1200 Calories

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lovesdaisies
lovesdaisies Posts: 66
in Health and Weight Loss
Just wondering if people are having success losing weight with the 1200 calorie limit per day. I only ask because I'm new to the calorie counting thing. This is my first week on this plan. I have been on Weight Watchers for 3 years, lost approximately 35 pounds, gained about 8 back and am trying to lose it now. I was tired of counting POINTS, so thought I'd try this instead. Just trying to figure out how calories stack up to POINTS and whether or not I should lower my intake to 800 or 1000 calories a day??? I haven't weighed myself since Monday (plan to do so once a week) so I don't even know if it's working yet.

Any thoughts???

Replies

  • lovesdaisies
    lovesdaisies Posts: 66
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    Just wondering if people are having success losing weight with the 1200 calorie limit per day. I only ask because I'm new to the calorie counting thing. This is my first week on this plan. I have been on Weight Watchers for 3 years, lost approximately 35 pounds, gained about 8 back and am trying to lose it now. I was tired of counting POINTS, so thought I'd try this instead. Just trying to figure out how calories stack up to POINTS and whether or not I should lower my intake to 800 or 1000 calories a day??? I haven't weighed myself since Monday (plan to do so once a week) so I don't even know if it's working yet.

    Any thoughts???
  • lilmandy89
    lilmandy89 Posts: 323 Member
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    1200 calories works well for me
  • watch48win
    watch48win Posts: 1,668 Member
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    What does MFP say your calories should be?
  • icandoit
    icandoit Posts: 4,163 Member
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    Welcome:flowerforyou:
    1200 if you are not exercising. You need to make up for the calories you burn.
    Please read this post
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions
    This is a great post from viviakay that explains everything so well.
  • lovesdaisies
    lovesdaisies Posts: 66
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    MFP says it should be 1200. So I guess I should just go with it. I'm so scared to drop the POINTS thing - I've become so dependent on it - but I'm hoping this should work because for some reason it just doesn't seem so cumbersome. I'm eating with less worry than I did when I was on Weight Watchers.
  • SoupNazi
    SoupNazi Posts: 4,229 Member
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    Hi lovesdaisies! Try reading this post below. It might clear up some confusion.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions
  • SoupNazi
    SoupNazi Posts: 4,229 Member
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    Welcome:flowerforyou:
    1200 if you are not exercising. You need to make up for the calories you burn.
    Please read this post
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/6556-the-answers-to-the-questions
    This is a great post from viviakay that explains everything so well.

    Haha....icandoit beat me to it!
  • Eliyan
    Eliyan Posts: 115
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    Definitely don't go lower, nobody should ever go below 1200 calories a day. For most people 1200 is even too few. Your body needs AT LEAST that many just to run your organs, and if you go lower, you'll most likely put your body into starvation mode (there are at least 9879879797879787979878797897979878 posts on this if you want more information) which will completely ruin any weight loss efforts as your body will hold onto every little thing you eat, storing it as fat.

    You should go with what MPF tells you, as it already calculates in enough of a deficit to lose 1-2 lbs a week. If that seems low, you can also use the tools on her to calculate your BMR, which is how many calories your body burns just staying alive. A lot of people say never to go below that.

    Remember, it's better to lose slowly and keep it off than to put your body into starvation mode and actually end up gaining. :tongue:

    (Oh, my GOD, that was a lot of replies in just the time I was typing!)
  • lovesdaisies
    lovesdaisies Posts: 66
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    ICANDOIT - Thanks for that post ! I just checked it out. Like to hear about using your exercise points, too. I've been trying to avoid doing so so that I can lose weight faster. But like Weight Watchers, I guess you have to eat all of your points in order to not go into starvation mode.

    Thanks! I'm going to keep that link handy so I can refer to it now and then.
  • lovesdaisies
    lovesdaisies Posts: 66
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    Wow...thanks everyone! Great advice by all! I just wish I was born tall and thin and could eat whatever I wanted!!!! Who are those people??? :mad:
  • avr1321
    avr1321 Posts: 96
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    you should never eat less then 1200 calories a day or your body can begin to slowly "die" down. if you don't eat enough calories a day then your body can begin to stop working and your metabolism will slow down so much that it will only burn as many calories as is needed for you to live. plus, the 1200 calories limit works very well. try not to go any lower then 1200 a day it could, in the long run, be bad for you.
  • icandoit
    icandoit Posts: 4,163 Member
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    Wow...thanks everyone! Great advice by all! I just wish I was born tall and thin and could eat whatever I wanted!!!! Who are those people??? :mad:

    a figment of our imagination:happy:
  • rheston
    rheston Posts: 638
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    I tried the tall and thin thing but it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be so I abandoned that path in 8th grade. :happy:

    If you eat to the calorie limit you're initially given and then exercise but don't add those calories to your meal plan you will lose the weight. The thing you should manage is what your body tells you it wants and needs and in that you should use your exercise points (for that given day) as a buffer to go into when you need to until you get your weight where you want it to be.

    Hope that helps.:flowerforyou:
  • sculley
    sculley Posts: 2,012 Member
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    It seemed to be doing well for me.
  • timisw
    timisw Posts: 391 Member
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    Everything is relative to size. If you are like 4'10", maybe 1000 calories MIGHT be enough.

    If your a 6'2" 205lbs guy, its going to take a minimum of 2250 calories. So all of these post stating 1200 is the lowest low are NOT correct.

    Take your BMR (calculated by this site). Take off 10% (no more than 10% of your BMR). Add your activity level and cardio/exercise for the day, and EAT THAT! All added up on this site which makes it so great!

    If you do your cardio (which helps in so many ways), and only eat your BMR - 10%, your going to be starving yourself and burning MUSCLE and not fat! NOT GOOD! Muscle burns calories (even at BMR).
  • proudmama0118
    proudmama0118 Posts: 433 Member
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    I am used to points also. I still find myself thinking of certian things that way... probably always will!!! Maybe it would be a good idea to keep a points journal and log your food on here for a few days so you get an idea of what everything is adding up to.

    Good luck!! I love this site, I really liked WW but it was just too darn expensive!!! $400 to lose 20 lbs!!!!!! :noway: I have done nearly that in the last 3 months for free! DOH! :ohwell:
  • lovesdaisies
    lovesdaisies Posts: 66
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    proudmama...glad to hear from another Weight Watchers graduate! I agree - too expensive. But, yes, at the end of this week I will probably go back and add my points up to see how much I've really eaten. It's great to have this site because I feel like - for some reason - I'm eating more. Monday will be the tell-all - that's my weigh-in day.

    Finger's crossed! Thanks for your reply! And good luck to you, too!
  • littlespoon
    littlespoon Posts: 165
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    I've just started weight watchers cos i hadnt budged for 3 months counting calories. I find the points really easy and i found all the info online, so i havent had to pay for the privilige either - and I've started losing weight again!

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