When is 1200 calories appropriate? (hint: almost never)

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I know i need to increase my calorie intake but to be honest, Im scared ****less.

I have been at 1200 for over a year. I lost about 40 lbs in the first 7 months ish but I have not lost anything since august. The fact that I am maintaining at 1200 is clearly a problem. Im scared to increase because I have tried this before and gained weight. I think ill eat at 1300 for the next two weeks and take it from there. I honestly think a gradual approach is the way to go.

If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it! Messages are welcome

Bump to check out suggested links later...thanks!

I know i need to increase my calorie intake but to be honest, Im scared ****less.

I have been at 1200 for over a year. I lost about 40 lbs in the first 7 months ish but I have not lost anything since august. The fact that I am maintaining at 1200 is clearly a problem. Im scared to increase because I have tried this before and gained weight. I think ill eat at 1300 for the next two weeks and take it from there. I honestly think a gradual approach is the way to go.

If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate it! Messages are welcome

Nothing wrong with easing into it if that's your preference. It could take a little longer since you'll need to give each change a few weeks to see if it works. Your body won't adjust over night. Honestly, I think it's easier to break a plateau by upping calories and increasing the intensity of exercise at the same time. I'm not sure what you are doing now for exercise, but by upping the intensity you likely could jump your calories up 200-300 and still being losing again.

Being a 45 yr old male obviously gives you great knowledge of what works for all of the women of the world - well done sir.

f you are a sedentary 38-year old woman, who is 4'10" and weighs 115lbs and does not exercise, then your TDEE-20% would be approximately 1200 calories.

if you are:

more active than that...
and/or younger than that...
and/or male...
and/or taller than that...
and/or weigh more than that...
and/or engage in cardiovascular exercise, then

you should almost certainly be eating MORE than 1200 calories per day.

I'm fairly new to MFP so I think this is very helpful for us newbies. I'm going to calculate my numbers this weekend and see what I come up with. I notice I'm not so much hungry on 1200 net but I am having energy issues.

I don't think there's anything wrong with telling people that they can eat more than 1200 and still lose weight.
So, THANK YOU!

ladyraven, do you see a difference between attempting to arm people with information and lobbing snarky, snide comments at them any time they share?

'Cuz I do. And I was quite explicitly talking about the latter.

I don't think there's anything wrong with telling people that they can eat more than 1200 and still lose weight.
So, THANK YOU!

I agree with this completely! But I also think there is something wrong with telling people that they are doing it wrong if they are eating 1200.

I don't understand why 1200 calorie diet is bashed on mfp. My dietitian put me on a 1200 calorie diet- and tells me to be sure I eat my calories back when I exercise. I am not hungry, but I do have to make better food choices to stay within the range. Why not eat the amount of calories you think you should be eating and let others do the same?

Exactly. I'm tired of being made out to be an "eat more bully" for sharing what has worked brilliantly for me.

Do you recognize that "eat more bullying" happens? On my home page, in a conversation with friends, a lady just revealed that she keeps her diary closed because otherwise she is inundated with criticism for eating too little. Do you know anybody doing TDEE-20% who is afraid to share that information?

***I have not seen a thread about that system that has low calories eaters constantly sticking their heads in to make ****ty, snarky, insulting comments. It is guaranteed for us.


Could you TDEE-20% people agree that there is a liiiiiiiiittttttttttttle bit of a hostile environment here for people who eat few calories and that is not very nice?

** no, I have not seen a system where the low cal eaters berate the moderate defict people, and do you know why? There is nothing to berate them for, there is nothing about eating at a moderate deficit that can be considered unsafe or unhealthy. It is the perfect way for someone to lose weight. It is manageable and sustainable.

For SOME people, eating 1200 calorie is too much of a defict.
For SOME people it can be unhealthy, and that is why it is better for ALL people to be armed with lot's of information so that they can decide for themselves.

It's good for them to see that they don't have to stick with the 1200 just because that's what MFP spat out, and that it isn't their only choice.

I originally ate 1200, I hated it - I have people on my friends list that ate at 1200, and became ill and lost their hair. 1200 is the MINIMUM recommended calories by health professionals, not the standard and that's why MFP spits it out.

I am sure that if MFP allowed a calorie goal of 800, we would actually be having this same conversation about 800 calories, as so many people just aim for the lowest they can, thinking that less is better and they will get better results, without researching whether it is actually right for them.

I agree with everything you just wrote. But the point is, that many people do not express their opinions with respect like you just did. The OP did not say
For SOME people, eating 1200 calorie is too much of a defict.
For SOME people it can be unhealthy, and that is why it is better for ALL people to be armed with lot's of information so that they can decide for themselves.

No, he said that 1200 cals was not appropriate for 99+% of the people on here. Then went on to spell out what he considered were the official guidelines of who should or shouldn't be eating at that level.

This poster has a long history of creating threads with 1200 calorie in the title, with the sole intention of mocking and insulting everyone who eats at that level. After being called out for his narrow blanket statements, then he will start backtracking and say that he didn't intend to say this or that, and we are just taking it all the wrong way.

And then when I said something he didn't like, he reports me for insulting him.

He later goes on to say that everyone who claims to be eating 1200 are lying and they are really only eating 800 and don't want to admit to it. Really? So he can call us all liars, and that is ok? So his real problem is not with people eating 1200, but those who eat at 800? If so, then direct your vitriol towards those who eat at 800!

Everyone on here who eats at 1200 and admits it is mocked and challenged and put in a position where they have to defend their reasons for eating at that level. And anyone who doesn't see that trend, is not reading the right threads.

And if MFP were to change the minimum to 1400, then we would still have all these threads putting down people who eat 1400 calories that 'choose' to put the minimum amount of calories in their bodies.

The OP was not directed at only those who are 'struggling' with eating 1200 calories. For anyone who is struggling with eating that low, who is starving, weak, losing their hair, have no energy to do anything, then common sense should tell them to eat more. If they have to have strangers on the internet to tell them that they don't HAVE to lose 2 pounds a week, then that is just sad, really. But perhaps those caring souls who are so concerned about them and their health, should respond only to threads created by those who are complaining that 1200 is not working for them, and not flame the threads where someone is sharing what is working for them.

As was mentioned by someone earlier, who said they were accused of being an 'eat more bully' simply because they shared what was working well for them. If I share what is working for me, then I get a bunch of people telling me that I am losing all my muscle, my hair will fall out and I am 'skinny fat'. And also accused of triggering EDs and promoting unhealthy diets.

There have been numerous well written, intelligent posts on here explaining what the problem is, but others refuse to listen as well. We are not upset about people giving options and providing useful advice. We are tired of the rude, narrow-minded, insults and snarky blanketed statements made by SOME of the people who insist that they know what is best for everyone else.

BTW- I have carefully perused my post to ensure that I have not said or done anything that is against Forum Rules, but if anyone feels the need to report me again. Then have fun with that.