1200 calories a day... I'm confused

Off10h8ed
Off10h8ed Posts: 282 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
After reading several posts here and there, I am wondering if 1200 calories a day are enough. Why does mfp set them this low if it's not healthy for weight loss? Don't get me wrong, I am exercising and all and I am trying to keep my net calories as close to 1200 as possible and logging all my foods and activities. Can someone here shed some light on this please?
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Replies

  • kbabe02
    kbabe02 Posts: 2
    I'm just as confused. My fiance says I'm not eating enough but that's the only way I can lose. And it has been EXTREMELY slow. I saw an equation where you have a calorie range. Do your goal weight X 100 for your low. For high, add 300 to that. Whether or not you have a high or low day depends on your workout. But if I eat that many calories I feel like I'm eating too much. Maybe that is not taking into account your workout calories... I DONT KNOW! Haha. Sorry I can't help. Looking forward to responses!
  • samlankford
    samlankford Posts: 334
    mine is set to 1200 since I have a desk job but in all reality I tend to go by my BMR... I eat at least that a day, but with my activity level I do tend to eat about 1800 calories a day... I have to fuel my body with insanity/asylum workouts after work and then the stair run for my lunch hour...
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Many people want to lose weight quickly, and 1200 (net) is as low as MFP will go for anyone. If I put in "I want to lose 2 pounds per week" ... then MFP assigns 1200 (the lowest possible) .... this number works for a portion of us ... but not all.

    I could never lose 2 pounds per week (closer to goal than that) ..... but many people do have unrealistic expectations and put in the 2 pounds anyway.
  • Cronen_S
    Cronen_S Posts: 14
    I had mine set to lose 2 lbs a week and found out real quick I could not do the 1200 cal a day. Now that I've changed it to 1600 I'm doing much better.
  • kandi_apples
    kandi_apples Posts: 35 Member
    I am confused also. I to am on a 1,200 cal diet. I see everyone else talking about 1,800, 2,200 cals etc. and I wonder why mine is so low. I am not hungry at all, but I am not losing weight very fast. Looking for some help.
  • Off10h8ed
    Off10h8ed Posts: 282 Member
    I am okay with how fast I am losing. I mean, faster would be nicer but realistically, if you lose slow and consistently, it is more likely to stay off. I am set at sedentary as my activity is very unpredictable. Therefore, I just log all my activities and up my calories so I am still netting real close to the 1200. On days I work, generally 2-3 days a week, I add 30 minutes of aerobics for every 4 hours I work because I pack and stack boxes for 8 hours at a time. When I wasn't logging work, I felt light headed and slightly nauseous. Now, I am fine when I work and I am sure I burn at least as many calories that are entered by my exercise. When I hit the gym, I use machines that allow me to enter my weight/age and such and they tell me exactally how many calories I burn so I have proper entry. I am just hoping I am doing everything as well as I can be.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    My Fitness Pal uses an equation to determine how many calories a day to give you.... It will NEVER recommend anything less than 1200 calories.

    For example, you maintain at 2,400 calories a day. You select "lose 2 lbs per week". That is a 1,000 calorie deficit so your goal would be 1,400 for the day.


    For most people, this is not the case... Say MFP assumes you maintain at 1800 calories a day. You select 2lbs per week... it tries to do a 1,000 calorie deficit and goes UH OH ITS LESS THAN 1,200, we have to recommend 1,200 calories.

    This may just put it in perspective that losing 2 lbs per week MAY/MAYNOT be a reasonable goal for you. :) You'll notice that when you change your goal to a more reasonable goal you will have a significantly more calories. For most people anyway, 1,200 calories is far too low. Slow sustainable weightloss, I always say!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I am confused also. I to am on a 1,200 cal diet. I see everyone else talking about 1,800, 2,200 cals etc. and I wonder why mine is so low. I am not hungry at all, but I am not losing weight very fast. Looking for some help.

    The closer you are to goal the slower the weight will come off. Saying you want to lose X pounds per week is not going to make it happen.

    Other people - may have active lifestyles, exercise a lot, are taller than you, are big boned, the list goes on. The "1200" number comes up often because people want to lose weight as quickly as they can. It doesn't mean it's right for everyone.

