Being told 1200 cal a day= starvation mode

psuLemon

I'm 5'1 and MFP projected me at 1300 for a believe 1lb lost per week. I feel hungry and weak all the time and I have problems sticking with it for more then a few weeks without going on a binge because I feel so dizzy and sick. I work in a heath food store and try to eat fruits and vegetables every day and they are all organic. I stuck with the 1300 thing for a solid month before going off for a week and I just maintained that whole time. Point of the story is everybody is different with a different metabolism. You have to play with it and find out what works for you.

If you are active, you can eat more calories. So if you workout and burn 500 calories, you can eat up to another 500 calories. Also, based on your ticker, you have very little to lose, so set your account to 1/2 lb per week.


IDK about anyone in this thread, but with the exception of a few people (due to hormonal changes like menopause or other metabolism issue) how many young women do you see completely fit (aka low body fat% and defined)and only eating 1200 calories? The majority of women on this board that alone that are completely fit and most people look up to, are eating 1700+ calories. Some of them well the 2000+ range.

The reality is, while 1200 calories may work for a very select few (those with metabolic issues or hormonal changes) it won't work for the majority of people out there. And consistently eating low calories will just increase the chances of your body catabolizing lean body mass, which will slow down your metabolic rate, it will make it harder to get lower body fat percentages, it will provide less support to your body, etc...

psuLemon

Hello! So I was sharing w/ coworkers that I have recently started using MFP and that it gave me a daily calorie intake of 1200 (with the information of me wanting to lose 2lbs a week, & working 4x a week 1hr workouts) and a few of them said that is not healthy, that I am putting my body into starvation mode and will not lose any weight that way.
On the days that I am not working out at all...1200 shouldnt be "too low" right? On the days that I do workout, obviously I will be eating more than 1200 calories based on calories burned....so are they just basing their opinions on lack of information...or could they possibly be onto something...?

P.S I am still trying to figure this calorie intake vs. calories burned thing out....

My surgeon has me at 1200 calories a day and he is pretty famous out here in AZ. MFP's calculations are exactly right. I try not to eat back the calories I gain from working out but well truth be told that can be hard to avoid.

What type of surgeon are they? And did you have a gastric bypass or something.

EdTheGinge

Oh no not the dreaded Starvation Mode myth again. From what I've read on here there's many women who are set at 1200 and they seem to be doing perfectly well, obviously not a dietician but there it is.

VictoriaWorksOut

I am far off from starvation mode. We eat too much to start with, 1200 cal are more closer to what we need then the "standard" 2000 cal.

aimiee88

Hey,

If its any help, I am on a 1200cal intake. When I dont exersice I only eat 1200cals. When I exersice I eat my NET calories at 1200cals (eat my workout cals)

I have lost a stone Since the beginning of Oct.

When I first started though, I misunderstood what MFP was trying to tell me, and was only eating 1200cals then doing exercise...
So Netting 800, I wasnt losing and didnt understand why, so I redid the numbers etc with MFP and relised that they work out how many NET calories you need to take in based on what info you give them..

So I did this and have started losing....So I was putting my body into stravation mode, but as soon as I relised (serves me right for not reading correctly in the 1st place!) the weight started coming off!

Aries03

Bumping for later.

Chadomaniac

starvation occurs when u hit a large deficit 1000+ for a long period of time . i can assure u that u wont fall into starvation with 1200cals a day

LisaWilson2012

I started on 1200 calories. I was hungry sticking to that for the first 2 weeks until my body accostomed itself to the new regime. However, if I was hungry, I mean actually really physically hungry, and not just bored, I would eat. But it's all about the choices you make. When I had hit my 1200 calories and if I was actually hungry I wouldn't chow down on chocolate or junk food, I'd have a snack of fruit, nuts, or something healty I'd prepared in advance.

Stick at it though. Now sometimes I can't quite eat 1200 calories!

