When is 1200 calories appropriate? (hint: almost never)

bcattoes

But I absolutely believe that FAR more than 1% can survive on 1200 calories. In fact, I'd be surprised if much less than 1% could not survive on 1200 calories.

then you don't believe that the various BMR equations are accurate. since they spit out a resting BMR above 1200 for almost everyone.

we'd have to look at a statistical distribution to find out exactly how much of the population is below the height/weight/age/gender combination cutoff for a resting BMR of 1200 to see what percentage could survive on that amount of calories for say... 3+ years. maybe it is higher than 1%. maybe it's 10%. maybe its more. as i think about it, if we just look at America, i can envision a low percentage. if we include China and India and the rest of the world, perhaps that percentage of the overall population goes up. however, since i specifically referred to MFP members, i still feel confident that it's a low percentage, but i may be wrong to state that it's only 1%. i was making a point though, since i don't know what the percentage is in reality. anyway, we'd have to do that statistical analysis and then factor in the metabolic slowdown over time to see exactly how many people could survive on 1200 per day for 3+ years. some certainly could. most of us couldn't. personally, i would starve to death on that number. i'll never have a resting BMR down at those levels.

And I feel just as confident that you are wrong. The body would lower BMR to accommodate a lower calorie diet.

MyM0wM0w

This I agree with 100%!! If I were to do that my Net would be like 750-850 and there is no way that would be good for me, not to mention the fact that I would be starving which would result in me going on a binge. Anyone who follows the eating 1200 without adding back in exercise calories is just asking for trouble.

Agreed. With all the "OMGYOUCAN'TLIVEON1200CALORIES!!!!1111oneeeeee" posts on MFP I discussed it with my doctor last week when I was there. He looked over my food logs for the last two months (I print them out and take them with me) and was happy ....for the most part.

He agrees that 1200 is low, but *IF* I eat back my exercise calories and I feel fine then not to worry. I go for blood tests every three months anyway and those have been *AMAZING* since I've cut my calories down to 1200.

Sla6adm

TBf, 1100 a day worked for me. DIFFERENT THINGS WORK FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

And another thing, not everyone is fat because they overate in the first place. Certain types of cancer treatment also cause increased weight gain.

ChgingMe

Yawns. *eye roll*

I'm always amazed at the amount of people so focused on what other people are doing and eating....

^^ this + how many times are we going to do this topic???

Considering new people join MFP everyday I'd say forever. People need to be educated. The media screams all the wrong things. Fat free processed crap to lose weight. Don't lift more than 5 pounds if you are a woman or you'll bulk up.. Makes me sick. Thank you OP for educating the uneducated. Ignore the Naysayers

ademiter

:flowerforyou:

We need to do our utmost to keep this thread at the top of the forums for as long as possible!

And when is MFP going to listen to common sense and stop advising everyone to eat 1200?!!

I lost and gained the same 7lbs for 12 months eating 1200. Now, in a fraction of that time, I have lost 9lbs following the Roadmap (eating around 1600 calories a day plus exercise calories). And the weight is continuining to drop off. I'm not as grouchy, I drink alcohol, I have the energy to run and lift weights, my skin is better, I'm less hungry and far happier.

'Nough said!

Ok, so I'm 5'8", currently 174, I exercise at least 5 days a week if not more, some days are busier than others, but like today is a day that I stay parked at my computer at work. So what should I be eating (calories). I've been at 1200 for while, and the weight fluctuates like crazy and I don't see any real change. What do you suggest?

bcattoes

Considering new people join MFP everyday I'd say forever. People need to be educated. The media screams all the wrong things. Fat free processed crap to lose weight. Don't lift more than 5 pounds if you are a woman or you'll bulk up.. Makes me sick. Thank you OP for educating the uneducated. Ignore the Naysayers

Honestly, the only media I ever see "Don't lift more than 5 pounds if you are a woman or you'll bulk up" on is MFP.

I do see exercise routines using 5 lbs weights, but I've never seen anythin say don't use more.

myofibril

If anyone is interested this study also shows a reduced metabolic rate in obese patients following large weight loss:

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/49/1/93.full.pdf+html

It shows depressed metabolic rate despite raising calories to a level that should have secured weight regulation.

nokanjaijo

I would really like to see any scientific evidence that dieting (or yo-yo dieting) actually lowers BMR. I haven't found any nor has anyone ever posted any (that I can find).

I'm presuming you mean outside that which would be expected due to lower overall body weight?

