1200 is really low
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1200 was fine for me for a couple months until I started getting dizzy and feeling bad and getting headaches. Then I upped my calories to 1400 and I don't have that problem anymore and I am actually starting to LOSE more weight now. I had hit a plateau for a couple of weeks which was frustrating for me. So now I get to eat more than before and still losing weight. If you need to up your calories I highly suggest you do so. I don't knock anyone for starting off on 1200 but if you feel that isn't enough, your body is obviously telling you that you need to change some things and modify what you are doing.0
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Not sure I'm replying at the right spot. Re : keeping my diary private.
I'm new to the message board, and I post the thought of the day - but yes, I overeat, and I undereat, and I have real funky meal days. When I look back at my own diary, I confuse myself sometimes. But I have to say, I do find it helpful to view other people's diary. Shows I'm not all that strange after all.
My goal is 1200, but I might change it since I started going to the gym.
Well you have since closed your diary, but it is a huge red warning flag to me that your goal is 1200, and you think that you "went over" your goal by 500 calories on a day you logged 1700 calories of food and 600 calories of exercise.
That is dangerous, and not the right way to do this.0 -
Age is nothing but a number and doesn't affect weight loss. I know research indicates that metabolism slows with age but I call that BS because it only becomes an issue if a person makes it an issue. Age doesn't change the fact that you must eat at a calorie deficiency in order to lose weight. It doesn't prevent a person from exercising for good health. I'll be 51 in two weeks and two days. Now, ask me if I am going to allow my age to stop me.
Really? What about the menopause?0 -
Or older.1200 is too low unless you're very small and very sedentary. What is your height and weight?0 -
I't too low, but if I go higher, I gain. I'm 51!
Just counted my exercice points today - made me overeat by 500 calories.
Not good.
I'm 5'1" and lose weight on 1800 cals/day and maintain my weight at 2100 cals/day... and that was before I moved back to the UK when I was much more sedentary because it was too damn hot to walk anywhere. Now I'm back in the UK the numbers would probably be quite a bit higher than that, as I walk a lot more now.0 -
Age is nothing but a number and doesn't affect weight loss. I know research indicates that metabolism slows with age but I call that BS because it only becomes an issue if a person makes it an issue. Age doesn't change the fact that you must eat at a calorie deficiency in order to lose weight. It doesn't prevent a person from exercising for good health. I'll be 51 in two weeks and two days. Now, ask me if I am going to allow my age to stop me.
Really? What about the menopause?
What about it? I am in a weight loss group with women who either passed that point or are currently going through it. All of them are still losing weight.0 -
I'm small, petite,older, and pretty much sedentary. Trying to change that part though. I'm finding 1200 calories just maintains my weight for me. I was on WW for a while, and they put me on 800 calories a day based on my weight. That was a starvation diet pretty much. But, I did lose weight.
I can't go back to 800 calories. It was just too hard, but it seems 1200 isn't working either. Most days I stick with it, some days I go over a little. But still, the weight doesn't change. Sigh.0 -
Age is nothing but a number and doesn't affect weight loss. I know research indicates that metabolism slows with age but I call that BS because it only becomes an issue if a person makes it an issue. Age doesn't change the fact that you must eat at a calorie deficiency in order to lose weight. It doesn't prevent a person from exercising for good health. I'll be 51 in two weeks and two days. Now, ask me if I am going to allow my age to stop me.
Really? What about the menopause?
What about it? I am in a weight loss group with women who either passed that point or are currently going through it. All of them are still losing weight.
Well, you said that age doesn't affect weight loss but weight gain is a factor of the menopause for most. That's not bull ****.0 -
You really have to weight in how you feel compared to how much and how fast you want to lose.
I was on 1200 for about three months and lost about 20 lbs but I was not miserable. I was measuring and counting accurately, but I also had cheat meals twice a week. If you are hungry and cranky then add calories because you won't stick to it for long. I find that I can lose weight at 1400 but very slowly, if I want result I go to 1200 and it drops pretty fast.
