Reconsidering 1200 Calories

Is there a way you can have your metabolism checked to see what it takes you to maintain and then go from there?

By eating more frequent, smaller meals with quality nutrients and more fiber, you'll actually increase your metabolism. I think you'll lose more weight by eating a little more! I know I did. 1200 was just NOT enough for me.

I'm a recovering anorexic and I've gone from 250 calories to 1000-1200
Best way to do it is increase your intake by 100 a day, try to fill in those extra calories at breakfast, not so much dinner and drink water!

Once your body gets used to it you WILL lose FASTER!

After reading several posts from so many different people, I am seriously considering raising my calorie intake from the 1200 reccomended for me on MFP to my BMR of 1420. I really want to try this but am terrified that I will gain weight. Any thoughts?

So whats the big deal? Why not try doing it in 100 calorie increments and see what happens? If you gain weight go back down. You know what to do already.

It is silly to get hung up on a calorie number like 1200 calories. This number is relative to your BMR. If you are a bigger person this is a low number, if you are small like me this is a large number, barely below my RMR.

Your RMR is mainly driven by your height. I'm 5'1" and my RMR is 1380. When I was fat that meant that I had to eat under 1000 calories to get a significant enough deficit to lose weight. If you are taller 1200 might work. If you are taller yet then it's too low. So really it depends on your height.

1200 is meaningless without your height or RMR. Your RMR in a chart is just an estimate.

If you have a lot of body fat reserves you would be surprised at how little you can eat (unless you have emotional eating issues or disorders). The leaner you get the less your body has to draw from and then you have to taper up your calories. There is no such thing as starvation mode for woman over 12% body fat or men over 6% body fat. I pretty much proved that for myself by staying strong and building muscle and doing what I did. I'm the leanest, most muscular, and most fit that I have ever been in my life at almost 52 years old.

What is the exact number of calories for you?

We’ve been trying to figure out an exact NUMBER of calories that everyone should be eating, without recognizing that everyone is slightly different. In truth, the calories aren’t the end game. Your body is. So the EXACT amount of Calories that are right for you is the EXACT amount that will allow you to maintain your ideal bodyweight no matter what some calculator or chart says.

In other words, an online calculator might tell you that you need to eat 2,500 calories
per day to maintain your ideal bodyweight. But the only way to know for sure if this is
the right amount for you is to test it out. If you gain weight or can’t lose weight eating
that much, then you know you need to eat less to lose weight no matter how many
calculators and text books say otherwise.

This doesn’t mean your metabolism is broken, it just means the estimate of your needs
was just a bit off.

-John Barban (Body Centric Calorie Guide from the Venus Index manuals)

I realized that a woman my height who weighs 150 lbs is supposed to eat 1500 cals a day to maintain that weight. So, when I want to lose wieght, I need to eat quite a bit less than 1500 cals. I go for 1200.

I started at 1300 calories and lost 8 pounds in 10 days then my weightloss stalled for a week. I did some reading and decided to eat at my BMR which is 1600 and I've noticed a big change. I would say give it a try, I have much more energy and am in a better mood on more calories. I think weightloss is trial and error, just don't give up and you'll always be heading in the right direction

I mean your BMR, not eat 1600 if that didn't come across right

I personally find my weight loss so pitifully slow at 1400-1500 calories that I get frustrated and quit. And since motivation is 90% of the battle for me, I'm happier at 1200. To be honest, I usually have one heavier day (like 1800 calories) which is compensated by a couple 900-1000 days. You might think I'm eating nothing on those days, but you'd be surprised how much meat, veggies, and fruit you can eat and stay under 1000 calories!

Just do what's best for you. So long as you are getting adequate protein (actually closer to 80-100 grams per day is what they say you need to prevent excessive breakdown of your own muscles for energy), there's really not much risk based on the studies I've read.

have you had your thyroid checked? your thyroid regulates your metabolism

You would have to be very, very, very tiny to gain weight on 1400-1500 calories. At the very worst case scenario, that's maintenance. Weight loss involves a deficit in calories, so eating a bit more will not equal gaining weight. You need to eat more than your body needs for you to gain weight. Unless you have a medical problem or are extremely short, 1400-1500 calories will not be a weight gaining number. You may see a little water weight show up though once you up your calories.