STOP with the 1200 calorie posts ~ rant

Heather_Rider

I usually try to stay at around 1350 calories a day. I found when I tried staying at 1200 calories, I was really *hangry* ALL THE TIME, lightheaded, headaches, body aches, no energy to workout. And my weight loss actually slowed down.

When I bumped it back up to 1350-1500...I started dropping weight again. So for me, 1200 is too low.

Im glad you found out what worked for you! I hope this continues for you & you have amazing success! :flowerforyou:

lol @ hangry!

Vailara

MFP DOES recommend 1200 calories for some people, so they are only using the site correctly. And I'm sure some people are not eating exercise calories simply because they don't exercise (not everybody does).

For some people, 1200 calories isn't proportionately so little as it is for others. Everybody gets jumped on if they eat 1200, regardless of age, weight, height, etc. But for some of those people, older, shorter, women, 1200 might actually not be that far off what they "should" be having, especially if they are eating back (possibly overestimated) exercise calories. (As an example, for me, personally, my sedentary TDEE - 20% is around 1300 at the moment. If I set my calories to 1200 and added in exercise for housework, etc., as some do, then I'd probably break even. Even if I didn't add in exercise calories, I'd only need another 100 calories to hit TDEE - 20%. It's not such a dramatic deficit as it might be with a 6 foot young man).

Now, I'm not recommending 1200 if you can avoid it at all, but I'm trying to explain that it's not so far off the mark for some people according to other calculations (TDEE - 20%), and there's no need to treat everybody as if they are doing some extreme diet. It IS ridiculously low for some people, for others, not so much - it's close to what they're being told to eat by both MFP and TDEE - 20%..

sexymuffintop

if your TDEE is 1951 I'd be eating at deficit of 500 then aiming for a further caloric burn of 3-500 a day to create another deficit. I wouldn't be going for eating just 951 personally. I'd eat 1450 and then burn and not eat back.

the 1951 is before my exercise. If i exercise, then i do eat back my exercise calories, however ive had two strokes from blood clots to the brain, so exercise is sometimes few & far between. Mainly its biking on a recumbent bike when i have time or just daily activity. I generally do not log daily activity. So, if i dont actually BIKE, i dont eat more than the 951.

You are heading for a huge massive fall eating 951 cals a day. Please learn to work out your real TDEE, google it, learn to research properly and only listen to people who actually know what they are talking about.

trudijoy

if your TDEE is 1951 I'd be eating at deficit of 500 then aiming for a further caloric burn of 3-500 a day to create another deficit. I wouldn't be going for eating just 951 personally. I'd eat 1450 and then burn and not eat back.

the 1951 is before my exercise. If i exercise, then i do eat back my exercise calories, however ive had two strokes from blood clots to the brain, so exercise is sometimes few & far between. Mainly its biking on a recumbent bike when i have time or just daily activity. I generally do not log daily activity. So, if i dont actually BIKE, i dont eat more than the 951.

You are heading for a huge massive fall eating 951 cals a day. Please learn to work out your real TDEE, google it, learn to research properly and only listen to people who actually know what they are talking about.

I tried . . .

babydiego87

Not all 1200 posts are equal. Petite, short, women who are not doing heavy lifting and need to lose some weight legitimately women land there. I work out, I eat back wo cals, but some weeks, some months, just go slow. Weight loss is not linear. I appreciated those telling me that. I appreciate those encouraging some body weight exercising and encouraging me to cross- train. I appreciated gentle guidance to not over-do cardio.

this. 1200 rocks for me

EmmaKarney

Not all 1200 posts are equal. Petite, short, women who are not doing heavy lifting and need to lose some weight legitimately women land there. I work out, I eat back wo cals, but some weeks, some months, just go slow. Weight loss is not linear. I appreciated those telling me that. I appreciate those encouraging some body weight exercising and encouraging me to cross- train. I appreciated gentle guidance to not over-do cardio.

this. 1200 rocks for me

You're doing great on 1200 but I still have a sneaking suspicion you'd do just as well on 1400

haroon_awan

Out of curiosity, why does MFP even recommend 1200 calories?! Even if you are 5' and 120lbs and live roughly sedentary, your MINIMUM calories wouldn't reach that. Surely they ought to fix this?!

trudijoy

Out of curiosity, why does MFP even recommend 1200 calories?! Even if you are 5' and 120lbs and live roughly sedentary, your MINIMUM calories wouldn't reach that. Surely they ought to fix this?!

because they assume everyone who wants to lose weight will excercise, i think.

Mads1997

Out of curiosity, why does MFP even recommend 1200 calories?! Even if you are 5' and 120lbs and live roughly sedentary, your MINIMUM calories wouldn't reach that. Surely they ought to fix this?!

Most of the time it's user error. They all choose to lose 2lb per week ( the quick fix) which is the most aggressive therefore MFP gives them 1200 cals as it won't go any lower than that.