Listen to your body and your mind, do what feels right. Don't go to 1200 unless it's sustainable but keep in mind that you won't have to stay at the number forever. I did it for 3 months, then slowly added calories and I am now at 1800 and have not gained a pound.
Once you reach your goal weight you will be able to eat more as long as you continue to exercise regularly.
Good luck
If you had cheat meals twice a week, you weren't eating 1200 calories every day. Which means that if you averaged your weekly calorie intake out over seven days, you probably could have eaten more every day and still had the same results.0 -
Age is nothing but a number and doesn't affect weight loss. I know research indicates that metabolism slows with age but I call that BS because it only becomes an issue if a person makes it an issue. Age doesn't change the fact that you must eat at a calorie deficiency in order to lose weight. It doesn't prevent a person from exercising for good health. I'll be 51 in two weeks and two days. Now, ask me if I am going to allow my age to stop me.
Really? What about the menopause?
What about it? I am in a weight loss group with women who either passed that point or are currently going through it. All of them are still losing weight.
Well, you said that age doesn't affect weight loss but weight gain is a factor of the menopause for most. That's not bull ****.
Yes, I stated it and I will state it again. Age doesn't affect weight loss. Just because a person gets older doesn't mean they can't lose weight despite getting older. I also stated that the causes of a slow metabolism are real but do not stop a person from losing weight. The same for menopause. Those issues will only affect you from losing weight if you allow those to stop you. Using those as excuses is absolutely bullsh$t.0 -
Age is nothing but a number and doesn't affect weight loss. I know research indicates that metabolism slows with age but I call that BS because it only becomes an issue if a person makes it an issue. Age doesn't change the fact that you must eat at a calorie deficiency in order to lose weight. It doesn't prevent a person from exercising for good health. I'll be 51 in two weeks and two days. Now, ask me if I am going to allow my age to stop me.
Really? What about the menopause?
What about it? I am in a weight loss group with women who either passed that point or are currently going through it. All of them are still losing weight.
Well, you said that age doesn't affect weight loss but weight gain is a factor of the menopause for most. That's not bull ****.
Yes, I stated it and I will state it again. Age doesn't affect weight loss. Just because a person gets older doesn't mean they can't lose weight despite getting older. I also stated that the causes of a slow metabolism are real but do not stop a person from losing weight. The same for menopause. Those issues will only affect you from losing weight if you allow those to stop you. Using those as excuses is absolutely bullsh$t.
Well, no, you stated, "age doesn't affect weight loss". It does, it gets harder. However, we appear to agree that it doesn't mean you can't lose weight.0 -
Well, no, you stated, "age doesn't affect weight loss". It does, it gets harder. However, we appear to agree that it doesn't mean you can't lose weight.
Age doesn't affect weight loss. Aging means a slow metabolism for some people but not necessarily a harder weight loss. Many people on this forum are doing much better at weight loss at their current "older" age than they did when they were much younger with a faster metabolism.0 -
Or older.1200 is too low unless you're very small and very sedentary. What is your height and weight?
No.
1200 is too low unless you're very small and very sedentary, no matter how old you are. You could be 85 and 1200 would still be too low unless you were very small and very sedentary.0 -
Well, no, you stated, "age doesn't affect weight loss". It does, it gets harder. However, we appear to agree that it doesn't mean you can't lose weight.
Age does not affect weight loss. Calorie delta does.0 -
Since they've learned that muscle only burns about 6 calories per day per pound, I think most of our reduction in burn as we age is due to reduction in activity. And that's totally under our control, especially in the age of Fitbits where we can see our NEAT over time easily. Anyone remember the old fitness author Covert Bailey? He theorized that decades ago, that we didn't burn less, we just move less unless we make sure we don't.
