1200 calorie help?

ShapenerFiterrati
ShapenerFiterrati Posts: 111 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm at 158 right now, trying to reach 125. I'm 5ft 4 in.
I haven't been exercising that much, maybe once or twice a week for 45 minutes.
Is 1200 calories too little?? I'm getting confused with the people saying yes and the people saying no so if you say, can you explain why??

Thank you:)

Replies

  • entropy90
    entropy90 Posts: 42 Member
    I do around 1200 calories a day. It's tough but I'm burning weight like crazy. If you want take a look at my food diary. I also put in a little bit of exercise and I don't eat them back.
  • corsiva
    corsiva Posts: 33 Member
    I do 1300 calories a day, but I often find that I have a hard time eating that many. I also exercise and don't eat back those calories. I'm losing around 2lbs/week.
  • summergirl212
    summergirl212 Posts: 91 Member
    A lot of people say that it's not very good because usually it's not weight loss that you can maintain. It might work for a couple of weeks but eventually you will want to eat more and then you are more likely to throw the entire diet out of the window and give up completely. If you eat more like 1500-1600 then you can fit in more food that is more likely to help you have long term success.
  • Shreddingit84
    Shreddingit84 Posts: 330
    I was your weight when i started, 1200 worked for like 2 weeks then no, had to go up to 1400 then went to about 1500 then to reach my 135 goal i was at 1700.... You body gets used to same cals you need to change it up!
  • westendcurls
    westendcurls Posts: 252 Member
    With your height and activity level 1200 should be fine but may be difficult to keep up. A lot of people on here like the TDEE 20% method. I lost most of my weight on another site that recommend calorie ranges ( mine is currently 1200 -1500), rather than stagnant numbers that only increase when you workout thay day. (I know my appetite doesn't always work that way) Anyway my point is there is 101 ways to create a calorie deficit, the trick is to find the one that works for you and is sustainable and healthy.
  • ShapenerFiterrati
    ShapenerFiterrati Posts: 111 Member
    My problem is that some days, I don't want to eat at all and some days I want to eat everything I see. So, sometimes it's not that hard for me to stay under 1200, but some days it is. Would it just be better to go to a 1400 cal?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    With such a small amount of weight to lose, .5 lb. per week is a healthy goal. Choose an activity level, and MFP will give you a calorie goal. Your deficit is built in, so log your exercise & eat back your exercise calories.

    Everybody's different, and weight loss takes a whole lot of trial & error to find what works for you. Log everything you eat accurately & honestly. Weigh your food. If you're not losing after a few weeks, try eating back half your exercise calories.

    Take lots of before pics (wish I had!), and read this: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    Edited to add that I look at my nutrition for the last 7 days, not just today. Some days you'll be more or less hungry than others.
  • Dare2Believe
    Dare2Believe Posts: 140 Member
    Though a lot of people don't agree, 1200 calories is pretty low are hard to maintain long-term. When you reach a plateau at that amount of calories you really don't have much to "play with." If you were eating more, say 1400-1700 calories a day & hit that plateau you can go lower to get through it. At 1200 calories you're not going to safely be able to go under that amount when a plateau hits. I like the TDEE method of eating 15%-20% under your TDEE. It works & it is individualized to your specific needs.

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