Help plz! do you really have to eat 1200 cals a day?????

Hi I'm about to start my junior year of highschool on August 20 and I Really want to be 10 pounds lighter by then. Mfp says if I eat 1200 Cal a day I lose a little over 1 pound a week Wichita seems way low and not fast enough for me. So I have been eating well below that with excercise. I heard about starvation mode and I have increasingly become more hungry. My question is thaat if I continue doing this is it okay and healthy? Or will I mess up my metabolism and do more harm than good?

Replies

  • delyn356
    delyn356 Posts: 145 Member
    If you're eating under 1200, you're not eating enough. Plus, your body is still growing, so you need to make sure it's getting all the nutrients it needs! Honestly, I think even 1200 is too low...Even though you might want to lose 10lbs before school starts, if you do it in an unhealthy way, you're most likely going to gain it all back.
  • nene01pop
    nene01pop Posts: 80 Member
    def need to eat... just exercising a little harder and longer will help with weight loss!
  • irisheyez718
    irisheyez718 Posts: 677 Member
    Eating less than 1200 calories isn't okay, it isn't healthy and could lead you too an eating disorder. You don't have much to lose, set your goals to lose half a pound a week, and eat all of the calories MFP tells you too.
  • smoore0411
    smoore0411 Posts: 20 Member
    I would not go below 1200. Start looking at food as fuel. Your body needs fuel to operate. Eat your 1200, do your cardio, maybe implement some type of HIT, etc.. and be patient. I know that's easier said than done but you'll be glad you did.
  • LoveMyLife_NYC
    LoveMyLife_NYC Posts: 230 Member
    You absolutely need to eat 1200 calories a day! If you don't eat enough, you won't be able to concentrate in school, you won't be able to work out, and you can seriously damage your organs. All this can lead to some permanent problems. You might feel like you "need" to lose 10 pounds before school starts, but you'll land yourself in the hospital if you do.

    Instead, please eat right and exercise. Lose the weight slowly so your body can adjust and the weight will stay off. You've got time before school starts. The scale might say you only lost 5 pounds, but if you do cardio and weight train, you'll tone up and lose fat/inches which is way more important anyway.

    If you're not sure, make an appointment with your family doctor, who can help you figure out what foods can fill you up and give you all the nutrients you need that will be low in calories and fat.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    How old are you going into your junior year of high school? You'd be better off using a site designed for teenagers if you are younger.
  • hanbro
    hanbro Posts: 5
    Thx everyone :) i will definitely eat atleast 1200 a day from now on
  • naples89
    naples89 Posts: 33 Member
    Edit: ^^^ whoops good luck!
    Starvation mode is largely a myth but with that said you would feel better and be more likely to stick to your diet if you ate a decent amount.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    There is a school of thought that you should eat at least your BMR. That is really a more accurate measure of your basic nutritional needs.
  • You definitely need to eat more than 1200 calories a day.
  • nnylee
    nnylee Posts: 811 Member
    No, you eat MORE than 1200 cals a day.
  • MyLovesMyLife
    MyLovesMyLife Posts: 424 Member
    Between my soph and junior year I lost 30lbs by just walking everywhere!!! I walked to school, to my dads house, to run errands for school. EVERYWHERE! I even enjoyed it and the pounds melted off. Good luck!!! And dont over think it, your young! Just dont overeat! :)
  • BarbWhite09
    BarbWhite09 Posts: 1,128 Member
    If you eat 1200 calories a day, studies show that you will get eaten by a dinosaur & die.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,329 Member
    I lose a little over 1 pound a week Wichita seems way low and not fast enough for me.

    Weight loss should be slow and steady..not fast and furious. You might lose, but odds are you will end up gaining it back. It didnt take you a couple weeks to gain the weight....it should take you longer than that to lose.