Confused about calorie intake, don't feel it's enough.

SHHitsKaty
SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
in Health and Weight Loss
Currently, MFP has me set at 1200 calories a day without working out, obviously if I work out, it adds more into that. To be fair, I think that is a really low number, I know it's because I sit at a desk all day and sometimes have to go straight from work sitting at a desk at school but I've been working out 4-5 times a week on top of all of this 'sitting' as well. I track what I eat, some days are better than others (darn you beer) and I was down 2 lbs in one week and then BAM, back up the next. I know with women, we have a fluctuation at any point, especially near your period, where your water weight can go up and go back down as much as 5lbs.

I just feel like 1200 calories is a low amount and I feel like I've read on here more often than not that once someone started eating a bit more, was when the weight started come off. I know it doesn't happen over night obviously but I just wanted to get some input on whether or not others felt that 1200 calories a day was low?
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Replies

  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    Bump
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    just set a lower target weight loss if it's too low for you, and/or increase your activity level.

    I think 1200 can be a bad number, as it's high enough to stall some and the maths goes a bit wrong for small folks.
  • LadyIntrepid
    LadyIntrepid Posts: 399 Member
    I feel much better all around when I NET 1300-1400 calories daily. When I was consistently netting 1200 (or below) daily, I was too hungry and after a month or two felt pretty crappy. Not to mention I lost weight more slowly. Eating more I not only felt better, wasn't as hungry, but I lost weight more quickly, too.
  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,670 Member
    I sit at a desk all day too and mine is always at 1200. However, I try to walk during lunch and go to Zumba to get some exercise in.
    I also tend to eat about 1500 calories a day. With my exercise I usually still have calories left over but I've found eating between the 1200 and 1500 gives me room so I'm not really hungry and I can have some more freedom of what I'm eating also.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    With 10 pounds you lose, you should only be aiming for a half pound a week, which will give you more calories.

    Larger calorie deficits, ie aiming to lose 2 pounds a week, is best for those with more than 75 pounds to lose. You don't have enough excess body fat to support that kind of deficit. Probably around 1500-1600 plus exercise calories would be ideal.
  • twinmom14ek
    twinmom14ek Posts: 174 Member
    I would be starving if I tried to stay under 1200 every day. At the very least, you should be eating back all your exercise calories.

    A better option would be to check out this thread. It's worked for a lot of people.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    Yeah, I mean, on any given day, I sit at work, with periods of getting up and moving files/boxes around, etc. but then I get off and go do 30 mins of cardio, weight lighting every other day at the gym at least 4-5 times a week. I'm not entirely changing my diet either, just making it a bit healthier, preparing my own lunches instead of eating out at work, cutting back on the beer intake, etc.

    Currently, I'm at 138 (I'm 5'4"), the most I've ever weighed. I would like to drop down to 120, 115 maybe but I almost think that would be too small. Perhaps I need to adjust the amount of calories I'm eating, start taking a bit more in and just see if that's the thing for me that jump starts the weight loss.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    Perhaps I need to adjust the amount of calories I'm eating, start taking a bit more in and just see if that's the thing for me that jump starts the weight loss.

    Sounds like a good idea. Give it 3-4 weeks and see what happens.
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    Actually, I hate saying "I want to get to 120" or whatever because honestly, it's more about getting to the place where I FEEL good about how I look, whether that be 110 or 128, I don't really care WHAT the scale says so long as I'm happy with how I look and feel and am healthy.
  • jodiegauv91
    jodiegauv91 Posts: 20
    When I signed up it also set my calorie intake at 1200, I think because I wanted to lose too much weight too fast. I also sit at work most of the day but I run and swim a lot and there is just no way I could last more than a few days on only 1200 calories. Definitely lower your intake to lose weight but make sure you still feel like it's bringing you enough energy!
  • hmarean
    hmarean Posts: 15
    Figure out your TDEE and subract 20%. This has really been working for me. Try this site...