    I eat (on average) 1500 calories gross ...... (I eat my exercise calories back) .... my workouts are not huge .... they never will be. I can't even expect to lose 1 pound a week, because I have about 15 pounds to lose total.
  • AlliH621
    AlliH621 Posts: 102 Member
    When I hit the gym, I use machines that allow me to enter my weight/age and such and they tell me exactally how many calories I burn so I have proper entry. I am just hoping I am doing everything as well as I can be.

    Try getting a heartrate monitor. That will be more accurate for calories burned than the machines that calculate weight and age.
    Also - I try not to eat back the calories I burn everytime I work out. If you try to eat 1200-1300, even if you still burn 300 (so that would be a net of 900-1000 calories (even though you took in 1200-1300) - that might help too. I'm not saying do it every day - because you don't want your body to go into starvation mode, but a few days a week would be ok.

    I know it does come off slow. It's taking me a while too. I was losing about 1.5 pounds/week in August, then I slipped for 2 weeks and gained 3-4 pounds in 2 weeks. What the heck! Now I'm trying to get back on track again.

    Good luck!
  • Off10h8ed
    Off10h8ed Posts: 282 Member
    The machines I use at the YMCA has the heart trackers built right in so that is how it is calculating my calories burned. :)
  • pinkiedinkiedoo
    pinkiedinkiedoo Posts: 2
    I am on 1200 cals a day, and I find it quite easy to stick to. I have lost 13lbs in 6 weeks doing it this way. I agree though that what works for one person, wont always work for another.

    I just tend to have my breakfast at 8am, a peice of fruit at 10am, my lunch at 12noon, a snack at 3pm and my dinner before 6pm and I eat a yogurt straight after my dinner. I dont snack after that as I feel full until bedtime. I tend to drink squash throughout the day, and diet lemonade mixed with squash through the evenings as this bloats me for the evening so I dont get hungry until I wake up again.

    I do exercise 3 times a week, mainly on days when i'm feeling fat as this makes me walk quicker.

    I dont recommend that you do this as a long term eating plan. I am only doing it until August when I get married and then I will move the daily cals to 1600 to maintain.

    You do have to have something to motivate you, but you have to try all sorts of different ways until you find the right one for you. I love using this app, as when I eat something naughty, and it goes into negative figures, I go and exercise until its back into positive figures. If I just had to track it myself, I wouldnt be as precise so would probably under-estimate calorie intake anyway.

    Hope this helps someone :)
  • littylflynn
    littylflynn Posts: 3
    I have found your post a real inspiration, I've only started using this app in the last month and although my weight loss has been fairly slow, it has been steady enough and I could be exercising more.

    Will definitely be trying to introduce a routine like you have to my eating habits as I think eating erratically and eating when my bf eats has helped bring me to this weight in the first place! Good tip as well about being more motivated to exercise when you're having a 'fat day', just trying to motivate myself for the outdoors.

    Good luck with your goal and your wedding, you don't look like you have too much to lose from your photo! :)
  • Mads1997
    Mads1997 Posts: 1,494 Member
    The machines I use at the YMCA has the heart trackers built right in so that is how it is calculating my calories burned. :)

    only if you are able to put in your own weight and gender etc. Otherwise they are just random guestimates. As others have said MFP suggests calories based on your stats and goals you enter. Once the calorie are given you are suppose to log your exercise and eat back those calories as a deficit has already been factored in. If you do not eat back your exercise calories your deficit could be too large and therefore be counter productive.
  • brenda4life
    brenda4life Posts: 65 Member
    1200 plus what you earn exercising equals what you should eat. The 1200 like everyone says is about average if your goal is 2 lb a week. But if you exercise you should be eating your additional calories.
  • shelbysp8
    shelbysp8 Posts: 131 Member
    I think 1200 calories is too low that's why I changed mine. Here's a link that will explain it all :


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12:

    Don't give up!
  • queenbea77
    queenbea77 Posts: 404 Member
    I wear a HR monitor & find that on some of the machines at the gym the calories sometimes match my reading on my HR monitor but usually they are way off. My HR monitor has my age, height, weight etc that the machines don't. But hey, if you are happy with it that's all that matters.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    You guys are disturbing.
    1200 calories is a lot.
    Go to Asia, kids.
    See a true diet.

    Disturbing is a goal weight of 77 pounds. 1200 calories is not a lot.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    You guys are disturbing.
    1200 calories is a lot.
    Go to Asia, kids.
    See a true diet.

