Is 1200 too low?

13

Replies

  • Posts: 8,701 Member

    and your opinions would be so much different if we were talking about a 5'4", 140 pound woman who exercises 25 pounds a day? that was my starting weight. I doubt the answers would be any different because I've seen people even shorter than me given the same speech about 1200 being too low.

    i didn't bash vegetarian diets at all if you actually read my post.
    Newsflash: this thread isn't about you. I would be happy to give my opinion on your choices if you would like to start your own thread about it.
  • Posts: 2,333 Member
    Newsflash: this thread isn't about you. I would be happy to give my opinion on your choices if you would like to start your own thread about it.

    Newsflash: I never claimed this thread is about me. You might have though. I just find bashing 1200 calorie diets and not admitting that they actually do work for some people to be ridiculous.
  • Posts: 1,495 Member

    I was doing 1200 calories for around 9.5 months. not sure about the first 2 months or so because it was before i started tracking. yes, i was an underweight kid. I have been continuing to lose. I'm at 113 this morning. Now I'm upping my calories because I don't want to lose more. I don't see how upping my calories from a number where I was still losing, would result in gaining. There is a number called maintanance and 1200 isn't it.

    Maintenance for an active healthy female at goal weight should be around 2000 calories a day, I very much doubt you will be able to jump from 1200 to 2000 without seeing a gain, this is the "starvation mode" that MFP alludes to :flowerforyou:
  • Posts: 6,800 Member

    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.

    A small 4'11 girl should still be able to maintain on numbers much much larger then 1200, even if they're sedentary.
  • Posts: 8,701 Member

    Newsflash: I never claimed this thread is about me. You might have though. I just find bashing 1200 calorie diets and not admitting that they actually do work for some people to be ridiculous.
    You took recommendations made for a different person than you, applied them to yourself, assumed everyone would say the same thing to you, and opted to consider that personal bashing. Right.
  • Posts: 17,857 Member
    Newsflash: I never claimed this thread is about me. You might have though. I just find bashing 1200 calorie diets and not admitting that they actually do work for some people to be ridiculous.
    Yes you have, you said people were questioning YOUR choices. They were questioning the OP's methods and offering alternatives. You are the one who decided to make it all about yourself and call the OP's diet "your" choice.

    Three pages and still nobody has bashed 1200 calorie diets.
  • I eat 1200 calories and generally do cardio 3-5 times a week about 45 minutes, and some days I throw in strength training on top of that. I feel energized everyday. I don't ever feel like I'm starving. I eat whatever i want, and i lost 14 pounds last month.
  • Posts: 28,072 Member

    Newsflash: I never claimed this thread is about me. You might have though. I just find bashing 1200 calorie diets and not admitting that they actually do work for some people to be ridiculous.

    I find people advocating them with no regard for the person's age, activity levels, weight and goals rather ridiculous.
  • Posts: 28,072 Member

    A small 4'11 girl should still be able to maintain on numbers much much larger then 1200, even if they're sedentary.

    Coder: how much do you weigh, what is your activity level and how much are you maintaining on?
  • Posts: 12 Member
    @Eric...well said! And I feel the same way.

    Regretting I ever asked the question. Wow.
  • Posts: 2,003 Member
    man these threads bashing 1200 calorie diets are annoying.

    Huh? The thread wasn't started to bash the 1200 diet, the thread was started by someone asking for advice about eating 1200.

    She can listen to the answers for and against 1200 and then make her own mind up.

    You are sick of people bashing it, and others are sick of people promoting it.
    Both sides are entitled to their opinion. That's what discussion forums are about.

    Hopefully the OP has gained enough responses through the arguing to make her own mind up.
  • Posts: 4,604 Member

    Pretty much EVERY female on the planet could!

    Only if I lived at the gym.
  • Posts: 80 Member
    No, its not.
  • Posts: 36 Member
    A 1200 and below diet is working really well for me and I highly recommend it.

    I am older, started off quite heavy and have asthma and bad knees so strenuous workouts weren't a good fit for me. That's why serious calorie restriction seems like the best way for me to get started. I also really need some immediate results to get me motivated.

    I am hoping that when the snow finally melts and I can do a lot of walking, I will have lost enough so I won't need to worry so much about my knees. I might consider upping my calories as I become more active but I am very happy with what I am eating now.

    There are so many excellent reasons to choose a 1200 calorie diet. I hope it works out for you.
  • Posts: 28,072 Member
    A 1200 and below diet is working really well for me and I highly recommend it.

    I am older, started off quite heavy and have asthma and bad knees so strenuous workouts weren't a good fit for me. That's why serious calorie restriction seems like the best way for me to get started. I also really need some immediate results to get me motivated.

    I am hoping that when the snow finally melts and I can do a lot of walking, I will have lost enough so I won't need to worry so much about my knees. I might consider upping my calories as I become more active but I am very happy with what I am eating now.

    There are so many excellent reasons to choose a 1200 calorie diet. I hope it works out for you.

    With all due respect, you are 57 years old and have over 100lb to lose. Why would that be transferable and recommended to someone a lot younger and with less to lose?
  • Posts: 3,452 Member

    Pretty much EVERY female on the planet could!

    No, that's unfortunately not true for many women. I'd have to exercise a lot more to come anywhere close to that. I've been eating less than 2000 calories for about seven months now and still gained 8 lbs. It's clearly more than my maintenance. Factors like weight and activity level make calorie goals very individual. In addition, the less you weigh, the fewer calories you burn doing everyday activities and exercise. There are some short and light women on this site who are amazingly fit and can eat more that the average short & light women. They earn those calories, though. A typical amount of exercise for the average person is not going to get the average person the same results these women get from their hard work.
  • Posts: 6,800 Member

    No, that's unfortunately not true for many women. I'd have to exercise a lot more to come anywhere close to that. I've been eating less than 2000 calories for about seven months now and still gained 8 lbs. It's clearly more than my maintenance. Factors like weight and activity level make calorie goals very individual. In addition, the less you weigh, the fewer calories you burn doing everyday activities and exercise. There are some short and light women on this site who are amazingly fit and can eat more that the average short & light women. They earn those calories, though. A typical amount of exercise for the average person is not going to get the average person the same results these women get from their hard work.

    I am going to teach you some science.

    Energy Expenditure: "Energy expenditure is mainly a sum of internal heat produced and external work. The internal heat produced is, in turn, mainly a sum of basal metabolic rate (BMR) and the thermic effect of food. External work may be estimated by measuring physical activity level (PAL)."
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_balance_(biology)#Energy_expenditure

    BMR - "the amount of energy expended daily by humans and other animals at rest"
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basal_metabolic_rate

    How do you get Energy Expenditure? "The Harris-Benedict equation (also called the Harris-Benedict principle) is a method used to estimate an individual's basal metabolic rate (BMR) and daily calorie requirements."
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris-Benedict_equation

    Female BMR = 447.593 + (9.247 x weight in kg) + (3.098 x height in cm) - (4.330 x age in years)

    Little to no exercise Daily kilocalories needed = BMR x 1.2

    Now let's look at a unhealthy sedentary mopey 30 year old 4'11 girl with the energy expenditure of 1200 calories:
    4'11 = 149.86 cm

    Solve for weight using http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ for lazyness and congrats, that girl would be a little under 48 pounds.

    I've seen women who think they're stuck like you, I've also convinced them to eat. I also got them to lose weight. End of story.

    Back to it's true for may women.
  • Posts: 3,452 Member
    Thank you for the science review, though it wasn't new information. It's not true that pretty much any female on the planet can maintain on 2000 calories. So, many women on the planet would disagree with that statement.

