Eating 500 calories a day or 1200?

Options
24

Replies

  • SaraB313
    SaraB313 Posts: 15
    Options
    I'm going to start at 1200 tomorrow and see how it works.

    Thanks guys!
  • MorgueBabe
    MorgueBabe Posts: 1,188 Member
    Options
    500 calories?

    tumblr_mhvab9UzIH1rcpscwo1_500.gif
  • valeriewxy
    valeriewxy Posts: 418 Member
    Options
    I'm going to start at 1200 tomorrow and see how it works.

    Thanks guys!

    I'm glad you decided to go with 1200 :) the first 2 months I started, I ate at 1200 cals. Then I went on holiday and ate at an ave of 2000ish cals (maintained my weight over 3 weeks). Now I'm back, and eating at 1300, considering upping to about 1400 cals since I haven't lost much and my new BMR is apparently 1370 :)

    I hope this all works out for you! ^^ Good luck.
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    Options
    I eat 1800 calories a day and I am losing weight easily and I only weigh 146.
  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,110 Member
    Options
    500 won't do anything! upppppp it.
  • alexisu96
    alexisu96 Posts: 103 Member
    Options
    Dang, 500 for months. How did you do ot?? I would have eventually eaten one of my kids!! Up to 1200 and at some point you could go higher once you fix your metabolism
  • sunshine_gem
    sunshine_gem Posts: 390 Member
    Options
    I'm going to start at 1200 tomorrow and see how it works.

    Thanks guys!

    Awesome! But don't be discouraged if you initially see a gain. That can happen when you come off a low cal diet as your body adjusts but stick with it and give it time and it will balance out in the end. Good luck! :-)
  • DragonflyF15
    DragonflyF15 Posts: 437 Member
    Options
    As everyone else has said, you need to eat more. Your body is starting to shut down and going into conservation mode. Try 1200 for a bit, but even at that, you will still end up plateauing and having to increase your calorie intake. After a few years being on this site, I see this happen over and over. Food is energy, and what we eat is just as important as calorie counting. Nourish the body :)
  • SaraB313
    SaraB313 Posts: 15
    Options
    Dang, 500 for months. How did you do ot?? I would have eventually eaten one of my kids!! Up to 1200 and at some point you could go higher once you fix your metabolism

    I actually found it really easy. I would eat every four hours and I was pretty full eating that many calories. Been Doing 500 since September
  • SaraB313
    SaraB313 Posts: 15
    Options
    I'm going to start at 1200 tomorrow and see how it works.

    Thanks guys!

    Awesome! But don't be discouraged if you initially see a gain. That can happen when you come off a low cal diet as your body adjusts but stick with it and give it time and it will balance out in the end. Good luck! :-)

    Thanks :)
  • missemily1124
    missemily1124 Posts: 102
    Options
    I read this on another forum and found it very helpful.

    The general rule of thumb is:
    1) you need 10 calories per pound to maintain your current weight wtihout exercise.

    So right now I'm 129. I if I eat more than 1290 I'll gain? That makes me very sad. I don't think this rule applies at smaller weights... at least I sure hope not.
  • sarahharmintx
    sarahharmintx Posts: 868 Member
    Options
    Take the 500 and add it to the 1200. Eat. Enjoy.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Options
    I read this on another forum and found it very helpful.

    The general rule of thumb is:
    1) you need 10 calories per pound to maintain your current weight wtihout exercise.

    So right now I'm 129. I if I eat more than 1290 I'll gain? That makes me very sad. I don't think this rule applies at smaller weights... at least I sure hope not.

    No. I'm 130 and I eat 1760 plus exercise calories to maintain.
  • mcrubino
    mcrubino Posts: 18
    Options
    Your body has definitely gone into starvation mode. You cannot deprive it of its nutrients and expect to lose any weight, in fact that is VERY unhealthy. I say up to around 1700, and exercise, and as you lose weight adjust your calorie intake down, but it should never be at 500 calories. Treat your body well and it will treat you well.
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
    Options
    What the what? 500 cals a day is what I ate when I was anorexic. And I, too, gained weight on it after a while. Are you suffering from an eating disorder? If so, I greatly encourage you to seek the advice of a therapist and a nutritionist.

    Im not suffering from an eating disorder. Ive been obese all my life and previously have done crazier diets than this. But i will up my calories because i am gaining fast.

    Yep Gaining because you starved yourself for so long.

    I started at 265 lbs, eating 1200 calories I lost 50lbs, plateaued and started gaining. I calculated my BMR and TDEE and realized for my size and activity lever, I should be eating at least 2000.

    So many people think you have to starve to lost weight, when it really just makes this harder.
  • mrzpeep1
    mrzpeep1 Posts: 64 Member
    Options
    Yikes! 500 calories for months?

    Get at least your BMR sweetie.

    exactly
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
    Options
    What the what? 500 cals a day is what I ate when I was anorexic. And I, too, gained weight on it after a while. Are you suffering from an eating disorder? If so, I greatly encourage you to seek the advice of a therapist and a nutritionist.

    Agreed.....eat your BMR if not MORE.
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
    Options
    You should probably up your calories to about 1500-1800, to be honest.
  • OtiWanKenobi
    OtiWanKenobi Posts: 340 Member
    Options
    Same thing happened me and I was on a plateu for a year!!! Now that I've been educated by the lovely people of MFP. I eat 1650 on non-workout days and up to 2000 on workout days!

    :D Loosing about 1lb to .5lb a week...it's been a slow loss this time, prob because I'm sure I screwed up my metabolism eating so little calories for so long. But I know this is the healthy and most safe way to do it.

    I'm 5'7" too and 197lbs with a BMR of 1672
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    Options
    I read this on another forum and found it very helpful.

    The general rule of thumb is:
    1) you need 10 calories per pound to maintain your current weight wtihout exercise.

    So right now I'm 129. I if I eat more than 1290 I'll gain? That makes me very sad. I don't think this rule applies at smaller weights... at least I sure hope not.

    No, that initial post wasn't quite right.

    10 cals per 1lb of body weight roughly equates to BMR for women It is used to set a reasonable calorie deficit level. (in other words what they should be aiming for to lose weight - not maintain or gain.)

    Therefore you should be able to lose eating around 1,300 calories per day to lose which factors in reasonable exercise (so no need to eat back exercise calories unless you are doing a lot of it. If you are doing a lot then use 12 cals per 1lb of body weight.)

Categories