Seriously ... 1200 calories or less
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But what if you have to lose X pounds by a certain date? I don't have the time to do anything long term. I need to drop another 13 pounds in a little over 4 months.
Not to be mean, but... there's is no valid reason anyone has to lose X pounds by a certain date.
Actually there is.... I am going on a hiking trip in August. For my height I can't be heavier than 200 lbs. I am at 203 now and can't seem to get below 200. I'd like to be 190 when I hit the trail.
If I'm not under 200, then they won't let me on the trail and I would have flushed $1000 down the drain and disappointed my son.0 -
I know this post isn't calling out anyone in particular, but remember, this doesn't necessarily apply to everyone. I'm VERY short and have a small bone structure. Following even this advice (maintenance cals - even only 10%) takes me right around that magic 1200, by the time I'm near my goal the minimal 10% is under 1200, I believe.
Yeah, if you're a 6 foot, 300 pound man exercising daily, 1200 cals is definitely not the way to go. But for the other 5 foot desk job girls, 1200 is not starvation. Rather than take these rules as hard and fast ("never eat less than 1200 no matter who you are or what your situation!"), it's much better to work out the best plan for your personal weight loss. Of course this isn't to say every shortie can eat this much (or little, rather), as I know of several in my family alone who can eat much more thanks to vigorous daily exercise.
I still keep myself over 1200 a day because I like how I feel best around 1300, but there are definitely people over 10 years old that 1200 is just fine for.
Agreed! I'm 4'9, 98 lbs, and small boned. I usually net 800-1100, depending on how hungry I am. And I have lost 32 lbs in 5 months.
I'm the same, when I calculated my info it came up 1200 calories for the day, I upped it to 1300. I'm 5'5" & this actually works for me.0 -
Weight loss is simple math. Input must be less than output.
Metabolism plays a part in how fast or slow this goes, but I promise you that if you eat 900 calories and your BMR is 1400 that you will lose weight. I am in NO WAY supporting eating TOO FEW calories, but what is actually too few is far less rigid than an arbitrary number set for the average human being (which most of us simply aren't).
Eat enough calories to have the energy you need to live your life the way you want. Eat healthily enough that you don't deprive yourself of important vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes.
The rest is personal, and the fact of the matter is that a 4'9" girl who does data entry all day and hates the treadmill has a BMR of 1200 in the first place.
The best thing to do is to focus on your own calorie consumption, not other people's.0 -
It's not going to magically become healthy just because you put down a deposit. Also, going by what you just said, you only need to lose 4 pounds by August, which seems pretty reasonable...But what if you have to lose X pounds by a certain date? I don't have the time to do anything long term. I need to drop another 13 pounds in a little over 4 months.
Not to be mean, but... there's is no valid reason anyone has to lose X pounds by a certain date.
Actually there is.... I am going on a hiking trip in August. For my height I can't be heavier than 200 lbs. I am at 203 now and can't seem to get below 200. I'd like to be 190 when I hit the trail.
If I'm not under 200, then they won't let me on the trail and I would have flushed $1000 down the drain and disappointed my son.0 -
This has probably been posted many many times, but I'm sick of people posting
topics saying they can't lose any weight, and you ask how many calories they consume.
And they'll tell you less than 1200. Are you serious? are you joking? A 10 year old eats more than that.
First of all, go find out what your calorie maintenance is.
Second of all, decrease the amount of calories by 10-20%. For example, if maintenance is 2000 calories
then to lose weight, consume 1600-1800. That's it, it's that easy. Why are people under eating?
Every single athlete which competes in a sport with specific weight divisions, whether it be an MMA fighter
or a wrestler or a boxer etc, and especially body builders (when it comes to cutting weight)
will tell you exactly the same thing, if you want to cut weight, eat 10-20% under your maintenance.
If you eat under at 1200 calories:
1) metabolism will slow down
2) body will try to retain what little that you eat as fat for energy
3) when you eat high calories again, you bet that you will gain all that weight you lost back
Anyway, that's just me venting. Not picking on anyone, it's more out of me wanting to help people.
Because I've been there and I've done that, and 1200 calories or less is not the way to go. You got to
eat to lose weight, SOUNDS RIDICULOUS RIGHT? well it ain't, not even the slightest. =]
MFP set me to 1200, I never eat below this and I eat back all my exercise cals. I was losing 1lb a week but this has been slowing down recently which I thought was due to me starting a gym and now getting fit (fitter than I was anyway)!