Good luck on your journey.

stephdeeable

starvation occurs when u hit a large deficit 1000+ for a long period of time . i can assure u that u wont fall into starvation with 1200cals a day

My deficit is well over 1000 but I eat 2000-2200 calories a day. If I'm starving, someone please pass that info onto my big belly.

EvgeniZyntx

For equivalent levels of activity, a 65 year old needs approximately 190 less calories than the 25 year old. While activity level is a strong indicator of needs, the body does require less calories, all other things being constant at a rate of about 4.6 calories per year for women. So while that difference is not huge those 190 calories do make a difference.

Starvation mode is often misused on this site but adaptive thermogenesis is no myth. A body does adjust as a person reduces calorie intake for extended periods - some of this is due to reduced NEAT activity, other is related to muscle loss, etc...

Eating at significant deficit means that the weight loss that occurs will also be due to muscle loss - this is not a good thing. Losing muscle --> reduced metabolism --> muscle will NOT be regained until the body is shown that it needs it. With lower muscle mass, weight gain occurs quicker and boom - vicious cycle.

geebusuk

^^^^ This! Eating at 800 to 1100 calories is unhealthy. You should not be giving advice to others. You should get your own house in order.

Why is it that MFP thinks it is 'healthy' for someone to be on a 1000 calorie deficit at 1200, yet not healthy for someone else to be on a 400 calorie deficit at 1150? Does that make any sense at all?

There is a good reason behind the 1200 minimum, but it's rarely stated.

I don't want my dieting to be about sustainable eating - I want it to be about losing weight.
If I get to a 'maintenance' point, then I will learn what works for me there (reality is I play to bulk and cut).
I have done the whole 'eating sustainably' thing in the past; it hasn't stopped me from then binging when something has gone wrong in life, etc.

Sarauk2sf

I am far off from starvation mode. We eat too much to start with, 1200 cal are more closer to what we need then the "standard" 2000 cal.

Over generalization and just not true. I maintain on about 2,300 with no cardio (and I am older than many here and an average height). How can 1,200 possibly be right for me? Or even 2,000?

mmapags

For equivalent levels of activity, a 65 year old needs approximately 190 less calories than the 25 year old. While activity level is a strong indicator of needs, the body does require less calories, all other things being constant at a rate of about 4.6 calories per year for women. So while that difference is not huge those 190 calories do make a difference.

Starvation mode is often misused on this site but adaptive thermogenesis is no myth. A body does adjust as a person reduces calorie intake for extended periods - some of this is due to reduced NEAT activity, other is related to muscle loss, etc...

Eating at significant deficit means that the weight loss that occurs will also be due to muscle loss - this is not a good thing. Losing muscle --> reduced metabolism --> muscle will NOT be regained until the body is shown that it needs it. With lower muscle mass, weight gain occurs quicker and boom - vicious cycle.

This would be the key point. If you want to eat a very low calorie diet, that is your choice. All choices have risks associated with them. The risks of a very low caloried diet include low af muscle mass, down regualtion of metabolism that can be fairly permanent (no, everything you eat won't turn to fat) and fouled up hormones. There have been many posts from those who have experienced this and how much they regret thier chioce.

Vailara

Well, even with the fact that I entered "2lbs a week" in my settings, MFP still set me up loosing 1.5 lbs a week...at 1200. I guess what I will do is stick with the 1200 for a week or two, see how it goes...then if I need to, adjust.

Thanks for all the input guys, I appreciate it and find it all very interesting

Yes, if you happen to be on the short side, like me, MFP will NOT let you set your goal for 2 lb a week, because you'd have to go under 1200, and MFP seems to take 1200 as the absolute minimum. I don't think it's really a problem as I (personally) don't think there's a big advantage to faster weight loss. It does mean that if us shorter people are sensibly staying at 1200 calories or above, we're going to be losing weight more slowly than average.

One of the problems with a lower calorie goal is that it's obviously more difficult to get enough of the right nutrition in. So I think it's particularly important to watch what you're eating and making sure you get a good balance, if you're not eating very much of it!

