Is 1200 too low?

CoderGal

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Thank you for the science review, though it wasn't new information. It's not true that pretty much any female on the planet can maintain on 2000 calories. So, many women on the planet would disagree with that statement.

I don't believe I'm stuck. I have no issues with my calorie intake. Your calculations bring me to a BMR in the 1200 calorie range. I know that's not my maintenance. I also know that 2000 calories is over my maintenance. As I was saying, the blanket statement that pretty much every female on the planet can maintain on 2000 calories is false.

Back to it not being true for many women.

I was referring to what you quoted, it looked like you were talking about the topic. With that being said, I still agree with her, Many people on the planet could easily maintain on over 2000 calories if they wanted to try.

FlaxMilk

I agree that many women can maintain on 2000 calories. I don't agree that virtually every woman on the planet can. I am not someone who believes that 1200 is always too low, but I'm also not someone who believes that 1200 calories is enough for everyone either. (For those trying to eat at a deficit. 1200 is going to be maintenance for only a small percentage of people.)

My reason for arguing with her statement is because it was an impossible generalization. For those who understand the science of weight loss, that's not a big deal. For people who don't, a statement like that may stall them out or even make them gain. Calorie goals are individual. In my opinion, it's important for people to use the calculations to custom tailor their own nutrition and intake.

I would also have disagreed with a statement saying that "Virtually every woman on the planet can eat 1200 calories and be sufficiently nourished."

ticklepocket

A 1200 and below diet is working really well for me and I highly recommend it.

I am older, started off quite heavy and have asthma and bad knees so strenuous workouts weren't a good fit for me. That's why serious calorie restriction seems like the best way for me to get started. I also really need some immediate results to get me motivated.

I am hoping that when the snow finally melts and I can do a lot of walking, I will have lost enough so I won't need to worry so much about my knees. I might consider upping my calories as I become more active but I am very happy with what I am eating now.

There are so many excellent reasons to choose a 1200 calorie diet. I hope it works out for you.

With all due respect, you are 57 years old and have over 100lb to lose. Why would that be transferable and recommended to someone a lot younger and with less to lose?

Actually I think that your remark is disrespectful to me and to everyone else. This is a public forum where we all contribute and learn from each other's experience. The people posting and reading here come from all ages and all weights and different situations. The variety of different experiences is one of the greatest strengths of this forum. I think it is obvious that our posts are intended to be read by the entire community. I included my personal details so that readers could make their own decisions about whether or not my post might apply to them. I'm pretty sure that the other forum members can make that call without your help.

My experience is as valid and as valuable as anyone else's and I cannot imagine why you would choose to denigrate my post.

LiftAllThePizzas

A 1200 and below diet is working really well for me and I highly recommend it.

I am older, started off quite heavy and have asthma and bad knees so strenuous workouts weren't a good fit for me. That's why serious calorie restriction seems like the best way for me to get started. I also really need some immediate results to get me motivated.

I am hoping that when the snow finally melts and I can do a lot of walking, I will have lost enough so I won't need to worry so much about my knees. I might consider upping my calories as I become more active but I am very happy with what I am eating now.

There are so many excellent reasons to choose a 1200 calorie diet. I hope it works out for you.

With all due respect, you are 57 years old and have over 100lb to lose. Why would that be transferable and recommended to someone a lot younger and with less to lose?

Actually I think that your remark is disrespectful to me and to everyone else. This is a public forum where we all contribute and learn from each other's experience. The people posting and reading here come from all ages and all weights and different situations. The variety of different experiences is one of the greatest strengths of this forum. I think it is obvious that our posts are intended to be read by the entire community. I included my personal details so that readers could make their own decisions about whether or not my post might apply to them. I'm pretty sure that the other forum members can make that call without your help.

My experience is as valid and as valuable as anyone else's and I cannot imagine why you would choose to denigrate my post.

You didn't just say that it's working for you, you highly recommended it. What makes you think your opinion is above being put into context or questioned?

Sarauk2sf

A 1200 and below diet is working really well for me and I highly recommend it.

I am older, started off quite heavy and have asthma and bad knees so strenuous workouts weren't a good fit for me. That's why serious calorie restriction seems like the best way for me to get started. I also really need some immediate results to get me motivated.

I am hoping that when the snow finally melts and I can do a lot of walking, I will have lost enough so I won't need to worry so much about my knees. I might consider upping my calories as I become more active but I am very happy with what I am eating now.

There are so many excellent reasons to choose a 1200 calorie diet. I hope it works out for you.

With all due respect, you are 57 years old and have over 100lb to lose. Why would that be transferable and recommended to someone a lot younger and with less to lose?

