1200 calories a day

minimalistrose
minimalistrose Posts: 6 Member
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm so confused. I'm told to eat 1200 calories a day and I will lose weight but I'm not so heavy to begin with I just want to lose a few pounds. What I am confused about is how could I lose on 1200 calories a day and someone else who is like 150 be eating the same amount as me? Shouldn't I really be eating less than 1200?

help!

Replies

  • junipuni
    junipuni Posts: 264 Member
    You should never go below 1200 calories a day because your body needs at least that many to keep it out of starvation mode.
  • sequoia13
    sequoia13 Posts: 6
    1200 is recommended for everyone, regardless of size. its the magic number that keeps us healthy and going. some people may only have an allowance of 1200, without exercise, and some may have more. personally, without exercise, im recommended to consume 1420. it all varies on your activity level and goals, but 1200 is definitely recommended for all people as a minimum.
  • sajar_06
    sajar_06 Posts: 173 Member
    Hey,
    1200 calories a day is what the body needs to subsatin life in a 24 hour period. You have to add in the calories that you burn during exercise and those are the ones that you do not eat and get the weight loss deficit. Example: if you burn 500 calories during exercise then you will add the 500 to the 1200 needed for life and that will give you a total of 1700 so then you do not eat the 500 that you burned and the total is 1200 calories for the day with 500 calories being burned and that is where weight loss comes in. Hope this helps. God Bless, brenda
  • machomanjunn
    machomanjunn Posts: 1
    i just started this 1200kcal routine but i noticed i'm actually taking more than i usually do. how am i going to lose that few kgs if i take in so much calories? i'm confused. / =
  • Heather_b1986
    Heather_b1986 Posts: 125 Member
    you shouldnt go below 1200 cal because your body goes into starvation mode, u loose muscle (which helps u burn fat btw) and also anything you doo eat gets stored as fat because ur body doesnt know when its next meal is comin so clings on to anythin it gets! stick to ur calories and excercise ul soon shift those couple of pounds x :smile:
  • minimalistrose
    minimalistrose Posts: 6 Member
    Today I ate around 1200 but usually I will eat like 1000-1100 and some days I cheat. I was really full today but im so scared of gaining weight because in september I went to a nutritionist to start eating healthy and i gained like 4 pounds in a week doing everything she said and Im just scared thats going to happen again...
  • chanstriste13
    chanstriste13 Posts: 3,277 Member
    there are tons of people on this site who have lost incredible amounts of weight eating 1200 calories or more - try following in their footsteps. people are very receptive here if you ask them questions. but remember, you are here to be good to your body, not to abuse it, and that is basically what eating below 1200 calories is. my daily calorie count is 1640, and i've lost 5 pounds in 3 weeks, and that is with going over my calorie limit quite a few times. so do it, but do it right!
  • bebhinn
    bebhinn Posts: 198
    Today I ate around 1200 but usually I will eat like 1000-1100 and some days I cheat. I was really full today but im so scared of gaining weight because in september I went to a nutritionist to start eating healthy and i gained like 4 pounds in a week doing everything she said and Im just scared thats going to happen again...

    Remember that those four lbs are more than likely NOT from eating... to gain 4lbs in a week you would have to eat 14000 calories IN EXCESS of what you burn per day existing on this planet in one week... thats a LOT of calories!!

    Our weight fluctuates from time of day, day of the week, etc etc.... water weight, cycle gain.. etc.
    Stick to it, get some exercise - you will get there!!
  • WeightingForSara
    WeightingForSara Posts: 122 Member
    I was recommended to eat 1340 calories a day, but I lowered it to 1200 myself and it has been amazing. You may feel ore full but its the quality of food you're eating that makes such a huge difference. I've lost 15lbs just this past month eating around 1,200 calories a day and exercising 4 days a week.
  • deaubreydigest
    deaubreydigest Posts: 9
    I seem to be spamming this comment around, but I really think this explains a lot. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo
  • guidosgal
    guidosgal Posts: 581 Member
    I know for me 1200 was not enough but after playing with the numbers and alot of trial and error I found that 1340 to 1430 work well for me (thats with out exercise) but everyones numbers are different but please remember that for healthy weight loss never fall below 1200 unless you are under the supervision of a doctor.
  • lisawest
    lisawest Posts: 798 Member
    I seem to be spamming this comment around, but I really think this explains a lot. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    Just the link I was going to post!:laugh: It explains SOOOO much, and does it so well!

    I really recommend EVERYONE troll the boards for past topics. So many people have asked almost my exact questions, and they got some GREAT answers! The ones I would recommend reading first are the "pinned" topics under "General Diet and Weight Loss Help." To get there, right above these posts (not clear at the top of the page) you can choose "Home," "Recent Posts," "My Topics," "Signature," or "Search." Click on Home. Then find "General Diet. . . " and click on it. The first 4 or so topics are tagged or "pinned." Read the ones for "newbies." They are GREAT!!! If you still have questions that aren't answered by those, then try typing keywords from you question into the "Search" function. You'll be amazed by the number of people who've had questions similar to yours! (I love getting on there and finding answers to the questions of the day!:laugh: )

    Now this is not to say that we won't answer your question if you go ahead and post it! However, most of the answers you will get come from previous posts!:laugh: I find it hard to explain the innerworkings of the human body, but several people (SHBoss, aka Banks, being a GREAT one!) have done a LOT of hardcore research, and they can explain it GREAT!!! Well, there's my tip for the day! Have a good one!
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