why is 1200 cal/day too low?

SprinkledWithEmotion

Last year I was eating 1200 calories a day and eating my exercise calories usually around 350 calories a day back. I lost around 1.5 - 2.5 lbs a week doing that. Guess who gained it all back? I'm now eating 1670 and my exercise calories back, around 350 still, so I usually consume around 1900-2000 calories a day. I feel better, I have more energy and guess what? I'm still losing at the same rate.

Angie52732

Now I am just starting a 90 day program and my trainer put me on a 1264 calorie day program with 594.8 calories from protein, 252.8 from fat and 416.4 from carbs which breaks down to 24.8 g protein, 4.7 g fat and 17.4 grams carbs for each meal (6 meals a day). This is also doing 3 bootcamps a week and 40 minutes cardio each day.

This is coming from a certified trainer/nutritionist. I am at 233 lbs now, down from 295. I am not starving by any means and actually find it difficult to eat it all.

Angie

patsueglenn

Congratulations! on your weight loss and getting healthier. It sounds like you are doing a great job! My brother got me to begin this. He has lost 132 lbs..eating healthy, counting calories and he swing dances 3 x a week. I am so proud for him. He is feeling so much better and no longer has diabeties. I have just begun a few days ago and have lost 2 lbs. I am excited and looking forward to more of the same.

funhouse77

I'm a not-quite-5ft3, small framed, 35 year old woman. I eat 1200 a day plus most of my exercise calories. I've lost 49lbs so far doing this, steadily, and am still losing. So it's not always too low. I still have around 35-40 lbs to lose, so may find I have to up my calories at some point, but at the moment, it's just fine for me.

nokanjaijo

All apologies to anyone who takes offense to my passionate soapbox speeches.

It's not a matter of whos right or whos wrong.
My point is and always will be "why give yourself the absolute minimum when you dont have too?"
Thats all.

Because some people do much better and are much happier and better able to keep the weight off if they take it off quickly. For some people, a slow, moderate loss can seem quite torturous and interminable. Big gains keep me excited about weight loss.

I've had women join the group and gain several pounds before the effects reverse and the inches come off.
Its scary to think about having to gain before losing and its one of the top concerns for anyone joining the group and trying it.
Especially after dieting for years and failing!
Trust me!
I prefer hearing "That makes sense!" as opposed to "your F***ing crazy! Ive been at 1200 etc and its always worked!"

Of course you prefer it when your position is agreed with. Of course you want to ignore evidence that conflicts with your position. That is called cognitive bias. Everybody falls victim to it. It is why you have some bad science like what you referred to in an earlier post. Peer review process is meant to correct for that and there are measures in the scientific community to control that. What measures are you taking?

Everybody seeks to prove themselves right. It doesn't just happen in scientific studies.

What are you doing to ensure that you are not simply maintaining the comforting conviction that you are right? The passionate soap box speeches make it seem like you are doing nothing to that end. I can not trust anybody who doesn't demonstrate some vigilance in that area.

If you have Netflix, watch NatGeo's Is It Real? and notice that the passionate people always seem to be the ones who say the Loch Ness monster is real, spontaneous human combustion happens and psychic detectives find missing children. Look at how dispassionate the people who disagree are. That isn't accidental. That objective disposition is cultivated. People who really seek truth strive to remove their emotions from the subject because they know their emotions will blind them.

Willowana

1200 cals is too low for me. I stopped losing weight.

Plateau'd like a mu---- fu

---

....and the 1200 cals was recommended to me by my doctor. Sorry, doc.

missjojo31

i was given 1200 calories when i joined here, but raised it to just under 1500, i was hungry all the time and wasnt ever going to lose weight.

turbojam_rocks

Bump to read later

LorinaLynn

I am older and sit in front of a computer all day... I mean all day ... for my job. I am slowly trying to add walking and I want to get on a hiking routine too. I think 1200 per day for me is realistic. If I feel I need to eat more, I will. But I like having 1200 as the baseline. I am post-menopause, new grandma, working in computer industry sitting. So this seems realistic. I also entered a goal of losing 1 pound per week. So... I started at 180 and want to get to 135. I need to lose weight slowly and increase exercise slowly. MFP is great!!

I'm happy it's working for you, but I'm sure you can see that the calorie goal of someone younger and more active should be higher than that of a fairly sedentary 64 year old woman?

katevarner

It just is. You will be starving all the time, and it's really too little food for a human to live on over the long term, or for the rest of their lives. Most women can easily eat 1600 cals a day and still lose weight. Many can eat more than that and still lose. It's just a lame thing MFP does to women. Plus, most women put that they want to lose 2 lbs per week instead of a more reasonable 1 lb per week.

If you really want to know, go here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

You can thank me later, and Dan, of course.

It just is? I don't think this woman could lose weight at 1600 unless she is doing some really heavy exercise and not eating back. She is already not overweight. Many women have no problem sticking to around 1200 cals, especially if they are eating back exercise calories.

