Should I be eating my full 1200 calories?

Options
2»

Replies

  • Roaringgael
    Roaringgael Posts: 339 Member
    Options
    The reason you may feel everyone is 'jumping down your throat" is that a lot of people here have very real concerns for peoples health and well being. They only speak out of concern
    and the fact that this question is asked at least once a week (if not more) usually by young women.
    Search the topic in the forums you will see how often it comes up.
    I regularly eat around 1200 cals. I haven't been exercising and it is enough in any day. Long term people often break out and binge.
    You would have eaten much more in the past and you probably will again.:smile:
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    Options
    i would not worry for one day, just eat more tomorrow if you are full today. At the end of the week it will all balance out as long as it is not a regular occurence.
    It's not a regular occurance. And it honesty was just a question. I didn't expect so many people jumping down my throat. Next time I will just google a question like this.

    YOU ask the question, we answer and said no and to eat more. What did you want a pat on the back? :ohwell:
  • Muddy_Yogi
    Muddy_Yogi Posts: 1,459 Member
    Options
    i would not worry for one day, just eat more tomorrow if you are full today. At the end of the week it will all balance out as long as it is not a regular occurence.
    It's not a regular occurance. And it honesty was just a question. I didn't expect so many people jumping down my throat. Next time I will just google a question like this.

    I really don't think anyone was jumping down your throat, at least not intentionally. :flowerforyou:

    My response to the "why wouldn't you" was just me expressing my love of food. :laugh:
    ^^this and to add to the no one was jumping down your throat. A few actually gave you some help. Do your research. Most people's bodies cannot properly function on 1200 calories a day. The way you asked the question let me personally to believe that was what you were trying to do. If you were asking about just today...then fine..that happens every now and then, it usually ends up balancing out another day. Learn about BMR and TDEE.
  • vwbug86
    vwbug86 Posts: 283 Member
    Options
    Most likely NO. You should calculate your BMR and make sure your net calories is not below that.

    I really wish people would stop saying this.

    BMR is just how many calories you burn laying in bed all day. Not some magic minimum number your body "needs".

    At about 100 over weight my BMR is ~2000 calories. I eat a net of 1700-1810 a day to lose 2lbs a week.

    To answer the OP. Unless you are very short and close to your goal you need to eat at least 1200 NET calories.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    Options
    Not sure if you mean net cals or if you are just using mfp highest allowance for a deficit but I find its default settings for cals/macros to be completely naff! Try these links out...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/819055-setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/why-big-caloric-deficits-and-lots-of-activity-can-hurt-fat-loss.htm

    Concerning exercise calories...

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/818082-exercise-calories-again-wtf
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    Options
    In response to everyone this was just a question. I am like 50 calories below. It was just a question.

    Your OP said you "were not even close" to your 1200 calories. We responded based on that, not a 50 calorie shortfall.
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
    Options
    Most likely NO. You should calculate your BMR and make sure your net calories is not below that.

    I really wish people would stop saying this.

    BMR is just how many calories you burn laying in bed all day. Not some magic minimum number your body "needs".

    At about 100 over weight my BMR is ~2000 calories. I eat a net of 1700-1810 a day to lose 2lbs a week.

    To answer the OP. Unless you are very short and close to your goal you need to eat at least 1200 NET calories.

    Eating below one's BMR (likely calculated by an online calculator) is fine of that person is obese. Obese people are outliers since they have extremely high body fat.

    OP, like the others have suggested, try to estimate your BMR and TDEE. Eat somewhere in between those two numbers to lose weight at a healthy rate. Eat enough to fuel your body, but eat less than what you burn. If you want to lose FAT, eat enough protein (0.8-1g of protein per pound of Lean Body Mass (LBM), which is everything in your body except weight) and incorporate some sort of strength training/heavy lifting program.


    Please read this when you have the time: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    Best of luck to you! :drinker:
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    Options
    No.

    If you are exercising you should eat more. The amount more that you burned in calories.

    The cal goal is just that a "goal" not a limit. In other words it's the opposite of your car on the freeway. You want to go OVER the number by a little. I usually try to go over by about 100 cals or less.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Options
    i would not worry for one day, just eat more tomorrow if you are full today. At the end of the week it will all balance out as long as it is not a regular occurence.
    It's not a regular occurance. And it honesty was just a question. I didn't expect so many people jumping down my throat. Next time I will just google a question like this.

    YOU ask the question, we answer and said no and to eat more. What did you want a pat on the back? :ohwell:
    All the mean people of MFP, at it again! :tongue: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1088600-dear-mean-people-of-mfp?hl=mean+people&page=13#posts-18486704
  • Wiseandcurious
    Wiseandcurious Posts: 730 Member
    Options
    I'm pretty sure that if you go into your nutrients, that you aren't at 100% of your needs: protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals

    This. I would also include "carbs".
    The reason you may feel everyone is 'jumping down your throat" is that a lot of people here have very real concerns for peoples health and well being. They only speak out of concern

    And this.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    Options
    Most likely NO. You should calculate your BMR and make sure your net calories is not below that.

    I really wish people would stop saying this.

    BMR is just how many calories you burn laying in bed all day. Not some magic minimum number your body "needs".

    At about 100 over weight my BMR is ~2000 calories. I eat a net of 1700-1810 a day to lose 2lbs a week.

    To answer the OP. Unless you are very short and close to your goal you need to eat at least 1200 NET calories.

    I think you are mistaken about what BMR means. While you are lying in that bed, your heart is beating, respiration is occurring, blood cells are forming, your brain is trying to grow neurons. . . all sorts of things are happening in there. All of those processes require energy in the form of the BMR calories.
  • Tevajane
    Tevajane Posts: 24 Member
    Options
    My response to this is to not focus on the calorie count so much but pay attention to what it is that you are eating. If eating low calorie vegetables is your preference go for it. Eat nutrient dense foods that benefit your health. Most of the Vitamins in vegetables benefit your body more when they are eaten with a healthy Monounsaturated fat. They need it to be absorbed in the digestive system. Do some research on eating whole foods or Google Paleo Diet. There is a lot of information and studies to back up their claims. So far eating like this is working for me and I love to cook so it was important that I start making choices that taste great but will make a difference in my overall health. I started by doing some elimination of certain items in my diet, like dairy, and sugar. I can make great substitutions that have more nutrients and keep the flavor and consistency that I have learned to enjoy over the years. I think the hardest thing to eliminate from my diet has been grains. But I am finding interesting replacements that are great. The recipes in the Paleo books are flavorful, filling and contain nutrient dense foods.
  • Billswife2011
    Billswife2011 Posts: 31
    Options
    I tried to eat 1200 calories per day for one week, thinking that was the way to go. Mind you, I work out five to six days a week and my workouts are about 600 calories per workout for Zumba and I am doing the C25K three days a week and that helps me burn like 120 per workout. Long story short. I did not lose any weight, but I find that I lose weight when I eat more. I try to have a net calorie intake of about 1444 per day.
  • jess135177
    jess135177 Posts: 186 Member
    Options
    Well first off 1200 calories is very low. Maybe figure out your TDEE and go from there. Like others have said add fat to your diet, avocados, olive oil and peanut butter are calorie dense and delicious!
    I eat a lot more calories than you, especially on days I workout. I don't always eat all the calories allotted for the day, and some days I go over. For me, it all evens out throughout the week. Somedays I'm very hungry and somedays I'm not.
    But ABSOLUTELY eat at LEAST 1200 calories.
  • molonlabe762
    molonlabe762 Posts: 411 Member
    Options
    ABSOLUTELY
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Options
    You eat your 1200 PLUS more on days you exercise.

Categories