for 2lbs lost per week, for the next 5 weeks. Every other time, whether I'm under or slightly over that 1,200 figure, it says I'll fall short of that goal by anywhere from 20-60%. There's just no rhyme nor reason to it, and no one is able, or cares to, explain it to me.

On the plus side, I've already been losing weight at a steady and predictable pace, and will soon reach my goal (regardless what MFP claims). So, unless the predictions start making more sense to me, I'm just treating it as a digital food diary.

Porcelain1981

This is forever for me, so I'm not going to be uber strict about things, it's a goal to aim for, so long as I'm within it all's good. Some days will be bad, but if I'm up or under, provided it aveages out I'm happy. If it's constanlty over I'd have to be happy and be planning to loose less.

Privatetime - lots of respect for still exercising despite the challenge. Lushloni - can you do this or are you happy to take a break for awhile?

sleepytexan

Unless you are obese, you should not be aiming for 2 lb/week loss. (everyone seems to ignore that "recommended" 1 lb). Why not? because you can't. That's right, you can't lose 2 lbs. a week unless you are very overweight, so starving yourself trying is counterproductive.

I have recently been restricted to 1520 a day due to tearing my MCL and I am having a fit (I normally work out 6 days and eat 1800-2200). I don't know how or why anyone over the height of 5'0 would purposely put themselves on 1200 calories a day when it is actually easier to lose on 1400-1800.

If you haven't seen them, check out the sticky notes for newcomers. Also make sure to read the "700 calories" article. There's a link on the top of my profile.

If you starve yourself to lose weight, you won't.

blessings.

Skinny_Beans

I like going at 1200 because it IS enough for me if I portion right, and if I go over I know it's no big deal-but I usually avoid that by working out and burning anywhere from 200-700 cals a day so I can eat more :]

privatetime

Before joining MFP, I'd been eating in the range of 1,000-1,500 cal/day, and averaging 2.5lbs lost per week for the past two months.

I have a medical condition (PCOS-related insulin resistance) which triggers my body to store virtually every calorie I eat as fat.

I was always super-thin, my whole life. (around 17 BMI) i ate whatever and whenever I wanted and never exercised for the sake of exercising (but did lead an active life). Then, suddenly, in my early 40s, I started gaining weight without any significant lifestyle changes. It turns out, all those years I wasn't insulin resistant despite the PCOS, and it just kicked-in for some reason.

Given how predictably and steadily I have been losing weight, I will soon be back to my immediately-pre-insulin-resistant weight of 120lbs (even though MFP predicts that will take 7 months (????), and may even push for something closer to my adult weight from age 16 to 35 or so, of 97lbs (although that may just be too thin, now. It wasn't in the 80s and 90s...but it might be, now). ;-) Being fat is a relatively new, and uncomfortable thing for me.

sleepytexan

Here's an old post of mine from similar topic:

OK. I'm gonna give this a shot. I am an avid lifelong athlete. I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

Are you getting the picture?

EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.
--

There are many people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories. Before you take their advice, you might want to see whether they are at goal, have EVER been at goal, or have ever been able to maintain at goal. If anyone says to you 'THE LAST TIME I LOST WEIGHT", just stop listening right there.

Ask some athletes whether or not they replenish their bodies with food equal to the calories they burn. Ask people who are fit and have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for some years. Don't ask people who count walking across a parking lot as exercise.

Here's an interesting case study about how to stay fat while consuming only 700 calories a day. Take a moment, you'll be glad you did:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

blessings.

wordpainter09

Here's an old post of mine from similar topic:

OK. I'm gonna give this a shot. I am an avid lifelong athlete. I have never been overweight, however, I used to eat too few calories (without knowing it), and a couple years ago, I actually GAINED weight bc of having slowed my metabolism to the point that every little extra treat I ate caused a weight gain, even though overall my calories were too low. THIS DOES HAPPEN.

