1200 Calories

kaseyAnne425
kaseyAnne425 Posts: 230
in Food and Nutrition
I know that eating 1200 calories is not the most recommended plan, however I seem to have had success with that plan (not anymore.. haha). I've recently added exercise to my plan and the scale hovers around 185/186/187, with no real loss. It's quite frustrating, because I don't know if it's because I'm eating too few calories? I want to lose about 30 pounds and want to see the weight start to come off (I'm trying to be patient). Could someone help me out? I don't want to increase my caloric intake in fear of it really effecting what I'm trying to do.

Thanks
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Replies

  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    MFP is designed for you to eat back some of your exercise calories and still be at a caloric deficit, so yes, I'd always recommend increasing your calories when you add exercise.

    That being said, it's not uncommon to see no change or even a slight gain on the scale when you start a new workout program or increase an old one because our bodies flood sore muscles with water to help cushion and heal them. This could be masking any fat loss that is going on.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
    I know that eating 1200 calories is not the most recommended plan, however I seem to have had success with that plan (not anymore.. haha). I've recently added exercise to my plan and the scale hovers around 185/186/187, with no real loss. It's quite frustrating, because I don't know if it's because I'm eating too few calories? I want to lose about 30 pounds and want to see the weight start to come off (I'm trying to be patient). Could someone help me out? I don't want to increase my caloric intake in fear of it really effecting what I'm trying to do.

    Thanks

    So what you're doing isn't working but you don't want any advice on how to change that then?

    Okay, good luck.


    Also, right at the beginning of your post you say that you know 1200 cals isn't the most recommend plan but you seem to have success with it. Then you go on to say how you're not having success and want to know how to change that. Unless you have to veer from your (not working) 1200 plan.


    Just checked your diary. You're not even logging consistently.
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    I know that eating 1200 calories is not the most recommended plan, however I seem to have had success with that plan (not anymore.. haha). I've recently added exercise to my plan and the scale hovers around 185/186/187, with no real loss. It's quite frustrating, because I don't know if it's because I'm eating too few calories? I want to lose about 30 pounds and want to see the weight start to come off (I'm trying to be patient). Could someone help me out? I don't want to increase my caloric intake in fear of it really effecting what I'm trying to do.

    Thanks

    Stop working out. I heard somewhere that it helps.
  • escloflowneCHANGED
    escloflowneCHANGED Posts: 3,038 Member
    You speculate that you are eating too few calories but you don't want to eat more calories?

    Okay, good luck.
  • kaseyAnne425
    kaseyAnne425 Posts: 230
    I know that eating 1200 calories is not the most recommended plan, however I seem to have had success with that plan (not anymore.. haha). I've recently added exercise to my plan and the scale hovers around 185/186/187, with no real loss. It's quite frustrating, because I don't know if it's because I'm eating too few calories? I want to lose about 30 pounds and want to see the weight start to come off (I'm trying to be patient). Could someone help me out? I don't want to increase my caloric intake in fear of it really effecting what I'm trying to do.

    Thanks

    So what you're doing isn't working but you don't want any advice on how to change that then?

    Okay, good luck.


    Also, right at the beginning of your post you say that you know 1200 cals isn't the most recommend plan but you seem to have success with it. Then you go on to say how you're not having success and want to know how to change that. Unless you have to veer from your (not working) 1200 plan.

    Actually no.. I said it WAS working for me, but since adding exercise, I'm not seeing the results that I used to. I would just like to know the healthiest route to go from more experienced users here.. Geez.
  • kaseyAnne425
    kaseyAnne425 Posts: 230
    Seems like I sent the wrong message across. I'm looking for advice.. not sarcasm. Cut me a break. Eating on 1200 calories USED to work for me when I was not exercising. Now that I am, I'm not really moving on the scale nor am I feeling a difference in my clothing. I'm not quite sure how much to increase my caloric intake, I know nothing about this stuff. All I wanted was help from someone more experienced than me..
  • Achrya
    Achrya Posts: 16,913 Member
    Seems like I sent the wrong message across. I'm looking for advice.. not sarcasm. Cut me a break. Eating on 1200 calories USED to work for me when I was not exercising. Now that I am, I'm not really moving on the scale nor am I feeling a difference in my clothing. I'm not quite sure how much to increase my caloric intake, I know nothing about this stuff. All I wanted was help from someone more experienced than me..

    Eat more food. If you're working out you need to eat those calorie back; you gotta fuel your body for it to perform for you.
  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,179 Member
    Then stop exercising.
    Or do different exercises..
    or Increase your intake and work out longer and harder, the end result will still be the same.
  • LaurenAOK
    LaurenAOK Posts: 2,475 Member
    Actually no.. I said it WAS working for me, but since adding exercise, I'm not seeing the results that I used to. I would just like to know the healthiest route to go from more experienced users here.. Geez.