OP- keep looking around the boards. Eat more to lose more? Ask yourself, Has that worked for you in the past?

I am 48 years old and lost 24 lbs. last year at a rate of between .8 and 1 lb. per week eating 1650 and only exercising two days per week, then I upped my workouts to 6 days and my calories to 1850 (those numbers were without eating exercise calories back, but only because they were based on TDEE, not MFP numbers). It can be done. You don't even have to starve yourself. Or claim that you are stuffed on 1200 calories. I eat at least 2000 calories a day now, exercise 5 days (and only burn about 250 calories while exercising) and I'm maintaining since October.

sarahmarc

I've been doing the 20% ish below tdee since November and lost almost nothing so clearly that does not work for me. I tried to decrease about 100 cals for day.....still nothing. By exercising I've converted fat to muscle which has been a success but i'm still got 20 pounds of fat hanging around!So I'm trying out the 1200 cals plus plan to eat my exercise back and see where that gets me. Weigh loss for some is a total experiment and really no one can give advise as we all need different amounts of fuel and very different metabolisms.

Eat if you're hungry and be wise with your choices:)


I think on MFP 1200 calorie " dieters" get really bad reputations.....

Lets not judge, just sort out what works for you.

Good luck....I wish you and me all the success in the world! Friend me if yo want....

Ps... Weight watchers is based on a 1200 calorie diet and I've never heard anyone say weight watchers doesn't work!

Peace out

Jennystimetolose

I did 1200 a day for quite a while with great results. I personally don't see why everybody gets all up in arms about it.
All I can say to you is OMG well done you that is so fantastic 176 pound lost you must be so proud of yourself

Serah87

I ate 1200 plus exercise calories for a couple of months last year and lost 14lbs. I then went back to eating around 1600 per day and put 10 of those lbs back on.

I'm only 5'3 and 1200 seemed to work well for me. I'm guessing my maintenance must be somewhere in the region of 1400 (based on the above) so eating in excess of this will just make me put on weight!

I'm 5'2 and eat between 1700-1800 cals a day, once I get my goal my maintenance will be around 2200 cals!!!....ohh and i am losing. :bigsmile:

tryclyn

If I can lose at 1800 why would I want to eat only 1200? I'm over 40, fairly sedentary and I already knew what kcal goal to start with before coming to MFP. I've witnessed what rapid weight loss has done to my mother every time she's done it so I know that that is not for me. I much prefer to eat close to my goal maintenance now so that when I am "done"(goal is not set in stone) I will have less of an adjustment and necessary habits will be formed. This is just me, of course.

askyej2010

I'm on 1200 calories a day and I'm 5'9" and loving it lol. I set that goal for myself, MFP suggested I have more, but I change it down to 1200 so I'd lose more. But that's just me, everybody is different.

Helloitsdan

I'm on 1200 calories a day and I'm 5'9" and loving it lol. I set that goal for myself, MFP suggested I have more, but I change it down to 1200 so I'd lose more. But that's just me, everybody is different.

At 5'9" you could lose a pound per week at appx 1600-2200 depending on activity.
I think you are missing the point on what weight loss and fat loss is.
And aside from metabolic disease, everyone is the same.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/you-are-not-different.html

askyej2010

I've always eaten around that many calories and its always worked for me. Never been hungry, and I excercise at least an hr and a half a day, and don't lose weight too quickly. Soo yea, everyone's bodies are different. And I could never eat 1600 plus calories a day! Lol that's a lot for me.

princessd84

I managed for about two weeks on 1200 before I nearly chewed my own arm off. It was far too low for me. Yes, I want to lose weight but I don't want to spend every day feeling hungry and light-headed.

mathteacher2010

simply because 1200 is far below your bmr, unless you are a midget

Be careful how you phrase things. I am 4'9" and according to MFP, my BMR is 1195. I lose about a pound a week on 1100 calories 5 days a week, more on weekends. I eat plenty of food as long as I choose well, and when I go up to 1200-1300 I don't lose. I exercise, several days a week with TRX straps, and am not wasting away and losing all my muscle.

robot_potato

For my body type and activity level 1200 is not enough. If you are short with a small frame it is probably more sustainable. I'm 5'7" with a medium frame and at 1200 I was crabby with no energy and would sometimes get woozy when I stood up.

amyschicos

Bump!!

marykpfist

First of all, just be warned-- people get really heated on this subject for some reason.

There are many, many posts on it!

In my case, 1200 is absolutely appropriate. I have had my fat % and my BMR checked and my daily calorie intake for NOT LOSING weight is about 1570. So, if I want to lose a reasonable amount (let's say .5-1 pound per week) then I need to cut (exercise off, in my case) a minimum of about 385 calories a day. (That's not even a pound a week...)

That puts my daily at 1184. (Under 1200.) I eat more when I exercise big. But honeslty at 47, if I can get in a good 2 mile walk and some free weights or circuit training... that's a pretty big day for me.

