1300 calories???

i am on 1225 cal a day and i am under it mostly. which i try and eat more but sometimes i just dont have time. it depends on what you eat, if you eat clean, or replace meals with shakes (which is what i do and that allows me to have one large meal a day 600 cals, and 2 snacks up to 125 cals a peice) and i stay relatively full. the trick is to eat every few hours to keep your metabolism up. and get the right amout of protein. protein will make you feel full and lessen your cravings for other bad foods

yep, being a short woman sucks! Haha, my cal goal is 1200. Honestly, it drives me crazy. I was able to eat oatmeal for breakfast and am planning to eat a granola bar and salad for lunch just so I can maybe eat some dinner with my bf when I get home.

On the bright side it doesn't take a lot of fuel to keep us going! My plan is to build some muscle and exercise regularly so that I can actually eat once in a while

Seems low to me, but I suppose it depends on her goals. Most people should set their activity level to lightly active, and aim to lose no more than a pound a week.

I honestly think women (or men, I suppose) who eat less than 1200 calories per day are kidding themselves if they think it's going to be sustainable.

Drinking now thats tough to stay in the 1300 range!

Drinking now thats tough to stay in the 1300 range!

Sadly, if you're committed to weight loss, drinks have to be limited to maybe a couple of times a week. I drink Amstel Light, which is only 95 calories.

Seems low to me, but I suppose it depends on her goals. Most people should set their activity level to lightly active, and aim to lose no more than a pound a week.

I honestly think women (or men, I suppose) who eat less than 1200 calories per week are kidding themselves if they think it's going to be sustainable.

I'm assuming you meant 1200 calories per day. I think it's important to enter an activity level that realistically represents your activity level. Mine is sedentary. You only need to sustain a deficit as long as you are above your goal weight. Once there, you rework your numbers to reflect maintenance which will likely add about 3500 calories per week (500/day). Now, an 1800 calorie day is certainly within reason and sustainable.

Equally important is adding the right amount of exercise to your plan. I've seen some here go from doing absolutely nothing to a very high level of exercise while trying to lose weight. To me, that seems to be the unsustainable part. Say my caloric goal is 1310 and I add 1000 calories a day in exercise and eat 2300 calories. I'm going to lose weight. But I'm not so certain I'm going to be able to sustain that 1000 calories/day in exercise. The problem is I'm training myself to eat 2300 calories/day. The minute my exercise level drops to a more realistic amount, I'm probably going to have a problem reducing from an intake of 2300 calories. I think this is why professional athletes seem to balloon up right after retirement or during the off season. I've raised my exercise level to an easily maintained level. I will up the level only after proving that I can maintain this one.

Seems low to me, but I suppose it depends on her goals. Most people should set their activity level to lightly active, and aim to lose no more than a pound a week.

I honestly think women (or men, I suppose) who eat less than 1200 calories per week are kidding themselves if they think it's going to be sustainable.

I'm assuming you meant 1200 calories per day. I think it's important to enter an activity level that realistically represents your activity level. Mine is sedentary. You only need to sustain a deficit as long as you are above your goal weight. Once there, you rework your numbers to reflect maintenance which will likely add about 3500 calories per week (500/day). Now, an 1800 calorie day is certainly within reason and sustainable.

Equally important is adding the right amount of exercise to your plan. I've seen some here go from doing absolutely nothing to a very high level of exercise while trying to lose weight. To me, that seems to be the unsustainable part. Say my caloric goal is 1310 and I add 1000 calories a day in exercise and eat 2300 calories. I'm going to lose weight. But I'm not so certain I'm going to be able to sustain that 1000 calories/day in exercise. The problem is I'm training myself to eat 2300 calories/day. The minute my exercise level drops to a more realistic amount, I'm probably going to have a problem reducing from an intake of 2300 calories. I think this is why professional athletes seem to balloon up right after retirement or during the off season. I've raised my exercise level to an easily maintained level. I will up the level only after proving that I can maintain this one.

Yes, per day. Sorry - corrected that.

I have a bodymedia FIT, which measures my activity level throughout the day. I have a desk job, work 8 hours a day, go home and sit on my butt or exercise and then sit on my butt. When comparing MFP to my bodymedia fit, "sedentary" is too low. I think it is for most people. And for most people 1200 calories per day is below their BMR. Not healthy to eat so little every day. Yes, if you exercise, you eat more, but for a lot of women here, they are not eating those exercise calories. They claim they aren't hungry, or they are "short," or have some other excuse that makes them a unique and special snowflake. I think most women can eat 1700 calories or more and still lose weight, retain their lean body mass, have energy, and maintain their sanity. This is sustainable to me.

The fact that we continue to perpetuate the idea that women need to eat so little and torture themselves for several months to weigh some magic number that will supposedly bring them all the happiness in the world really bothers me. It's not reality.

I totally agree

They claim they aren't hungry, or they are "short," or have some other excuse that makes them a unique and special snowflake.

first of all, we ARE all special snowflakes

some women, depending on age and height, and a dozen other factors, really truly can not lose weight without restricting to 1200-1400 calories a day. It's ok that you don't believe it, you don't have to, you do what works for you, and we'll do what works for us.

and it's also true that one can eat at around 1200 calories and not be hungry. Do i get the munchies? sure. That's not the same as hungry.

Unless I end up going out to eat, I have no issues staying within my 1200 calorie budget. I eat good meals and healthy snacks. I eat a lot of fresh veggies and fruits too during the day. I've even found that if I want a drink or two, I can just switch a few things up and I'm still within my goals.

Hardly. Once I reach my goal weight, even as a man, to keep losing from there, I have to have 1300 or less. And that's for a goal of 190lbs.

This is nuts! You need way more than 1300 cals a day as a man. The recommended absolute minimum for a male is 1500, and that's if you are morbidly obese.

A man 5'10" 35 years old, 190 lbs, has a BMR of 1897 (using an online calculator). You would then add your activity ( you know, brushing your teeth, getting dressed, walking to your car, going to ANY type of job)...so , say another 600 on top of that...that would make your TDEE about 2400 - if all you do is sit on your rear all day at work. Subtract a 15%- deficit for weight loss (because that's really all you can subtract at that weight), and you get ....wait for it....2040 - that would be the absolute lowest you should be going.

Where did you get this notion of a male eating 1300 at his healthy weight? You can do it for a while at 311 lbs, but you're asking for trouble at 190.

1200 seems to be the magic number on this site. I eat around that most days and am usually content. When people feel they need to eat more than this they're usually doing so for emotional reasons, not actual hunger.

I just want you to clarify your statement - are you saying that people that eat more than 1200 calories a day do so for emotional reasons? Please explain?

My goal is 1300 calories as well. I'm 5'2" and I weighed almost 300 pounds. I have been working hard to make this work and most every day I stay well under the 1300 calories. Tracking honestly and looking at other people's diary's has given me great ideas to accomplish my goals in a healthy way.

You have to make sensible choices. I spread my calories evenly across breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I have a healthy snack between each meal. I also do not eat after 7:00p.m. I thought it would be hard to maintain 1300 calories, but now if I eat more, I feel stuffed. You will be able to do it-just plug foods into your app while you are at the grocery store.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, if you're happy, healthy, making progress and aren't ready to keel over from hunger, then you're eating fine. I eat 1890 a day and I'll bet there's people that don't get that I can loose weight like this. I don't even get the "are you dieting" questions because of how I eat. And, yet, I'm loosing. My BFF is 4 inches shorter than me and does the same on a 1400-1600 a day plan. There are people who do just fine on 1200.

If you aren't happy, aren't loosing, feel bleh then taking a look at what you eat is a good thing, regardless of how much/ little you eat.

I have my goal at 1400 calories - I also believe that 1200 is not realistic and actually is not healthy. Consider eating fruit and vegetables - Carrots are higher calorie for a vegetable, and one small serving of them is 35 calories. Add up a baggie for lunch or whatnot - and you're around 100+ just for carrots. CARROTS! The same goes for berries or for any other fruit - those add up quickly. I believe in eating wholesome foods that are minimally processed as well - but food is food and it's calories. Our bodies, by design, run on fuel.

For example - yesterday I could tell that I didn't have nearly enough calories during the day because when I went to exercise that night I had the hardest time energy wise. I also have been eating under my calories this week and not eating my exercise calories and I'm stalled a little bit. When I eat more, up to my calories and some of my exercise calories I seem to lose more.

I'm not a fan of deprivation 1. I believe food is art and there's way too much art out there not to enjoy yourself. 2. I burn a lot of calories when I work out and to be at my best while exercising I NEED TO EAT! 3. I'm not a fan of size 2 deprive yourself girls who are perpetuating the way women should look today.



My own individual Rules:
1. I don't drink my calories - and I look for lower calorie beers that are good.
2. I stay away from pastas.
3. I stick to way super low calorie breads when I do.
4. Substitute my meats occasionally, or else bulk them up with vegetarian options.
5. Lots of fruits and veggies added to recipes.
6. Eat protein whenever possible rather than carbs - but don't avoid carbs like the plague, I love my treats and fruit, and who can say no to a nice crusty piece of bread with soup.


Here's my beer go to list -

1. A Bottle of Guiness is 125 calories
2. Michelob Ultra light - Cider - 120 Calories
3. Piss beer - Miller 64 - still 64 calories.

There are options for beer - and it's a bit like playing tetris. You gotta see where all the blocks fit.