1200 calories?
Replies
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I've read a ton of articles debunking "starvation mode". Although the authors do acknowledge that having a low-calorie diet can effect your health and metabolism negatively, most agree it will take about a year. For me, being 5'2 and 130lbs and a sedentary lifestyle, according to MFP my resting calorie burn is 1,650. Many people will agree that to lose weight you need a calorie deficit of about 500.
:noway:
No. Just...stop. Many people will not agree that a 500 calorie deficit is the magic number that will help you lose weight. I've been on these boards for a long time and I have never heard that here. All you need is a consistent deficit to lose weight. The amount of calories in that deficit are determined by the time period allocated towards losing that weight. You would still lose weight at a 300 calories deficit if you consistently stick to the plan for a longer period of time.
Also, as another woman said, you are very petite and so your diet would not work for many others.0 -
I've been "successfully" using this app for over a year. Most days I eat right under 1000 calories. Today, I actually hit 1200. I don't have the usual eating schedule that other people do because I work 3rd shift. To me, it just doesn't sound healthy to eat just to have met a calorie goal that day. Even when the app tells me to recalculate my calorie goals, I rarely do. I know that if I'm allowed 1500 calories per day, I will not make smart choices past a certain point. I'll just say, "Oh I have 300 calories left to eat... WHERE IS THAT CAKE?!!!?!?!?!" Better to eat less with smart choices.
Cake shaming. Reported.0 -
MFP says I burn 1800 or so calories a day on sedentary life style and say I need a 500 cal deficit..
I can't do 1300 cals..
I did get a bodymedia fit and found that on avg day I burn 2600 cals with no exercise and around 3000 with some. They recommend I eat at least 1900 cals a day.. that is 600 more than MFP.. needless to say I am not starving and still have a great deficit.0 -
Actually...it is more like...If you eat under your BMR you are not getting the things your body needs to function.....this is unhealthy, dangerous and REALLY STUPID.0
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MFP says I burn 1800 or so calories a day on sedentary life style and say I need a 500 cal deficit..
I can't do 1300 cals..
I did get a bodymedia fit and found that on avg day I burn 2600 cals with no exercise and around 3000 with some. They recommend I eat at least 1900 cals a day.. that is 600 more than MFP.. needless to say I am not starving and still have a great deficit.
Exactly!!! MFP suggestions are garbage. BMF is a much better gauge. Also, a 500 cal deficit is not good for many people. Personally I prefer a 15% cut off of TDEE. Slower sure, but much more sustainable.0 -
Is it possible that people just eat lots of low calorie foods like I do? I eats lots of food and a lot of it is just low cal, I feel full and I don't want to eat those extra calories all the time. MFP tells you you're not eating enough if you add your workouts and go back up but its not because you haven't eaten enough. If you feel full, you are fine. Your body would tel you if you're hungry so listen to it.
It I possible, but it's not healthy. Low cal foods and diet foods are not nutrient dense foods. Veggies are great but your body needs fat and protein too. Fat is essential for regulating hormones and you wont lose fat very well and you wont build muscle very well without it. Diet foods are definitely not healthy (such as low fat this and that and low cal snack packs, etc.)0 -
HOLD THE PHONE.
HOLD IT.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
That wasn't linked in here yet.
Read it.
Live it.
Be a boss.
And stuff.
bacon.cake.icecream.oreos.what?0 -
I should mention that they have my deficit set for 750.. I avg right around it but I can honestly say I don't every feel like I am starving..If i am hungry, I eat.0
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HOLD THE PHONE.
HOLD IT.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
That wasn't linked in here yet.
Read it.
Live it.
Be a boss.
And stuff.
bacon.cake.icecream.oreos.what?
^^^This...and let me tell you again BACON!~0 -
I had a maple bacon chocolate bar the other day...it was a spiritual moment.0
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Is it possible that people just eat lots of low calorie foods like I do? I eats lots of food and a lot of it is just low cal, I feel full and I don't want to eat those extra calories all the time. MFP tells you you're not eating enough if you add your workouts and go back up but its not because you haven't eaten enough. If you feel full, you are fine. Your body would tel you if you're hungry so listen to it.
