Calorie Limit Question!

butreally12
butreally12 Posts: 67 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey there!

I just have a quick question. I've read (and been told) over and over that it's not good for you to eat too FEW calories, going under 1200 calories a day. I try to make sure that I eat about 1200 calories a day, but is it really that bad for you to occasionally go under? Today, for example, I ate breakfast, lunch, and a very hearty dinner at Applebee's. I even came home and had ice cream. I was absolutely full all day, yet before the ice cream I was like 400 calories short of 1200!

I don't want to hinder my weight-loss process by eating too little (that's just silly!) but it's hard for me to want to waste calories when I'm just not hungry!

Any tips you can give me would be greatly appreciated - thanks so much!

Replies

  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    sometimes its not eating lots of volume of food - try to pick things that are more calorie dense. nuts, nut butters, full fat dairy, avocado, olive oil, etc. dont be afraid of bacon either ;)
    i know a lot of people say not to go below 1200, but thats really such a generic number. i believe you shouldnt eat/net below your BMR since thats what your body would need if you were in a coma..
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    You shouldn't even be getting only 1200 unless you're small and relatively sedentary.

    What's your age/height/weight?
  • butreally12
    butreally12 Posts: 67 Member
    I'm 5'3, 22, 140 pounds, and definitely fairly sedentary!! Thanks for your advice!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I'm 5'3, 22, 140 pounds, and definitely fairly sedentary!! Thanks for your advice!

    Your BMR is about 1350 calories. That means on an average sedentary day you use about 1600 calories. So 1200 isn't an unreasonable net, though I would suggest bumping it up to 1250 or 1300.

    However, get some exercise! Add calories burned during exercise on top of that target. So if you burn 300 calories on a treadmill and your target is 1300, eat 1600.
  • butreally12
    butreally12 Posts: 67 Member
    Thanks! I appreciate your advice. But my question was more general - is it harmful to eat below 1200 (or 1250, or 1300, or whatever I have as my goal) if I'm just full? I don't want to eat just to eat... isn't that the point of eating healthy?

    Thanks!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Thanks! I appreciate your advice. But my question was more general - is it harmful to eat below 1200 (or 1250, or 1300, or whatever I have as my goal) if I'm just full? I don't want to eat just to eat... isn't that the point of eating healthy?

    Thanks!

    Going too far below your TDEE is bad, yes. You don't want to be regularly ending days 600, 700, 800 calories below the amount of energy you used that day.

    Try to keep the calories eaten within 400 or 500 of the energy used that day. So add BMR to exercise calories and don't go more than 500 under that number.
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
    I have to wonder, what was "hearty" at Applebees that was that few calories? Hahaha, it must not be on the menu here

    I think having the occasional day that goes under is just life, not a huge deal. One bad day in a week or two is not going to ruin you. Regularly not eating enough is a problem, however, and you should look into ways to fit in more calories. You can cook with more olive oil, have some peanut butter, avoid the low-fat/low-calorie versions of things, etc etc. Eating 1200 calories is not a challenge. Really, eating 1500 calories is not a challenge. Good luck!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I have to wonder, what was "hearty" at Applebees that was that few calories? Hahaha, it must not be on the menu here

    I think having the occasional day that goes under is just life, not a huge deal. One bad day in a week or two is not going to ruin you. Regularly not eating enough is a problem, however, and you should look into ways to fit in more calories. You can cook with more olive oil, have some peanut butter, avoid the low-fat/low-calorie versions of things, etc etc. Eating 1200 calories is not a challenge. Really, eating 1500 calories is not a challenge. Good luck!

    Applebee's has a whole <550 calorie menu, with some pretty good and filling options there. They mostly consist of a bunch of lean meat and a bunch of veggies.

    One of the entrees is 300 calories, and another is 410.
  • prokomds
    prokomds Posts: 318 Member
    I have to wonder, what was "hearty" at Applebees that was that few calories? Hahaha, it must not be on the menu here

    I think having the occasional day that goes under is just life, not a huge deal. One bad day in a week or two is not going to ruin you. Regularly not eating enough is a problem, however, and you should look into ways to fit in more calories. You can cook with more olive oil, have some peanut butter, avoid the low-fat/low-calorie versions of things, etc etc. Eating 1200 calories is not a challenge. Really, eating 1500 calories is not a challenge. Good luck!

    Applebee's has a whole <550 calorie menu, with some pretty good and filling options there. They mostly consist of a bunch of lean meat and a bunch of veggies.

    One of the entrees is 300 calories, and another is 410.

    Fair enough, I haven't been there in awhile. Good to know :)
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I have to wonder, what was "hearty" at Applebees that was that few calories? Hahaha, it must not be on the menu here

    I think having the occasional day that goes under is just life, not a huge deal. One bad day in a week or two is not going to ruin you. Regularly not eating enough is a problem, however, and you should look into ways to fit in more calories. You can cook with more olive oil, have some peanut butter, avoid the low-fat/low-calorie versions of things, etc etc. Eating 1200 calories is not a challenge. Really, eating 1500 calories is not a challenge. Good luck!

    Applebee's has a whole <550 calorie menu, with some pretty good and filling options there. They mostly consist of a bunch of lean meat and a bunch of veggies.

    One of the entrees is 300 calories, and another is 410.

    Fair enough, I haven't been there in awhile. Good to know :)

    We're getting a bit offtopic, but a lot of places are starting to do this and it's pretty awesome. Even IHOP has a <500 calorie menu. You can go there and get two pancakes with turkey bacon and scrambled egg substitute for like 400 calories, or they'll make a huge omelette with veggies and a bowl of fruit for even less than that.
  • 198601
    198601 Posts: 33 Member
    I am 5' 9'' and had a starting weight of 166 - now 150 - My profile has always said 1200 calories??????? If I am short and I am not hungry I don't eat BUT if I am I eat and go over! I listen to my body and it has worked.
  • ChrisinGA
    ChrisinGA Posts: 116 Member
    OP I only wish I had your issue, Man, I have no issues eating my calories a day 1700 I can eat that w.o even thinking about it.
    I eat breakfast,lunch,dinner then snack at about 8, snack at about 10-11. i always max mine out
  • krickeyuu
    krickeyuu Posts: 344 Member
    OP I only wish I had your issue, Man, I have no issues eating my calories a day 1700 I can eat that w.o even thinking about it.
    I eat breakfast,lunch,dinner then snack at about 8, snack at about 10-11. i always max mine out

    :laugh: ^this^ I wouldn't be on this site logging my food daily if I was struggling to eat 1200 calories.
  • butreally12
    butreally12 Posts: 67 Member
    I don't normally struggle to eat that many, no worries haha! Just occasionally I feel full on less, so I was just curious. Thanks so much for your input guys!

    Oh, and the healthy choices at Applebee's? SO good!! I liked it better than most of the other things I've had there! That's so awesome about Ihop doing it too... LOVE that place!

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