    Pro ana diets are not encouraged around here.
  • oliviaboston
    oliviaboston Posts: 27 Member
    Ive recently put mine down manually to 1100 calories. im eating less than that a day, not including the exercise i do every day. my family say its not enough but i dont feel like im under eating. I do give myself the weekend off which means i gain weight durig the weekend, but am not getting the results i want. Ive lost 10 pounds, but have been at a stand still for the last 2 weeks. my BMI is overweight so its not as tho ive hit my wall where its harder to lose weight. any advice?
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Ive recently put mine down manually to 1100 calories. im eating less than that a day, not including the exercise i do every day. my family say its not enough but i dont feel like im under eating. I do give myself the weekend off which means i gain weight durig the weekend, but am not getting the results i want. Ive lost 10 pounds, but have been at a stand still for the last 2 weeks. my BMI is overweight so its not as tho ive hit my wall where its harder to lose weight. any advice?

    Your daily calories are less than your BMR (basal metabolic rate) ..... this is why your weight loss stalled

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    ..... Your BMR are the calories your body would use if you stayed in bed all day....Those eating less than their BMR are likely to lose muscle as well as fat. Moderate weight loss goals (plus exercise) ... help preserve muscle. Sometimes when you are close to goal, a 1/2 pound a week loss would be good progress.
  • rosemaryhon
    rosemaryhon Posts: 507 Member
    I am okay with how fast I am losing. I mean, faster would be nicer but realistically, if you lose slow and consistently, it is more likely to stay off....

    I hope this ^^ is true ;). I'm okay with losing slowly too. It's taken me 5 months to lose 25 lbs (about 1 lb a week give or take). But I haven't lost an ounce in near 3 weeks! At least I haven't gained neither ;) I'm plugging along patiently, trusting it's just a temporary lull, and have my fingers crossed this slow weight loss will aide me keeping it off.
  • adammcphee1
    adammcphee1 Posts: 1
    People you are eating to few calories this is the problem and why ur struggling to lose weight. If u dont give ur body enough calories then ur metabolism slows right down and ur body starts to store as much as it can it also starts to break down lean muscle both of these things not good! Easy fix increase ur calorie intake. I can heard the collective gassp as I just blown ur minds but its true. Now I have jst filled in the form there and its telling me I should eat 2290 calories in a day but I know that I should be eating at least 3000 in a day this way my body is properly fuelled for going to the gym and exercising and is ready to cut fat and build lean muscle also ur metabolism will not slow ur body will lose fat quicker and when u start building lean muscle this also speeds up ur metabolism now im not talking about turning u into a body builder jst toning up and now if I was to eat 3000 calories worth of mars bars n cakes then yes it would get messy but a health balanced diet and ur good to go also make sure you drink at least 1 1/2 ltrs of water a day this will boost ur metabolism considerably. Also leave the scales alone what you should be concentrating on is changing you body shape this is done with exercise and healthy eating if you starve you body yes u may loss abit at the start but it will quickly slow and as soon as you stop starving your body boom back on comes the weight my way this does not happen you need to be more sensible about it and think more long term people
  • missamy0321
    missamy0321 Posts: 1
    Ok I am 5'6" and 175 lbs. I gained 40 lbs in just over five months. I went to see a weight loss physician and she has me on 1000 calorie diet and adipex, lasics, and potassium. Every where I have read says 1000 calories is to low. I want to lose but I want to lose the right way so I can keep it off. I am affraid if I'm mot eating enough my body will store the fat and I won't lose at all. But why wouldnt I trust a dr ? Advice?? I don't seem to even have the energy to excercise ....I get light headed and nauseous But I thought that was because of my change of diet.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Ok I am 5'6" and 175 lbs. I gained 40 lbs in just over five months. I went to see a weight loss physician and she has me on 1000 calorie diet and adipex, lasics, and potassium. Every where I have read says 1000 calories is to low. I want to lose but I want to lose the right way so I can keep it off. I am affraid if I'm mot eating enough my body will store the fat and I won't lose at all. But why wouldnt I trust a dr ? Advice?? I don't seem to even have the energy to excercise ....I get light headed and nauseous But I thought that was because of my change of diet.

