Is 1200 too low?

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Lecy96
Lecy96 Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm doing 25 minutes of cardio daily and consume 1200 calories a day including my exercise calories. Is this too little? Don't want to have the reverse effect and slow down my metabolism...but also want to see results.
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Replies

  • amosmoses88
    amosmoses88 Posts: 163 Member
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    That's the absolute lowest. That's survival mode. I was explained that the more you eat, the more you lose. NOT WITHOUT EXERCISE THOUGH. You have to know what your body puts out compared to what goes in. Calories out-Calories in. Meaning, if you eat 1200, and you burn 1,200 you're starving your body and it's in survival mode so it starts storing fat for later. Your metabolism slows down. I drink a protein shake to help with calories. (Right now I'm on the soy, but thinking about going over to Whey)
  • volume77
    volume77 Posts: 670 Member
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    You should eat more if you're exercising. 1200 is minimum.
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
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    I lost 27 pounds by eating 1200 calories and am now down to 113 pounds. I never went into "starvation mode". Depends on the person.
  • deevatude
    deevatude Posts: 322 Member
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    u could eat 2000 calories, exercise and still lose weight
  • otrlynn
    otrlynn Posts: 273 Member
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    I lost 27 pounds by eating 1200 calories and am now down to 113 pounds. I never went into "starvation mode". Depends on the person.

    Ditto--although it was 18 pounds here. However, I don't think that anyone can really answer the "is 1200 calories too low" question without knowing more about the individual. The answer will be different if you are a 4'11" small-boned female or a large-boned 5'10" female.
  • otrlynn
    otrlynn Posts: 273 Member
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    u could eat 2000 calories, exercise and still lose weight

    Knowing nothing about the original poster's age, height, weight or activity level--I can't possibly imagine how you would know this.
  • amosmoses88
    amosmoses88 Posts: 163 Member
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    It's basically what you eat vs what you burn. You can eat 1200 cals, but you burn them to lose weight, but then you're going to feel pretty sickly. I did that. Now I'm 228lbs 5'1" and I'm a bigger girl. I don't think I'd look right being too skinny. I have my goal weight as 180 because I think at 180 I can still look healthy. It's all about what works for your body. I tried eating 1200 cals and I felt really sick. I had a headache for about 3 days and didn't have energy for anything, EVEN after my protein shake. So it's all about the person really.
  • Lecy96
    Lecy96 Posts: 12 Member
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    Oops. forgot the info- I'm 5'6, 155 lbs...29 yrs old.

    Thanks for the feedback so far...I'm not starving myself and rarely feel hungry also.
  • dreamscene
    dreamscene Posts: 6
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    In my late teens I lost 15 pounds in a little over a month once eating 800 calories, no exercise and hardly any carbs. But that didn't last long. In fact it came to a screeching halt and my body didn't look that great, just slightly "smaller".

    So if you're eating 1200 and say, burning 400... you're basically consuming 800 calories.

    1200 calories and no additional exercise might work for you. But it will get old pretty fast. Your body is pretty much going to snicker at you for trying to survive on that forever. Add in exercise and it will just shut down the fat loss process.

    Because what happens when you want to maintain? Are you going to eat 1200 forever? Don't let it get used to running on so little. Net your bmr if you exercise or eat your bmr if you skip exercise.

    If you burn 200 calories in those 25 minutes you should eat 1400-1500 in total (going by a baseline of 1200).
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,067 Member
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    u could eat 2000 calories, exercise and still lose weight

    Knowing nothing about the original poster's age, height, weight or activity level--I can't possibly imagine how you would know this.

    regardless of her statistics this is possible - I mean the excercies level wasnt quantified - if she worked out for 4 hours a day and ate 2000 calories, Im sure she would lose weight.

    In realistic terms probably not going to happen like that though :smile:
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
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    u could eat 2000 calories, exercise and still lose weight

    Knowing nothing about the original poster's age, height, weight or activity level--I can't possibly imagine how you would know this.

    regardless of her statistics this is possible - I mean the excercies level wasnt quantified - if she worked out for 4 hours a day and ate 2000 calories, Im sure she would lose weight.

