Is 1200 cal too low?

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DankaCibulka
DankaCibulka Posts: 91 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey guys,
I joined MFP two weeks ago. MFP recommended to eat 1290 calories per day. So I ate 1290 calories per day. Now I use TDEE Calculator and it saying - 1700 calories per day. It's really huge difference. Now I dont know what is the right way. To be honest, I have problem to fill 1290, I can't even imagine how I will eat 1700 calories per day. But still I want to go in right way:)
My weight 204 lbs
My height 5' 3"

Any opinions?

Thanks

p.s.: sorry for my English, it is not my native language:)

Replies

  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,143 Member
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    You will get different opinions. Some will say 1200 is to low...others will say its fine. What matters is are you getting what your body needs? Do you feel tired? Do you feel hungry? (really hungry not just wanting to eat) Are you losing too fast? Everyone needs to do what works for them. :)
  • DankaCibulka
    DankaCibulka Posts: 91 Member
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    I lost 5 lbs per two weeks. I feel tired but I guess it is because I never work out or smt like that and now I do Shred in 30 every day. So I can't reconsider if it is because my body is starving or because work outs.
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,143 Member
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    Try for another week and see what you lose. You really should aim for a pound a week, but in the first week or so you lose mostly water so it doesn't really count. Sometimes you need to experiment a bit to see what you body responds to best. Losing weight is not an exact science. :)

    I should add that if you are exercising off a lot of calories but only eating 1200, that may be why you are tired. Your body needs more to just do what it needs to do every day to survive....pump blood, breathe, think,...it all takes some calories. So don't cheat your body. If you are netting too few calories after exercise, eat some more.
  • DankaCibulka
    DankaCibulka Posts: 91 Member
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    Thank you. I will try it with 1500 cal per day next week and I will see:)
  • leslielewisxu
    leslielewisxu Posts: 2
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    I've been on 1200 calories since last July and I have lost 50 pounds. During the school year, I get very few workouts in, so I don't think it was too low. When I work out in the summer, I wouldn't even consider it.
  • dayone987
    dayone987 Posts: 645 Member
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    MFP likely gave you the 1290 not including exercise. If you are doing the 30 day shred you should add the 200-250 ish calories you are burning during exercise.
    TDEE calculations usually include your activity level so you don't eat back your exercise calories.
  • DankaCibulka
    DankaCibulka Posts: 91 Member
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    thank you to all. at first I will eat all calories I´ve burn in work outs.
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
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    It's too low for me. My optimal calorie amount for weight loss is around 1800. Any less than that and I'll lose weight, just not very fast. And I have a lot less energy.
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
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    I used to eat 1200, but I found I lost weight most when I started eating a bit more and exercising a lot. I aim for 1400 a day now and make sure to eat a lot of protein. Macros are very important!

    Remember, eat back as much of your exercise calories as possible!!

    If you look at my diary, I lost about 500cals from exercising today and I am trying to eat back most of it in my allowance :)

    Good luck
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    I'm 5"9 I was 240ish I got down to 220 without a problem, joined here, discovered I wasn't even eating 800 calories a day. MFP recommended me to eat 1200 calories.. I struggled. A lot.. I did continue to lose weight.. Until around the 212 mark.. then I yoyoed between 212-215 for a month. still trying to eat 1200 (and missing) plus huge workout. weights, cardio, aerobics, walking, hiking. etc.. looked into that TDEE thing.. says I should be around 1900 (which I still can't even fathom). So I went to the IFcalculator, it gave me a range of 1408-1643 which I am MUCH more comfortable with being able to reach daily. I still miss, but I usually get close to the low number..and I'm down to 202. I've only been tracking since end of November. I switch to eating whole raw foods, cut out (almost) all processed foods, currently switching to organic.. and I feel amazing. I have so much energy that strangers everywhere comment on it. I've always had energy, but i'm literally bouncing off the walls now.. lol.

    It's not just the calories it's the quality of the calorie. Weight loss is my secondary goal a bonus.. So i look at food choices from a nutrition and health stand point rather then weight loss. of course weight loss is part of the goal, but i'm not in this until a certain goal weight is achieved, i'm in this for life. depending what your goals are is how you need to structure your diet and workouts.

    Food is fuel not a reward. Best thing to teach yourself.
  • blackcloud13
    blackcloud13 Posts: 654 Member
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    I'm 5"9 I was 240ish I got down to 220 without a problem, joined here, discovered I wasn't even eating 800 calories a day. MFP recommended me to eat 1200 calories.. I struggled. A lot.. I did continue to lose weight.. Until around the 212 mark.. then I yoyoed between 212-215 for a month. still trying to eat 1200 (and missing) plus huge workout. weights, cardio, aerobics, walking, hiking. etc.. looked into that TDEE thing.. says I should be around 1900 (which I still can't even fathom). So I went to the IFcalculator, it gave me a range of 1408-1643 which I am MUCH more comfortable with being able to reach daily. I still miss, but I usually get close to the low number..and I'm down to 202. I've only been tracking since end of November. I switch to eating whole raw foods, cut out (almost) all processed foods, currently switching to organic.. and I feel amazing. I have so much energy that strangers everywhere comment on it. I've always had energy, but i'm literally bouncing off the walls now.. lol.

    It's not just the calories it's the quality of the calorie. Weight loss is my secondary goal a bonus.. So i look at food choices from a nutrition and health stand point rather then weight loss. of course weight loss is part of the goal, but i'm not in this until a certain goal weight is achieved, i'm in this for life. depending what your goals are is how you need to structure your diet and workouts.

    Food is fuel not a reward. Best thing to teach yourself.


    "Food is fuel not a reward. Best thing to teach yourself" <
    Genius!
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    Here is a good place to check out what you should be eating. I'd say 1200 is too low for you.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0
  • markdavy1982
    markdavy1982 Posts: 109 Member
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    I see this question all the time about mfp says this and tdee says that but when you think about it there both right!!!!

    MFP doesn't ask for your energy consumption that you lose though exercise yet it does recommend to eat your exercise calories back.

    TDEE calculators ask for everything as a total including your exercise calories.

    So with MFP you get 1200 calories and with TDEE you get 1700.... How much does 30 minutes of shred burn off? Im guessing around 500.....

    Personally i think the MFP calories are better because if you get injured and cant train your not eating the extra calories that TDEE has already factored in.

    As for actually eating 1200 calories a day, its your choice. If you can eat that amount of calories and dont get ill, feel low on energy and dont stop losing weight though your body going into starvation mode then go for it.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,454 Member
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    MFP recommends 1200 calories for me too. I don't feel it's enough. I find it gives me a little more if I drop it down to lose 1/2 lb a week, so that might work for you. You do have to add in exercise calories and eat them back (your goal should alter in your food diary when you add in exercise).

    I follow the method in the link above and I find it's easier. I eat the same day to day and don't have to work out exercise calories (so I don't log exercise on MFP). That gives me about 1500 calories a day.

    If I was you I'd increase my calories by either of those methods. You will still lose weight as long as you have a deficit. It might be slower, but it should be easier to sustain. (And I think there may be other benefits of eating more such as preserving muscle, and getting more nutrition in - food is good).

    Don't worry about not being able to eat more! For most of us who are overweight or obese we must have been eating more than our daily energy expenditure to put on the weight. Eating more is something we are good at! :laugh: If you try you'll probably find it easier than you think. What I have found restricts my eating is that subconsciously I am trying to be "good" - it's a mental avoidance of food, rather than truly not having appetite for it. Once you can eat more you don't need such firm mental control and so you're more aware of your appetite, perhaps. I certainly have NO problem eating all my calorie allowance :smile: .

    Good luck!
  • DankaCibulka
    DankaCibulka Posts: 91 Member
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    Thank you all:)
  • rosettafaery
    rosettafaery Posts: 102 Member
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    I felt quite tired and grumpy when I was on 1200 calories a day. Now I've increased it to 1600 and I feel a lot happier - but it is what works for you and make sure you listen to your body. :smile:
  • DankaCibulka
    DankaCibulka Posts: 91 Member
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    I will try eat more. I have to eat all calories I´ve burn.
    And I will see how it works:)
    :wink:
  • penguinattackstudios
    penguinattackstudios Posts: 79 Member
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    I lost 5 lbs per two weeks. I feel tired but I guess it is because I never work out or smt like that and now I do Shred in 30 every day. So I can't reconsider if it is because my body is starving or because work outs.

    Unless if you're doing a workout routine that is supposed to drain your energy, then you shouldn't be feeling AS tired after a workout. You may not be eating enough to fuel your workout. It's really important that your body gets enough protein to repair the muscles.

    Personally, I think 1200 is too low. If you weren't working out it would be fine, but since you are I would suggest eating at least 1500.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    First, I don't understand why it's telling you 1290. Are you on the 'lose 2 lb a week' setting? Then change to 1 lb a week. I'm 5'5" and 188 lbs and I have 1450 as sedentary.

    Then eat your exercise calories back (buy a HRM monitor or I guess you can just add 150-200 a day for the 30 day shred. Unsure how much it burns). That should put you around the 1600 most calorie counters give you.

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