Confused about the 1200 cal/day set up

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PatheticNoetic
PatheticNoetic Posts: 905 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Here is what I don't understand-

This is a fitness website that when you sign up, based on your answers will tell you a cal/ day number you should be aiming for to meet your weight loss goals. Among these the 1200 cal level.

I'm on this level and I have no real complaints- I feel no real stress or deprivation being there and I often eat back my calories from working out. I feel fine. I'm not adverse to changing that though.

However many here seem to believe this is too low and it isn't good for various reasons.

What I'm confused about is why is a website for fitness then recommending this if it isn't really a good idea to begin with? I'm not here to start a fight or pick on anyone for their opinion on the topic.

I'm just genuinely confused.
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Replies

  • SwampWitch666
    SwampWitch666 Posts: 110 Member
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    I feel the same way. I have the same 1200c goal but I hear all the time that this is a recipe for "starvation mode" and it will slow my metabolism. I have it set up where I eat every few hours, I meet my 1200c goal and I even work out 30 minutes every day... I feel fine, it's not too far from my normal diet (1500c before I started this website, but this definitely wasn't as clean as my new 1200c diet) so I don't feel too much of a difference. I don't know. I'm pretty new to this so I'm just as confused as you are.
  • PatheticNoetic
    PatheticNoetic Posts: 905 Member
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    I don't understand why the site would suggest this calorie plan if it's generally frowned upon?
  • PatheticNoetic
    PatheticNoetic Posts: 905 Member
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    Why would you assume that I would panic and cut calories? I have no feeling one way or the other to the number this site suggested I consume. I'm getting a condescending vibe from you. I understand this is a hot topic here but people here argue amongst themselves rather than question why the site suggests it in the first place.

    I would have thought that a website dedicated to helping people attain fitness and weight loss would have had the input of experts before randomly using calculations for dietary requirements.

    Either they have and the belief that 1200 calories/day is not good for you is just a trend. Or the people are right about 1200 calories/ day and the website loses some of it's credibility.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
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    Why would you assume that I would panic and cut calories? I have no feeling one way or the other to the number this site suggested I consume. I'm getting a condescending vibe from you. I understand this is a hot topic here but people here argue amongst themselves rather than question why the site suggests it in the first place.

    I would have thought that a website dedicated to helping people attain fitness and weight loss would have had the input of experts before randomly using calculations for dietary requirements.

    Either they have and the belief that 1200 calories/day is not good for you is just a trend. Or the people are right about 1200 calories/ day and the website loses some of it's credibility.

    This website did use numbers recommended by experts. That is why it will NOT go lower than 1200. And you are supposed to eat exercise calories back.

    Many people get the 1200 calorie recommendation because they put in an unreasonable goal. One should always do their own research before accepting some arbitrary number.
  • PatheticNoetic
    PatheticNoetic Posts: 905 Member
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    The unreasonable goal is an option this site offers though.
    It's wasn't altered by the users entering their info.
  • florentinovillaro
    florentinovillaro Posts: 342 Member
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    I would trust what your body says. It will tell you if 1200 calories is too low. If you're not experience pangs or having periodic binges, I say you're fine. But again, only you can really answer this question.
  • PatheticNoetic
    PatheticNoetic Posts: 905 Member
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    I know what you're saying. I'm doing fine.
    Is the site suggesting unhealthy caloric requirement?
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
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    The unreasonable goal is an option this site offers though.
    It's wasn't altered by the users entering their info.

    True, I guess. But people come in here not having done any research. They just want to lose weight fast. A website can be a huge help, but you have to do the work for yourself.

    I am not condescending. I didn't get it right off either. But I spent a lot of time in the forums learning, and figured out what worked for me. Sounds like you are on your way to doing that, too.

    And the website has lots of resources. There are all kinds of posts for beginners. You just have to go look. Good luck.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
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    I know what you're saying. I'm doing fine.
    Is the site suggesting unhealthy caloric requirement?

    It is not necessarily unhealthy if you have a lot of weight to lose. Also, it is not too bad if you eat back your exercise calories, which so many choose not to do even though that is the way the site is set up.

    Calorie goals are very individual, and depend on a number of factors. You shouldn't expect a website to do the work for you.

    One thing I wish they would do is list reasonable weight loss goals on their goal page, so not everyone would choose 2 pounds per week. But in all honesty, i am not sure that would help.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
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    The unreasonable goal is an option this site offers though.
    It's wasn't altered by the users entering their info.

    Actually, it is altered by the info you enter. If you tell MFP you want to lose 2 pounds per week, it will automatically subtract 1000 calories from your calorie goal. But it won't go lower than 1200. So you have to do your research.
  • PatheticNoetic
    PatheticNoetic Posts: 905 Member
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    Mmmm. There is a flaw in the system.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
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    Mmmm. There is a flaw in the system.

    I'm not saying it is perfect. But usually the flaw is the human. Don't let a website determine what is right for you. You can waste time blaming MFP, or you can start looking for answers for yourself.
  • swanny320
    swanny320 Posts: 169 Member
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    Regardless of what anyone says, your body will tell you what you need. If you are like me, when I eat clean, healthy, non-processed food, it's extremely hard for me to reach 1200 calories and not feel stuffed. On the other hand, if I eat absolute **** food, I can knock out 1200 calories in one meal and feel hungry the rest of the day. It's not so much the calories as much as what you are getting out of it. Sure, some people subscribe to calories in, calories out...and that's all fine and dandy...but if your 1200 calories spread out over the course of a day eating healthy, good food then your body probably won't experience hunger or feel deprived. On the other hand, if you murder a Big Mac Value Meal at 9AM, your body is probably going to complain come 4pm.

