When is 1200 calories appropriate? (hint: almost never)
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It was my doctor who suggested 1200, my dietician suggested 1000, I hover somewhere between the two most days, occasionally down as low as 700, life or death. No competition really.
Be careful,
You can end up with situation that your body will be in constant stress.
As result as soon you will add more calories the body will immediately store your additional calories as the fat form.
And of course you can get issues with your metabolism essentially.0 -
I lost and gained the same 7lbs for 12 months eating 1200. Now, in a fraction of that time, I have lost 9lbs following the Roadmap (eating around 1600 calories a day plus exercise calories). And the weight is continuining to drop off. I'm not as grouchy, I drink alcohol, I have the energy to run and lift weights, my skin is better, I'm less hungry and far happier.
How do you lose and gain at the same calorie level?
1200 net or 1200 gross. I wish people would be specific.
1200 net
How did you lose and gain at a consistent net calorie level?0 -
Yawns. *eye roll*
I'm always amazed at the amount of people so focused on what other people are doing and eating....
Yep.0 -
One formula doesnt fit all...
not that I eat 1200 or anything but lets not put people down for eating less than we believe they should. its their body not ours. and if they are losing and not malnourished who cares
Thank you. I feel like berating people for their calorie choice is akin to fat-shaming. If I'm not allowed to tell someone to reduce their calorie intake, no one should tell me to increase mine. Unsolicited advice is unsolicited for a reason.0 -
I hope I can post here, as I'm struggling with this concept...I've read up a lot on it but I still can't grasp it. At 1,200 (my MFP-set goal) I'd be eating below my BMR, which seems pretty terrible (a 51% cut from TDEE!). But -20% from my TDEE would be 1,855 which is a terrifying number.
I've been stalled for a month now (lost a single pound...) so I'm not sure if I should just work harder, exercise more consistently (well yeah I need to do that, too!) and see if it changes, or really just inhale all food that comes near me and go by my TDEE-20%. Any help from someone who's knowledgeable would be appreciated!0 -
Reposting the original post to remind anyone who has just joined in what this thread is about. Sensible advice for anyone who has tried 1200 calories a day and found it hasn't worked for them.
Each to their own, but for anyone (newcomers in particular) who is struggling on 1200, the advice from WinnerVictorious is really, really helpful. It's not a "you must do this" post but simply a signpost towards an easier way to lose weight.
Too bad the original post didn't have the "found it hasn't worked for them" caveat. It might have been more well received than just the blanket "do this or you're wrong" pronouncement.
there is no "do this or you're wrong" pronouncement in anything i've posted. i left plenty of wiggle room for those for whom 1200 is valid or for those who decide to adhere to 1200. words matter. i choose and parse my words carefully so that my meaning is clear. i'm dumbstruck at the notion than anyone can read what i've written, disregard what those words actually mean, and then invent a new meaning and attack me for something i didn't write.
:frown:
Intent is often hard to discern in the written word, I'll give you that. But with pronouncements like --
"you should almost certainly be eating MORE than 1200 calories per day"
"too low for almost everyone who does not have an unusual medical condition requiring a low calorie intake, in which case that person would have to be under medical supervision"
"don't need to suffer the side effects of a 1200 calorie diet"
-- I don't think the "almost"s are really enough to make many infer that you think 1200 is okay for anyone other than the proverbial special snowflake.
I love being a special snowflake! :drinker: :happy:
Maybe the 1200 calorie diet was made for me and me only!0 -
If you don't do well on 1200 calories, don't eat 1200 calories, but don't dictate to other people.
It's really that simple.
Whoever made the above statement on this thread, I have to agree 100%!!!!!
I had someone message me saying I was wrong in what I was doing for my weight loss.....REALLY ??!!! What works for me is what works for me. Everyone is different and needs to do what works for them. This site should be for comparing and helping, not dictating what one should or shouldn't do.0 -
Without reading any other replies outside of those on the first page:
OP, I think your post is excellent advice, and so are the links you posted. Hopefully your post will reach those in need of that "road map." However...I think you will always have naysayers who say "Don't tell me what to do!" and go back to their 1200-calorie "diets."
