When did you bump up from 1200 calories?

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Replies

  • LyssaJ1
    LyssaJ1 Posts: 240 Member
    When I started contemplating killing land mammals and eating them raw instead of having another salad.

    Okay, I reckon I need to "up" mine too then :laugh:

    To the OP: Thank you for posting the question...I've been wondering if I should do similar :smile:
  • kittyhasclaws
    kittyhasclaws Posts: 446 Member
    Never been on 1200 calories. My BMR is 1470 alone. Gotta have the extra fuel if you're working out and, well, not in a coma.
  • Car0lynnM
    Car0lynnM Posts: 332 Member
    I bumped mine up after about 2 months and 15 pounds. I didn't really plateau, just reached a point where I wanted to start adding exercise and have a few more calories in the day. Weight loss slowed dramatically, but didn't stop. I need to keep adding more exercise, and that will help.
  • rezn8
    rezn8 Posts: 263 Member
    My calories are set at 1200 for a day of regular work and no workouts. When I workout(6 days a week for last 4 months) I add the estimated burned calories. Started at 196lbs and now weigh 156lbs. I gained a couple lbs the first 3 weeks working out but then starting dropping at around the 5th week.
  • gayje
    gayje Posts: 230 Member
    Wonderful topic here with links to tools and all the info to set your calories and goals - helped me a ton when I started looking to up my calories: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    I did the 1200 thing for awhile, lost a little, but was "hangry" (hungry & angry! :tongue:) quite a bit, and tired as well - food is fuel, especially if you're doing heavy lifting.

    Another inspiring thread for heavy lifting & eating more: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/709987-how-wrong-i-was-600-days-of-mfp-lotsa-pics

    ^^^this. I was actually GAINING on 1200 calories. I lost too, but when you loose and gain the same 9 pounds over and over, you have to make a serious change. I agree, the Eat More 2 Loose Weight group is the BEST advice I've read so far. I'm now loosing more than those stinkin' 9 pounds regularly. I went from 1200 cals daily to 30% below TDEE and have actually modified it slightly since then once. I'm comfortable with my macros set at 40/30/30 and 1450 daily calories but if I go over at any time by as much as 200 calories, I'm still at or slightly below my -30% of TDEE mark. It's my "insurance" to make sure I get what my body needs daily and it's been working great for me. No stalling.
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    When I stopped losing weight!
  • MMB5222
    MMB5222 Posts: 19 Member
    :smile:
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Never been on 1200 calories. My BMR is 1470 alone. Gotta have the extra fuel if you're working out and, well, not in a coma.
    Yes!! I never net below my BMR - so freeing to know your BMR and your TDEE and to eat in between those numbers. No stress if I'm over for the day - if I'm under my TDEE, I'm still good.
  • JNJN25
    JNJN25 Posts: 60
    Quick question: If my TDEE is 2509( working out 1-3 times a week) and I want to lose 2 pounds per week how many calories should I aim for? I am confused! Right now I am eating around 1500 calories.

    2 pounds per week is A LOT if you aren't over 200 pounds. If you're 150-200 then i'd recommend 1.5 pounds per week maximum. If you're under 150 then .5-1 pound per week.

    But to answer your question you'd eat 1509 calories.


    I am 227 pounds and I have about 77 pounds to lose. I have been stuck at 231 for 6 weeks and then I lowered it to 1200 and I started losing. Now I am back at 1500 but I am worried I going to plauteau again.
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    I started in September 2011 on 1200. I didn't lose any weight so in January I bumped up to 1500. I experimented with 1600 and found out I maintained, but at 1700 I gained. I didn't lose any weight on 1500 but I lose on 1400 and anything below. Now I eat 1200-1400 and I've lost 10 pounds. There is nothing wrong with eating 1200 calories if you have a low TDEE like me.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    I never went as low as 1200.

    I noticed you show up on almost every thread...just to say something neither useful nor constructive...

    That's funny, because I noticed you right away because you tend to start **** in multiple threads :P
  • laurie62ann
    laurie62ann Posts: 433 Member
    bump
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
    I never went as low as 1200.

    I noticed you show up on almost every thread...just to say something neither useful nor constructive...

    Funny you should say that because I've had 100s...yes 100s...of Mfp members thank me for the help I've provided. You're entitled to your opinion though and I don't care what you think.
  • ismiseciara
    ismiseciara Posts: 211 Member
    bump
  • AyaKara
    AyaKara Posts: 220
    Yesterday! I've been doing net 800-1100 for a month (misinterpreted MFP's system). I told myself that there was no physical way that 1200 could be enough, even if I felt satisfied by dispersing food. I bumped to 1750, read IPOARM, & got ~1400 net! I'll have a better goal starting tomorrow when I learn my TDEE & BMI. :heart:
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Alright guys--started here as 171 lbs first week of June. I am now 158.

    However, I only lost 1 lb all of August, and my measurements changed so minimally, my only valid loss was .5 off my neck (a weird place to lose, I feel...).

    I've been doing heavy lifting for three weeks, and I know it's near impossible to gain muscle while on a deficit, but that it's vital for strength, fitness, and maintaining as much lean muscle as possible while losing fat.

    So, I'm wondering if I should finally just up the calories to see if that pumps up my fat loss more (I'm aiming for 140 lbs right now, or a 20% body fat when I'm about 25/26% right now).

    When did you finally go from the bare minimum to higher calories? When did you notice a difference in weight loss after doing so?

