is 1200 calories enough?

Tanny3
Tanny3 Posts: 26
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all,

iIm trying to lose weight for my wedding in six months time! I'm 5'7 and weighing atm around 10 and a half stone, I've lost half a stone already but I just wondered if 1200 cals is enough?? it's what MFP has recommended but I don't want to starve myself. I'm not exercising as such at the mo as I want to get down to around ten stone before I start back to the gym (I just can't do both as then all I want to do is eat the wrong thing!)


Cheers

Replies

  • CaribaBeba
    CaribaBeba Posts: 3
    No! If you're 5'7, there's no way 1200 is enough. Up your calories and get some exercise in. Plus, make sure you eat the extra calories MFP gives you for exercise! You don't have to be hungry. Just make the right food choices in your calories and you'll feel MUCH better. I'm 5'1 and I do cardio plus weight training, but I aim for 1500-1600 calories a day. Eat more, girl!
  • Tanny3
    Tanny3 Posts: 26
    thanks CaribaBeba! I thought it was strange that MFP put me on that I thought I'd be more around the 1500 mark I'll up them now...I def dont need telling twice haha. No wonder I'm shattered!! xx
  • adenium11
    adenium11 Posts: 173 Member
    Way to go on paying attention to this! So many people dont and wonder why they are feeling so poorly and not losing weight. To little of calories can set your body into starvation mode!

    You seem very well on top of your goal already youll get where you want for your wedding! Good luck!
  • ShannonKN
    ShannonKN Posts: 152 Member
    I had the same problem, and people on here suggested I use my BMR as my lower calorie limit (before adding calorie credits from exercising -- I live for those calories I get to eat "extra!"). For me, it means that my weight loss goal is now only 0.5 lbs per week, which is a nearly invisible change on the scale thanks to water weight fluctuations, but I'm trying to take the long view. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!
  • cubbies77
    cubbies77 Posts: 607 Member
    Try switching it to one pound per week. That should give you more calories to play with. You can also increase your exercise if you want to eat a bit more.

    You really don't need to set it to two pounds per week unless you need to lose 75+ pounds. Most people your size set it to a half-pound or one pound per week. :)
  • dawlschic007
    dawlschic007 Posts: 636 Member
    Depending on how much weight you want to lose, try changing your goals to lose 1 pound per week or half a pound per week if you only have less than 15 pounds to lose. Also, what do you have your activity level set for? If you have it set for sedentary, you may want to change it to lightly active since most people are not truly sedentary. That should give you a better range of calories to work with you and you can always add in exercise to earn more.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    MFP only suggests numbers based on what you tell it. If you ask for the 2 lb/week loss then it gives you that number. Actually it gives you 1200 because that's as low as it goes. You shouldn't be trying to lose more than 1% of your body weight per week.
  • CaribaBeba
    CaribaBeba Posts: 3
    Good girl!! You'll feel MUCH better.
  • Tanny3
    Tanny3 Posts: 26
    I've put my cals up to 1450 and reduced the weight loss to 1lb per week, I'm a nurse so I've selected lightly active although this is probably more than this on a busy day I'm on my feet constantly!

    Thanks for wishing me well for my big day very exciting! just want to feel my best :) thanks for all the advice xx
  • Tanny3
    Tanny3 Posts: 26
    just to check though, I thought that cals burned through exercise shouldn't be eaten back if your wanting to lose weight?? or have I completely got that wrong? x
  • CherokeeBabe
    CherokeeBabe Posts: 1,704 Member
    No, eat more. As for eating back exercise cals, it seems to be a personal thing. If you're hungry, no reason not to.
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    Weird thing - I notice that when I overeat, I tend to go over my calories by about 200, so my baseline of 1400 would bump me up to 1600. So I decided to set my baseline at 1200 so that I wouldn't go over 1400, and I tend to be under 1200 most days. Of course I have been rather unwell the last couple of weeks (bad cough plus ulcerative colitis flare), so that probably has something to do with it.

    Anyway, right now, for me 1200 calories is more than enough.
  • zipora21
    zipora21 Posts: 27 Member
    I think it depends on the person. I am doing 1200 but I am also eliminating processed foods. I eat only Veggies and Fruits, Beans, whole Grains. I think people often forget how abundant Veggies are. Little Calories but a lot of food. I wouldn't recommend going under 1200.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    just to check though, I thought that cals burned through exercise shouldn't be eaten back if your wanting to lose weight?? or have I completely got that wrong? x

    When MFP gives you a calorie goal it has already created a deficit for you. This means that without exercise, you will still lose weight. When you exercise that deficit is further increased.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    just to check though, I thought that cals burned through exercise shouldn't be eaten back if your wanting to lose weight?? or have I completely got that wrong? x

    If MFP is estimating your exercise calories, then you should eat 50% of them. Generally, this will put you around 1800 ish total calories. Also, make sure you are weight training (heavy weights) and some cardio/hiit. This will help you maintain your lean body mass. Also, you can adjust your macro's to around 40/40/20 (carbs/protein/fats). Higher protein will improve muscle retention as well.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,474 Member
    i think it is fine.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    My nutritionist didn't think 1200 calories were enough. I upped it to 1450 which has me losing about a half pound a week. I also eat part of my exercise calories as well.
  • kolkol
    kolkol Posts: 300 Member
    I lost 30 lbs in 3 months eating 1200 healthy calories, I was not hungry eating the right calories (not much processed at all)! I would work out about 4 to 5 days a week burning about 500 to 800 calories and ate back some of them sometimes. I was not hungry. Although I have read plenty of stories of girls not losing at that low amount, they lost more eating more. Physical trianers usually (well ones I have talked to) say do not go under 1200 calories, so I believe 1200 is enough to not starve yourself but everyone is different. So maybe play around with it, see what happens if you up it 100 calories for a week or maybe even up it 200? Oh I did forget to say I did eat one, just one meal a week that was high in calories. So one day I would probably eat close to 2000 calories.
  • bjmarsh14
    bjmarsh14 Posts: 16
    I have also been wondering the same thing. Although I am lightly active at work, I tend to workout in the evening when I get home. I eat around 1200 healthy calories and still feel hungry throughout the day. When I eat 1200 processed/unhealthy calories I feel like I've had enough. I have been thinking about boosting up mine to 1lb/week to give me more room, but hadn't really decided to until reading this forum.
  • barryarnold18
    barryarnold18 Posts: 9
    I always see the calories burned as a bonus which sometimes I use e.g. a days hiking can be up to 4600 calories so using some of them back is OK.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    1200 is a random number that means absolutely nothing. Calories should be based on your height, age , weight , activity level and how much you have to lose. The more you have to lose the bigger your starting deficit can be. If you use a plan like mfp which already includes a deficit then you should eat back your calories - at least half. If you have calculated based on a method that already includes your calories then you should not. Read These:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/943139-weight-loss-cheat-sheet-ipoarm
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937709-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/833026-important-posts-to-read
  • eep223
    eep223 Posts: 624 Member
    I've found that dropping the crap from my diet (process snacks and beer, mainly), 1200 (or 1200+ including my exercise calories) is not that hard to meet. I don't always meet it, but I try to stay below 1500, which is below my BMR.

    I always eat back my exercise calories. My calories given are factored in without exercise, based on my "sedentary" lifestyle of a desk job. In reality, I move around most days (walking dogs, etc.), but I add that to my exercise calories. It's only been less than a month, but the scale is moving down and I'm happy.
  • dlcarroll13
    dlcarroll13 Posts: 65 Member
    I have also been wondering the same thing. Although I am lightly active at work, I tend to workout in the evening when I get home. I eat around 1200 healthy calories and still feel hungry throughout the day. When I eat 1200 processed/unhealthy calories I feel like I've had enough. I have been thinking about boosting up mine to 1lb/week to give me more room, but hadn't really decided to until reading this forum.

    I have done alot of research on this, worked with a Dietician, Personal Trainer, and am myself a Nurse Practitioner. The minimum an individual should be consuming is a NET of their BMR, meaning eat at least your BMR PLUS any workout calories burned. Use caution with this however if you are using MFP estimates of calories burned...they can be quite off in some cases. In this case the use of a HRM is helpful, or perhaps only eating back a portion.

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