I feel sorry for women

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'm supposed to be eating in the 1500 cal per day range, and try to shoot for that. I think that number is a broad brush number for many women, and doesn't represent a large population. Also, many women on here admit to eating 1200 calories, when I bet their calorie intake SHOULD be higher, because they think they'll lose weight faster.

(I'm one of those who, if you tell me I am to give only so much, I'll give twice as much just to show you I can.)

I feel sorry for some women because they *think* they have to eat 1200 to lose, but they really don't. So not only is it the worst eating only 1200 calories, but it's totally unnecessary.

I eat 1850 to lose, and 2100 to maintain. I'm a happy camper.

Depending on what you are eating, 1200 calories can be a lot of food. Such as, lean meats, broccoli, cauliflower, fruits, etc....

That's what got me into my situation now, trying to eat as much as my husband. UGH, he makes me angry, eats what he wants, doesn't workout, and still has less body fat percentage.

Hey, I'd feel sorry for me if that's all I could eat.

Thankfully, you have no idea what you are talking about!

actually he does... us shorties are allowed very low calories on maintenance. I'm 5 foot and 112 (mid range for BMI) and am allowed 1440 a day.

What is your BMR?

On the days I don't work out I have a 1200 calorie limit but that is because if I don't workout I have a very sedentary lifestyle- I work a desk job 9 hours a day and can only leave it for head calls. Plus I want to lose 2lbs a week. If I do my usual workout though it bounces up to 1500-1900 respectively; But some days I am just burnt out after work and would rather eat less than get off my *kitten*.

I eat lots of food at 1200, loads and loads of vegetables, fills you up and it still feel indulgent, but I really really love vegetables. I'd sooner eat a tray of roasted parsnips, carrots, mushrooms and onions that consider a bag of greasy chips. So I don't feel unfortunate at all. The only shame is that I had to cut out standard yeasty bread, but I have some on Sundays if I'm hungover

I am with this poster. I am on 1100-1200 calories a day and do not eat any "diet" foods--just whole, unprocessed, organic foods. Tons of veggies. I am completely satiated and only feel hungry about half an hour before a meal. I do have PCOS and Insulin Resistence. I have been in the BOD POD and have used indirect calorimetry to find out my actual TDEE. It is VERY low and I would not go near starvation mode until under 900 calories for an extended period of time. I really hope people will stop blindly attacking people with low caloric intakes. You have no idea how varied metabolisms can be and how balanced their nutrient intake can be. Please try to be more considerate of this in the future.

Take this as an example:

"The basal metabolic rate varies between individuals. One study of 150 adults representative of the population in Scotland reported basal metabolic rates from as low as 1027 kcal per day (4301 kJ) to as high as 2499 kcal (10455 kJ); with a mean BMR of 1500 kcal (6279 kJ). Statistically, the researchers calculated that 62.3% of this variation was explained by differences in fat free mass. Other factors explaining the variation included fat mass (6.7%), age (1.7%), and experimental error including within-subject difference (2%). The rest of the variation (26.7%) was unexplained. This remaining difference was not explained by sex nor by differing tissue sized of highly energetic organs such as the brain.[9]

Thus there are differences in BMR even when comparing two subjects with the same lean body mass. The top 5% of people are metabolizing energy 28-32% faster than individuals with the lowest 5% BMR.[10] For instance, one study reported an extreme case where two individuals with the same lean body mass of 43 kg had BMRs of 1075 kcal/day (4.5 MJ) and 1790 kcal/day (7.5 MJ). This difference of 715 kcal (67%) is equivalent to one of the individuals completing a 10 kilometer run every day.[10]"

See the Wikipedia entry for BMR to see the exact sources.

TDEE/BMR calculations are just estimates based on average metabolisms. For example, even the online BMI calculators (with exceptionally precise measurement of inches) gave me a number 7% higher than actual body composition testing. Sometimes caloric increases aid in weight loss, for some, seemingly severely low caloric intake is absolutely necessary. Either way, you can have a 1200 calorie regime that is optimized and much healthier than a 2400 calories regime that is full of crap food. It's all what you make of it.

These discussions bashing 1200 calorie diets are honestly extremely cruel and make those like me feel extremely unwelcome on MFP. Certainly there are people on 1200 calorie diets attempting unrealistically fast weight loss and harming themselves. BUT, that's not all of us. Since when have hyperbolic statements done anyone any good?

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.

OMG, MY anniversary is March 1st too! Way to go on sticking with it this long and congrats on the weightloss. I also have not had any plateau.

I maintain on about 1950 and I'm 112lbs...So not all women eat small amounts!!

You can stuff your sorries in a sack, mister! (Hope you're a Seinfeld fan.)

I eat 1800-2200 a day on maintenance and I am loving life! 5' 5", 125lbs.

I sensibly set my goal to .5 lb a week, which most people don't seem to do and end up swinging for the fences with 2lbs a week and starving.

It really depends. I eat 1800 plus exercise calories to lose 2 pounds a week. Ain't nobody starving over here. If I was only losing .5 pound a week it would take me over 6 years to reach goal. I'm patient, but not that patient.

i hate how everyone talks crap on 1200cals/day. SO ANNOYING! Guess what? For some people, they really do get FULL on 1200 a day. jeez.

i'm also 4'11'' and i agree, it's so not fair, haha. i freaking love food, but i just don't get to eat as much, being this little. to make matters worse, my boyfriend's 6'1'', and it pretty much depresses me to think how many more calories a day he gets to enjoy -_-

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!!

wow, my MFP calculated my goal to be 1200 calories. i'm enjoying the food i eat. i dont feel hungry, and apart from yesterday when i went out, i'm hitting the target bang on each time.

which really makes me wonder - what do you guys eat?? lol because i don't feel like i'm missing out on anything?

i eat 1290 to loss weight.

I don't feel sorry for me, but it does depress me sometimes when I'd really, really like to eat 1400 calories at a sitting. Think Macaroni Grill...mmmmmm! Dinner & dessert could top 2400 EASILY!

Thanks. I accept your sympathy. :flowerforyou: