why is 1200 cal/day too low?
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Aviva says:
The o.p. was around my starting weight and I'm around her age at 38 and 1,200 calories worked fantastically for me. I started at 140 pounds. My goal weight was 119. I kept going and now I'm sort of in a freefall because I got used to 1,200 and am now at 110.8. I never stalled like everyone said I would. I never lost my hair or had any vital organs shut down like everyone said it would. Now I really need to up my calories to stop this free-fall because 110.8 is getting to be sort of low. I think that 1,200 can work for some, not for others. It's REALLY annoying when people keep jumping into these threads claiming that it won't work for anyone. That is simply not true. Oh and I wasn't set to lose 2 pounds initially. At 1,200 calories it was only 0.7 pounds a week.
I think that you may need to re-evaluate what "success" you have gained from your 1200 calorie diet. Yes, you lost weight on it, but it doesn't sound like you gained fitness, emotionally or physically.
To OP:
If your goal is increased FITNESS, I suggest that you look at Lorina's pictures. She has done an amazing job of body recomposition. The woman knows what she's talking about.
My goal was to lose weight. It wasn't to gain fitness. I didn't lose fitness in the process. I've achieved that goal. I can gain fitness now if I want. What does emotionally have to do with anything other than you insulting me?
Oh dear, now I see why we have a communication issue. But, that begs the question, why are you giving out "advice" on a FITNESS forum?
It's a WEIGHTLOSS forum too. This section is called "General Diet and "WEIGHT LOSS Help". If I type in capital letters, I REALLY GET MY POINT ACROSS.0 -
aaaaaaand
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"I eat 1600-1700 calories, but don't eat my exercise calories back using this method, unless I do extra workouts. It does work. And it is a heck of a lot more enjoyable." (Avoiding the huge quote boxes)
So your "net" is more like 1300. Ok then.
I know my own body and my experience with diet. I could not lose any weight on 1600 net cals. None. I am not you. Maybe the OP is not you either.
People get so threatened by anyone who says they can lose weight on 1200 and can be satisfied. Why? What's it to you?0 -
It's a WEIGHTLOSS forum too. If I type in capital letters, I REALLY GET MY POINT ACROSS.
If weight loss is part of fitness, absolutely it is. However, it does not appear that those are your goals.
I would like to point out that fitness is part of the name of this site, its goal could not be made more clear. That your goal is strictly weight loss and not health and fitness has not been clear in your posts. You may want to place a disclaimer at the bottom to further clarify your stance.
I would suggest: ***this advice is intended strictly to promote weight loss, it should not be construed as promotion of better health or fitness.
Again, this is merely an attempt to promote transparency and better communication.0 -
It just is. You will be starving all the time, and it's really too little food for a human to live on over the long term, or for the rest of their lives. Most women can easily eat 1600 cals a day and still lose weight. Many can eat more than that and still lose. It's just a lame thing MFP does to women. Plus, most women put that they want to lose 2 lbs per week instead of a more reasonable 1 lb per week.
If you really want to know, go here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
You can thank me later, and Dan, of course.
It just is? I don't think this woman could lose weight at 1600 unless she is doing some really heavy exercise and not eating back. She is already not overweight. Many women have no problem sticking to around 1200 cals, especially if they are eating back exercise calories.
OP- keep looking around the boards. Eat more to lose more? Ask yourself, Has that worked for you in the past?
I used to think this too but it isn't true. I'm a housewife, I don't exercise much due to disability, and my TDEE is 1800. I generally ate around 1500 when I was losing, plus exercise calories once I was able to exercise.
When people say eat more to lose weight they don't mean to eat over your TDEE. They just mean to eat somewhere between your BMR and your TDEE.0 -
Hi,
I don't think the app takes into account your weight, height etc. I weigh 145lbs and I know people that weigh 70lbs more and it set us both to 1200. I think it just sets everyone to that to lose 1-2lbs.
I've just upped mine to 1500 as 1200 was too low for me esp when doing exercise and I felt like I wasn't eating enough. My target is around 132 so I've started to eat more as I'll need to eat around 1850 to maintain that. I found that I couldn't stick to 1200 calories unless I didn't eat properly (living on salads and stir fry's) and it made me feel demotivated going over all the time. My weight loss may be slower but this is a more realistic lifestyle change for me. I do go out for coffee, dinner with friends etc and 1200 cals made me feel like I was being bad when in reality I was still only eating 1500-1700 a day.
Listen to your body but think that when you hot your target you need to be able to eat to maintain xx0 -
It's a WEIGHTLOSS forum too. If I type in capital letters, I REALLY GET MY POINT ACROSS.
If weight loss is part of fitness, absolutely it is. However, it does not appear that those are your goals.