    I don't believe I'm stuck. I have no issues with my calorie intake. Your calculations bring me to a BMR in the 1200 calorie range. I know that's not my maintenance. I also know that 2000 calories is over my maintenance. As I was saying, the blanket statement that pretty much every female on the planet can maintain on 2000 calories is false.

    Back to it not being true for many women.
  • Posts: 18 Member
    I find that if I eat my 1200 calories, plus what i burn with exercise, I dont lose any weight. I have to eat 1200 or less to lose. But, I only have 25 lbs or so to lose, I have a small frame, and I am over 50 - so my metabolism has already slowed down. I am losing 1-2 lbs a week not eating the extra calories earned by exercise.
  • Posts: 6,800 Member
    .
    Thank you for the science review, though it wasn't new information. It's not true that pretty much any female on the planet can maintain on 2000 calories. So, many women on the planet would disagree with that statement.

    I don't believe I'm stuck. I have no issues with my calorie intake. Your calculations bring me to a BMR in the 1200 calorie range. I know that's not my maintenance. I also know that 2000 calories is over my maintenance. As I was saying, the blanket statement that pretty much every female on the planet can maintain on 2000 calories is false.

    Back to it not being true for many women.
    I was referring to what you quoted, it looked like you were talking about the topic. With that being said, I still agree with her, Many people on the planet could easily maintain on over 2000 calories if they wanted to try.
  • Posts: 3,452 Member
    I agree that many women can maintain on 2000 calories. I don't agree that virtually every woman on the planet can. I am not someone who believes that 1200 is always too low, but I'm also not someone who believes that 1200 calories is enough for everyone either. (For those trying to eat at a deficit. 1200 is going to be maintenance for only a small percentage of people.)

    My reason for arguing with her statement is because it was an impossible generalization. For those who understand the science of weight loss, that's not a big deal. For people who don't, a statement like that may stall them out or even make them gain. Calorie goals are individual. In my opinion, it's important for people to use the calculations to custom tailor their own nutrition and intake.

    I would also have disagreed with a statement saying that "Virtually every woman on the planet can eat 1200 calories and be sufficiently nourished."
  • Posts: 36 Member

    With all due respect, you are 57 years old and have over 100lb to lose. Why would that be transferable and recommended to someone a lot younger and with less to lose?

    Actually I think that your remark is disrespectful to me and to everyone else. This is a public forum where we all contribute and learn from each other's experience. The people posting and reading here come from all ages and all weights and different situations. The variety of different experiences is one of the greatest strengths of this forum. I think it is obvious that our posts are intended to be read by the entire community. I included my personal details so that readers could make their own decisions about whether or not my post might apply to them. I'm pretty sure that the other forum members can make that call without your help.

    My experience is as valid and as valuable as anyone else's and I cannot imagine why you would choose to denigrate my post.
  • Posts: 17,857 Member

    Actually I think that your remark is disrespectful to me and to everyone else. This is a public forum where we all contribute and learn from each other's experience. The people posting and reading here come from all ages and all weights and different situations. The variety of different experiences is one of the greatest strengths of this forum. I think it is obvious that our posts are intended to be read by the entire community. I included my personal details so that readers could make their own decisions about whether or not my post might apply to them. I'm pretty sure that the other forum members can make that call without your help.

    My experience is as valid and as valuable as anyone else's and I cannot imagine why you would choose to denigrate my post.
    You didn't just say that it's working for you, you highly recommended it. What makes you think your opinion is above being put into context or questioned?
  • Posts: 28,072 Member

    Actually I think that your remark is disrespectful to me and to everyone else. This is a public forum where we all contribute and learn from each other's experience. The people posting and reading here come from all ages and all weights and different situations. The variety of different experiences is one of the greatest strengths of this forum. I think it is obvious that our posts are intended to be read by the entire community. I included my personal details so that readers could make their own decisions about whether or not my post might apply to them. I'm pretty sure that the other forum members can make that call without your help.

