if eating under 1200cals is so bad.......

LauriesTrying2BeFit

why do i see people getting such good results doing it argh!!!

i have never gone under 1200cals and i eat back most exercise cals too. i havent been logging for ages now though but have been maintaining as i dont usually try new things so i have a rough idea on my cals. i eat around 1600cals and when i exercise i log that and usually eat more so around 1900-2300cals a day. i havent lost any weight in ages infact iv gained about 8lbs since i started doing insanity last month!!!

yet i have friends on here who fill there diary in daily and eat pretty rubbish but under 1200 some only 800cals of pure rubbish! and still seem to be losing weight at a fast pace!

i really dont understand this, i do delete these people but havent in afew weeks, its just really off putting i dont get fast results any more yet it seems eating afew ready meals, mugshots or processed crap is making these people lose up to 2lb a week!!

DawnieB1977

The people you mention who are eating rubbish and losing fast....how much do they need to lose? If they're quite big then dropping to below 1200 calories will make them lose fast, however they're eating those calories. I don't think you can maintain good loss while eating like that though.

Personally I eat around 1400 a day, and I don't eat back my exercise calories. I was eating around 1200, and since I upped it slightly I've been losing faster. I suppose since I exercise a lot and have been doing so for well over a year now, my metabolism has probably speeded up.

If that's you in the pink dress on your profile pic, then you clearly don't have a lot to lose, so it'll take you a bit longer anyway. The last 7lbs or so are always the toughest I think.

Just ignore the people eating rubbish. You know it's not healthy and it won't do them any good in the long term.

aakaakaak

You have the possibility of your body going into starvation mode if you break under 1200 calories. Generally speaking, there isn't anything else bad about it, unless you're getting bad nutrition, or feel like you're starving yourself. You don't have to ride your calorie number all the time. You can eat less if you want to.

IMO the concept of "eating back exercise calories" sounds more like an excuse to eat more than a plan to lose weight. I'm sure it works, it just sounds odd to me.

cramernh

With all due honesty, I dont associate with people who eat well below the 1200 or net below 1200.. it is not a healthy management of weight loss or health. Yes, there are people who willingly do that, but I personally find it to be self-destructive... Id rather lose the weight gradually and do it the right way...

LauriesTrying2BeFit

With all due honesty, I dont associate with people who eat well below the 1200 or net below 1200.. it is not a healthy management of weight loss or health. Yes, there are people who willingly do that, but I personally find it to be self-destructive... Id rather lose the weight gradually and do it the right way...

i agree it just really annoys me when i try to give good advice but its as though im just talking rubbish as they lose easy anyway and they arent big at all! average weight!

lauraatkinson85

I find it particularly hard when someone who only ever eats 800kcals comments on my diary telling me im eating 'too many carbs', when in all reality im eating a balanced diet of around 1200 kcals and also exercising. Surely not everyone thinks that carbs are the 'enemy'.

As far as I understand 1200 is the minimum anyone should eat in order to make sure that they are getting all the nutrients that they need.

I'd rather do it healthily and get fit rather than losing weight but having a poorly heart!

Well done on the great weight loss!

x

cramernh

With all due honesty, I dont associate with people who eat well below the 1200 or net below 1200.. it is not a healthy management of weight loss or health. Yes, there are people who willingly do that, but I personally find it to be self-destructive... Id rather lose the weight gradually and do it the right way...

i agree it just really annoys me when i try to give good advice but its as though im just talking rubbish as they lose easy anyway and they arent big at all! average weight!

If the advice is asked, then the receiver really should take it to heart. When its unprompted, that is when all hell breaks loose to be honest.

I simply wont associate with anyone who does this. I dont comment on anyone's intake but I wont keep them around if they willingly make those bad choices... I dont want to be associated with that.

Tank_Girl

Many years ago before I had any common sense and before I learnt to cook I lived on a diet of baked potatoes with butter, pot noodles and alcohol I lost roughly 42lb in 3mths and I was fairly thin to start with..
I went from being healthy and boisterous teenager to nearly feral, sleeping with 1 eye open due to a violent boyfriend didnt help much either...

yaffa11

Hello my name is Michelle and i was reading everybody's post, i didn't even know they were here, i am new to this site, and i was wondering why your thoughts on eating your exercise calories are so bad ? Just wondering your opinion on this. i eat them all the time because i struggle with such hunger, and im always looking for ways to eat more, eating less at certain meals eating things with little calories you name it, iv talked to trainers at the gym and they said if that's what i need to do that is was just simple math burn more than you take in. so if im burning more than im taking in after eating the excersise calories why is that bad?? Please let me know your opinion, im just trying to get all the input i can on so many questions iv been having. Been there, done it all, just curious on peoples opinions. I know everyone's body is different, so im seeking different stories. Thanks for sharing. Michelle

head_in_rainbows

I find it particularly hard when someone who only ever eats 800kcals comments on my diary telling me im eating 'too many carbs', when in all reality im eating a balanced diet of around 1200 kcals and also exercising. Surely not everyone thinks that carbs are the 'enemy'.

