1250 calories?

a10horan

I don’t think 1250 calories is bad. My goal is 1200 cal. I have only been doing this for five days. I have been cutting back on the unhealthy snacking and cutting my portions down because I am a BIG eater...I don’t eat often but when I do eat, I eat a lot! Of course I have my spells when I get hungry but that's when I eat one of my 100 cal snacks, fruits or veggies instead of a bag of potato chips. But for the most part I feel like I can still eat, now there are other diets like the HCG diet that tells you to only consume 500 calories a day! So I don’t believe what we're doing is too bad.

I agree!

cakeums

Currently my calories are set at 1,200 and there are plenty of days where I don't come close to that and I'm still satiated and satisfied because I'm eating healthy foods.

This argument kills me. What do you think I'm eating 1800 cal of? It's not fast food or crap like Shakeology. I eat close to 2000cal of clean food everyday, which includes lots of vegetables, lean meat, complex carbs, healthy fats, dairy, and fruit. You have trained your metabolism to run slower, which is why you feel "satisfied". Just remember this thread when you start to plateau or when you realize you have very little or no strength at all.

It kills me too!!! I find it really insulting that people say if you eat healthy, then you can eat a VLCD and feel satisfied because of sheer volume. As if those of us who eat 2000+ a day must be filling it with crap. I'm just over 1600 so far today, and my meals were: a homemade strawberry and banana almond milk smoothie with a scoop of protein powder, a Clif bar, raw nut and raisin mix, an apple, a handful of baby carrots, 1/2c almond milk with a scoop of protein powder, a brown rice salmon roll, and a salad with romaine, shredded carrots, an avocado, nutritional yeast, balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil. Sure, the Clif bar and the protein powder aren't the cleanest things I could have eaten, but I'm also very busy and that's what I could grab that was relatively healthy and nutrient-dense. I will still eat another 400-500 cals today too, probably another smoothie and maybe some celery and peanut butter. 2000-2100 calories filled with WHOLE, NUTRIENT-DENSE foods.

WHY the implication that if you eat a high-cal diet, you must be eating crap?!

Helloitsdan

Basal needs are basal needs.
Doesnt matter where the calories come from.

If your BMR is 1500 and you eat 1200 daily without eating back the calories up and above BMR...you will fail at this diet.

Feel free to do the math yourself!

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/

Do the military body fat calc.
Then do the BMR tool.

99% of you who dont eat back all lost cals from working out will fail at the diet.
You must fuel the body properly.

I've proven this with real world results and I give my advice for free!
=D

watboy

I dont believe its dieting incorrectly and neither do they I guess thats the issue.Oh I don't eat excercise calories back send the diet auditors, as a matter of fact millions of people who are healthy dont know anything about eating calories back. For all of you who have posted your experiences at 1200 calories and are happy and satisfied good for you. For those of you who have emailed me personally thanking me you are welcome. For those of you who have had real Drs give you advice and aproval good for you for litsening to them not some guy on the internet. Again I am not saying 1200 is good but i'm also not saying it's bad as it were fact. I'm not an expert either i'm also just a guy on the internet. I don't need people agreeing with me nor taking what I say seriously. What I will continue to say for those of you who found something sustainable and are healthier for it good for you.

The point I was making is its not good to say "Great job guys!" for dieting incorrectly.

Your basal metabolic needs are primary in a diet.
99% of the people starting out on MFP dont understand that and thats why you see so many posts about "Eating back calories" and "im at 1200 and not losing any weight!"

These people are not meeting basic basal metabolic needs.
They are uneducated in proper dietary principals!
Most doctors get this wrong too!
These are individuals who got to school for 8+ years and still fail to give good dietary advice!.

So again i'll make my point.

You have a basal metabolic need.
It covers your vital organs.
Average people who work out 3-5 times a week if eating at the basal metabolic level will fail at dieting.
They will initially lose weight.
20-50% of this weight is lean mass.
In essence they are shrinking their overall weight and size with little change to body fat and composition.

Your willingness to applaud people who diet incorrectly is where you are meeting with most of this resistance.
If you could accept the fact that if you dont meet your bodies basic basal metabolic needs, the amount of nutrients needed for vital organs to have proper nutrients daily while bedridden or comatose, you are painting yourself as a fool.
The more you defend this, the more foolish you look!

For instance my BMR is 1489 as dictated by my lean mass, age and height.
If I ate at 1200 calories I would lose appx 2lbs a week.
20-50% of that would be lean mass and I would slip into the skinny fat category.
Over time my hormones would go out of whack.
Cortisol levels will rise, leptin levels will drop, ghrelin levels will rise.
Cortisol will allow the body to slow itself down by targeting active tissue.
Just so we are clear this is lean tissue and can include skeletal tissue as well as the heart.
Are you still applauding the 1200 peeps?
Leptin levels drop and the body panics and decides to hang onto as much fat as possible.
Its not getting energy from food so its getting energy from fat.
90% of the numbers I have run for people on this site, i've only come across 1 person who had a BMR lower than 1200.
She was grossly underweight by 20lbs and had a severe eating disorder.
She couldnt have kids and was never hungry because her hormones were screwed from binge eating and purging.

