1200 calorie diets?

I saw a few short people like myself 5 ft nothing...I am trying to understand the BMR.. being short does that mean my BMR is lower and that 1200 is appropriate for me but not as likely for someone 5'10?

How does this translate to morbidly obese people? do they need to eat more calories to move a larger body and does that go down the smaller they get?

As we get fitter do our caloric needs change? Does a fit 5 ft tall person need more calories than a non-fit 5ft tall person?

Help me to understand because the more I research I think I am confusing myself.

Also, in addition to above, remember that MFP is not a TDEE calculator, it doesn't include exercise in it's calculation. Which adds confusion because you "eat more for exercise". This is unlike traditional weight loss methods which takes your TDEE and cuts from that.

People are allowed to choose an unhealthy weight loss amount "I want to lose 2 pounds per week, get set to the absolute minimum of 1200 and then they think this is what they have to do to lose weight, and then they think why am I eating more for exercise, doesn't that defeat the purpose? Not understanding that they are at the bare minimum already and that their body would function better if they ate to fuel their body instead of restricting it. The body adapts to restriction.

Why are 1200 calorie diets considered to be so terrible and unhealthy?

...I'll love to lose my weight quicker, but I'd take losing pure fat over losing my muscle (which is something I already don't have much of).

"To think that if you eat 500 fewer calories the body will give up 500 calories of fat, to make up the difference, is the ultimate naivety in the world of dieting. The body is not a cash machine for fat.

Think about it – you lose your job – you don’t automatically dip into savings – you cut back on expenditure and the body does exactly the same.

The idea that a reduction of 500 calories leads to the body giving up 500 calories of fat assumes that neither the BMR requirement (1,500 calories) nor the additional requirement (500 calories) change. In reality both change. The person who eats less has less energy and they will likely do less additional activity that day – they will be too tired. The body will also cut back on its maintenance for the day – it can save cell repair, fighting infection and building bone density for another day – you haven’t eaten enough, so it can cut back.

BMR activities need fat, protein, vitamins and minerals. Carbohydrates can be useful for the vitamins and minerals they provide, but the macro nutrient, the carbohydrate itself, can only be used for energy – not cell repair and fighting infection."

"The myth “To lose one pound of fat you need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories” is actually worse than a myth – it is one of the cruelest lies we have told desperate dieters."

http://www.zoeharcombe.com

The only way you can lose one pound of pure fat is to have it cut off one cell at a time, while not bleeding at the same time. Otherwise, when you lose, you are losing fat, muscle and water, no matter what you may think otherwise.

I don't have a problem with it and have done it in the past. I actually find it easier to stick to, the less cals I have (at a surplus just now at 2150 and I'm constantly over )

I probably wouldn't do it again simply for the reason that if you stall there isn't really anywhere you can go and still feel healthy. I'll probably start at 1600 next time so I have 1400 and 1200 to go to if I get stuck, if you know what I mean.

Mine is showing 1300 calories. I am 5'4 and 259. I thought that was normal for weight loss then a friend told me I am eating too little. Need help as well. Shouldn't the site tell me the real amount I should be aiming for?

I really wish the "don't eat below BMR" myth would die, because that's what it is, a myth. There is no scientific evidence anywhere that says anything about eating above or below BMR to lose weight.

I really wish the "don't eat below BMR" myth would die, because that's what it is, a myth. There is no scientific evidence anywhere that says anything about eating above or below BMR to lose weight.

For people who are obese, it is okay to eat below BMR. For people who are closer to goal weight, there are consequences. No, you won't "die", but you will probably experience undesirable effects.

Thank you for the link to that website.

It does calculate my BMR to 1204 (5 ft nothin' and 138# and 43 yrs old) The TDEE obviously changes with the amount of work out - so if I set it for sedentary it actually says for "Fat loss 1228" at a 15% reduction.

I knew I wasn't crazy to leave MFP set at 1200 and eat back most exercise calories.

Honestly, no one wants to starve themselves, but to tell people they should never be at 1200 isn't fair either. I see people get nailed to the board all the time in here for it - and all it does, especially for a newbie - is make you feel even worse about what you are trying to do.

