1250 calories?

Options
24567…10

Replies

  • skyeashlee
    skyeashlee Posts: 108 Member
    Options
    Hey! It depends how much u entered into lose aswell - and def the exercoise u plan to do!
    As a personal example - i started at 83KG and MFP told me to consume 1440cals a day (with the goal to workout 4 times a week at 40mins)

    Now Im 74.5Kg (lost 8.5kg / 19lb) and have injured my back so currently entered 1x40min workout a week and MFP put me on 1250 to lose!!!! which is hard, but as Im learning, it's about what foods you eat ..... one lot of carbs can leave me stranded for the day, otherwise if I have lotsa right foods (veg, fruit, seeds etc) then Im generally sweet.....

    If you dont feel comfortable with it after experimenting, then perhaps consider upping them to 1280 or 1300 !! Its your body, MFP is only a generalised guide :O)
    Best of luck!! Please feel free to add me (just dont judge my dinner tonight - hungry jacks! hehehe)
    xxx from aus
  • CindyCountingCalories
    CindyCountingCalories Posts: 321 Member
    Options
    If I put my goal to 1 pound a week on lightly active I get 1400 calories a day, if I set it to sedentary I also get 1250. But I'm not really lightly active, workout 5 days a week, the rest of the day I sit... I'm going to change it to sedentary and see how it goes with 1250 a week.
  • Pabs1
    Pabs1 Posts: 2
    Options
    I have read thru the posts on this topic and found a great varied opinions from my experience 1250 is attainable

    I'm a 31 yr old male and i have a target of 1300 calories before exercise. On days i don't do exercise i find it very manageable, its really just about the foods you eat and experimenting with difference combinations. But there are definitely foods that are wasted calories on days you don't do workouts, bread, rice, pasta, execessive fruit, steaks being the major ones

    I eat 5 meals a day, with 2 larger meals and 3 smaller meals.

    Vegetables and chicken breasts are a great low calorie main meal.
    finding breakfasts that are low calories are a great help too, muesli with milk works for me
    Having a large milk drink (blueberry, yoghurt and milk) fills me up for one of my snacks, as does an apple.

    The foods i eat are very affordable and can be boring at times, but I'm not heavy, just a few kilos over my goal weight now and haven't found my weight loss decreasing as i get closer to my goal, but I have my priorities and a weight loss is it atm.

    When i wanna go out or eat a carb heavy meal i wait til a day that im doing exercise and i earn it. Ive lost 1kg a week since signing up to myfitnesspal and have always been 20-50% above my protein requirement, and fulfilled my fibre requirements while keeping all other nutritional categories well below their levels. I'm definitely never starving, mal-nutritoned or resulting in weight loss due to muscle loss.
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    Options
    I hate it when people say 1200 is not sustainable, yes it is, we eat wayyyyy too much food, that's why we're fat!

    Ya, I would have no idea what I'm talking about. Did you notice my weight loss? Hello???

    And what about all the people who've lost weight eating 1250ish calories? They don't count, because you lost weight eating more? Everyone is different.
  • moonsforeyes
    moonsforeyes Posts: 228
    Options
    That's incredibly low, and not sustainable. You'd be unsatiated and end up falling off the wagon. Re-adjust it, quickly!!

    Wow that's incredibly opinionated!

    As you can see - the answer is varied. You need to find some middle ground to what you want to achieve and how you think you can do it. If you think it's too low, it probably is. Some of us don't think it is. Some others consume twice (or more) that.

    I say do some research and enter what you think you can actually eat in a day (or do it over a couple of days) and see if you think that's sustainable....

    Don't rely on others opinions. It's too fickle, varied and often bro-science... Do what works for you.

    ^this!
  • chelltune
    chelltune Posts: 17
    Options
    This is the amount mfp has calculated I should eat .. I am 170 lb 5'6" 36 yrs old female .. this seems like too few calories

    I'm 33, 5ft 5. I think when I had it set to lose 1lb per week it gave me 1330 cals and I was able to stick to this. I'm using MFP now to maintain my weight. I think it has me at approx 1700 now. To be honest i fiddled with the settings no end of times. I think last week I had it set to lose 1/2lb and it gave me 1500.

    I've lost weight at 1300/1500 and 1700. There are loads of debates about whether or not to eat your exercise calories too. As others have said, just experiment and see what works for you. It is also how you feel week to week about your weight loss.

    If a meal looks small then make a massive salad to go with it. It is low in cals/fat and makes your plate look full/more satisfying. Your body soon adjusts and you get used to eating less. Weigh your foods so you know you are tracking accurately.
  • laccy40
    laccy40 Posts: 136
    Options
    I'm a 5'7" female age 42 starting weight 170lb so very similar stats to the op. I set my activity level to sedentary (desk job) and goal as 1lb a week and it gave me a target of 1430 cals per day. I do between 100-200 cals of exercise every day so eat about 1550 cals. This week my cals have been reduced to 1300, I guess because I am within 7 lb of my goal. So if the op feels 1200 cals is too low it is probably because she's set her weight loss at 2lb per week and changing it to 1 lb per week will give her more calories.
  • ebony__
    ebony__ Posts: 519 Member
    Options
    I hate it when people say 1200 is not sustainable, yes it is, we eat wayyyyy too much food, that's why we're fat!

    I agree. And If your eating the right kinds of food 1200 can totally fill u up.

    I made a huge salad the other day, mostly with cucumber and the whole thing only came to 70cal.