I also agree with whoever wrote that MFP needs some adjustments so it doesn't automatically recommend 1200 calories for so many people for whom that doesn't fit.
:drinker:0 -
I personally don't care what other people do to get to their fitness goals, but for me, 1200 calories works. Not only that, I have never found any scientific evidence that 1200 calories causes LBM loss or BMR decrease.
And, if I may add, most of the arguments I have seen here against a 1200 calorie diet don't even attempt to use science. They use very technical language and talk over people's heads which makes it sound science-Y but it's not scientific. As a skeptic, that always gives me the unsettling feeling that somebody is pitching woo to me.
Simple science.
to lose 1lb a week, people need to consume 500 calories less than they burn, during their daily activities, including exercise.
When you consider that for the average female, 2000 is considered maintenance, they would lose 1lb a week eating 1500 calories a day.
For the majority of people, 1200 (Gross) is more than a 500 defict as not many people would have a TDEE of 1700.
People don't take the time to work out their individual needs, and a lot of the time people input the incorrect information into MFP in the first place. They say they are sedentary, when they aren't. They chose an aggressive loss target (2lb), and then when MFP gives them 1200 PLUS exercise calories, they ignore the exercise bit, and just eat the 1200.
These are the people that really need to reassess their goals.0 -
How did you lose and gain at a consistent net calorie level?
Here is the response I gave you on the last page (thread is moving fast!)I can only put it down to my body being really unhappy with getting calories way below my BMR for months upon end. I was constantly hungry, my skin was constantly breaking out and I felt utterly miserable. I also struggled to do any endurance sport (up to six hours of mountain climbing most weekends) despite eating back my exercise calories. My body was being starved.
Once I started eating a calorie intake above my BMR, I felt tonnes better and the weight started shifting. Best of all my endurance when doing sport has gone through the roof and my bodyfat percentage has noticeably dropped.0 -
I hope I can post here, as I'm struggling with this concept...I've read up a lot on it but I still can't grasp it. At 1,200 (my MFP-set goal) I'd be eating below my BMR, which seems pretty terrible (a 51% cut from TDEE!). But -20% from my TDEE would be 1,855 which is a terrifying number.
I've been stalled for a month now (lost a single pound...) so I'm not sure if I should just work harder, exercise more consistently (well yeah I need to do that, too!) and see if it changes, or really just inhale all food that comes near me and go by my TDEE-20%. Any help from someone who's knowledgeable would be appreciated!
Try to find a "happy medium" between your BMR and TDEE? Up your calories slowly, maybe 50-100 per week.0 -
If you don't do well on 1200 calories, don't eat 1200 calories, but don't dictate to other people.
It's really that simple.
Whoever made the above statement on this thread, I have to agree 100%!!!!!
I had someone message me saying I was wrong in what I was doing for my weight loss.....REALLY ??!!! What works for me is what works for me. Everyone is different and needs to do what works for them. This site should be for comparing and helping, not dictating what one should or shouldn't do.
:drinker:0 -
I personally don't care what other people do to get to their fitness goals, but for me, 1200 calories works. Not only that, I have never found any scientific evidence that 1200 calories causes LBM loss or BMR decrease.
And, if I may add, most of the arguments I have seen here against a 1200 calorie diet don't even attempt to use science. They use very technical language and talk over people's heads which makes it sound science-Y but it's not scientific. As a skeptic, that always gives me the unsettling feeling that somebody is pitching woo to me.
Simple science.
to lose 1lb a week, people need to consume 500 calories less than they burn, during their daily activities, including exercise.
When you consider that for the average female, 2000 is considered maintenance, they would lose 1lb a week eating 1500 calories a day.
