Netting less then 1200 a day?

What is your opinion on....

netting less then 1200 calories a day?


** I know eating less then 1200 period is horrible, but I'm saying for example,

I eat 1500 calories that day but burn 600 that puts me at 900 net. should I eat enough to be at 1200 calories even including exercise, like eat 1800 calories if I burned 600??

Replies

  • palmerig88
    palmerig88 Posts: 623 Member
    Doesn't seem good.
  • body goes into starvation mode, metabolism slows down, loss of energy = bad !!!
  • Amanda82691
    Amanda82691 Posts: 298 Member
    body goes into starvation mode, metabolism slows down, loss of energy = bad !!!


    Well I know eating less then 1200 period is horrible, but I'm saying for example,

    I eat 1500 calories that day but burn 600 that puts me at 900 net. should I eat enough to be at 1200 calories even including exercise, like eat 1800 calories if I burned 600??
  • djames92
    djames92 Posts: 990 Member
    body goes into starvation mode, metabolism slows down, loss of energy = bad !!!


    Well I know eating less then 1200 period is horrible, but I'm saying for example,

    I eat 1500 calories that day but burn 600 that puts me at 900 net. should I eat enough to be at 1200 calories even including exercise, like eat 1800 calories if I burned 600??
    id say that you should eat 1200 calories plus eat back what you work off
  • Amanda82691
    Amanda82691 Posts: 298 Member
    body goes into starvation mode, metabolism slows down, loss of energy = bad !!!


    Well I know eating less then 1200 period is horrible, but I'm saying for example,

    I eat 1500 calories that day but burn 600 that puts me at 900 net. should I eat enough to be at 1200 calories even including exercise, like eat 1800 calories if I burned 600??


    So far thats what I have been doing.
    id say that you should eat 1200 calories plus eat back what you work off
  • palmerig88
    palmerig88 Posts: 623 Member
    Yeah for sure! If your goal is 1500 and you burn 300 you should eat 1800
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Yes eat back your exercise calories!
  • Littlegurl
    Littlegurl Posts: 172 Member
    Everyone is different, and there is no cookie cutter answer. If ur real short u might only need 1000 cal net. If u r hungry all the time, tired, lack energy to w/o, or find ur muscles losing strength or not getting stronger u probably need to increase ur calorie intake. But there r so many posts here that slam ppl for eating 1200 of fewer cal. I'm not talking about this thread, but others. My cal intake is high some days and low on others...
  • Amanda82691
    Amanda82691 Posts: 298 Member
    Everyone is different, and there is no cookie cutter answer. If ur real short u might only need 1000 cal net. If u r hungry all the time, tired, lack energy to w/o, or find ur muscles losing strength or not getting stronger u probably need to increase ur calorie intake. But there r so many posts here that slam ppl for eating 1200 of fewer cal. I'm not talking about this thread, but others. My cal intake is high some days and low on others...


    Thats a great point because I'm only 4'9. I'm beyond short! lol
  • Do what works for you.

    Ideally, I think you would eat the calories back because you need the energy. If you are feeling really sluggish then it could be you need to eat back your calories. However, I also believe that it’s really hard to calculate all of that information accurately. Most nutritional information is not completely accurate, a few extra calories here or there. Unless you weigh your food (which still wouldn't be perfect), you could find that you are eating back more than you actually worked out.

    That being said, it can also depend on your HRM or how you are determining how many calories you burned. I think this is why some people find eating back calories is the way to go while others gain weight or do not see any weight loss when they eat back their calories.

    Plus all those other crazy factors in our daily lives.

    Which is why I say, do what works for you.
  • ktrauzzi
    ktrauzzi Posts: 71 Member
    I found that if I ate back all the calories I burned I didn't lose. Try eating half back. If you need them. Some days I'm full and my exercise calories are just "bonus" calories. Each is different.
  • cem789healthy
    cem789healthy Posts: 5 Member
    i used to eat 1200-1500. if i burned 700 then my net would be low.

    The problem with eating back all your exercise calories is you develop an appetite. so if you eat 1200-1500 a day, your body gets used to it. If for a few days you burn 700 each day, and you eat them, your body will get used to consuming 1900-2100 a day and you will be very hungry on the days you only burn 100 or so.

    In my opinion, a low net is ok. I lose the most weight when my net is around 800.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I found that if I ate back all the calories I burned I didn't lose. Try eating half back. If you need them. Some days I'm full and my exercise calories are just "bonus" calories. Each is different.
    If this is the case, then the honest truth is you are not burning as many calories as you think you are, or you are eating more than you think you are.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    i used to eat 1200-1500. if i burned 700 then my net would be low.

    The problem with eating back all your exercise calories is you develop an appetite. so if you eat 1200-1500 a day, your body gets used to it. If for a few days you burn 700 each day, and you eat them, your body will get used to consuming 1900-2100 a day and you will be very hungry on the days you only burn 100 or so.

