who eats 1200 cals, add me

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

There's so many things wrong with only eating 1200 kCals per day. You'll find that out yourself though.

Andric1

What do you suggest? That is the calorie allowance MFP has put me on. I am 51 and 5'2" currently weighing 186.6 lbs., looking to achieve a weight of 135. Advice would be helpful. Tell me why it's wrong, please.

I would also like to know what's wrong with it. I eat 1200 calories a day, I'm not starving and I'm steadily losing weight, so I haven't found out anything for myself except for the fact that it's working.

a few possible consequences:

1. malnutrition
2. fatigue
3. rebound binge eating
4. depression/mood swings
5. decreased muscle mass and therefore impaired metabolism

munchlaxx

I've been eating around 1200 calories everyday and my body doesn't feel deprived in the slightest bit. This probably has something to do with my health history, but I will not bother going into detail about that.


Everybody is different. There is no point in anyone trying to prove why eating 1200 calories is so wrong for EVERYone. Some bodies are meant for it, some are not. End of argument.

Di3012

and how much are you eating to maintain?

1580 and when maintaining I do eat back exercise calories, therefore it depends on how many calories I have burned during running or cycling that day. I train every other day.

and you eat back ALL of your exercise calories and gained no weight when you went off of the 1200 calorie diet? If so you are one blessed individual because that is quite rare!

No, because I built it up gradually, I didn't just get to my goal and bang, bung a load more calories on pmsl.

over how long of a span did you increase? what does pmsl mean? I'm quite interested because i know A LOT about nutrition/fitness and I've seen people do a number on their metabolisms so when I hear success stories like this it's intriguing to me.

Over a few weeks until I found my own level. If I go out at the weekend drinking and eating, one or two pounds may go back on, but it goes back to its level again within a few days when I get back to normal, this to me, is maintenance.

A female, on average, should be able to consume "around" 2000 calories to maintain, however having gone through the menopause at 48 (I am now 51), my BMR and TDEE is lower than it used to be, but that's okay, I expected as such anyway.

(pmsl = pissing myself laughing)

I best make it clear to everybody here, that I am, in no way, against weights - at all! I used to do a lot of track and field athletics and the events I did were power ones (sprinting and shot putt), I was into weights then. Now I am moving on to long-distance stuff and a longstanding ambition of mine - a half marathon is what I really want to do, my first one is scheduled next June. Until then, 5k races and a 10k in October will do. I am just against everybody being put into little boxes and being told "you must lift" "you must lift heavy" etc.

No offence meant peeps.

Helloitsdan

I am at 1200 calories as well, I find it hard to only eat 1200 calories without being hungry. It forces me to exercise every day for those extra calories. I try to earn at least 400 more a day. It s a good incentive.

Forced?

Why not just know how much you can eat daily, probably about 2200-2500, and eat below that.

One thing to remember is the systemic stress you have from dieting alone.
Then add stress from working out everyday?
Your diet is 80% nutrition.
Period.
You dont need to work out everyday to lose weight.

In fact youll probably lose it faster if you only worked out 3x a week.

Eating slightly below TDEE isnt necessarily losing weight fast but it sure melts fat!

mcarter99

I don't know why there is this need for some to lord their calorie levels over others. "I eat 1200 for breakfast!" "I would die on 1200 and I'm 4'2"!" Yes, and one of you is a man and one of you is practically a child with no excess body fat. What you eat and how you eat is not particularly relevant to anyone but yourself or others with your age/gender/body type/activity level.

What IS absolute is that weight loss is calories in vs. calories out. There can be a temporary decrease in BMR at lower calorie levels but it's never enough to negate the increased weight loss from the lower level. And it's temporary.

1200 is not dangerous according to any recognized authority. There is no award at the end for getting there at a snail's pace. If you feel fine at 1200, you're doing great.

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

I don't know why there is this need for some to lord their calorie levels over others. "I eat 1200 for breakfast!" "I would die on 1200 and I'm 4'2"!" Yes, and one of you is a man and one of you is practically a child with no excess body fat. What you eat and how you eat is not particularly relevant to anyone but yourself or others with your age/gender/body type/activity level.

What IS absolute is that weight loss is calories in vs. calories out. There can be a temporary decrease in BMR at lower calorie levels but it's never enough to negate the increased weight loss from the lower level. And it's temporary.

1200 is not dangerous according to any recognized authority. There is no award at the end for getting there at a snail's pace. If you feel fine at 1200, you're doing great.

Huh--the first part of your post makes 0 sense. And to say NO recognized authority would discourage a 1200 calorie diet is utter bullsh!t...it largely depends on your metabolic rate, current size, level of body fat, and activity level. So your sweeping statements have contributed nothing.