1200 cal is NOT enough

I agree. 1000 calories is the recommended calorie intake for a one year old, and about 500 more for an 8-10 year old (seriously).
I really don't understand MFP's algorithm. They recommended 1600 for me, and that's over 200 less than my BMR.

At 19, it's pretty easy to lose weight. You can also eat more.

After babies and age, it gets more difficult.

You do what you do, and we'll do what we do.

I see a lot of people on here do not know how much to eat. 1200 is practically the amount for a small child. 1200 calories was my lunch yesterday, not a days worth of intake! I don't want to hear any excuses like "I'm never hungry" or that you cant find any high calorie foods that are healthy.

My diet is heavily plant based. Even if my foods are not high calorie, I eat frequently and that adds up!

Furthermore, if you can't meet a simple calorie goal you shouldn't even be exercising and causing further damage to you body.
1200 calories isnt like a universal number that is meant for everyone (or anyone really) if you want to know how much you should really be eating calculate your BMR and then add calories based on your activity level OR calculate your TDEE which I highly recommend.

It seems most of you want quick and instant results but under eating isnt the way to do it. Permanent and HEALTHY results that you can sustain are going to take time, effort, and certainly a hell of a lot more food.

Some find 1,200 calories enough others don't. Furthermore, 1,200 calories is the value set by MFP. To each their own and if it is working for them, more power to them. I had no problem with 1,200 calories and I'm sure other smaller women have not problem with it either. I did calculate my BMR and TDEE too.

Please stop perpetuating this myth that all small women have to eat like birds. I fell for that too often. I'm just shy of 5'2 and 1200 was NOT enough for me based on the amount/kind of exercise I was doing.

If you're over 50, under 5'4 and sedentary or lightly active it's probably fine. Otherwise, it's not. I notice all the people who are defending it are in the beginning of their diets or what looks to be based on the amount they lost.

I have never met a person who was athletic or super fit (not talking about skinny fat, I'm mean fit like OP) who only ate 1200 calories a day. Have you?

Perpetuating what myth? - Nobody is saying ALL small women have to 'eat like birds'. They are saying 1200 is often right for shorter older less active women.
If you are shorter but NOT older and NOT less active, then this isn't you.

Also to clarify, as I have been one of the defenders - no, I am not in the beginning of my diet, I started losing weight in January 2013, got to goal weight November 2013 and maintained since then.

I agree, people who are athletic or super fit probably wouldn't be eating 1200 calories - but then they wouldn't fit into category of less active, would they?

imagine that.. a 19 year old that already knows it all

A 19 year old going to school to be a Nutritionist knows something about nutrition, wow imagine that!

Wow! Just wow!

I see a lot of people on here do not know how much to eat. 1200 is practically the amount for a small child. 1200 calories was my lunch yesterday, not a days worth of intake! I don't want to hear any excuses like "I'm never hungry" or that you cant find any high calorie foods that are healthy.

My diet is heavily plant based. Even if my foods are not high calorie, I eat frequently and that adds up!

Furthermore, if you can't meet a simple calorie goal you shouldn't even be exercising and causing further damage to you body.
1200 calories isnt like a universal number that is meant for everyone (or anyone really) if you want to know how much you should really be eating calculate your BMR and then add calories based on your activity level OR calculate your TDEE which I highly recommend.

It seems most of you want quick and instant results but under eating isnt the way to do it. Permanent and HEALTHY results that you can sustain are going to take time, effort, and certainly a hell of a lot more food.

Some find 1,200 calories enough others don't. Furthermore, 1,200 calories is the value set by MFP. To each their own and if it is working for them, more power to them. I had no problem with 1,200 calories and I'm sure other smaller women have not problem with it either. I did calculate my BMR and TDEE too.

Please stop perpetuating this myth that all small women have to eat like birds. I fell for that too often. I'm just shy of 5'2 and 1200 was NOT enough for me based on the amount/kind of exercise I was doing.

If you're over 50, under 5'4 and sedentary or lightly active it's probably fine. Otherwise, it's not. I notice all the people who are defending it are in the beginning of their diets or what looks to be based on the amount they lost.

I have never met a person who was athletic or super fit (not talking about skinny fat, I'm mean fit like OP) who only ate 1200 calories a day. Have you?