Actually I think that your remark is disrespectful to me and to everyone else. This is a public forum where we all contribute and learn from each other's experience. The people posting and reading here come from all ages and all weights and different situations. The variety of different experiences is one of the greatest strengths of this forum. I think it is obvious that our posts are intended to be read by the entire community. I included my personal details so that readers could make their own decisions about whether or not my post might apply to them. I'm pretty sure that the other forum members can make that call without your help.

My experience is as valid and as valuable as anyone else's and I cannot imagine why you would choose to denigrate my post.

Well, you are entitled to your opinion but I beg to differ. I was stating facts that you have in your public profile and applying them to the situation, which you failed to mention. Age and weight are very relevant. I did not say it was not ok for you so I am not sure why you are taking it personally. I was making a point that you cannot blindly apply your situation to everyone - it is irresponsible imo.

How exactly are my remarks disrespectful to you let alone 'the entire community'? I would love to know. Also, you may well have missed that I asked you a question - I did not actually make any comment one way or the other. I would suggest you stop being so disrespectful to me by accusing me of something that just did not happen. It works both ways.

beachlover317

A 1200 and below diet is working really well for me and I highly recommend it.

I am older, started off quite heavy and have asthma and bad knees so strenuous workouts weren't a good fit for me. That's why serious calorie restriction seems like the best way for me to get started. I also really need some immediate results to get me motivated.

I am hoping that when the snow finally melts and I can do a lot of walking, I will have lost enough so I won't need to worry so much about my knees. I might consider upping my calories as I become more active but I am very happy with what I am eating now.

There are so many excellent reasons to choose a 1200 calorie diet. I hope it works out for you.

I am 54 - 55 next month. I had very bad knees. I was 120 pounds overweight. I eat between 1700 - 1800 cals a day. I started with body weight training and then in October I started lifting heavy. My knees are remarkably stronger. I spent the first two - three months on here at 1200 calories (or less) a day and doing cardio 7 days a week. I was exhausted and my hair started falling out. I slowly upped cals after reading In Place of a Roadmap and I have never looked back. I encourage every woman on here to do your research. Don't settle for the same crap that has been handed to us about how to lose weight by starving our bodies. It's time to wake up and learn how to really treat our bodies well so that we can be healthy and strong as we get older. Good luck to you all.

ETA: Other than losing weight quickly, what are all the other excellent reasons for a 1200 calorie diet?

mmddwechanged

I'm bumping this because I'm curious what the other excellent reasons are also.

CoderGal

I agree that many women can maintain on 2000 calories. I don't agree that virtually every woman on the planet can. I am not someone who believes that 1200 is always too low, but I'm also not someone who believes that 1200 calories is enough for everyone either. (For those trying to eat at a deficit. 1200 is going to be maintenance for only a small percentage of people.)

My reason for arguing with her statement is because it was an impossible generalization. For those who understand the science of weight loss, that's not a big deal. For people who don't, a statement like that may stall them out or even make them gain. Calorie goals are individual. In my opinion, it's important for people to use the calculations to custom tailor their own nutrition and intake.

I would also have disagreed with a statement saying that "Virtually every woman on the planet can eat 1200 calories and be sufficiently nourished."

Meh she said 'pretty much' vs your many women...thats a close tie if you ask me.

FlaxMilk

Meh she said 'pretty much' vs your many women...thats a close tie if you ask me.

You don't think that there are many women on the planet who cannot maintain at 2000 calories? There's a big difference between "That's not true for many women" and "Pretty much EVERY woman on the planet."

You'd have more of a point if I'd said "Most." At this point, we're just arguing semantics, which seems silly to me, so I will suggest you and I agree to disagree on word choice and move on.

Robin_Bin

Oops. forgot the info- I'm 5'6, 155 lbs...29 yrs old.

Thanks for the feedback so far...I'm not starving myself and rarely feel hungry also.

Not feeling hungry may be a sign that you are regularly eating too little. A healthy person feels hunger.

I'm not saying that you should feel a continuous lack of satisfaction or hunger most of the time. And I understand why some people here who already have issues with food try to spread out what they eat and avoid hunger as much as possible -- because it can be a trigger for them. But it's perfectly normal to feel occasional hunger. Rarely feeling hungry can indicate that you're eating too much (in the case of people who eat constantly) or that your body has become used to being deprived.

LiftAllThePizzas

ETA: Other than losing weight quickly, what are all the other excellent reasons for a 1200 calorie diet?

This won't end well.

Robin_Bin

OP: the best intake for *you* will depend on your personal circumstances, which include things like your age, weight, activity level, plus your goals as well as how good you are getting enough nutrients into your diet, adherence, energy and gym performance.

