1200 cals a day?!

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  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    P.s. forgot to mention I'm 5'2"
    FML hate being small!

    I am 5'2. I lose 0.5 lb/week weight eating 1900-2100 cal/day. I net around 1700 cal/day. I too started at 1200 cal per the MFP recommendation and then started reading more on these forums about TDEE. Went onto Scooby's calculator to find my TDEE, and then raised my goal to 1400, then 1500 and was losing a lb per week. When I got closer to goal and after getting a FitBit, I raised it again to ~ 1700 based on a 250 cal deficit from my daily burn. Just because you are petite doesn't mean you are doomed to eat 1200 calories.
  • GemW27
    GemW27 Posts: 41
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    Honestly I was considering not tracking my food at all anymore and just focus on eating healthy instead, because I can never keep it under 1200 anyway.

    Then on the other hand I tracked granola today and figured out my moderate portion was 100g and 500 calories!
    The ingredients are mostly clean/whole food but 500 is way too much for a 1200 a day diet
  • GemW27
    GemW27 Posts: 41
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    P.s. forgot to mention I'm 5'2"
    FML hate being small!

    I am 5'2. I lose 0.5 lb/week weight eating 1900-2100 cal/day. I net around 1700 cal/day. I too started at 1200 cal per the MFP recommendation and then started reading more on these forums about TDEE. Went onto Scooby's calculator to find my TDEE, and then raised my goal to 1400, then 1500 and was losing a lb per week. When I got closer to goal and after getting a FitBit, I raised it again to ~ 1700 based on a 250 cal deficit from my daily burn. Just because you are petite doesn't mean you are doomed to eat 1200 calories.

    Very reassuring! Might try to up my daily intake and see how it goes - I've been stuck at the same weight for weeks now
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    change your settings to .5lb or 1lb per week. welcome to the world of still eating and still losing.

    ....derp.
  • corgarian
    corgarian Posts: 366 Member
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    I would literally punch myself in the face if I decided to do 1200 calories a day. I'm at 1600, losing about a pound a week, and sometimes I'm still hungry. 5'5 175lbs.

    If you are fairly active and your workout you just need to eat more. your body is amping up and you're not giving it enough.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    1200 is math..........it's not a statement of someone my age, size, weight,.....should eat at least xxxx calories.

    1200 is a product of "I want to lose XX pounds per week" ......a 6' tall woman could get 1200 calories a day (never a man!) ..if she set her weekly goal high enough.

    At the very least....look up your BMR (basal metabolic rate).....the calories your body needs for basic function (heart, lungs, kidneys)...... if you are eating less than this (for awhile)....your body will use muscle mass for fuel. If you want (mostly) fat loss.....eat more.

    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • nosebag1212
    nosebag1212 Posts: 621 Member
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    lol @ anyone who thinks they need to eat as low as 1200 a day to lose weight
  • GemW27
    GemW27 Posts: 41
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    change your settings to .5lb or 1lb per month. welcome to the world of still eating and still losing.
    .5lb per month?! Way too low.....
  • GemW27
    GemW27 Posts: 41
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    lol @ anyone who thinks they need to eat as low as 1200 a day to lose weight
    lol? Completely unnecessary

    My 1200 is based on MFP calculations for my height/current weight/goal weight - I didn't decide on 1200 off the top of my head
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    I'm 5'2". I lost my weight eating significantly more than 1200.

    I don't understand why people would willingly eat so little.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    lol @ anyone who thinks they need to eat as low as 1200 a day to lose weight
    lol? Completely unnecessary

    My 1200 is based on MFP calculations for my height/current weight/goal weight - I didn't decide on 1200 off the top of my head

    You gave MFP an unrealistic goal, so it gave you an unrealistic number.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    You set your goal to lose 2 pounds a week, right? Your ticker says you only have 21 pounds left to lose, so that's too aggressive. Here are the general guidelines:

    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,

    You should be at .5 to 1 pound per week.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    change your settings to .5lb or 1lb per month. welcome to the world of still eating and still losing.
    .5lb per month?! Way too low.....

    Not too low for many people

    Pounds per week...this is moderate
    75+ lbs to lose 2 lb range
    Between 40 - 75 lbs to lose 1.5 lb range
    Between 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lb range
    Between 15-25 lbs to lose 1 -.50 lb range
    Less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs range

    If you don't want moderate weight loss.....you will lose fat+muscle. But, healthy (moderate) weight loss + exercise spares existing muscle mass. Gaining muscle after dieting is really hard work....especially for women.....for me, it's easier to try hang onto what I have.
  • KayBallin
    KayBallin Posts: 111 Member
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    I was on 1200 cals last week. It was a struggle. I decreased my goal from 1.5lb a week to 1lb. I'm at 1360 now, which is a little better. Although on my rest day it's hard since I don't have exercise calories to eat back.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    change your settings to .5lb or 1lb per month. welcome to the world of still eating and still losing.
    .5lb per month?! Way too low.....
    !? no. Not too low. MFP is a broken calculator because it allows people, like yourself, to put in goals that are too aggressive.
  • dswolverine
    dswolverine Posts: 246 Member
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    I would probably keel over. I'm set to 1340 a day and I find that's too low as well most days. Just too damn hungry!
  • Mugiwarah
    Mugiwarah Posts: 40
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    If you insist on continuing on a 1200 calory diet, after finding out whether it's healthy for you or not, this would be my advice:

    1) Skip breakfast, when there's no glucose in your body, you will primarilly burn fat and by skipping breakfeast this would be the most ideal time to take advantage of this principle.

    2) Eat loads of fibres, really keeps you full through out the day.

    3) On the days you work out, eat a bit more, what I usually do is if I burn 400 kcals wokring out, I eat 400 kcals more afterwards.

    4) Drink a lot of water
  • flutterbye811
    flutterbye811 Posts: 86 Member
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    change your settings to .5lb or 1lb per month. welcome to the world of still eating and still losing.
    .5lb per month?! Way too low.....
    !? no. Not too low. MFP is a broken calculator because it allows people, like yourself, to put in goals that are too aggressive.

    Is it supposed to read "lbs per week," not "per month"? :)
  • NataBost
    NataBost Posts: 418 Member
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    P.s. forgot to mention I'm 5'2"
    FML hate being small!

    I am 5'2. I lose 0.5 lb/week weight eating 1900-2100 cal/day. I net around 1700 cal/day. I too started at 1200 cal per the MFP recommendation and then started reading more on these forums about TDEE. Went onto Scooby's calculator to find my TDEE, and then raised my goal to 1400, then 1500 and was losing a lb per week. When I got closer to goal and after getting a FitBit, I raised it again to ~ 1700 based on a 250 cal deficit from my daily burn. Just because you are petite doesn't mean you are doomed to eat 1200 calories.

    ^^ This. I'm 5'1" and I'm reworking my macros/calories. I'm going to be settling in around 1500-1600 per day, working out 3-5 times a week.
  • Blokeypoo
    Blokeypoo Posts: 274 Member
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    lol @ anyone who thinks they need to eat as low as 1200 a day to lose weight
    lol? Completely unnecessary

    My 1200 is based on MFP calculations for my height/current weight/goal weight - I didn't decide on 1200 off the top of my head

    I'm 5'2.5 and lost on 1400ish. You may pooh pooh losing .5lb a week but it's completely sensible and less likely to find you back here in 6mths saying you regained it all.

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