I am really starting to get freaked out...
Options
Replies
-
1200 calorie diets, here's the rub. You have to be EXTRA careful and EXTRA dedicated to getting all the nutrition that your body requires to perform at optimal health. What I'm saying is that you can't waste any of your calories on nutrient sparse foods or you risk shortchanging your body into poor performance and possibly poor health. So make sure you're ready to eat grilled/baked chicken breasts, blueberries, spinach, peppers, fish and all the other nutrient dense foods and know that you'll need to completely avoid treats such as flavored coffees, any and all deserts and food prepared beyond boiling, steaming and baking.
Many people on 1200 calorie diets, because it's so restrictive calorie wise, tend not to get a lot of protien. With this scenario, you run the risk of losing a disproportionate amount of muscle to fat. They then hit goal weight and aren't satisfied with their body's appearance. Also, since their body now has less muscle than it did before (one of the major drivers of metabolism) the rate of metabolism is lower, thus fewer calories can be consumed at maintenance. This is a major factor to many people putting their weight right back on. Maintaining existing muscle should always be a priority when losing but it is often ignored in a bid for fast results.
Most people on 1200 calorie diets allow themselves to indulge when they shouldn't. If you can lose weight at 1400, 1500, or 1600 calories, you can have those treats and you can have a better chance of keeping the muscle your body already has. People who do it a little more slowly are better prepared for when they will go on maintenance because they haven't been depriving themselves of not only the 'treat' foods they love but of food in general. People who eat a bit more than the minimum as they lose weight see their weight loss as less of an arduous task to defeat and vanquish but more as a gradual change to something they will be able to maintain for long into the future.
Can you lose safely on 1200? Yes. Is it easy to do and get all the nutrition your body needs? No. Can it be done? Of course but you have to be completely honest with yourself the entire way.
For me, I'd rather do it slowly while enjoying the foods I love, than do it quickly and gain it all back when I finally give into my dreams of eating all the food again (been there, done that and never want to do it again).
QFT!!! Could not of said it any better.... OP make this a marathon and not a sprint, lose the weight slowly and keep it off for the long term..... Best of Luck
I find that I don't lose eating 1200 calories....I upped it to 1460 and I am.0 -
1200 calorie diets, here's the rub. You have to be EXTRA careful and EXTRA dedicated to getting all the nutrition that your body requires to perform at optimal health. What I'm saying is that you can't waste any of your calories on nutrient sparse foods or you risk shortchanging your body into poor performance and possibly poor health. So make sure you're ready to eat grilled/baked chicken breasts, blueberries, spinach, peppers, fish and all the other nutrient dense foods and know that you'll need to completely avoid treats such as flavored coffees, any and all deserts and food prepared beyond boiling, steaming and baking.
Many people on 1200 calorie diets, because it's so restrictive calorie wise, tend not to get a lot of protien. With this scenario, you run the risk of losing a disproportionate amount of muscle to fat. They then hit goal weight and aren't satisfied with their body's appearance. Also, since their body now has less muscle than it did before (one of the major drivers of metabolism) the rate of metabolism is lower, thus fewer calories can be consumed at maintenance. This is a major factor to many people putting their weight right back on. Maintaining existing muscle should always be a priority when losing but it is often ignored in a bid for fast results.
Most people on 1200 calorie diets allow themselves to indulge when they shouldn't. If you can lose weight at 1400, 1500, or 1600 calories, you can have those treats and you can have a better chance of keeping the muscle your body already has. People who do it a little more slowly are better prepared for when they will go on maintenance because they haven't been depriving themselves of not only the 'treat' foods they love but of food in general. People who eat a bit more than the minimum as they lose weight see their weight loss as less of an arduous task to defeat and vanquish but more as a gradual change to something they will be able to maintain for long into the future.
Can you lose safely on 1200? Yes. Is it easy to do and get all the nutrition your body needs? No. Can it be done? Of course but you have to be completely honest with yourself the entire way.
For me, I'd rather do it slowly while enjoying the foods I love, than do it quickly and gain it all back when I finally give into my dreams of eating all the food again (been there, done that and never want to do it again).
QFT!!! Could not of said it any better.... OP make this a marathon and not a sprint, lose the weight slowly and keep it off for the long term..... Best of Luck
Did you really lose 312 lbs?
Congratulations!! I am impressed.0 -
You should be fine. There's a difference between eating 1,200 calories and exercising, and netting 1,200 calories - the former is what is usually meant by the "1,200 calories are bad" threads and the latter are usually (but not always) the defenders of "1,200 calorie diets".
One of the reasons why it is so divisive is because, like "starvation mode", "a 1,200 calorie diet" can mean numerous things. Some might say netting under 1,200 calories while consuming 4,000 calories is bad, some might say it is OK, and some might think that other thing that I can't remember now. With the opposing views, that's possibly 5 or more groups with opposing opinions. "Starvation mode" possibly only has two meanings - when I use it I mean adaptive thermogenesis ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation_response ) because if I meant the clinical term starvation ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starvation ) I would use the word starvation.
When I weighed significantly more I regularly netted 1,200 calories. I'm currently (as of last Friday) calorie cycling for a few weeks and have dropped my deficit to 1 lb/week. I am probably going to net around 1,200 calories more days than I would had I dropped my deficit to 1.5 lb/week and not started calorie cycling because a deficit of 750 kcal/day would probably have me at a net of around 1,450. Even before last Friday those days I was netting around/under 1,200 calories often didn't mean I only consumed around/under 1,200 calories.
Thursday the 15th I netted 1,215 calories and consumed 2,445 calories.
Tuesday the 13th I netted 1,235 calories and consumed 2,429 calories.
Monday 11th: 1,174 and 2,611.
Sunday 10th: 1,208 and 2,734.
Thursday 8th: 1,156 and 2,242.
Tuesday 6th: -1,473 and 2,140 (minimised the effect of Monday the 5th's calorie surplus of ~3,000 calories).
31st May: a net of 1,112 and consumption of 3,863.
24th July I netted 510 calories and consumed 815 calories. Doesn't happen that often, but the day before I netted 2,685 (consumed 2,915) and the day after I netted 2,443 (consumed 3,218) so didn't see it as a major issue.
So, based on what you have posted, no need to freak out because your net probably isn't equal to your food consumption.
If, instead, you were netting and consuming 1,200 and not logging (or ignoring) exercise calories it might be worth looking at whether it is working for you or not, but some people on here in such a situation may already have an idea of what things they can try if they do eventually experience issues.
Edited for punctuation mistake and to try and clarify last sentence.
ETA: My goal is currently 1,680 calories which is probably what I'd average over the week. Previously I was aiming for 1% weight loss per week and a fixed deficit each day, so if I hadn't switched to calorie cycling after those recent couple of bad weeks I would currently be aiming for a net of approximately 1,680-(184/100*3500/7)+500 = 1,260 kcal/day.0 -
1200 calorie diets, here's the rub. You have to be EXTRA careful and EXTRA dedicated to getting all the nutrition that your body requires to perform at optimal health. What I'm saying is that you can't waste any of your calories on nutrient sparse foods or you risk shortchanging your body into poor performance and possibly poor health. So make sure you're ready to eat grilled/baked chicken breasts, blueberries, spinach, peppers, fish and all the other nutrient dense foods and know that you'll need to completely avoid treats such as flavored coffees, any and all deserts and food prepared beyond boiling, steaming and baking.
Many people on 1200 calorie diets, because it's so restrictive calorie wise, tend not to get a lot of protien. With this scenario, you run the risk of losing a disproportionate amount of muscle to fat. They then hit goal weight and aren't satisfied with their body's appearance. Also, since their body now has less muscle than it did before (one of the major drivers of metabolism) the rate of metabolism is lower, thus fewer calories can be consumed at maintenance. This is a major factor to many people putting their weight right back on. Maintaining existing muscle should always be a priority when losing but it is often ignored in a bid for fast results.
Most people on 1200 calorie diets allow themselves to indulge when they shouldn't. If you can lose weight at 1400, 1500, or 1600 calories, you can have those treats and you can have a better chance of keeping the muscle your body already has. People who do it a little more slowly are better prepared for when they will go on maintenance because they haven't been depriving themselves of not only the 'treat' foods they love but of food in general. People who eat a bit more than the minimum as they lose weight see their weight loss as less of an arduous task to defeat and vanquish but more as a gradual change to something they will be able to maintain for long into the future.
Can you lose safely on 1200? Yes. Is it easy to do and get all the nutrition your body needs? No. Can it be done? Of course but you have to be completely honest with yourself the entire way.
For me, I'd rather do it slowly while enjoying the foods I love, than do it quickly and gain it all back when I finally give into my dreams of eating all the food again (been there, done that and never want to do it again).
QFT!!! Could not of said it any better.... OP make this a marathon and not a sprint, lose the weight slowly and keep it off for the long term..... Best of Luck
Did you really lose 312 lbs?
Congratulations!! I am impressed.
He has a blog that's really worth checking out as it documents his progress from start to present.0 -
This is the best explanation I've heard (and most respectful) of all the posts I've read on this forum.
Thank you, brower47.
You're welcome but I can be pretty snarky too. I tend to respond in the same voice that the OP sets the tone in. She seemed open minded,that I can work with and converse with. Other posters set a different tone and I tend to respond in kind.
I'm just trying to say that, in the interest of full disclosure, you shouldn't think I'm nicer than I really am.
Good luck OP and I wish you success.
Don't listen to her, she's always very sweet and has been very supportive of me on my journey :flowersforbrower:
OP: Brower nailed it. You have very little to lose, and slow is the best way to go for it. Joy is also spot on with her suggestion to get a food scale (if you don't already have one). With a small deficit, you will want to make sure your log is as accurate as possible.0 -
I say whatever feels right to you. You may try 1400 and see if you feel any different or lose/gain. Feel free to experiment with your calorie intake because the same amount may not work the same for everyone.
Good luck! You can do this!0 -
mfp gets a lot of undue grief for the whole 1200 calories. No one bothers to notice that mfp RECOMMENDS 1lb a week loss, which gives you well over 1200 calories. Also remember all of these recommendations are for NET calories not gross.0
-
Thank you everyone! I will keep all this in mind, I have so far up'd my calories to my bmr and will eat back my
Exercis calories, I will always net 1200 or higher 0 -
Everyone is different. But I am a woman and short like you..and MFP has calculated for me to eat 1200 calories. My trainer has also calculated what I should be eating and told me to eat 1200 calories. Like you...I have no problems staying satisfied within the 1200 calorie range.
However, if I am hungry...I will not starve myself...I will try to eat a healthy snack and not lose a whole lot of sleep if I go over abit. Listen to your body and as long as you are not going under 1200 calories...you should be just fine.0 -
Welcome to the internet. The bashing means nothing. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
If you do plateau, then you can address the problem. But for now, it sounds like you have no problems.0 -
Awww! If it works for you, and you are comfortable and not hungry, stay with it! Tunnel vision when it comes to those that are closed minded. I wish you the very best!!!! :flowerforyou:0
-
If you've been doing well at 1250 I would continue. I'm 5'2" and have been a normal weight all my life (having had to pay much more attention as I've gotten older). I read bizarre statements on MFP that I have never encountered anywhere else.0
-
Thank you everyone! I will keep all this in mind, I have so far up'd my calories to my bmr and will eat back my
Exercis calories, I will always net 1200 or higher
If you're unbearably hungry or weak because of exercise you should eat more, but remember that you cannot treat estimates of calories burned through exercise as gospel. You will undo your gains. Eat when you're hungry, exercise, weigh yourself.0 -
1200 calorie diets, here's the rub. You have to be EXTRA careful and EXTRA dedicated to getting all the nutrition that your body requires to perform at optimal health. What I'm saying is that you can't waste any of your calories on nutrient sparse foods or you risk shortchanging your body into poor performance and possibly poor health. So make sure you're ready to eat grilled/baked chicken breasts, blueberries, spinach, peppers, fish and all the other nutrient dense foods and know that you'll need to completely avoid treats such as flavored coffees, any and all deserts and food prepared beyond boiling, steaming and baking.
Many people on 1200 calorie diets, because it's so restrictive calorie wise, tend not to get a lot of protein. With this scenario, you run the risk of losing a disproportionate amount of muscle to fat. They then hit goal weight and aren't satisfied with their body's appearance. Also, since their body now has less muscle than it did before (one of the major drivers of metabolism) the rate of metabolism is lower, thus fewer calories can be consumed at maintenance. This is a major factor to many people putting their weight right back on. Maintaining existing muscle should always be a priority when losing but it is often ignored in a bid for fast results.
Most people on 1200 calorie diets allow themselves to indulge when they shouldn't. If you can lose weight at 1400, 1500, or 1600 calories, you can have those treats and you can have a better chance of keeping the muscle your body already has. People who do it a little more slowly are better prepared for when they will go on maintenance because they haven't been depriving themselves of not only the 'treat' foods they love but of food in general. People who eat a bit more than the minimum as they lose weight see their weight loss as less of an arduous task to defeat and vanquish but more as a gradual change to something they will be able to maintain for long into the future.
Can you lose safely on 1200? Yes. Is it easy to do and get all the nutrition your body needs? No. Can it be done? Of course but you have to be completely honest with yourself the entire way.
For me, I'd rather do it slowly while enjoying the foods I love, than do it quickly and gain it all back when I finally give into my dreams of eating all the food again (been there, done that and never want to do it again).
^ Great post.0 -
I want everyone to know I upp'd my calories to 1320,
I got out my food scale, and hoping I can loose this weight by my 21st birthday in november! BIRTHDAY GOAL
Thank you so much to everyone, if i don't lose on 1320, im going to go back down to 1250. but i am expecting my weight to go up at first 0 -
Did you choose a 2lb loss? If so, change it. With less than 10lbs to go, choose 0.5lb/week loss. Also make sure you are picking the right activity level. Don't pick sedentary unless you really are sedentary. More likely, you are one step up from that at least.
Once that is set, just realize that you eat whatever MFP gives you plus exercise calories. The formula can be found on the profile page.
If you ever decide to go with the TDEE method, just remember that this method includes exercise calories so you wouldn't eat those back. but again - make sure you pick the right activity level.
Another tip - if you aren't using a food scale, get one ASAP. Also, try not to use HRMs for strength or circuit training activities. MFP's #s aren't that far off so going with them is okay.
Whatever changes you do, give it 4-6 weeks before reviewing to see if there is anything that needs tweaking.
Joy beat me to it...0 -
1200 calorie diets, here's the rub. You have to be EXTRA careful and EXTRA dedicated to getting all the nutrition that your body requires to perform at optimal health. What I'm saying is that you can't waste any of your calories on nutrient sparse foods or you risk shortchanging your body into poor performance and possibly poor health. So make sure you're ready to eat grilled/baked chicken breasts, blueberries, spinach, peppers, fish and all the other nutrient dense foods and know that you'll need to completely avoid treats such as flavored coffees, any and all deserts and food prepared beyond boiling, steaming and baking.
Many people on 1200 calorie diets, because it's so restrictive calorie wise, tend not to get a lot of protien. With this scenario, you run the risk of losing a disproportionate amount of muscle to fat. They then hit goal weight and aren't satisfied with their body's appearance. Also, since their body now has less muscle than it did before (one of the major drivers of metabolism) the rate of metabolism is lower, thus fewer calories can be consumed at maintenance. This is a major factor to many people putting their weight right back on. Maintaining existing muscle should always be a priority when losing but it is often ignored in a bid for fast results.
Most people on 1200 calorie diets allow themselves to indulge when they shouldn't. If you can lose weight at 1400, 1500, or 1600 calories, you can have those treats and you can have a better chance of keeping the muscle your body already has. People who do it a little more slowly are better prepared for when they will go on maintenance because they haven't been depriving themselves of not only the 'treat' foods they love but of food in general. People who eat a bit more than the minimum as they lose weight see their weight loss as less of an arduous task to defeat and vanquish but more as a gradual change to something they will be able to maintain for long into the future.
Can you lose safely on 1200? Yes. Is it easy to do and get all the nutrition your body needs? No. Can it be done? Of course but you have to be completely honest with yourself the entire way.
For me, I'd rather do it slowly while enjoying the foods I love, than do it quickly and gain it all back when I finally give into my dreams of eating all the food again (been there, done that and never want to do it again).
Okay, so brower17, if I am on a 1200 calorie diet and want to slowly increase what is the best way to do it so that you don't gain weight back? I was 192 and am now about 145. My goal weight is 140. I started with eating about 1500 a day, then when I lost quite a bit, MFP backed me down to about 1200 a day. So far it is working, however, after reading your post I fear that as soon as I reach 140 and start the maintenance stage, I will gain it all back since I was on a 1200 calorie diet. I just changed my settings to "lose 1 pound per week" so now my calories have been changed to about 1400 a day. Is this a good way to gradually reach maintenance while still losing? What would you suggest? You sound very knowledgable and I'd love your advice as I didn't realize how risky 1200 calorie diets were until almost being finished with my weight loss. I'm not the best as eating back the calories that I exercise off, because I just automatically thought the less I eat the better, and if I was fine with 1200 a day, I didn't eat more just because MFP allowed me too. HELP! I don't wanna gain it all back!0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.9K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 400 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 988 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions