1200 calories is not the minimum for everyone.

somethingvague
somethingvague Posts: 64
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
First of all, I know everyone has something different that works for them but just wanted to add my 2 cents for new people to read who may be trying to figure out the "right thing to do"

So I found this site only one week into my "lifestyle change" (refuse to say diet because it's not, haha) And in this week I was not tracking calories, just eating really healthy and lost 11 pounds(which I know is a lot for one week but I'm very big so it's normal). Once I started here, it seemed that "1200" was the magic number...and even though MFP told me my daily caloric intake (for a goal of 2 pounds loss a week) was 1840, I thought that was way too much and started tracking and only eating 1200 a day, all of this while burning between 3-9 hundred a day exercising. I stopped losing weight and actually gained 2 pounds back in a week. So, I started eating my actual caloric goal - 1840 every day....sometimes dipping into my exercise calories and sometimes not. And in less then a week I lost those 2 pounds again plus 4 more.

Basically what I am saying is...if 1200 hundred calories is the minimum for just basic survival of your body for a normal person, than someone who is 300 pounds will need more than that? 1200-1300 calories a day was still putting me in starvation mode.
So don't feel like you have to do the same plan as everyone else, do what is right for you. 1200 is not a magic number. I still sometimes feel like 1800 calories is too much but it is working for me....do what works! :)

Replies

  • starstealing
    starstealing Posts: 104
    my beef is that i can stick (and lose) with 1200 calories, but i always end up hungry within a couple weeks, binge, and fall off the wagon! thanks for your post!
  • TrainingWithTonya
    TrainingWithTonya Posts: 1,741 Member
    AMEN! I'm not sure who came up with the 1200 calorie "magic number" but you're right it is a totally arbitrary cut off that has snowballed through the media as THE number. There is no one size fits all number for weight loss. If there was, it would be a lot easier for people to achieve their goals. Like you said, the bigger you are the harder your body has to work to maintain organ function and muscle mass. I'm glad you found the right calorie range for you. Keep up the great work and you'll get to your goals!
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
    1200 is the minium, but yes, the bigger you are, the more calories you can eat and lose weight. I still dont get people who set their goal cals down manually and then post about this 2 month plateau they have been on, people EAT food isnt evil its just fuel for your body, eat normal meals, follow what the webpage says and you will lose weight.. I am an example of this
  • funkyspunky871
    funkyspunky871 Posts: 1,675 Member
    Good point. I know that some people need more than 1200 calories. Personally, I've found that I need to stay around 1100 to lose weight. I don't lose eating 1200 or more. (And, my MFP calorie goal is set at 1370... Which I think is wrong, because I know people who weigh less than me and they get like 1500 or more even set at losing 2 pounds a week). I know that it's probably wrong for me to eat even just 100 calories less, so I'm working on bumping it up to at least 1200. I've got to get over this fear I have of not losing any for a week. Just have to give my body some time to adjust and it'l probably start coming off... I'm working on that. :) Haha.

    Good job on your weight loss, btw!
  • karebearnga71
    karebearnga71 Posts: 2
    GREAT JOB!!!!! That is amazing..... Keep up the awesome work
  • mlcdz
    mlcdz Posts: 43 Member
    You are so right! There is no magic formula that works for everyone, but the one thing that IS the same is that biologically, our bodies need enough calories to function at the most basic level (basal metabolic rate or BMR) and enough energy to carry you through the day without dips and spikes. SO, whether you need 1300 or 2100 calories a day, what's most important is that you honor that, move joyfully every day, get enough sleep and drink that water!

    I too was skeptical when it said I could eat 2200 calories a day to lose a pound a week, but by golly they're right. When I do that, I lose about a pound a week. Now, the fact that I've been off track and too busy to focus for the last month, and I didn't pay attention and gained it right back, but the real point is that we have to start honoring and respecting the biology of our bodies.

    Great good luck to you, it seems like your doing fantastically well!
  • FunkBunny
    FunkBunny Posts: 417 Member
    You are exactly right! Your 1800 calories is perfect for you, when people are bigger, they require more calories in order to function, and therefor need more calories to lose. As you lose weight, you will be able to adijust your MFP calorie range according to your new weight and still stay on track.

    The calorie goal that MFP gives people is already giving you a deficit in calories each day in order to achieve weight loss. That is why eating your exercise calories is so important! You don't want to create too much of a deficit and go into "starvation mode" by not eating enough to fuel your body!
  • gardenlili
    gardenlili Posts: 9 Member
    I weigh 177 and the 1200 has worked for me. If I go over 1200 and do not exercise, I start to gain. I seem to be able to eat my exercise calories and not gain but if I do go over my 1200 plus exercise calories, I start to gain. My goal is 150.
  • FabiolaEnvy♥
    FabiolaEnvy♥ Posts: 730
    100% agreeable :) thats correct

    right now for me its either between 1200-1500
    its been working for me like that. so im not sweating anything lower than that.
  • Cina04
    Cina04 Posts: 609
    Like your post!

    Just last night I was confused!