As far as I understand 1200 is the minimum anyone should eat in order to make sure that they are getting all the nutrients that they need.

I'd rather do it healthily and get fit rather than losing weight but having a poorly heart!

Well done on the great weight loss!

x

How I understand the carb thing is that there are two types of carbs. I fallow few yoga related websides and while I don't allways agree with everything they say there (I'm not going to become vegan thank you very much even if I love plants and can go for days without any animal products) , on one of tehm I found a great explanation of this carb issue :

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6029/3-Common-Carb-Misconceptions.html

I'll admit I do not allways hit the 1200 target but this is not intentional, it just simply happens and the only time I ate under 800 was when I woke up in the afternoon after crazy partying and I saw no point in having breakfast in lunch time so I skipped it.

michellekathryn

I know I eat poorly but that is why I came to this site. I have my diary open because I want the advice and the guidance. Also I want to be honest so I can see where my weaknesses are and be inspired by people like you to make better choices. Thanks for being an inspiration.

nxd10

With all due honesty, I dont associate with people who eat well below the 1200 or net below 1200.. it is not a healthy management of weight loss or health. Yes, there are people who willingly do that, but I personally find it to be self-destructive... Id rather lose the weight gradually and do it the right way...

You must be younger than I am.

I'm over 50. I normally take in around 1300 calories and net well under under 1200. My goal is 1310. I am not even vaguely hungry and eat what the rest of my family eats. I walk to work and do a very brisk walk in the afternoon, but that's it.. I have't missed a weekly calorie goal ever and haven't gone over my net by more than 10 calories in several months.

When I hit my early 40's there was a noticable slowing of my metabolism so that if I ate the same as I used to, I gained weight (23 pounds, to be exact). When I hit my late 40's it became a little more noticeable.

I doubt my 30 year old self could have happily lived netting 1200. But my 50 year old self? No problem.

What I love about MFP is that it allows me to monitor my intake. But sorry, it hasn't been a deprivation and I choose my food carefully and feel healthier than I have in years. This isn't a diet. Having hit my initial weight loss goal, I dropped it down because this has been too easy and it is obvious this is a good calorie level for me.

LisaLouisiana

They might be taking the weight off, but it's not all fat. They're loosing muscle, too, and that's not good. Eating 800 calories of rubbish is not nourishing your body. They might get skinny, even if their metabolism fights them, but they've actually harmed their bodies and they're not a healthy, sexy thin.

While you're doing insanity, you're putting on muscle. I didn't loose for the better part of a month myself while I was building muscle, too. Now it's coming off well and I'm sure having this extra muscle is part of the reason. Keep doing some exercising and maybe cut back on your calories a tad....leave some of your exercise calories not eaten each day and see if that doesn't work for you. That is what I have to do. I have friends loosing weight while eating enough calories that would put weight on me. I joke that I'm famine resistant, but honestly, I am.....it's genetic and it's from having done ultra low calorie diets in the past. I damaged my own metabolism.

legalporter

With all due honesty, I dont associate with people who eat well below the 1200 or net below 1200.. it is not a healthy management of weight loss or health. Yes, there are people who willingly do that, but I personally find it to be self-destructive... Id rather lose the weight gradually and do it the right way...

You must be younger than I am.

I'm over 50. I normally take in around 1300 calories and net well under under 1200. My goal is 1310. I am not even vaguely hungry and eat what the rest of my family eats. I walk to work and do a very brisk walk in the afternoon, but that's it.. I have't missed a weekly calorie goal ever and haven't gone over my net by more than 10 calories in several months.

When I hit my early 40's there was a noticable slowing of my metabolism so that if I ate the same as I used to, I gained weight (23 pounds, to be exact). When I hit my late 40's it became a little more noticeable.

I doubt my 30 year old self could have happily lived netting 1200. But my 50 year old self? No problem.

