Busting the myth that 1200 calories is enough
Replies
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I'm sorry I need 3000 calories0
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No matter how you feel about 1,200-calorie daily intake, this article doesn't bust any myths. The writer has no real expertise, she offers no real arguments and clearly her past lives aren't the only things regressing.
I agree. The article has no scientific backup; the writer is merely ranting and apologizing without even stating WHY a 1200 calorie diet is unhealthy and supposedly bad for you. Whether it's good or bad depends on several factors: WHAT you eat, weight, height and even gender. If you weigh 300 lbs and decide to restrict your calories to 1200 per day, it's definitely not good, but if you're a petite female then it's fine most of the time.
Personally, I lost 60-70 lbs in a couple of month by starving myself, I gained them all back because I couldn't stick with this diet plan on the long term.
I eat 1500 calories on average. I sometimes pig out to 3000 Calories per day but balance them out the next day, other times I only eat 300 Calories but also balance them out eventually. I like keeping my options open. I'm not losing weight as fast as I want to but I'm not gaining weight when I eat more either. It's working for me.1 -
When you go from 1200 calories putting yourself into starvation mode, of course your going to gain weight eating more. And this is no judgement on you. I did the same thing. I plateaued with the lack of calories I was eating. So I decided to do something crazy and follow the "Eat more to weigh less" mentality and it has helped me, but guess what when I started just eating at maintenance which should have kept me at my weight I was at, I gained. Why did I gain? I gained because I was depriving my body of nutrients and calories it needed before so it was now storing everything I was eating because it didn't know when the next time I was going to eat. Our bodies store fat so that we can survive and if we aren't eating enough, the next time we eat more than usual, it is going to hold onto it.
I understand there may be weights and heights that can maintain on a 1200 calorie diet, but thats for the shorties. I'm 5'3 and this isn't enough for me.
Educate yourself with how much you should be putting into your body.
I'm actually gaining muscle and toning while losing the last little bit of fat I have and I'm not starving or depriving myself while doing it. This for me is a lifestyle change and I don't want to yo-yo back and forth through putting my body through hell on a 1200 calorie diet just to hit a wall and be depressed.
Here are some sources if you want to learn more about eat more to weigh less and here is a link to help you figure out calories
http://eatmore2weighless.com/
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/0 -
In for special snowflakes and jimmie rustling0
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Oh look! Another one of these threads where we all pretend to be nutritionist and doctors about a freaking arbitrary number.
1300 calories=ok
1200 = oh****no... Starvation siren starts going off, metabolism police drop ropes and come down from the ceiling with 2 tons of protein bars and a Jillian michaels 30 day shred program. Dr. Oz busts through the front door...all while 1200 calorie poster who is actually 5'1 and naturally petite is crying in the corner while thisisthinprivilege bloggers are throwing their snickers bar wrappers in her face telling her what a pos she is.
I love these threads.1 -
Losing weight on 1200 calories isn't a problem for most people. KEEPING the weight off is hard b/c most people can't eat 1200 calories daily for life. As evidenced by people who say something like "I know it works b/c that's how I've lost thirty pounds 10,639 times." It boggles my mind that someone can't see that something doesn't "work" if you have to keep fixing the same problem over and over and over. Then again I'm a reformed disordered yo-yoer and it took me about 25 years to get this so who am I to judge?0
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I appreciate the sentiment, but the blog hardly "busts the myth"... But the sentiment is nice.0
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Losing weight on 1200 calories isn't a problem for most people. KEEPING the weight off is hard b/c most people can't eat 1200 calories daily for life. As evidenced by people who say something like "I know it works b/c that's how I've lost thirty pounds 10,639 times." It boggles my mind that someone can't see that something doesn't "work" if you have to keep fixing the same problem over and over and over. Then again I'm a reformed disordered yo-yoer and it took me about 25 years to get this so who am I to judge?
See, but I checked out your open diary and honest to goodness do.not see that you're eating much more than me (at my 1200, 1300). I too had lasagna yesterday ~ and eggplant parm and a chicken thigh with big salad, and a cheese omelet, and etc.