Have you read this study:

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/68/3/599.full.pdf

Let me know what you think.

I do know about the Minnesota study. That is semi-starvation, famine related study. It looks at what happens when you deplete your fat stores.

Read this:
http://pmj.bmj.com/content/49/569/203.abstract

nokanjaijo

If anyone is interested this study also shows a reduced metabolic rate in obese patients following large weight loss:

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/49/1/93.full.pdf+html

It shows depressed metabolic rate despite raising calories to a level that should have secured weight regulation.

THIS is excellent. This is what we've been looking for. I'll definitely read this. Thank you.

Trilby16

Yawns. *eye roll*

I'm always amazed at the amount of people so focused on what other people are doing and eating....

Yes, thank you! Wondering why someone would start this thread. Like the kindergarten teachers used to say to my son, "Wil, worry about Wil!"

bcattoes

Using your BMR, your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) would be 1800 (sedentary). 1200 calories puts you at a daily deficit of 600 calories which is just over a pound a week. I'm not your age or anything so I cannot comment on what will work for you but I do want to point that out. Best of Luck!

Where did your get the 1800 number? I was using what MFP and fitday.com estimate. Fitday is a bit higher at about 1575, but still not a huge difference. I'll be glad to eat more but not if it's going to sacrifice the weight loss. I'm miserable and need to feel better in my clothes.

Are you talking BMR (basal) or TDEE (total expenditure)? When I put your information - age 65, 5'3" 151 lbs - info most calculators I get a BMR just over 1300 and wtih sedentary lifestyle a TDEE of 1567 on ftinessfrog.

SRH7

:flowerforyou:

We need to do our utmost to keep this thread at the top of the forums for as long as possible!

And when is MFP going to listen to common sense and stop advising everyone to eat 1200?!!

I lost and gained the same 7lbs for 12 months eating 1200. Now, in a fraction of that time, I have lost 9lbs following the Roadmap (eating around 1600 calories a day plus exercise calories). And the weight is continuining to drop off. I'm not as grouchy, I drink alcohol, I have the energy to run and lift weights, my skin is better, I'm less hungry and far happier.

'Nough said!

Ok, so I'm 5'8", currently 174, I exercise at least 5 days a week if not more, some days are busier than others, but like today is a day that I stay parked at my computer at work. So what should I be eating (calories). I've been at 1200 for while, and the weight fluctuates like crazy and I don't see any real change. What do you suggest?

If you have a look at the first post on this thread there are some really good links (in particular to Dan's Roadmap). They should point you in the right direction

Spookily enough I'm a similar height, weight and age to you and I eat around 1600 calories a day, plus I eat back all my exercise calories. But if you do your Roadmap numbers it will give you figures tailored to you.

Trilby16

:flowerforyou:

We need to do our utmost to keep this thread at the top of the forums for as long as possible!

And when is MFP going to listen to common sense and stop advising everyone to eat 1200?!!

I lost and gained the same 7lbs for 12 months eating 1200. Now, in a fraction of that time, I have lost 9lbs following the Roadmap (eating around 1600 calories a day plus exercise calories). And the weight is continuining to drop off. I'm not as grouchy, I drink alcohol, I have the energy to run and lift weights, my skin is better, I'm less hungry and far happier.

'Nough said!

Ok, so I'm 5'8", currently 174, I exercise at least 5 days a week if not more, some days are busier than others, but like today is a day that I stay parked at my computer at work. So what should I be eating (calories). I've been at 1200 for while, and the weight fluctuates like crazy and I don't see any real change. What do you suggest?

Eat more! Eat more!

justjean

Hi, I'm 5", 22 years old, spend half my day sitting so pretty sedentary to mildly active. I've been eating 1200 calories and it has been fine for me, I haven't been overly hungry or anything and I have been consistently losing a pound a week. The best I've felt is around 126lbs so I would like to get there again (When I was this weight I was active all day, walking everywhere and eating anything and everything I wanted). I am currently 137.4lbs and diagnosed pre diabetic last October. According to the military fat calculator, my BMI is 28%. I'm built pretty sturdy, broad shoulders and muscular legs so I think that shooting for a BMI of 19% would be best for me, but the custom fit body weight calculation says that at 19% I should be 122lbs. If 1200 calories is working for me now, should I stick to it or should I up my calories with the fear that my metabolism will slow down? I am hoping to be around 126-128lbs by mid May..but then I would continue to eat healthy to keep my weight at that point. I've lost 3.6 lbs in the last 30 days.

myofibril

I would really like to see any scientific evidence that dieting (or yo-yo dieting) actually lowers BMR. I haven't found any nor has anyone ever posted any (that I can find).

