Seeing a lot of rude comments about 1200/cal....

Research states that if you eat a 1200 calorie diet your body may think that it is going into starvation mode and hold onto fat rather than loose it. I said MAY but so long as u workout and a clean diet you should be fine . If you workout make sure you eat after refuel your body with salmon, veggies, brown rice . MFP gave me a 1290 deficit it works for me and usually I burn off 1200 to 1400 cals in any given workout so I get extra calories and eat more . Do your reasearch I do good luck

Please give references to the research

1,200 calories daily for women (not men) is a number chosen to give minimum nutrients

Hi Dan

I just read your post "In Place Of A Road Map" from July. It's very interesting. If I give you my information would you tell me if my calculations are correct. I figured I should be eating 1,144 calories each day after taking off 20%. I have been eating 1200.

Female
62 years old
weight 214
height 64"
Neck 14"
Waist 39.5"
Hips 48"
Wrist 7"
Thigh 31"
Calf 15.5"
Forearm 11.5"

Goal weight of 154 is based on the Goal Body Weight calculator
BMR = 1430, less 20% = 1,144 calories
Katch McArdle
Body fat 49.8%
Sedentary 1601 calories (until my foot heals) but using light weights and leg exercises every other day
Light 1834 calories

Did I do this right?
Thanks for your time.

If it is working for you and you aren't feeling hungry or deprived, then do it. Just make sure you are netting 1200 otherwise you are falling below and that is not enough for most women (there are always exceptions and should be specified that you fall into that by a doctor not a fitness website). If after a period of time you hit a plateau, don't be afraid to up your calories which helps reset your body and can start you losing weight again.

Personally for me I follow the "eating my BMR" plan and it has been working well for me as I'm never hungry/feel deprived and have lots of energy. I've lost a steady 1.5-2 lbs a week since I started. So this is what works for me.

Some people on here like to tout exactly what they are doing as the ONLY thing that will help you lose weight and its not true because everyone is different with a different body chemistry and metabolism. Just pay attention to what your body is telling you and how it is responding and you should be good. And don't be in a rush to lose the weight. Slow and steady still wins the race even though it can be a bit frustrating at times. The end result you want is a healthy body, for some that happens quickly and for some its a slower process but still a WIN however long it takes!

Hi Dan

I just read your post "In Place Of A Road Map" from July. It's very interesting. If I give you my information would you tell me if my calculations are correct. I figured I should be eating 1,144 calories each day after taking off 20%. I have been eating 1200.

Female
62 years old
weight 214
height 64"
Neck 14"
Waist 39.5"
Hips 48"
Wrist 7"
Thigh 31"
Calf 15.5"
Forearm 11.5"

Goal weight of 154 is based on the Goal Body Weight calculator
BMR = 1430, less 20% = 1,144 calories
Katch McArdle
Body fat 49.8%
Sedentary 1601 calories (until my foot heals) but using light weights and leg exercises every other day
Light 1834 calories

Did I do this right?
Thanks for your time.

There are people far more qualified than me so please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you take the 20% of your TDEE which for now is 1601, so you would eat around 1280. Because TDEE takes into account your daily activity you do not eat back your exercise calories. I'm sorry I didn't check if you entered the data correctly into the formula, but hope this helps a little

You CAN lose weight eating 1200 calories. You CAN lose weight eating a lot more than 1200. I'm currently on 1688 calories a day PLUS exercise calories. Every last delicious one of them.

Different things suit different people. Personally, I prefer to eat more, not feel deprived, have more energy for my workouts and still lose. Check out the Eat More to Weigh Less group to see amazing success stories.

Truth is, many of us were eating far more than we thought when we realised we were overweight. If I track an "old me" day it comes in at 3000 calories, and that was with fairly healthy choices and no junk food. It doesn't take much of a cut in calories intake to register a steady, sustainable loss.

You CAN lose weight eating 1200 calories. You CAN lose weight eating a lot more than 1200. I'm currently on 1688 calories a day PLUS exercise calories. Every last delicious one of them.

Different things suit different people. Personally, I prefer to eat more, not feel deprived, have more energy for my workouts and still lose. Check out the Eat More to Weigh Less group to see amazing success stories.

Truth is, many of us were eating far more than we thought when we realised we were overweight. If I track an "old me" day it comes in at 3000 calories, and that was with fairly healthy choices and no junk food. It doesn't take much of a cut in calories intake to register a steady, sustainable loss.

