Stop the Low-Cal Insanity!
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if i never see the number 1200 again it will be too soon!
1200 is not a magic number. for all the people out there who think it is i say "phooey".
figure out a healthy deficit from your BMR/TDEE and use that as a guideline for a diet that allows you to lose weight at a healthy pace... i.e., don't starve yourself and risk gaining it all back later.
if the BMR/TDEE calculations result in 1200 as your goal, then fine. but if you saw 1200 talked about as a magic number on some idiot's blog or Dr. Oz's show or some other website promoting other garbage such as cleanses, then ignore the number and never think about it again.
1200 is not a starting point for anyone. calculating your BMR/TDEE is the starting point. from there you can derive the CORRECT number for yourself. if it happens to be 1180, or 1200, or 1450, or 1800, or 2500, or whatever. so long as it comes from the formulas, it's ok by me. what's not ok is just pulling 1200 out of thin air because that's what you read on some blog somewhere.
/rant
But what if 1200 is NOT starving yourself? I definitely do not starve myself and never will. I actually struggle somedays to reach a net of 1200 after my workout because I am so full! I eat balanced and clean, and I do also have indulgences here and there. I have made great progress, I am building muscle rather than losing it, and I have boundless energy.
I understand the logic and respect the science behind it, but also think that people should just do what works for them. It doesn't always have to be so complicated.
for some people, 1200 will work out to be the right number. if that's what you're eating and you derived it from the BMR/TDEE calculations, then great. that's my point. always start with your BMR/TDEE.
if you just picked 1200 out of thin air, then i would say you are going about this wrong.
what's your height, weight, and age? i want to run the calculations and show you whether 1200 is right for you or not. once you understand using the BMR/TDEE numbers, you'll never have to just "guess" at what your daily requirements should be ever again.
I didn't just guess, that was the number that MFP gave me when I set it. However, since MFP gave me that number and I've been following it I have lost over 10kg and drastically increased my fitness levels which has got me thinking it might be time for an adjustment.
I understand the concept of BMR/TDEE and that is what has got me thinking that maybe I should up my calories, however, the numbers I have gotten online for my TDEE seem WAY too high (2,994....really?!) which has confused me.
Not only that but if I struggle to make 1200 net on days I work out because I'm too full to eat, why would upping this number benefit me if I can't reach it? And if I feel great and it's working for me then why should I feel like I have to change anything? If it aint broke then maybe I shouldn't fix it?
I'm not saying this as someone who is totally ignorant, I have learned a lot from the forums on here and my own research, but if it's confusing for me then it is definitely confusing for someone at the start of their journey. All the heresay and conflicting opinions would be enough to make someone give up entirely because it all gets made out to be much more complicated than it really is.
(Also I'm 21, 158cm and 71kg....if you don't use the metric system you will have to figure that out)0 -
You can't equate WW points to calories, because of the free fruit and veg.And as for the ones eating below 1200, I have an example to put things into perspective-
Several years ago I had a WW leader who was in her early 60s, about 4'10", very healthy and moderately active for her age. Her maintenance level was 13 points, which at time was only around 900 calories. That was her MAINTENANCE level, and had been for several years since she had reached her goal weight. So it is entirely POSSIBLE for someone to need to eat at 800-900 cals per day if they want to lose weight, and even at that level, the weight loss would only be 1/2 pound or less per week.0 -
and I find it annoying how ppl eating 2000 and losing come and try to ¨teach¨ people like if they were a fitness guru.
Yes I eat 1200 cal a day, yes im a shorty, and no i wont eat more than that cause I stop losing thank u.
If you eat 2000 and you lose, GREAT for you :drinker: , if I eat 1200 and lose, GREAT for me :drinker: . What works for you doesnt work for me and viceversa. To each their own, do your thing and stop worrying/complaining about what other people do.
When I first started here, all the back and forth on this and other issues was very helpful. I'm 5'9 and was 165 lbs at the beginning. MFP said 1200 cals, I said "yessir".
Just under a month of feeling like garbage, I started asking questions and reading all the carb and calorie debates. I agree with you that everyone is different and the "right" way for one may not work (or work as well) for another. I think OP did a great job of explaining this using an example. Go through the same process with different heights and weights, and you'll get different results.0 -
This was a great read. Thanks!0
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You can't equate WW points to calories, because of the free fruit and veg.And as for the ones eating below 1200, I have an example to put things into perspective-
Several years ago I had a WW leader who was in her early 60s, about 4'10", very healthy and moderately active for her age. Her maintenance level was 13 points, which at time was only around 900 calories. That was her MAINTENANCE level, and had been for several years since she had reached her goal weight. So it is entirely POSSIBLE for someone to need to eat at 800-900 cals per day if they want to lose weight, and even at that level, the weight loss would only be 1/2 pound or less per week.