For the majority of people, 1200 (Gross) is more than a 500 defict as not many people would have a TDEE of 1700.
People don't take the time to work out their individual needs, and a lot of the time people input the incorrect information into MFP in the first place. They say they are sedentary, when they aren't. They chose an aggressive loss target (2lb), and then when MFP gives them 1200 PLUS exercise calories, they ignore the exercise bit, and just eat the 1200.
These are the people that really need to reassess their goals.
OMG! I just love you for using the word (gross) when talking about 1200 calories. :happy:0 -
Reposting the original post to remind anyone who has just joined in what this thread is about. Sensible advice for anyone who has tried 1200 calories a day and found it hasn't worked for them.
Each to their own, but for anyone (newcomers in particular) who is struggling on 1200, the advice from WinnerVictorious is really, really helpful. It's not a "you must do this" post but simply a signpost towards an easier way to lose weight.
Too bad the original post didn't have the "found it hasn't worked for them" caveat. It might have been more well received than just the blanket "do this or you're wrong" pronouncement.
there is no "do this or you're wrong" pronouncement in anything i've posted. i left plenty of wiggle room for those for whom 1200 is valid or for those who decide to adhere to 1200. words matter. i choose and parse my words carefully so that my meaning is clear. i'm dumbstruck at the notion than anyone can read what i've written, disregard what those words actually mean, and then invent a new meaning and attack me for something i didn't write.
:frown:
Intent is often hard to discern in the written word, I'll give you that. But with pronouncements like --
"you should almost certainly be eating MORE than 1200 calories per day"
"too low for almost everyone who does not have an unusual medical condition requiring a low calorie intake, in which case that person would have to be under medical supervision"
"don't need to suffer the side effects of a 1200 calorie diet"
-- I don't think the "almost"s are really enough to make many infer that you think 1200 is okay for anyone other than the proverbial special snowflake.
do you believe that people can be healthy eating under their resting BMR for a prolonged period of time? resting BMR being the minimum amount of energy you need even if you were to sleep all day every day. this is the number of calories you need to survive. if you have fat reserves, of course those will be burned to make up any deficit. but eventually, those reserves will run out and your metabolism will slow. if you are still eating below that level, you will eventually starve to death.
if you answered NO to the above question, then i would simply point out to you that the overwhelming majority of people have a resting BMR above 1200. that was the point i made in the very first post of this thread. not everyone of course, i guessed that maybe 1% do not. perhaps it's more than that, perhaps it's less. but a large majority do. so by definition, a large majority of people will eventually starve to death if they were to only live on 1200 calories. do you disagree with that?
if the answer is again NO, then all 3 of my comments you quoted above are correct.
notice that i used "almost" in two of those comments to provide the necessary wiggle room for the 1% who can survive on 1200 calories. if you want to argue that the 1% is really 5%, then that's fine. but my point still stands.0 -
I hope I can post here, as I'm struggling with this concept...I've read up a lot on it but I still can't grasp it. At 1,200 (my MFP-set goal) I'd be eating below my BMR, which seems pretty terrible (a 51% cut from TDEE!). But -20% from my TDEE would be 1,855 which is a terrifying number.
I've been stalled for a month now (lost a single pound...) so I'm not sure if I should just work harder, exercise more consistently (well yeah I need to do that, too!) and see if it changes, or really just inhale all food that comes near me and go by my TDEE-20%. Any help from someone who's knowledgeable would be appreciated!
Right there with ya, Chickie! I was set at 1200 calories and was eating my exercise calories, so I grossed around 1400 a day. It worked great (note ticker below) until around October when I plateaued. I am still in that same plateau. I am trying the TDEE - 20% to see if it works. So far, I will say that I am not as tired, and I feel like I have more energy. No weight loss yet, but I hear it takes a few weeks for your body to adjust.0 -
If you don't do well on 1200 calories, don't eat 1200 calories, but don't dictate to other people.
It's really that simple.