The best way to approach it is to:

- set yourself at a realistic activity level (anyone that does more than sit around all day is not sedentary)
- set yourself a realistic weight loss target/deficit each week. A 1lb a week target is *usually* appropriate
- eat most of your exercise calories back otherwise you will end up to be at a higher than reasonable deficit
- try to eat a good portion of your intake from nutrient dense foods but throw in treats here and there
- hit your macros

The issue with creating a too large of a deficit is that you can have negative hormonal and metabolic issues, run a greater risk of loss of LBM, run a greater risk of 'falling off the wagon' and have a greater chance reduced energy.

^ This!

onyxgirl17

A 1200 and below diet is working really well for me and I highly recommend it.

The fact that you "highly recommend" it as a blanket statement is where the argument comes in. There are a lot of impressionable people here.

I understand that 1200 calories has worked well from your personal experience, being older with a slower metabolism. That doesn't mean it's right for everyone.

I agree with Sara that most women could achieve 2000 calories a day (with activity). My TDEE is 1700 and I admit I'm quite lazy. Besides being a student and working I don't wish to leave the house and the comfort of my couch. But if I put effort in... I could be at 2000+ a day. I also don't have that high of LBM. I need to get off my lazy butt and work on that to get my TDEE up

CoderGal

Meh she said 'pretty much' vs your many women...thats a close tie if you ask me.

You don't think that there are many women on the planet who cannot maintain at 2000 calories? There's a big difference between "That's not true for many women" and "Pretty much EVERY woman on the planet."

You'd have more of a point if I'd said "Most." At this point, we're just arguing semantics, which seems silly to me, so I will suggest you and I agree to disagree on word choice and move on.

Actually you said

I agree that many women can maintain on 2000 calories.

ticklepocket

A 1200 and below diet is working really well for me and I highly recommend it.

I am older, started off quite heavy and have asthma and bad knees so strenuous workouts weren't a good fit for me. That's why serious calorie restriction seems like the best way for me to get started. I also really need some immediate results to get me motivated.

I am hoping that when the snow finally melts and I can do a lot of walking, I will have lost enough so I won't need to worry so much about my knees. I might consider upping my calories as I become more active but I am very happy with what I am eating now.

There are so many excellent reasons to choose a 1200 calorie diet. I hope it works out for you.

With all due respect, you are 57 years old and have over 100lb to lose. Why would that be transferable and recommended to someone a lot younger and with less to lose?

Actually I think that your remark is disrespectful to me and to everyone else. This is a public forum where we all contribute and learn from each other's experience. The people posting and reading here come from all ages and all weights and different situations. The variety of different experiences is one of the greatest strengths of this forum. I think it is obvious that our posts are intended to be read by the entire community. I included my personal details so that readers could make their own decisions about whether or not my post might apply to them. I'm pretty sure that the other forum members can make that call without your help.

My experience is as valid and as valuable as anyone else's and I cannot imagine why you would choose to denigrate my post.

Well, you are entitled to your opinion but I beg to differ. I was stating facts that you have in your public profile and applying them to the situation, which you failed to mention. Age and weight are very relevant. I did not say it was not ok for you so I am not sure why you are taking it personally. I was making a point that you cannot blindly apply your situation to everyone - it is irresponsible imo.

How exactly are my remarks disrespectful to you let alone 'the entire community'? I would love to know. Also, you may well have missed that I asked you a question - I did not actually make any comment one way or the other. I would suggest you stop being so disrespectful to me by accusing me of something that just did not happen. It works both ways.

There is nothing in my public profile that I failed to mention in my post. I was very upfront about being older and very heavy. Slow down and read a post before you rush to judge it.

Your remarks are disrespectful because you basically said that since I was old and fat my experience did not matter: "With all due respect, you are 57 years old and have over 100lb to lose." News flash!! There are a lot of us old fatties here and we have every right to express our opinions.

And, to repeat, I made a point of mentioning my personal details because this is obviously not a situation where one answer fits everyone. I was offering my own unique experience. Many people on these forums have made a better case for 1200 calorie diets than I can but I felt that my situation and my experience was worth considering. Everyone's experience is worth considering, whether you like it or not. You have every right to differ but you have no right to be rude.

SwimFan1981

Watch Forks Over Knives on Netflix.

No.

When in doubt, ask your doctor.

The majority of physicians are not trained in nutrition. Seek out a qualified nutritionalist or dietician.

PS - Loved Forks Over Knives!

FlaxMilk

Actually you said

I agree that many women can maintain on 2000 calories.

"Unfortunately, that's not true for many women" was the opening line of my post that you initially responded to. In that post, I was stating disagreement that "pretty much EVERY woman on the planet" can maintain on 2000 calories.

Many women can maintain on 2000 calories, and many women will gain weight on 2000 calories.

Many women can maintain on 2000 calories, but many women cannot maintain on 2000 calories, because they will gain weight. For many women on the planet, 2000 calories will not be enough to maintain.

All of the above statements are true.

