Less than 1200

You should be netting your BMR minimum. Meaning eat your BMR as well as any exercise calories you burn.

I wouldn't worry too much about starvation mode. If you don't hit 1200 calories minimum, you will die within a week.

Ha! That's bull****! I haven't eaten 1200 calories in over 3 months and I'm not dead..

It won't stop your fat loss but it will probably make it less efficient.

There's two issues: nutrient availability and energy availability. You may be able to cover the first but the second is undetermined. Insufficient energy availability can lead to impaired recovery ability and lower NEPA / NEAT meaning an actual smaller calorie deficit than if you had eaten more and done more.

Your calorie sweet spot is a personal thing but don't be afraid to raise calories if you desire.

Yeh, don't worry too much...............the signs of the damage you are doing to your body won't appear for a while.......


In the meantime, while waiting, take at look at the following link.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/919346-still-think-your-1200-or-less-diet-is-a-good-idea?page=1#posts-13949561

Wow, too many links to read there, unless you have absolutely NOTHING to do all day and night, lol.

I wouldn't worry too much about starvation mode. If you don't hit 1200 calories minimum, you will die within a week.

Very rude!

You will not die, you will not go into starvation mode, you will still loose weight, but very strenuous exercise may be difficult.

I have probably 500-800 calories a day. Not because I am trying to eat that low, I just enjoy the food that I eat. I occasionally go out for meals or have a takeaway and exceed 1400 calories, so it all evens out in the end..

If I was to do strenuous exercise for over an hour I would probably not have enough energy so on those days I eat more calories as I am hungrier or know I wont have the energy.

Just don't worry about it, everyone's body needs different amounts of calories, so just see how you feel. If you are like me and function perfectly fine on fewer than 1200 and are happy that way, then go for it!

Yeh, don't worry too much...............the signs of the damage you are doing to your body won't appear for a while.......


In the meantime, while waiting, take at look at the following link.


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/919346-still-think-your-1200-or-less-diet-is-a-good-idea?page=1#posts-13949561

Just clicked on one at random, check out her diary - all she eats is lasagne and chocolate milkshake. Cos everyone knows you're gonna lose weight eating that. No wonder she wasn't losing weight!

NB: and you won't get damage if you don't do it for sustained periods, I lived with a 30 year alcoholic for a while (till he was kicked out...obvious reasons) and he has managed to evade liver damage because he'll drink then stop for like a week to let his liver recover.

You know weightloss comes from burning more than you eat right? So if the milkshake and the lasagna fit into her calorie intake for weightloss....what happens?

Also so many other things wrong with your alcoholic example...my head will explode.

Calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and BMR (basal metabolic rate) then figure out what you're comfortable eating in between those two numbers. TDEE is the number of calories your body needs to maintain your current weight, given your activity level and lifestyle; BMR is the number of calories your body needs to maintain proper function if you were to be completely bedridden. Typically, a healthy weight loss number is to eat 20% less calories than your TDEE.

At the end of the day, it's ultimately calories out v. calories in, so if you're using more than 1200 cals, you *will* lose weight, but will you be healthy? Will it be sustainable?

telling from my been there done that experience.....it's dangerous and harmful and can damage your liver and kidneys

You know weightloss comes from burning more than you eat right? So if the milkshake and the lasagna fit into her calorie intake for weightloss....what happens?

Also so many other things wrong with your alcoholic example...my head will explode.

They didn't that's the hilarious thing, she had like 2 days of good eating, 12 of binging.

Well I didn't lie about the alcohol thing...it's true.

So 30 people can't lose weight. It depends on the induvidual, if she's losing weight on lower cals then so be it. Everyone is so hardcore with getting the right amount of macros. As long as you eat sensibly most of the time.

You will not die, you will not go into starvation mode, you will still loose weight, but very strenuous exercise may be difficult.

I have probably 500-800 calories a day. Not because I am trying to eat that low, I just enjoy the food that I eat. I occasionally go out for meals or have a takeaway and exceed 1400 calories, so it all evens out in the end..

If I was to do strenuous exercise for over an hour I would probably not have enough energy so on those days I eat more calories as I am hungrier or know I wont have the energy.

Just don't worry about it, everyone's body needs different amounts of calories, so just see how you feel. If you are like me and function perfectly fine on fewer than 1200 and are happy that way, then go for it!

I'm sorry, but your advice borders on the "slippery slope" of bad advice given. Nobody should ever say "it's okay to eat that low of calories" on MFP, because people WITH EATING DISORDERS will take that to heart and continue on their dangerous path of self destruction. It is NOT, has NEVER BEEN, and WILL NEVER BE, "okay" to eat that few calories, EVER.

sighs...you can't be in starvation mode if you are eating every day ..it is impossible...

People in Africa who do not eat for weeks at a time are in starvation mode....

People who miss snack 20 out of 24 are not in starvation mode..and people who eat 1200 calories a day are most certainly not in starvation mode..

If 1200 works for you ..keep doing it..if it does not then try a different method..whatever you try keep at it for four to six weeks...

When i used to eat less than 1200 calories i stopped loosing any weight and i cound't do any activity other than being a couch potato....

and please don't compare people in africa with your situation....most of the starving people there don't live long and usually die early, that's why they have a high mortality rate there....do you want to join them?

When i used to eat less than 1200 calories i stopped loosing any weight and i cound't do any activity other than being a couch potato....

and please don't compare people in africa with your situation....most of the starving people there don't live long and usually die early, that's why they have a high mortality rate there....do you want to join them?

He wasn't comparing, he was saying they are in starvation mode, eating is not starving.

It sounds like you are relatively active. More information would be needed to suggest an appropriate calorie goal for you, but what you're doing now sounds too low for even a sedentary person who weighs considerably less.

Please take a look at this page to get some basic information on setting an appropriate calorie goal to help you lose weight in a healthy, sustainable manner:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy

Good luck!