Seeing a lot of rude comments about 1200/cal....
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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
HAHA Love this. I made a lot of friends who were at #6 when I was at #4. Now all of my friends are graduating to #8 while I'm still somewhere between #6 and #7. Perhaps I should skip right to #8 and stop wasting my time.0 -
I still don't understand the desire to start at dead bottom bare minimum safe level....
Really? Because I completely understand the desire to set MFP to help you lose the most amount of weight in the shortest amount of time. Even though I don't agree with trying to lose 30lbs in a month, I totally get why someone would want to.0 -
2. Complain about how you're "stuffed" at 1200 calories and don't understand why everyone wants you to eat more
This is my favorite. It's an amazing transformation that happens when a woman starts out eating an entire pizza for dinner to being "stuffed" at 800 calories and complaining that she "can't eat" any more. I'm pretty sure you're not "stuffed", you're just terrified of eating anything that isn't "lite" or some variation of salad.0 -
I burn less than 1200 on a regular day at work when I don't go to the gym, so it's very difficult for me to lose on 1200 a day unless i'm doing some form of exercise - THEN on those days i up it. But i'm a small sized person, and MFP won't let anybody go under 1200 automatically.0
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I have been doing the 1200 calories for a while. Thats what this site said to do. However I just went to the BMR calculator and it said my body needs 1475 calories if someone wants to give me their opinion on what I'm doing right or wrong my diary is open and I'm all ears (and a little bit of fat)
I would go to 1500 calories a day and eat back your exercise calories, you will start to lose more inches than weight and look better...but most people on this site care more about a number they see once a week...0 -
I'm 62, short, and have low thyroid. All of this means slow metabolism. I've set my calorie goal at 1100. This is working for me. If it stops working I'll up the amount of calories. In the meantime, I'm sticking with it.0
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I did 1200 calories for 5 months with treadmill and
gained 10 lbs.
No you didn't.0 -
I have been doing 1200 cals a day since April and have lost 13 kilos (and 45 cms). Nearly at goal and have been fine. Exercise burning off 400 cals most days too. I was on 1400 cals a day and eating back exercise calories for 12 months prior to that and lost 6 kilos and it was a trial. Only 4.7 kilos until I am goal.0
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Do whats best for you!!! I do a program that I eat less than 1000 cals a day...the food is nutritionaly packed for this extreme low calorie..Ive never been in starvation mode thus far...but re assess when your losses slow... We are all individuals...avoid the haters and stick with the great ones here..there are many!!0
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Just personal experience...everyone is different, but I manually raised my 1200 calorie limit to 1500....and usually eat around 1700 a day by eating back exercise calories. Not only am I still losing at the same rate, but I feel much happier and more energetic. This gives me the ability to work-out the way I want to and shape my body. I also feel like I can continue this long-term rather than lose a lot of weight short-term but then gain it all back. Everyone is different....but maybe give 1500 calories a try and see how you feel...try it all out and choose what works best for you.0
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my dr, has me on a 1200 calorie a day diet. i am always 100calories short of it, but i'm eating healthy now. i eat tons of fruit and veggies, chicken and turkey. there are days that it feels like i've ate more than that and i haven't. and there are days when i know i'm not getting enough, and dip into the calories i get from exercising. she told me as long as i eat and i don't feel hungry i'm good. not once have i felt like i'm starving. keep up the good owrk.0
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I don't think that 1200 is exactly what they want you to eat. My FITNESS pal...is what it says on the top of the page. It's about being fit. The idea is that people exercise and eat back those exercise cals, therefore eating more than 1200 but burning anything over off.
The more I read the more I think starvation mode, as it seems set out in MFP, is a myth. Don't get me wrong, those that have had eating disorders or done extreme diets can struggle with metabolic issues - but being on 1200 calories a day is sufficient (maybe not satisfying though) to run most small-ish bods (with no exercise that is).0 -
Hi cj, looks like we joined in the same month. I've noticed the comments also and have wondered why ppl think that's too low a goal. Something they don't understand is when we're short (I'm 5'3") we naturally need less calories.
5'3 lost it and maintained year and 1/2 and I eat 1600 very lowest to generally 1800-2000 cals a day. I am short...It depends on many things...I could not eat 1200 a day. But, many follow the 1200 cal. If it works for you do it.. I just wanted to add, eating above that works too:-) Good luck to you:-)0 -
Don't worry about haters, whatever works for you works for you. myfitnesspal.com set mine as 1200 as well! (unless I work out) You should be fine! How long did it take you to lsoe 5 lbs just curious? 1200 has been hard to stick with but I have 5 to 10 lbs I'd LOVEEEEEEEE to shed so your post gave me hope0
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"Starvation mode" is a bunch of crap. It's called "famine response"... here's an interesting short article on it.
http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=35501
I eat around 1200 a day. Sometimes more if I exercise. Sometimes a little less. Everyone is a little different.0 -
everyone starts off at 1200 calories
That is not true, I started at 1,420.0 -
Ok can someone help me out then, i am on 1200 cals per day. But right now im not losing weight. For a few months over the summer i stopped logging and ate what i wanted (within reason) and somehow lost weight.