Whoever made the above statement on this thread, I have to agree 100%!!!!!
I had someone message me saying I was wrong in what I was doing for my weight loss.....REALLY ??!!! What works for me is what works for me. Everyone is different and needs to do what works for them. This site should be for comparing and helping, not dictating what one should or shouldn't do.
I hear ya.
I once posted a thread about whether my abs were coming through (as I lost a little fat on my stomach), and got a lecture from almost everyone about my 1200 calorie intake. :laugh:0 -
bump0
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Reposting the original post to remind anyone who has just joined in what this thread is about. Sensible advice for anyone who has tried 1200 calories a day and found it hasn't worked for them.
Each to their own, but for anyone (newcomers in particular) who is struggling on 1200, the advice from WinnerVictorious is really, really helpful. It's not a "you must do this" post but simply a signpost towards an easier way to lose weight.
Too bad the original post didn't have the "found it hasn't worked for them" caveat. It might have been more well received than just the blanket "do this or you're wrong" pronouncement.
there is no "do this or you're wrong" pronouncement in anything i've posted. i left plenty of wiggle room for those for whom 1200 is valid or for those who decide to adhere to 1200. words matter. i choose and parse my words carefully so that my meaning is clear. i'm dumbstruck at the notion than anyone can read what i've written, disregard what those words actually mean, and then invent a new meaning and attack me for something i didn't write.
:frown:
Intent is often hard to discern in the written word, I'll give you that. But with pronouncements like --
"you should almost certainly be eating MORE than 1200 calories per day"
"too low for almost everyone who does not have an unusual medical condition requiring a low calorie intake, in which case that person would have to be under medical supervision"
"don't need to suffer the side effects of a 1200 calorie diet"
-- I don't think the "almost"s are really enough to make many infer that you think 1200 is okay for anyone other than the proverbial special snowflake.
do you believe that people can be healthy eating under their resting BMR for a prolonged period of time? resting BMR being the minimum amount of energy you need even if you were to sleep all day every day. this is the number of calories you need to survive. if you have fat reserves, of course those will be burned to make up any deficit. but eventually, those reserves will run out and your metabolism will slow. if you are still eating below that level, you will eventually starve to death.
if you answered NO to the above question, then i would simply point out to you that the overwhelming majority of people have a resting BMR above 1200. that was the point i made in the very first post of this thread. not everyone of course, i guessed that maybe 1% do not. perhaps it's more than that, perhaps it's less. but a large majority do. so by definition, a large majority of people will eventually starve to death if they were to only live on 1200 calories. do you disagree with that?
if the answer is again NO, then all 3 of my comments you quoted above are correct.
notice that i used "almost" in two of those comments to provide the necessary wiggle room for the 1% who can survive on 1200 calories. if you want to argue that the 1% is really 5%, then that's fine. but my point still stands.
1200 Gross or 1200 Net. I don't know which one you are talking about?0 -
How did you lose and gain at a consistent net calorie level?
Here is the response I gave you on the last page (thread is moving fast!)I can only put it down to my body being really unhappy with getting calories way below my BMR for months upon end. I was constantly hungry, my skin was constantly breaking out and I felt utterly miserable. I also struggled to do any endurance sport (up to six hours of mountain climbing most weekends) despite eating back my exercise calories. My body was being starved.
Once I started eating a calorie intake above my BMR, I felt tonnes better and the weight started shifting. Best of all my endurance when doing sport has gone through the roof and my bodyfat percentage has noticeably dropped.
Thanks, I did miss the reply. If it's not possible to gain on a calorie deficit then it still doesn't make sense, but I'm glad you found what works for you.0 -
Yawns. *eye roll*
I'm always amazed at the amount of people so focused on what other people are doing and eating....
Yep.
Its not so much what other people are doing... go read any thread that says someone is frustrated or hungry and read what they are eating... seriously 1200 calories is a recipe for eventual stall or even frustration and extreme hunger. People don't like hearing the truth.0
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