    Having said that though I'm new to this so I wouldn't qualify to give advice and I think if u feel like your starving up he cals.. Or if im super hungry I'll eat more and just exercise more :)

    But any starts a good start and if it's feeling way to hard your not as likely to stick to it.
  • brookepenni
    brookepenni Posts: 787 Member
    Options
    I hate it when people say 1200 is not sustainable, yes it is, we eat wayyyyy too much food, that's why we're fat!

    Ya, I would have no idea what I'm talking about. Did you notice my weight loss? Hello???

    You are MY HERO.... Does that feel better now??

    Seriously, congrats on YOUR success. You aren't the only one that has found what works for them. I say continue merry on your way and let others work out what's best for them.
  • tarak83
    tarak83 Posts: 40
    Options
    I hate it when people say 1200 is not sustainable, yes it is, we eat wayyyyy too much food, that's why we're fat!

    It most certainly is. Look at my food diary.. I eat roughly 1200 calories, but I'm actually eating a hell of a lot more than I was when I was shoving junk down my throat.

    I went from approx. 230 to 135 by following a 1200 calorie diet along with exercising most days. I was in no way starving... I was just filling myself with healthy food.

    If you are eating healthy food then 1200 calories is just fine. Just don't fill your allowed calories with junk, otherwise you will be starving. :)
  • Living4Liz2012
    Living4Liz2012 Posts: 312
    Options
    depends most days im LUCKY if I intake that much but I try and shoot for at least 1400...it works for me just depends on the person. Do what you are comfortable with and can stick to:)
  • juliekaiser1988
    juliekaiser1988 Posts: 604 Member
    Options
    I hate it when people say 1200 is not sustainable, yes it is, we eat wayyyyy too much food, that's why we're fat!

    Ya, I would have no idea what I'm talking about. Did you notice my weight loss? Hello???

    You are MY HERO.... Does that feel better now??

    Seriously, congrats on YOUR success. You aren't the only one that has found what works for them. I say continue merry on your way and let others work out what's best for them.

    The OP asked for opinions, I gave mine. So now I'm the jerk? Geez. Everybody needs to get a grip.
  • grrrlface
    grrrlface Posts: 1,204 Member
    Options
    I find 1200 cals sustainable. I load up my plates with veggies and protein. My diet is quite low Carb, mostly by accident.

    I say try it, any cut in your food intake is hard at first whether it's 1200 or 1800, it's still less than your body is used to. You just got to try different things until you find what works for you.

    If you find 1200 too hard, change your weekly loss to 1lb, like others have said! :-)
  • AReasor
    AReasor Posts: 355 Member
    Options
    I was actually happy the site started me at 1200 calories. I allowed me to focus on completely revamping my way of eating. 1200 calories a day forces you to make better choices.

    Now that being said, a few weeks later I started exercising. I was still ravenous at the end of the day on 1200 calories. I decided when I started this journey, I would never go to bed hungry. Then I upped my calories to 1400 a day.

    I am 5ft 1", and have lost over 12lbs since January. Unfortunately I don't know my current weight due to my 6yr old using my scale like a diving board(way broken).

    Stick with it and find what works for you.
  • clschaan
    clschaan Posts: 16
    Options
    thanks for everyones input! I am currently into week three of the beachbody turbofire program and because of my activity level I am going to see how i am at 1400 calories .. I am a massage therapist so I stand most of the day also. I still will be getting my calories from high quality food .. hopefully i see some progress! thanks everyone
  • juliekaiser1988
    juliekaiser1988 Posts: 604 Member
    Options
    thanks for everyones input! I am currently into week three of the beachbody turbofire program and because of my activity level I am going to see how i am at 1400 calories .. I am a massage therapist so I stand most of the day also. I still will be getting my calories from high quality food .. hopefully i see some progress! thanks everyone

    Thank you!!
  • Becky_Boodle
    Becky_Boodle Posts: 253 Member
    Options
    I'm 29, 176 lbs and 5'5...my goal is set at 1200...
    I exercise daily...cardio and weights...
    and I eat back my burned calories...
    which sometimes is harder than you think...
    so most days I'm eating around1800
    and never hungry...it's the days...like today...
    where I take a "rest" day and end up starving at the end of the night!!!
  • juliekaiser1988
    juliekaiser1988 Posts: 604 Member
    Options
    I hate it when people say 1200 is not sustainable, yes it is, we eat wayyyyy too much food, that's why we're fat!

    Ya, I would have no idea what I'm talking about. Did you notice my weight loss? Hello???

    And what about all the people who've lost weight eating 1250ish calories? They don't count, because you lost weight eating more? Everyone is different.

    OK, I'm officially sick of being slammed on this subject. I was by FAR not the only person to give the opinion that it was low, but yet mine is the only one people keep choosing to take a jab at? Really? Give me a break...
  • runnercheryl
    runnercheryl Posts: 1,314 Member
    Options

    OK, I'm officially sick of being slammed on this subject. I was by FAR not the only person to give the opinion that it was low, but yet mine is the only one people keep choosing to take a jab at? Really? Give me a break...

    Sorry, but I believe you were being 'slammed' more than others because you made it sound like your opinion was fact. That's all.
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
    Options
    Do u want to lose weight?? They set me at 1200 and I lost 17 lbs in 11 weeks. Now maintaining and they gave me 1230.

    you MAINTAIN at 1230? holy gosh! thats lower than my weight loss.

    PERSONALLY I have mine set for 1800 but I lose weight at around 1500 calories a day (and after exercise) I can see what my true deficit is.

Categories