1200 calories plus workout

Kylies_mom87
Kylies_mom87 Posts: 27
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey everyone. So I've been eating 1200 calories per day and burning 250-400 during my workouts, which I do 5 times a week. So my Net calories have been around 700. I've lost a total of 52 lbs so far but It has come to my attention that my Net calories should be no lower than 1200. So does that mean I need to eat 1450-1600 calories a day? Even though I'm only eating 1200 I never go hungry. Do I need to change my calorie intake at all if what I'm doing now is obviously working for me? All opinions appreciated. Thank you for your help.

Replies

  • ErinMLB
    ErinMLB Posts: 100 Member
    Yep, eat back your work out calories :) so if you exercise and burn 300, eat 300 cal. Lots of people have a huge hate on for 1200 calorie a day, but if you feel comfortable with it, and are happy with it you should be okay. I'm on 1200 a day as well, mostly because I am very sedentary (I work from home), but when I work out I always eat my calories back, and I have one day a week where I eat at maintenance or just above. :)

    Good luck!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Set your goal to lose 1 pound per week if it isn't already. And yes, eat more for exercise. But, be aware that if you are not using a Heart Rate Monitor, the number of calories they give you in the database here can be inflated. Some people only eat back half or 3/4 of the exercise calories because of that.

    MFP is set up so that you would lose the weight just by dieting alone, without including any exercise. This is why you need to eat more for fuel. You still have the same amount of calorie deficit to lose weight.

    Example:

    1200 (the amount of calories MFP says to eat to lose x amount of pounds per week)
    -300 (the amount you exercised)
    +300 (the amount more you eat for fuel)
    =1200 (you still have the same deficit to lose x amount of pounds per week)
  • jaz141
    jaz141 Posts: 32
    If it's working for you, don't change it! You may not be burning as much during your workouts as you think.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    If it's working for you, don't change it! You may not be burning as much during your workouts as you think.

    Well, except that 1200 is a minimum. Most people unless they are very petite can and should eat more than that.
  • Kylies_mom87
    Kylies_mom87 Posts: 27
    Thank you for commenting so quickly. I do use a heart rate monitor for my workouts. I'm a stay at home mom. So I do 20-30 minutes of cardio in my living room 5x a week and take my daughter for a walk around the block in her stroller once a day. Today i burned 435 doing so. I'd like to lose 2 lbs a week like I have been doing. So should I cut my workouts down or just eat more? I am 5'2 . I was only 120 lbs when I got pregnant just last year. Then shot up to 220. I'm now at 168 and My goal is 141 by June.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Thank you for commenting so quickly. I do use a heart rate monitor for my workouts. I'm a stay at home mom. So I do 20-30 minutes of cardio in my living room 5x a week and take my daughter for a walk around the block in her stroller once a day. Today i burned 435 doing so. I'd like to lose 2 lbs a week like I have been doing. So should I cut my workouts down or just eat more? I am 5'2 . I was only 120 lbs when I got pregnant just last year. Then shot up to 220. I'm now at 168 and My goal is 141 by June.

    Everyone would like to lose 2 pounds a week. However losing weight that fast isn't healthy when you are not very far from your goal. And it makes it a lot harder to transition into maintaining your weight. This is how many people get into weight yo-yo.
  • Maryaly40
    Maryaly40 Posts: 551 Member
    Thank you for commenting so quickly. I do use a heart rate monitor for my workouts. I'm a stay at home mom. So I do 20-30 minutes of cardio in my living room 5x a week and take my daughter for a walk around the block in her stroller once a day. Today i burned 435 doing so. I'd like to lose 2 lbs a week like I have been doing. So should I cut my workouts down or just eat more? I am 5'2 . I was only 120 lbs when I got pregnant just last year. Then shot up to 220. I'm now at 168 and My goal is 141 by June.

    if you're not hungry, and you're losing, then don't change a thing! I'm 5'0 and work out 6 days a week. I eat 1200-1300 calories a day. When I do this I lose about 2lbs per week.
  • Vicxie86
    Vicxie86 Posts: 181 Member
    Thank you for commenting so quickly. I do use a heart rate monitor for my workouts. I'm a stay at home mom. So I do 20-30 minutes of cardio in my living room 5x a week and take my daughter for a walk around the block in her stroller once a day. Today i burned 435 doing so. I'd like to lose 2 lbs a week like I have been doing. So should I cut my workouts down or just eat more? I am 5'2 . I was only 120 lbs when I got pregnant just last year. Then shot up to 220. I'm now at 168 and My goal is 141 by June.

    Continue what is clearly working/has worked for you. If you hit a plateau, you can always increase your calories to get your metabolism working faster
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Thank you for commenting so quickly. I do use a heart rate monitor for my workouts. I'm a stay at home mom. So I do 20-30 minutes of cardio in my living room 5x a week and take my daughter for a walk around the block in her stroller once a day. Today i burned 435 doing so. I'd like to lose 2 lbs a week like I have been doing. So should I cut my workouts down or just eat more? I am 5'2 . I was only 120 lbs when I got pregnant just last year. Then shot up to 220. I'm now at 168 and My goal is 141 by June.

    if you're not hungry, and you're losing, then don't change a thing! I'm 5'0 and work out 6 days a week. I eat 1200-1300 calories a day. When I do this I lose about 2lbs per week.

    Hunger isn't always a good indicator of whether or not you are fueling your body correctly. 700 calories, for most, isn't fueling the body for the day.....let alone exercise on top of it. My .02
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    MFP is quite notorious for setting calorie goals FAR too low, regardless of height and weight. For example, it told me to eat 1200, and my BMR (the bare amount of calories I need to LIVE) is 1280. And I am extremely tiny, only 5 feet. So unless you are smaller than me, or bedridden, it is almost a CERTAINTY that you are eating too little. (This can result in lean muscle loss, chronic fatigue, metabolism damage, and bingeing due to over-restriction.) Yeah, you will lose weight eating that little, but why do it if you don't have to, and risk all those consequences?

    Go to

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    and enter your height/weight/activity level.

    Subtract 10-20% from the number it calculates for you, and that is the number of calories you should be eating a day in order to lose weight.
  • imarlett
    imarlett Posts: 228 Member
    I am like you, 1200 calorie diet and work out 6 times a week burning between 400 - 600 calories. I usually eat back most of my calories IF I am hungry. If I'm not, I won't. Listen to your body (not your emotions, peer pressure, etc), it will tell you what you need.
  • bkyoun
    bkyoun Posts: 371 Member
    I would only eat back half of the calories. Over 400 seems high for 20 minutes of walking. Also at 5'2", 1200 may not be a minimum for you. You are probably fine being a bit under.
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
    Yes, if you are losing faster than 2 pounds a week. If not, just keeping doing what you are doing until you stop losing.
  • fourze
    fourze Posts: 5
    as a around 300 pound man this is what I do around 1200 cals with a 3-4 mile walk almost daily. If I get hungry I will eat more but usually I feel pretty good so it doesnt bother me in the end
  • Leisha908
    Leisha908 Posts: 35 Member
    This post was super helpful!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    as a around 300 pound man this is what I do around 1200 cals with a 3-4 mile walk almost daily. If I get hungry I will eat more but usually I feel pretty good so it doesnt bother me in the end

    You have a lot of weight to lose, so you can do this for a time. You will need to increase this eventually. A man needs even more than a woman. Eating that little isn't appropriate for everyone.
  • cuinboston2014
    cuinboston2014 Posts: 848 Member
    I just want to second what another poster said. Just because you aren't necessarily hungry doesn't mean you are getting what you need.

    I recently cut my calories as I'm on a medical restriction and can't do more than walk - and even only so far (i previously was running 6d ays a week and strength training 3). I was trying to eat just when I'm hungry. I was surprised how well this was working as I normally just want to eat all day every day, regardless of my hunger level. However, I have noticed that even when I'm not hungry, I need SOMETHING to eat as I find myself getting light headed at certain times of the day. Everyone is different.

    make sure if you are sticking to 1200 calories that you really ARE ok with that amount and that you are picking nutrient dense foods!
  • harmony223
    harmony223 Posts: 47 Member
    bump
  • Kylies_mom87
    Kylies_mom87 Posts: 27
    I would only eat back half of the calories. Over 400 seems high for 20 minutes of walking. Also at 5'2", 1200 may not be a minimum for you. You are probably fine being a bit under.