Nope. Hunger is not necessarily driven by need for fuel. Prolonged starvation does lead to loss of hunger drive as the brain will react to the continued lack of available food. Hunger is usually triggered by blood sugar spikes and drops and can also be misinterpreted as thirst. Also, certain medications can either take away appetite or increase it without any influence of actual nutritional needs.0 -
HOLD THE PHONE.
HOLD IT.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants
That wasn't linked in here yet.
Read it.
Live it.
Be a boss.
And stuff.
bacon.cake.icecream.oreos.what?
^^^This...and let me tell you again BACON!~
+1 again.0 -
I had a maple bacon chocolate bar the other day...it was a spiritual moment.
10/10 WB0 -
Today is National Pie Day.
National. F***ing. Pie. Day.
That is all.0 -
Today is National Pie Day.
National. F***ing. Pie. Day.
That is all.
That kind of support is not wanted here. Can't you see these people like starving themselves?0 -
I lost 40 pounds eating 1200 calories, and now I'm paying for it. I went into maintenance mode, slowly increasing my calories from 1200 up to 1600 (still lower than it should be, but I was super-cautious), and I was gaining weight at 1500-1600 calories. I'm 26 y/o, 5'4" and 135 pounds. There is no reason that I should be gaining at 1500 except that I damaged my metabolism by eating at 1200 calories for a year. So yeah, you can feel full and awesome and lose the weight at 1200, but if you take your time and use your TDEE measurements you can take care of your body and your metabolism while still losing the weight (albeit more slowly). Obviously this is anecdotal and not scientific, so you know...take it with a grain of salt. But that's what I've learned over the last two years.0
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The reason why you probably find it hard to eat 1200 cals or more is because you are eating diet food. This kind of food is not healthy. Low fat items and low this and that are not healthy food choices. If you switch to whole food and non-processed foods you shouldn't have a problem reaching your calorie goal.
The other factor is that with 1200 cals you are definitely not going to be getting a nutrient dense diet with meat, dairy, etc and all those things your body needs. Veggies are healthy sure, but they aren't the only thing your body needs. You most likely aren't getting enough fats or protein if you eat this low in calories.
On top of that, the reason why you aren't hungry is because your metabolism is very very low. What's happening is that your body is so used to eating that low that if you try and eat more it feels like you are stuffing yourself and you might gain weight. The reason this is a bad thing, and why all these ladies that have posted here to say that they eat so low are not doing the best thing for their body is because if you EVER stop eating a starvation level diet, you will gain weight because yes, you've crashed your metabolism.
There is help though, you have to do a reefed and eat at maintenance or above for a few weeks. If you do this, you'll be able to eat sooooo much more food and be much more healthy and still lose weight after the reefed.
A good site is Eat More 2 Lose Weight and they have a lot of info on this topic. I doubt you'll follow my advice but you are welcome to look at my diary (I use calorie cycling so some days I eat 1700 -- my low days, and other days I eat 1900 or 2300 or so). You are welcome to look at my pictures and see that eating this much has not caused me to get fat or prevent me from losing weight. That said, I am very active so that comes into play but if I were to eat 1200 cals, I can tell you that I would NOT be able to be active or build the muscle I have now. All the best.
+10 -
Starvation mode is a myth.
1200 calories is roughly the basal metabolic rate of a small, inactive woman. Basal meaning the very least that person should be consuming.
You should be eating more than that... simply because, if you continue to eat too few calories for a prolonged period of time, you will do more harm than good to your body's natural process. Hormones, including ones that regulate your metabolism, will eventually be all out of whack (amongst other things).
If your calorie allowance is "too much food" for you at the moment, feel free to consume more calorie dense foods to reach it.
^^^^This
^^^^This
And more of THIS^^^^^^
Ladies, please PLEASE eat more than 1000 calories per day, and at the very least 1200. Even a tablespoon of peanutbutter will get you there sometimes.
And for anyone that is running at less than 1000 calories and has 300 left, cake certainly is an option if it fits in your macros.