Bravo on the 1200 cal diet gang!!!

Watboy, would you drive an old car 200 miles with 1/8th tank of gas?
Thats how these people are living their lives.

Helloitsdan

Okidoke!

I'm done with this thread anyway.

watboy

Awesome

Okidoke!

I'm done with this thread anyway.

watboy

Nail on head.

Sounds like everyone is too focused on the number of calories rather than where the calories are coming from. I think if you eat good healthy food 1200-1500 is safe and healthy.

Yes I agree we do eat too much and too much of the wrong stuff.

watboy

Ditto

I don’t think 1250 calories is bad. My goal is 1200 cal. I have only been doing this for five days. I have been cutting back on the unhealthy snacking and cutting my portions down because I am a BIG eater...I don’t eat often but when I do eat, I eat a lot! Of course I have my spells when I get hungry but that's when I eat one of my 100 cal snacks, fruits or veggies instead of a bag of potato chips. But for the most part I feel like I can still eat, now there are other diets like the HCG diet that tells you to only consume 500 calories a day! So I don’t believe what we're doing is too bad.

I agree!

watboy

One sick individual with an ED does not make people eating 1200 calories sick or automatically cause them to binge nor be able to bear children. To your question about driving a car 200 miles with an 1/8 tank of gas is not a good idea I know because I was a mechanic. Oh by the way were you ever a Dr.? You probably wont answer since you left the thread.

The point I was making is its not good to say "Great job guys!" for dieting incorrectly.

Your basal metabolic needs are primary in a diet.
99% of the people starting out on MFP dont understand that and thats why you see so many posts about "Eating back calories" and "im at 1200 and not losing any weight!"

These people are not meeting basic basal metabolic needs.
They are uneducated in proper dietary principals!
Most doctors get this wrong too!
These are individuals who got to school for 8+ years and still fail to give good dietary advice!.

So again i'll make my point.

You have a basal metabolic need.
It covers your vital organs.
Average people who work out 3-5 times a week if eating at the basal metabolic level will fail at dieting.
They will initially lose weight.
20-50% of this weight is lean mass.
In essence they are shrinking their overall weight and size with little change to body fat and composition.

Your willingness to applaud people who diet incorrectly is where you are meeting with most of this resistance.
If you could accept the fact that if you dont meet your bodies basic basal metabolic needs, the amount of nutrients needed for vital organs to have proper nutrients daily while bedridden or comatose, you are painting yourself as a fool.
The more you defend this, the more foolish you look!

For instance my BMR is 1489 as dictated by my lean mass, age and height.
If I ate at 1200 calories I would lose appx 2lbs a week.
20-50% of that would be lean mass and I would slip into the skinny fat category.
Over time my hormones would go out of whack.
Cortisol levels will rise, leptin levels will drop, ghrelin levels will rise.
Cortisol will allow the body to slow itself down by targeting active tissue.
Just so we are clear this is lean tissue and can include skeletal tissue as well as the heart.
Are you still applauding the 1200 peeps?
Leptin levels drop and the body panics and decides to hang onto as much fat as possible.
Its not getting energy from food so its getting energy from fat.
90% of the numbers I have run for people on this site, i've only come across 1 person who had a BMR lower than 1200.
She was grossly underweight by 20lbs and had a severe eating disorder.
She couldnt have kids and was never hungry because her hormones were screwed from binge eating and purging.

Bravo on the 1200 cal diet gang!!!

Watboy, would you drive an old car 200 miles with 1/8th tank of gas?
Thats how these people are living their lives.

Helloitsdan

Lol no!

The Car is an analogy.
It's truly whats happening to people who diet at 1200 cals and dont eat back all calories above BMR.

A doctor?
LOL no!
I just do all the research to figure out how to make dieting easier to understand and live by.
I offer sustainable diets that dont plateau.
I offer sustainable diets that net results in 95% of the people i've run numbers for.
I offer sustainable diets that allow you to work out only 3 times a week and lose inches of fat while maintaining lean mass.
I offer free support to anyone who asks for it.

Unfortunately the person I reference here is still practicing ED and is not on any type of diet except her own.

My point is out of hundreds of numbers run for people around the world, most of them are eating well above BMR and dieting correctly.