Amen on the eating "3000" calories of healthy food - combine that with my desk job and I managed to pack on the pounds.

All I can say is that your nutrition and activity need to be monitored with a diary, and MFP has great tools for us all to figure it out on our own. I don't really thing the people who post about "eating enough calories" are haters, they just are successful and passionate about that success and sharing it. I am really happy with my journey this year and am joined MFP after I had lost the big part of my excess weight. "the eat more to weigh less" group is helping me as I maintain and lose a the last few pounds. Increasing my activity level helps me sleep better, the nutrition plan helps me feel and look better. It all fits together.

People who are never hungry rarely lose weight. Also food for thought.

Sorry, just have to interject here. I eat more now than I used to, I just eat better - and if I'm hungry I EAT. I've lost a fair few pounds by not being hungry, just saying....:flowerforyou:

So I'm kinda new here. I made a profile, and filled out my information, and MFP came up with 1200/cal day as my goal. Now I had no idea if that what considered very low, or average, or whatever. But I have been trying to stick with it. And I'm actually finding that I need to make myself eat MORE that I want to just to get to 1200. And I have seen several nasty comments from people on here about "those 1200 calorie people". Why? I have lost 5 pounds so far and I feel really good about my progress. What am I missing? I feel like I'm missing the joke.

Welcome to MFP. Home of the judgemental.

Ignore 'em.

I'm 5'1", a nutritionist suggested between 1250 and 1350; MFP set me at 1200 and I bumped to 1250; seems to be working. On days that I do alot more or exercise alot I eat more and just focus on netting 1250'ish.

Bottom line - keep up sufficient intake to fuel your body, become more active, take in fewer calories than you burn, and eat nutritionally-dense foods - you'll lose weight. Might take a bit of playing with intake, exercise, etc to figure out where you do best. Be patient, it's a journey.

Everyone else can take a flying...

Not everyone starts at 1200, I'm on1480. I think it's because I'm so tall, I'm not massively overweight. If MFP downgrades me to 1200 I will weeeep.

Im always between 1100 and 1400, its working for me :happy:
I think most of the oldbies that are 'hating' on the 1200cal posts are aiming for the posts where the OP is not losing weight/hungry all the time/lacking in energy for workouts. Some of them may come across as harsh but most of them are honestly trying to help. The ones that are harsh have usually had months of being chewed out by people after offering advice.

Weightloss is a personal thing, do what works for you :flowerforyou:

Do what works for you, don't waste your time with the "haters". I've noticed lots of women say that MFP figures they should eat 1200 cals a day...hmmm...sounds like its more than a coincidence.

That's because a lot of people set their weight loss goals to 2 lbs a week, which is far too high for most people. 1200 calorie diets are not healthy for the majority of people.

I have been to see a dietican at the hospital as I was seeing a lot of things about starvation mode etc. I asked the dietican about eating 1200 and she said that as long as I wasn't hungry then this was fine and that I ate back any exercise calories. She did also say that the body would not go into starvation unless you were eating between 600 -800 a day for over a week.
As I have lost every week I will be sticking with 1200 and eating back exercise cals.

I have to believe her as she has studied for years to get to the position she is in and has the medical background to go with it.
But a the end of the day you must do what is best for you. You know your own body more than anyone else.
If by upping your calories you feel better and lose weight then do it. If not stick with what your doing.

Each to there own.........

Lifecycle of an MFPer

1. Start out at 1200 calories
2. Complain about how you're "stuffed" at 1200 calories and don't understand why everyone wants you to eat more
3. Make a post calling out the mean people
4. Gradually up your calorie goals when you grow tired of being "stuffed" on asparagus spears
5. Realize that you're still losing weight and feeling much better
6. Try to help 1200 calorie people
7. Get called an arrogant ahole one too many times
8. Retreat to chit-chat forum more or less permanently, only occasionally emerging to lay down a burn

this

If you set it to "lose 2 pounds per week", for most women that is going to give you the minimum recommended calories. 1200.

Setting it to lose 2 pounds a week is not appropriate for everyone. Of course everyone wants that, so everyone sets it that way at first until they become more educated. Or until after about 2-3 weeks when their body says this is crazy, I'm starving.

If you have less than 40 pounds to lose, do not set it for 2 pounds a week, and it will give you a more reasonable calorie amount to eat.