Using the calculator ( http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/calories-to-lose-weight) it said my BMR was 1870 cals. Your suggestion of a - 20% deficit would = 1496.... Hmmmm :happy:
BMR and TDEE..... not the same thing. Find a calculator online for your TDEE, then 20% less than that number.0 -
I know this post isn't calling out anyone in particular, but remember, this doesn't necessarily apply to everyone. I'm VERY short and have a small bone structure. Following even this advice (maintenance cals - even only 10%) takes me right around that magic 1200, by the time I'm near my goal the minimal 10% is under 1200, I believe.
Yeah, if you're a 6 foot, 300 pound man exercising daily, 1200 cals is definitely not the way to go. But for the other 5 foot desk job girls, 1200 is not starvation. Rather than take these rules as hard and fast ("never eat less than 1200 no matter who you are or what your situation!"), it's much better to work out the best plan for your personal weight loss. Of course this isn't to say every shortie can eat this much (or little, rather), as I know of several in my family alone who can eat much more thanks to vigorous daily exercise.
I still keep myself over 1200 a day because I like how I feel best around 1300, but there are definitely people over 10 years old that 1200 is just fine for.
Agreed!!!! Why do people on here care so much how many calories others consume?? To each his own and live and let live. Why are there so many busybodies on here?
Overall I don't care if you want to eat 1200...however if you come to the message boards asking for advice because you are not losing then it becomes everyone business. Plus we are all here to help and be supportive, therefore we want to help you see you don't have to starve to lose weight, 1200 calories a day is not the holy grail of weight loss.
0 -
But what if you have to lose X pounds by a certain date? I don't have the time to do anything long term. I need to drop another 13 pounds in a little over 4 months.
Then I'd say you probably should have started trying to lose sooner. But if you can't do anything long term this diet thing probably isn't going to be very successful.
Losing weight the healthy way is a long term lifestyle change, not short term starvation just so you can fit into a dress for some event in 4 months.0 -
But what if you have to lose X pounds by a certain date? I don't have the time to do anything long term. I need to drop another 13 pounds in a little over 4 months.
1) By doing a short term solution, that is not sustainable, it's going to be extremely hard to keep the weight off after those 4 months as most people just go back to eating normally - therefore, creating a constant cycle on losing for an event, gaining it back, losing and gaining etc etc. Sure, some people manage to keep it off, but those are the sorts of people who make time to keep it long term.
2) 13lbs is easily achievable in 4 months without needing to go as low as 1200 a day. Having MFP set to 1lb a week loss (500 below maintenance) will have you lose ~16lbs in that time. That's a result if you ask me 0 -
But what if you have to lose X pounds by a certain date? I don't have the time to do anything long term. I need to drop another 13 pounds in a little over 4 months.
Not to be mean, but... there's is no valid reason anyone has to lose X pounds by a certain date.
I set certain goals and dates for myself as i'm sure others have as well. Some may be unrealistic about the time they want to lose weight and some are not. I chose to set a goal for myself and set a date because it helps keep me keep on track and focused BUT I give myself ample time to get to that goal safely without putting my health in jeopardy.
It's not for you to say if my reasons are valid or not, to me they are and to anyone else who choses to set a goal date. There are way too many judgements on here. What works for one person may not work for others and its not up to us to judge how others get to their goal...just sayin0 -
This has probably been posted many many times, but I'm sick of people posting
topics saying they can't lose any weight, and you ask how many calories they consume.
And they'll tell you less than 1200. Are you serious? are you joking? A 10 year old eats more than that.
First of all, go find out what your calorie maintenance is.
Second of all, decrease the amount of calories by 10-20%. For example, if maintenance is 2000 calories
then to lose weight, consume 1600-1800. That's it, it's that easy. Why are people under eating?
Every single athlete which competes in a sport with specific weight divisions, whether it be an MMA fighter
or a wrestler or a boxer etc, and especially body builders (when it comes to cutting weight)
will tell you exactly the same thing, if you want to cut weight, eat 10-20% under your maintenance.
If you eat under at 1200 calories:
1) metabolism will slow down
2) body will try to retain what little that you eat as fat for energy
3) when you eat high calories again, you bet that you will gain all that weight you lost back
Anyway, that's just me venting. Not picking on anyone, it's more out of me wanting to help people.
Because I've been there and I've done that, and 1200 calories or less is not the way to go. You got to
eat to lose weight, SOUNDS RIDICULOUS RIGHT? well it ain't, not even the slightest. =]
I'm sorry you're fed up, but I'm equally fed up of seeing posts criticising people who eat 1200. And I'm sick of 1200 being this fixed, magic number that applies to everyone.
HOW can one number apply to everyone? Our maintenance calories are all wildy different, because our heights/ages/occupations/sexes are all different - so surely our lower calorie limit is also going to differ.