Many as an adjective simply means, "A large number."

A large number of women on the planet can maintain on 2000 calories, but a large number of women on the planet cannot maintain on 2000 calories, because they will gain weight. For a large number of women on the planet, 2000 calories will not be enough to maintain.

I'm not sure what you are arguing with.

Telugammayi87

I workout 30 min to 1 hour per day (3 days strength, 2 days cardio, 1 day doing something physical outside) and eat 2200-3000+ calories per day, and I've lost 100 lbs.. I'm 5'8 and currently at 180lbs. Eat more. Weigh less.

ticklepocket

A 1200 and below diet is working really well for me and I highly recommend it.

The fact that you "highly recommend" it as a blanket statement is where the argument comes in. There are a lot of impressionable people here.

I understand that 1200 calories has worked well from your personal experience, being older with a slower metabolism. That doesn't mean it's right for everyone.

I agree with Sara that most women could achieve 2000 calories a day (with activity). My TDEE is 1700 and I admit I'm quite lazy. Besides being a student and working I don't wish to leave the house and the comfort of my couch. But if I put effort in... I could be at 2000+ a day. I also don't have that high of LBM. I need to get off my lazy butt and work on that to get my TDEE up

Please don't take one sentence of my post and criticize it out of context. That is not helpful at all.

I was very VERY careful to provide a full context for my opinion in my post. I am confident that my post was clear enough that any reader can figure out if my experience might apply to them. I said nothing about my experience being the best or universal or ideal or blanket solution for everyone. I said: "This works for me and this is who I am." That is a very simple statement and I think that anyone who has a problem with it, just has a problem, period.

Sarauk2sf

A 1200 and below diet is working really well for me and I highly recommend it.

I am older, started off quite heavy and have asthma and bad knees so strenuous workouts weren't a good fit for me. That's why serious calorie restriction seems like the best way for me to get started. I also really need some immediate results to get me motivated.

I am hoping that when the snow finally melts and I can do a lot of walking, I will have lost enough so I won't need to worry so much about my knees. I might consider upping my calories as I become more active but I am very happy with what I am eating now.

There are so many excellent reasons to choose a 1200 calorie diet. I hope it works out for you.

With all due respect, you are 57 years old and have over 100lb to lose. Why would that be transferable and recommended to someone a lot younger and with less to lose?

Actually I think that your remark is disrespectful to me and to everyone else. This is a public forum where we all contribute and learn from each other's experience. The people posting and reading here come from all ages and all weights and different situations. The variety of different experiences is one of the greatest strengths of this forum. I think it is obvious that our posts are intended to be read by the entire community. I included my personal details so that readers could make their own decisions about whether or not my post might apply to them. I'm pretty sure that the other forum members can make that call without your help.

My experience is as valid and as valuable as anyone else's and I cannot imagine why you would choose to denigrate my post.

Well, you are entitled to your opinion but I beg to differ. I was stating facts that you have in your public profile and applying them to the situation, which you failed to mention. Age and weight are very relevant. I did not say it was not ok for you so I am not sure why you are taking it personally. I was making a point that you cannot blindly apply your situation to everyone - it is irresponsible imo.

How exactly are my remarks disrespectful to you let alone 'the entire community'? I would love to know. Also, you may well have missed that I asked you a question - I did not actually make any comment one way or the other. I would suggest you stop being so disrespectful to me by accusing me of something that just did not happen. It works both ways.

There is nothing in my public profile that I failed to mention in my post. I was very upfront about being older and very heavy. Slow down and read a post before you rush to judge it.

Your remarks are disrespectful because you basically said that since I was old and fat my experience did not matter: "With all due respect, you are 57 years old and have over 100lb to lose." News flash!! There are a lot of us old fatties here and we have every right to express our opinions.

And, to repeat, I made a point of mentioning my personal details because this is obviously not a situation where one answer fits everyone. I was offering my own unique experience. Many people on these forums have made a better case for 1200 calorie diets than I can but I felt that my situation and my experience was worth considering. Everyone's experience is worth considering, whether you like it or not. You have every right to differ but you have no right to be rude.

Again, you did not mention your age or the amount of weight you had to lose. And excuse me, where on earth did I call you old and fat? I stated your age and the fact you had to lose more than 100lb - simple as that - no judging at all. Where on earth did say your experience did not matter, please enlighten me - I asked you why you thought it could be translated as effectively a panacea. I am at a loss to understand how you would have interpreted it that way. Newsflash - the OP is 29 years old and has a lot less to lose than 100lb.

I also find it ironic that you just pulled someone up for only using part of what you said to make an argument about it being out of context, but you are doing exactly that.

I was not rude in the slightest. It is your issue that you have chosen to believe that. If you think my comments rude, feel free to report me to the moderators and let them decide.