LottieLou13

Personally, I did 1200 or there abouts for 2 weeks. I was tired....beyond being tired I was constantly thinking about food and it just wasn't sustainable for the rest of my life. I'll stick with my 1700 + (and I'm losing the same amount of weight per week as I was at 1200..... )

SiobhanMG

you can eat a lot in a day on 1200 cal diet. i manage to eat a 2 egg omelette (whole eggs) stuffed w veges, meat and full fat cheese, then for lunch i can have a healthy small pizza on pita bread or maybe a meat & salad wrap or a kangaroo sandwich on wholemeal bread - all three of those options w full fat cheese. Then for dinner i have a small amount of meat and either salad or steamed veg. i also have enough for a no fat no added sugar yoghurt, 1/4 rockmelon, and a small tub of choc gelato. i try to eat every 3 hrs and don't eat back exercise calories unless i feel hungry or lightheaded - which is rare. it's all about making smart food choices - yeah you're going to starve if you blow all your calories on a mcdonald's lunch.

YaGigi

you can eat a lot in a day on 1200 cal diet. i manage to eat a 2 egg omelette (whole eggs) stuffed w veges, meat and full fat cheese, then for lunch i can have a healthy small pizza on pita bread or maybe a meat & salad wrap or a kangaroo sandwich on wholemeal bread - all three of those options w full fat cheese. Then for dinner i have a small amount of meat and either salad or steamed veg. i also have enough for a no fat no added sugar yoghurt, 1/4 rockmelon, and a small tub of choc gelato. i try to eat every 3 hrs and don't eat back exercise calories unless i feel hungry or lightheaded - which is rare. it's all about making smart food choices - yeah you're going to starve if you blow all your calories on a mcdonald's lunch.

Bravo.

Heather_Rider

Let the blood bath begin.. lol

first I will say that the last 3 weeks or so is not a way to judge my diary. I have been sick and my medications for my cronic illness have been adjusted, so my diary has been less than proper.

However, before that, i have logged everything to a drop of water.

I am on 800-1000 (and up to 1200 if i decide) calories per day, regulated by my doctor, and NO, its not starvation mode. Anything under 800 per day, over a 3 month period or LONGER time frame is considered "starvation mode." Your body does NOT go into starvation mode on a day or two of low calories.. or even a week! So dont flip out.

Several people do calorie rotating.. where they eat lower calories during the week, so they can live it up one weekends.. Just because MFP "resets" your calories over night, does not mean your body does.. its over time.. While you body weight goes up day to day, it also gues up hour to hour, and week to week ,month to month.... pick a weigh in date and time. week, monday, day, whatever............ choose it and stick to it. I choose weekly, some choose monthly. THAT is when your calories need to "reset" in your brain. OVERALL, remember its calories OUT versus calories IN.. so as long as (in a deficit) you have more calories going OUT of your body than you have coming INTO your body, you WILL lose weight!

Its based on an average. If you want tacos and hotdogs.. so be it.. but you have to pay in salads and a 2 mile run, or you risk being FAT.... its give and take. just as it is in life......... If you wanna drink half the night and party.. then you have to wait until saturday so you dont have to work, or you risk being fired! If you take weight loss as serious as you did the rest of your life, then you would see its really NOT as big of a deal as you think it is.. you just have to prioritise it!!

Good Luck!

rawrxamberx

1200 calories is not starvation mode! Sure, it may sound like a little, but it's the lowest one can go on calories. My aunt is on a 1200 calorie diet and it was recommended by HER DOCTOR! i think if a doctor says 1200 calories is good, then it should be good enough lol

I think your co-workers should research the topic and then come back with an opinion. Just saying.

mscolleen2003

I also was confused by this issue, that is until I stumbled onto this

https://www.facebook.com/EM2WL

Eat more to weigh less

Changed my whole world. I stopped dieting 155 days ago and I am down 31 lbs and even when I could not work out because I had the flu, my weight never went up.

Here is their myfitnesspal link http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ANewLucia