I feel sorry for women

shmoony
shmoony Posts: 237 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I mean this in the most genuine sense and only as it relates to weight loss. I hear all the time in these forums how women need to eat 1200 calories to lose, and 1400-1500 to maintain, etc. I am at maintanance right now, I work construction, and I lift and do cardio 3-4 times a week. Therefore, I eat about 2400 calories / day. I can't imagine looking into a future of eating only 1400 calories a day for the rst of my life in order to maintain my goal weight. Maybe I shouldn't feel so bad becasue women's bodies just don't require as much fuel, but I can eat 1400 calories after 6pm without blinking an eye. Does this depress any of you guys as much as would me, or am I overreacting?
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Replies

  • tigerlily8045
    tigerlily8045 Posts: 402 Member
    There are a lot of women who eat a lot more than 1200 calories and lose. These would be the women that lift/workout and realize that eating 1200 calories does nothing but make you hate life..lol I eat 1700 and could probably eat more but this works for me right now.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    I think lean mass and activity level have everything to do with it.

    I was once as you said, maintaining on about 1550-1600 calories a day. I now maintain close to 1900. Not too bad. ;)

    Then again, I lift weights and although i work a desk job, i try to stay pretty active. :P
  • Dougf90
    Dougf90 Posts: 95 Member
    Women who need to eat 1200 to lose are either really really short with only a few lbs to lose... or they're not doing it right at all. Usually it's the latter.

    In any case, I would just exercise harder to eat more. Like I do now.
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
    No need to feel sorry for me. I don't quite eat 2400 a day, but I can assure you, I am well over 1400-1600 cals as well. I realize my ticker doesn't show much of a loss, but I am pregnant now, so yeah, maybe I am getting closer to your 2400 right now!
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    I mean this in the most genuine sense and only as it relates to weight loss. I hear all the time in these forums how women need to eat 1200 calories to lose, and 1400-1500 to maintain, etc. I am at maintanance right now, I work construction, and I lift and do cardio 3-4 times a week. Therefore, I eat about 2400 calories / day. I can't imagine looking into a future of eating only 1400 calories a day for the rst of my life in order to maintain my goal weight. Maybe I shouldn't feel so bad becasue women's bodies just don't require as much fuel, but I can eat 1400 calories after 6pm without blinking an eye. Does this depress any of you guys as much as would me, or am I overreacting?

    We don't need your pity. I maintain at 2100 average and can't imagine working construction and eating only 300 calories more than that.

    Edit: That's NET 2100. So, yeah, I eat more than you.
  • RunDoozer
    RunDoozer Posts: 1,699 Member
    There are far too many women on this site that put themselves into the mindset that they need to eat 1200 calories to lose weight. A very small percentage of them actually do need to eat that much.

    That said I often wonder what I would do if I had to eat that little. My maintenance calories are supposed to be 3300 when I get there. I also have a feeling it may be hard to maintain that many calories on a daily basis just as it would be hard for them to not eat. I would waste away literally at 1200.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I'm a woman, 5'1", maintaining on 1800-1900 and I lose (cut) on around 1570 cals/day.

    I lift heavy weights, that helps. (although I lift them to be strong, not to eat more calories, but it has both effects)
  • blu_meanie_ca
    blu_meanie_ca Posts: 352 Member
    LOL.. my husband would feel sorry for you. He eats 2400 a day to lose weight (14+ hour days in heavy contruction/hydro vac op). His maintance will be closer to 3000 cals a day. And, this is without exercise.
    There's always another side of the fence.. body builders eat for breakfast what my husband would eat in a day.
  • ShannonECTD
    ShannonECTD Posts: 203 Member
    I mean this in the most genuine sense and only as it relates to weight loss. I hear all the time in these forums how women need to eat 1200 calories to lose, and 1400-1500 to maintain, etc. I am at maintanance right now, I work construction, and I lift and do cardio 3-4 times a week. Therefore, I eat about 2400 calories / day. I can't imagine looking into a future of eating only 1400 calories a day for the rst of my life in order to maintain my goal weight. Maybe I shouldn't feel so bad becasue women's bodies just don't require as much fuel, but I can eat 1400 calories after 6pm without blinking an eye. Does this depress any of you guys as much as would me, or am I overreacting?

    We don't need your pity. I maintain at 2100 average and can't imagine working construction and eating only 300 calories more than that.

    Edit: That's NET 2100. So, yeah, I eat more than you.

    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: ^^^

    I eat 1700-1900 to lose.
  • LottieLou13
    LottieLou13 Posts: 574 Member
    Pfffft....I feel sorry for PEOPLE who think they have to eat minimal calories in order to lose weight. Men and women.

    I eat 2000 on average and lose weight every week. On the 1st March it will be my 1 year anniversary of my weight loss journey and so far I've not experienced an actual plateau. Sure I've slowed down in the weight loss department but that is completely normal and I'm still losing weight no matter how small that loss is.
  • jfang86
    jfang86 Posts: 19
    I'm maintaining/losing at 1200-1400 and I'm 5'2" and lift heavy. That being said, if I eat more than that, I feel kinda sick and bloated. I'm smaller so the food feels like enough for me, even though it's a lot less than what would fill you up.
  • andreanicole686
    andreanicole686 Posts: 406 Member
    I think it just depends on the woman. I usually net 1300-1500 and eat about 1700-2100.
  • Razzy43
    Razzy43 Posts: 32
    I agree, I wouldn't like eating 1200 calories a day, but when I read them, I have to believe they are trying to lose it by diet only. If you actively workout, what ever that might be, you should be able to add on 300-600 calories a day with the routine you are doing. My maintain calories are 2400 a day, but on my workout days, I get around the 3000-3200 calories to fuel the body. I much more enjoy this, then just trying do it on diet alone.
  • applekrisp1988
    applekrisp1988 Posts: 69
    What? My plan says differently, but we'll see. I'm shooting for 1800 to 2000 working an active job that involves lots of lifting and walking. Women DO lose weight faster than men which is really unfair in my opinion but I guess we can't change genetics...
  • jfang86
    jfang86 Posts: 19
    Also, I think it just comes down to listening to your body. Not all women who are eating like 1200-1500 a day are doing it because they're trying to lose weight. For some of us, it's just all that our bodies require. I'm pretty active and I use MFP to log food to track what I'm eating nutritionally, not to diet, and even with my activity level and the calories I eat, I'm not bonking.
  • Bumbeen
    Bumbeen Posts: 263 Member
    If people would eat food that didn't screw up their bodies ability to regulate fat mass they could eat far more than that. Having to constantly go through life hungry is no way to live. And it honestly breaks my heart, not as much as seeing family members die due to diabetes and heart disease though.....

    I maintain my weight between 2400 and 3400 kcal/day with no cardio. If I want to gain weight I have to eat over 3400, I usually eat between 4000 and 5000/day when I am gaining.
  • Brianna716
    Brianna716 Posts: 303 Member
    I'm losing netting 1200, if I plateau then I'll switch to TDEE -20%. Honestly, most days I have a hard time meeting my goal if I haven't eaten any junk food. I wouldn't know how to consume more healthy calories other than eating half a jar of peanut butter
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    I mean this in the most genuine sense and only as it relates to weight loss. I hear all the time in these forums how women need to eat 1200 calories to lose, and 1400-1500 to maintain, etc. I am at maintanance right now, I work construction, and I lift and do cardio 3-4 times a week. Therefore, I eat about 2400 calories / day. I can't imagine looking into a future of eating only 1400 calories a day for the rst of my life in order to maintain my goal weight. Maybe I shouldn't feel so bad becasue women's bodies just don't require as much fuel, but I can eat 1400 calories after 6pm without blinking an eye. Does this depress any of you guys as much as would me, or am I overreacting?

    I don't think you're reading the right posts. I net around 1200 a day-I eat between 1500 and 2300 (or more). I generally average around 1800 a day. I can also plow down 1400 calories after 6pm and usually do (well-at least 1k, usually 1200, yesterday I had 1600 between 8pm and bedtime).

    Nope-not at all depressed by this btw.
  • kirstyfairhead
    kirstyfairhead Posts: 220 Member
    Nope you are so right!!

    I am 4' 11" and according to MFP I have a BMR of 1224 cals a day so if I had a lazy day and ate 1500 cals I would actually GAIN weight!! Not fair huh!!

    I probably have less of an appetite than one of you strapping chaps mind you so that helps!! and exercise is an absolute must!!
  • Bean5
    Bean5 Posts: 84 Member
    That's nice of you, but I feel it is really a wake up call to be conscientious about what we eat on a daily basis.
    Remember 1200 is aggressive, to lose a pound a week, Maintenance should be the 1700-1900 calories/day referenced earlier.
    When I'm conscientious I'm surprised how much food that is. When I'm eating out a lot I'm surprised how fast I can get to that number if I'm not careful! :)
  • shellma00
    shellma00 Posts: 1,684 Member
    I tried to lose doing the MFP suggested calories which would have been 1200 plus eating back my exercise calories and was starving all the time. So I read the Road Map (TDEE -20%) and it suggested 1750ish and not eating back my exercise calories.... so far it is amazing (I have only been on it a week). I sometimes have to try hard to eat that many, sometimes I may go over a little bit, but I am not starving during the day and I am feeling great. AND I think by the end of the 2nd week of trying this I may actually log a loss instead of just staying the same. I feel this is the right choice for me.
  • rjh1975
    rjh1975 Posts: 71 Member
    I'm 5'6" tall and I'm in maintenance now eating between 1900-2300 calories a day (and still sometimes losing). I work out an average of 5 days a week (cardio and strength training). I think if you're active, and of average height, you can still eat a decent number of calories during the day without gaining weight - even as a woman :smile:
  • hedgehoggins
    hedgehoggins Posts: 9
    To be honest, I do find it a little hard at times. As I get older, I definitely can't eat the way I did in my teens or early twenties... Im currently aiming for 1450 calories a day, and while it really is enough for me (I don't feel so hungry that Im likely to binge) I kind of miss the days when I could pack away more tasty food with fewer consequences! And when I eat with the men in my life, I have to remind myself that I don't need as much as they do and shouldn't be trying to keep up with them. Im trying to learn to listen to my body and stop when Im full, even if that's only halfway through the meal for everyone else!
  • Ascolti_la_musica
    Ascolti_la_musica Posts: 676 Member
    Women who need to eat 1200 to lose are either really really short with only a few lbs to lose... or they're not doing it right at all. Usually it's the latter.

    In any case, I would just exercise harder to eat more. Like I do now.

    <-- Really short. LOL

    Mine says 1210/day to lose, but I get to eat a little more than that by exercising.

    I am 160cm and need to lose 50kg.
  • Erienneb
    Erienneb Posts: 592 Member
    Not *all* women eat that little. I'm almost six feet tall. I work an office job so do next to nothing all day, but can still eat around 2000 calories a day. Days when I do have intense activity I can eat a ton more. Every body needs different calorie amounts. Typically yes, women will be eating less than their male counterparts with the same height/weight/activity ratio. But otherwise you're comparing apples to oranges. My boyfriend is six inches shorter and with a similar activity level to me needs to eat much less than I do....it's not just that "oh you're a woman you can only eat xxxx amount"
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    It is highly variable, lol. I LOST eating around 1700 calories a day being rather sedentary. I maintained or even lost eating over 3000 a day when I was doing roofing, concrete work, iron work etc. Now I am kind of fluxing and changing my routine netting anywhere from 1400-1800 a day depending on how I am feeling.
  • dwood1976
    dwood1976 Posts: 12 Member
    Don't mean to sound stupid here but what is TDEE -20%?
  • clhous03
    clhous03 Posts: 73
    Women who need to eat 1200 to lose are either really really short with only a few lbs to lose... or they're not doing it right at all. Usually it's the latter.

    In any case, I would just exercise harder to eat more. Like I do now.

    <-- Really short. LOL

    Mine says 1210/day to lose, but I get to eat a little more than that by exercising.

    I am 160cm and need to lose 50kg.

    <---Really short, as well. And currently at 1290 a day to lose. I exercise, also. I love my Wii Fit, but I get so mad at the end of a sweating, panting, can't get off the floor workout and it tells me I've burned off enough calories to enjoy an APPLE. I want the freaking cheesecake workout! lol
  • Dougf90
    Dougf90 Posts: 95 Member
    Don't mean to sound stupid here but what is TDEE -20%?

    Maintenance calories minus 20% of that number
  • tarranp
    tarranp Posts: 12
    I currently have 1400 a day to lose weight and I'm only 5'3" tall.

    I have a sit-down, desk job but luckily it's from home, so I get up on my lunch hour to do exercise. I wish I could eat more than that but I've never really eaten huge portions anyway. It's mostly my lack of movement that's caused me to become so unfit and fat lol.

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