This 1200 calorie thing is driving me up a wall

fatguynlilcoat

1200 is too low, but for us personally, My wife and I absolutely stop at 1500. We're trying to keep it at a 1000 cal deficit and this does it for us. It's just personal preference. Don't let other people tell you what to do. Take their advice and do what you want with it.

stillkristi

Banks I don't know if anyone has posted the link to your other post about extra calories but here it is...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

I found this very helpful.

Thanks, that was very helpful!

SHBoss1673

to answer your question stillkristi,

yeah, as a general guideline you can use your BMI.

I used to do it like this:

over 30: 1000 calorie a day deficit is fine
27 to 30: about 600 should work

25 to 27: about 400 should work

anything lower then 25, you probably shouldn't be at a deficit, or if you are, a very small one.

that's just my rule of thumb. It's not law, and it may not work for everyone. But it should be pretty accurate for most people, and unless you have a specific medical condition, it should be a guideline even if those numbers don't work, you may just need to tweak them a bit.

All that said, don't rely on BMI too much, as it is a flawed calculation. People with higher then average muscle to fat ratios don't get an accurate picture with BMI (typically athletes BMI's aren't true to form). also use as a gauge your body fat %, and weight, and general feeling of health. they should all be used in conjunction to help you realize your true health.

jtintx

to answer your question stillkristi,

yeah, as a general guideline you can use your BMI.

I used to do it like this:

over 30: 1000 calorie a day deficit is fine
27 to 30: about 600 should work

25 to 27: about 400 should work

anything lower then 25, you probably shouldn't be at a deficit, or if you are, a very small one.

that's just my rule of thumb. It's not law, and it may not work for everyone. But it should be pretty accurate for most people, and unless you have a specific medical condition, it should be a guideline even if those numbers don't work, you may just need to tweak them a bit.

All that said, don't rely on BMI too much, as it is a flawed calculation. People with higher then average muscle to fat ratios don't get an accurate picture with BMI (typically athletes BMI's aren't true to form). also use as a gauge your body fat %, and weight, and general feeling of health. they should all be used in conjunction to help you realize your true health.

Banks, I'm curious if you would agree that once a person reaches their optimal or healthy BMI range then body fat testing should be used to determine if the individual should continue with a calorie deficit or not? Well...I don't know how I missed that one sentence at the end of your post...disregard...I see you do feel body fat % is a good gauge. I would have deleted this if it allowed me. Sorry folks.

SHBoss1673

to answer your question stillkristi,

yeah, as a general guideline you can use your BMI.

I used to do it like this:

over 30: 1000 calorie a day deficit is fine
27 to 30: about 600 should work

25 to 27: about 400 should work

anything lower then 25, you probably shouldn't be at a deficit, or if you are, a very small one.

that's just my rule of thumb. It's not law, and it may not work for everyone. But it should be pretty accurate for most people, and unless you have a specific medical condition, it should be a guideline even if those numbers don't work, you may just need to tweak them a bit.

All that said, don't rely on BMI too much, as it is a flawed calculation. People with higher then average muscle to fat ratios don't get an accurate picture with BMI (typically athletes BMI's aren't true to form). also use as a gauge your body fat %, and weight, and general feeling of health. they should all be used in conjunction to help you realize your true health.

Banks, I'm curious if you would agree that once a person reaches their optimal or healthy BMI range then body fat testing should be used to determine if the individual should continue with a calorie deficit or not?

I think that body fat is a far better judge at that point. Although with a healthy BMI, it's tough to be at a deficit. At that point you can probably maintain and still gradually lose the fat and build muscle just by exercising, adding some resistance or weights, and eating healthy.

but I get your point, yeah, you can have a "healthy" BMI and still have a high Body Fat %. Not extremely high, but for a woman, I could see someone having a BMI of 25 and haveing a Body fat % of like 30 or so. Which is a little higher then it should be. for a man I imagine 20 or 21% would probably be the limit you could do and still be a healthy BMI.

those are just top of my head numbers, I didn't do any calculations to get them, so I may be a percentage point or two off there.

criztawl

I serioulsy don't understand why people do not get eating their calories AND the exercise calories. People don't seem to understand what their body needs nor do they seem to know about putting your body into starvation mode and screwing up your organs.

Also, I can' t believe that this site is telling the majority of people to eat 1200 cal/day. I'm to eat 1440 cal/day ... if I exercise, I eat those calories, maybe not all of them but most of them because I know to stay healthy AND lose weight that I need to give my body energy.


People need to learn that to lose weight doesn't mean that you need to starve yourself ... you need to eat to lose weight. Obsvioulsy not over eat, but eat a good amount of calories.

SHBoss1673

I serioulsy don't understand why people do not get eating their calories AND the exercise calories. People don't seem to understand what their body needs nor do they seem to know about putting your body into starvation mode and screwing up your organs.

Also, I can' t believe that this site is telling the majority of people to eat 1200 cal/day. I'm to eat 1440 cal/day ... if I exercise, I eat those calories, maybe not all of them but most of them because I know to stay healthy AND lose weight that I need to give my body energy.


People need to learn that to lose weight doesn't mean that you need to starve yourself ... you need to eat to lose weight. Obsvioulsy not over eat, but eat a good amount of calories.

unfortunately criz, the goals calculator is dumb. It doesn't factor in how much people have to lose, all it will do is ask you for a goal (1lb, 2lbs...etc) and give you a deficit. the only thing it will do is stop at 1200 calories. No matter what your size is, the site won't give you a deficit that brings you below 1200, well, not with the guided goals anyway.

and a lot of people just don't have the knowledge. There's so much crap out there that people get confused. It's not really their fault, this knowledge has been hidden for a long time from people. It's just now beginning to go main stream. Eventually everyone will (hopefully) have a better understanding of metabolism, but for now all we can do, as people who have researched it, is try to give out as much knowledge as we can and be patient and do our best to explain it.

stef_e_b

My fitness pal put me at 1300 but that seems very little and I haven't lost a thing. I went to a bmr site and it said over 2000. I don't know what to do at all.

what's your bmi?

what is your height, weight, and activity level?

Remember this, any website is only going to recommend based on "educated guesses". You may need to do some tweaking to get the numbers right for you. Don't be afraid to play a little bit with your calorie amounts, distribution, and macro nutrient percentages. this site (like me) isn't a god when it comes to calories, everyone is a little different. What works for me, may be a tiny bit different from what works for you, and so on and so forth.

Ugh, I guess the first step to recovery is admitting my faults so here goes:
BMI...38
Height...5'6
Weight...237
Activity Level...I put sedentary because I'm a student
I'm only 20 so I'm hoping I'm fixable. The other problem is that I have cerebral palsey so I can be limited when it comes to fitness. My left arm doesn't really do what it's told because I'm so weak from never using them.
I changed my goals from 2 pounds per week which left me at 1300 cals to 1 pound per week which is 1800 cals...I just don't know.

jtintx

Recently I've been reading some stuff by Covert Bailey. Covert Bailey earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard and received a M.S. degree in biochemistry from MIT. So I'm assuming he knows what he is talking about. He has been studying "fatness" for many, many years. The first book of his I read was Fit or Fat back in the early 80s. I would highly recommend his books. Anyhow, the point of this is that he says that men should have a body fat % (BF%) of 15 and women 22. He says that these are just guidelines kind of like blood pressure of 120/80 is a guideline. I found it really interesting that he says the average man is 22% fat and the average woman is 32% fat. It just goes to show that the average man and woman are over-fat. Just a few more numbers because I find this really interesting. The lowest BF% he ever test was 1% and 6% (man/woman) and the highest he ever tested was 55% and 68%. Anyhow, if you have a NetLibrary account you can read his book, The Ultimate Fit or Fat online for free.

arewethereyet

I want to throw a few pennies in the pond.

I know a lady who is skinny (think Olive Oyl) She barely ate anything all day long. Pretzels or such.

In the lunch room ppl would comment they wish they could eat like her so they could lose weight.

She is the 1st of my friends to have a major heart attack.

I went on 1200 calories for a while just to see what would happen. I plateaued. I then ate 1400-1500 and started to lose weight again.