It is also the reason so many fat people stay fat. They restrict their calories so low, slow their metabolisms, binge (even a little), gain weight, restrict more . . . . and so on and so on. But they are still fat.

It is also the reason most people can't lose that last 10-20 lbs. For real.

1. MFP has a deficit built in. Let's say you're trying to lose 1 lb/ week. That is a 500/day deficit from your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to complete basic functions.

2. You exercise and burn 500 calories. Now you are at a 1000 deficit. If you eat back those 500 exercise calories, you refuel your body and you still have a 500 deficit for that 1 lb loss. If you DON'T eat back those calories, you have too little fuel. This is bad. This is too much of a deficit for basic functions. If you do this for a long time, you will STOP LOSING WEIGHT. Why? bc your metabolism will slow down -- it's like a brownout--not quite enough electricity to make the whole city (your body) run, so it has to slow down some things. You will probably start being tired a lot, your skin and hair might start to look worse, and you might even gain weight. But you might NOT be hungry -- your body is getting used to fewer calories. That's bad.


That's when you start to gain weight. Let's say you're running along, eating 1200 calories a day, and exercising 400 calories a day, so net is 800. You're losing, you think this is great. You keep doing it, but after a while you stop losing. hmmmmm. One weekend you go out to a special event and have a slice of pizza and a beer. 1 slice of pizza and 1 beer. So you ate maybe 2000 calories that day and exercised off 400, so net 1600. BOOM! You gain 3 lbs! What?!

Next, you freak out and restrict yourself down to 1000 calories a day and work out extra hard, burning 500 calories. Great, netting 500 now. You don't lose any weight, but you sure feel tired. Better get some red bull.

Are you getting the picture?

EDIT: When you work out, you need fuel. Food is fuel. If you don't eat back those exercise calories, you will not only have a big calorie deficit, you will have an ENERGY deficit. Remember, the calorie deficit for weight loss is built in when you use MFP. Exercising basically earns you more calories because you must refuel.
--

There are many people who will tell you not to eat exercise calories. Before you take their advice, you might want to see whether they are at goal, have EVER been at goal, or have ever been able to maintain at goal. If anyone says to you 'THE LAST TIME I LOST WEIGHT", just stop listening right there.

Ask some athletes whether or not they replenish their bodies with food equal to the calories they burn. Ask people who are fit and have achieved and maintained a healthy weight for some years. Don't ask people who count walking across a parking lot as exercise.

Here's an interesting case study about how to stay fat while consuming only 700 calories a day. Take a moment, you'll be glad you did:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/3047-700-calories-a-day-and-not-losing

blessings.

This is very interesting! I'm also an athlete and have been since age 14 (now 25). I've experienced the same thing. In college I discovered calories and started restricting. I initially lost about 10 pounds (although I wasn't at all overweight) and then the weight slowly came back. I'm now 135 and 5'5" and would like to lose 10 pounds again and I can't to save my life.
I think it's because I've been eating too few calories since I was 18. I usually eat about 1700 per day and exercise off about 700 for a net of 1000.
Can I ask how many you eat and what has worked for you?

sleepytexan

This is very interesting! I'm also an athlete and have been since age 14 (now 25). I've experienced the same thing. In college I discovered calories and started restricting. I initially lost about 10 pounds (although I wasn't at all overweight) and then the weight slowly came back. I'm now 135 and 5'5" and would like to lose 10 pounds again and I can't to save my life.
I think it's because I've been eating too few calories since I was 18. I usually eat about 1700 per day and exercise off about 700 for a net of 1000.
Can I ask how many you eat and what has worked for you?

Short answer: 1800-2200 calories a day including exercise calories. I am 5'4 and normally 128 lbs., bodyfat appx 19%. I'm 44 years old.

Long answer:

Right now I am on the DL with a torn MCL, just starting to rehab my knee and get some cardio back (thank God) over the last few days. My current weight is up to 130.6 because my appetite does not know that we've been injured for 4 weeks

So, right now I have my lifestyle set to sedentary and maintenance. This gives me 1520 a day base cals and it is killing me to keep it that low.

