MFP 1200 cal advice

1sisrat

What are your oppinions about MFP putting 1200 cal/day at a basis to lose weight for a lot of people. I have been doing it for a while and didn't lose anything. I recently did some calculations that say I should be eating between 1350-1500 cal/day to lose (which is a 500 cal/day deficit).

27 yrs old
143 lbs (had baby 5 months ago)
before baby I was 130, my GW is 130.
5'5"
small body frame (5.75 inch wrist)
work out 3-5 days a week with active life on the weekends.

kellicci

MFP os just a calculator you put in numbers and what you want to lose and spits out numbers on how to do it. But we are people not numbers so sometimes we have to adjust a little. No biggie.

I think you're on the right track. I personlly don't think eating below your BMR works all that well when you don't have a lot to lose. Try changing your goal to that 1350 number and maybe upping your protein percentage a little from the generic one MFP assigns. It'll force you to concentrate on filling up on protein which will keep you full and satisfied and help tone and repair muscles after workouts.

1sisrat

thanks, I recently upped it to 1400, as my BMR is 1445. supposedly. I'm trying something new, not eating below what I would be fed if I were in a coma and doctors were feeding me the minimal to keep me alive.... seems to make sense. We shall see. The protein is definitely something I will be increasing and have been working on.

Melo1966

With an active lifestyle and not much to lose 1400 seems about right for you. Eat more protein and drink more water on days you work out. Try it for two weeks and adjust from there.

songbirdtree

1200 works for me but I weigh more than you.. I've read that alternating high cal and low cal days is helpful for seeing results.

dalgal26

I limit myself to 1200 calories a day! Works for me. And I do not get hungry. Everyone has to find what works for them!

Wishing you continued success in your journey! :flowerforyou:

Pandorian

MFP doesn't put everyone at 1200 calories, it's given me as low as 1500 based on my goals. It all depends on where you're at weight wise (BMR, activity level chosen) and rate of loss chosen. MFP isn't to blame when "everyone" that gets 1200 calories has 5-15 lbs to lose and choose sedentary lifestyle and 2lbs per week as their rate of loss. 1200 is just the minimum that MFP will set for any user, but more "may" be right for a lot of those who are at the magical 1200.

slywon

Everyone is different. I aim for the 1200 and I am 5'5" and currently at 151 aiming for 125-130 like you. I am always full so 1200 is doable for me. The key for me is 1: water - I drink 12 cups a day - 3 with morning snack, 3 with lunch, 3 with afternoon snack, and 3 with supper. 2: I try really hard to have 5 smaller meals spread evenly over my day finishing with dinner and no food by 7 pm. These things help rev my metabolism and I am always full. I also find it helpful to log my food a day ahead. Instead of logging what I have eaten I pre-plan the next day and stick to it. Good luck to you (and me, hehe). I am just starting so who knows how long this will work for me before I need to readjust.

californiagirl2012

What are your oppinions about MFP putting 1200 cal/day at a basis to lose weight for a lot of people. I have been doing it for a while and didn't lose anything. I recently did some calculations that say I should be eating between 1350-1500 cal/day to lose (which is a 500 cal/day deficit).

27 yrs old
143 lbs (had baby 5 months ago)
before baby I was 130, my GW is 130.
5'5"
small body frame (5.75 inch wrist)
work out 3-5 days a week with active life on the weekends.

We all have roughly the same frames if you look at skeletons. Your RMR is mainly bases on height. Since I was overweight most of my life everyone told me I looked strong and had big bones. Once I finally lost the fat last year (at age 50 so yeah I was fat for a long time!) I saw how small I really am.

You are really not that much overweight. 5’5” 113 – 144 Lbs (healthy weight range).

Ask your doctor but you could probably eat 1300 calories and lose weight. Some people can handle a deeper deficit for a short time. I was able to handle it longer than many others. I've never had emotional eating issues and I reduced as much stress as I could during my two year weight loss journey.

Too many changes at once can be hard on some people. I've always eaten healthy so it easy for me to simply eat less. Eating at a calorie deficit is hard on people; even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such. Everyone is different. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others, this is not right or wrong, it just is. Stress in your life affects your hunger hormones; lack of sleep, fatigue, job stress, family stress, financial stress, etc. Add in emotional eating issues and it gets even more complicated. Most people can only handle so much change/stress at once, they try to do too much and fail. Sometimes it might be a better strategy to eat at maintenance and make some small changes first, it really depends on how much stress you are taking in at the moment.

So you might be able to do it at 1200, just make sure to discuss it with your doctor first. No here can tell you how many calories to eat. I ate well under that but I am much shorter and smaller than you and I was in constant contact with my doctor. He checked my blood work (hormones, etc) on a regular basis and all was good the whole time and now. And my DXA scan proved I did not lose lean body mass or go into starvation mode.

To say eat more is wrong.

To say eat less is wrong.

To find the exact calories needed for YOU to be in a healthy sustainable calorie deficit is the right answer. Wait, if you need to adjust by 100 do it, wait, adjust, wait, adjust, wait. The tortoise wins this race.

All that matters is calories. A healthy balanced diet within a calorie budget for a deficit that is right for YOU is all that matters for weight loss.

n2thenight24

We are the same age, same height, and you weigh about 9 lbs less than I do, so not much, and MFP has me set at 1400 calories a day. You should make sure your settings are at 1 lb a week and no more if you want an accurate calorie intake.