    In my opinion, a low net is ok. I lose the most weight when my net is around 800.
    It takes several weeks for your body to adjust to a new caloric intake level, not a few days. Having a net so low (netting 800) will absolutely make weight loss faster, but it does that by shedding extra lean mass, conserving fat, and slowing your metabolism as a survival technique. Which basically means when you lose the weight you want to lose, you will have to eat very few calories for the rest of your life in order to not gain the weight back (due to putting your body into a conservation metabolic state, once you attempt to eat more your body will immediately store as much as it can, leading to weight regain, it's called "metabolic set point.") Not a healthy way to go at all. Netting 800 after exercise is no different than just eating 800 without exercising. It's still starving yourself.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    I'd start on the higher end by going with your TDEE and eating back exercise calories. If you don't seem to be losing, slowly cut back. Much better to go that way then to make drastic cuts and be low on energy and screw up your metabolism. It takes patience, but it's worth it!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    It really depends on a lot of different factors, and since all the numbers - everything you eat, everything you burn, your TDEE etc - are all estimates, it's hard to get away from looking at it like one big mathematical problem.

    1200 is a rough general guide to the minimum calories needed in order to supply your body with all the nutrients it needs.

    When you exercise, your body is going to use some fuel - that can come from the food you've eaten, or from your stored resources. You don't necessarily need to add extra fuel for that, especially if your body is good at tapping into its reserves. But when you don't have a lot to lose, those reserves are more muscle than fat.

    Eat at least 1200 cals (if you are really petite then maybe 1000)

    Netting 800 by eating 1200 and exercising off 400 is NOT the same as just eating 800, since you've given your body all those extra vitamins and other nutrients aside from the fuel element of the food.
  • SweetCheekszx0
    SweetCheekszx0 Posts: 478 Member
    It really depends on a lot of different factors, and since all the numbers - everything you eat, everything you burn, your TDEE etc - are all estimates, it's hard to get away from looking at it like one big mathematical problem.

    1200 is a rough general guide to the minimum calories needed in order to supply your body with all the nutrients it needs.

    When you exercise, your body is going to use some fuel - that can come from the food you've eaten, or from your stored resources. You don't necessarily need to add extra fuel for that, especially if your body is good at tapping into its reserves. But when you don't have a lot to lose, those reserves are more muscle than fat.

    Eat at least 1200 cals (if you are really petite then maybe 1000)



    Netting 800 by eating 1200 and exercising off 400 is NOT the same as just eating 800, since you've given your body all those extra vitamins and other nutrients aside from the fuel element of the food.

    I'm gonna 2nd this... But honestly I'm no dietician .. I'm sure professional advice would be best :flowerforyou:
  • jesz124
    jesz124 Posts: 1,004 Member
    i used to eat 1200-1500. if i burned 700 then my net would be low.

    The problem with eating back all your exercise calories is you develop an appetite. so if you eat 1200-1500 a day, your body gets used to it. If for a few days you burn 700 each day, and you eat them, your body will get used to consuming 1900-2100 a day and you will be very hungry on the days you only burn 100 or so.

    In my opinion, a low net is ok. I lose the most weight when my net is around 800.

    Your opinion sucks *kitten* in my opnion. 800 net is neither healthy nor good advice to give to an active female. OP I would shoot for a very minimum of 1200, that should be your very baseline no matter what. If you exercise eat more. Simples ;-)
  • jesz124
    jesz124 Posts: 1,004 Member
    I found that if I ate back all the calories I burned I didn't lose. Try eating half back. If you need them. Some days I'm full and my exercise calories are just "bonus" calories. Each is different.
    If this is the case, then the honest truth is you are not burning as many calories as you think you are, or you are eating more than you think you are.

    I have to say I agree with this, it was my thought as well when I read your post.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    It really depends on a lot of different factors, and since all the numbers - everything you eat, everything you burn, your TDEE etc - are all estimates, it's hard to get away from looking at it like one big mathematical problem.

    1200 is a rough general guide to the minimum calories needed in order to supply your body with all the nutrients it needs.

    When you exercise, your body is going to use some fuel - that can come from the food you've eaten, or from your stored resources. You don't necessarily need to add extra fuel for that, especially if your body is good at tapping into its reserves. But when you don't have a lot to lose, those reserves are more muscle than fat.

    Eat at least 1200 cals (if you are really petite then maybe 1000)

    Netting 800 by eating 1200 and exercising off 400 is NOT the same as just eating 800, since you've given your body all those extra vitamins and other nutrients aside from the fuel element of the food.
    Slight flaw to the last thing you said. Your body needs fuel in order to process those nutrients you eat. What do you think happnes when you exercise away half of the fuel you eat, do you think the nutrients just magically process themselves? At that point your body is just struggling to get enough energy to maintain vitsl organ function, it's not going to even think about processing other nutrients. Suppose someone eats only 800 calories and takes a multivitamin, I guess you think that's ok? They are consuming all of their vitamins with the multivitain, but there is a lot more to processing and utilizing vitamins, minerals, and nutrients than just chewing and swallowing them.

    The point is to fuel the body appropriately for the activity level, not starve it to the point of barely maintaining function.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
    My opinion is that if this question were stacked end to end on the number of times it has been posted, it could reach the moon.:tongue: I would suggest searching other posts for responses and consulting with your doctor or nutritionist to find an appropriate program FOR YOU. Good luck on your journey.:smile: