What's the absolute lowest you'll go on calories?

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  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
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    I am set to net 1200, but I have had a few times where I netted between 1000 and 1100, usually on a day when I was too tired to make a real meal for myself at night. However, those are rare occasions. If I'm very active, often I have trouble not going over the 1200.
  • ddkphotos
    ddkphotos Posts: 304 Member
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    I have been under my goal of 1400 net calories only 7 times in the last 90 days... My struggle is to not go too far over... Considering that before my lifestyle change a little over a year ago I could easily eat 2500 to. 3000 calories a day... I try my best..
  • JeanCricket
    JeanCricket Posts: 156 Member
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    Was 1200 for 6 weeks, then moved to 1290 to transition to maintenance... Starting next weigh-in (Thursday), I will move to maintenance intake of 1530 per MFP recommendation...

    Never thought I could manage at the 1200 cals/day. Walking helped add more cals on those days I needed more energy :-) Both looking forward to and anxious about increasing calories for maintenance (don't want to gain the weight back, but happy about more food ;-) )
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
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    Unless I'm sick I would very, very rarely net below 1800. My maintenance is 2800 net, and most days I would gross about 3000-3200. Love food!
  • peacemongernc
    peacemongernc Posts: 253 Member
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    I used to say 1400, but I've upped that and now I say 1550. That is based on my TDEE or BMR or RMR or one of those numbers. Whatever it is, some folks say if a person goes under that (not 1550 specifically, but whatever set of letters it represents) it causes a person to burn more muscle and less fat. After 2.5 years of logging and sorting out the results, I kind of suspect that there might be some truth to that.

    But in the beginning of my journey, I routinely ate under that set of initials, and still managed to drop about 2 pounds a week and have 75% of it be fat, not muscle. So I know it isn't a hard/fast rule. Of course, I was working out 5 or 6 days a week back then, so that would make a difference.

    Anyway, 1550.
  • CetteFaconChimique
    CetteFaconChimique Posts: 12
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    I usually shoot for exactly 1200, as I have a lot of weight to lose, but sometimes I end up as low as 800. It freaks me out when that happens, though, so I try to eat extra the next few days to compensate.
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
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    My TDEE is 1750. I like to eat between 1400-1750. I always make sure that I net at least 1200. On lower/less intense workouts (i.e. yoga) I aim to eat 1400-1500 calories. On days like today, where I burned over 500 calories, I want to eat 1700-1750 calories.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    0 when waiting for surgery or too sick to eat. Willingly? About 500 (since get this IF rush every now and then). Normally? Around 800 when I don't feel like eating, but it's rare. I usually aim to eat 1000-2500, dictated by the things I feel like eating that day.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    No low, no high. A few days, I just eat to take pills. Other days, I eat a lot.

    It yells at me on the days I don't eat much, but hasn't yelled at me when I eat too much.

    Some days I'm hungrier or less hungry. Seems crazy to me to eat just to reach some number...or to starve just to stay at it.
  • NRBreit
    NRBreit Posts: 319 Member
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    I normally stay around 2,000-2,200 gross while cutting. But I just recently tried 7 days at 1,700 cals (body weight x 10) and it worked well. But I wouldn't want to do it for long.
  • FindingAmy77
    FindingAmy77 Posts: 1,266 Member
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    I have set mine at 1600 and honestly that is the lowest I will go. I am satisfied with that amount and when I eat less I stay hungry and feel aggravated. I am still losing so its all good.
  • GlamourVintage
    GlamourVintage Posts: 60 Member
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    The lowest I would go on calories is 400-500
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    NET 1500 or i'd be gnawing my arm off in my sleep...
  • missbirrell
    missbirrell Posts: 133
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    1000.

    I'm on 1200 but I have health issues that mean I'm often in too much pain to eat so some days are only 1000.
  • curiouscreaturee
    curiouscreaturee Posts: 19 Member
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    1000-1200
  • stepfordexwife
    stepfordexwife Posts: 24
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    1000. I'm 5'5", 146lbs, and fairly sedentary. If I don't hit that 1000 calorie mark I will force myself to eat. I usually eat 1200-1300 but I am "allowed" 1490. I don't think I've hit that in over a month.

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