1200 calories is a lot of lettuce. My intake ranges from 1200-1500. I don't find it all that hard but I do forego a lot of 'normal' stuff because it's just too caloric-- alcohol, most traditional desserts, most fried foods, fattier meats, heavy snacking, huge restaurant meals, caloric drinks, etc. I don't eat much lettuce, though.0 -
Well, no, you stated, "age doesn't affect weight loss". It does, it gets harder. However, we appear to agree that it doesn't mean you can't lose weight.
Age does not affect weight loss. Calorie delta does.
Really? What about the menopause? It says here, http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/Pages/Introduction.aspx, that putting on extra weight often occurs during menopause.0 -
Well, no, you stated, "age doesn't affect weight loss". It does, it gets harder. However, we appear to agree that it doesn't mean you can't lose weight.
Age does not affect weight loss. Calorie delta does.
Really? What about the menopause? It says here, http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause/Pages/Introduction.aspx, that putting on extra weight often occurs during menopause.
Yeah, and going through menopause is associated with massive changes in hormone levels that have significant effects on eating patterns and activity levels.
Age does not affect weight loss. At a given calorie deficit, you will lose weight at about the same rate no matter how old you are.0 -
Age affects the "calories out" part of the "calories in < calories out" formula. Therefore, it affects weight loss. You're using the phrase differently than everyone else.0
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Age affects the "calories out" part of the "calories in < calories out" formula. Therefore, it affects weight loss. You're using the phrase differently than everyone else.
Saying "age affects weight loss" implies that it's harder to lose weight with increasing age. That's 100% bunk, and people use it as a BS excuse.0 -
I'm small, petite,older, and pretty much sedentary. Trying to change that part though. I'm finding 1200 calories just maintains my weight for me. I was on WW for a while, and they put me on 800 calories a day based on my weight. That was a starvation diet pretty much. But, I did lose weight.
I can't go back to 800 calories. It was just too hard, but it seems 1200 isn't working either. Most days I stick with it, some days I go over a little. But still, the weight doesn't change. Sigh.
eat 1200 cals/day as before, but try to be more active... maybe an extra workout, or walking instead of taking the car/bus, taking stairs instead of the lift, etc.
you can't change your size or age but you can change how active you are. Also, there's a lot of scientific evidence mounting about the health risks of being sedentary... one scientific article said that if being sedentary was a product that could be sold it'd come with a health warning. So by being more active, 1. you'd be able to lose weight without decreasing your calories and 2. you'd be improving your health a lot. A win win situation.0 -
I see both sides. In a way it's harder because our lives are usually easier and require less activity. So to keep our 'out' value constant, we have to consciously increase our activity as our lifestyle removes it.Age affects the "calories out" part of the "calories in < calories out" formula. Therefore, it affects weight loss. You're using the phrase differently than everyone else.
Saying "age affects weight loss" implies that it's harder to lose weight with increasing age. That's 100% bunk, and people use it as a BS excuse.0 -
Reading these threads sometimes one would think folks go out of their way not to understand each other lol.0
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nope
Or older.1200 is too low unless you're very small and very sedentary. What is your height and weight?
No.
1200 is too low unless you're very small and very sedentary, no matter how old you are. You could be 85 and 1200 would still be too low unless you were very small and very sedentary.0 -
My doctor says not to eat back exercise calories; ignore "net".I started going to the gym and find that 1200 calories... well, I just can't seem to stay that low. Wondering if I should just adjust my numbers, perhaps to 1300. I never counted the exercice calories - my exercice routine was rather mild. Wondering if I should start counting exercice or not... I'd like to lose about 5 pounds
So if your calorie goal is 1200, and you've exercised for what MFP claims is 200, your total for the day should be around 1200, not 1400.
If you add cardio (walk, bicycle, swim, rollerskate, elliptical) you'll burn more calories in less time than weightlifting.
Weights are still important, esp. as you age, to keep bone density and overall strength.
They're just not very efficient at burning calories.
But since you have so little to lose, you're going to lose slowly. And actually 5 lb could be water weight fluctuation over a month. Set your info at sedentary, and your goal to lose 0.5 lb per week.