I am 5'2" , 47 yr old female who gave birth 3 times. I was 105 after my Csection and 115 after my last child-so no excuse from preggo weight

Right now I am now 138 and feel healthier than I did in my 20s. I am eating good fuel foods, better fats, lots of veggies and fruits. I exercise 3-4 x a week. If I see I have eaten only 1100 or 1200 cals for the day (w/o exercise of course) I drink a protein shake.

It is slow going. I dont mind because I am HEALTHY!!

EAT people!!! :happy:

kerrilucko

My fitness pal put me at 1300 but that seems very little and I haven't lost a thing. I went to a bmr site and it said over 2000. I don't know what to do at all.

what's your bmi?

what is your height, weight, and activity level?

Remember this, any website is only going to recommend based on "educated guesses". You may need to do some tweaking to get the numbers right for you. Don't be afraid to play a little bit with your calorie amounts, distribution, and macro nutrient percentages. this site (like me) isn't a god when it comes to calories, everyone is a little different. What works for me, may be a tiny bit different from what works for you, and so on and so forth.

Ugh, I guess the first step to recovery is admitting my faults so here goes:
BMI...38
Height...5'6
Weight...237
Activity Level...I put sedentary because I'm a student
I'm only 20 so I'm hoping I'm fixable. The other problem is that I have cerebral palsey so I can be limited when it comes to fitness. My left arm doesn't really do what it's told because I'm so weak from never using them.
I changed my goals from 2 pounds per week which left me at 1300 cals to 1 pound per week which is 1800 cals...I just don't know.

because you want to lose so much, it is usually safe for you to be at a 2 lb loss per week. Those in the obese category are usually safe to do that. Just, at 1300 cals, eat back your exercise cals too. Of course you're fixable! :laugh: If you're more comfortable at 1 lb a week you can do that instead but seriously, don't be afraid to go with 2lbs a week, at least until you're out of the Obese zone... that's what I did.:flowerforyou:

arewethereyet

My fitness pal put me at 1300 but that seems very little and I haven't lost a thing. I went to a bmr site and it said over 2000. I don't know what to do at all.

what's your bmi?

what is your height, weight, and activity level?

Remember this, any website is only going to recommend based on "educated guesses". You may need to do some tweaking to get the numbers right for you. Don't be afraid to play a little bit with your calorie amounts, distribution, and macro nutrient percentages. this site (like me) isn't a god when it comes to calories, everyone is a little different. What works for me, may be a tiny bit different from what works for you, and so on and so forth.

Ugh, I guess the first step to recovery is admitting my faults so here goes:
BMI...38
Height...5'6
Weight...237
Activity Level...I put sedentary because I'm a student
I'm only 20 so I'm hoping I'm fixable. The other problem is that I have cerebral palsey so I can be limited when it comes to fitness. My left arm doesn't really do what it's told because I'm so weak from never using them.
I changed my goals from 2 pounds per week which left me at 1300 cals to 1 pound per week which is 1800 cals...I just don't know.

Steph I am so proud of you!! 25 pounds gone....forever!!

can you lift light weights? Ask the Dr first but I bet with light weights you could increase the power in yoru left arm. Even 1 or 2 pounds with a few reps each morning.

You are doign so well!!! So proud of you!!:flowerforyou: Jeannie

kerrilucko

I want to throw a few pennies in the pond.

I know a lady who is skinny (think Olive Oyl) She barely ate anything all day long. Pretzels or such.

In the lunch room ppl would comment they wish they could eat like her so they could lose weight.

She is the 1st of my friends to have a major heart attack.

I went on 1200 calories for a while just to see what would happen. I plateaued. I then ate 1400-1500 and started to lose weight again.

I am 5'2" , 47 yr old female who gave birth 3 times. I was 105 after my Csection and 115 after my last child-so no excuse from preggo weight

Right now I am now 138 and feel healthier than I did in my 20s. I am eating good fuel foods, better fats, lots of veggies and fruits. I exercise 3-4 x a week. If I see I have eaten only 1100 or 1200 cals for the day (w/o exercise of course) I drink a protein shake.

It is slow going. I dont mind because I am HEALTHY!!

