if eating under 1200cals is so bad.......

As someone else said, above 1200kcal (which is still extreamly low for someone who doesnt have more than 100lbs to loose) is not so dangerous for the now, but for the future....that point when you loose a load of weight and look really skinny, but realise you are weak and drained as you've lost 'all' your muscle and can only eat 1200kcal a day or you put on weight, compared to someone who looks lean, has a good muscle mass and can eat 2100kcal a day!.... muscle is your best friend in life and you should do everything to preserve it!....

As for the going under 1200kcal with exersize and not getting the warning (i didnt know this as i have never done it) although you have the same problem, your body will burn some lovely quick release muscel to make up the difference it needs!.

Without meaning to sound like an a'hole... i eat a NET of 1600kcal per day (MFP says to do 1400kcal but i plateued), i eat back all my exersize calories (which can quite often be 1500 extra). I dont give a cr*p about high carb, low carb i only look to get a good amount of protein and minimise on processed food (although there are a few bits in there)... and im still loosing 2lbs a week!....

Any questions feel free to message me! x

Totally agree with this. Lower your calories too far and it really becomes counter productive as your body will adjust accordingly, hold onto more fat, lower the metabolism and then, well, you either regain the weight once you even attempt to eat a healthier amount, resign yourself to the rest of your life eating 1200 or less and feeling like crap or end up having to do a reset and start again. In my opinion it is utter nonsense that anyone over 5 foot needs to eat 1200 or less to lose weight. If you feel your metabolism is so slow then what on earth is the purpose in adding to that issue or perpetuating it?

So many here are overweight because of these endless low calorie diets they have pursued for years yet they still don't get it. Check out those who started eating more, dealt with the initial gain then started losing weight perfectly well while at a decent calorie intake.

I had severe anorexia when younger and have had a fair few relapses and I am approaching 40 so sorry, if I can eat 1700 plus without exercise and not gain, I fai
To see that there is anyone who needs to restrict to 1200 and less to lose. Note I am also hypo thyroid. We might all be different heights and weights and have different lifestyles but we are not essentially so biologically different that some need to starve themselves to lose weight.

It's cals in, cals out. If you are not losing at 1200 and you are 100% honest about everything you eat...everything. Then, drop it to 1100. If still no results, drop it to 1000. It's simple math. At some point, you have to lose.

You could also go the other way with the eat more to weigh less crowd. It really depends on your activity level, I think.

Bad advice. That just sounds like a step ladder to anorexia. What happens when you get down to 500 calories and still aren't losing? Keep going?

Lol. Not really. I can't help if someone has a disease. That's not what I am talking about. If i buy you a drink in a bar, I don't assume that I am feeding an alcohol binge, I'm just simply buying you a drink. Sometimes, it's simple. Life is not that complicated, similar to weight loss. It is a simple equation. If you don't lose any weight, and you are honest, than drop, if you still don't lose, drop a little more. At some point, you will lose. I am talking about healthy loss, like 1 lb per week. If after a few weeks, this doesn't work, it will, but if it doesn't, than my advice is to go the other way and start adding cals until you lose. Just keep going up. There is an equilibrium there somewhere that every person has to find. All the formulas and MFP recommendations are just starting points. If you eat clean and healthy, those foods are more dense and will make you feel full longer. And, you will not feel hungry.

With all due honesty, I dont associate with people who eat well below the 1200 or net below 1200.. it is not a healthy management of weight loss or health. Yes, there are people who willingly do that, but I personally find it to be self-destructive... Id rather lose the weight gradually and do it the right way...

You must be younger than I am.

I'm over 50. I normally take in around 1300 calories and net well under under 1200. My goal is 1310. I am not even vaguely hungry and eat what the rest of my family eats. I walk to work and do a very brisk walk in the afternoon, but that's it.. I have't missed a weekly calorie goal ever and haven't gone over my net by more than 10 calories in several months.

When I hit my early 40's there was a noticable slowing of my metabolism so that if I ate the same as I used to, I gained weight (23 pounds, to be exact). When I hit my late 40's it became a little more noticeable.

I doubt my 30 year old self could have happily lived netting 1200. But my 50 year old self? No problem.

What I love about MFP is that it allows me to monitor my intake. But sorry, it hasn't been a deprivation and I choose my food carefully and feel healthier than I have in years. This isn't a diet. Having hit my initial weight loss goal, I dropped it down because this has been too easy and it is obvious this is a good calorie level for me.

I turned 50 last yr, I for the past 30+years have only eaten one meal a day because I just don't have an appetite , which consisted off things like sausage chips and gravy or fish and chips and a slice of bread sometimes and with about 4 cups of coffee 2 sugars full fat milk. Since joining MFP I am most likely eating slightly more calories now but a hell of a lot healthy. It's been very hard for me to adjust to eating 3 times a day and trying to meet the 1200cals which I rarely achieve, but like you I am not starving and feel this is a healthy eating plan although I am loosing weight. I certainly wasn't starving myself over the last 30yrs either, otherwise I would be in size 0 and not gained any weight!

Starvation is an excellent way to lose weight.

p.s. check with these people a year from now see if they maintained a healthy weight?

I eat really healthy organic lean meat, salmon, fresh greens, fresh vegetables and limit condiments to iodized salt and cracked pepper and only use olive oil to cook with . I do struggle eating enough calories but that's because I don't eat gluten or anything containing corn syrup and avoiding candy, ice cream and sugar soda. If this is unhealthy can I ask what is healthy? I will add , this is not a diet it's a life style due to intolerance. And I do take vitamins daily but my daily calories barely reach 700-800 if lucky. And I burn the calories I consume via excersise 6 days a week for 1 hr and half a day! Can anyone else relate at all?

I eat really healthy organic lean meat, salmon, fresh greens, fresh vegetables and limit condiments to iodized salt and cracked pepper and only use olive oil to cook with . I do struggle eating enough calories but that's because I don't eat gluten or anything containing corn syrup and avoiding candy, ice cream and sugar soda. If this is unhealthy can I ask what is healthy? I will add , this is not a diet it's a life style due to intolerance. And I do take vitamins daily but my daily calories barely reach 700-800 if lucky. And I burn the calories I consume via excersise 6 days a week for 1 hr and half a day! Can anyone else relate at all?

I can't relate because I love food, and it's often a struggle to keep under my current 1800 daily goal. But I do love pepper!

I eat really healthy organic lean meat, salmon, fresh greens, fresh vegetables and limit condiments to iodized salt and cracked pepper and only use olive oil to cook with . I do struggle eating enough calories but that's because I don't eat gluten or anything containing corn syrup and avoiding candy, ice cream and sugar soda. If this is unhealthy can I ask what is healthy? I will add , this is not a diet it's a life style due to intolerance. And I do take vitamins daily but my daily calories barely reach 700-800 if lucky. And I burn the calories I consume via excersise 6 days a week for 1 hr and half a day! Can anyone else relate at all?

I'm pretty much the same. No grains, no potatoes, no bannanas, no dairy. But I feel great when I eat this way and terrible when I add that stuff back in. I don't woory too much if I have a slice of cake, a few chips, a glass of wine or a bit of cheese- but I know I'll pay for it with painful IBS symptoms or migraines - and these days I just don't enjoy it like I used to, so my cals are usually pretty low.

It's cals in, cals out. If you are not losing at 1200 and you are 100% honest about everything you eat...everything. Then, drop it to 1100. If still no results, drop it to 1000. It's simple math. At some point, you have to lose.

You could also go the other way with the eat more to weigh less crowd. It really depends on your activity level, I think.

Bad advice. That just sounds like a step ladder to anorexia. What happens when you get down to 500 calories and still aren't losing? Keep going?

Lol. Not really. I can't help if someone has a disease. That's not what I am talking about. If i buy you a drink in a bar, I don't assume that I am feeding an alcohol binge, I'm just simply buying you a drink. Sometimes, it's simple. Life is not that complicated, similar to weight loss. It is a simple equation. If you don't lose any weight, and you are honest, than drop, if you still don't lose, drop a little more. At some point, you will lose. I am talking about healthy loss, like 1 lb per week. If after a few weeks, this doesn't work, it will, but if it doesn't, than my advice is to go the other way and start adding cals until you lose. Just keep going up. There is an equilibrium there somewhere that every person has to find. All the formulas and MFP recommendations are just starting points. If you eat clean and healthy, those foods are more dense and will make you feel full longer. And, you will not feel hungry.

The MFP formulas are irrelevant. The fact of the matter is your body needs calories to perform brain functions, to circulate blood around the body, to digest the food you eat, to blink, to smile etc.... If you keep lowering your calories as you suggest your body will not be able to perform these processes efficiently as it will not have the required energy and will start to shut down less vital functions. This is why women who consistently undereat will often stop menstruating entirely (though some women will also miss a couple of periods when starting new exercise or diet due to hormone fluctuation).

You advocate 'simple maths' i.e keep going lower until you do start to lose weight. Meanwhile your body is slowing down its processes to compensate for having no energy coming in so that when you do finally eat a normal diet you will inevitably put weight on as your body will seek to store energy for when the calories drop again. Thus begins a vicious cycle.

Calories in vs calories out is correct but the focus in that equation should not be solely on the 'calories in' aspect of it.

I don't see how your drink analogy in any way fits with what I stated early. What I was stating was that if you follow on the line of continuing to reduce calories until the weight starts to come off even if that means getting as low as 500 calories or less you are on a dangerous road to all kinds of unhealthy views about food.

Calories in vs calories out is correct but the focus in that equation should not be solely on the 'calories in' aspect of it.

An excellent observation, and one that we tend to forget all too easily.

i really dont understand this, i do delete these people but havent in afew weeks, its just really off putting i dont get fast results any more yet it seems eating afew ready meals, mugshots or processed crap is making these people lose up to 2lb a week!!

I didnt realise mug shots were bad? I love them because it is quick and easy...I always have fruit after. Unfortunately I haven't got time to spend a lot of time in the kitchen...Wish I had though lol.