Ending 1200 Calorie Bashing: Respecting Your Peers

I'll be honest and say that while your post is really important in that it's a great reminder that MFP is supposed to be a supportive community and not a bunch of attack dogs, I think there is a valuable reason behind why people discourage others from eating 1200 cal diets and refer people who do to IPOARM.

Not everyone has all of the issues you described - a lot of the people doing 1200 are not obese and do not have medical issues. You get to be the special snowflake. Not everyone can also afford to see dietitians or use a bod pod. Blanket advice is very useful and I would say that for 99% of people 1200 calories is too low. Metabolisms do vary, but that's why BMR uses an average and people are encouraged to play around with their numbers after giving eating more a try.

I'm also going to point out that saying "1200 calories is ok for me! It's ok for you too!" seems a bit irresponsable given that you are medically recommended to do so. I'm expecting swarms of "I do 1200 calories and I love it so everyone telling me to eat more should shut up" comments.

But yes. You are correct. Supportive community, blah blah. Play nice, blah blah.

^ This completely.

I just want to add that I went through a month of eating 1200 calories before realising that I could lose the same amount of weight per week eating up to 2000 calories a day.
I never started this to find a quick fix. I wanted and want to be healthy and fit and to have a long and happy life and future. If that means that I have to go through 6 months of feeling hungry, moody and just all round grumpy then no thank you (my own personal experience of eating @1200). My other option is to extend that timescale to 18 months but eat what I want (IIFYM) and feel like I'm not restricting myself...ever. That for means that this is maintainable for the rest of my life.
I also just want to add that I have Grave's disease (thyroid disease) and PCOS.

That's fine that you agree with that poster, but I have to point out, yet again, that she actually blatantly misquoted showing poor absorption of the original post.

what u gain weight on 200cals and u over 300pounds? impossible

And this is precisely why I posted this thread. You are actually calling me a liar and questioning some very rigid, specific testing? Such a quip is the epitome of the problem being addressed.

Amen!

I also have pcos and hypothyroidism , i am also morbidly obese, that means my weight could kill me. Even with thyroxine tablets the recomended 1440 cals a day MFP allows me is to much I physically cannot loose weight on that amount and increase of just 100 more per day see me put on half a pound a week . I have to stick between 900 and 1200 max in order to loose a small amount of weight. My body is not starving and Im so much healthier already after just 4 weeks at this levels. Personally if I ate 1800 cals more per day my weight would be so high in a few years, everyone would be pointing fingers because Im to fat to leave the house or breathe on my own . Obviously when someone with no health problems and who is just small amounts over weight eats such a low amount it should be discouraged . But foe everyone else how about just giving them credit for doing something about it?

Well said; thank you!

How to say this without sounding like a prick.. because honestly I don't mean to be..

But I'm reading the responses, "My doctor put me on this diet, they know more than you" "I know my own body" "Everyone's different, I know what works for me"

Ok. You don't want to hear that what you're doing is wrong or isn't working. Ok.

So why ask for advice?

That's the part I don't understand. If you ask for advice people are going to give it. And a lot of what you'll get is "Unless you have a medical condition that your doctor is treating you for you should probably eat over 1200 calories a day and exercise."

Hopefully this will clarify: the bashing is happening to 1200 calorie people asking for any advice. For example, you ask if weight gain after working out is normal--there will be people saying they saw you eat 1200 calories and you're harming yourself for that. Really, they could be informing you about the muscle repair process. You ask for low-cal breakfast ideas--same thing. It shuts us out of so many threads; it's stifling. Someone on 2400 calories could ask for low cal recipe ideas and actually receive valuable suggestions without being treated like a masochistic idiot; everyone needs to be treated with respect--not just people whose caloric requirements you might agree with. I had a friend today with her 1200-calorie diary open and I commented on the sodium and it helped her make an adjustment with a spice rub she was using. Entering with care instead of criticism can just be so much more beneficial. And hey--maybe someone is on 1200 calories when they ought not be, but again, there are kind ways to suggest they recalculate and try another caloric goal.

I don't think the issue is with those people like yourself, OP, that have been to a doctor, have specific reasons for being on a low calorie diet, I think its with those people who blanket follow the calorie MFP 'guidelines' to the letter. Because that's what they are, guidelines. Yes, you can lose weight at 1200 calories. I did, but it set me off on a calorie counting obsession that literally took me YEARS to get over. Panic at buying yoghurts, constantly worrying that I was going to 'put the weight back on' if I made the 'wrong choice'. I lived on soup. Spent hours a day in the gym.

If I can stop someone else going through that craziness, then I will try, because life shouldn't be all about how many calories is in your rice cake and peanut butter breakfast. Sometimes theres a fine line between watching what you eat, and being obsessive, and its easy to slip over it.

Its not '1200' calories that people have an issue with, its the obsessive low cal, low fat, low carb, high cardio that comes with the 1200 calorie mindset. 'I MUST lose weight as quickly as possible'. Not everyone on a 1200 calorie diet are hurting themselves, but for every one who isnt, I'd venture a lot more are.

Good luck with your weightloss

There is a much bigger problem on MFP with people eating 1200 calories a day, suffering, and not losing weight, than there is a problem with people who are on a medically supervised diet being counseled against it. I will continue to err on the side of the majority. I will not concern myself with the small minority that comes to MFP for a second opinion on their doctor's orders, because that already indicates faulty logic. OP - sounds like you aren't in either of those groups; I would probably be upset too.