    Find your BMR - basal metabolic rate.....calories your body would use if you stayed in bed all day

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    If 1000 is much lower than this.....you are likely losing fat+muscle. It's not that your body is storing fat, when you don't get enough nourishment your body has to "take" what it needs from existing muscle tissue....nourishment is more than vitamins....protein & fats are important.

    I would increase your calories to at least your BMR .....you might feel like working out. Light headed and nauseous....something's not right.
  • eddiesmith1
    eddiesmith1 Posts: 1,550 Member
    I am confused also. I to am on a 1,200 cal diet. I see everyone else talking about 1,800, 2,200 cals etc. and I wonder why mine is so low. I am not hungry at all, but I am not losing weight very fast. Looking for some help.

    it's a variety of factors. First is how sedentary are you. If work is desk bound and you don't get much exercise then you will have a lower number . also the goal (ie 2 pounds a week which works when you are obese ore at the higher end of overweight) will subtract 1000 calories a day from your TDEE
    I set mine at 1220 based on a desk job that is p[retty much sedentary. My TDEE using several calculators was about 2220 and I was obese at the start (no longer) and I'd like to lose 2 pounds a week at least until the last 10-15 pounds of the goal and I will reassess then. I don't eat only 1220 though I eat what I burn through exercise so most days I eat 15-1600 calories in reality
    the problem with looking at 1200 and saying it's a magic number is you may not need to lose much and that big a deficit will cause more muscle loss than fat loss a bad thing. weight loss is a long term race not a sprint and the long term winners all seem to be the people who adopted Slow and steady versus aggressive eventually.
  • vtgal106
    vtgal106 Posts: 1 Member
    I am not sure if this is the place to ask this, but I thought I would try. I am at the 1200 calorie mark myself and when I track I can stay with my calorie goal with exercise added in.

    My concern is this: I am always over on my sugars and protein, but don't even come close to carb goal, as I really don't eat carbs often.

    Is this a problem? I don't eat added sugar so I am feeling frustrated. For example, If I have balsamic vinegar on my salad, a apple, and then peanut butter, milk, or yogurt during a day then I am automatically over on sugar. If I have 2 eggs in the AM, 4 oz of chicken at lunch, and 4-5 oz talapia at dinner, I am over on protein. Help me to understand. Should I be concerned about this? That seems unreasonable. The volume is not out of control.
  • mamasun44
    mamasun44 Posts: 2
    I have not been able to lose weight on my own , until now .. On most days I cant get 1200 calories in . This is not so much about the number 1200 , but what you eat to get to 1200 calories .. I am finally getting it that by making better choices about what I put in my body really isn't a diet. It is how you choose to treat my body and health . It doesn't mean I wont eat the goodies once in awhile .:smile:
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I have not been able to lose weight on my own , until now .. On most days I cant get 1200 calories in . This is not so much about the number 1200 , but what you eat to get to 1200 calories .. I am finally getting it that by making better choices about what I put in my body really isn't a diet. It is how you choose to treat my body and health . It doesn't mean I wont eat the goodies once in awhile .:smile:


    Less than 1200 calories is not a good way to "treat your body"......it's like saying "the number on the scale is more important than body composition"

    Healthy weight loss spares existing muscle mass....this means you lose fat (mostly) and reduce your body fat %. Eating too few calories is like using muscles for fuel.

    I took a look at your diary....2 words.........low fat. Dietary fat does not make a person fat. It's easy to get 1200 healthy calories............nuts, nut butters, avocado, olive oil. Also protein....think of your goal as a minimum.
  • dinkthepink
    dinkthepink Posts: 1
    I seem to have lost 4 pounds in 1 week eating 1200 a day... is this normal? I'm only trying to lose a final 15lbs and i'm considered a healthy weight already. (i'm only lightly active and I eat all the calories earned by exercise)
  • Tanya949
    Tanya949 Posts: 604 Member
    I weigh 223 lbs, 5'4" and I eat 2185 calories per day, losing 1-1.5 lbs per week. You need to EAT to lose weight. Eat too little and you will lose at first, but then your body will say you are starving yourself and start holding all the calories... thus stalling. Find out your BMR ( cals burned if you slept for 24 hrs), TDEE (total calories burned in a day with all activity) and eat between them. Very few people have a BMR of 1200 or below. Never NET below your BMR, or you are not eating enough to just exist.

    Use this... http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

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