    In realistic terms probably not going to happen like that though :smile:

    she said she does 25 minutes of cardio a day in her opening post, not 4 hours.
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
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    Because what happens when you want to maintain? Are you going to eat 1200 forever? Don't let it get used to running on so little. Net your bmr if you exercise or eat your bmr if you skip exercise.

    If I eat 1200 calories forever, I'm pretty sure I'll continue to lose. I have to up my calories now to stop the freefall. I don't think this is true at all.
  • taylorwaylor
    taylorwaylor Posts: 417 Member
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    yes
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I'm a similar size and to cut weight my allowance is 1650 and I eat all my exercise calories on top of that. I think it's too low.
  • Lifting_Knitter
    Lifting_Knitter Posts: 1,025
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    Wait, did i read this right? you are eating 1200 a day + your exercise calories...so you are eating more then 1200?
  • dsgoingtodoit
    dsgoingtodoit Posts: 803 Member
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    If you were to look at the MFP guidelines...and really stay on top of entering your correct calories for activities(MFP counts are sometimes off as most of us have found)...you will probably need to eat more...just of the right foods. Best of luck to you!
  • LCgymnast
    LCgymnast Posts: 258
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    Yea it's a little too low when you're doing cardio almost everyday. When I started with my weightloss goals, I was eating a small number of calories (like around 1250 to 1300). Sure I dropped super fast and many thought I was sick, but I wasn't feeling good about my self. I was sluggish and didn't have energy at all. I started to eat better (like 1500 to 1600) and it was so much better. I could workout longer and had tons more energy to get things done during the day. Added plus was the weight literally melted off and I looked much better and healthier. Hope this helps you out with your decision.
  • ericjonolsen
    ericjonolsen Posts: 25 Member
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    I'm Male, 37 (look 23, which is why I'm doing my dieting - if I can be almost 40 and still look half my age, I'm going to have the best body possible), 5'11", and currently 175.

    I'm limiting myself to 1200 calories a day, if that. Like today - I had a hot dog, slice of pizza and a chocolate candy bar, and tons of water and tea. Not the healthiest meal, no, but I've only consumed 825 calories, and I feel FULL. I don't plan on eating anything else for the day. In fact, when I get home, I'll grab the dog, and go for a run. It just rained today, and my dog loves the smell of the park after it rained.

    I've lost 7 pounds already, and I'm sure the reason I haven't lost more (it's been about 2-3 weeks since I've started this program again), is because I've cheated a few days.

    So no, everyone talking about starvation mode I think are just worrying too much. For most people, half the battle is re-programming one's self to not use food as a filler when bored, or for coping, or for emotional reasons. It's alright to have a love affair with good food - I do! I love a great steak, and I love pasta, but I am in the middle of teaching myself food is not the answer for a day when I'm depressed, and conversely, food should not be the answer when I need to celebrate.

    I don't mean to ramble or digress too far. The point is, 1200 is not too low.

    In my humble opinion.

    Eric
  • TrailNurse
    TrailNurse Posts: 359 Member
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    I usually eat under 1200 calories and I am steadily losing weight going on 18 months of low carb diet and exercise. As you can see by my progress, it DOES work for some people. I do workout a lot and that's because I have a ton of energy! Send me a friend request and you can take a peek at my food & exercise logs. BTW....your body will not go into starvation mode if you have excess fat stores. It will use the fat as energy and your metabolism will not slow down. That is a popular myth.
  • Wade406
    Wade406 Posts: 272 Member
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    Despite what others may tell you, it depends on what you eat. A 1,200 calorie standard American diet will help you lose weight, but you won't be able to sustain that eating pattern. You will ultimately succumb to your biology and will satisfy your biological need by either binging, or "falling off the wagon", or giving up. It's just not enough volume of food to satisfy your stomach receptors, leading to cravings and distress.

    What is interesting is if you tried a whole foods, plant-based diet, you can eat as much volume of food as you want. Literally, the sky is the limit. This diet features nutrient rich foods, and avoids calorie dense foods. Calorie dense foods do not satisfy your hunger, they will not provide satiety. Calorie dense foods are animal based foods and oil; meat, fish, cheese, chicken, olive oil, coconut oil, etc. A tablespoon of olive oil has the same calories as a handful of black beans. Choose the black beans.

    Watch Forks Over Knives on Netflix.

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