    I did 30 minutes of cardio then went for a walk. Which is all up and down hill. I'm gonna eat my workout calories back for today and see how I feel. Thank you all for your responses. I appreciate it :)
  • bwogilvie
    bwogilvie Posts: 2,130 Member
    You're getting close to your goal. By losing the last weight too fast, you risk losing muscle as well as fat. As a random stranger on the Internet whose knowledge comes from reading books, not any formal training (like most of us here!), I advise eating more, so that you lose the last 25 lb. or so more slowly, and doing strength training to preserve your muscles. A basic body weight program can work wonders, and you can do it at home without taking the time and money to go to a gym.
  • Kylies_mom87
    Kylies_mom87 Posts: 27
    You're getting close to your goal. By losing the last weight too fast, you risk losing muscle as well as fat. As a random stranger on the Internet whose knowledge comes from reading books, not any formal training (like most of us here!), I advise eating more, so that you lose the last 25 lb. or so more slowly, and doing strength training to preserve your muscles. A basic body weight program can work wonders, and you can do it at home without taking the time and money to go to a gym.

    Thank you for the advice. I do strength training twice a week. Just at home with my little 5 lb dumbbells along with squats and lunges. I can already feel a difference.
  • HanamiDango
    HanamiDango Posts: 456 Member
    Since no one else has mention it, do you weight all your food? I am sure you have read it since you have been on MFP for a while now, but make sure you are keeping up with that. It helps keep the error of counting down. Try just eating back half your exercise calories at first too. Good luck.
  • Kylies_mom87
    Kylies_mom87 Posts: 27
    Since no one else has mention it, do you weight all your food? I am sure you have read it since you have been on MFP for a while now, but make sure you are keeping up with that. It helps keep the error of counting down. Try just eating back half your exercise calories at first too. Good luck.

    Thank you. Good luck to you too. Yes, I weigh everything! And just to be clear when you all say to eat back half the calories burned, does that mean to eat till my Net calories are back at 1200??
  • ell_v131
    ell_v131 Posts: 349 Member
    Hey everyone. So I've been eating 1200 calories per day and burning 250-400 during my workouts, which I do 5 times a week. So my Net calories have been around 700. I've lost a total of 52 lbs so far but It has come to my attention that my Net calories should be no lower than 1200. So does that mean I need to eat 1450-1600 calories a day? Even though I'm only eating 1200 I never go hungry. Do I need to change my calorie intake at all if what I'm doing now is obviously working for me? All opinions appreciated. Thank you for your help.

    Yes, 1200 is the minimum (I think you could and should eat more unles you are 5' and 60yo) and yes you should eat back your exercise calories.

    I would encourage you to increase your income based on how far away from your goal you are, you will find out more here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/310489-the-reason-why-starving-yourself-will-not-work
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Since no one else has mention it, do you weight all your food? I am sure you have read it since you have been on MFP for a while now, but make sure you are keeping up with that. It helps keep the error of counting down. Try just eating back half your exercise calories at first too. Good luck.

    Thank you. Good luck to you too. Yes, I weigh everything! And just to be clear when you all say to eat back half the calories burned, does that mean to eat till my Net calories are back at 1200??

    Eating all of your exercise calories would make it Net 1200. So, you need to either log the exercise as half the amount of calories, in which case it would Net 1200. Or, when you see it says you burned 400 in exercise, just mentally know you need to eat 200 more.
  • cpcoursec
    cpcoursec Posts: 82 Member
    If you feel good and you are losing weight, do what you are doing. It's when weight stalls, goes back up, or you start having health issues like being tired all the time, cranky, sluggish....IMO is when you need to start really questioning what you are doing.

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