Inconsistent calorie goals

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merrillfoster
merrillfoster Posts: 855 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Another member on here told me about livestrong.com as another place to find food calories/calories burned during exercises. They told me I should only be eating 1088 calories/day (before exercise). I'm curious about this whole 'going below 1200 calories will put you into starvation mode' thing, b/c they don't seem to think so.

So...who is right?

Replies

  • elvb
    elvb Posts: 423 Member
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    I've always heard it as under 1000 will put your body in starvation mode, until I came here. I figure if I stay above 1000 I'm good. I try to get as close to 1200 as possible.
  • sonpet
    sonpet Posts: 16
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    Very good question! I have been wondering the same thing. Please be sure and post if you find the answer..Thanks
  • tritta01
    tritta01 Posts: 311
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    Just read this
    For men, starvation mode is at 1300 calories.

    For women, starvation mode is at 1100 calories.
  • PNOD
    PNOD Posts: 35
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    Mine actually was was more calories on livestrong.com.

    As I understand men should never drop below 1200 and women should not drop below 1000 for any time period
    Then again I am a man with 2200 calories a day goal so I would die quickly with 1000 calories :)
  • SuzanneRogers
    SuzanneRogers Posts: 250 Member
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    Never go below 1200 calories on a regular bases.. You can do it for 7 days in a row top to jump start your metabolism then you shouldn't go below 1200 for a month or two. When your body goes below 1200 calories for too long it thinks it is in starvation mode and stores all the fat and calories you start to eat again, causing weight gain and water retention.

    If you are doing a 7 day below 1200 you need to be eating clean- no sugar, no processed foods, no caffeine - only lean meats, low fat diary, and tons of fruits and veggies.
  • RatBoyGL
    RatBoyGL Posts: 100
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    Just read this
    For men, starvation mode is at 1300 calories.

    For women, starvation mode is at 1100 calories.

    Boy am I in trouble then.

    I am at 1115 Calories today and I am literally not hungry.

    I am also a bit over on my sugar, due to having Oatmeal for Breakfast and the Wendy's Apple Walnut Salad I split in half and had twice today for my early and late dinners.

    Here is my diary: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/RatBoyGL

    What can I eat that will boost calories but not sugar?

    Maybe some Beer? LOL..
  • kaylenlawrence
    kaylenlawrence Posts: 211 Member
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    i cant understand the net calories..
    Am I suppose to be eating what I burn ?
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    Depends entirely on your size. A very petite woman (or man) has a lower threshold than someone larger. 1200 was settled on by WHO as the lowest recommended intake for an "average" woman.
  • fitmamaoftwins
    fitmamaoftwins Posts: 116
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    going under 1200 calories a day is fine in moderation... like lets say 4 days a week? when it becomes to often your body realizes that you are trying to diet and slows the metabolism down.. but then again why would you want to go under 1200 calories?

    I eat 1200 calories and couldnt imagine going any lower
  • a2canadian
    a2canadian Posts: 43
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    Just read this
    For men, starvation mode is at 1300 calories.

    For women, starvation mode is at 1100 calories.

    Boy am I in trouble then.

    I am at 1115 Calories today and I am literally not hungry.

    I am also a bit over on my sugar, due to having Oatmeal for Breakfast and the Wendy's Apple Walnut Salad I split in half and had twice today for my early and late dinners.

    Here is my diary: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/RatBoyGL

    What can I eat that will boost calories but not sugar?

    Maybe some Beer? LOL..

    Protein. Lots of juicy, red protein. You could also try some super-foods i.e. quinoa
  • a2canadian
    a2canadian Posts: 43
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    i cant understand the net calories..
    Am I suppose to be eating what I burn ?

    No. Because the net calculator does not figure in the calories you need just to survive. Here's an example:

    A 185lb woman, 6'1" tall will burn just over 2000 calories breathing and functioning at a very base level. This means that if she spent the day mostly in bed, she would burn around that many calories. If she wants to loose weight, she needs to burn 3500kcal/lb lost. That means 500kcal per day so eating about 1800 and working out at LEAST 300kcal/day.

    Does that help?
  • kaylenlawrence
    kaylenlawrence Posts: 211 Member
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    according to MFP.. I have been netting around 500 or 600 after exercise, is that okay?
    I have been losing weight but I am just want to be doing it right and not causing my body other issues
  • RatBoyGL
    RatBoyGL Posts: 100
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    according to MFP.. I have been netting around 500 or 600 after exercise, is that okay?
    I have been losing weight but I am just want to be doing it right and not causing my body other issues

    I hope so.

    My NET today is 422 after exercise according to MFP. :(
  • ladyhawk00
    ladyhawk00 Posts: 2,457 Member
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    according to MFP.. I have been netting around 500 or 600 after exercise, is that okay?
    I have been losing weight but I am just want to be doing it right and not causing my body other issues

    Subtract 500 from your daily goal before exercise. What does that leave you with? That's in essence how much you're body is trying to live on.

    If you have a 1 lb/week loss goal, you've just bumped it up to 2 lb/week, because you went from a 500 cal per day deficit, to a 1000 cal per day deficit. Your body may or may not be able to handle that.
  • a2canadian
    a2canadian Posts: 43
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    according to MFP.. I have been netting around 500 or 600 after exercise, is that okay?
    I have been losing weight but I am just want to be doing it right and not causing my body other issues

    This very much depends on how many calories you are supposed to be eating in a day. Try out a Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calculator to get a sense for how many calories you would have to eat to maintain your weight as-is (note: these are far from perfect and to get a more accurate number you would have to consult a personal nutritionist).... then subtract 500kcal/day for a healthy 1lb/day weight loss. Remember... as long as you are eating good food, its best to err on the side of caution.
  • RatBoyGL
    RatBoyGL Posts: 100
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    It seems to me how this site works is simple.

    If you click on Tools, then BMR Calc, you will find out the rough estimate of how many calories your body will burn in a 24 hour period at rest or during normal activity. (Not exercise obviously.)

    So, for simple math, let's say your BMR is 1500.

    So, your daily goal should be around 1000 in this case.

    But if you burn 300 calories walking your dog, then your daily goal should be 1300.

    So the formula seems to be:

    BMR Calories
    plus
    Exercise Burned Calories
    minus
    500 Calories
    equals
    Daily Calorie Goal

    This is how the math is working out for me on this site anyway.
  • anorton45
    anorton45 Posts: 62
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    I can tell you from my experience, and everyone is different.... but I was under 1000 a day, not exercising like a maniac, just basic moving around, and lost weight fine for about 2 weeks. Then, gained 5 in a week. Did alot of reading, and realized I was in survival mode. Went to freedieting.com and used their calculator (before I'd found this site) found out just for a sedentary lifestyle I should consume 1400 calories a day. That was based on my age and my height and my actual weight at that point. When I exercise more, I have to eat more, especially when I'm on a low calorie day, so I don't fall below 1200. I've been trying to do the calorie cycling thing. So far eating more has been working. But I track everything I put in my mouth religiously, LOL. I haven't been to the livestrong website, so I don't know what it says to do. But from my own personal experience, going below 1200 or even 1000 backfired for me.

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