If my maintenance is 1700, and I would like to lose a pound a week, then that takes me to 1200 because there are 3500 calories in a pound. If you are lucky enough to have a maintenance of 3000, then obviously it is different for you.0 -
Weight loss is simple math. Input must be less than output.
Metabolism plays a part in how fast or slow this goes, but I promise you that if you eat 900 calories and your BMR is 1400 that you will lose weight. I am in NO WAY supporting eating TOO FEW calories, but what is actually too few is far less rigid than an arbitrary number set for the average human being (which most of us simply aren't).
Eat enough calories to have the energy you need to live your life the way you want. Eat healthily enough that you don't deprive yourself of important vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes.
The rest is personal, and the fact of the matter is that a 4'9" girl who does data entry all day and hates the treadmill has a BMR of 1200 in the first place.
The best thing to do is to focus on your own calorie consumption, not other people's.
YEP:)0 -
Actually there is.... I am going on a hiking trip in August. For my height I can't be heavier than 200 lbs. I am at 203 now and can't seem to get below 200. I'd like to be 190 when I hit the trail.
If I'm not under 200, then they won't let me on the trail and I would have flushed $1000 down the drain and disappointed my son.
So then, technically, you only NEED to lose more than three pounds by August, plus even losing one pound a week would get you below your goal, and as a dude, you should eat way more than the 1200 discussed here to lose that.
That's not the same thing as, say, someone who's 120 lbs who thinks she should be 107 lbs by her wedding in August.0 -
MFP set me to 1200, I never eat below this and I eat back all my exercise cals. I was losing 1lb a week but this has been slowing down recently which I thought was due to me starting a gym and now getting fit (fitter than I was anyway)!
Using the calculator ( http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/calories-to-lose-weight) it said my BMR was 1870 cals. Your suggestion of a - 20% deficit would = 1496.... Hmmmm :happy:
Thank you so much for the calculator. I've not been on here long but I noticed that I've been starting to have headaches and feeling weak trying to stay at 1200 calories a day. I've not been moody but I could tell that I probably wasn't eating enough. Now I know where I realistically should be at. I'm not bashing those that 1200 is just right for them, but for me it's not. To keep up at this I'll be basically starving myself and that could do more damage in the longer run. Or at least that's the way I see it.0 -
I know this post isn't calling out anyone in particular, but remember, this doesn't necessarily apply to everyone. I'm VERY short and have a small bone structure. Following even this advice (maintenance cals - even only 10%) takes me right around that magic 1200, by the time I'm near my goal the minimal 10% is under 1200, I believe.
Yeah, if you're a 6 foot, 300 pound man exercising daily, 1200 cals is definitely not the way to go. But for the other 5 foot desk job girls, 1200 is not starvation. Rather than take these rules as hard and fast ("never eat less than 1200 no matter who you are or what your situation!"), it's much better to work out the best plan for your personal weight loss. Of course this isn't to say every shortie can eat this much (or little, rather), as I know of several in my family alone who can eat much more thanks to vigorous daily exercise.
I still keep myself over 1200 a day because I like how I feel best around 1300, but there are definitely people over 10 years old that 1200 is just fine for.
Agreed!!!! Why do people on here care so much how many calories others consume?? To each his own and live and let live. Why are there so many busybodies on here?
Overall I don't care if you want to eat 1200...however if you come to the message boards asking for advice because you are not losing then it becomes everyone business. Plus we are all here to help and be supportive, therefore we want to help you see you don't have to starve to lose weight, 1200 calories a day is not the holy grail of weight loss.
Understood BUT not everyone is the same. I am eating a 1200 calorie diet and losing weight in a healthy manner. It seems everyone eating a 1200 calorie diet is put in the same boat. If someone is not losing weight eating 1200 caloried maybe they should be advised to see a doctor instead of millions of threads coming up judging a 1200 calorie diet. How helpful can one really be when you dont really know the person personally and are only going by what you read on here?0 -
I appreciate this post. I am struggling with eating my recommended 1200 or less. I am starving by bed time. Especially if I go to the gym that day (even eating back my calories). But the red negative numbers make you feel like a loser...and they praise you if you eat under your calorie goal which makes all your friends say "GOOD JOB!!"
I just want to lose 10 pounds...one per week. MFP takes my height and weight (and accounts for my desk job) and tells me to eat 1200 or less to accomplish this. But this isn't working for me. I'm hungry and tired...sometimes even too tired by the end of the work day to work out.0 -
One thing we all need to keep in mind is that for every thread posted, there's probably dozens of lurkers with the same questions who never post.
So for every person who likes their 1200 calories and hates threads like this, there's also someone who reads it and has an "AHA!" moment. That person who's been struggling to stick with their calorie goal now realizes that there are other options, that they don't have to feel the way they've been feeling.