I mean, if I went back to my previous eating style I'd gobble up your daily calories by mid-day! Even if I ate a couple/few more hundred calories a day to be akin to your average (which really would only equal a couple of slices of buttered toast), I'd still be at high risk to gain it all back if I returned to eating the common 3000 calories/daily that I used to.
So is the point if I had a scoop or 2 of protein powder or a bunch of cookies daily to up my daily calories I'd be good to go and less likely to gain if I went back to my old way of seriously over-eating?
I'm all for people realizing how much they can eat to lose! I think posts about eating more and still losing are valuable food for thought. I just sometimes scratch my head when reading posts about "I'd starve, be hangry, be malnourished, at high risk to gain back" and than I check out their diaries and they're similar to mine (maybe plus protein powder or some poptarts).1 -
When you go from 1200 calories putting yourself into starvation mode, of course your going to gain weight eating more. And this is no judgement on you. I did the same thing. I plateaued with the lack of calories I was eating. So I decided to do something crazy and follow the "Eat more to weigh less" mentality and it has helped me, but guess what when I started just eating at maintenance which should have kept me at my weight I was at, I gained. Why did I gain? I gained because I was depriving my body of nutrients and calories it needed before so it was now storing everything I was eating because it didn't know when the next time I was going to eat. Our bodies store fat so that we can survive and if we aren't eating enough, the next time we eat more than usual, it is going to hold onto it.
I understand there may be weights and heights that can maintain on a 1200 calorie diet, but thats for the shorties. I'm 5'3 and this isn't enough for me.
Educate yourself with how much you should be putting into your body.
I'm actually gaining muscle and toning while losing the last little bit of fat I have and I'm not starving or depriving myself while doing it. This for me is a lifestyle change and I don't want to yo-yo back and forth through putting my body through hell on a 1200 calorie diet just to hit a wall and be depressed.
Here are some sources if you want to learn more about eat more to weigh less and here is a link to help you figure out calories
http://eatmore2weighless.com/
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
^^thank you for this info^^:bigsmile: Every bit of info is good to store and review later0 -
Losing weight on 1200 calories isn't a problem for most people. KEEPING the weight off is hard b/c most people can't eat 1200 calories daily for life. As evidenced by people who say something like "I know it works b/c that's how I've lost thirty pounds 10,639 times." It boggles my mind that someone can't see that something doesn't "work" if you have to keep fixing the same problem over and over and over. Then again I'm a reformed disordered yo-yoer and it took me about 25 years to get this so who am I to judge?
The same thing happens to people who follow a 1300, 1500, or 2000 calorie diet too.
They overeat repeatedly over time. They gain it back. It is just the 1200 calorie people.1 -
Oh look! Another one of these threads where we all pretend to be nutritionist and doctors about a freaking arbitrary number.
1300 calories=ok
1200 = oh****no... Starvation siren starts going off, metabolism police drop ropes and come down from the ceiling with 2 tons of protein bars and a Jillian michaels 30 day shred program. Dr. Oz busts through the front door...all while 1200 calorie poster who is actually 5'1 and naturally petite is crying in the corner while thisisthinprivilege bloggers are throwing their snickers bar wrappers in her face telling her what a pos she is.
I love these threads.
Me too and you are right. I'm one of those short older females.
My doctor, yeah the one who went to medical school and has the degrees and license and practices medicine, told me to eat between 1000 to 1200 calories a day.
If I eat 1200 calories of junk, sure I will feel like I am starving because those things have no nutritional value. I could do the Krispy Kreme diet and lose weight but would probably feel like crap because I am not getting the nutrients I need.
When I eat real unprocessed foods like meat, eggs, fish, fresh veggies and fruit; I find it very hard sometimes to even get to 1200 calories a day. I am so stuffed from eating I feel kind of sick.
I certainly didn't get fat by eating 1200 healthy calories a day.
I'm going to listen to my doctor over all the arm chair experts on the interwebs.1 -
honestly everyone is different!
This is ridiculous. every time I come on the message boards someone is bad mouthing 1200 calories.
Honestly as long as you are NETTING 1200 calories a day. Its not a big deal. I do not support eating 500, 600 calories a day, that is stupid.
I am someone who has gone threw many eating disorders. Including anorexia, then binging.
I KNOW how horrible it is to not eat enough. and how it feels to not eat.
Now being fully recovered, I am satisfied with my 1250 I eat a day. and I eat ALL my exercise calories back, It helps me with portion control, and just eating better in general.
before you go bashing someone, everyone is dfferen't. EVERY BODY is dfferen't, and no one is the same... deal with it.
I feel like these posts are started sometimes just for the thrill of starting a post that will be blown up
Nicely put...0 -
I haven't read every post in here.....but 1,200 calories is really low.
Youtube Layne Norton metabolic disorder.
What happens on a very low calorie diet - your body becomes accustomed to this amount eventually. Yes, initially you will lose weight....but again, your body is an amazing organism, it will learn to adapt at that calorie level - meaning it will do everything it can to "maintain" at that level.
The problem is, once you start eating any sort of normal calorie level again, you will inevitably start gaining. Your metabolic rate is so low, any little adding of calories will cause weight gain.
The other problem is that even at 1,200 calories - you will NOT lose any additional weight....I've read that in a few posts in here already....that's because your body is basically used to running on those low calories - including the exercise you do.
IMHO, the ultimate goal is to build your metabolic capacity - meaning how high can you take your calories and still maintain weight......then, when you want to lose, you are starting at a much higher calorie level.
I'm not a nutritionist or chemist....just have interest in body recomp and how important metabolic response is.0 -
The problem with 1200 calories though is that there's no where else to go.....it's not sustainable long term which is why inevitably people that sustain on that level usually gain much back. If your set point is 2000 or 2500 calories and you start eating more and gain....isn't it much easier to start eating at 2,500 calories again versus 1,200? Always better to have a higher base metabolic rate.0
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When you go from 1200 calories putting yourself into starvation mode, of course your going to gain weight eating more. And this is no judgement on you. I did the same thing. I plateaued with the lack of calories I was eating. So I decided to do something crazy and follow the "Eat more to weigh less" mentality and it has helped me, but guess what when I started just eating at maintenance which should have kept me at my weight I was at, I gained. Why did I gain? I gained because I was depriving my body of nutrients and calories it needed before so it was now storing everything I was eating because it didn't know when the next time I was going to eat. Our bodies store fat so that we can survive and if we aren't eating enough, the next time we eat more than usual, it is going to hold onto it.
I understand there may be weights and heights that can maintain on a 1200 calorie diet, but thats for the shorties. I'm 5'3 and this isn't enough for me.
Educate yourself with how much you should be putting into your body.
I'm actually gaining muscle and toning while losing the last little bit of fat I have and I'm not starving or depriving myself while doing it. This for me is a lifestyle change and I don't want to yo-yo back and forth through putting my body through hell on a 1200 calorie diet just to hit a wall and be depressed.
Here are some sources if you want to learn more about eat more to weigh less and here is a link to help you figure out calories
http://eatmore2weighless.com/
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
So if the body stores fat for the starvation times and you say at 1200 calories somebody is in starvation, why is the body not using the stored fat as it is in starvation.
1200 is not too low, I do not feel starved nor depressed.
ALL the online calculators are ESTIMATORSm, people are taking them as gospel, wrong move for some people.1 -
Losing weight on 1200 calories isn't a problem for most people. KEEPING the weight off is hard b/c most people can't eat 1200 calories daily for life. As evidenced by people who say something like "I know it works b/c that's how I've lost thirty pounds 10,639 times." It boggles my mind that someone can't see that something doesn't "work" if you have to keep fixing the same problem over and over and over. Then again I'm a reformed disordered yo-yoer and it took me about 25 years to get this so who am I to judge?
Who said anything about eating 1200 for life?
This comes up time and time again. To eat 1200 for life would mean the person continued to lose weight.
Look, once the person gets to their goal, the trick is then to find their maintenance weight and believe me, that will NOT be 1200 calories lol.0 -
Oh look! Another one of these threads where we all pretend to be nutritionist and doctors about a freaking arbitrary number.
1300 calories=ok
1200 = oh****no... Starvation siren starts going off, metabolism police drop ropes and come down from the ceiling with 2 tons of protein bars and a Jillian michaels 30 day shred program. Dr. Oz busts through the front door...all while 1200 calorie poster who is actually 5'1 and naturally petite is crying in the corner while thisisthinprivilege bloggers are throwing their snickers bar wrappers in her face telling her what a pos she is.
I love these threads.
Me too and you are right. I'm one of those short older females.
My doctor, yeah the one who went to medical school and has the degrees and license and practices medicine, told me to eat between 1000 to 1200 calories a day.
If I eat 1200 calories of junk, sure I will feel like I am starving because those things have no nutritional value. I could do the Krispy Kreme diet and lose weight but would probably feel like crap because I am not getting the nutrients I need.
When I eat real unprocessed foods like meat, eggs, fish, fresh veggies and fruit; I find it very hard sometimes to even get to 1200 calories a day. I am so stuffed from eating I feel kind of sick.
I certainly didn't get fat by eating 1200 healthy calories a day.
I'm going to listen to my doctor over all the arm chair experts on the interwebs.
The bolded bit above..... says a hell of a lot and I suspect that all those that "tried" the 1200 calories per day but decided they were unable to stick to it, ate a lot of junk - this left them hungry and unable to continue with this method of weightloss. Then to appease themselves and their conscience, they hack into anybody that does do the 1200 AND succeeds.
1200 calories per day, if anybody is going to do this, ensure you eat lots of protein - that will fill you up, eat nutritious stuff - that will fulfill your macros, IF you have any calories left over, THEN you can go for your treats, sweets, rubbish and any other crap you wish to stuff into your body.
If you CANNOT sustain or manage such a weightloss program, nobody is going to think any the less of you at all, but please, for the Love of God, leave those of us alone that ARE succeeding with such a method, because this is getting beyond tiresome.1 -
I haven't read every post in here.....but 1,200 calories is really low.
Youtube Layne Norton metabolic disorder.
What happens on a very low calorie diet - your body becomes accustomed to this amount eventually. Yes, initially you will lose weight....but again, your body is an amazing organism, it will learn to adapt at that calorie level - meaning it will do everything it can to "maintain" at that level.
The problem is, once you start eating any sort of normal calorie level again, you will inevitably start gaining. Your metabolic rate is so low, any little adding of calories will cause weight gain.
The other problem is that even at 1,200 calories - you will NOT lose any additional weight....I've read that in a few posts in here already....that's because your body is basically used to running on those low calories - including the exercise you do.
IMHO, the ultimate goal is to build your metabolic capacity - meaning how high can you take your calories and still maintain weight......then, when you want to lose, you are starting at a much higher calorie level.
I'm not a nutritionist or chemist....just have interest in body recomp and how important metabolic response is.
1200 is NOT a very low calorie diet.
The metabolism is not as flimsy or delicate as many on MFP think it is, it is a bit more robust than they give it credit for.1 -
The problem with 1200 calories though is that there's no where else to go.....it's not sustainable long term which is why inevitably people that sustain on that level usually gain much back. If your set point is 2000 or 2500 calories and you start eating more and gain....isn't it much easier to start eating at 2,500 calories again versus 1,200? Always better to have a higher base metabolic rate.
No, they gain it back, because as do many, many people after they get to their goal, they start eating way above their maintenance levels.
THIS is why they gain weight after reaching their goal, nothing to do with 1200 calories.1 -
Sustainability and monitoring.
How many calories your body actually needs to be healthy (for me, it certainly was not the amount of calories I consumed when I was morbidly obese).
Everyone is different in how their body handles food.
Age, sex, height, activity level,metabolism, etc, etc all play into what works for any individual.
There is no magic number that is the same for everyone.
General guidelines. Generalizing is just that.1200 calories or 2500 calories? Know your self and do what works for you to become a healthy weight, and continue to monitor yourself to sustain when you reach your goals.
I know I can never go back to the way I was eating before MFP.
Trust your doctor and know yourself. Take advice from others with a grain of salt.0
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