And here's a piece of advice that may sound a bit odd, but I'll give links to the scientific studies which support it:
eat a large breakfast, about half your calories.
This study compared eating a small breakfast, medium lunch, and large dinner, [200, 500, 700 cal]
with eating a large breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner [700, 500, 200 cal].
"The [large breakfast] group showed greater weight loss and waist circumference reduction ... fasting glucose, insulin [&] triglycerides ... decreased significantly to a greater extent in the [large breakfast] group."
In addition, hunger was less and satiety was greater.
Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23512957
Full text:
http://genetics.doctorsonly.co.il/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Jakubowicz-at-al-Obesity-2013-oby20460.pdf
"subjects assigned to high caloric intake during breakfast lost significantly more weight than those assigned to high caloric intake during the dinner"
Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24467926
Full text: http://www.tradewindsports.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Nutrient-Timing-and-Obesity-2014.pdf
"data suggest that a low-calorie Mediterranean diet with a higher amount of calories in the first part of the day could establish a greater reduction in fat mass and improved insulin sensitivity than a typical daily diet."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/248094370 -
Age slows metabolism, so it affects weight loss. I haven't seen anyone claim that this can't be adjusted for, but that's quite different from saying there is no effect.Well, no, you stated, "age doesn't affect weight loss". It does, it gets harder. However, we appear to agree that it doesn't mean you can't lose weight.
Age does not affect weight loss. Calorie delta does.
If fewer calories are burned because of age, it's absurd to claim that age has no effect on weight loss. It forces a drop in calorie intake.0 -
But is it something about aging BESIDES that we virtually all grow less active? Does our BMR itself downshift? It does during dieting, it might just during aging, too. There is probably less or slower cell regeneration going on, less reproductive type maintenance activity for women, etc. ? I don't know, just throwing out ideas.0
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"This is because after the age of 25 — which is the age where we stop growing bone — the metabolic rate goes down by 2 percent or more per decade, she says. So, in order to stay at the same weight without a change to your level of activity, you would have to cut your daily calories by the same amount."But is it something about aging BESIDES that we virtually all grow less active? Does our BMR itself downshift? It does during dieting, it might just during aging, too. There is probably less or slower cell regeneration going on, less reproductive type maintenance activity for women, etc. ? I don't know, just throwing out ideas.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/basal-metabolic-rate-changes-as-you-age/2013/03/05/d26b1c18-80f1-11e2-a350-49866afab584_story.html
Not a study by any means, but it appears to be an actual change in bodily function apart from any changes in activity or muscle mass.0 -
But is it something about aging BESIDES that we virtually all grow less active? Does our BMR itself downshift? It does during dieting, it might just during aging, too. There is probably less or slower cell regeneration going on, less reproductive type maintenance activity for women, etc. ? I don't know, just throwing out ideas.
It's absurd to claim age effect weight loss when plenty of people on this forum do not have that problem.0 -
It appears that you believe "affects" is a synonym for "determines."But is it something about aging BESIDES that we virtually all grow less active? Does our BMR itself downshift? It does during dieting, it might just during aging, too. There is probably less or slower cell regeneration going on, less reproductive type maintenance activity for women, etc. ? I don't know, just throwing out ideas.
It's absurd to claim age effect weight loss when plenty of people on this forum do not have that problem.
By your argument, eating disorders don't affect weight loss because plenty of people on this forum don't have that problem.0 -
It appears that you believe "affects" is a synonym for "determines."But is it something about aging BESIDES that we virtually all grow less active? Does our BMR itself downshift? It does during dieting, it might just during aging, too. There is probably less or slower cell regeneration going on, less reproductive type maintenance activity for women, etc. ? I don't know, just throwing out ideas.
It's absurd to claim age effect weight loss when plenty of people on this forum do not have that problem.
By your argument, eating disorders don't affect weight loss because plenty of people on this forum don't have that problem.
No, I believe as I posted.
This has nothing to do with EDs so your argument doesn't hold any water because one has nothing to do with the other.0
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