    Based on this site my daily intake is set at 1200 to lose weight (without exercise - so eating your exercise cals is recommended)

    But another formula says I should intake 2130cals (this includes w/ exercise)

    I haven't tried the second formula yet. I'm on my last week of Insanity so I'm going to try the second formula when I start round 2



    Benedict Equation


    Step 1
    655 + (4.35 * weight in lbs) + (4.7 * height in inches) -(4.7 * age)

    Step 2
    Multiply exercise factor

    1.2 - little or no exercise
    1.375 - light exercise 1-3 days
    1.55 - moderate exercise 3 - 5 days
    1.7 - hard exercise 6-7 days
    1.9 - extreme (hard exercise & physical job)


    Step 3
    subtract 500 for weight loss
    add 500 for weight gain
  • KerryB1977
    KerryB1977 Posts: 86 Member
    That's correct. My daily caloric intake is higher than I have ever had while dieting.2240 is the magic number but I only eat about 1850-2000 calories daily and it is working for me. so far have lost 7 pounds in 3 weeks of joining this site,which is so awesome because I never have lost weight like that before. I too am a BIG girl.Keep up the good work girlie!:bigsmile:
  • TabiHerbalifeCoach
    TabiHerbalifeCoach Posts: 691 Member
    I agree completely. Most often though when people join its a huge feet to convince them to eat at least 1200. I am so glad you shared this info hopefully it will help people. I was one of the people only eating 1200 not loosing, Jilliam Michaels program said 1577, My friend above (brunettewife) formula says I need to eat 2,000 calories roughly I don't know if I am comfortable with that just yet, I will try that after October.
  • MissyMorganFit
    MissyMorganFit Posts: 37
    I am aware of this information, however, many are not. I simply wanted to say what a GREAT post! You are making progression toward your goal, & you WILL succeed! Keep your focus on the goal & good luck!
  • symonspatrick
    symonspatrick Posts: 213 Member
    Thanks for the post. I really needed to hear this. I find it difficult to eat enough calories because I feel like then I won't lose weight. But the problem is that I am probably putting my body in starvation mode and sabotaging my own weight loss. I will try to feel less guilty about eating enough calories. Thanks again you have been a real help.
  • Jennwith2ns
    Jennwith2ns Posts: 296 Member
    What seems silly is that they think a person who is 150 lbs can have the same amount of calories as someone who is 300 lbs and still lose weight the same? Umm I dont think so. If I want to lose 1 lb a week my numbers are about 1850 a day.. BIG difference from 1200.
  • RachelBegley1
    RachelBegley1 Posts: 3
    Yea, 1200 is NOT the magic number. You have to take into account your BMR (Basal metabolic rate) and activity level. Sure, you can go with just 1200 for a few days and then your body will release a chemical that causes your metabolism to slow down in order to conserve energy.
    I think of it like a balancing act... if you're not losing like you used to, you may need to increase or decrease your calories, if you have the right amount of calories, you lose weight pretty quick. The trick is to find out what your perfect caloric needs are for your activity and BMR.
  • Aeriel
    Aeriel Posts: 864 Member
    I am glad you posted this, and here is something to support it. When I stared here the end of April, I was 214 pounds and wanted to lose 1.5 pounds a week. My calorie target was 1560 calories. Every 10 pounds I dropped, my target recalculated.....to 1500, then 1440 and now I am at 1380. It has kept my weight loss consistent and after 4 months I am down 33 pounds. I eat some of my exercise calories if I am hungry, but not just because they are there. 1200 calories is a number I will be thinking about if I lose another 30 pounds but not before. Good luck!
  • Mookz0r
    Mookz0r Posts: 143
    My body needs 1412 just to exist - my BMR - so I can't possibly see how dropping to 1200 would be a wise move. My body would be unhappy, I'd be unhappy and well, it just wouldn't work.

    I lost 14lbs on 1450-1550 a day (without including exercise calories). I'm now 154lbs.
  • Cina04
    Cina04 Posts: 609
    My body needs 1412 just to exist - my BMR - so I can't possibly see how dropping to 1200 would be a wise move. My body would be unhappy, I'd be unhappy and well, it just wouldn't work.

    I lost 14lbs on 1450-1550 a day (without including exercise calories). I'm now 154lbs.


    sounds familiar to what my friend was telling me.

    she knows my goal weight is 145...so she said if I wanted to lose weight w/o exercise I would need to consume 1450cals
  • ChristieisReady
    ChristieisReady Posts: 708 Member
    This is an excellent post! Congratulations on your loss and thanks for reminding people that we're not computers-- one program will not work the same for everyone!
  • Kadeee
    Kadeee Posts: 5
    Hey thanks so much for the info. I an finding myself fluctuating as well and I am kinda feeling discouraged. The funny thing is , is that yesterday was my sisters wedding and I was very careful with what I ate and when I go home I typed everything in and I was under my calories by five and over on carbs by 23 . Then I step on the scale this morning and it showed a three pound weight gain. I am thinking it was the glass of wine that did it but I dunno.I am not going to dwell on it though, I will just make better choices with my new life style change! thanks again
  • somethingvague
    somethingvague Posts: 64
    I am thinking it was the glass of wine that did it but I dunno.I am not going to dwell on it though, I will just make better choices with my new life style change! thanks again

    Yeah, definitley don't dwell on it...I'm sure if I had been at a wedding yesterday I would have drank multiple bottles of wine...haha. One glass is great self control.
  • stormieweather
    stormieweather Posts: 2,549 Member
    Hey thanks so much for the info. I an finding myself fluctuating as well and I am kinda feeling discouraged. The funny thing is , is that yesterday was my sisters wedding and I was very careful with what I ate and when I go home I typed everything in and I was under my calories by five and over on carbs by 23 . Then I step on the scale this morning and it showed a three pound weight gain. I am thinking it was the glass of wine that did it but I dunno.I am not going to dwell on it though, I will just make better choices with my new life style change! thanks again

    The good news is that you didn't gain 3 pounds overnight :). It takes 3500 calories to gain one pound, so 10,500 to gain 3 pounds, which is a hellofa lot of food/wine?? More likely, its just some water weight and by tomorrow or the next day, it will be gone. Drink plenty of fluids today, it will help!
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