Eat PEOPLE!!! :happy:

don't forget you also look fabulous! :flowerforyou:

age1389

How and where can you get your fat measured? I remember they did it gym class but haven't gotten it done since then....

arewethereyet

How and where can you get your fat measured? I remember they did it gym class but haven't gotten it done since then....

I googled our local University and found they have an entire clinic for their students. I am going to schedule a full work up and it is free!!

arewethereyet

I want to throw a few pennies in the pond.

I know a lady who is skinny (think Olive Oyl) She barely ate anything all day long. Pretzels or such.

In the lunch room ppl would comment they wish they could eat like her so they could lose weight.

She is the 1st of my friends to have a major heart attack.

I went on 1200 calories for a while just to see what would happen. I plateaued. I then ate 1400-1500 and started to lose weight again.

I am 5'2" , 47 yr old female who gave birth 3 times. I was 105 after my Csection and 115 after my last child-so no excuse from preggo weight

Right now I am now 138 and feel healthier than I did in my 20s. I am eating good fuel foods, better fats, lots of veggies and fruits. I exercise 3-4 x a week. If I see I have eaten only 1100 or 1200 cals for the day (w/o exercise of course) I drink a protein shake.

It is slow going. I dont mind because I am HEALTHY!!

Eat PEOPLE!!! :happy:

don't forget you also look fabulous! :flowerforyou:

Oh you are so sweet Keri:blushing:

And I didnt mean you had to eat some people:huh: You will NOT lose weight this way.:laugh: :laugh:

age1389

How and where can you get your fat measured? I remember they did it gym class but haven't gotten it done since then....

I googled our local University and found they have an entire clinic for their students. I am going to schedule a full work up and it is free!!

Oh wow that's cool, I'll have to look into that... Thanks..

Love_Conquers_All

Recently I've been reading some stuff by Covert Bailey. Covert Bailey earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard and received a M.S. degree in biochemistry from MIT. So I'm assuming he knows what he is talking about. He has been studying "fatness" for many, many years. The first book of his I read was Fit or Fat back in the early 80s. I would highly recommend his books. Anyhow, the point of this is that he says that men should have a body fat % (BF%) of 15 and women 22. He says that these are just guidelines kind of like blood pressure of 120/80 is a guideline. I found it really interesting that he says the average man is 22% fat and the average woman is 32% fat. It just goes to show that the average man and woman are over-fat. Just a few more numbers because I find this really interesting. The lowest BF% he ever test was 1% and 6% (man/woman) and the highest he ever tested was 55% and 68%. Anyhow, if you have a NetLibrary account you can read his book, The Ultimate Fit or Fat online for free.

Tess

Ok there are 500 000 000 replies but i'll say what my nutritionist and personal trainer said.

I've been trying to loose extra fat for about 2 years, and do aprox 12hours or more of cardio exercise plus weight toning a week and i see 0 results. Absolutely NONE, no more muscle tone, no loss of fat, not change in inches no change in weight.

Why???

She said i'm likely not eating enough actually. Apparently eating too little has the EXACT same effect as eating too much. She said i should be getting 2100 cal per day (from very good sources of course). She said if i'm eating too little it's likely the reason that my motabalism has stalled.

AuntyABBY24

Hi, i'm 5'5" and weigh 184lbs and my recommended calorie intake is 1200. I did a BMR thingy and it told me i needed 1700 calories just to function. Iv had no problem only eating 1200, in fact i'm eating less cos i now eat loads of fruit and salad etc to fill me up.

I have a friend who is a body builder and he NEVER counts calories in food he always counts the fat content.

calories give me energy, i work night shifts so binge on junk cos they are high colorie and high sugar (and high fat)

Basically its a case of eating everything in moderation and exercising regualrly. It just become too much like hard work when u count things and weigh things. I just can't be arsed with all the fuss!!!

Now I use a smaller plate and don't pile food to compensate therefore shrinking my portion size. I now have a smoothie for breakfast and supper made with 5 pieces of fruit and like i say i have more veg/salad that pots/pasta etc.

Ive read thru the forums and have read of people injecting themselves, only eating carbs one day, veg the next, protein the next. I cant ever imagine injecting myself to lose weight.

A BALANCED DIET AND EXERCISE IS THE WAY!!!!