I was going to say that too. A cup of blueberries is 82 calories. The cals add up, not to mention the sugar/carbs.0 -
Let me just throw something in here thats been bugging me for months.
A lady who lives around me ate 800 cals a day to try and lose weight...She also went for 2 hour walks everyday.
She lost 40 lbs in 6 months! and I swear all she was eating was junk. Id always see them come home with dairy queen, tim hortons, pizza ect...everyone doesnt understand how she lost the weight on pure JUNK and so little calories a day. And so far it appears as if she hasnt put any of it back on...explain0 -
I didn't just guess, that was the number that MFP gave me when I set it. However, since MFP gave me that number and I've been following it I have lost over 10kg and drastically increased my fitness levels which has got me thinking it might be time for an adjustment.
I understand the concept of BMR/TDEE and that is what has got me thinking that maybe I should up my calories, however, the numbers I have gotten online for my TDEE seem WAY too high (2,994....really?!) which has confused me.
Not only that but if I struggle to make 1200 net on days I work out because I'm too full to eat, why would upping this number benefit me if I can't reach it? And if I feel great and it's working for me then why should I feel like I have to change anything? If it aint broke then maybe I shouldn't fix it?
I'm not saying this as someone who is totally ignorant, I have learned a lot from the forums on here and my own research, but if it's confusing for me then it is definitely confusing for someone at the start of their journey. All the heresay and conflicting opinions would be enough to make someone give up entirely because it all gets made out to be much more complicated than it really is.
(Also I'm 21, 158cm and 71kg....if you don't use the metric system you will have to figure that out)
you're 5'2" and 156 lbs. your base BMR (for spending all day in bed sleeping) is approx. 1526
your daily BMR/TDEE assuming no exercise and a sedentary activity level is 1831.
if you don't exercise at all and want to lose 1 lb per week, you should eat at 1331.
these numbers should all be recalculated every 5 or 10 lbs in weight change though. but for now 1331 or thereabouts is the number for you to lose 1 lb per week, so although 1200 is a little lower than that, it's not really going to be an issue for you and i think you're fine at that number (a 631 calorie deficit assuming you don't exercise).
however, if you are also exercising, then your BMR/TDEE needs to be adjusted for that. if for example, you're burning 500 calories a day by running/jogging/walking/dancing, then 1200 would definitely be too low for you. that would have you at an 1130 calorie per day deficit, which is too big for somebody your size.
so do you exercise?0 -
You are doing something BIG wrong then. If your TDEE is 2994 and you used the same data in MFP, then MFP should have given you 1994 calories to lose 2 pounds a week (that's the max setting), so somewhere you did something wrong (conversion maybe?).I understand the concept of BMR/TDEE and that is what has got me thinking that maybe I should up my calories, however, the numbers I have gotten online for my TDEE seem WAY too high (2,994....really?!) which has confused me.
(Also I'm 21, 158cm and 71kg....if you don't use the metric system you will have to figure that out)
Your BMR is somewhere around 1500, which should put your TDEE somewhere around the 2000 mark. (Too lazy to do actual calculations).0 -
:drinker:0
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if i never see the number 1200 again it will be too soon!
1200 is not a magic number. for all the people out there who think it is i say "phooey".
figure out a healthy deficit from your BMR/TDEE and use that as a guideline for a diet that allows you to lose weight at a healthy pace... i.e., don't starve yourself and risk gaining it all back later.
if the BMR/TDEE calculations result in 1200 as your goal, then fine. but if you saw 1200 talked about as a magic number on some idiot's blog or Dr. Oz's show or some other website promoting other garbage such as cleanses, then ignore the number and never think about it again.
1200 is not a starting point for anyone. calculating your BMR/TDEE is the starting point. from there you can derive the CORRECT number for yourself. if it happens to be 1180, or 1200, or 1450, or 1800, or 2500, or whatever. so long as it comes from the formulas, it's ok by me. what's not ok is just pulling 1200 out of thin air because that's what you read on some blog somewhere.
/rant
But what if 1200 is NOT starving yourself? I definitely do not starve myself and never will. I actually struggle somedays to reach a net of 1200 after my workout because I am so full! I eat balanced and clean, and I do also have indulgences here and there. I have made great progress, I am building muscle rather than losing it, and I have boundless energy.