So now ive started logging again and ive gained a few pounds back. I know in the back of my mind that i should put my calories per day up but im too scared to fo it incase i get fatter!!!! Aaaaaahhhh!!! HELP!0 -
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.
I found that too when I first started. You will find that some people on here are control freaks and they believe because something works for them it's the gospel on how to lose weight. Its all trial and error, you will learn along the way...and its YOUR trial and error for YOUR body and not theirs. I can say that what works in the beginning might and I say might not work down the road and you may have to switch things up but that is for YOU to decice and no one else. Remember, it is YOUR journey. You will also find out that when you ask cetain questions you might get 100 difference answers so again YOU will have to decide what is best for YOU. I wish you a happy and healthy New Lifestyle Journey.
:flowerforyou:0 -
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.
^^^ THIS
It's your journey to fitness, not theirs. Screw the haters.0 -
anything under 1200 cals a day is considered starvation mode. food for thought.
People just love to throw around starvation mode without proper explanation. So I guess since I ate 1150 calories yesterday I must be in starvation mode .............................................................
I agree!!! I have read several health studies that say that this in a myth anyway..... Yes if i only eat 1 cupcake for the day my body might starve but if I eat fresh veggies and fruit all day and IM FULL... but im under 1200 Im pretty sure ill be fine
It s all about healthy choices and not eating empty calories and do what is BEST for you. 0 -
bump0
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I'm also on 1200 calories and I've been making progress. It's not hard to stick to it. Just gotta learn portion control.0
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Hi cj, looks like we joined in the same month. I've noticed the comments also and have wondered why ppl think that's too low a goal. Something they don't understand is when we're short (I'm 5'3") we naturally need less calories.
Not trying to sound rude but this is actually not true AT ALL. It's a HUGE misconception. I'm 5'2" and eat 1500 calories a day and lose. I would starve if I ate 1200 a day. Some days I eat 1700..still lose..has nothing to do with your height. If you train your metabolism to work PROPERLY and you fuel your body every 3 hours you can eat way more than 1200 and lose. That being said, do what you need to do or what works for you.
Me too. I'm 5'1 and started at 1200 but just wanted to kill people. Then I read Dans Roadmap - and low and behold I now eat 1500 (but quite often go over) and I am losing about 1lb per week without wanting to commit murder.
Yes 1200 works for some people - BUT why eat so low if you don't have to, work through the roadmap and see if the numbers change anything for you. This is a lifestyle change for me and I can't do it where I cut out everything I love to lose weight quickly as I'll put it all back on again when I start eating more once I've lost the weight. I have no intention on living of chicken and veg for the rest of my life. Smaller changes make for longer lasting goals IMHO.
Good luck with your weight loss in the end you can only do what works for you.
Oh and people against 1200 aren't haters - we just want to help people make life long changes instead of getting stuck on the rollercoster of yo yo dieting.
sorry just to add with the breastfeeding I do think 1200 is far to low and you should be on 1500 minimum. Just due to the extra milk you need to produce to keep your baby happy. But honestly read the roadmap and go from there. :flowerforyou:
According to my Dr., my metabolism is JUST FINE, THANK YOU. That being said, there are many, many factors that affect weight loss. For example, in order to me to up my calories, I would need to eat a lot more processed food, which I am NOT willing to do. I eat a lot of fresh fruits and veggies, and find them filling, probably because of the fibre and water in them. However, these foods are packed with nutrients. Which is exactly what I want. I am under a Dr's care because of an illness, and if it wasn't healthy for me, I would be the first to know.
If you can eat more than 1200 and still lose, then good for you. Perhaps you're more active than I? Perhaps we are just different people and what works for one doesn't necessarily work for another. Generally though, if you are small, you won't need as many calories unless you're running marathons or something. It's common sense.
Is this thread snarky? Noooo....not at all.0 -
but if I eat fresh veggies and fruit all day and IM FULL...
I don't mean to pick on you, and your diary is private so I obviously have no clue what your'e eating, but this is something I see a lot... 1200 (or less) calories of fruit and vegetables isn't exactly a healthy diet. Sure you can eat a LOT of them, but you're not getting healthy fats and protein from a pile of vegetables.