    I don't think the website is suggesting anything unhealthy and also, there are a lot of "experts" on this website. Take everything you read, including my own advice (I'm no expert) with a grain of salt. Everyone loves to be a know it all ;)
  • PatheticNoetic
    PatheticNoetic Posts: 905 Member
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    So this scenario- new guy shows up wanting to lose the extra weight he's gain and doesn't really know how to go about it finds this website. Enters his info - we'll assume honestly- and likes the idea of working harder to lose weight faster. Get's that result then comes into the forums where people jump all over him for having a 1200 result.

    Coming to this site and it being as well used as it is- I would have thought that the suggestions it makes are valid ones. Only to find out that it's bunk.
    So why use this site if it is going to steer me wrong?
    Where is the part in the sign up that discusses the best way to make these decisions?
    "Hey buddy. I can see you want to lose 20 lbs- it's not that bad. Don't go gangbusters and sign your self up for the ED plan. You'll do better if you go about things this way. "

    Instead that information comes from users who are so tired of discussing what's wrong with being on 1200 calories that it's going to come off as hostile not matter what.
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
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    The main issue is that when most users sign up, they put their weight loss goal at 2 lb/week, which is not realistic for those that don't have a significant amount of weight to lose. If someone needs to lose 100 pounds, they should be losing at that rate. Many users only need to lose 20 pounds, so they'd be better off aiming for a weight loss of 1 lb/week. (Don't hold me to these exact figures as I'm not a nutrition expert.)

    MFP is simply a calculator. The minimum calorie allowance it will give (women, not sure about men) is 1200 calories/day, because that is what is generally accepted as a safe minimum for dieters. If you put that you need to lose 2 lb/week, MFP will calculate a 1000-calorie deficit from your TDEE (the amount of calories you burn in a day/what you need to consume to maintain weight). Since many users don't need more than 2200 calories/day to maintain weight, they are given the minimum of 1200.

    Many MFP users find success on a 1200 calorie diet, but others find that aiming to be too restrictive with calories backfires and leads them to giving up, so they opt for a more sustainable deficit between 750-250 calories, usually depending on how much weight they need to lose. Also, many of us take the approach that we should be consuming at least our BMR (the amount of calories your body needs to exist, not counting any energy exerted doing physical activity) to have optimal energy levels and feel satisfied.
  • Dnarules
    Dnarules Posts: 2,081 Member
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    So this scenario- new guy shows up wanting to lose the extra weight he's gain and doesn't really know how to go about it finds this website. Enters his info - we'll assume honestly- and likes the idea of working harder to lose weight faster. Get's that result then comes into the forums where people jump all over him for having a 1200 result.

    Coming to this site and it being as well used as it is- I would have thought that the suggestions it makes are valid ones. Only to find out that it's bunk.
    So why use this site if it is going to steer me wrong?
    Where is the part in the sign up that discusses the best way to make these decisions?
    "Hey buddy. I can see you want to lose 20 lbs- it's not that bad. Don't go gangbusters and sign your self up for the ED plan. You'll do better if you go about things this way. "

    Instead that information comes from users who are so tired of discussing what's wrong with being on 1200 calories that it's going to come off as hostile not matter what.

    Actually, this is a very valid point. But it is still a very useful site.
  • Lunira
    Lunira Posts: 33
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    I went about it like this:

    Who typically eats no more than 1200 calories a day, through medical necessity?

    A post op gastric bypass patient.

    So, what kind of vitamins do such people take, in order to maintain good health at such a restricted calorie intake?

    I researched this, then went out and bought the types of vitamins which doctors recommend to these people (calcium citrate, etc.). I've been taking these while sticking to this intake level, and haven't had an issue at all. The weight's coming off, and I feel fine.
  • ebayaddict0127
    ebayaddict0127 Posts: 523 Member
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    Same here. The site recommended 1200/day for 2 lbs per week loss. But I keep hearing "That's way too low." I've lost 13 lbs already so it seems to be working.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I don't understand why the site would suggest this calorie plan if it's generally frowned upon?

    It's a bottom stop - a minimum published by somebody or other in the US. Other jurisdictions have different views.

    MFP's recommended weight loss rate is 1 lb/week, if people stuck to that fewer would be allocated 1200 calories.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Same here. The site recommended 1200/day for 2 lbs per week loss. But I keep hearing "That's way too low." I've lost 13 lbs already so it seems to be working.

    To be fair, based on your ticker your goal was 100lbs to lose. 2 lbs a week isn't an unreasonable goal for you. The more you have to lose, the larger your deficit can be. Don't forget this site also recommended you exercise and eat those calories back, so even those who are recommended 1200 should usually be eating more.

    But the problem with 1200 for those where it shouldn't be their goal is not whether or not it works, it does, especially if you can stick to it (which is another problem with that number, many find it hard to stick to). But assuming you can stick to it, its what comes after you've lost the weight. I did the huge calorie deficit and tons of exercise, lost the weight, looked great. Keeping it off was another story. I'm now in the "eat more, lose slower" fan club.

    To answer the OP - this site is basically a calculator. It depends on us to imput the correct information and choose the appropriate goals (it does say which goal is "recommended"). it also expects use to follow how it is set up.

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