Is 1200 cals too little???

salholloway
salholloway Posts: 13 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
When I put my information into MFP it gave me 1200 cals limit. So far I have either stuck ti it or gone slightly over but various people keep saying 1200 is too little ....any thoughts?

Replies

  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
    What are your stats? Height, weight, goal weight, age? Have you been trying the 1200 limit and what are your results so far?
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    For most people...its too little. Either you're being to aggressive in your goals, or you put in the wrong activity level.
  • salholloway
    salholloway Posts: 13 Member
    What are your stats? Height, weight, goal weight, age? Have you been trying the 1200 limit and what are your results so far?

    I am 5.4 height, and starting weight was 220lb. Im nearly 37. I want to lose at least 50lb. So far I have lost 7 in 3 weeks including time on holiday.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    What are your stats? Height, weight, goal weight, age? Have you been trying the 1200 limit and what are your results so far?
    gender...
  • cuddlechimp12
    cuddlechimp12 Posts: 11 Member
    I feel it's maybe to little. It says that the Minimum a women should eat is 1,200 calories in one day. MFP also gave me a 1,200 calorie a day diet. I lost 10 pounds really fast the first month. Now it seems to be stuck at the number. I eat healthy and exercise my *kitten* off. Nothing seems to be changing. So I changed my prefrences on MPF a little in the Goal tab and it now has me at a 1,320 calorie goal. 3 days later I lost 1 more pound. I think with exercise and normal everyday activity you need a little extra calories to burn off. My doctor told me this, Take your weight and times it by 12. My weight right now is 154, times by 12= 1,848 then remove 500 calories from that. Which I get 1,348. That number (1,348) Should be my food intake. And the number I removed (500) should be the minimum number burned (or more if you are up to it). So far this seems to be working. Good luck
  • chandanista
    chandanista Posts: 986 Member
    What are your stats? Height, weight, goal weight, age? Have you been trying the 1200 limit and what are your results so far?
    gender...
    Sorry, according to her profile she's female. I assumed from name female but yes I should have asked that too.

    OP, I used a couple calculators real quick, looks like your BMR is in the high 1600's/low 1700's. That's how many calories you burn in a day just by existing, breathing, sleeping. My guess is you could eat that much in a day and still lose your 2 pounds a week you look to have been averaging; the weight loss will come from any activity that isn't sitting, sleeping, breathing. You don't want to start your life changes at the lowest you can go, because what happens when you stall in your loss and can't cut any further without your nutrition suffering?

    If you choose to change your goal, don't jump it up 400 calories at once, is my personal suggestion. 100 more calories a day for a few days, then 100 more the next few days. Your body will hopefully react positively to this new normal. You may see a tiny gain immediately but it will disappear soon. Remember you can't gain a new pound of fat without consuming 3500 extra calories in a day.

    I hope my post makes sense, my brain is in that middle-of-the-afternoon-feeling and I fear I may have rambled a bit.
  • salholloway
    salholloway Posts: 13 Member
    What are your stats? Height, weight, goal weight, age? Have you been trying the 1200 limit and what are your results so far?
    gender...
    Sorry, according to her profile she's female. I assumed from name female but yes I should have asked that too.

    OP, I used a couple calculators real quick, looks like your BMR is in the high 1600's/low 1700's. That's how many calories you burn in a day just by existing, breathing, sleeping. My guess is you could eat that much in a day and still lose your 2 pounds a week you look to have been averaging; the weight loss will come from any activity that isn't sitting, sleeping, breathing. You don't want to start your life changes at the lowest you can go, because what happens when you stall in your loss and can't cut any further without your nutrition suffering?

    This is really really helpful thank you X

    If you choose to change your goal, don't jump it up 400 calories at once, is my personal suggestion. 100 more calories a day for a few days, then 100 more the next few days. Your body will hopefully react positively to this new normal. You may see a tiny gain immediately but it will disappear soon. Remember you can't gain a new pound of fat without consuming 3500 extra calories in a day.

    I hope my post makes sense, my brain is in that middle-of-the-afternoon-feeling and I fear I may have rambled a bit.
  • appifanie
    appifanie Posts: 95 Member
    it's probably too little calories! are you eating back the calories you burn by exercising?
    I hope my post makes sense, my brain is in that middle-of-the-afternoon-feeling and I fear I may have rambled a bit.

    ha, we may be destined to be friends :D

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