So how do we know 1200 cal is the magic number?

bushidowoman

Many of us here have found that 1200 calories is not nearly enough to be successful.
Check out this thread:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/531086-before-and-after-pics-no-starvation
I posted a pics here showing what I looked like trying to stick to 1400 cals a day, compared to what I look like now taking in a *minimum* of 1600 cals and eating back all my exercise cals. (And I rarely have days where I only eat 1600! It's usually more like 1800-2000.)

o_delaisse

When I eat 1200 calories I gain weight. I am 5'3". I don't think it is realistic to think you are going to lose weight on 1200 calories. Keep it below 1000 & you will lose.

I used to eat under 1000 calories a day. If you're aiming for under 1000 calories, may I respectfully ask that you read my forum post from a while ago and maybe keep it in mind?

This is the link: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/521480-1000-calories-or-less-a-day

reddi2roll

When I eat 1200 calories I gain weight. I am 5'3". I don't think it is realistic to think you are going to lose weight on 1200 calories. Keep it below 1000 & you will lose.

OK, If we're doing anecdotal evidence, I'm 4ft 11.5, and losing at 1600 per week - you don't need to deprive yourself to lose weight.

For every person who tells you 1200 is fine, you'll have another person who tells you it's not.

Do some research, find your BMR and TDEE, then start from there.

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

This and here is a note I came across yesterday re: same topic:

If you want to lose fat, a useful guideline for lowering your calorie intake is to reduce your calories by at least 500, but not more than 1000 below your maintenance level. For people with only a small amount of weight to lose, 1000 calories will be too much of a deficit. As a guide to minimum calorie intake, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that calorie levels never drop below 1200 calories per day for women or 1800 calories per day for men. Even these calorie levels are quite low.

tig_ol_bitties

When I eat 1200 calories I gain weight. I am 5'3". I don't think it is realistic to think you are going to lose weight on 1200 calories. Keep it below 1000 & you will lose.

Please don't recommend to others to keep their calories so low. Only her doctor should do that, and that's in extreme cases.

^^This.

rml_16

When I eat 1200 calories I gain weight. I am 5'3". I don't think it is realistic to think you are going to lose weight on 1200 calories. Keep it below 1000 & you will lose.

Please don't recommend to others to keep their calories so low. Only her doctor should do that, and that's in extreme cases.

And what works or doesn't for one person will not necessarily work or not work for someone else.

Everyone assumes that their personal experiences are true for everyone. Sorry, but they're not.

Emili03

MFP did not set that number - it was set by various health organisations.

The recommended dietry requirements for an average female are 2000 calories, so most women should lose weight on 1500-1800 calories a day,

http://www.livestrong.com/article/309283-the-minimum-amount-of-healthy-calories-per-day/

But you will also find that rather than rely on the MFP minimum of 1200, many people recommend you don't actually go lower than your BMR.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr?

If you don't go lower than your BMR...how do you create a calorie deficit? That just doesnt make sense to me....through exercise I suppose but I can never depend on that i will def have time for that.

billsica

I'm just going to start using this.

MrDude_1

When I eat 1200 calories I gain weight. I am 5'3". I don't think it is realistic to think you are going to lose weight on 1200 calories. Keep it below 1000 & you will lose.

Please don't recommend to others to keep their calories so low. Only her doctor should do that, and that's in extreme cases.

^^This.

I kinda laugh at the people that say this, then get their "extra" 200 cals from the ketchup and sauce on their food. or the butter on their toast.. etc.
in other words, nutritionally they're basically eating the same thing as the person they are chastising....
theres a big range of people in this world.. and if you are not in the middle, but rather at the extreme end of anything... you have to always keep that in mind. if you're a tiny tiny girl that doesnt do much then sit at a desk or on a couch, you 1000 is not an extreme deficit.
But you have to keep in mind, that with limited food intake, what you take must be good, and somewhat varied from day to day. Thats the nutritional aspect you probably want to talk to a doctor about. You dont want some vitamin or mineral deficiency that grows into a problem because you keep eating the same 10 foods every day.

AmareeLis

But you will also find that rather than rely on the MFP minimum of 1200, many people recommend you don't actually go lower than your BMR.

Which is what I've been wondering, since my BMR at 1343 still seems plenty low.

Hi... I just would like to share you my personal experience when reading your post. My height is 155cm, currently 65kg, and MFP recommended me 1200 also. But my weight got stuck most times when I ate 1200 or less for months! (on some week I could loose but some I wouldn't)..

I recently been reading the boards and I will have to agree with the above. For the last week I tried eating at least my BMR calories which is 1330 and I lost 0.8kg! (I saw people recommending eating at least most of the exercise calories back, which I also did) I feel very happy coz I can eat more and actually loose some weight.. I am going to keep eating at least 1330 for this week and see how I go..

LorinaLynn

If you don't go lower than your BMR...how do you create a calorie deficit? That just doesnt make sense to me....through exercise I suppose but I can never depend on that i will def have time for that.

Your BMR is what your body burns if you were comatose. It only includes basic bodily functions... breathing, heart beating, hair growing, etc.

