1500 vs 1200

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  • jzammetti
    jzammetti Posts: 1,956 Member
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    I am 5"2' tall and weigh 125. My TDEE for maintenance is 1750 based on lightly active modifier (TDEE method). I think 1200 is dangerously low for you and 1500 is probably too low as well, but better than 1200 for sure.

    You can calculate your BMR and TDEE at fat2fitradio.com and get an estimate as to how many calories you should eat a day to lose weight - but with this method you do not eat back exercise calories (whereas you do with MFP). If you do their calcuations, and enter your goal weight, the chart will tell you how many calories you can eat at your goal weight to maintain that weight - if you eat that way now, you will gradually lose the weight until you get there and you never have to change your calorie intake. Or, some others put their current weight as the goal weight and then deduct 20 - 30% from the suggested calories so you are at a deficit. Both methods work (but like everything else is an estimate - they numbers worked for me as is though).

    Best of luck to you!!!
  • fitnwhole
    fitnwhole Posts: 227
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    I am 5"2' tall and weigh 125. My TDEE for maintenance is 1750 based on lightly active modifier (TDEE method). I think 1200 is dangerously low for you and 1500 is probably too low as well, but better than 1200 for sure.

    You can calculate your BMR and TDEE at fat2fitradio.com and get an estimate as to how many calories you should eat a day to lose weight - but with this method you do not eat back exercise calories (whereas you do with MFP). If you do their calcuations, and enter your goal weight, the chart will tell you how many calories you can eat at your goal weight to maintain that weight - if you eat that way now, you will gradually lose the weight until you get there and you never have to change your calorie intake. Or, some others put their current weight as the goal weight and then deduct 20 - 30% from the suggested calories so you are at a deficit. Both methods work (but like everything else is an estimate - they numbers worked for me as is though).

    Best of luck to you!!!

    Thanks I'm going to look up the website.
  • Klopford
    Klopford Posts: 129
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    I started on 1200 and lost about 2lbs a week. Bumped myself to 1500 and I have been GAINING. I have no idea wtf is wrong with me.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,398 MFP Moderator
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    I started on 1200 and lost about 2lbs a week. Bumped myself to 1500 and I have been GAINING. I have no idea wtf is wrong with me.

    If you recently upped your calories,your body is just adapting. Additionally if you added more carbs then your body is storing additional water/glycogen. To add more perspective if you were maintaining a 1000 calorie deficit it means your tdee is around 2200 calories so eating 1500 calories will still provide a calorie deficit... meaning you are not gaining fat. Its water.
  • fitnwhole
    fitnwhole Posts: 227
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    Good info!
  • sagefitnessfanatic
    sagefitnessfanatic Posts: 75
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    You are better off starting higher.. Because if you can lose on 1500 why would you want to eat less. Just because your calorie deficit is higher, doesn't mean more weight loss. BTW, as a reference point, every women I have helped is losing at 1700-2000 calories. The bigger difference is, they are minimize or eliminate muscle loss which will be more prevalent at 1200 calories. Muscle is what makes a body tight and lean. You would need to lose less weight if you have more muscle as demonstrated by the thread below. Also, if you aren't weight training (and I mean heavy weights) then you should start. It preserves muscle and cuts fat faster.


    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/392784-skinny-fat-vs-fit-photo?hl=skinny+fat
    I agree wholeheartedly with this response!
  • SPNLuver83
    SPNLuver83 Posts: 2,050 Member
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    1500 sounds better than 1200. Very few people actually need to eat that little.

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