    The healthiest route to go would be to eat more calories, but you said you didn't want to do that, so I'm not sure how else we can help you.

    While it's true that you can lose weight eating 1200 (as you have been), there are healthier ways to lose weight, especially once you've added exercise in. You've got to be open to increasing your calories, though. Doing so has helped hundreds of people on this site, including myself.

    Here's a great thread about how to calculate your caloric needs: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912920-in-place-of-a-road-map-3-2013

    Good luck with everything.
  • lilcassers
    lilcassers Posts: 163
    yes you are. 1200 is okay if you don't workout. But when you work out you're burning at least 200 calories. Your body needs fuel! I would increase to 1400 for a month and see what happens. Else you will go into starvation mode and plateau.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
    Seems like I sent the wrong message across. I'm looking for advice.. not sarcasm. Cut me a break. Eating on 1200 calories USED to work for me when I was not exercising. Now that I am, I'm not really moving on the scale nor am I feeling a difference in my clothing. I'm not quite sure how much to increase my caloric intake, I know nothing about this stuff. All I wanted was help from someone more experienced than me..

    I weigh less than you and I'm not exercising but before pregnancy I was losing very well eating 1800 calories (currently maintaining on 2100). I don't think you are eating enough :flowerforyou:
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    1. You don't log all the time.
    2. Even the days you do, you still aren't regularly hitting 1200.
    3. Are you actually weighing your food? Legit, not guessing weighing.
    4. How are you guessing your calorie burn, do you use a HRM? No?


    Start doing those regularly. At least those.
    Give it 4-6 weeks.

    If you still aren't losing, adjust upwards. I'm willing to bet that you're undereating/overestimating calories burned. Something is wrong in the equation, just have to figure out what it is exactly, and the burden is on you.. .not the forum.
  • Bijee
    Bijee Posts: 28 Member
    MFP is designed for you to eat back some of your exercise calories and still be at a caloric deficit, so yes, I'd always recommend increasing your calories when you add exercise.

    That being said, it's not uncommon to see no change or even a slight gain on the scale when you start a new workout program or increase an old one because our bodies flood sore muscles with water to help cushion and heal them. This could be masking any fat loss that is going on.

    As this user said it is designed for you to modify your calories when you work out. in additon to logging your food log your exercise so you can see how much more you can go over. This method works. When I did weight watchers it incorporated the same thing (increased eating for working out). You have to fuel your workouts and give your body something to burn.

    Good luck, hope it helps!
  • AndreaGrace29
    AndreaGrace29 Posts: 51 Member
    I was exercisizing several times a week and also maintaining a certain number of calories a day. It took FOREVER to see any significant loss. Once I stopped working out, (and continued monitoring/restricting calories), I started losing a pound a week. Not working out just worked better for me.
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
    Seems like I sent the wrong message across. I'm looking for advice.. not sarcasm. Cut me a break. Eating on 1200 calories USED to work for me when I was not exercising. Now that I am, I'm not really moving on the scale nor am I feeling a difference in my clothing. I'm not quite sure how much to increase my caloric intake, I know nothing about this stuff. All I wanted was help from someone more experienced than me..

    Go to www.fitnessfrog.com and calculate your TDEE. Eat TDEE - 20%. This will include your exercise calories. It will likely be substantially more than 1200 calories. Work your way up over a couple of weeks. You may see a little gain to begin with but wait it out. Your body will need to get used to the added calories because your metabolism has slowed. TDEE - 20% will probably result in about 1 pound a week loss.
  • born2drum
    born2drum Posts: 731 Member
    1. You don't log all the time.
    2. Even the days you do, you still aren't regularly hitting 1200.
    3. Are you actually weighing your food? Legit, not guessing weighing.
    4. How are you guessing your calorie burn, do you use a HRM? No?


    Start doing those regularly. At least those.
    Give it 4-6 weeks.

    If you still aren't losing, adjust upwards. I'm willing to bet that you're undereating/overestimating calories burned. Something is wrong in the equation, just have to figure out what it is exactly, and the burden is on you.. .not the forum.

    Can you give us your stats? Just judging by your weight alone you are in starvation mode. Your body or any 185lb body cannot burn fat(stored fat mind you) at 1200 calories. You body will begin to store fat because it thinks its starving. You should be at no less and no more than 1700 calories plus exercise. You can't expect to lose weight by eating 1200 calories. Try eating at 1700 calories plus working out for 2 weeks. I promise you will see the scale move. Also, this isn't an over night thing either
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    1. You don't log all the time.
    2. Even the days you do, you still aren't regularly hitting 1200.
    3. Are you actually weighing your food? Legit, not guessing weighing.
    4. How are you guessing your calorie burn, do you use a HRM? No?


