1290 cal diet ?

Cazador64
Cazador64 Posts: 23
edited September 24 in Food and Nutrition
Hello i am new to the site was looking for some ideas on what to eat to stay with a 1290 cal diet?
I just downloaded the app on my phone and they suggested 1290 as my daily intake.

Should i stay with this or shoot for less?
and what are some low cal healthy foods i can eat / meal ideas?

Replies

  • desperatetoloose
    desperatetoloose Posts: 16
    hello,

    If you are working out, you want to re-eat your calories & never go below 1200 because that is the starvation point.

    1290 is a low .... do you have it set at 2 pounds per week ? Maybe adjust it to 1 pound per week to add more cals.

    You want to make sure your NET cals ( food - exercize ) is NEVER below 1200

    Hope that helps !
  • ashley0616
    ashley0616 Posts: 579 Member
    1290 is REALLY low for a man. How tall are you? How much are you looking to lose total? I'm really surprised MFP is telling a guy to eat that little food really, unless you have a small build. You might want to go into your settings and make sure everything is correct.

    That aside, I agree with desperate above, if you are exercising eat back 1/2 - 3/4 of your exercise calories if not all of them to stay above 1200 a day. Less than that is not good for your body.
  • marisa_munches
    marisa_munches Posts: 30
    I agree that 1290 calories seems really low for a man. That is less than my calorie goal per day and I am a 5'4" woman. I would reset your weight loss goals for a more reasonable number of calories per day. Undereating can be just as detrimental to your health as overeating.
  • princesschikee
    princesschikee Posts: 138
    Male caloric intake is different than women's. You shouldn't go below 1500 and should be more if you are working out. You need to get a balance of complex carbs, protein and fat. It's a good idea to eat 5-6 meals a day. I just posted the benefits of that.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    1290 is awfully low for a man, generally speaking men shouldn't go below 1500 calories per day plus exercise calories. Are you sure everything is set up correctly?
  • craft338
    craft338 Posts: 870 Member
    yeah, 1290 is really low...and don't go under 1200 for sure. the best thing for me was to eat more throughout the day. have healthy snacks to keep your hunger at bay, so when it is time for lunch or dinner, a 300 calorie meal is enough to satisfy you.
  • alba_merula
    alba_merula Posts: 15 Member
    I googled the low calorie foods, for having something in my stomach (veggies, eg. raw carrot and steamed broccoli works for me); and tried to compose 200-300 calorie menues for bigger meals, while finding small snacks. Moving a lot (and eating also the burned kcals) is very helpful.
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
    I've done 1200 calories a day. Not really recommended for energy levels for working out. I would really shoot for a custom goal of at least 1500, minimum. I regularly eat around 1800 a day.
  • fitnezrox
    fitnezrox Posts: 41
    It takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose 1 pound of fat. This deficit can be from exercise alone, or a combination of exercise and calorie reduction. If you eat ALL your workout calories back you are defeating the purpose of the workouts.

    Your caloric needs are determined by many factors, current weight, height, activity level, age, gender, and please remember every single persons body metabolizes calories and nutrients differently, so what works for one person may not necesarilly work for someone else equally. It is a learning process and sometimes takes a bit of time to find the right balance for you.

    If you like you can add me as a friend on here, I also have a FB page that is an additional support page for healthy lifestyle, weight loss, and exercise. I post daily recipes, tips, information, links, questions and more. I have several friends from MFP already on there. I was a certified fitness trainer and lifestyle weight management consultant for 9 years, I had to leave the business due to Rheumatoid Arthritis.

    Have a happy and healthy day
    Kim

    fb link http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/profile.php?id=100001938122130
  • kym117
    kym117 Posts: 315 Member
    yeah, 1290 is really low...and don't go under 1200 for sure. the best thing for me was to eat more throughout the day. have healthy snacks to keep your hunger at bay, so when it is time for lunch or dinner, a 300 calorie meal is enough to satisfy you.

    I am on 1290 calories a day to lose 1lb week and I am only 5ft female so I would double check your settings. That said and done I always aim for no less than 1200 calories.
    As previously quoted I also find the best way is to eat more smaller meals, with around 250/300 cals for brekkie 100 cals for mid morning snack (usually fruit) aprox 300 for lunch 100 for another afternoon snack 300/350 for dinner 100 cals evening treat, I also find that regular meals keep me feeling satisfied all day.
  • wriglucy
    wriglucy Posts: 1,064 Member
    The best, and safest way is to look at your BMR, and minus 500 calories off of that. You can do more, but there is a minimun your body needs to function. Going too low can result in starvation mode, however, that won't happen unless you are too low for a decent amount of time.

    Good luck!
  • Cazador64
    Cazador64 Posts: 23
    Thanks for all the feed back

    I am 5,10 and about 195 lbs i want to lose about 20-25 LBS
    I would say i have a med build frame.
    I put it at 2 lbs per week
    Current weight 195 target 170
    exercise goal 7x/week

    Everything looks ok and its coming up the same cal intake?
  • BrianJLamb
    BrianJLamb Posts: 239 Member
    The calories look low...try it again. I am 5'8" and was 197. I told them that I was gonna work out 4 times a week and shoot for similar loss. They gave me 1430 calories. If you are going to be lifting and trying to stack muscle while you drop fat, those calories are low. If you are going to focus on dropping weight, feeling comfortable in your clothes and then concentrate on lifting at a later date, those numbers look kindof ok, but NOT if you are really going to be doing a real workout 7 days a week.