As soon as you wake up, get out of bed, stagger to the bathroom, you're burning above and beyond your BMR. Your normal daily activity plus your BMR plus your exercise is your TDEE - total daily energy expenditure. As long as you're eating below your TDEE, you will lose weight.

beckylawrence70

It was a "magic number" for me, reached my goal, now I'm maintaining my weight of 120lbs on 1530......calories reduction is the key to losing weight, bottom line.

Megclark37

When I eat 1200 calories I gain weight. I am 5'3". I don't think it is realistic to think you are going to lose weight on 1200 calories. Keep it below 1000 & you will lose.

no no no, please don't take ignorant advice like this! :noway:

ladyraven68

MFP did not set that number - it was set by various health organisations.

The recommended dietry requirements for an average female are 2000 calories, so most women should lose weight on 1500-1800 calories a day,

http://www.livestrong.com/article/309283-the-minimum-amount-of-healthy-calories-per-day/

But you will also find that rather than rely on the MFP minimum of 1200, many people recommend you don't actually go lower than your BMR.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr?

If you don't go lower than your BMR...how do you create a calorie deficit? That just doesnt make sense to me....through exercise I suppose but I can never depend on that i will def have time for that.

You are confusing BMR (coma requirement calories) with TDEE (total daily energy expenditure).

Have a read of the link and it should start making sense.

inside_lap

1200 is the number quoted by everyone because 1200 caloric intake is the recommended lowest intake by ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) to ensure adequate nutrition (the concern being malnutrition NOT starvation). It's a generic safety net and may not apply to everyone. My understanding is that there is no actual research behind it, it's just a set recommendation. The average individual (the key being average) should probably stay well above that. Now if your petite, have a low body weight, and get adequate nutrition through whatever mean, this may not be the right number for you. If you are bigger or work out ALOT this is probably WAY too low. Nothing is really ever one size fits all....

_HeathBar_

I'm just going to start using this.

I approve of this message

To the person who says eat below 1000... GTFO of our forums please

BrunetteRunner87

The only way to know is to try it and see if it works for you.

Mustangsally1000

When I eat 1200 calories I gain weight. I am 5'3". I don't think it is realistic to think you are going to lose weight on 1200 calories. Keep it below 1000 & you will lose.

Please don't recommend to others to keep their calories so low. Only her doctor should do that, and that's in extreme cases.

^^This.

I kinda laugh at the people that say this, then get their "extra" 200 cals from the ketchup and sauce on their food. or the butter on their toast.. etc.
in other words, nutritionally they're basically eating the same thing as the person they are chastising....
theres a big range of people in this world.. and if you are not in the middle, but rather at the extreme end of anything... you have to always keep that in mind. if you're a tiny tiny girl that doesnt do much then sit at a desk or on a couch, you 1000 is not an extreme deficit.
But you have to keep in mind, that with limited food intake, what you take must be good, and somewhat varied from day to day. Thats the nutritional aspect you probably want to talk to a doctor about. You dont want some vitamin or mineral deficiency that grows into a problem because you keep eating the same 10 foods every day.

Well said Dude!!:drinker:

Prek2005

MFP did not set that number - it was set by various health organisations.

The recommended dietry requirements for an average female are 2000 calories, so most women should lose weight on 1500-1800 calories a day,

http://www.livestrong.com/article/309283-the-minimum-amount-of-healthy-calories-per-day/

But you will also find that rather than rely on the MFP minimum of 1200, many people recommend you don't actually go lower than your BMR.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr?

I am 43 years old and my height is 5'8. The results of my calorie intake that I got from my Wellness Coach is between 1200-1400 calories per day. MFP calorie intake is 1430, in which I think is average. My goal is to stay under 1430, but over 1200 and so far I have lost 18 pounds.

barbergirl28

1200 calories is a generic number based off research. This number - which works for most people - is the bare minimum needed to survive. This amount of calories is used to keep your organs functioning. Sure, you can go lower and probably won't go into starvation mode for a short time, but is it really worth it in the long run. Sending your body into starvation mode will have negative consequences, because if you do eat more, you will gain a bunch of weight. You might also notice your skin not looking as healthy or your hair might start shedding more. Granted, these are drastic and I am not even suggesting anyone would do this. After all, it is a generic number that works for the average person. But, without a doctor's diagnosis, you should probably stick to what has been put out there.

The other option - and this is where alot of people go wrong - is to make sure you are measuring everything correctly. If you don't have a scale and you don't count and measure everything out, even a little bit could send you in the wrong direction. When I first started, I couldn't understand why I wasn't losing my goal weight each week following the numbers. Well, I was overestimating on some of my food. The chicken breast which I thought was 3 oz. was actually 6 oz. Once in awhile overestimating won't hurt you, but doing it on everything all the time could mean you are actually eating way more than you think.

In addition, the 1200 is what you should eat as a net. If you eat 1200 and say you go for a short walk at lunch and burn 150 calories.. you should use that additional 150 calories. Not eating back your exercise calories, could also hinder your success. But, each person is different. I find the more I eat back my exercise calories, the better I do (and I have a hard time doing that!) But it really is up to the individual to find there own person sweet spot that will work for them.

EJsMummy26

It takes time to find your magic number. I'm eating 1600 for the last three weeks. I've gained 3 lbs, although I have my period, once this week is over I'm going to reevaluate.

I'm just trying to figure out where I'm supposed to be.