If people are here to just lose weight and get Skinny Fat then hats off to them.
You can sit around and congratulate them on their "wins".
I'll continue offering real world help for anyone who asks for it.
It brings great personal satisfaction when I can help someone change their life for the better.
You may not like it so youll probably come back with some snarky comment then finish with "great job 1200 calorie girls!"

myak623

Sounds like everyone is too focused on the number of calories rather than where the calories are coming from. I think if you eat good healthy food 1200-1500 is safe and healthy.

Yes I agree we do eat too much and too much of the wrong stuff.

This isn't entirely true. Watch the movie "Fat Head". He eats nothing but fast food, but makes sure he is at a calorie deficit. Not to be a spoiler, but he loses weight.

lisa28115

THIS THREAD HAS BEEN BEAT TO DEATH

WATBOY NOBODY IS SAYING YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT AT 1200 CALORIES
YOU CAN BUT YOU CAN'T STAY AT THAT LEVEL AND NOT PLATEAU
NOR IS IT TRAINING U TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN

YOU AND DAN BOTH NEED TO GIVE IT REST
EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN OPINIONS AND I THINK EVERYONE KNOWS YOURS

THANK YOU:flowerforyou:

heybales

Why is it called My Fitness Pal, when it is so focused on diet actually.

If it was focused on fitness, there'd be means of uploading fitness related info beyond the FitBit, there'd be more accurate database for exercises, there'd be HR zone info and calculators, ect.

My Food Pal - I guess not the same ring to it.

ladyraven68

I'm only 4ft 11, I'm a prime candidate for the 1200 calorie diet, and I did follow it for a few weeks, but I stopped losing, I felt lightheaded etc

I wish someone had explained BMR and TDEE to me right at the beginning, because lets be honest, why would you only eat 1200 when you can actually lose fat at 1600? I've lost more inches of fat in three weeks on 1600, then I did after 2 months of 1200.

I think these threads are good for educating people, but there are always going to be others who think the number on the scale is more important than the ratio of fat to lean mass, and as long as they are losing weight they don't care what it is made up of.

Even if this thread helps just a few people to realise that there is another option then that is good.

I won't ever criticise anyone for eating 1200, as that is their choice, and some of my MFP pals struggle to make 1200
I just prefer people to make that choice after acquiring some knowledge rather than just accepting it must be right because that is what MFP told them.

creative1981

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.

Agreed.

watboy

Me snarky? I'm never snarky. People miss the point a lot it seems. when you have hundreds of people on this site saying they are doing great at 1200 calories and they are giving out their numbers as far as cholesterol or as far as blood pressure and that they feel great about themselves and are indeed sustaining and are satieted at 1200 calories I think that they shouldn't be beat up when they have bettered themselves. I will never say 1200 is enough or not enough because that is not my decision nor is it my body and I can't claim to know how they physically feel nobody else should either. Also a lot of them have done research and have gone to Dr.s and nutritionists and have been told to eat 1200 calories or they have been arpoved to do so. So they go to a Dr. or a nutrionist and used the MFP site and were told 1200 is A OK. Then some guy or girl on the internet who does research tells them it's all wrong. Well I think that Dr.s have a bit more knowledge than some random person on the internet. I am also a random person on the internet however I'm not telling people eat more, eat less , you're doign it wrong or whatever else people are saying on this thread. However I will congratulate people who lost weight doign something that is safe and has been deemed safe by their Dr. If people can eat 2000 calories and lose weight that's awesome if they can eat 1200 and lose weight thats also awesome if they can find it sustainable and it is not unhealthy that's the true goal and many at 1200 are perfectly healthy and perfectly content and they have posted their experiences.

Lisa28115 you can always chose not read these posts. that's what I do when I see something I don't like. I don't even go into the thread. Also

"NOBODY IS SAYING YOU CAN'T LOSE WEIGHT AT 1200 CALORIES
YOU CAN BUT YOU CAN'T STAY AT THAT LEVEL AND NOT PLATEAU
NOR IS IT TRAINING U TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN "
This is not true plenty of people are on 1200 and had no plateu and hit their goals and are keeping the weight off and are plenty happy. Some do which is why many people on this thread continue to say they have done it and are sustaining. Let's not ignore that.


Oh by the way : Great job 1200 calorie girls!

Lol no!

The Car is an analogy.
It's truly whats happening to people who diet at 1200 cals and dont eat back all calories above BMR.

A doctor?
LOL no!
I just do all the research to figure out how to make dieting easier to understand and live by.
I offer sustainable diets that dont plateau.
I offer sustainable diets that net results in 95% of the people i've run numbers for.
I offer sustainable diets that allow you to work out only 3 times a week and lose inches of fat while maintaining lean mass.
I offer free support to anyone who asks for it.

Unfortunately the person I reference here is still practicing ED and is not on any type of diet except her own.

My point is out of hundreds of numbers run for people around the world, most of them are eating well above BMR and dieting correctly.