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    I wasnt losing on 1200 either. I hope this helps!
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
    With 10 pounds you lose, you should only be aiming for a half pound a week, which will give you more calories.

    Larger calorie deficits, ie aiming to lose 2 pounds a week, is best for those with more than 75 pounds to lose. You don't have enough excess body fat to support that kind of deficit. Probably around 1500-1600 plus exercise calories would be ideal.

    Most likely this^^. Adjust your weekly goal to half a pound and see how many calories it gives you.
  • wlkumpf
    wlkumpf Posts: 241 Member
    weight loss is trial and error :) If you give it 3 weeks that is usually a big enough time phrame to decide if it is working or not.
    Not everything will work for every person. I think 1400 or thereabouts would be a good number with the smaller amount you have to lose.
    I like the start at the lower calories. Then I am more likely to work out to earn more! Find what works and stick with it. For me, I like my cheat day, which is actually more an extra 200-500 calories depending on my plans. We grill out with friends or go camping quite often. Or I will let myself bake on a day. I plan 6 days for that meal or cheat item. Then, sometimes when things are going great and I am losing weight. I don't need it! I am able to pass it up and start planning for the next week. That is really a great feeling that I don't need a meal out or an ice cream treat or a fatty piece of food
  • korygilliam
    korygilliam Posts: 594 Member
    due to your work/daily activity, not counting your exercise, to lose 2 lb/week...1200 is right. To be able to lose 2 pounds, you have to cut 1000 calories a day out of your diet (approximate calories to burn one pound is 3500 calories...x 2=7000. Divide that over the week, that is 1000/cals/day that you have to cut).

    It doesn't care what you say that you do for exercise, because it will give you those calories back when you document the exercise. It doesn't have anything to do with your 'lifestyle activities' when calculations are done via MFP.

    I agree that if you only have 10 pounds, drop to 1/2 or 1 pound a week, otherwise have higher risk of yo-yo effect.

    Good luck!
  • Jenloma
    Jenloma Posts: 77 Member
    if it said 1200, it is correct. Seems low, but it also has to deal with your height. I'm 5'0", so I'm at 1200, while my friends are 5"6+ and get a VERY different number. Yes, I feel starved all day, but its the protein that helps.
  • argenterie
    argenterie Posts: 93 Member
    I plateaued at net 1200. I am losing again at net 1350. I recommend "shaking it up!" :)
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    Oh I was definitely wasn't TRYING to lose 2 lbs a week, it just so happened that the first week I worked out and started eating well, I was down 2 lbs and then the following week when I weighed myself after doing the same thing, I was back at up. I weigh myself at the gym too, with a really nice scale so it's not just a scale I bought for the house or whatever.

    I think I'm going to try and raise my calories up just a bit and see what happens then. I would be totally fine with losing 1/2-1 lbs a week as I don't have much to lose to begin with.
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    Figure out your TDEE and subract 20%. This has really been working for me. Try this site...

    http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html

    I wasnt losing on 1200 either. I hope this helps!

    Doing this, I came to about 1776.
  • fitfocusedfamily
    fitfocusedfamily Posts: 117 Member
    Currently, MFP has me set at 1200 calories a day without working out, obviously if I work out, it adds more into that. To be fair, I think that is a really low number, I know it's because I sit at a desk all day and sometimes have to go straight from work sitting at a desk at school but I've been working out 4-5 times a week on top of all of this 'sitting' as well. I track what I eat, some days are better than others (darn you beer) and I was down 2 lbs in one week and then BAM, back up the next. I know with women, we have a fluctuation at any point, especially near your period, where your water weight can go up and go back down as much as 5lbs.

    I just feel like 1200 calories is a low amount and I feel like I've read on here more often than not that once someone started eating a bit more, was when the weight started come off. I know it doesn't happen over night obviously but I just wanted to get some input on whether or not others felt that 1200 calories a day was low?

