My 1200 calorie story

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  • bookworm_847
    bookworm_847 Posts: 1,903 Member
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    Great post!

    And good for you for the progress you're making and for your success! :drinker:
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    Thank you for this post. I've been feeling "off" for a while now - almost like I'm depressed. I wonder if that's a result of a reduction to 1200 calories that MFP suggested almost 2 months ago. Has anybody had this happen to them?

    Yes. I had some of the same symptoms as the OP...especially the hair thinning and loss when I was aiming for 1200....even with eating some of my exercise cals back.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    MFP has me at 1340. I've been doing that for 2 weeks. I looked into the TDEE that you mentioned and it says my BMR is 1340 (same as MFP) but my TDEE is 2010. That's quite a difference. I don't understand any other this :( I feel like every site says something different. I want to do it right and feel good but I'm so afraid of over eating and "ruining" all my hard work.

    Yeah, so you are NET 1340 but if you do any type of exercise you're actually taking in MORE than 1340 in total food calories by day's end.
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
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    .
  • britzzie
    britzzie Posts: 341 Member
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    My maintenence is 1380 but I end up eating around 1200 most of the time. I truly cannot fathom eating that many calories. When I go up to 1500 I gain weight and plateu around 125/126 lbs. If I go above that I end up closer to 130.

    I think maybe you missed the point?
  • Lumen1505
    Lumen1505 Posts: 77 Member
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    Wow I REALLY needed to see this today - my start point is quite similar re. the 1200 kcals - now I'm around 1400 bit am going to calculate my TDEE -20% as my energy levels are really starting to drop (I have three boys under 6 I cant afford that at all!)
    I've sent you a friend request - hope that's okay x
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I'm a little confused. Could someone help me out?
    MFP suggested 1200 calories/ day to me. (Sedentary lifestyle, I exercise 4-5 times/week moderately, often just light jogging). I usually consume about 1221-1350 calories/day and only burn about 200/day. I have been steadily losing weight (about a pound/week) since May 1st. I feel great but is there something wrong with what I am doing?

    So you are doing it right by only losing 1lb/week. That's what a doctor would recommend as well.

    According to MFP anyone that works a desk job is considered sedentary even if they workout each day (it's what you do the other 23 hours/day) but someone that works on their feet (i.e. in a factory or in a restaurant) would not be considered sedentary.

    If you are eating 1221-1350 (in total calories going into your body) you are actually doing it wrong.

    Here's what it should look like for you:

    1,221 (eaten)
    - 200 (workout)
    1021
    + 200 (eaten)
    1200 NET

    So you've actually taken in a total of 1421 calories for the day and burned off 200 to NET 1200 but you actually took in more than 1200 so you'd be doing it right.
  • Pmscur
    Pmscur Posts: 19 Member
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    I read your story and it sounds so familiar. I teach Taekwondo 8 hours a day but struggle to eat and not drink my calories. I loose focus when I do not get my work out shake, my hair and skin are good, but urine is almost clear. The Dr. Just suggests not eating fried food which I never do. I do log my food and have for years. My struggle is not being hungry and trying to get more than 800 calories in a day before work .
    Suggestions on a new start?
  • RPric1
    RPric1 Posts: 11
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    I started losing when I ate more and listened to a trainer...more protein and more exercise at the right times.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    I'm a little confused. Could someone help me out?
    MFP suggested 1200 calories/ day to me. (Sedentary lifestyle, I exercise 4-5 times/week moderately, often just light jogging). I usually consume about 1221-1350 calories/day and only burn about 200/day. I have been steadily losing weight (about a pound/week) since May 1st. I feel great but is there something wrong with what I am doing?

    As long as you're eating back at least a portion of the exercise calories you earn you appear to be doing it right. The closer you get to goal weight though you'll need to lower your desired loss per week from 1 lb to .5 lbs.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    My maintenence is 1380 but I end up eating around 1200 most of the time. I truly cannot fathom eating that many calories. When I go up to 1500 I gain weight and plateu around 125/126 lbs. If I go above that I end up closer to 130.

    I think maybe you missed the point?

    Yeah, so your calorie needs per day are less. When I was 135lbs I was 1660 to maintain (that would be a day with 0 exercise). If you are eating 1200 "most of the time" plus working out you are actually NET below 1,200 which is not good.
  • PepperWorm
    PepperWorm Posts: 1,206
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    According to MFP anyone that works a desk job is considered sedentary even if they workout each day (it's what you do the other 23 hours/day) but someone that works on their feet (i.e. in a factory or in a restaurant) would not be considered sedentary.

    Didn't know that. Thanks for the tip. I retract my statement from before.
  • RPric1
    RPric1 Posts: 11
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    Make sure you aren't overdosing on B vitamins, as that can cause hair loss too
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I read your story and it sounds so familiar. I teach Taekwondo 8 hours a day but struggle to eat and not drink my calories. I loose focus when I do not get my work out shake, my hair and skin are good, but urine is almost clear. The Dr. Just suggests not eating fried food which I never do. I do log my food and have for years. My struggle is not being hungry and trying to get more than 800 calories in a day before work .
    Suggestions on a new start?

    I would say eating 800 calories BEFORE work is what is not working. For you I would suggest packing snacks (healthy snacks) and eating every 2-3 hours. You need to graze with that much activity going on in your career/work day! :)
  • riccoismydog
    riccoismydog Posts: 319 Member
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    What about if your TDEE minus 500 - 600 calories is around 1200? I don't do a lot of cardio, I am very petite, and I work behind a desk. 1200 is fine for me. I doubt OP is as tiny as I am. I am under 5'5, and I have a very petite bone structure. My BMR is only 1300 or so for the day. Obviously if you are a bigger person you need more calories. If you are like me and losing a vanity weight of fifteen pounds ... you need less food. I can tell by Op's pic she is larger than I am. How about we all just do what works for us, and people get off the damn soap boxes?
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
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    According to MFP anyone that works a desk job is considered sedentary even if they workout each day (it's what you do the other 23 hours/day) but someone that works on their feet (i.e. in a factory or in a restaurant) would not be considered sedentary.

    Didn't know that. Thanks for the tip. I retract my statement from before.

    You are most welcome! Here's how MFP writes it:

    Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)

    Lightly Active: Spend a good part of the day on your feet (e.g. teacher, salesman)

    Active: Spend a good part of the day doing some physical activity (e.g. waitress, mailman)

    Very Active: Spend most of the day doing heavy physical activity (e.g. bike messenger, carpenter)
  • crystalfisher89
    crystalfisher89 Posts: 196 Member
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    What am awesome story! Thanks for sharing because I have a TON of friends on here that eat only 1200 calories. I happily eat about 1700 calories at day, though I probably should up my intake as put in huge burns, it is just where to find those extra calories without jumping on the junk food train. I've started using protein shakes and shakeology to help bump up my calories now too! Good luck on your weight loss journey from here on out!
  • 0110Charlotte
    0110Charlotte Posts: 26 Member
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    I'm a little confused. Could someone help me out?
    MFP suggested 1200 calories/ day to me. (Sedentary lifestyle, I exercise 4-5 times/week moderately, often just light jogging). I usually consume about 1221-1350 calories/day and only burn about 200/day. I have been steadily losing weight (about a pound/week) since May 1st. I feel great but is there something wrong with what I am doing?

    So you are doing it right by only losing 1lb/week. That's what a doctor would recommend as well.

    According to MFP anyone that works a desk job is considered sedentary even if they workout each day (it's what you do the other 23 hours/day) but someone that works on their feet (i.e. in a factory or in a restaurant) would not be considered sedentary.

    If you are eating 1221-1350 (in total calories going into your body) you are actually doing it wrong.

    Here's what it should look like for you:

    1,221 (eaten)
    - 200 (workout)
    1021
    + 200 (eaten)
    1200 NET

    So you've actually taken in a total of 1421 calories for the day and burned off 200 to NET 1200 but you actually took in more than 1200 so you'd be doing it right.

    So if my net goal was 1200 calories and I ate only 1200 calories, if I exercised, I should eat more to bring me back up out of the negatives?
  • unoriginalusername007
    unoriginalusername007 Posts: 83 Member
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    Thanks for your post. Very valuable lesson learned. Question is, will anyone hell-bent on 1200 calories/day pay attention?
    No, that's the sad thing. People don't even want to listen. They know that there are serious repercussions to depriving your body, yet they're ignorant about these repercussions. They think that, "Oh, hair loss? Psh, no, that's not going to happen to me." It's really too bad that people don't take note of stories like this.

    OP, wonderfully said. I couldn't agree with you more. :drinker: I was in the same boat as you at one point and totally know how important eating more is for your body.
  • HippieChickadee
    HippieChickadee Posts: 34
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    I'm a little confused. Could someone help me out?
    MFP suggested 1200 calories/ day to me. (Sedentary lifestyle, I exercise 4-5 times/week moderately, often just light jogging). I usually consume about 1221-1350 calories/day and only burn about 200/day. I have been steadily losing weight (about a pound/week) since May 1st. I feel great but is there something wrong with what I am doing?

    So you are doing it right by only losing 1lb/week. That's what a doctor would recommend as well.

    According to MFP anyone that works a desk job is considered sedentary even if they workout each day (it's what you do the other 23 hours/day) but someone that works on their feet (i.e. in a factory or in a restaurant) would not be considered sedentary.

    If you are eating 1221-1350 (in total calories going into your body) you are actually doing it wrong.

    Here's what it should look like for you:

    1,221 (eaten)
    - 200 (workout)
    1021
    + 200 (eaten)
    1200 NET

    So you've actually taken in a total of 1421 calories for the day and burned off 200 to NET 1200 but you actually took in more than 1200 so you'd be doing it right.

    So if my net goal was 1200 calories and I ate only 1200 calories, if I exercised, I should eat more to bring me back up out of the negatives?

    This is what I'm trying to find out too! I can't get a clear answer. Do I eat BACK calories burned? Seems opposite to me. I'm new to all this and just trying to find out the right way. Everyone starts somewhere and learns please help us learn too

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