Just to make sure I'm doing it right....1200 cals

Options
2»

Replies

  • spamantha57
    spamantha57 Posts: 674 Member
    Options
    I'm just a couple inches taller than you & I think I weigh about the same.
    I can't say 100% if you *should* be eating more than 1,200 a day, but you *could.*
    I'd vote for about 1,400. I usually eat 1,250-1,450 a day.
    I only have activity when I exercise, since I have no work/ school/ home/ living things right now. If I didn't actually get up & work out I'd literally be in bed on my laptop all day.
    I also eat pretty darn healthy. So even though my cals are low, I'm actually stuffed with good food & pretty much never hungry. Totally happy with my eating habits. :smile:
  • mamosh81
    mamosh81 Posts: 409 Member
    Options
    Typically horrible advice given here.

    Your margins are going to be exceptionally small. And you are dealing with rough estimates of your TDEE. These calculators cannot and do not account for everything though they are pretty accurate. But when someone tells you to eat within 100-200 calories of your TDEE, be very skeptical.

    This is because there is significant difficulty in getting your eating right down to the calorie. And if you eat just a bit over without realizing it and your calculated TDEE Is off by a small amount, then you aren't going to lose.

    Give yourself some room. Don't buy the hype about starvation mode or the like. As a small person, with a small total daily energy expenditure, you are not going to see flashing red lights if you dip below that magic 1200 number. This is not to say that you should stop eating. It's just to say that any people who tell you to eat at such close proximity to your TDEE are ignoring human and system error, and they are setting you up for failure. In a controlled environment with perfect data, they may be correct. But that is not the system in which you will operate.

    I want to hit the like button on this post! Thumps up
  • FlowersInTheDirt
    FlowersInTheDirt Posts: 124 Member
    Options
    I would eat 200-300 cals under your TDEE. Never eat indeed your BMR :smile:
  • shutupandlift13
    shutupandlift13 Posts: 727 Member
    Options
    Metabolic damage occurs after months and months of eating at extremely low caloric levels.... just as an fyi.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Options
    Based on your stats and your activity levels, your maintenance calories look to be about 1,800. I would eat to 1,500 gross (no eating of exercise calories back), see how you do over a 4 week period and adjust accordingly. About 1/2 a lb a week loss is reasonable based on how much you have to lose.
  • grrrlface
    grrrlface Posts: 1,204 Member
    Options
    Above BMR, below TDEE. You should have around 1400-1500 calories.

    Set to lose 0.5lb a week.

    No one is truely sedentary(unless you can't physically walk around by yourself) and you workout 3x a week already so I would be set to lightly active.

    Can add me to check out my diary if you want. I previously ate 1200 calories and have gradually added more because its not sustainable. I now eat around 1500 calories a day, sometimes as much as 2000 with the right exercise :D
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
    Options
    that's about right what is your bmr? Like 1200?
  • wswilliams67
    wswilliams67 Posts: 938 Member
    Options
    just stop eating....


    *sorry I'm in a mood*
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Options
    Typically horrible advice given here.

    Your margins are going to be exceptionally small. And you are dealing with rough estimates of your TDEE. These calculators cannot and do not account for everything though they are pretty accurate. But when someone tells you to eat within 100-200 calories of your TDEE, be very skeptical.

    This is because there is significant difficulty in getting your eating right down to the calorie. And if you eat just a bit over without realizing it and your calculated TDEE Is off by a small amount, then you aren't going to lose.

    Give yourself some room. Don't buy the hype about starvation mode or the like. As a small person, with a small total daily energy expenditure, you are not going to see flashing red lights if you dip below that magic 1200 number. This is not to say that you should stop eating. It's just to say that any people who tell you to eat at such close proximity to your TDEE are ignoring human and system error, and they are setting you up for failure. In a controlled environment with perfect data, they may be correct. But that is not the system in which you will operate.

    I actually don't totally disagree with you.
    Ideally OP would start with a number try it for a few weeks then adjust up or down (which i admittedly failed to mention) would still suggest starting with the averages instead of dropping lower right off the bat.
    1200 isn't a magic number for anyone. It is low for the majority but you are right, it may not be for the OP. I just prefer to start at the top and move down instead of eating as little as possible out of the gate.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    Options
    Based on your stats and your activity levels, your maintenance calories look to be about 1,800. I would eat to 1,500 gross (no eating of exercise calories back), see how you do over a 4 week period and adjust accordingly. About 1/2 a lb a week loss is reasonable based on how much you have to lose.

    This! Except I'd add that 98 pounds seems a little extreme--given your current weight did you ever consider that maybe that's not a healthy target for YOUR body? I'm also 4'11 and maintained your goal weight for several years but not by goal is 105-110 (ranges are always good). I'm a woman and I have a lot of muscle (thanks to heavy lifting). Maybe a more modest goal would do you well!
  • Horrorphoto
    Horrorphoto Posts: 7
    Options
    Don't starve yourself. 1200 is probably way too low for every single day, but some days it's going to be fine if you're not hungry enough to eat more.

    I'm not usually hungry by the end of the day so that's good. As I said earlier, the only thing I've cut out was the snacks I had when I was bored, not really hungry.
  • longtimeterp
    longtimeterp Posts: 614 Member
    Options
    Typically horrible advice given here.

    Your margins are going to be exceptionally small. And you are dealing with rough estimates of your TDEE. These calculators cannot and do not account for everything though they are pretty accurate. But when someone tells you to eat within 100-200 calories of your TDEE, be very skeptical.

    This is because there is significant difficulty in getting your eating right down to the calorie. And if you eat just a bit over without realizing it and your calculated TDEE Is off by a small amount, then you aren't going to lose.

    Give yourself some room. Don't buy the hype about starvation mode or the like. As a small person, with a small total daily energy expenditure, you are not going to see flashing red lights if you dip below that magic 1200 number. This is not to say that you should stop eating. It's just to say that any people who tell you to eat at such close proximity to your TDEE are ignoring human and system error, and they are setting you up for failure. In a controlled environment with perfect data, they may be correct. But that is not the system in which you will operate.

    I want to hit the like button on this post! Thumps up

    i want to hit the DISLIKE button on both of these!

Categories