My advice-- findout what works FOR YOU. Ignore the nay-sayers if that is the right amount FOR YOU. But know your BMR, your TDEE, and your actual needs. There are lots of posts on how to get that--- or get help from your doctor.

Good luck with your journey!

sarahmonsta

There are a lot of different opinions about this. How I feel? I lost a lot of weight on 1300 calories and it has worked for me. For some people it wont work. It all depends on the person. I think the best route is to try and figure out what works for you. Good Luck.

burnt_irish1

I'm also doing 1200 a day and have no problems staying at that. I generally eat back some of my exercise calories. MFP has shown me exactly where I have been going wrong in what I had been consuming every day and why I am overweight. I am not a big eater, never have been. Never one to eat donuts, cookies etc....What my problem was is what I had been drinking, not thinking of the tons of calories I was consuming. I am a coffee addict and had been POURING in the Coffeemate French Vanilla. Or I would drink a lot of Simply Lemonade or sweetened teas. Never really paid attention to nutrition labels on food either. And then there's that portion control thing. I had to relearn what a portion was. I have since found that 1200 a day is more than doable. I am not hungry throughout the day. I rarely snack between meals. I no longer have any coffeemate unless it's a rare treat and I do NOT pour it in anymore. If it's not sweet enough for me I add a dash of Splenda. And I have started exercising even though I hate doing it.

This is me too!!! It's so nice to meet someone else on here!! :flowerforyou:

REDI4CHANGE60

bump

Sparklysmiles

I think anyone who is on the petite side, with not too much to lose and over 35 (i'm female just under 5.'2" and 45 and most of my life have been around 7.5 - 8.5 stone but over the last few years have seen weight gain around my middle - started MFP at 9 stone 12, now down to 9 stone 5 and my goal is 8 stone 12) is going to find it harder if they don't stick to the 1200 calories at least part of the week or massively increase their exercise. I've lost half a stone (halfway to my goal) over 3 months by eating 1200 calories (+ any added through exercise) for around 5 days of the week and between 1400 - 1800 for the other two (yes usually the weekend) but I have also increased my exercise to 4 times a week, either spin classes, body pump or interval training + some pilates. The results have been great and I do believe a great proportion is down to the exercise as it took a month before anything started to happen and now most weeks I see weight loss and a stronger tighter body!

But we are all different and what's right for me, might not be right for you, however if you can increase your exercise it will make a difference, quicker.

carolynbergen1

Last year I was eating 1200 calories a day and eating my exercise calories usually around 350 calories a day back. I lost around 1.5 - 2.5 lbs a week doing that. Guess who gained it all back? I'm now eating 1670 and my exercise calories back, around 350 still, so I usually consume around 1900-2000 calories a day. I feel better, I have more energy and guess what? I'm still losing at the same rate.

You gained all the weight back that you lost while continuing to eat 1200 calories per day and eating back your exercise calories or did you lose the weight, then up your calories and stop working out? Or even worse, lose the weight and then just stop with the diet and exercise altogether? I have to ask because I've heard many people say they've lost weight using whatever method, whatever caloric intake and then they "gain it all back". If you lost a lot of weight, reached goal and then consumed more calories than you burned off, then without a doubt, you are going to gain it all back regardless of what you were doing before. It's a lifestyle change after all...it's for the rest of our lives, and many people won't like it, welcome to reality. This is all basic physics and even more basic it's math. Calories in, calories out. You've got to burn more than you eat if you want to lose, burn=calories in to maintain, more calories in, burn less to gain. I know there's macros and all that stuff but I think we tend to make it more complicated than it needs to be, The fact is that I, as a normally small framed, short (I prefer "petite" but whatever) menopausal woman need less calories than a healthy 20 year old woman same height, weight, frame. does to survive. I also need less than any man does, and need less than I did 30 years ago. There are distinct differences in everybody and every body. My doctor tells me my 1200 cal eat back with exercise is safe and effective for me. She is the same height that I am and was obese out of college...some 20 years ago. Now she's normal weight and in shape. She did it long term on 1200 and is healthy and has kept the weight off for decades. I'm good to go with what I am doing. .

carolynbergen1

You hard core eaters are going to hate this but the people of Okinawa (and there are a handful of other cultures who share the same basic principals), are the people with the highest longevity and lack of diseases in the world. Cancer and cardiovascular diseases are almost unheard of.
They attribute this to calorie restriction, low fat, no processed goods, no meat or very little meat which is boiled and the fat scraped off before consumption, They do eat fish....which is usually raw. They rarely drink alcohol. They value age and the elderly and don't do ANYTHING to try and look younger. No botox for them!
Sucks, huh? Too bad it's factual. Americans are some of the most obese people in the world and while we should be living the longest or close to it we rank 41 I believe. How pathetic.

Read and Weep

http://www.okinawa-diet.com/news/20050316_seven.html

redraidergirl2009

It's not too low for everyone. But that's the goal it gives you If you put 2lbs a week. Just put 1 and see if it changes.

ehsan517

1200 cals is too low because it will create what we call "metabolic damage"