What I love about MFP is that it allows me to monitor my intake. But sorry, it hasn't been a deprivation and I choose my food carefully and feel healthier than I have in years. This isn't a diet. Having hit my initial weight loss goal, I dropped it down because this has been too easy and it is obvious this is a good calorie level for me.

I hit 40 this summer and have really noticed a change in caloric needs (gradually, over the past year or so). I used to be able to eat 'rubbish' and stay around my calorie goal and lose weight. Now, I've learned that it's the quality of food that I eat that helps me lose. I shoot for 1200 calories (I gain if I eat more) and if I'm eating right, I'm not hungry at all.

GuybrushThreepw00d

I try to eat at least 1200, and normally do about 1300.
However, i don't eat my exercise bonus calories.

MFP site will warn you about going into starvation mode if you eat less than 1200. However if you eat exactly 1200 and burn off 500 running, it won't warn you.

I'd worry about someone just eating the 1200 without exercising, as @LisaLouisiana points out, they'll be losing weight through muscle loss. However if you're hitting the weights and have a good protein intake then i can't see you losing muscle mass.

I'm only dropping about 2-3lb a week, and i'm gyming it every single day. I'm sure if i cut out the gym, and just ate lightly i could lose much faster.... There's the right way and the wrong way...

sgarrard01

As someone else said, above 1200kcal (which is still extreamly low for someone who doesnt have more than 100lbs to loose) is not so dangerous for the now, but for the future....that point when you loose a load of weight and look really skinny, but realise you are weak and drained as you've lost 'all' your muscle and can only eat 1200kcal a day or you put on weight, compared to someone who looks lean, has a good muscle mass and can eat 2100kcal a day!.... muscle is your best friend in life and you should do everything to preserve it!....

As for the going under 1200kcal with exersize and not getting the warning (i didnt know this as i have never done it) although you have the same problem, your body will burn some lovely quick release muscel to make up the difference it needs!.

Without meaning to sound like an a'hole... i eat a NET of 1600kcal per day (MFP says to do 1400kcal but i plateued), i eat back all my exersize calories (which can quite often be 1500 extra). I dont give a cr*p about high carb, low carb i only look to get a good amount of protein and minimise on processed food (although there are a few bits in there)... and im still loosing 2lbs a week!....

Any questions feel free to message me! x

bethanywink

MFP has me at eating 1200, thats my goal. I usually get between 1200 and 1300, but I work out alot, so I try to eat more on those days.

Ruthe8

Of course starving yourself makes you lose weight. Duh. It's bad because it's unhealthy. This is not a hard concept.

Turtlehurdle

I don't understand how in the hell people can eat -below- 1200. I have problems staying AT 1200. I always tend to go slightly above.

neverstray

It's cals in, cals out. If you are not losing at 1200 and you are 100% honest about everything you eat...everything. Then, drop it to 1100. If still no results, drop it to 1000. It's simple math. At some point, you have to lose.

You could also go the other way with the eat more to weigh less crowd. It really depends on your activity level, I think.

madmish00

Don't be too disheartened. When you start an intense exercise program like insanity you will often see a weight gain initially because you will retain a lot more water until your body adjusts. Keep at it and you will see the pounds start dropping.

1200 calories is a number that has been demonised as the number not to cross below. This is on the basis that people have somehow deemed this number to be the minimum requirements your body needs on a day to day basis, however people have entirely different basal metabolic rates

For example based on the BMR calculator on this site:
My BMR is 1259
My boyfriend's BMR is 1734
My mum's BMR is 1372

Clearly for me to eat 1200 calories a day would be OK but at 1200 calories my boyfriend would be eating nearly 600 calories less than his body needs for its basic functions. For him 1800 calories would be the number not to drop under. Work with your own BMR. If you occasionally drop below this your body will not shut down and 'starve' as some people will have you believe but you should not consistently aim below this number as your metabolism will eventually start to slow down and then it will become much harder to lose weight. This is due to the fact that if you feed your body only 800 calories and your metabolism adapts to this low number when you do eat more your body will work to conserve it i.e store it as fat in preparation for when calories drop back down. This is what is really meant by starvation mode.

Ideally you want to aim for your daily calories to be somewhere in between your BMR and Total Daily Energy Expenditure. This is calculated by multiplying your BMR calories by your activity level (Multiply by 1.2 for sedentary, 1.375 lightly active, 1.55 moderately active, 1.725 very active or 1.9 extremely active)

My TDEE is 2072. I therefore work on an 1800 calorie intake. This factors in a 250 calorie deficit which equates to about 0.5lbs per week.