Yes to this - there are new people all the time, who are set at 1200 and not losing and they are advised to eat more when in reality they are logging inaccurately, which will not change when they up their settings.

This is true also, but I do see these people advised to get a food scale ALL THE TIME. I also see where they are asked what their stats are, and to open their diary so people can better advise them.

1200 *IS* appropriate for some, I didn't say it wasn't. But it is not appropriate for the person who started this thread.

I'm kind of glad I came across this topic as I am still fairly new here and still trying to understand some things....I entered my age, height, weight & activity level (sedentary-desk job, little or no exercise) into MFP and said I want to lose 1lb a week. It gave me 1380 for a calorie goal, which I have been following since mid-February.

I went to the IIFYM site and entered the same data and got a BMR of 1505 and a TDEE of 1806.......So what should my calorie goal be to lose 1lb a week?? Am I eating too little?

Here is how MFP works:

It figures out what you need just for daily life (not including exercise) based on how active you say you are. So this covers normal daily activities, job, school, running after kids, whatever. A person with a waitress job would be more active than someone who sits at a desk all day.

Now you tell it how many pounds per week you want to lose. If you choose 2 pounds, it deducts 1,000 calories per day, 1 pound it deducts 500 calories per day. But it will not go below 1200. This often sets people BELOW their BMR, sometimes dangerously below their BMR, but people are allowed to choose whatever they want, there isn't information there for people to make an informed decision. Everybody wants to lose 2 pounds per week, right? But unless you have 75+ pounds to lose, that level of taking a 1,000 calorie deficit isn't reasonable.

Okay, remember now that number doesn't include exercise, you need to eat more now when you work out.

Thank you....I am currently 35 at 5"3 and weigh 185lbs. According to my BMI, I am Obese. I would like to eventually get down to 140 or even 135 if possible. I just find I'm getting confused because of all these different calculations! lol I just want to know if I am eating the right amount of calories to lose weight at a healthy rate (not looking for an overnight fix here, just a gradual loss) and I also don't want to be eating too little. What calculation should I use to figure that out? Should I just trust MFP?

I really wish the "don't eat below BMR" myth would die, because that's what it is, a myth. There is no scientific evidence anywhere that says anything about eating above or below BMR to lose weight.

For people who are obese, it is okay to eat below BMR. For people who are closer to goal weight, there are consequences. No, you won't "die", but you will probably experience undesirable effects.

Yes - this!

For some reason morbidly obese people do not lose a lot of muscle mass when on very low calorie diets...........this is NOT true for people with less weight to lose.

Very low calorie diets (for "some" people that IS 1200) .....result in fat+muscle loss as opposed to mainly fat loss. I hate the term....but look up "skinny-fat." People who lose weight but are unhappy with how flabby they look.

I'm kind of glad I came across this topic as I am still fairly new here and still trying to understand some things....I entered my age, height, weight & activity level (sedentary-desk job, little or no exercise) into MFP and said I want to lose 1lb a week. It gave me 1380 for a calorie goal, which I have been following since mid-February.

I went to the IIFYM site and entered the same data and got a BMR of 1505 and a TDEE of 1806.......So what should my calorie goal be to lose 1lb a week?? Am I eating too little?

Here is how MFP works:

It figures out what you need just for daily life (not including exercise) based on how active you say you are. So this covers normal daily activities, job, school, running after kids, whatever. A person with a waitress job would be more active than someone who sits at a desk all day.

Now you tell it how many pounds per week you want to lose. If you choose 2 pounds, it deducts 1,000 calories per day, 1 pound it deducts 500 calories per day. But it will not go below 1200. This often sets people BELOW their BMR, sometimes dangerously below their BMR, but people are allowed to choose whatever they want, there isn't information there for people to make an informed decision. Everybody wants to lose 2 pounds per week, right? But unless you have 75+ pounds to lose, that level of taking a 1,000 calorie deficit isn't reasonable.

Okay, remember now that number doesn't include exercise, you need to eat more now when you work out.