I would like to point out that fitness is part of the name of this site, its goal could not be made more clear. That your goal is strictly weight loss and not health and fitness has not been clear in your posts. You may want to place a disclaimer at the bottom to further clarify your stance.
I would suggest: ***this advice is intended strictly to promote weight loss, it should not be construed as promotion of better health or fitness.
Again, this is merely an attempt to promote transparency and better communication.
I didn't lose fitness with what I did. I just didn't increase it. I'm not putting any disclaimer. Very rude of you to suggest that. A lot of people are here to lose weight. I explained how I lost weight. I never said that I got buff in the process, but I did not lose any fitness in the process either.0 -
I'm losing plenty of fat (not muscle) on 1200 cal a day. I don't feel like I'm starving all the time and have had my BF% checked a couple times. My LBM is slightly up and BF% and weight is down.
What works for one person doesn't always work for another. The BMR calculators online give you the average for people of your height and weight. Each person's BMR can be extremely different. There have been posts from people (on this forum) who have actually had their BMR or RMR tested and found it either much higher or much lower (as low as 1000 when it was estimated at closer to 1600). The only way to know for sure is to have it tested. TDEE is based on the estimated BMR and can be farther off (because of the multiplication factor).
If you eat 1200 calories and are starving all the time, your BMR is probably much higher (though there is really no way to know without getting tested). If you have to force yourself to eat 1600+ calories and are not losing weight, your BMR is probably lower.
My point is that the process is the same for everyone (eat less calories than you expend to lose in a sustainable way) but the numbers will not always be the same.
Using a bit of trial and error you can find the best spot for you. If you are not losing weight at 1600 calories, drop it down. If you lose a lot of weight at 1200 calories and you experience decreases in strength or feel weak or fatigued or dizzy, bump it up.
If you are concerned about losing LBM, you can get a DXA scan (the most accurate way to determine BF% and lean body mass/muscle mass) for less than $100. My university does it for $75 for students $90 for people who are not affiliated with the university and offers a package deal where they will discount the price and do two DXA scans 3 months apart.
1200 calories is considered the minimum because nutrients can be relatively easily achieved and still set most people at a caloric deficit.
There is no absolute answer and again, for most people it is a bit of trial and error. Do what works for you (in terms of both weight loss goals and fitness goals. I know I'm doing what works for me and not what works for someone else.0 -
I am 39 years old. I weigh 143lbs. Now, I've noticed a few comments on other topics where people say 1200 is too low.
It is not too low for you. For estimated numbers: You Resting Metabolic Rate is 11 times your weight. (about 1573 for you) It takes 3,500 calorie loss to burn 1 pound of fat. Most figure this at subtracting 500 per day for 7 days. This is a very doable rate, not to mess up your metabolism, UNLESS this number brings you UNDER 1200. Science has come up with 1200 being the minimum for the average healthy adult. As you get under 175 pounds the weight loss gets slower, because you can't sustain the same 500 calorie deficit. Instead of 1-2 pounds per week, look at 1-2 per month. Exercise more to firm and tone.
For those who posted that you'll starve - no you won't. Someone over 200 pounds would feel like they were, and would do more harm than good to their bodies, but not at 140 pounds.
Say you're goal is 135 pounds, then your RMR will be about 1485. When you reach your goal you will want to increase your net calories to almost 1500. EASILY sustainable. So don't have to stay at exactly 1200 calories the rest of your life either, as someone posted earlier. (unless you are 110 pounds - then your RMR is about 1200)
Find the level that you can eat and not be hungry, but stay under your RMR (break even). Then exercise off any excess calories. Never feel guilty about 'splurging' if you stay under your 'break even' calories. It will slow your weight loss, but will speed up obtaining a healthy lifestyle.0 -
I am averaging 1200 a day. I eat 1000 most days. I occasionally have a 1600 or 2000 day that increases my average.
This works for me. Also, higher calories didn't work for me. If I am trying to get inside a window, I start to obsess about food. It's all I can think about and all I want to do is eat. If I try to hit well under a goal, I can forget about it. As long as I feel like I have room to eat a lot more, I don't feel like I'm denying myself. My happiness has nothing to do with how much I actually eat. It is how many more calories I have to spend in a day that keeps me happy and feeling free, autonomous. If, most days, I always have an extra 400 to spend, I'm always happy. I know it is weird but it just works for me psychologically.
I am hungry quite often but I don't mind the feeling, to be honest. I sort of enjoy it in a perverse way, the way you enjoy your muscle soreness after a hard workout. I feel amazing, otherwise. I am drinking half the coffee I used to and I still almost feel like I have too much energy sometimes. I feel truly fantastic. I attribute that to the removal of carbs, I'm not going to lie.0 -
Glad I ran across this post! I need to figure up my TDEE because the 1300 isn't working for me much less 1200 lol!0
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Everyone is not different.The days I eat more than 1200 it always causes a gain for me. Everyone is different. If I am hungry I eat more but if not I dont bother. I have lost 50 pounds in 13 months so I think that is slow and healthy for me!