(Some veg can provide really good fats, but they tend to be really high in calories, so the under 1200 club tend to avoid them.)0 -
For me, it wasn't the people who agree with everything I believed that helped me the most, it was the ones who challenged my way of thinking. That's what makes having the community such a great thing, because if we keep doing what we've always done, we're going to keep getting the same results as we've always gotten.
I always believed that losing weight meant dieting, and dieting meant eating a lot less than I was before and being hungry and uncomfortable. Heck, by the time I joined here, I didn't believe it was even possible for me to lose weight, because it was SOOOOO DAMN HARD! My weight loss was painfully slow in the past, and I thought the only way to keep losing would be to keep cutting off more and more calories, until I was eating well under 1000 a day. I got to the point where I said, "F this! If it's this hard to lose, I'd rather be heavier!"
Fast forward five years, and I joined here not believing I could lose weight, but for some reason gave it a shot. Tried 1200 at first, like everyone else, but that lasted all of one month, until I realized that the only way I could lose 2 pounds a week was if I caught a stomach flu. So I switched to a more appropriate one pound a week... and the world changed.
The clouds were fluffier, the sun shone brighter, and rainbows had more color.
Well, not quite, but it made everything easier. Then easier still when I switched up my macros to allow for more protein. And easier still when I started strength training. All the things that people are so reluctant to try... made things easier!
So I lost the bulk of my weight eating 1800-2000 calories a day total, currently still trying to figure out how much I can eat to maintain which seems to be about 2300. I'm 40 years old, 5'5 and about 132 pounds.
And that's another point. If I takes 2300 to maintain my weight, why would I have to eat HALF of that to lose?! Like most people, when I gained weight, I gained it slowly. I was probably only eating 100 calories over my TDEE when I was gaining. I wasn't being a gluttonous pig. I was just eating a little too much, and exercising a little too little. So why cut my calorie intake in half when just cutting a couple hundred off would do this job?!
Listen to this smart lady. Her transformation has been completely amazing and I'm sure she's learned quite a bit along the way too! Very well written, LorinaLynn, you are an inspiration to me :drinker:0 -
this is one where people are never going to agree...
just because it didnt work for one person doesnt mean its not going to work for another... my calories are currently set to 1300 why ? because mfp set them... but it works for me... it did put me to 1200 when i entered my ultimate goal... when split to my goal by Christmas it upped them... interesting i thought... but the 1300 works for me on a normal day i wont go over or be drastically over (today not counting i had crisps...)
personally im not so sure we should focus on calories... if we just focus on eating healthy lots of fruit and veg and nice meat - the calories will sort themselves out... one of those "look after the pennies and the pounds will take care of themselves" kind of things
x0 -
but if I eat fresh veggies and fruit all day and IM FULL...
I don't mean to pick on you, and your diary is private so I obviously have no clue what your'e eating, but this is something I see a lot... 1200 (or less) calories of fruit and vegetables isn't exactly a healthy diet. Sure you can eat a LOT of them, but you're not getting healthy fats and protein from a pile of vegetables.
(Some veg can provide really good fats, but they tend to be really high in calories, so the under 1200 club tend to avoid them.)
The comment about protein/healthy fats and vegetables is not accurate. Sorry.0 -
but if I eat fresh veggies and fruit all day and IM FULL...
I don't mean to pick on you, and your diary is private so I obviously have no clue what your'e eating, but this is something I see a lot... 1200 (or less) calories of fruit and vegetables isn't exactly a healthy diet. Sure you can eat a LOT of them, but you're not getting healthy fats and protein from a pile of vegetables.
(Some veg can provide really good fats, but they tend to be really high in calories, so the under 1200 club tend to avoid them.)
The comment about protein/healthy fats and vegetables is not accurate. Sorry.
So how much protein is in a garden salad?0 -
i'm on the 1200 too but i find that the calories on MFP seem to be lower then what you actually eat if you count them yourself(maybe logging wrong don't know) so if it says 1200 that what i try to stick around0
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but if I eat fresh veggies and fruit all day and IM FULL...
I don't mean to pick on you, and your diary is private so I obviously have no clue what your'e eating, but this is something I see a lot... 1200 (or less) calories of fruit and vegetables isn't exactly a healthy diet. Sure you can eat a LOT of them, but you're not getting healthy fats and protein from a pile of vegetables.
(Some veg can provide really good fats, but they tend to be really high in calories, so the under 1200 club tend to avoid them.)
The comment about protein/healthy fats and vegetables is not accurate. Sorry.
So how much protein is in a garden salad?0
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