1,200 Calories. Too high or too low?

Well, how tall are you?
Whats your frame size?
How much do you weigh?


Those things are kind of important when answering this question. But 1,200 is too low for that amount of exercise.

MORE.

1200 is the minimum anyone should go without medical supervision, and that's for someone sedentary. If you're exercising 90 minutes a day, you're not sedentary.

85% chance its too low. you should adjust your weekly loss it may be too extreme.

I am 134.5 pounds and 5'1". And I am 19 years old.

With your level of exercise it is too low.

You can either a) exercise much less or b) eat much more whilst maintaining the same level of exercise

will lead to the best body composition results no question.

Try a flat amount of 1,800 calories a day for a month. Your weight may spike initially but that will settle and you will end up looking and feeling a lot better.

I am 134.5 pounds and 5'1". And I am 19 years old.

Ok. WOAH! 1200 is NOT for you.

/end thread


Seriously, you have very little to lose. You are NOT obese in any sense of the word. If you are looking to get leaner, then you should be eating just barely under maintenance. If you did absolutely nothing but lay in bed watching TV all day, then you would need at least 1400 calories. Add your normal daily activities, plus exercise, you probably need much closer to 1900 or 2000 calories each day.

I can tell you that 1,200 is too low, but I suggest you search BMR and TDEE to understand why its too low.

do the below, make sure you measure as it says for the body fat part its important

this is the most accurate BMR you can get as it takes into account your BF%

Katch-McArdle BMR: Considered the most accurate formula for those who are relatively lean.

Use ONLY if you have a good estimate of your bodyfat %. <

---

if you don't measure your body fat its as inaccurate as the rest.

calculate your body fat here
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/mbf/

KM BMR
http://www.calculatorpro.com/calculator/katch-mcardle-bmr-calculator/

BMR x 1.2 = TDEE (your daily maintenance intake for sedentry lifestyle)

TDEE x .8 = healthy deficit.

Thank you! I think I will start out at 1,400 and go up from there if needed.

good plan, high 5

EAt a higher amount of calories. I did 1200 first go around of me losing I didn't have much muscle tone just same shape but smaller.

What is LBM? Sorry, not good with acronyms....

Lean Body Mass -- everything in your body that isn't body fat.

Thank you! I think I will start out at 1,400 and go up from there if needed.

Why start at the bare minimum? Why would you want to eat as little food as possible? Why not start with the high end of calories, then lower it only if needed?

This is what I was thinking. Especially at 19. You don't want to screw up your metabolism now, and be fighting it the rest of your life. trust me..

I always eat back my calories that I work off. I am at 1200. But I always have some exercise calories to add back in. So to me and my thinking 1200 isn't low as a base. Just work out some and eat back the calories. If this a wrong thought?

I am 134.5 pounds and 5'1". And I am 19 years old.

1600 daily.
Easy.

Dont eat back calories.
Workout maybe 3-4x a week.

it varies by person really...for me personally its too low....but you never know until you try it...if by the end of the day you have only eaten 1200 and you are starving then its not enough! if you eat that and you feel fine by the end of the day then its fine....the only way to know really is to try it....when i was eating 1200 a day i felt like i was starving by the end of the day and i ended up gaining weight over a couple of weeks....i bumped up my calories to 1400 and i felt fine by the end of the day and i dropped the weight again!

i think its all really trial and error find what works for you and go with it