    Start doing those regularly. At least those.
    Give it 4-6 weeks.

    If you still aren't losing, adjust upwards. I'm willing to bet that you're undereating/overestimating calories burned. Something is wrong in the equation, just have to figure out what it is exactly, and the burden is on you.. .not the forum.

    ^this is wonderful advice. also log your exercise and eat back those exercise calories. Too much of a deficit isn't a good thing.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Seems like I sent the wrong message across. I'm looking for advice.. not sarcasm. Cut me a break. Eating on 1200 calories USED to work for me when I was not exercising. Now that I am, I'm not really moving on the scale nor am I feeling a difference in my clothing. I'm not quite sure how much to increase my caloric intake, I know nothing about this stuff. All I wanted was help from someone more experienced than me..

    There are two ways to determine how many calories to eat.

    1. Set your MFP profile up accurately (and reasonably - set it to lose 1 pound/week) and log your food and exercises every day. MFP will tell you how much you should be eating.
    2. Figure out your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and take a moderate cut from that (10-20%). There are a lot of online calculators for this but I usually use: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    1. You don't log all the time.
    2. Even the days you do, you still aren't regularly hitting 1200.
    3. Are you actually weighing your food? Legit, not guessing weighing.
    4. How are you guessing your calorie burn, do you use a HRM? No?


    Start doing those regularly. At least those.
    Give it 4-6 weeks.

    If you still aren't losing, adjust upwards. I'm willing to bet that you're undereating/overestimating calories burned. Something is wrong in the equation, just have to figure out what it is exactly, and the burden is on you.. .not the forum.

    Can you give us your stats? Just judging by your weight alone you are in starvation mode. Your body or any 185lb body cannot burn fat(stored fat mind you) at 1200 calories. You body will begin to store fat because it thinks its starving. You should be at no less and no more than 1700 calories plus exercise. You can't expect to lose weight by eating 1200 calories. Try eating at 1700 calories plus working out for 2 weeks. I promise you will see the scale move. Also, this isn't an over night thing either
    I love misquotes.
  • Squamation
    Squamation Posts: 522 Member
    Rule #1: never ask MFP message boards about eating on 1,200 calories.

    My Advice:

    If you're nervous about upping your calories first take a hard look at your logging. Are you really logging everything? Are you sure you're not already eating over 1,200? Do you take "bites" of things during the day/while you're cooking and don't log it?

    I used to eat 1,200 but stalled out and so I upped my calories to 1,300. I stuck with it for over a month and nothing happened. Then I took a hard look at what I was really eating and saw that i was actually consuming 100-200 extra calories a day without realizing it. It was all through taking small bites here and there of foods I was making for my kids/husband/myself. 100-200 doesn't sound like a lot, but it was enough to stall my progess and put me in maintenance.

    So I stopped "tasting" while cooking, put my calories back down to 1,200 (where I had been getting results originally) and have started to see progress again.

    {edit} For exercise I do strength training 3x a week and *try* to run as well but its very sporadic and varies from week to week how much I get in, anywhere between 0-5x a week.


    This is just what happened with my body and how I chose to handle it- don't know if it will work for you, but hopefully it at least gives you something to think about.

    Feel free to add me as a friend.
  • Ariana_75
    Ariana_75 Posts: 224
    My 2 cents:

    > Break up your meals into 6 'small ones' throughout the day and have a lean source of protein at every meal (egg whites, chicken breasts, fish, lean meats etc)
    > Get about 1 gram of protein /lb of body weight.. this will help you gain muscle mass which helps burn fat
    > Eat complex carbs in the morning and post workout (the exact amount varies from person to person so you just have to play around with your macros and adjust them as you go)
    > Eat healthy fats (avocados, almonds etc)
    > Don't stop working out! Lift heavy weights you won't get bulky. More muscle = Higher fat burning
    > Don't over do the cardio. Incorporate plyometrics and HIIT into your routine instead of long boring steady state cardio
    > Change your workouts. There are tons of programs you can follow on bodybuilding.com
    > Drink at least a gallon of water a day and get at least 8 hours of sleep
  • darlilama
    darlilama Posts: 794 Member
    I think it's awesome that you've decided to add exercise into your lifestyle. Yes, you can lose weight without exercising, but unless you have an already active lifestyle, adding exercise will definitely improve your overall health. Forming good habits now will make a huge difference as you get older.

    First, you need to figure out about how much exercise you're adding. Consistency makes it a bit easier, but, at least have an idea.