No, I am two pounds lighter than my original goal so technically at the end of my weight loss journey. My current BMI is 20.8 with a BF% 20.2 so I don't plan on reducing much more than what I have done. Just because someone doesn't have a ticker on their posts does not mean they are at the beginning of their diets. Like me they may choose not to disclose how much weight they lost.

Some days I eat 1000, other days 2500. I'm 168 (5'6) and 99 (219) so I have both the big NO-NOs not to go on 1200, but I eat the way it fits me, not the way that makes other people satisfied. I just think many people like to attach certain stigma to certain numbers, from the "I can only lose on 1200" regular height/activity/hormone function people to the "no adult should eat 1200" people.

It's simple: If you aren't sick, drained, hungry or have a screwed up relationship with food on a 1200 diet there is no harm in using it short term (or even long term with medical observation). Quite a few studies have shown that very low calorie diets work, and most only consumed 800 calories. Our bodies are not as brittle as it is sometimes portrayed. Our body is here looking the way it does and doing the things it does because it's pretty good at surviving.

Similarly, if you are sick, drained, hungry or have a screwed up relationship with food on a 1200 diet, don't limit yourself just because you are attached to a certain number.

@veg56kg

Hello, just to let you know on how to stop the continuation of this miscommunication, just edit your initial post to something that people will not take as "offensive". I understand what you were trying to say, that 1200 calories is not a fit all size, especially since MFP normally starts you off at this point which makes people believe that this is how much they have to eat when in fact there is more information that needs to be taken into account in order to determine how many calories a person should have each day. Especially someone who is new and does not know what to look for this can become confusing.

Since this is a forum and no one can determine the tone you are writing in I think a lot of people became angry because of what they perceived as your tone and statement. Nor should anyone only focus on one part of a statement.

But I understand what you are trying to say and you should not have to apologize anymore since I have seen you apologize multiple times.

Thank you!! I thought about it but I can't figure out how to edit it or delete it. :explode:

MFP must have only basic forum features then. You may just need to let this die then. You are only going to stress yourself out by continue to post in this particular topic.

What gets me about the "1200 is dangerous" mentality is why people don't see that if it truly was, MFP would be open to all kinds of litigation for using it as their floor.

I truly believe it's not dangerous for anyone. You see 1200 and values like it used in all kinds of plans and apps. A lot don't even have floors (Fitbit, for example, as well as any diet plan that doesn't include calorie counting).

It's recommended here for weight loss, which by its nature is temporary and applies to those with excess body fat to use for energy in a deficit.

It is NOT for everyone. 1200 diet is a joke. It isn't one size fits all. Its bogus, I would not survive on 1200. I tried it before and you know where it got me? THE HOSPITAL. I would never ever suggest it to someone for no reason at all without any consideration of their height/weight/age/gender.

All these fad diets and books suggesting 1200 are just out to make money and don't give a crap about your health.

It's recommended here for weight loss, which by its nature is temporary and applies to those with excess body fat to use for energy in a deficit. You are 5'8" and 130. It's not going to tell you 1200 unless you tell it you want to lose weight. You don't have weight to lose. If you did really need to lose 2 lbs., you'd lose it in a couple weeks and avoid the hospital.

You understand how MFP arrives at 1200, right? It's just math and it does consider one's height, weight, gender and age.

Honestly, I do between 1200-1300 a day, and I feel great. I am 6'4 and was at 360lbs. Now, I am down to 270 by maintaining that 6 days a week. It works for me.

That is really sad. Your BMR is 2279.

yet I have lost a lot of weight and feel great. Also, this was under my doctors recommendation. So, how is that sad?

I see a lot of people on here do not know how much to eat. 1200 is practically the amount for a small child.
... 1200 calories isnt like a universal number that is meant for everyone (or anyone really)

1200 is the minimum someone should be eating unless they're under the supervision of a doctor (or are very short).

1200 is the minimum someone? Isn't this what I JUST got yelled at for because a statement like that ignores a persons height, weight, gender, age. 1200 IS NOT a universal number.

That's the medically-established minimum (for women), yes.
Will you believe Harvard Medical School? (I'm pretty sure they know what they're talking about.)

http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/HB_web/calorie-counting-made-easy.htm
calorie intake should not fall below 1,200 a day in women or 1,500 a day in men, except under the supervision of a health professional

Maybe you'll learn about this once you start classes.