You might gain weight because you NEED to. It might be your metabolism's last dieing horah of an attempt to protect itself! At 1200 calories???? You're planning on eating 1200 calories a day the rest of your life? Every chance your body gets it's gonna want to store! How many calories a day do you think your heart alone burns?
I appreciate your input and have hopefully learned something from your thoughtful responses here,. But you seem to be contrasicting yourself, or I am misunderstanding. You have mentioned a couple times, including above, that "everyone is not different". But in your list for the op, point number 8, you said this:
"8. Anecdotes should be taken lightly if you're serious. Sure many people have done just fine on 1200 calories. But you're not them, you don't have the same expenditure they do, you don't have the same genes they do(to an extent, but you get the point)."
Can you clarify/reconcile that for me?0 -
I was doing 1200 a/day to lose weight but I ended up feeling so sick, confused (can't remember things,etc), and just no energy. Since I started tracking my calories and exercise on this site, I've found out that using that 1200 cal/day food limit (which isn't much food) while exercising was causing my body to need even more. I've been going to bed anywhere between 350 to 770 calories UNDER my suggested intake. NO WONDER I COME ACROSS SO NUTTY!! I'm starving myself and still going. No wonder I haven't been losing weight, my body is hanging on to whatever little bit of energy I give it.
An example is I get up at 6 am everyday but by 4:30 in the afternoon, I was exhausted but had only eaten 421 calories. Not good at all.
I kinda feel like I've been a functional, yet a chunky, Anorexic. Now, I'm trying to eat more but it is hard. I get full fast. If I continue to eat (try to clean my plate) I feel like I'm gonna vomit.
It is balancing food and activity. It took a while to gain that weight so it will take a while to lose it. And a permanent lifestyle change. A 1200 calorie/day diet can't be permanent and the weight will most likely be regained.0 -
Ya know what else is also a shame? Well it's not really a shame, but it's a grim reality that needs to be taken into consideration. Go see your doctor for your clearance to exercise and for your basic checkups. NOT for fitness advice! Do your own research and look into how much education a doctor has in regards to fitness, exercise, caloric intake, etc. Then ask why do you think they end up fitness clients?0
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It is very common for the appetite to taper at a lower caloric intake, as Grehlin and leptin is also directly affected by intake and directly affect hunger. This makes it easier for people to pull this off.Assuming you are at an average height - you must of had the willpower of GOD to hold off the hunger!
I currently consume 1650 calories (up to 3000 calories) if i go to work and exercise back at home and still losing weight very steadily - any less and i would be crazy!
Deep respect though! :drinker:0 -
Everyone is not different.The days I eat more than 1200 it always causes a gain for me. Everyone is different. If I am hungry I eat more but if not I dont bother. I have lost 50 pounds in 13 months so I think that is slow and healthy for me!
You might gain weight because you NEED to. It might be your metabolism's last dieing horah of an attempt to protect itself! At 1200 calories???? You're planning on eating 1200 calories a day the rest of your life? Every chance your body gets it's gonna want to store! How many calories a day do you think your heart alone burns?
If everyone is not different, then why do some people stall on 1,200 calories or are starving, while it works fine for others? Also, why do some people feel an obsessive need to eat a lot and get fat while others don't and stay thin? and so many other things that makes us different.
ANSWER: You are wrong. Everyone is different.
Pretty much no. The basic biological processes are the same in everyone, the variability one sees in weight gain are a function of metabolism - but the basics are the same for everyone. Eating significantly below TDEE will result in a metabolic slow down, hormones from the thyroid, fat tissue, etc have a regulatory effect on glucose storage and lypolisis, just to name two of the processes in weight loss.
While eating at 1200 or lower can work ok for weight loss for some there are some significant risks of not eating enough variety to assure micro-nutrient needs which will have a long term effect on things like mental or hormonal function. It will basically guarantee metabolic down regulation and if the gap is large, it will also increase muscle catabolism. So you lose the weight, but then the body functions are reduced and put at some risk for either rapid weight gain (yo-yo effect), eating disorders and/or immune issues. This does not mean that everyone that eats at these levels will necessarily get these - but the likelihood is higher. If, for you, you've avoid these issues - congratulations! But why suggest that others play with fire when it is possible to do it with less risk.
Just like one can smoke a lifetime without getting ill, it isn't the best practice, in a health-focused life.
What you described does make everyone different. Thanks for playing though! Since it worked for me, why shouldn't I say that? I never claimed it would work for everyone just because it worked for me.