    Out of my 1430, I consume about 1100 regularly...sometimes I bump up. I need someone to provide me with proof of this 'starvation mode.' I keep hearing people talk about it, but it seems like some propaganda or weapon scare.
  • ashley0616
    ashley0616 Posts: 579 Member
    The calories look low...try it again. I am 5'8" and was 197. I told them that I was gonna work out 4 times a week and shoot for similar loss. They gave me 1430 calories. If you are going to be lifting and trying to stack muscle while you drop fat, those calories are low. If you are going to focus on dropping weight, feeling comfortable in your clothes and then concentrate on lifting at a later date, those numbers look kindof ok, but NOT if you are really going to be doing a real workout 7 days a week.

    Out of my 1430, I consume about 1100 regularly...sometimes I bump up. I need someone to provide me with proof of this 'starvation mode.' I keep hearing people talk about it, but it seems like some propaganda or weapon scare.

    I lived starvation mode for several years. Trust me, it's real. At least for some people.

    And, OP, if you are 195 and have 20-25 to lose, 2lbs a week is a very lofty goal. The 2lb is maximum, and usually is reserved for people with LOTS of weight to lose, simply because the more you have the faster it comes off. I think you have a good goal for your height and build, but I would recommend bumping it down to 1.5 a week maximum. And also honestly make sure you have "male" checked, MFP defaults to female. Then take your total calories and divide it by 4 and eat that much 4 times a day. Or divide by 6 and have that many calories 6 times a day. Stick to high protein, high fiber foods that will keep you full the longest and fuel your body the most efficiently. Try to get most of your carbs from fruits and vegetables, and if you are eating more than 1 piece of fruit a day, don't track your sugar. MFP has it very low and 1 apple can put you over.

    Good luck to you.

    Edit: I almost forgot. MFP does not take how much you plan to exercise into account. It will only calculate workouts into your caloric intake when you enter it into the system. On days that you don't exercise, you don't get extra calories for planning to work out 5-7 days a week. So you should be eating some to all of your exercise calories when you do exercise.
    Edit 2: I also just went and messed with my settings and as a woman, if I put in your stats and goals it still gives me 1400 calories a day minimum. Something's off. I would go back, erase everything in your settings, and start over. Somewhere MFP got confused.
  • Cazador64
    Cazador64 Posts: 23
    Ok i will redo my settings see whats going on
  • BrianJLamb
    BrianJLamb Posts: 239 Member
    The calories look low...try it again. I am 5'8" and was 197. I told them that I was gonna work out 4 times a week and shoot for similar loss. They gave me 1430 calories. If you are going to be lifting and trying to stack muscle while you drop fat, those calories are low. If you are going to focus on dropping weight, feeling comfortable in your clothes and then concentrate on lifting at a later date, those numbers look kindof ok, but NOT if you are really going to be doing a real workout 7 days a week.

    Out of my 1430, I consume about 1100 regularly...sometimes I bump up. I need someone to provide me with proof of this 'starvation mode.' I keep hearing people talk about it, but it seems like some propaganda or weapon scare.

    I am not saying that 'starvation mode' doesn't exist. I just think that people throw it around alot and have this fear worked up into it. If you find yourself overweight and you eat like crazy, and you decide to be 'healthy' and start eating 600 calories a day and not working out, I believe that you will go into starvation mode. If you work out and limit your caloric intake and you come in under your goal calories on any given day or even successive days, I dont believe that you are going to hit starvation mode. As long as you providing your body with nutritious food on a regular basis and you make sure that answer to feelings of fatigue, illness, etc. and you don't keep this ridiculously low calorie base for extended periods of time, you should be fine. Those are my beliefs. That is what I want proof against. I am not challenging people or calling people out, I just find that at 172 lbs now, I can drop 2 lbs a week doing cardio and eating, being slightly hungry a portion of the time, but definitely leaning out. The weight that I can lift isnt dropping, so my muscle is fine.
    I lived starvation mode for several years. Trust me, it's real. At least for some people.

    And, OP, if you are 195 and have 20-25 to lose, 2lbs a week is a very lofty goal. The 2lb is maximum, and usually is reserved for people with LOTS of weight to lose, simply because the more you have the faster it comes off. I think you have a good goal for your height and build, but I would recommend bumping it down to 1.5 a week maximum. And also honestly make sure you have "male" checked, MFP defaults to female. Then take your total calories and divide it by 4 and eat that much 4 times a day. Or divide by 6 and have that many calories 6 times a day. Stick to high protein, high fiber foods that will keep you full the longest and fuel your body the most efficiently. Try to get most of your carbs from fruits and vegetables, and if you are eating more than 1 piece of fruit a day, don't track your sugar. MFP has it very low and 1 apple can put you over.