It is difficult to consistently eat less than 1200 cals and provided your body with the nutrients it needs. The people doing this may lose weight but they will likely feel like crap most of the time.

madmish00

It's cals in, cals out. If you are not losing at 1200 and you are 100% honest about everything you eat...everything. Then, drop it to 1100. If still no results, drop it to 1000. It's simple math. At some point, you have to lose.

You could also go the other way with the eat more to weigh less crowd. It really depends on your activity level, I think.

Bad advice. That just sounds like a step ladder to anorexia. What happens when you get down to 500 calories and still aren't losing? Keep going?

Graelwyn75

As someone else said, above 1200kcal (which is still extreamly low for someone who doesnt have more than 100lbs to loose) is not so dangerous for the now, but for the future....that point when you loose a load of weight and look really skinny, but realise you are weak and drained as you've lost 'all' your muscle and can only eat 1200kcal a day or you put on weight, compared to someone who looks lean, has a good muscle mass and can eat 2100kcal a day!.... muscle is your best friend in life and you should do everything to preserve it!....

As for the going under 1200kcal with exersize and not getting the warning (i didnt know this as i have never done it) although you have the same problem, your body will burn some lovely quick release muscel to make up the difference it needs!.

Without meaning to sound like an a'hole... i eat a NET of 1600kcal per day (MFP says to do 1400kcal but i plateued), i eat back all my exersize calories (which can quite often be 1500 extra). I dont give a cr*p about high carb, low carb i only look to get a good amount of protein and minimise on processed food (although there are a few bits in there)... and im still loosing 2lbs a week!....

Any questions feel free to message me! x

Totally agree with this. Lower your calories too far and it really becomes counter productive as your body will adjust accordingly, hold onto more fat, lower the metabolism and then, well, you either regain the weight once you even attempt to eat a healthier amount, resign yourself to the rest of your life eating 1200 or less and feeling like crap or end up having to do a reset and start again. In my opinion it is utter nonsense that anyone over 5 foot needs to eat 1200 or less to lose weight. If you feel your metabolism is so slow then what on earth is the purpose in adding to that issue or perpetuating it?

So many here are overweight because of these endless low calorie diets they have pursued for years yet they still don't get it. Check out those who started eating more, dealt with the initial gain then started losing weight perfectly well while at a decent calorie intake.

I had severe anorexia when younger and have had a fair few relapses and I am approaching 40 so sorry, if I can eat 1700 plus without exercise and not gain, I fai
To see that there is anyone who needs to restrict to 1200 and less to lose. Note I am also hypo thyroid. We might all be different heights and weights and have different lifestyles but we are not essentially so biologically different that some need to starve themselves to lose weight.

Mookz0r

It's cals in, cals out. If you are not losing at 1200 and you are 100% honest about everything you eat...everything. Then, drop it to 1100. If still no results, drop it to 1000. It's simple math. At some point, you have to lose.

You could also go the other way with the eat more to weigh less crowd. It really depends on your activity level, I think.

But most of our BMRs are around the 1100-1400 mark, so calculate that first. I use my BMR as my lower limit because that provides me with the cals my body needs to just sleep, so logic would say that if I'm up and about burning more than I would be sleeping, but only consuming my BMR cals, then I'm at a deficit that's still adequate. Same logic would suggest that going below your BMR (unless you're got loads of weight to lose) means that your body can no longer meet its basic needs = unhealthy.

If you're not losing weight at your BMR calories (or under) then it sounds as if your body's compensating somehow.

Oh, and just an aside, concentration camp inmates in WWII were on a 1300 cal daily diet with hard graft for 12h a day. They lost a lot of weight too. :-(

neverstray

It's cals in, cals out. If you are not losing at 1200 and you are 100% honest about everything you eat...everything. Then, drop it to 1100. If still no results, drop it to 1000. It's simple math. At some point, you have to lose.

You could also go the other way with the eat more to weigh less crowd. It really depends on your activity level, I think.

Bad advice. That just sounds like a step ladder to anorexia. What happens when you get down to 500 calories and still aren't losing? Keep going?