    The 1200 calories is your NET. This means Calories consumed - Calories burned = 1200. For example, if you eat 1800 calories and burn 600 calories, your net will be 1200. This is what you want.

    Your instinct is correct. You should eat more than 1200 calories in a day when you exercise.
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    Thanks for all the great input!! :)
  • CottonCandyKisses
    CottonCandyKisses Posts: 246 Member
    I think 1200 is too low...There was a formula on the forums I found the other day in a post I used it and it had me eating 1500 on non-exercise days and 1700 on exercise days. I'm a 4'11 female 31 years old 108 pounds. I currently eat around 1300, I tried 1200 for awhile but thought it was too low. I'm most comfortable in the 1300-1400 range.
  • LadyIvysMom
    LadyIvysMom Posts: 391 Member
    The first week 1200 was hard and I felt hungry a lot.

    The second week, I barely noticed. Now I find it hard to even get up to 1200 a day.
  • soccerme8
    soccerme8 Posts: 11
    Weight Watchers have some freebie foods so when I am still hungry and I have had all my intakes for the day I eat some of those and fill up pretty quickly, I will eat about 2-3 cups of watermelon, some carrots, cucumbers, or celery, you can see online what foods are freebies and try that b/c it's such low calories that you burn them just by standing up and going to the kitchen. Good luck!
  • sandygaylegunn
    sandygaylegunn Posts: 87 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr

    A friend sent me this link and I found it very helpful.
  • trulycrazed
    trulycrazed Posts: 79 Member
    I'm a total pusher of this --> http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ <-- website. Following it's cals per day I've been losing .5-2lbs a week (since I found it).... I personally set it to no exercise and eat back my workout cals. Good luck!
  • Mephinox
    Mephinox Posts: 3
    I'm exactly the opposite. I've only just joined MFP and it's recommending I eat 2200 calories (roughly) a day. I'm currently sitting on 1300 for today, burned off 368 through cardio earlier and now its saying that I've earned another 368 calories to eat on top of my 900 I have remaining. Honestly I find that after doing a bit of cardio, it makes you less hungry. I'm struggling to think what else I could eat other than more fruit, which I've already eaten a fair bit of today.
  • ptjolsen
    ptjolsen Posts: 365 Member
    Don't worry about the "weight" so much, as just check your bodyfat % about every 4-6 weeks. then any weight that you are losing is the bad stuff :)
  • SandyMeid
    SandyMeid Posts: 13
    Yeah, I mean, on any given day, I sit at work, with periods of getting up and moving files/boxes around, etc. but then I get off and go do 30 mins of cardio, weight lighting every other day at the gym at least 4-5 times a week. I'm not entirely changing my diet either, just making it a bit healthier, preparing my own lunches instead of eating out at work, cutting back on the beer intake, etc.

    Currently, I'm at 138 (I'm 5'4"), the most I've ever weighed. I would like to drop down to 120, 115 maybe but I almost think that would be too small. Perhaps I need to adjust the amount of calories I'm eating, start taking a bit more in and just see if that's the thing for me that jump starts the weight loss.
  • SandyMeid
    SandyMeid Posts: 13
    I sit at a desk all day too, however I walk (run) up and down stairs at the office and move things throughout the day, I also park a ways from my office - I move briskly and then count the time I accumulated throughout the day IE: 10 mintues of brisk walking, Then I can eat a little more. (We often forget that all of our moving throughout the day counts toward burning calories. Not just gym time) Good luck! ( :
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    you probably told MFP you wanted to lose more than half a pound a week. You don't have much to lose, so taking it slower is better, and and much more do-able. Readjust your goal to a lower amount, and it will recalculate at a higher calorie limit. Mine is at 1610 a day...plus exercize...and I'm losing just fine, although I expect to have to adjust a bit as I get lower. 1200 is the default minimum MFP will assign you. Your mileage may vary.

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