Not one single person on this site is going advise eating more than 1200 to sabotage them or secretly hope they gain weight. We have been around a while and have had experience with what works and what does not. I, for one, was doing the whole 1200 per day, sometimes under, and found myself stalled, in a bad mood and tired all the time. Learning from the people on MFP I came to realize I was not eating enough, so it took a while to wrap my head around it but I raised my calories and BOOM, started losing again. I lost my last 5 lbs I wanted to lose, and I am in my 40s.
Being thin is one thing, being healthy is another. There is a good deal of damage we can do to ourselves by not giving our bodies the nutrition it desperately craves.
YES.
I was on 1200 also when i started on MFP because that was what it set for me, lost a couple of pounds but it wasn't until I educated myself by reading online articles and listening to other people on here that I realised how ridiculously low this was for me. I'm now on about 1800 after slowly upping my intake and the difference is amazing - I have so much more energy, I am hungrier more often but don't really get cravings for things like chocolate or sugar which I was having before.
I think it's a flaw with this website that you are given a recommend calorie goal without factors like your individual measurements and daily activity levels being considered.
If you sit down in one place for hours on end each day, or still feel full of energy and healthy on an intake of 1200 or less then maybe that works for you, but personally from experience I don't think this is a healthy amount of calories to be limiting yourself to.0 -
I have been but I just started. I choose a lot of lean meat and veggies. I use low cal bread, I haven't had a problem yet. Pre-planning is key.0
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I've been "successfully" using this app for over a year. Most days I eat right under 1000 calories. Today, I actually hit 1200. I don't have the usual eating schedule that other people do because I work 3rd shift. To me, it just doesn't sound healthy to eat just to have met a calorie goal that day. Even when the app tells me to recalculate my calorie goals, I rarely do. I know that if I'm allowed 1500 calories per day, I will not make smart choices past a certain point. I'll just say, "Oh I have 300 calories left to eat... WHERE IS THAT CAKE?!!!?!?!?!" Better to eat less with smart choices.
Why? If you have the calories left....what's wrong with cake?
^I'll have the cake, if they don't want it!!!
When I began on MFP I had my calories set to 1200. I'm 5'2", and lightly active. I ate back all of my exercise calories (I typically ate 1500 each day), and even upped my intake (lowered my loss rate from 1 lb to 0.5 lb/week) when I was 10 lbs away from my goal. I lost the weight just fine.
I eat chocolate (CARAMEL FILLED CHOCOLATE) every day. I regret NOTHING.0 -
I had a maple bacon chocolate bar the other day...it was a spiritual moment.
Mmmmmmm.... I once made a chocolate bacon cake with chocolate bacon ganache. I too had a spiritual awakening.0 -
I had a maple bacon chocolate bar the other day...it was a spiritual moment.
Mmmmmmm.... I once made a chocolate bacon cake with chocolate bacon ganache. I too had a spiritual awakening.
:drinker: :flowerforyou:
:drinker: 0 -
For those claiming it's okay to under eat if you "make smart choices"
http://evidencemag.com/calories-count/
Oh, for the record. . I'm 5'3.5" 119 lbs and lose about 1 lb a week netting 1700 calories.0 -
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This is offensive, non-constructive and innapropriate. Either give advice to people, share your opinions constructively or get off the site?
Take a chill pill dude.0 -
I think pretty much everyone has heard that if you don't get 1200 calories a day your body will go into starvation mode or whatnot. The question is how accurate is this really? Honestly, there are some days where I am just under 1200 and then I eat a snack to make it go over. However, like today I was under and I'm full. I honestly feel like I am getting plenty of food throughout the day and am not really hungry. So what is so "horrible" about staying under 1200? If you are constantly fueling your body with low calorie things is that such a bad thing? I feel like it would be dumb to force myself to eat the extra calories, every time it's under, esp when not hungry. I mean I suppose I could eat things with a little higher calories, but I feel fine throughout the day. And also when you exercise are you really supposed to eat them back as well? Like it always says you earned x amount of calories from exercise.
BEING FULL is overated. Being full is not a good indicator of proper nutrition. Less than 1200 calories .....it's hard to get proper nutrition.