It's no skin off MY nose if someone wants to eat four calories a day... but if posting that I've had amazing success eating more than I ever thought possible while "dieting" helps one person, then it was worth the time it took to type it.0 -
Actually there is.... I am going on a hiking trip in August. For my height I can't be heavier than 200 lbs. I am at 203 now and can't seem to get below 200. I'd like to be 190 when I hit the trail.
If I'm not under 200, then they won't let me on the trail and I would have flushed $1000 down the drain and disappointed my son.
So then, technically, you only NEED to lose more than three pounds by August, plus even losing one pound a week would get you below your goal, and as a dude, you should eat way more than the 1200 discussed here to lose that.
That's not the same thing as, say, someone who's 120 lbs who thinks she should be 107 lbs by her wedding in August.
Yes, techinically I need to lose 3 pounds. Maybe a couple more in case their scale weighs a bit higher than mine. I know that the more I lose, then the better I will feel on the trail.
It is just so counter intuitive to think I need to eat more to lose weight. But, I am going to try it this week and see what happens. I'm just nervous about getting there.0 -
I know this post isn't calling out anyone in particular, but remember, this doesn't necessarily apply to everyone. I'm VERY short and have a small bone structure. Following even this advice (maintenance cals - even only 10%) takes me right around that magic 1200, by the time I'm near my goal the minimal 10% is under 1200, I believe.
Yeah, if you're a 6 foot, 300 pound man exercising daily, 1200 cals is definitely not the way to go. But for the other 5 foot desk job girls, 1200 is not starvation. Rather than take these rules as hard and fast ("never eat less than 1200 no matter who you are or what your situation!"), it's much better to work out the best plan for your personal weight loss. Of course this isn't to say every shortie can eat this much (or little, rather), as I know of several in my family alone who can eat much more thanks to vigorous daily exercise.
I still keep myself over 1200 a day because I like how I feel best around 1300, but there are definitely people over 10 years old that 1200 is just fine for.
Agreed!!!! Why do people on here care so much how many calories others consume?? To each his own and live and let live. Why are there so many busybodies on here?
Overall I don't care if you want to eat 1200...however if you come to the message boards asking for advice because you are not losing then it becomes everyone business. Plus we are all here to help and be supportive, therefore we want to help you see you don't have to starve to lose weight, 1200 calories a day is not the holy grail of weight loss.
Understood BUT not everyone is the same. I am eating a 1200 calorie diet and losing weight in a healthy manner. It seems everyone eating a 1200 calorie diet is put in the same boat. If someone is not losing weight eating 1200 caloried maybe they should be advised to see a doctor instead of millions of threads coming up judging a 1200 calorie diet. How helpful can one really be when you dont really know the person personally and are only going by what you read on here?
I completely understand what you are saying, and I'm sorry you feel like we are judging. I don't mean to do that, I am trying to help. I use to eat 1200 calories a day and I can see where I would have felt the same as you are feeling right now.
In my opinion no one should ever net below their BMR. For me that is 1530, with exercise some days I have trouble reaching that and don't always accomplish it. Just for simple bodily function I don't think you should ever go below your BMR...however some peoples BMR is 1200. But usually those people don't need to lose anymore weight and are usually more interested in building muscle and then they will definitley consume more then 1200.
Just remember if you ever hit a plateau at 1200 calories a day to come back and read these threads because your best bet at that time will be to increase intake and strength train. 0 -
I appreciate this post. I am struggling with eating my recommended 1200 or less. I am starving by bed time. Especially if I go to the gym that day (even eating back my calories). But the red negative numbers make you feel like a loser...and they praise you if you eat under your calorie goal which makes all your friends say "GOOD JOB!!"
I just want to lose 10 pounds...one per week. MFP takes my height and weight (and accounts for my desk job) and tells me to eat 1200 or less to accomplish this. But this isn't working for me. I'm hungry and tired...sometimes even too tired by the end of the work day to work out.
You may want to check out this group, it has been very helpful to me.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/3834-eat-more-to-weigh-less0 -
One thing we all need to keep in mind is that for every thread posted, there's probably dozens of lurkers with the same questions who never post.
So for every person who likes their 1200 calories and hates threads like this, there's also someone who reads it and has an "AHA!" moment. That person who's been struggling to stick with their calorie goal now realizes that there are other options, that they don't have to feel the way they've been feeling.
It's no skin off MY nose if someone wants to eat four calories a day... but if posting that I've had amazing success eating more than I ever thought possible while "dieting" helps one person, then it was worth the time it took to type it.
THANK YOU!!!0
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