If people are here to just lose weight and get Skinny Fat then hats off to them.
You can sit around and congratulate them on their "wins".
I'll continue offering real world help for anyone who asks for it.
It brings great personal satisfaction when I can help someone change their life for the better.
You may not like it so youll probably come back with some snarky comment then finish with "great job 1200 calorie girls!"

watboy

Ditto

I'm only 4ft 11, I'm a prime candidate for the 1200 calorie diet, and I did follow it for a few weeks, but I stopped losing, I felt lightheaded etc

I wish someone had explained BMR and TDEE to me right at the beginning, because lets be honest, why would you only eat 1200 when you can actually lose fat at 1600? I've lost more inches of fat in three weeks on 1600, then I did after 2 months of 1200.

I think these threads are good for educating people, but there are always going to be others who think the number on the scale is more important than the ratio of fat to lean mass, and as long as they are losing weight they don't care what it is made up of.

Even if this thread helps just a few people to realise that there is another option then that is good.

I won't ever criticise anyone for eating 1200, as that is their choice, and some of my MFP pals struggle to make 1200
I just prefer people to make that choice after acquiring some knowledge rather than just accepting it must be right because that is what MFP told them.

stellaskies

OMG, Jesus take the wheel.

watboy

It's quiet Jim. To quiet.

lisa28115

YOU JUST WANT TO ARGUE

heybales

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

Actually, you selected an activity level of sedentary.
You selected a weight loss goal of 2lbs a week.

Yes, it probably is too few, and you can easily change that.

Change goal to 1lb week.

Will you only get 1 lb week? Is your life truly sedentary? Can MFP truly know how many calories you burn every day doing everything to subtract 500 from?

No.

muthi002

I think the most important thing is that you feel healthy -- try eating 1250, and see if it feels okay. Mine says 1200, so I try to aim for that. But if I'm hungry, I eat a healthy snack, even if it puts me over.

You'd be surprised how much you can actually eat if you try to eat healthier!

When I first saw that my calories per day was set at 1200, I was shocked. But the truth is, I always know when I'm actually hungry and when I just feel a craving or just feel like eating. As long as you know the difference and can snack/not snack accordingly, I think you'll be okay

GretelPetal91

I have 1100 cal a day. I am a vegetarian and love eating whole fruit and veg so I can actually have decent sized meals with this amount of calories, also I don't mind going over a little.
I fell off the MFP wagon for AGES and didn't lose weight, but I wasn't eating a whole lot more in volume than what I am now anyway.
Use your calories wisely and it won't be so hard.

HonkyTonks

I have 1100 cal a day. I am a vegetarian and love eating whole fruit and veg so I can actually have decent sized meals with this amount of calories, also I don't mind going over a little.
I fell off the MFP wagon for AGES and didn't lose weight, but I wasn't eating a whole lot more in volume than what I am now anyway.
Use your calories wisely and it won't be so hard.

1200 or less and falling off the wagon seem to go hand in hand. Just sayin'

Helloitsdan

I have 1100 cal a day. I am a vegetarian and love eating whole fruit and veg so I can actually have decent sized meals with this amount of calories, also I don't mind going over a little.
I fell off the MFP wagon for AGES and didn't lose weight, but I wasn't eating a whole lot more in volume than what I am now anyway.
Use your calories wisely and it won't be so hard.

Way too low.

Check your information on this website if you only want to lose fat and very little lean mass.
Your diet is a crash course to skinny fat!

http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/

Do the Military Body Fat Calc first, then the BMR tool.
The BMR tool will give exact calories to eat on a daily basis.
Add 20% to this number to get your TDEE.
For Fat loss plans set up macros at 30% Protein/Fat each.

watboy

NO way it was just weird everyone had so much to say and then nothing. We will all never agree on the same thing. Thankfully we are all individuals and have minds of our own.

YOU JUST WANT TO ARGUE

GretelPetal91

I make sure I'm never hungry because I know starvation is not the way... I'll trial this way for a week or two (I've really only started this week) and if I get no results, I guess you know me better than I do haha

thegoya

I'm 5 ft (female) and it was suggested not to go below 1,200 calories, you're so much taller with approx the same daily calories?. Hmmm....every source seems to differ.

Airbear3

you must do what is right for you! i started with 1200 and stopped losing after a month and a half, now i eat 1650. not wanting to eat more and get away with it is like saying you have too much money! why not???? i had no problems living on 1200 but now i don't feel as though i'm on a diet, i have breathing room!?!? besides i don't just want to be thin but i want to be healthy its simple math...feed your body!

ladyraven68

I'm 5 ft (female) and it was suggested not to go below 1,200 calories, you're so much taller with approx the same daily calories?. Hmmm....every source seems to differ.

I'm 4ft 11.5, I'm losing on 1600 NET calories.