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.
I have to drop another 15lbs in a little over 6 weeks or I don't make weight for my fight. So I'm trying to drop as much as I can safely and be able to keep it off. I don't like the idea of having to dehydrate myself to make weight but if i have to I will. i also workout twice a day burning between 1200 and 1800 cal/day and eat between 1200 and 1600 depending on how i'm feeling...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-less
I definitely will...THANK YOU!!!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.
Have a look at this - it may help you.
Good luck.
I'm only 4ft 11, and I couldn't cope on 1200 a day either. I'm now losing around 1.5lb per week on around 1600.0 -
Last week I netted around 1200 after exercise. I gained 2.5 lbs on today's weigh-in. NTY, I'm going back to netting at 9000
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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 could **kiss** you right now..hehe. Thank you!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.
That's what did it for me.
I kept reading all these posts from people who had upped their calories and were losing weight.
As someone who has struggled with the standard 1200 calorie mantra (which always led to binges and a severe loss of muscle over the decades) this was music to my weary dieter's ears.
I recalculated using the mfp guidelines, moving from sedentary to active (I'm standing and moving at work for at least 6 hours), moved from a 2 pound per week loss to 1 pound and mfp set me at 1930 calories! Yeehaw!
I lost 1 pound this week without exercise.0 -
Last week I netted around 1200 after exercise. I gained 2.5 lbs on today's weigh-in. NTY, I'm going back to netting at 900
It would be impossible for you to gain 2.5lbs of fat on that amount of calories.
1lb of fat = 3500 calories
2.5lbs = 8750.
Unless you have eaten and extra 8750 calories it is just water.0 -
Well I did somehow. Either way, I changed it up and got negative results, so I'm going back to my normal that gave me positive results.0
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I just started this today and mine tells me i shoudl eat 1200 calories per day too in order to reach my goal. How do I determine the maintenance calories in order to reduce that by 20%0
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Last week I netted around 1200 after exercise. I gained 2.5 lbs on today's weigh-in. NTY, I'm going back to netting at 900
It would be impossible for you to gain 2.5lbs of fat on that amount of calories.
1lb of fat = 3500 calories
2.5lbs = 8750.
Unless you have eaten and extra 8750 calories it is just water.
Even *IF* your were eating at maintenance at 900 net (which you're not since you say you're losing), eating at 1200 net is only 300 calories more per day. That would be a weekly increase of 2100 calories, or the equivalent of 0.6 pounds.
And that's exactly why so many women get stuck in the whirlpool of under-eating. They eat a tiny bit more and freak out over a slight increase on the scale.
Hell, I've "gained" as much as 8 pounds in one weekend thanks to temporary fluid retention. I also gained about 8 pounds after going on maintenance, and was smaller at 133 than I was at 125. I wish more people would realize how meaningless the scale really is.
Same weight in these photos. Different body. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/LorinaLynn/view/same-weight-since-july-2246350 -
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.
It's very hard to get in your head you have to eat more to lose more! I did the typical diet of low calories and high exercise, only netting about 800-1000 calories per day when I first started.
I did lose weight at first, about 10 pounds in 4 weeks. Then I started gaining. I gained 4 back, so after reading posts I increased my net calories to 1200 a day. I didn't gain anymore, but I was stuck for a month and a half.
So I read a little more, I added (heavy for me) weights 3x a week to my cardio, and increased my calories to 1500-1600 net a day. I started losing very slowly, about a 1/4lb a week. Then I increased to 1600-1700 net a day and I'm finally seeing results!
I know each person is different, but for me it's worked. You have enough time to lose the weight and eat properly. If you eat too few calories you might not make it to your goal because your body won't let you lose the weight.
To be fair I do run 25-35 miles a week, lift 3x a week, and eat 40% carbs (in forms of fruit, veggies, and
*mostly* good carbs,) 30% protein, and 30% fat. That does mean I'm eating about 2000-2300 calories a day. I'm 5'5 149lbs.0 -
I just started this today and mine tells me i shoudl eat 1200 calories per day too in order to reach my goal. How do I determine the maintenance calories in order to reduce that by 20%
Here is a TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) Calculator: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html
Here is MFP's BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate) Calculator: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator
They are two different things, obviously, but it is a good place to start. There are so many different calculators out there and most all of them will give you slightly different numbers.0 -
So help me out, MFP had my calories at 1490, but then I manually lowered it to 1400. Previously it was set at 1390 based on previous activity level.
MFP shows me BMR at 1360
Fitness frog shows my TDEE at 2210
So what's that mean?
