1200 calories?!?!

caimay165
caimay165 Posts: 1
in Food and Nutrition
Whattt??? What are they basing this on? The last time I tried to eat 1200 calories in a day I almost fainted. I'm 195lbs, 5'8", and I do at least six hours of cardio a week. They're joking, right?

Replies

  • kikicooks
    kikicooks Posts: 1,079 Member
    What settings did you use...your activity level and how much you want to lose a week? It is also designed that you eat back your exercise calories.
  • lovenaire
    lovenaire Posts: 10
    The 1200 calories is the net calories. You have to add in the additional calories that your cardio burns. Example, if you are burning 400 calories each day for your cardio, you need to eat 1600 calories to accommodate for your burn and the 1200 for breathing and waking up.
  • mlrodgers381
    mlrodgers381 Posts: 71 Member
    The 1200 calories is the net calories. You have to add in the additional calories that your cardio burns. Example, if you are burning 400 calories each day for your cardio, you need to eat 1600 calories to accommodate for your burn and the 1200 for breathing and waking up.

    LOL!! 1200 for breathing and waking up!! A true statement, but it made me laugh!!
  • trodney1104
    trodney1104 Posts: 48 Member
    It sounds crazy & I thought so too but you eat what you burn. Some days I actually struggle to eat the calories I burn because there are so many. If you re doing 6 hrs of cardio wkly, believe me, you will have plenty to eat. 1200 is just a baseline/ starting point. Give it a try. You' ll do fine. :flowerforyou:
  • mjrkearney
    mjrkearney Posts: 408 Member
    Also, at 5'8, you probably burn more than 1200 calories just lying in bed all day. Check your Basal Metabolic Rate and try not to drop below that.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,658 Member
    Whattt??? What are they basing this on? The last time I tried to eat 1200 calories in a day I almost fainted. I'm 195lbs, 5'8", and I do at least six hours of cardio a week. They're joking, right?

    No, they are not joking.

    Look, if you don't like it, up your calories.

    You did not put your details and activity levels in correctly by the looks of it.
  • jalloggio
    jalloggio Posts: 141
    I feel the 1200 calorie mark is way to low. i read a may clinic study that suggested 1200 calories is the bare minimum an adult woman should go. Males was 1500. Anything below these two numbers was not recommended unless your prescribed a vlcd.

    Honestly i would follow the 250-500 deficit rule.
  • ladynocturne
    ladynocturne Posts: 865 Member
    Go into your setting and change it from 2lbs a week to 1lb a week loss.

    I can barely make my 1450 calories a day + exercise work, 1200 would be death.

    It is not recommend to eat below your BMR, as the lower you eat, the more lean muscle mass will be lost while losing fat. While this will lower your daily caloric deficit some, thus slowing weight loss slightly, it will be worth it in the end.
  • chantels1
    chantels1 Posts: 391 Member
    Maybe you are trying to lose too fast? Try adjusting your goal weight loss to .5 lbs per week, to a max of 1lb per week. Also as others have mentioned, eat back at least 50% of your exercise calories!
  • lisamarie1780
    lisamarie1780 Posts: 432 Member
    Whattt??? What are they basing this on? The last time I tried to eat 1200 calories in a day I almost fainted. I'm 195lbs, 5'8", and I do at least six hours of cardio a week. They're joking, right?

    yes I know, it's a hideous number.

    Google Scooby's workshop calorie calculator. Enter your stats and the amount of exercise you do, it will give you your BMR (which you should be eating above no matter how much or how little exercise you do) and it will also give you the number to eat to lose weight healthily and steadily.... and I bet it's more than 1200.
  • strongmindstrongbody
    strongmindstrongbody Posts: 315 Member
    Change your goal from 2 lbs a week to 1 lb a week. And who knows, you may still end up losing 2 lbs a week anyway. I've noticed some people here do. Wouldn't it be a whole lot nicer to eat more and lose the same amount?
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    I bet you chose "I want to lose 2 pounds per week".

    If you did, then it simply subtracted 1,000 calories from your calculated needs, but to a minimum of 1200. This calculated need they figured out for you was just the amount to live on and do ordinary daily activity not including exercise.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    so, change the settings. 1200 a day is fine for some people, but if you feel its too little, change it!
  • Nachise
    Nachise Posts: 395 Member
    I have been using 1210 as a target for net calories. It is purely a psychological thing for me while before and after recent surgery. I have a tendency to go over by about 100-200 calories, no matter the limit. My weight has been in a holding pattern during this time, but I have been released to resume my exercise and gym routine. I will reset mine to 1400 again.
  • ZyheeMoongazer
    ZyheeMoongazer Posts: 343 Member
    1200 is given to a lot of people, most of the times it's because you selected "Lose 2 lbs a week" (1000 calorie deficit). Unless you are very overweight, this is not a reasonable goal.

    Change your settings and it will given you more calories. Your goals can also be manually set.

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