is 1200 calories enough?

Options
2»

Replies

  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    Options
    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
    Options
    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
    Options
    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.

Categories