Normally, I am set to active and I manage my calories over a week to net for a 1/2 lb. loss-- I eat 6 days as if at a 1 lb. loss plus exercise calories, then have a spike day on the one day I don't work out and eat the difference (extra 1250 calories). This allows for refueling and I don't starve on my rest day. I have a big appetite.

Feel free to look at my diary. I've been a bit sloppy logging since I got hurt, but if you look back before Feb 3, you'll see my normal eating. HOWEVER, because MFP resets history to your current goals, it will look like I was under-eating back then. I wasn't. My base calories were 1280 (to allow for my convoluted spike day, where I would eat about 2500 on rest day ha) then, not 1520.

I haven't lost any weight in several months, but that being said, I reached 128 and stayed. My goal is 127, so I'm not complaining.

Hope that wasn't too confusing.

wordpainter09

This is very interesting! I'm also an athlete and have been since age 14 (now 25). I've experienced the same thing. In college I discovered calories and started restricting. I initially lost about 10 pounds (although I wasn't at all overweight) and then the weight slowly came back. I'm now 135 and 5'5" and would like to lose 10 pounds again and I can't to save my life.
I think it's because I've been eating too few calories since I was 18. I usually eat about 1700 per day and exercise off about 700 for a net of 1000.
Can I ask how many you eat and what has worked for you?

Short answer: 1800-2200 calories a day including exercise calories. I am 5'4 and normally 128 lbs., bodyfat appx 19%. I'm 44 years old.

Long answer:

Right now I am on the DL with a torn MCL, just starting to rehab my knee and get some cardio back (thank God) over the last few days. My current weight is up to 130.6 because my appetite does not know that we've been injured for 4 weeks

So, right now I have my lifestyle set to sedentary and maintenance. This gives me 1520 a day base cals and it is killing me to keep it that low.

Normally, I am set to active and I manage my calories over a week to net for a 1/2 lb. loss-- I eat 6 days as if at a 1 lb. loss plus exercise calories, then have a spike day on the one day I don't work out and eat the difference (extra 1250 calories). This allows for refueling and I don't starve on my rest day. I have a big appetite.

Feel free to look at my diary. I've been a bit sloppy logging since I got hurt, but if you look back before Feb 3, you'll see my normal eating. HOWEVER, because MFP resets history to your current goals, it will look like I was under-eating back then. I wasn't. My base calories were 1280 (to allow for my convoluted spike day, where I would eat about 2500 on rest day ha) then, not 1520.

I haven't lost any weight in several months, but that being said, I reached 128 and stayed. My goal is 127, so I'm not complaining.

Hope that wasn't too confusing.

No it was very helpful, thank you! I'll definitely check out your diary. Thanks for the tips! I'm just starting the logs although I've been counting on my own for quite a while, so this is helpful. Its great to hear it's possible to lose weight and still eat. Glad to hear it's worked for you.

riskiestlavonn

Hi,

I was on a 1200 calorie/ day diet as well for about three weeks (I've done it before actually). Anyway, to make a long story short, I realized that I was angry/ tired/ unwilling to workout everyday because I was eating too few calories. I upped my calories and NOW I'm not angry AND the weightloss has continued.

WIN WIN!

fat_momma

I've only just started working out. Been on it a little over a month. I was hoping adding in the exercise would aid the weight loss. That has not been the case. I'm stalled. I thought that it might be the added muscle I'm gaining, cause I do look and feel more fit. Now I realize that not eating my burn calories may also be a factor in my plateau. Still happy to be getting more fit! Screw the number on the scale!

Ngazey1985

I'm on the 1200 a day diet and i'll be honest ive lost a whole pound in 3 weeks AND i Exercise so i think wating the 1200 calories works only if you eat the right things at the same time.