Lol. Not really. I can't help if someone has a disease. That's not what I am talking about. If i buy you a drink in a bar, I don't assume that I am feeding an alcohol binge, I'm just simply buying you a drink. Sometimes, it's simple. Life is not that complicated, similar to weight loss. It is a simple equation. If you don't lose any weight, and you are honest, than drop, if you still don't lose, drop a little more. At some point, you will lose. I am talking about healthy loss, like 1 lb per week. If after a few weeks, this doesn't work, it will, but if it doesn't, than my advice is to go the other way and start adding cals until you lose. Just keep going up. There is an equilibrium there somewhere that every person has to find. All the formulas and MFP recommendations are just starting points. If you eat clean and healthy, those foods are more dense and will make you feel full longer. And, you will not feel hungry.

tmauck4472

You have the possibility of your body going into starvation mode if you break under 1200 calories. Generally speaking, there isn't anything else bad about it, unless you're getting bad nutrition, or feel like you're starving yourself. You don't have to ride your calorie number all the time. You can eat less if you want to.

IMO the concept of "eating back exercise calories" sounds more like an excuse to eat more than a plan to lose weight. I'm sure it works, it just sounds odd to me.

Wrong answer..(at least the first part of this ) .I've been eating below 1200 since I started in January and I'm losing about 3 lbs a week. But I don't eat junk or processed foods for that matter.

pauljanet

With all due honesty, I dont associate with people who eat well below the 1200 or net below 1200.. it is not a healthy management of weight loss or health. Yes, there are people who willingly do that, but I personally find it to be self-destructive... Id rather lose the weight gradually and do it the right way...

You must be younger than I am.

I'm over 50. I normally take in around 1300 calories and net well under under 1200. My goal is 1310. I am not even vaguely hungry and eat what the rest of my family eats. I walk to work and do a very brisk walk in the afternoon, but that's it.. I have't missed a weekly calorie goal ever and haven't gone over my net by more than 10 calories in several months.

When I hit my early 40's there was a noticable slowing of my metabolism so that if I ate the same as I used to, I gained weight (23 pounds, to be exact). When I hit my late 40's it became a little more noticeable.

I doubt my 30 year old self could have happily lived netting 1200. But my 50 year old self? No problem.

What I love about MFP is that it allows me to monitor my intake. But sorry, it hasn't been a deprivation and I choose my food carefully and feel healthier than I have in years. This isn't a diet. Having hit my initial weight loss goal, I dropped it down because this has been too easy and it is obvious this is a good calorie level for me.

I turned 50 last yr, I for the past 30+years have only eaten one meal a day because I just don't have an appetite , which consisted off things like sausage chips and gravy or fish and chips and a slice of bread sometimes and with about 4 cups of coffee 2 sugars full fat milk. Since joining MFP I am most likely eating slightly more calories now but a hell of a lot healthy. It's been very hard for me to adjust to eating 3 times a day and trying to meet the 1200cals which I rarely achieve, but like you I am not starving and feel this is a healthy eating plan although I am loosing weight. I certainly wasn't starving myself over the last 30yrs either, otherwise I would be in size 0 and not gained any weight!

jbp1

A recent study showed that women who exercise heavily at the start of a diet feel increased hunger. That said, I would not stop exercising. You may find that less strenuous exercise at the beginning won't stimulate your appetite as much. Ramp up slowly so that you are first used to the reduced calorie intake. AND... it's ok to eat back your calories.

McBully4

Starvation is an excellent way to lose weight.

p.s. check with these people a year from now see if they maintained a healthy weight?

AngryDiet

I'm lately of the opinion that the 1200 calorie thing is a general rule of thumb which simplifies a much more complex situation. But people can't generally be bothered to learn and follow more complex rules, so it serves - most of the time.

I think it's simple enough though. Find a good way to estimate body fat weight, and eat such that you lose between 4 and 8 pounds a MONTH. If you are close to a healthy weight, target 4 lb per month, and if you have a ways to go, target 8 lbs per month.

You need to track your eating and weight for a couple of months, and then start adjusting until you hit the targeted loss per month. If that target is below 1200 kcal but you aren't losing too quickly (or going below a healthy fat range) then I personally don't see the problem.

That starvation mode myth is really annoying.

Also, if you aren't losing weight or aren't going below a healthy weight, then the anorexia comment is silly too.

Delovelybella87

I eat really healthy organic lean meat, salmon, fresh greens, fresh vegetables and limit condiments to iodized salt and cracked pepper and only use olive oil to cook with . I do struggle eating enough calories but that's because I don't eat gluten or anything containing corn syrup and avoiding candy, ice cream and sugar soda. If this is unhealthy can I ask what is healthy? I will add , this is not a diet it's a life style due to intolerance. And I do take vitamins daily but my daily calories barely reach 700-800 if lucky. And I burn the calories I consume via excersise 6 days a week for 1 hr and half a day! Can anyone else relate at all?