    My experience is as valid and as valuable as anyone else's and I cannot imagine why you would choose to denigrate my post.

    Well, you are entitled to your opinion but I beg to differ. I was stating facts that you have in your public profile and applying them to the situation, which you failed to mention. Age and weight are very relevant. I did not say it was not ok for you so I am not sure why you are taking it personally. I was making a point that you cannot blindly apply your situation to everyone - it is irresponsible imo.

    How exactly are my remarks disrespectful to you let alone 'the entire community'? I would love to know. Also, you may well have missed that I asked you a question - I did not actually make any comment one way or the other. I would suggest you stop being so disrespectful to me by accusing me of something that just did not happen. It works both ways.
  • Posts: 2,848 Member
    A 1200 and below diet is working really well for me and I highly recommend it.

    I am older, started off quite heavy and have asthma and bad knees so strenuous workouts weren't a good fit for me. That's why serious calorie restriction seems like the best way for me to get started. I also really need some immediate results to get me motivated.

    I am hoping that when the snow finally melts and I can do a lot of walking, I will have lost enough so I won't need to worry so much about my knees. I might consider upping my calories as I become more active but I am very happy with what I am eating now.

    There are so many excellent reasons to choose a 1200 calorie diet. I hope it works out for you.

    I am 54 - 55 next month. I had very bad knees. I was 120 pounds overweight. I eat between 1700 - 1800 cals a day. I started with body weight training and then in October I started lifting heavy. My knees are remarkably stronger. I spent the first two - three months on here at 1200 calories (or less) a day and doing cardio 7 days a week. I was exhausted and my hair started falling out. I slowly upped cals after reading In Place of a Roadmap and I have never looked back. I encourage every woman on here to do your research. Don't settle for the same crap that has been handed to us about how to lose weight by starving our bodies. It's time to wake up and learn how to really treat our bodies well so that we can be healthy and strong as we get older. Good luck to you all.

    ETA: Other than losing weight quickly, what are all the other excellent reasons for a 1200 calorie diet?
  • Posts: 1,687 Member
    I'm bumping this because I'm curious what the other excellent reasons are also.
  • Posts: 6,800 Member
    I agree that many women can maintain on 2000 calories. I don't agree that virtually every woman on the planet can. I am not someone who believes that 1200 is always too low, but I'm also not someone who believes that 1200 calories is enough for everyone either. (For those trying to eat at a deficit. 1200 is going to be maintenance for only a small percentage of people.)

    My reason for arguing with her statement is because it was an impossible generalization. For those who understand the science of weight loss, that's not a big deal. For people who don't, a statement like that may stall them out or even make them gain. Calorie goals are individual. In my opinion, it's important for people to use the calculations to custom tailor their own nutrition and intake.

    I would also have disagreed with a statement saying that "Virtually every woman on the planet can eat 1200 calories and be sufficiently nourished."
    Meh she said 'pretty much' vs your many women...thats a close tie if you ask me.
  • Posts: 3,452 Member

    Meh she said 'pretty much' vs your many women...thats a close tie if you ask me.

    You don't think that there are many women on the planet who cannot maintain at 2000 calories? There's a big difference between "That's not true for many women" and "Pretty much EVERY woman on the planet."

    You'd have more of a point if I'd said "Most." At this point, we're just arguing semantics, which seems silly to me, so I will suggest you and I agree to disagree on word choice and move on.
  • Posts: 1,046 Member
    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.

    Not feeling hungry may be a sign that you are regularly eating too little. A healthy person feels hunger.

    I'm not saying that you should feel a continuous lack of satisfaction or hunger most of the time. And I understand why some people here who already have issues with food try to spread out what they eat and avoid hunger as much as possible -- because it can be a trigger for them. But it's perfectly normal to feel occasional hunger. Rarely feeling hungry can indicate that you're eating too much (in the case of people who eat constantly) or that your body has become used to being deprived.
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