If my lunch consisted of 2 pounds of brocolli ....I would be full from all the fiber. BUT all that fiber does not help me maintain muscle mass. To maintain muscle I need a decent amount of protein and fat.
Many people on very low calorie diets (less than 1200) ...... tend to go high fiber, low fat.....barely enough protein. Eat 1200 calories (while eating porperly) is easy to do without being "stuffed"
Low calorie diets are a way to lose "weight" quickly..........BUT your are losing fat+muscle. Losing weight at a moderate pace (enough nutrition)......allows you to maintain muscle mass.
For the poster who "needs" a 500 calorie deficit every single day to lose weight.........um no.....a 250 calorie deficit will work too....just not as quickly as you like. I'm fine with slow loss because I need to hang onto as much muscle as I can (post menopause).0 -
Is it possible that people just eat lots of low calorie foods like I do? I eats lots of food and a lot of it is just low cal, I feel full and I don't want to eat those extra calories all the time. MFP tells you you're not eating enough if you add your workouts and go back up but its not because you haven't eaten enough. If you feel full, you are fine. Your body would tel you if you're hungry so listen to it.
Re: Is it possible that people just eat lots of low calorie foods like I do?
Yes - It's more than possible......it's even likely. This is "old school" dieting......low fat, fat-free.....all fat is bad.....fat makes you fat. This is FALSE.
Eating lots of high fiber....low calorie (low fat) food will keep you full.....BUT it does not not support existing muscle mass. This will definitely help you lose weight quicker .....weight being fat+muscle.0 -
Starvation mode is a myth.
1200 calories is roughly the basal metabolic rate of a small, inactive woman. Basal meaning the very least that person should be consuming.
You should be eating more than that... simply because, if you continue to eat too few calories for a prolonged period of time, you will do more harm than good to your body's natural process. Hormones, including ones that regulate your metabolism, will eventually be all out of whack (amongst other things).
If your calorie allowance is "too much food" for you at the moment, feel free to consume more calorie dense foods to reach it.
+10 -
OP - I hope you come back and read past the first page of this thread to get to the real, valuable information that long-timers are trying to pass to all those newbies out there. We were ALL new at some point, so please don't take that as an offense. It isn't meant to be.
Read the "guide to sexypants" link that someone already posted. You only have to read the original post, not the 40+ pages after it!
Ok, so now I'm gonna get real and smack down some tough love. I call a big, huge bullsh** on a 300lb person being "full" on 1100-1200 cals a day. I don't care how those cals are made up, it just isn't possible. And I'm guessing you aren't, like, 4'5", so reasonably speaking you should be eating much more than you are and you will be able to continue losing weight. I like to call this phenomenon "noob euphoria". And, again, we have all been new so please read this in context. When you're just starting out and excited that you are finally gonna make some changes, you can surprise yourself with what you're able to change quickly cuz you're all juiced up on the high of possibilities. I think that excitement leads many people to think they can consume far fewer calories than they should for a sustainable amount of time. Yes, I'm sure you've seen some big losses in a matter of weeks. But as your weight goes down, so should your calories. Where the hell ya gonna go from 1200?! Also, I would think that pretty soon the depleted energy and "hangry-ness" should start kicking in. You will NOT, I repeat...NOT...continue feeling "full" on so few calories for months and months. Just ask anyone who's been on here longer and has had success.
Please read the good advice others have posted; read the links that will sensibly guide you to healthy, sustainable weight loss. I wish you nothing but continued success and long-term health!0 -
The summer of 2012 I held my beloved German Shepard as he took his last breath, my sister was diagnosed with cervical cancer, my husband diagnosed with skin cancer and I had snake in my house. To say that I was stressed to the max would be an understatement. I am the opposite of most where I can not eat when I am stressed, my stomach shrank.
There were days that eating a half a piece of toast would make me feel totally full. There was about 2 weeks that it was all I could do to eat between 500 and 700 calories a day. I am writing this to prove that just because one feels full, does not mean they are "fine".0 -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHHzie6XRGk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY1DsZMNfNw
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