Is it ok to go below 1200 net calories?

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Replies

  • crunchybubblez
    crunchybubblez Posts: 387 Member
    Not sure about this...please correct me if I am wrong. Did I see earlier that you are breastfeeding a baby? You burn at least 500 calories a day with breastfeeding. Therefore, you should be eating more.

    I am in the proccess of getting my 2.5 yr old "baby" to self wean.
    I account 200 extra calories for it.
  • inside_lap
    inside_lap Posts: 728 Member
    1200 calories is an arbitrary number set by the American College of Sports Medicine to ensure that people obtain enough food in order to have the required nutrition (ie vitamins and minerals) your body needs to function. There is actually no research behind the number. The concept of minimum calories, just like the concept of starvation mode, is grossly misunderstood by many people. According to research, in order to put your body into starvation mode, you have to drop to about 50% below your body's required caloric intake. That being said, unless your very petite, sedantary, or slight 1200 is likely a low number for you. Unlikely to put you into starvation mode unless you need 2400 calories or more a day but for the average person pretty darn low. Now if your smaller then the norm, then that is a different matter. If in doubt, consult a physician ;). Physicians have been known to sometimes put people on EXTREMELY low calorie diets (ie, 350-500 calories a day) but only under medical supervision.

    I was reading through the notes and noticed that your cutting back on breastfeeding. Generally you need to be intaking an extra couple hundred calories or so when breastfeeding but I don't think that's much of a worry for you. Especially with an older child that is getting their nuturiton from other sources beyond breastmilk. Best of luck!
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
    Not sure about this...please correct me if I am wrong. Did I see earlier that you are breastfeeding a baby? You burn at least 500 calories a day with breastfeeding. Therefore, you should be eating more.

    I am in the proccess of getting my 2.5 yr old "baby" to self wean.
    I account 200 extra calories for it.

    Ok, I have been here. Breastfed 7 children. At 2 1/2 years old your child isn't getting much nutrition from your milk. Just a lot of loving.:heart: So, I would say that you are not burning calories by breastfeeding at this point.
  • crunchybubblez
    crunchybubblez Posts: 387 Member
    1200 calories is an arbitrary number set by the American College of Sports Medicine to ensure that people obtain enough food in order to have the required nutrition (ie vitamins and minerals) your body needs to function. There is actually no research behind the number. The concept of minimum calories, just like the concept of starvation mode, is grossly misunderstood by many people. According to research, in order to put your body into starvation mode, you have to drop to about 50% below your body's required caloric intake. That being said, unless your very petite, sedantary, or slight 1200 is likely a low number for you. Unlikely to put you into starvation mode unless you need 2400 calories or more a day but for the average person pretty darn low. Now if your smaller then the norm, then that is a different matter. If in doubt, consult a physician ;). Physicians have been known to sometimes put people on EXTREMELY low calorie diets (ie, 350-500 calories a day) but only under medical supervision.

    I was reading through the notes and noticed that your cutting back on breastfeeding. Generally you need to be intaking an extra couple hundred calories or so when breastfeeding but I don't think that's much of a worry for you. Especially with an older child that is getting their nuturiton from other sources beyond breastmilk. Best of luck!

    Thanks. That was very informative.
    I do add -200calories to cover any breast feeding.
    After some research I've custom changed my daily calorie intake on here.
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
    Did MFP set your goal to 2050 calories a day? If so, then only eating 1200 is really too low.
  • crunchybubblez
    crunchybubblez Posts: 387 Member
    Not sure about this...please correct me if I am wrong. Did I see earlier that you are breastfeeding a baby? You burn at least 500 calories a day with breastfeeding. Therefore, you should be eating more.

    I am in the proccess of getting my 2.5 yr old "baby" to self wean.
    I account 200 extra calories for it.

    Ok, I have been here. Breastfed 7 children. At 2 1/2 years old your child isn't getting much nutrition from your milk. Just a lot of loving.:heart: So, I would say that you are not burning calories by breastfeeding at this point.

    Wow! 7?
    And I thought more than 2 was a lot. ;)

    Ok Question...
    I'm assuming at least one of your children is a boy.
    Did you notice whether boys take longer to wean than a girl?
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
    Not sure about this...please correct me if I am wrong. Did I see earlier that you are breastfeeding a baby? You burn at least 500 calories a day with breastfeeding. Therefore, you should be eating more.

    I am in the proccess of getting my 2.5 yr old "baby" to self wean.
    I account 200 extra calories for it.


    (Actually, I have 8. I was very young when the first one was born so I allowed others to talk me out of breastfeeding that one)

    Ok, I have been here. Breastfed 7 children. At 2 1/2 years old your child isn't getting much nutrition from your milk. Just a lot of loving.:heart: So, I would say that you are not burning calories by breastfeeding at this point.

    Wow! 7?
    And I thought more than 2 was a lot. ;)

    Ok Question...
    I'm assuming at least one of your children is a boy.
    Did you notice whether boys take longer to wean than a girl?
  • crunchybubblez
    crunchybubblez Posts: 387 Member
    Did MFP set your goal to 2050 calories a day? If so, then only eating 1200 is really too low.

    No.
    They had me at 1200.
    I custom changed it to 1750 this morning.
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
    Did MFP set your goal to 2050 calories a day? If so, then only eating 1200 is really too low.

    No.
    They had me at 1200.
    I custom changed it to 1750 this morning.


    I custom my goals here also. I messaged you. Have you gotten the message?
  • crunchybubblez
    crunchybubblez Posts: 387 Member
    Did MFP set your goal to 2050 calories a day? If so, then only eating 1200 is really too low.

    No.
    They had me at 1200.
    I custom changed it to 1750 this morning.


    I custom my goals here also. I messaged you. Have you gotten the message?

    Yes. :)
  • crunchybubblez
    crunchybubblez Posts: 387 Member
    Did MFP set your goal to 2050 calories a day? If so, then only eating 1200 is really too low.

    No.
    They had me at 1200.
    I custom changed it to 1750 this morning.

    I just saw the 2050 for yesterday.
    So weird. Must be a glitch.
  • chipmunkcheeks76
    chipmunkcheeks76 Posts: 19
    In order to have energy you need a reasonable amount of carbs. The common misconception is to cut out carbs, sugar and fat. Carbohydrate is slow release energy as opposed to the other food groups which are short sharp bursts of energy. When I started dieting, I avoided carbs like the plague, but when I started the gym about 7 months ago, i quickly realised how necessary they were, and much as I hate it, I have to eat them, not excessively of course, but I do have to take some in.

    If you go under 1200 calories, you will run into problems. I have lost over 156 lbs in 2 years of not going over 1200 calories, now my metabolism is so slow that 1000 calories and I gain weight. Please don't fall into my trap, I have an eating disorder. My advice is to never go below the 1200 calories.

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