I understand the logic and respect the science behind it, but also think that people should just do what works for them. It doesn't always have to be so complicated.
for some people, 1200 will work out to be the right number. if that's what you're eating and you derived it from the BMR/TDEE calculations, then great. that's my point. always start with your BMR/TDEE.
if you just picked 1200 out of thin air, then i would say you are going about this wrong.
what's your height, weight, and age? i want to run the calculations and show you whether 1200 is right for you or not. once you understand using the BMR/TDEE numbers, you'll never have to just "guess" at what your daily requirements should be ever again.
If you find a BMR calculator that is accurate for you, this makes sense. The problem is that the calculators that MFP uses and a lot of the other sites use, do not take into consideration your BF%. If you have a 50% BF% your BMR could actually be several hundred calories LOWER than MFP tells you it is. Also add to that the grossly overestimated calorie burns it shows, and your TDEE could be showing up to 1000 calories more than it actually is. The calculators only give you an estimate. You must use trial and error to figure out exactly what your body burns every day and what level is maintenance for you.
The magical 1200 number is there because that is the lowest that MFP will set your calorie goal, no matter what your BMR is. For many people, their calorie goal might be even less than that to lose 1 pound a week, and that is perfectly healthy FOR THEM. Others are happy with 1/2 pound loss per week and eating at a much higher level. Neither way is wrong.0 -
bump so i can read later!!0
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Let me just throw something in here thats been bugging me for months.
A lady who lives around me ate 800 cals a day to try and lose weight...She also went for 2 hour walks everyday.
She lost 40 lbs in 6 months! and I swear all she was eating was junk. Id always see them come home with dairy queen, tim hortons, pizza ect...everyone doesnt understand how she lost the weight on pure JUNK and so little calories a day. And so far it appears as if she hasnt put any of it back on...explain
energy and nutrition are not the same thing.
as far as weight loss goes, a calorie is a calorie. you can lose weight eating junk. it's all about calories in and calories out.
now, will she be healthy when she gets to her goal weight if all she eats is junk food? that's a different issue. that's where people start talking about macros and clean eating and such.
but so long as she has plenty of fat stores on her body to burn, she can lose weight just by burning more than she eats, no matter what it is she eats.0 -
You should try her diet then Jenny Taylia.Let me just throw something in here thats been bugging me for months.
A lady who lives around me ate 800 cals a day to try and lose weight...She also went for 2 hour walks everyday.
She lost 40 lbs in 6 months! and I swear all she was eating was junk. Id always see them come home with dairy queen, tim hortons, pizza ect...everyone doesnt understand how she lost the weight on pure JUNK and so little calories a day. And so far it appears as if she hasnt put any of it back on...explain0 -
You are doing something BIG wrong then. If your TDEE is 2994 and you used the same data in MFP, then MFP should have given you 1994 calories to lose 2 pounds a week (that's the max setting), so somewhere you did something wrong (conversion maybe?).I understand the concept of BMR/TDEE and that is what has got me thinking that maybe I should up my calories, however, the numbers I have gotten online for my TDEE seem WAY too high (2,994....really?!) which has confused me.
(Also I'm 21, 158cm and 71kg....if you don't use the metric system you will have to figure that out)
Your BMR is somewhere around 1500, which should put your TDEE somewhere around the 2000 mark. (Too lazy to do actual calculations).
So if her TDEE was around 2000, then she would need to eat 1500 per day to lose 1 pound a week, and 1000 per day to lose 2 pounds per week. Sounds about right.0 -
Let me just throw something in here thats been bugging me for months.
A lady who lives around me ate 800 cals a day to try and lose weight...She also went for 2 hour walks everyday.
She lost 40 lbs in 6 months! and I swear all she was eating was junk. Id always see them come home with dairy queen, tim hortons, pizza ect...everyone doesnt understand how she lost the weight on pure JUNK and so little calories a day. And so far it appears as if she hasnt put any of it back on...explain
Most people will lose pounds on 800 cals a day. If they do it forever, they would have a hard time gaining it back in the reasonably near future. Just because it works doesn't mean it's the best thing for your mind or body though.
Also, I love your screen name.0 -
You should try her diet then Jenny Taylia.Let me just throw something in here thats been bugging me for months.
A lady who lives around me ate 800 cals a day to try and lose weight...She also went for 2 hour walks everyday.
She lost 40 lbs in 6 months! and I swear all she was eating was junk. Id always see them come home with dairy queen, tim hortons, pizza ect...everyone doesnt understand how she lost the weight on pure JUNK and so little calories a day. And so far it appears as if she hasnt put any of it back on...explain
Maybe I wil.....Maybe.....I will0 -
and I find it annoying how ppl eating 2000 and losing come and try to ¨teach¨ people like if they were a fitness guru.