Edited to add. 2lb per week is fine for those who are obese or morbidly obese only.

phumzilesiboza7

I absolutely agree with you, it's like now that people have lost some weight they've gained some guru status and the right to judge newbies! I find the whole "snowflake" comment quite nasty.

trudijoy

Out of curiosity, why does MFP even recommend 1200 calories?! Even if you are 5' and 120lbs and live roughly sedentary, your MINIMUM calories wouldn't reach that. Surely they ought to fix this?!

Most of the time it's user error. They all choose to lose 2lb per week ( the quick fix) which is the most aggressive therefore MFP gives them 1200 cals as it won't go any lower than that.

Edited to add. 2lb per week is fine for those who are obese or morbidly obese only.

i'm losing 1kg a week on average, which is about 2 lb, and i'm neither obese nor morbidly obese... but yeah, generally speaking many go in too aggressively and just wanna get thin, not healthy

sexymuffintop

I absolutely agree with you, it's like now that people have lost some weight they've gained some guru status and the right to judge newbies! I find the whole "snowflake" comment quite nasty.

I think you misunderstood the OP.....

Vailara

Out of curiosity, why does MFP even recommend 1200 calories?! Even if you are 5' and 120lbs and live roughly sedentary, your MINIMUM calories wouldn't reach that. Surely they ought to fix this?!

Most of the time it's user error. They all choose to lose 2lb per week ( the quick fix) which is the most aggressive therefore MFP gives them 1200 cals as it won't go any lower than that.

Edited to add. 2lb per week is fine for those who are obese or morbidly obese only.

If I stick 5', 120 lb, female and sedentary into Scooby it gives me a TDEE of 1248 at age 60, or 1307 at age 50 (Mifflin St-Jeor). Obviously it's going to be difficult for somebody with those stats to lose weight without getting close to 1200. For the 60 year old, they only have a 48 calorie deficit - that's, what, 1/10th of a pound a week? And it would be so easy to miscalculate and actually eat MORE than her TDEE. That's what I was trying to explain above - that 1200 is actually close to what they're being advised to eat, for some people.

I'm sure user error happens often as in the past, we were always advised that 2lb a week was the ideal, safe rate of weight loss. However, MFP does RECOMMEND 1200 calories for some people. I know it does for me. If I put my details in there is a drop down box with different rates of weight loss or gain, and if I chose the recommended one, it sets me at 1200. I'm sure it's the same for other people my size and age.

Lysander666

because they assume everyone who wants to lose weight will excercise, i think.

Ah, so some people lose weight without it? It's half the fun. I love exercising.

Katmary71

I'm 5'4 and sedentary. I have physical limitations that cause a lot of pain. I'm hoping to start using my recumbent bike soon, starting at 5-10 minutes as recommended, along with my physical therapy routine of stretching and strengthening. Anyhow, I'm 206 pounds, and wanted to lose a pound per week, which landed me at 1260 calories.

My doctor actually told me to stick with 600 calories, so it's more than she recommends! I do plan to eat calories back and start adding in my exercise calories once I start. I was 1400 until i lost 11 pounds and MFP asked me to re-enter my info.. And YES, I have read the 1200 posts to learn and have learned from them.

trudijoy

because they assume everyone who wants to lose weight will excercise, i think.

Ah, so some people lose weight without it? It's half the fun. I love exercising.

yep, some want the loss without the excercise, and that's their path. Personally, i want to be thinner, fitter, and healtheir, not simply weigh less, so I work out. But that's not for everyone

plus, like you, i like it. Excercise makes me feel strong, capable and in control

ronnyharry

Is it a good idea to have one day a week to eat rather more than the 1200 cals so that the body's metabolism is tricked and thereby works more effectively? If the body goes into the starvation mode then it is possible that it will be difficult to maintain the weight loss inertia.

toutmonpossible

I've just decided to stop reading most posts about diet and exercise because there is so much just completely WRONG information out there. It's so hard not to try and reply to every one...but then I'd just look like an *kitten*. Deep breath and let it go (though it's hard, isn't it??)

That's my conclusion, and I am someone who needs to be at 1200 or less to actually lose weight. Hell, I've never been overweight, I've been trying to lose a few vanity pounds. if people keep making the same dumb comments (about supposedly low calorie eating, when 1200 is not "low calorie") why should I waste my time responding?

Same things with the stupid posts in which people assert that every woman, despite her genetics and goals, will not increase in size through strength training.

I keep wondering where the people like me are. I guess they don't belong to sites like this, or if they do, they don't bother with the discussion threads.

mrdexter1

Surely the fact is 1200 is ONLY a problem for those who dont report weight loss when eating 1200 and use the standard macros settings from the forum.

We re all different shapes ,sizes and weights with differing levels of activity and what works for one isnt going to work for another and as you shed weight your bodies needs change and require diet adjustment highlighting this.

why not agree its not wise for the 200lb plus group who are probably doing weight training every time they move and naturally burn more callories just by moving the extra weight they are in effect carrying .

babydiego87

I'd like to dispel the myth of 1200 and 2lb set weight loss.

WHATEVER I put my goals at (for reference, my goal has ALWAYS been set at 1-1/2lbs) I get 1200 calories.

My TDEE - 20% = 1226

My TDEE - 10% = 1380

Don't assume that everyone on 1200 calories is wrong, please.