EDIT: in my goal section MFP also shows this.
Calories Burned From Normal Daily Activity 1,970 calories/day0 -
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.
It's very hard to get in your head you have to eat more to lose more! I did the typical diet of low calories and high exercise, only netting about 800-1000 calories per day when I first started.
I did lose weight at first, about 10 pounds in 4 weeks. Then I started gaining. I gained 4 back, so after reading posts I increased my net calories to 1200 a day. I didn't gain anymore, but I was stuck for a month and a half.
So I read a little more, I added (heavy for me) weights 3x a week to my cardio, and increased my calories to 1500-1600 net a day. I started losing very slowly, about a 1/4lb a week. Then I increased to 1600-1700 net a day and I'm finally seeing results!
I know each person is different, but for me it's worked. You have enough time to lose the weight and eat properly. If you eat too few calories you might not make it to your goal because your body won't let you lose the weight.
To be fair I do run 25-35 miles a week, lift 3x a week, and eat 40% carbs (in forms of fruit, veggies, and
*mostly* good carbs,) 30% protein, and 30% fat. That does mean I'm eating about 2000-2300 calories a day. I'm 5'5 149lbs.
I hope you're right. Going to try it for a few weeks and see what happens.0 -
when i put my current weight into the goals section of my profile and then said i wanted to lose a pound to a pound in a half a week, i should only be eating 1200 calories? so if i want to lose weight i need to have my food and exercise balance out to only 1200 calories? I've been doing it for two days and I'm trying to see how long i can keep it up. any advice on how to eat around 1200 calories and not be hungry?0
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People are always going to try and justify barely eating to lose weight.
I am short too with a small frame. I eat NO LESS than 1700 calories to lose weight.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.
With so many threads on this topic some people do come across as judgemental and im glad you can see my point of view. I think what we all have to remember and realize that everyone on here is different and not to generalize the population that are consuming 1200 calories.
I'm not new to this weight loss journey. In 2004 i had success losing weight on weight watchers consuming 1200 calories and sometimes a bit more on certain days. I did gain it back because i dont keep up the same eating habits or portion size i learned from weight watchers. Also, it is easier to cook one meal for a family instead of a diet meal for yourself and a regular meal for the family. In general now i cook a more healthy meal for everyone so its a lot easier now. I also did hit a plateau at that time in 2004 and the consistent 1-2 lbs i would lose a week changed which sucked but my meeting leader at weight watchers advised me what to do and i got out of that right away. I know some people start their weight loss journey and have no guidance and depend on advice given here but all these threads IMO dont seem to helpful if they come across as bashing and generalize people. IMO if a person starts a thread asking for advice then advice should be given but why start a thread just to say how bad a 1200 calories is? Again that's generalizing people who are on a 1200 calorie diet.
I know i have a choice and i dont have to read these threads or post in them. I just wanted to stick my 2 cents in and just put out there that everyone is different and has different body types and what works for one person may not for others.0 -
when i put my current weight into the goals section of my profile and then said i wanted to lose a pound to a pound in a half a week, i should only be eating 1200 calories? so if i want to lose weight i need to have my food and exercise balance out to only 1200 calories? I've been doing it for two days and I'm trying to see how long i can keep it up. any advice on how to eat around 1200 calories and not be hungry?
Is seven pounds all you have to lose? Then 1.5 pounds a week is TOO much. Larger weekly losses are only safe for those who have a significant amount of weight to lose. You should be set to 0.5 pounds a week, and really focus more on body composition (via measurements and photos) rather than the scale.0 -
People are always going to try and justify barely eating to lose weight.
I am short too with a small frame. I eat NO LESS than 1700 calories to lose weight.
ditto!! I am 4'11 and work my *kitten* off so that I am a muscular, sexy, fit ~100 pounds instead of a skinny fat, starving, beast eating 1200 calories a day without the energy to workout.0 -
when i put my current weight into the goals section of my profile and then said i wanted to lose a pound to a pound in a half a week, i should only be eating 1200 calories? so if i want to lose weight i need to have my food and exercise balance out to only 1200 calories? I've been doing it for two days and I'm trying to see how long i can keep it up. any advice on how to eat around 1200 calories and not be hungry?
You could eat 2,000 calories if you burn off 800 by working out each day. I agree with a previous poster that if you only have 7 to lose you should lower the amount lost each week. I have 7 left to lose and I have it set to 1 lb a week, but I'm still taking in 2,000 calories and working off to get back down to the NET goal.0
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