Thank you....I am currently 35 at 5"3 and weigh 185lbs. According to my BMI, I am Obese. I would like to eventually get down to 140 or even 135 if possible. I just find I'm getting confused because of all these different calculations! lol I just want to know if I am eating the right amount of calories to lose weight at a healthy rate (not looking for an overnight fix here, just a gradual loss) and I also don't want to be eating too little. What calculation should I use to figure that out? Should I just trust MFP?

Set MFP to lose 1 pound per week. Weigh/measure/log your food so you know you are indeed eating the proper amount. Eat more when you exercise (Don't trust MFP's estimates for how much you burn in exercise.... some people eat half or 3/4 of what it says because it can be high... or get a heart rate monitor for better tracking).

OR use an online calculator to figure out your TDEE. Eat 20% less than TDEE. With this method you would not eat more for exercise, it would be included in that TDEE number. Some people find this less confusing.

Weird. When I tried "aggressive" it put me at 1300 calories. Maybe I'll just stick with the next one up and try to pick up running as a habit. Thanks:)

This actually really helped.

You are only 18 pounds from your goal weight, NOT 180 for god's sake. You should NOT be taking an aggressive 25% cut. Even 20% is probably too much for you. 15% would be appropriate.

WHY do people want to eat as little as possible? I just do not get it. Is it a punishment thing? Oh, I'm too fat, I must sacrifice and starve and work out 3 hours a day. This makes it harder to transition to maintenance and learning how you will manage the rest of your life.

But I feel fine. I eat when I'm hungry, and I try to pick foods that will keep me full like fruits, veggies, fibrous foods, or meat. This prevents me from eating empty calories. And it's not like I've been dieting for years, I just started 2-3 weeks ago.

What does hunger have to do with it? Does your stomach really know when your body is using muscle mass as fuel? Yes, fiber keeps you full, but it doesn't support muscle tissue. I eat more because I want to lower my body fat percentage, not just the number on the scale.

I ate 1200 calories on Sunday...not on purpose...took me till Wednesday to feel better...get my energy back, stop feeling dizzy, weak and lethargic...no joke.

I am 5 ft 7, 160lbs, lift 3x a week and eat on average 1700 a day....

I don't understand how people do it to be frank...

The human body is very weird to me...

I'm 5'9, 200lb, 23 years old and lift 4x a week and run 3x a week, and 1200-1300 calories work fine for me.

I've never been a big eater, so maybe thats why it works. Different people have different appetites so I guess a calorie limit in and of itself cant be "wrong", but it just wont work for certain people.

I really wish the "don't eat below BMR" myth would die, because that's what it is, a myth. There is no scientific evidence anywhere that says anything about eating above or below BMR to lose weight.

For people who are obese, it is okay to eat below BMR. For people who are closer to goal weight, there are consequences. No, you won't "die", but you will probably experience undesirable effects.

Yes - this!

For some reason morbidly obese people do not lose a lot of muscle mass when on very low calorie diets...........this is NOT true for people with less weight to lose.

Very low calorie diets (for "some" people that IS 1200) .....result in fat+muscle loss as opposed to mainly fat loss. I hate the term....but look up "skinny-fat." People who lose weight but are unhappy with how flabby they look.

This has nothing to do with calories or BMR, and everything to do with protein consumption and training protocol.

I really wish the "don't eat below BMR" myth would die, because that's what it is, a myth. There is no scientific evidence anywhere that says anything about eating above or below BMR to lose weight.

For people who are obese, it is okay to eat below BMR. For people who are closer to goal weight, there are consequences. No, you won't "die", but you will probably experience undesirable effects.

Yes - this!

For some reason morbidly obese people do not lose a lot of muscle mass when on very low calorie diets...........this is NOT true for people with less weight to lose.

Very low calorie diets (for "some" people that IS 1200) .....result in fat+muscle loss as opposed to mainly fat loss. I hate the term....but look up "skinny-fat." People who lose weight but are unhappy with how flabby they look.

This has nothing to do with calories or BMR, and everything to do with protein consumption and training protocol.

I totally agree with you, but the majority of people coming to MFP aren't training and don't get enough protein. They just want to lose 2 pounds per week, not understanding the possible consequences.