I'm presuming you mean outside that which would be expected due to lower overall body weight?

Have you read this study:

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/68/3/599.full.pdf

Let me know what you think.

I do know about the Minnesota study. That is semi-starvation, famine related study. It looks at what happens when you deplete your fat stores.

Read this:
http://pmj.bmj.com/content/49/569/203.abstract

That's pretty cool.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying it can't be done but the likelihood is for the average person without a team of researchers monitoring their intake things could go decidedly wonky (precise scientific term I know....)

ntdrive

bump

that_Va_chick

I say this is the nicest way. If you don't like the way the site is designed then don't use it. Why try to change it when it is working for so many others. Find a site that is set up how you want it to be. I like MFP. Understand how it is supposed to work. And it works for me.

^^^^bump^^^^

CristinaL1983

I would really like to see any scientific evidence that dieting (or yo-yo dieting) actually lowers BMR. I haven't found any nor has anyone ever posted any (that I can find).

I'm presuming you mean outside that which would be expected due to lower overall body weight?

Have you read this study:

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/68/3/599.full.pdf

Let me know what you think.

I should have been more specific. Yes I meant outside of expected amounts related to overall body weight.

I have read that study before but just perused it again. There are a couple things about it that are of interest. 1) This is a study of men who started at healthy body fat levels and were starved well into unhealthy body fat levels so it's not completely relevant to my point. But 2) even in this study (which has the above parameters) it discusses two adaptive thermogenesis responses. One is in relation to being at a deficit (any deficit without regard to actual quantity) which slows down the metabolism (very, very, very slightly according to this study) to preserve lean mass. The second which is the one most commonly referred to is the response which preserves fat mass and this study suggests (although they explicitly state more research needs to be done) that this response is dependent on amount of fat stores. It is not dependent on calorie amount or calorie deficit but instead on amount of actual fat left in the body. This was reached at levels of body fat essential to human life (as low as 3% in some subjects).

This second response is also what makes bodies store fat. Again, this study shows that this is in response to near depletion of fat stores (as in critical to life not the 15% body fat most subjects started at). I don't think most people on this site looking to lose weight are in that danger zone.

I cited this study when I first responded. (Many pages ago). This study also does not suggest that BMR will be slowed significantly for any period of time after calorie restriction is completed and it does suggest that BMR is slowed in response to critical levels of fat storage having been reached rather than by calorie deficit itself.

SRH7

I think it is difficult for people just starting to choose anything under 2lbs/week; they are excited and have a long ways to go. Setting it for 1lb or less pushes the goal even further away.

I completely agree. In fact I can't remember a "diet" plan that has been published in the last 50 years that didn't claim at least 2lbs a week. Sad that we have to see 1lb a week loss as some kind of failure when, at least for me personally, it's helping me bring my bodyfat down without compromising my lean tissue and without hitting a plateau (and lifting weights helps too, of course!).

The "Lose 1lbs A Week Diet" would not fly off the bookshelves, even though it's proven to work!

It is sad...

On that note though...I've been on a 1/2 Lb per week loss plan now for about a month...it's even more awesome than my 1 Lb per week plan was...mostly because I can lose weight and eat even more awesome stuff...and I have even that much more energy for my lifts which I was really struggling with strength gains at 1 Lb per week loss.

It's slow, and it can be difficult to see week to week...which is honestly a bit troubling at first when you're used to seeing weekly progress...but definitely can see it on the scale over the course of a month. For some reason I also feel like my physique has actually improved even though I only lost 2.5 Lbs in Feb...before, I felt like and looked like I was just getting skinny...now I'm starting to look lean I think...but might just be my imagination or something.

So true. I like to climb mountains and just didn't have enough fuel in the tank when I was netting 1200 calories (even eating back the 2,000 to 3,000 I would burn on each climb). Since combining increased calories with lifting bigger weights the shape of my body has noticeably changed. Sure, I've lost 9lbs in 9 weeks, but more excitingly I've lost 2" off my waist, 1" off my neck and 1" off each of my calves (despite running as well, which tends to bulk up my calves). And I never feel hangry!

UsedToBeHusky

:flowerforyou: :drinker: :smooched: