Skip to content
  • Register
    • We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

    1200 calories vs BMR - 20%

    Posts: 4
    edited January 17 in Introduce Yourself
    Hey all,
    I am currently in my first week on MFP and have already lost 3lbs in 5 days after leaving weightwatchers 4.5 stone lighter at 141lbs but had picked up many unhealthy eating habits!
    I have read so many debates on this topic and was wondering what sort of weight loss difference would I expect from 1200 compared to my BMR - 20% 1475 calories?
    Any help would be greatly appreciated!
    Thanks

    Welcome!

    It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
    Sign In
    Register

    Replies

    • Posts: 3,128 Member
      Do you eat back your workout calories? You should.

      Also, TDEE/BMR - 20% will be better than 1200 calories.
    • Posts: 8 Member
      Hey, welcome! I agree with sixout. -20% is better than the 1200 route, IMO.
      Good luck!!
    • Posts: 39
      i lost weight doing the 1200 calories a day thing for about a month after that i just plataued and that seems to happen to most people. It's fine to kick start it but not as a long term thing. I now eat at my tdee -20% which is only 1380 but that extra 180 cals has made me start to lose weight again so i would recommend upping your calories too. Plus also eat back as many exercise calories as you can but try not to worry too much if you can't eat them all back. good luck :-) x
    • Posts: 4
      Brilliant thankyou for the advice! I'm coming up to my university exams so no time for excercise at the moment but I definitely will be eating them back! I can't stand plateauing and although I obviously haven't at the moment I don't want to down the line. Should I stick to 1200 until I hit a plateu then move straight to TDEE- 20%? Or start now xx
    • Posts: 39
      start now i say :-) x
    • Posts: 399
      Yip, agree that TDEE - 20% is far better than a 1200 setting and start as soon as.
    • Posts: 501 Member
      i lost weight doing the 1200 calories a day thing for about a month after that i just plataued and that seems to happen to most people. It's fine to kick start it but not as a long term thing. I now eat at my tdee -20% which is only 1380 but that extra 180 cals has made me start to lose weight again so i would recommend upping your calories too. Plus also eat back as many exercise calories as you can but try not to worry too much if you can't eat them all back. good luck :-) x

      This! I started on the 1200 plan lost some weight and stalled. Upped to tdee -20 percent and have steadily lost. Good luck in your journey!
    • Posts: 1,650 Member
      you cant drive a car without fuel. You cant excercise your body without energy. fuel=energy=FOOD. I say no to prop1200
    • Posts: 46 Member
      I've been doing the 1200, usually eat back about half my exercise calories, and I haven't had a plateau last longer than a couple of days (unless I've done something I shouldn't have and eaten an entire med. pizza in one sitting). I'm at 29 lbs down since the beginning of the year and I'm rarely hungry. But not everything works for everyone. Find out what works for you.
    • Posts: 13,247 Member
      With the small amount of weight you have left to lose, TDEE minus 15% or 10% might be better for you.

      The closer you are to your goal, the slower weight loss will and should be.
    • Posts: 150
      Never do BMR - any percentage. You use your TDEE. If you don't have a lot to lose you need it at a very small deficit. 1200 is far too low... even if you eat your exercise calories back.
      Figure out your TDEE and take a 10% cut off of that.
    • Posts: 143
      Why not enjoy that 180 calories and still lose weight?
    • Posts: 1,319 Member
      Why would you do 1,200 cals anyway? Just because myfitnesspal says so?
      I say TDEE minus a 10-20% deficit.
    • Posts: 4
      Thankyou all! I'm going to take the advice and change to TDEE- 20%!! I'm far too hungry on 1200 anyway!! First time that I've listened to my body rather than what a "diet" has made me eat. So fingers crossed it works!' Xx
    • Posts: 5 Member
      What is TDEE?
    • Posts: 735 Member
      I am 177 pounds and my goal weight is 136 pounds. I started out at 250 pounds. so what percentage of body fat should I aim for?

      advise please:)
    • Posts: 280 Member
      Read this to find out about your TDEE and BMR http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013
    • Posts: 4
      Total daily energy expenditure! Read the link given above its very useful and helps you to discover your daily calories needs based in your body and not mfp generic allowances x
    • Posts: 404 Member
      Sweet gurl - read the roadmap link & check out scoobyworkshop for calculators. Good luck to both of you!!

      BMR & TDEE are two different things. Do your calculations & decide if you want to do 10, 15 or 20% under your TDEE. I am doing 20% under my TDEE which is about 1,800
    • Posts: 2,848 Member
      Do you eat back your workout calories? You should.

      Also, TDEE/BMR - 20% will be better than 1200 calories.

      TDEE - 10 - 20 % Yes
      BMR - 10 - 20 % No
    • Posts: 96 Member
      my mfp setting is on 1200cals per day but i exercise every day and eat back my cals so it's always more than 1200 (im too hungry!), usually between 1250 and 1400 depending one how much i have worked out. tend not to eat all of the cals back but most of them!
    • Posts: 142 Member
      Mine is also set at 1200 but I eat back a good portion of my exercise so it is never that low in practice. I am not hungry all the time and I have tones of energy

      I know this isn't for everybody but it works for me and I don't really want to force myself to eat for the sake of it because that is how I got myself into this mess in the first place
    • Posts: 839 Member
      Brilliant thankyou for the advice! I'm coming up to my university exams so no time for excercise at the moment but I definitely will be eating them back! I can't stand plateauing and although I obviously haven't at the moment I don't want to down the line. Should I stick to 1200 until I hit a plateu then move straight to TDEE- 20%? Or start now xx

      you don't need to exercise thats the beauty, exercise is just a bonus. aslong as you are eating under your daily requirements you are gonna lose weight, you might lose muscle too if you eat too little or don't lifet any weights at all but you will lose weight.

      Exercise just speeds up the process and increases fitness overall.
      according to the census 1200 is the minimum for a woman and 1400 for a man to exist healthily. thats above BMR not below it
      Intentially eating below on a regular basis is suicide, you'd be depriving all your vital organs of fuel they need to function.
      eating below TDEE is ok, they body can still function it just has to adjust.

      i would also no suggest to jump around between calorie amounts, should do a steady increase or decrease so your body can adjust easier.
    • Posts: 1 Member
      1200 Calories is rather low for most in general in regards to exercise. Comes down to tracking your food as well as figuring out what works best for you. Women ( never under 1200 ) Men ( Never under 1500 ) generally speaking. Our bodies are like machines FOOD=FUEL. It is all about balance :) Hope everyone is having a great 2013 so far :)
    • Posts: 1
      I am really stuffed from eating 1200 calories a day and I feel like I'm forcing myself to eat more.... Is that normal?
    This discussion has been closed.

    Welcome!

    It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.
    Sign In
    Register

    Quick Links

    Categories