Most immediately jump to 1200 calories, because they believe they will reach their goal faster. I can understand doing such a thing out of ignorance. However, that won't last long.

The "everyone is different" mantra is getting quite old. No, everyone is not different. You can't defy the laws of thermodynamics. 1200 calorie diets coupled with an exercise program should not be "prescribed" to anyone. I don't care how big and or how much weight you need to lose. Weight loss is not a short term solution, it's a long term endeavor.

I totally agree with your post but i have also noticed most of those 1200 cal bashers put in a caveat "unless directed by a doctor". At least the ones on my friends list do.

Each of these comments had a little something in common that I really want to address. First and foremost, why does anyone have to justify or reveal intimate, personal information to someone else? A person on a 1200 calorie diet should be able to walk into a thread and discuss bumps in the road without having to justify why they are on 1200 calories. You can still be just as concerned with anyone on a 1200 calorie diet, but you never have the right to tell them it is wrong, that they will plateau, etc. No one should ever be forced into a corner where they have to defend their diet. I put everything about myself on here so you will understand that there are extenuating circumstance, but I didn't do that so you'd always be looking for those circumstance. I have had so many message me in the past day to tell me that they have PCOS, they have diabetes, they are so morbidly obese they are bed-ridden, they have cancer, they are recovering from eating disorders, etc. They never needed to have to tell me that. They should NEVER have to tell others that and justify themselves.

When you tell someone outright that their caloric intake is wrong or bad and you cause shame, you make them feel like they have to defend themselves and that's just cruel. I've had to articulate this again and again, but if someone in a chat room is on 1200 and they say "I'm on a plateau," "I'm hungry," "I can't eat 1200," "I'm worried I'm not getting enough protein" and so on and so forth, the first reaction is to blame the 1200 calories and to put them on the defensive. You could however express your concern while showing support. I would say things like, "Well, there can be 1200 empty calories or 1200 full calories." "Have you considered adjusting macros?" "You might want to check out Dan's tools at IPOARM and see if 1200 is really a good place for you." "Oh did you know there is a difference between 1200 gross and 1200 net? That might be an issue for you--depending on your circumstance." "Every diet has its plateaus; was there a time this diet did work for you? What changed?"

These alternatives can address concerns you may have, share information you're dying to share, and (bonus!) not make someone feel like a failure, feel bad! Finally, it also gives them all the tools and all of the options without forcing them into a corner where they feel they have to justify something to you--to the point of revealing confidential medical circumstance that they should always feel can remain private if they so like. That is key. You should never assume they DON'T have a medical condition. There are a great amount of people with diabetes, PCOS, and all of the other disorders mentioned who do not appear obese. Thin sufferers of PCOS abound! You need to stop judging a book by its cover.

That's hilarious. And when kids are bullied in school--they should switch schools? And when people are discriminated against for disabilities, sexuality, etc...they should just go self-marginalize as well. Wow. No, I'm investing in positivity here. I'm hoping to help the way which we address people, in general, in threads. This is exactly why it isn't a thread relevant to one particular group. It's a call for more respect for one another and that's something that is only going to help and not hurt. People who are losing weight are, understandably, sensitive about their diets and being addressed with negativity instead of constructive and kind criticism can be incredibly discouraging and alienating.

Perhaps you would be more comfortable on a different website?

Each of these comments had a little something in common that I really want to address. First and foremost, why does anyone have to justify or reveal intimate, personal information to someone else? A person on a 1200 calorie diet should be able to walk into a thread and discuss bumps in the road without having to justify why they are on 1200 calories. You can still be just as concerned with anyone on a 1200 calorie diet, but you never have the right to tell them it is wrong, that they will plateau, etc. No one should ever be forced into a corner where they have to defend their diet. I put everything about myself on here so you will understand that there are extenuating circumstance, but I didn't do that so you'd always be looking for those circumstance. I have had so many message me in the past day to tell me that they have PCOS, they have diabetes, they are so morbidly obese they are bed-ridden, they have cancer, they are recovering from eating disorders, etc. They never needed to have to tell me that. They should NEVER have to tell others that and justify themselves.

When you tell someone outright that their caloric intake is wrong or bad and you cause shame, you make them feel like they have to defend themselves and that's just cruel. I've had to articulate this again and again, but if someone in a chat room is on 1200 and they say "I'm on a plateau," "I'm hungry," "I can't eat 1200," "I'm worried I'm not getting enough protein" and so on and so forth, the first reaction is to blame the 1200 calories and to put them on the defensive. You could however express your concern while showing support. I would say things like, "Well, there can be 1200 empty calories or 1200 full calories." "Have you considered adjusting macros?" "You might want to check out Dan's tools at IPOARM and see if 1200 is really a good place for you." "Oh did you know there is a difference between 1200 gross and 1200 net? That might be an issue for you--depending on your circumstance." "Every diet has its plateaus; was there a time this diet did work for you? What changed?"

These alternatives can address concerns you may have, share information you're dying to share, and (bonus!) not make someone feel like a failure, feel bad! Finally, it also gives them all the tools and all of the options without forcing them into a corner where they feel they have to justify something to you--to the point of revealing confidential medical circumstance that they should always feel can remain private if they so like. That is key. You should never assume they DON'T have a medical condition. There are a great amount of people with diabetes, PCOS, and all of the other disorders mentioned who do not appear obese. Thin sufferers of PCOS abound! You need to stop judging a book by its cover.