Seeing a lot of rude comments about 1200/cal....

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  • Dana2282
    Dana2282 Posts: 9 Member
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    i also shoot for 1,200 calories a day. i didn't know that was low. Like someone else said though, every body is different, if you are shorter like me (5'2") than 1,200 calories a day doesn't seem that low.
  • rede2go
    rede2go Posts: 82 Member
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    I think we should all just do what works for us and not judge! This isnt what MFP is about. We need to spend more time being posative not negative. Lately on here... how do you say it nicely people posting links to stuff that is not appropriate, people attacking each other... what happened... Is the January resolution thing? We all will lose weight if we stick to some kind of plan do what works for you be kind to yourself and to others Take what you can learn and use and leave the rest. Dont let it upset you or hinder your weight lose. I wish you all the best of luck.
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
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    Im not calling people mean. I want the honest truth. I'm new to this. I have no idea what I'm doing. I came here for the same reason as all of you, and want the support of my fellow MFPers. I am not "stuffed" at 1200 by any means. I have a problematic relationship with food, and always have. All I'm asking for is insight. If you think that 1200 is too low, that eventually I will plateau, I want to know this! I want your stories to help me!

    I started off with 1200 when i first joined MFP and i lost weight doing that. the site below is much better as far as determining what your nutritional needs really are. I found that i need more calories and much more protein than what MFP was suggesting. I also changed my goals to losing 1 lb a week on MFP and that upped me to almost 1400 calories per day. The days i workout, i make sure to eat back most of the calories i burn. So if i know that i'm going to zumba later in the evening, and on average i burn around 600 calories, i try to eat more throughout the day so i don't sit with a huge surplus by the end of the evening. Best of luck to you.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/
  • Fibergurl
    Fibergurl Posts: 44
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    Stick to what works for you..Im a 1200 calorie Lady as well. I have no complaints..Loving the application.Im doing this for me and me only. Friend me or not and my focus will stay the same. Stay away from the negative folks. Behavior and lifestyle change comes attitude adjustment. Work your plan keep smiling and losing.

    D
  • Fibergurl
    Fibergurl Posts: 44
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    I agree..No place to judge.just become a mutual happy loser!
  • SadKitty27
    SadKitty27 Posts: 416 Member
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    I eat 1200 calories a day and feel great. Then again, I'm on a high protein / low carb diet, so I'm rarely hungry :/
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
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    everyone starts off at 1200 calories

    Really? No they don't.... it depends on height, start weight, age, gender, goals, and activity level....

    the site puts everyone on 1200 to lose 2 lbs a week

    Not everyone. It uses a formula to subtract a certain amount from maintenance depending on how much you tell it you want to lose. If someone's maintenance level is very high, like a very overweight person, it would give them more than 1200.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,453 Member
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    Your BMR is the amount of calories it takes your body every day just to stay alive. You'll notice it's probably more than 1200. Therefore, you should probably be eating more than 1200; your body needs it!

    I eat over 1200 calories myself, but I still don't quite understand the logic of this. I do understand that your BMR is the calories you need for basic functions (what you would burn if you were unconscious for 24 hours). However, whether you're eating above or below your BMR, the point of dieting is usually to burn calories that you AREN'T eating. Your trying to deprive yourself of food to the extent that you use your body for fuel and so end up losing fat and weighing less.

    So the bit that I don't understand is what real difference does it make at the point where you go below your BMR? After all, when you wake up in the morning, you've been eating below your BMR for several hours, and are doing fine, so clearly it takes a lot longer than hours for it matter. If somebody had a BMR of 1500, and netted 1400 calories one day, would it make any difference to how their body functioned? Or would it take weeks to cause problems? (And what problems would it cause?). Is it just that it's easier (in terms of compliance and getting the right nutrition) to eat over your BMR, but that eating under won't cause actual damage?
  • Josee76
    Josee76 Posts: 533 Member
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    Lifecycle of an MFPer

    1. Start out at 1200 calories
    2. Complain about how you're "stuffed" at 1200 calories and don't understand why everyone wants you to eat more
    3. Make a post calling out the mean people
    4. Gradually up your calorie goals when you grow tired of being "stuffed" on asparagus spears
    5. Realize that you're still losing weight and feeling much better
    6. Try to help 1200 calorie people
    7. Get called an arrogant ahole one too many times
    8. Retreat to chit-chat forum more or less permanently, only occasionally emerging to lay down a burn

    So true!!! Love it!
  • tryclyn
    tryclyn Posts: 2,414 Member
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    When the body doesn't have enough fuel coming in it uses what it has stored.

    Fat is passive and cheap to maintain.
    Muscle costs energy to maintain.

    If it breaks down muscle then the cost of running the body goes down and it is happy, but you are not.
  • meldhare
    meldhare Posts: 1
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    Don't worry about what other people are saying. I have been in health and fitness for years as a medical professional and a personal trainer. 1200 cal. is a great place to be to lose wt. if not your body can kick into starvation mode and start storing fat , thinking it needs to save itself. Do what feels good for your body , just be sure that they are not empty calories, and you will do great!
  • NeverGivesUp
    NeverGivesUp Posts: 960 Member
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    do what works for you until it doesn't work and then try something else. That is the name of the game actually. Everyone has their own story, you will have to write yours. If any bit of wisdom I can offer up, it would be to not compare yourself to anyone else. Find what works and what doesn't work through experimentation. There are some pretty nasty people here on MFP that have nothing better to do then attack others and a lot think just because they have been at this for a while that they know better than you what is best for you. There is no secret way that works for everyone, some can eat more, some can eat less, some love cardio, some love weights, some love lot exercise, some hate it, some cannot exercise. You will read a lot of things here, take all that works and throw out the rest or learn from it. Try many shoes till you find the ones that fit. You are here and that is fantastic. Welcome, it is a great place once you have a great group of friends supporting you. Choose wisely. Happy weight losing, it sounds like you are off to a fantastic start!!
  • jani58102
    jani58102 Posts: 2
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    your doing awesome!!
  • bjs06
    bjs06 Posts: 316 Member
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    Meh. I think for sure that 1200 is stupid esepcially when you have 100lbs to lose but whatever - what do I know? All I have is my own experience. I tried dieting on 1200 calorie diets over and over over and always failed because eventually you stall, or you (god forbid) get hungry and at 250 pounds I needed more than 1200 calories. I just did. As you lose weight you need to lower your calories and when I lost weight..where was I going to go to? Eating 300 calories by the time I was at goal weight? Sounds logical.

    All I know is that those diets never worked but when I was eating enough food for my body to function - I was losing much more weight, happier and felt better. Exercise of course was a huge part of it all as well.

    I think if 100 people were watched, who did 1200 diets, at least 50%, maybe 75% would either give up, or eventually gain the weight back once they hit goal.
  • 1stday13
    1stday13 Posts: 433 Member
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    Doesn't anyone on here talk to their Doctors?? I ask him these questions. He knows me, my body and what is ok for me :noway: :noway:
  • notdebby
    notdebby Posts: 58
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    I'm on the 1200 plan. It's okay I guess. I seem to go over more days than not though. I need to exercise more.
  • gypsyrose64
    gypsyrose64 Posts: 271 Member
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    I didn't read all the posts, but I'll pass this link along to the OP for good measure.

    http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

    This has a pretty neat tool on it. * Download and print the PDF.

    Fill in the minutes you estimate for each activity on each time period.
    Total the columns and then plug in the totals on the calculator.

    The low number is what you burn if you were in a coma.
    The high number is based on your totals you plugged in.
    3500 calories = 1 pound of fat

    To lose, you have to burn/reduce intake over the week to equal 3500+ to lose a pound that week.

    I've read it's recommended you reduce your daily intake down slowly. If you were eating 2k+ day and jump to 1200/day, your metabolism will slow down to accommodate the lower intake. It's not starvation mode, but it means cheat days will hit you harder. If you increase intake, do it slowly as well.

    I started at 1200/day like you, but stalled out after 3wks of that. I continued doing 1200 and couldn't budge the scale to save my life for a month! After figuring out my BMR & TDEE ... I adjusted my daily intake to 1400-1500/day. I eat back exercise calories and have cheat days now too.

    I started to lose again..... it took my body 2wks to catch on to the change and respond. Also, I find that eating something every 2-3 hrs keeps me in check.

    You will find that you have to change things up every so often to break plateaus...... good luck in your journey!!
  • youngrachael
    youngrachael Posts: 11 Member
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    Me personally, I am a 1200/day gal - what I have found is that I am full if I make heathy choices all day, if I chose to eat crap I use up all of my calories and am starving....

    Basically make health choices and 1200 calories is perfect, make crappy choices 1200 caolries suck!
  • mketchman
    mketchman Posts: 3
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    Hi cj, looks like we joined in the same month. I've noticed the comments also and have wondered why ppl think that's too low a goal. Something they don't understand is when we're short (I'm 5'3") we naturally need less calories.


    I'm 5'3" also. I commute 140 miles round trip a day, I get up at 4 am to go to work and sadly enough my bedtime is 8 pm. I have a desk job so I'm not very active while at work. I have found ways at work to get a little exercising in but I mainly exercise when I get home. Also I'm a single mom so when I do finally get home in the evening I have to take care of my child before I do my workout. I'm lucky enough to have a treadmill at home and I go to one of the many Civil War battlefields where I live on the weekends. Like I said in my previous post most days 1200 calories is a chore for me to reach because I burn a lot of calories during my workouts.
  • whitneyps7
    whitneyps7 Posts: 409 Member
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    Doesn't anyone on here talk to their Doctors?? I ask him these questions. He knows me, my body and what is ok for me :noway: :noway:

    1st i do not have insurance so no unless my leg is broken im not going to a doctor.
    2nd any doctor i have had dosnt give a **** about me let alone know me or my body.

    -so yes i seek advice about any health stuff from friends, internet, and massage therapist/physical therapists/ and accupunturists.(they do me a hell of alot more than a doctor would, i got diagnosed with something and i found out a **** ton more about it off the internet and asking friends than what my doctor had told me.)

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