    Second, based on that activity level - being VERY honest with yourself, determine your caloric needs. Someone else gave you a link, or you can google "TDEE Calculators" to get a calculator and more info.

    Third, set up your MFP goals to meet what the calculator gave you using the "custom" option.

    Lastly, log faithfully and accurately. If you have a Heart Rate Monitor, you can more accurately determine the number of calories you are actually burning. It varies by person and even by day. Typically the generic MFP entries are higher than most people report they burn using a HRM.

    Good luck!!
  • Ariana_75
    Ariana_75 Posts: 224
    Check out Layne Norton, PhD 's website www.biolayne.com where he talks about low cal diets and exercise and the damage this can cause to your metabolism. It is mainly directed to competitors but it has great information regarding your concerns.
  • crazebeck
    crazebeck Posts: 70 Member
    Seems like I sent the wrong message across. I'm looking for advice.. not sarcasm. Cut me a break. Eating on 1200 calories USED to work for me when I was not exercising. Now that I am, I'm not really moving on the scale nor am I feeling a difference in my clothing. I'm not quite sure how much to increase my caloric intake, I know nothing about this stuff. All I wanted was help from someone more experienced than me..

    Eat back at least 1/2 of your exercise calories earned, you dont have to eat them all back. Stick with it. Are you measuring yourself? The scale isnt always the best way to track your success. If you havent already begun measuring yourself, do it once a week or month. You may be losing inches but not noticing it. It happens to me all the time.

    Hang in there. Remember to mix up your workout, drink plenty of water, and eat! :)
  • cgroat
    cgroat Posts: 1
    Wow! I'm just starting with myfitnesspal and am frankly appalled by many of the responses you've received to your very good and probably physiologically complicated question. I've found that most helpful to me in terms of weight loss over time is flexibility. When something that worked for a while stops working, I "play" with what I'm doing until I get back to having some success. I get the sense that you're very sincere about your weight loss goals and working hard at it. As I'd guess you know, exercise builds muscle and that weighs more, so you're probably still losing fat. While I agree with others that 1200 calories is on the low end, if you want to stick with that, do so for a while, continue to exercise and drink plenty of water. If you're willing to experiment, add 100-200 calories per day and see what happens. I've experienced most success when I think, and act in terms of eating for health instead of just focusing on weight loss alone. Good luck!
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,585 Member
    Figure out your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) and take a moderate cut from that (10-20%). There are a lot of online calculators for this but I usually use: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

    ^^^ DO THIS! I'm maintaining at the minute (would like to say still losing, but I've got a bit side tracked the last few weeks with holidays and such). I weigh 146.6lb, am 5'2", and Lord knows what my average intake is, maybe around 2,300-2,400?

    Weigh everything, log religiously even when you go well over your target, do exercise that you enjoy. 1200 is not enough in the vast majority of cases. When I started MFP I fell into the same trap, but you really don't need to - eat a bit more, but eat healthy food 80-90% of the time and log it all, continue to exercise but for your health rather than the scales. :flowerforyou:
  • MsEndomorph
    MsEndomorph Posts: 604 Member
    Lots of changes at once can be frustrating. If things aren't going well, what do you blame it on? What do you change?
    Is it your calories? Is it your new workout plan? Is it just your body's weight loss slowing down naturally?

    Your diary is kind of...everywhere...so I'm not 100% sure what's going on. You were on 1200 calories, but then you read here that it was too low, so you upped it? And no you're working out (good for you!) but you aren't eating back your exercise calories? Or you are?

    Did you happen to figure out your TDEE/BMR by any chance?
  • jharb2
    jharb2 Posts: 208 Member
    you don't say if you are eating your excercise calories back - 1200 if the minimum net you should be eating so therefore you need to eat what you excercise to at least maintain the 1200 - if you don't you are below the 1200 and will therefore stop losing because it is not enough!!!.
  • leaellenj
    leaellenj Posts: 38
    I agree with every single person who has said to eat more.

    1200 calories is not enough for most people.

    Be patient and kind with yourself too. And try to guage all the nonscale victories you have.
  • Melissa22G
    Melissa22G Posts: 847 Member
    Not interested in your previous responses. The one I commented on was, in my opinion, unnecessary and unhelpful in any way. There could be all sorts of reasons why someone may have joined a long time ago and not used the programme until now and it would seem to me, by their response, that they were actually trying to help the OP. Your sarcasm wasn't warranted, or very fair.

    Stacie,

    While the forums are a wide array of information that's beneficial to all users- there are creatures called "trolls" on the forums. The purposely create trouble out of boredom, or God knows what they feel like at the time. It is usually with someone that creates a profile and has 1 or 2 posts then deactivates their account after being satisfied with their mischief.

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