If smoking as an appetite supressant had worked for you and you were waving the "but it worked for me, everyone is different" flag I'd still point out that in general it is a bad idea.
1) highly restricitive diets create a risk of micro nutrient deficiencies
2) metabolic adjustments that will have long term impacts are likelier
3) mental issues are likelier
4) immune issues are likelier
Feel free to say "it worked for me" - but you might also recognize the real risks for others - anything less is irresponsible.
Focusing only on weight loss and not discussing the other apects of how diet and calorie restriction can affect us is a willful act of misinformation.
The whole "everyone is different" argument is patently absurd - yes, we all have aspects that are variabilities from the mean but not so different that basic physiological prinicipals can be swept aside like fall leaves in the wind. You still run of mitochondrial ATP and hormonal balance still governs how you function, or not. and you shouldn't use this catch-all argument to justify poor dietary recommendations.
If your metabolism is low for whatever reason (and perhaps for many medical conditions), it might make sense but for the majority of people it does not.
Honestly, I'm glad it worked for you, I'm just asking for caveats when these diets are recommended for others.0 -
It just is. You will be starving all the time, and it's really too little food for a human to live on over the long term, or for the rest of their lives. Most women can easily eat 1600 cals a day and still lose weight. Many can eat more than that and still lose. It's just a lame thing MFP does to women. Plus, most women put that they want to lose 2 lbs per week instead of a more reasonable 1 lb per week.
If you really want to know, go here: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
You can thank me later, and Dan, of course.
It just is? I don't think this woman could lose weight at 1600 unless she is doing some really heavy exercise and not eating back. She is already not overweight. Many women have no problem sticking to around 1200 cals, especially if they are eating back exercise calories.
OP- keep looking around the boards. Eat more to lose more? Ask yourself, Has that worked for you in the past?
I eat 2300 cals a day, my TDEE based on LIGHT exercise is 1885.
I lost weight on 1885 and I'm losing weight on 2300.
congratulations, you're not me nor are you the o.p. making a blanket statement that it won't work for anyone is ridiculous.
You sound hungry.
My point is that it's important to calculate your numbers based on your own situation. VERY few women have a BMR below or at 1200 calories.
If she works out her numbers using the links posted to the roadmap (which is what I did) she will have a better idea of what to eat based on HER particular level of activity and physical stats (height/weight/bf%).
I ate at the staple 1200 cals MFP gave me, loss was slow and painful. I upped my cals gradually and finally started to use TDEE-20% as a goal about a month ago and my weight loss has never gone easier. I have plenty of energy to work out and go to work and enjoy my day, I'm rarely hungry and I am still losing.
If the OP would care to run her numbers she may be pleasantly surprised to find she can eat a little more and still lose.
And in terms of body comp. activity level and weight/height, yes we do all vary, but the general mathematics and rules of thermodynamics apply to everyone. Barring medical complications, eating over BMR but under TDEE will equal weight loss.
OP doesn't have a lot to lose, so it might take a while, I'm cursed with still having 30lbs to go til my final goal, which means my TDEE is naturally going to be a lot higher.
Better?
Calling me "hungry" or "hangry" is pretty annoying. No I'm not overly hungry on a 1,200 calorie diet. FOR ME, it worked very well and I got to my goal. If 1,200 calories is bad for almost everyone, then either I'm the exception OR that's just wrong and 1,200 calories is fine. I found the roadmap to not be all that useful. Setting it to 1,200 and then either eating or not eating exercise calories back is basically the same idea. Does using random CAPITAL LETTERS get my point across better?
Aviva,
What's your:
Age
Height
Weight
Body fat%
Occupation
Workout routine
Just curious.
PS I've had this conversation with 100s of people who subsequently failed said diet.0 -
It's not about weight loss, it's about health. Ethiopians are very adept at losing weight.
totally agree. can you lose weight at 1200? Sure. It will most likely be muscle as well as fat. Loss might happen faster at lower calories, but it usually isn't as healthy and you are less likely to keep it off. If your goal is just to get to your goal, fine. If you want to be healthy, fit, and set yourself up to keep the weight off, eat more. Get your protein. This is not a race.
Thanks.0 -
Exactly, it usually IS starving. Hence my comment about Ethiopians being very skilled at losing weight! Fast! I mean lets take a cue from them! Starving...slow starving...same difference.Personally, I am on 1200 calories a day but I exercise so I eat more like 1600 calories a day and then burn off 400-500 of that working out, which gives me my 1200.
I think if you are working out then it's a much more reasonable goal as you are actually eating more than that, otherwise you will be starving.
On the few days that I don't exercise, I find it incredibly difficult to stay to 1200 calories because I am left starving in the evenings. So I say up it and then work off the difference0
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