    For me, it was day 1. One of my cousins was put on a 1200 calorie diet by her dietitian. And she was exercising on top of it. Her experience taught me that 1200 calories is not enough food if you are exercising. She gave up in under 6 weeks. Since then, I have told her about this website, but I think her experience was so miserable that it will be a while before she tries to lose weight again.

    SideSteel and HelloItsDan were both major influences in my first week on MFP. This is my first time trying to lose weight, so I was pretty clueless about TDEE and such. Once I learned my BMR and TDEE, it all started making sense, and so I went with those numbers.
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    Oh my! This is my thread! :laugh:

    Well, I suppose as an update, I've been eating at my BMR (with some cycling of calories) which ends up averaging 1300-1500 calories a week (not much more, I know, but I'm getting there). I've lost a further pound, but MUCH more inches, and I'm back in my "normal" size jeans at a much heavier weight than I usually fit them. Body fat% isn't helpful since none of the calculators online seem to care that my inches change when my weight has only changed one or two pounds... so looking into getting calipers!
  • AyaKara
    AyaKara Posts: 220
    Oh my! This is my thread! :laugh:

    Well, I suppose as an update, I've been eating at my BMR (with some cycling of calories) which ends up averaging 1300-1500 calories a week (not much more, I know, but I'm getting there). I've lost a further pound, but MUCH more inches, and I'm back in my "normal" size jeans at a much heavier weight than I usually fit them. Body fat% isn't helpful since none of the calculators online seem to care that my inches change when my weight has only changed one or two pounds... so looking into getting calipers!

    Aw, I'm glad to hear that things are changing for the best! Continue to keep us updated :heart: by the way, you meant 1300 calories a day, right? Not week? Unless you meant your burn :laugh:
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    Oh my! This is my thread! :laugh:

    Well, I suppose as an update, I've been eating at my BMR (with some cycling of calories) which ends up averaging 1300-1500 calories a week (not much more, I know, but I'm getting there). I've lost a further pound, but MUCH more inches, and I'm back in my "normal" size jeans at a much heavier weight than I usually fit them. Body fat% isn't helpful since none of the calculators online seem to care that my inches change when my weight has only changed one or two pounds... so looking into getting calipers!

    Aw, I'm glad to hear that things are changing for the best! Continue to keep us updated :heart: by the way, you meant 1300 calories a day, right? Not week? Unless you meant your burn :laugh:

    :blushing: Yes, 1300-1500 average a day for the week.
  • southernhealthyhippie
    southernhealthyhippie Posts: 9
    I bumped mine up after about 2 months and 15 pounds. I didn't really plateau, just reached a point where I wanted to start adding exercise and have a few more calories in the day. Weight loss slowed dramatically, but didn't stop. I need to keep adding more exercise, and that will help.


    ahh, so i'm totally jumping in this as a newbie (never really got on the full website before) but this is pretty much my story! i'm a sedentary person, ate 1200 for close to four months and lost a lot of weight. just recently upped to my BMR (1400) and started adding light exercise.. scale's not budging though :/ advice?
  • firstsip
    firstsip Posts: 8,399 Member
    I bumped mine up after about 2 months and 15 pounds. I didn't really plateau, just reached a point where I wanted to start adding exercise and have a few more calories in the day. Weight loss slowed dramatically, but didn't stop. I need to keep adding more exercise, and that will help.


    ahh, so i'm totally jumping in this as a newbie (never really got on the full website before) but this is pretty much my story! i'm a sedentary person, ate 1200 for close to four months and lost a lot of weight. just recently upped to my BMR (1400) and started adding light exercise.. scale's not budging though :/ advice?

    Ditch the scale :P

    But really... start using pictures and measurements as indicators of your progress once you start including exercise (especially if and when you incorporate strength training).

    Whenever you start up a new program (changing calories, changing exercise, etc.), you could retain water for a few weeks until your body gets used to it. Keep your water intake high, sodium low, and give it a few more weeks to see if anything changes.
  • gingerveg
    gingerveg Posts: 748 Member
    I lost about 10 lbs staying around 1200 net. Then I upped my calories to 1400 net earlier this month. I don't usually eat back all my exercise cals. I've lost exactly 1/4 lb so far -ha! But with my thanksgiving binge and the fact that I have not gone up in weight at all I think it's a good thing so far.
  • kaceelawlor
    kaceelawlor Posts: 184 Member
    I upped mine from 1200 to 1400 today. I've been working out harder and more frequently, and was honestly just getting too hungry on 1200 calories. Granted I lost almost 7 pounds doing the 1200 calorie a day thing, but noticed recently I stopped losing as quickly as I was (I'm aiming for 1lb loss a week, and lately I've only been losing about .5lb/week). We'll see how it goes! I'm a little nervous because no matter how many times I read that your body needs more fuel to function the more you work out, the whole idea of "eat more lose more" is weird to me. We shall see!
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
    Still between 1200 and 1400 calories and dropping weight like a spear shaped lead weight... 150 carbs, 100 protein, 50 fat... Hormone levels are in range from really awful. Blood pressure is much better. Pulse rate went from 86 to 68. I have a long way to go but plan to switch to 1500 to 1800 calories around the year mark or perhaps before if I plateau or have dropped sufficient to start the process of trying to level off and work toward a maintenance level.
  • angelina2585
    angelina2585 Posts: 273 Member
    I increased my calories after a few weeks of reading up about BMR & TDEE. I now eat around 1850 each day which is my 10% cut from my TDEE. So much happier, healthier and less stressy. I found I was constantly obsessed with burning calories to be able to eat more (1200 plus exercise calories).

    I much prefer taking my total for the week and averaging it out instead.

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