Yes I eat 1200 cal a day, yes im a shorty, and no i wont eat more than that cause I stop losing thank u.
If you eat 2000 and you lose, GREAT for you :drinker: , if I eat 1200 and lose, GREAT for me :drinker: . What works for you doesnt work for me and viceversa. To each their own, do your thing and stop worrying/complaining about what other people do.
^^THIS!0 -
if i never see the number 1200 again it will be too soon!
1200 is not a magic number. for all the people out there who think it is i say "phooey".
figure out a healthy deficit from your BMR/TDEE and use that as a guideline for a diet that allows you to lose weight at a healthy pace... i.e., don't starve yourself and risk gaining it all back later.
if the BMR/TDEE calculations result in 1200 as your goal, then fine. but if you saw 1200 talked about as a magic number on some idiot's blog or Dr. Oz's show or some other website promoting other garbage such as cleanses, then ignore the number and never think about it again.
1200 is not a starting point for anyone. calculating your BMR/TDEE is the starting point. from there you can derive the CORRECT number for yourself. if it happens to be 1180, or 1200, or 1450, or 1800, or 2500, or whatever. so long as it comes from the formulas, it's ok by me. what's not ok is just pulling 1200 out of thin air because that's what you read on some blog somewhere.
/rant
But what if 1200 is NOT starving yourself? I definitely do not starve myself and never will. I actually struggle somedays to reach a net of 1200 after my workout because I am so full! I eat balanced and clean, and I do also have indulgences here and there. I have made great progress, I am building muscle rather than losing it, and I have boundless energy.
I understand the logic and respect the science behind it, but also think that people should just do what works for them. It doesn't always have to be so complicated.
for some people, 1200 will work out to be the right number. if that's what you're eating and you derived it from the BMR/TDEE calculations, then great. that's my point. always start with your BMR/TDEE.
if you just picked 1200 out of thin air, then i would say you are going about this wrong.
what's your height, weight, and age? i want to run the calculations and show you whether 1200 is right for you or not. once you understand using the BMR/TDEE numbers, you'll never have to just "guess" at what your daily requirements should be ever again.
If you find a BMR calculator that is accurate for you, this makes sense. The problem is that the calculators that MFP uses and a lot of the other sites use, do not take into consideration your BF%. If you have a 50% BF% your BMR could actually be several hundred calories LOWER than MFP tells you it is. Also add to that the grossly overestimated calorie burns it shows, and your TDEE could be showing up to 1000 calories more than it actually is. The calculators only give you an estimate. You must use trial and error to figure out exactly what your body burns every day and what level is maintenance for you.
The magical 1200 number is there because that is the lowest that MFP will set your calorie goal, no matter what your BMR is. For many people, their calorie goal might be even less than that to lose 1 pound a week, and that is perfectly healthy FOR THEM. Others are happy with 1/2 pound loss per week and eating at a much higher level. Neither way is wrong.
the BMR calculators are estimators. i accept that. i think 5% or 10% error is fine for our purposes. use their numbers to plan your weight loss regime and you'll get where you want to be roughly on schedule. unless you are extremely fat or extremely muscular these estimators do a good enough job for our purposes. i actually add a little error into my calculations so that i'm pessimistic with me assumptions.0 -
I don't understand the low cal craze either. I'm 5'3" tall and just over 200 and my calorie target is 1660. Why would anyone want to eat half of that?
I think it has to do with impatience more than anything. Most people just starting out want all the fat gone NOW, and they don't think about what they're doing to get there.
but when they want the fat gone NOW they are usually the ones that will lose some. then gain it right back when they realize that they are hungry.
That's the catch! That's usually what happens, and it's exactly what happened to me. I tried the 1200 calorie thing for almost a year. I lost 20 lbs, but I could not physically take it anymore. I went from hungry to binging back to hungry all over again. It was a disaster. I'm 5'8" and started at 220 with a BMR of 1800 or so. I lost 32 lbs by eating 1700-1900 per day plus workout calories.0 -
I really wish everyone would just let everyone else get on with what works for them!!
The other point that many people seem to forget about is the other many factors that make people different. Health issues, exercise restrictions, metabolic syndromes, body composition and how much weight the person needs to lose etc.
You could have 2 individuals of the same height and weight. But person 1 has little fat and a large amount of lbm, person 2 could have 40+% fat and little lbm. You would not tell these people to eat the same, would you? Its obvious!! The difference can be 300cals or more for their BMR!
SO...It's not ALL about calories!
Maybe more people need to realise that everyone is different and you cannot tell someone to eat x amount of calories without knowing more about them and their composition.0
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