    Good luck to you.

    Edit: I almost forgot. MFP does not take how much you plan to exercise into account. It will only calculate workouts into your caloric intake when you enter it into the system. On days that you don't exercise, you don't get extra calories for planning to work out 5-7 days a week. So you should be eating some to all of your exercise calories when you do exercise.
    Edit 2: I also just went and messed with my settings and as a woman, if I put in your stats and goals it still gives me 1400 calories a day minimum. Something's off. I would go back, erase everything in your settings, and start over. Somewhere MFP got confused.
  • BrianJLamb
    BrianJLamb Posts: 239 Member
    I wrote a bunch of stuff and it got lost when I posted....does someone have documentation outlining what causes starvation mode?
  • choley222
    choley222 Posts: 57
    It takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose 1 pound of fat. This deficit can be from exercise alone, or a combination of exercise and calorie reduction. If you eat ALL your workout calories back you are defeating the purpose of the workouts.

    I am so glad that you said that. I keep seeing all these people posting things about eating back all their calories and to me that is crazy. To lose weight you need burn more than you take in, it really is that simple.

    On another note 1290 is low for a guy working out 7X a week. I am a female and I have mine set to 1300 and I work out 6X a week. You really just have to try it out and see how your body reacts because everyone is different. Good luck on your journey!
  • kevanos
    kevanos Posts: 304 Member
    Your base metabolic rate is nearly 2000 calories.

    that how many calories your body needs to maintain weight is all you did was sit and breath all day.

    Add in all you daily activites and exercise and you body will need more than 3000 calories to maintain. To lose weight you will need to create a deficit, say 1000 calories.

    So you should probably be eating around 2000 calories per day.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    Thanks for all the feed back

    I am 5,10 and about 195 lbs i want to lose about 20-25 LBS
    I would say i have a med build frame.
    I put it at 2 lbs per week
    Current weight 195 target 170
    exercise goal 7x/week

    Everything looks ok and its coming up the same cal intake?

    Let me guess: you set your activity level as sedentary?

    Your BMR should be around 1900 calories per day. 1900 x 1.2 = 2,280 calories per day to maintain without exercise.

    Knock 1,000 off that to equte to a weekly deficit of 7,000 caloires (in other words 2lb loss a week) = 1,280 calories per day.

    This method assumes you will be eating back your exercise calories so whatever you burn off through exercise you need to eat back. If you are exercising 7 days a week then you will probably be averaging 1,800 or so per day total intake in reality.

    That is still quite low though and a loss of 2lbs pure fat (as opposed to total weight which includes lean body mass - lbm - which you probably want to retain) is ambitious for someone at your level. It can be done but it is difficult.

    You could aim for 2,200 - 2,500 a day (which accounts for any exercise you do) and still do very well. It won't equate to 2lbs loss per week but will safeguard a better ratio of fat lost to lbm (although you will lose some in reality.)
  • ashley0616
    ashley0616 Posts: 579 Member
    I wrote a bunch of stuff and it got lost when I posted....does someone have documentation outlining what causes starvation mode?

    There are a few sticky posts about it at the top of "general diet and weight loss help" board. A particular article about a woman who would eat 700-1000 calories on a regular day and then binge on the weekends, and she couldn't figure out why she was not only not losing weight, but gaining it steadily. I LIVED this woman's story my whole adult life until I found MFP. They have a lot of good info about it in those sticky posts.
  • ashley0616
    ashley0616 Posts: 579 Member
    msf74: I didn't even think about sedentary activity level. I figured someone who works 70+ hours a week and plans to exercise 7 days a week would have been a slightly higher activity level, which is why I got a higher number than the OP. That all makes sense, but still seems low to me. :ohwell:
  • zorbaru
    zorbaru Posts: 1,077 Member
    It takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose 1 pound of fat. This deficit can be from exercise alone, or a combination of exercise and calorie reduction. If you eat ALL your workout calories back you are defeating the purpose of the workouts.

    i dont think your are defeating the purpose of the workout at all.

    by doing the workout you are allowing yourself to eat more. if i want to indulge a bit i only do it on workout days so that i will be below my goal for the day.
  • rherrin5
    rherrin5 Posts: 136 Member
    1290 seems ok for a jumpstart week, and a week only. To much restriction isnt good. Mine is 1400 and with walking every singel day and eating all those cals back, I still lose a good pound a week. I read an article once and ill try to find it that a womans min base for cals a day is 1200 and for a man 1800. Not real sure how accurate the article was made sense. Men seem to need more but im not sure. Id up your cals a bit. Or at least make sure you eat your exericise cals back. Just a suggestion :)
  • JimKnuckles
    JimKnuckles Posts: 5
    I just finished my first week of exercise and counting calories. I'm 5'9, 195 lbs. And it also gave me 1290. I'm working out cardio at least 4 times a week. I haven't found it very difficult to keep it at 1290. A few days I went slightly over because I had a low calorie late night snack. I've lost 1 1/2 pound after the first week. But after reading through this, I'm wondering if I should set to 1500 calories a day
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