Is it okay for some people to go under 1200 calories?

You are my hero.

I hate these posts because it always cries for a need for a fallout shelter lol

To the OP, generally it is not a good idea. This question is best asked of a licensed nutritionist though for your individual needs. If you cannot afford one, then I wouldn't recommend eating below it for health reasons.

If you are having trouble getting calories, up your protein and healthy fats. Generally these foods will be a little higher in calories and still good to eat. Good luck!

A friend of mine is 5' tall, 39 years old, currently about 115 pounds, is hyper-vigilant about nutrition, and has had weight loss surgery a few years ago, so her stomach is about the size of a walnut.. and she eats over 1200 a day. She can't eat too much in one sitting without food literally coming out her NOSE,

Can't have stretched out that much if she gets food coming out her nose when she eats too much at once.

I know the amount of calories you need depends on your size,

I know the amount of calories you need depends on your size, and it is commonly said that a person needs at least 1200 calories a day just to have their body functioning normally. But I was wondering if the person is kinda small, can they have less?

I signed up for my fitness pal a while ago, and it put me on a calorie count of 1200 calories, but I've found it kinda hard to get to 1200 calories. Instead getting from 850-1000 calories per day, I've been doing fine! I was just wondering if that's's due to my height and weight, 5ft 1.5in and 127lbs. And if it's not healthy, why exactly?

I am your height. You are very close to your goal so you don't need to eat that low (below 1200). I was able to eat under 1200 while under my doctors care because my RMR is low AND I had significant fat to lose, AND I don't have ED, AND I simply was able to reduce the stress in my life and set up an environment for success .

Your RMR will be low compared to taller people and may or may not be lower than mine. I am older so mine could be lower, but I've been lifting for over 30 years so my LBM is a couple pounds more than most females my height (mostly from bone density), but it' not really significant for weight loss until you get leaner. The only way to truly know your RMR is to go to a lab to have it tested. I had a DXA scan and I feel the RMR it gave me is fairly accurate 1380.

Here is why you don't want to eat so low now, but could have when you had significant fat to lose.

The Theory of Fat Availability:
•There is a set amount of fat that can be released from a fat cell.
•The more fat you have, the more fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•The less fat you have, the less fat can be used as a fuel when dieting.
•Towards the end of a transformation, when body fat is extremely low you
may not have enough fat to handle a large caloric deficit anymore.

At the extreme low end, when your body fat cannot ‘keep up’ with the energy deficit
you've imposed on your body, the energy MUST come from SOMEWHERE. This is
when you are at risk of losing lean body mass during dieting (commonly referred to
as ‘starvation mode’). This happens at extremely low levels of body fat, under 6% in
men and 12% in women [Friedl K.E. J Appl Phsiol, 1994].

-Brad Pilon and John Barban (from The Reverse Taper Diet in The Adonis Index and Venus Index manuals)

Always check with your doctor.

. What you need to eat for a deficit is relative to your RMR. If you are short you really don't have much room for up compared to the 1200. If you are taller you will have a higher RMR and can go up or down and still be in a deficit (way above 1200) so you can lose no matter what. All that matters is a calorie deficit.

To tell everyone eat more is wrong.

To tell everyone to eat less is wrong.

To find the exact amount of calories for you to be in a sustainable calorie deficit is correct. Some people can handle a deeper calorie deficit than others. Some people have emotional eating disorders and it comes into play. Even a small deficit puts your body in a state of flux with hormones and such and everyone is different.

Since you are close to your goal your weight loss needs to be a slower shallower deficit, that is just how it is when you don't have significant fat on your body anymore. You just have a little more to lose and it needs to come of slowly, nice and easy and consistent.