Do all people need 1200 calories to function per day?

lmiedema

I know the amount of calories you need depends on your size, and it is commonly said that a person needs at least 1200 calories a day just to have their body functioning normally. But I was wondering if the person is kinda small, can they have less?

I signed up for my fitness pal a while ago, and it put me on a calorie count of 1200 calories, but I've found it kinda hard to get to 1200 calories. Instead getting from 850-1000 calories per day, I've been doing fine! I was just wondering if that's's due to my height and weight, just under 5ft 2in and 126lbs. And if it's not healthy, why exactly?

taylor5877

It's hard to get the nutrients your body needs to function optimally with that few calories, that's for sure.

m_shuman

You actually should be eating at least 1200 calories. When I calculate you RMR it tells me you should actually be eating 1410 calories a day. Your RMR is what your body requires to function while you are at rest. This is basically what your body needs to maintain itself while you are in a coma. If you continue to eat so few calories you are going to harm your metabolism by slowing it down for the long haul and this can be a really hard thing to reverse. Also not only is your body metabolizing fat at this low of a caloric intake it is also metabolizing your lean muscle mass. Please don't starve yourself. I'm not saying eat junk. I am saying add in higher calorie foods that are good for you like dairy and meat. If you are a vegitarian increase your intake of lentils and beans, eat more nut butters and things like avacados which are high in calories and good fats. Here is a link that tells you about RMR and gives you a calculator.

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/rmr-calculator.html