1200 calories day??

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Replies

  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,658 Member
    Hi,

    I was just wondering... does anyone go by the 1200 calories that MFP suggests?? It seems a little low to me. Just wondering if any of you adjusted your daily calorie goal or went by the 1200?

    Thanks for any input :0)

    I am on 1200 calories per day, it suits me and works for me.

    Some people can't stand it, others do well on it. Find what works for you and stick with it,
  • sammi_j
    sammi_j Posts: 12 Member
    I eat 1600 & try to burn 400. I find I need to eat at least 1600 or I don't lose weight
  • toomanycats75
    toomanycats75 Posts: 33
    I am 38, 5'10", and 161 pounds. MFP set me at 1200 calories when I started, but I raised it to 1500, which is my BMR according to their calculator. I eat back some but definitely not all of my exercise calories. Time will tell how well this will work for me! I am not technically overweight by BMI, but feel better around 145, so I am aiming to get closer to that and build some muscle. Building muscle on 1200 calories is practically impossible, so I am settling for a slower approach to achieving my goals.
  • smylegirl
    smylegirl Posts: 3 Member
    I have it set to 1240 (? not sure why it's not 1200), but I rarely eat that little. My Fitbit adds "exercise" calories to the total (even if it's not "official" exercise), so I usually end up eating somewhere in between 1240 and whatever the recalculated total is.

    When I had it set to 1510, and the Fitbit added exercise calories, I would end up eating too much. So I probably am eating closer to 1510 now than I was before (although I try not to eat as many as 1510). Today was around 1400, but I worked out too (I probably should have eaten more today, but I overindulged this weekend).

    When I eat closer to 1240, I'm pretty much hungry the entire day, and generally not too happy either. Losing weight by eating 1200 calories a day definitely depends on both your metabolism and your mindset, and neither of mine are geared to doing that. And I'm OK with that.
  • jess6742
    jess6742 Posts: 146
    I think it's really important to differentiate between eating 1200 vs netting 1200 calories. My BMR is only 1100 kcal so netting 1200 calories is fine. With working out I end up eating around 1400-1600 calories a day even though MFP has me set to NET 1200 a day.
  • BriHealthy150
    BriHealthy150 Posts: 54 Member
    I stick to 1200 net calories a day. There are definitely days that I go over, but I try to keep those days to a minimum. I try not to deprive myself. If I'm truly hungry and not just bored, then I will go over, but it took a long time to learn the difference. Good luck!

    same with me!
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    Pretty sure I would starve at 1200. MFP sets me at 2000 calories a day for weight loss, and if I have done Insanity that day, I usually gross almost 3000.
  • KristalBryenton1
    KristalBryenton1 Posts: 1 Member
    I am also on the 1200 set cals per day. Even before joining MFP I had myself on a 1200 plan. I do fairly well with this, but in my case I get bumped up to 1400-1600 by MFP due to the Exercise I do. On days that I can go over my set limit I usually don't, I feel too sluggish if I go over what I am use to, and If I do go over its only by a little. Today I took advantage of it :blushing:
    It was rough to begin with only the 1200, but eventually you get use to it. or at least I did. Good luck :)
  • TruckersWifeTruckersLife
    TruckersWifeTruckersLife Posts: 408 Member
    mine starts off with the 1200 calories per day and then by the time i have logged my exercises for the day it tells me i can have anywhere between 1700 and 2000 calories a day i am flat out getting to the 1200 a day
  • Crochetluvr
    Crochetluvr Posts: 3,286 Member
    I started at 1200 but in the beginning of the year I started increasing my calories little by little. I am now up to 1400.
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
    I eat 1200 before lunch.
  • Siegel15
    Siegel15 Posts: 100 Member
    Really? Yikes! I am 57, and I have been at 1200 cals a day, burning about 400 cals a day. I don't feel hungry at all as I eat nutritionally strong foods so that I CAN eat less. How ever, the weight is not coming off too fast, I keep stalling. So, may be should up it a bit. If I eat back the calories I lose NOTHING at all.
  • Siegel15
    Siegel15 Posts: 100 Member
    When I started MFP 3 weeks ago it set my calorie goal at 1200 but I am thinking I need more too. Of course starting out I put that I wanted to lose 2 pounds a week (doesn't everyone?), but compared to the amount of activity that I am doing and the calories I eat I am not seeing the results I think I should. I think a slight adjust in calories would help me personally.

    Hope you get things adjusted so you can be on your way to obtaining your goals!
    ^^^^^
    This
  • Siegel15
    Siegel15 Posts: 100 Member
    I have tried now for two days, eating back my burned off calories and I have gained 4 pounds. This is what I was afraid of.
  • j6o4
    j6o4 Posts: 871 Member
    i have adjusted to the 1200 cal's a day and have lost a lot of weight. now that i am used to the calories i sometimes go over but not by much. You will find that you have to cut out all the fast food, junk food, sodas and such. But you will feel lots better. Its more of a lifestyle change not a diet.

    1200 is the minimum calorie intake for a sadentary women, i do believe you are a male and the minimum for a male is 1800.
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
    Hell no. Food is too delicious for 1200 calories a day.


    I have tried now for two days, eating back my burned off calories and I have gained 4 pounds. This is what I was afraid of.


    You would have had to consume around 14,000 calories the past two days in order to gain 4 pounds of fat. I doubt you exercise THAT much! Probably water weight, I wouldn't stress over it.
  • stormpike
    stormpike Posts: 5 Member
    1200 kcal is possible for me. I started off at 97.1kg on the 20/06/2013 and so far I have lost 4.8kg. I only discovered this website beginning of July. It is definitely possible. Some days I go over 1200kcal but most days I managed to stay below 1200kcal. Manage to clock in weight loss of 1kg/week. Plateau a bit but usually start falling again after a few days. It is definitely doable.
  • Mitchlou84
    Mitchlou84 Posts: 135
    I am on 1200, which for me is to lose 1.5lb a week.

    I try to stick to it, but don't get upset if I go over. For me though I exercise every day, sometimes up to 800 cals (I wear a HRM) and I eat every single exercise calorie going, so I eat at least 1800 cals a day, often 2000.

    There is no way I would be willing to eat only 1200 cals of actual food, I would be miserable
  • unFATuated
    unFATuated Posts: 204 Member
    I used to eat that (plus breastfeeding calories) but then I worked out my BMR and realised I was eating far too few calories. It would depend on your personal needs, how much you currently weigh and how much you have to lose, but I think it's probably far too low for most people.

    I'm currently 76kg (167lbs) down from 86kg (189lbs) in 11 weeks and eat no less than 1800cals per day, and usually eat back the calories burned in training.
  • digyan
    digyan Posts: 7 Member
    MFP formula is overly aggressive in my opinion. If you're petite, i.e. 5ft and on your last 5-10 lbs from goal weight you can get away with eating 1200 calories for a few months, but it's not sustainable in the long run. Sooner or later you'll plateau and have no more calories to cut to break the plateau. Generally you should aim to eat at a deficit to lose 1% of your body weight per week, and steadily reduce calories to maintain that lose for longer than be aggressive at the outset which can make things unsustainable down the road.
  • TubbyChubb
    TubbyChubb Posts: 1 Member
    Now that I have cut out most junk food from my diet for the past 4 days I am having trouble even getting to 1200 a day! Today I ate dinner out so got to 1400, but the prior two days I was around 1100 and didn't feel hungry at all.

    I'm wondering if I'm not eating enough now. I haven't been a big eater in the past, but have made poor food choices. I'm 163cm (5'4) and currently 58kg (129 pounds).

    What higher calorie yet healthy food do others suggest?
  • andiebaco
    andiebaco Posts: 211 Member
    I do..

    My BMR is 1498, losing the 20% for diet loss, it comes to 1200.

    Right now I try to eat around 1400 - 1500 because I'm following the 5:2 diet, and honestly? Sometimes it's hard for me to reach the calories allowance so I end up eating a bit less..

    I'm a firm believer that you have to listen to your body. If you are hungry? you should eat a little bit more but no more than your BMR, however, if you're not hungry, I don't believe in eating just for the fact that you need to reach a calorie goal.

    Everybody is different and part of this journey is to learn how to read our body and give it what it needs and no more than that :)
  • RhondaLDean
    RhondaLDean Posts: 1 Member
    If you are active, you would likely need to take in more than 1200 calories. The trick is what you choose to eat as those calories! I can eat more or less all day, keeping my blood sugar steady and my stomach satisfied by choosing healthy, low calorie snacks like snap peas, celery, greek yogourt, raw carrots, etc. I find the crunching helps too....
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    Old thread is old.
  • jmthib58
    jmthib58 Posts: 8 Member
    I tried doing the 1200 calories last year, and did it for a couple of months. I lost next to nothing for weight and was hungry all the time. I ended up giving up. Now I'm trying again, and adjusted upward to 1400 calories (before exercise). Hopefully, this will be more sustainable. I'm also not trying to focus too much on the numbers. I think tracking food may make the difference in the long run, as long as I don't start playing games with myself.

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