Does 1200 calories a day work if you're petite?

You probably wont go into starvation mode at your size eating under 1200 cals, but 900 is def not enough. Since you are or close to a healthy weight, your daily caloric deficit should not be large. I'm not sure what you weekly loss goal is but I would recommend 0.5lbs/week to a maximum of 1 lb/week. It is only safe to try and lose more than 1lb/week if you are obese and have a lot to lose. It is also difficult to get the required nutrition (protein, fats, vitamins, minerals) on a diet of less than 1200 calories.

If you are eating 1200 cals or less you should be eating your exercise calories. Food fuels your body for exercise and without it you may cause more harm than good.

I am 5.0' and weigh 140. I am doing 1200 calories. But, if you notice, you get back the calories that you burn when you workout. So, if you are doing 900 calories and not working out, try working out and burn a minimum of 300 calories and you would be able to eat 1200 calories and not starve. Or burn more than 300 calories and eat more. I hope to see progress with me this week.

Hope this helps.

everyone needs to consume at least 1200 calories a day.

This isn't true. That rule applies to an average build. Think about it: 1200 calorie lower limit won't do the same thing to 5 ft 7 woman as it will to a 5 ft 1 woman.

MFP needs to make sure they aren't liable for giving bad advice, and 1200 is the general rule of thumb, but no, it doesn't apply to everyone.

With that said, start out there, and if you feel you need to go lower, talk to your doc about figuring out what works more for you and your body.

Welcome to MFP!

What's your BMR? That's the amount of calories you'd burn if you never left bed in the morning. So, anything under that, or even a little over that, you should lose.

Im really curious to see what the replies are, since Im in the same boat. Im 5'2", 126lbs and only looking to drop off 6additional pounds. I do the 30Day Shred 6 days a week and have since the last week in December. On my day off from the Shred, I get in a 2 mile walk/run and do an ab video or a cardio workout. I thought I was not taking in enough calories so I have been eating all my exercise calories...but at this point I think I need to go back to dropping my calories to 1000 and not eating back all my exercise calories, since what Im doing just is not working for me, since I'm still at 126 60+ days later.

Have you tried eating more? I'm losing more (averaging about 1.5# a week) eating around 1350 (plus most of my exercise calories) than I was at 1200 (no more than 1# a week).

If your BMR is closer to 1200 because of your height then it might be that it'll just take you a bit longer to lose weight than other people eating 1200 who may have a BMR higher than you.

If you are consistently eating 1200 for a few weeks and not losing anything maybe try 1100 and see how that goes for a while. Generally speaking a person needs 1200, but it might be not so bad if you're smaller. I would definately still eat you're exercise calories though

I am 5 foot nothing. I had a maintenance goal of 1410 cals...and I workout pretty intensely. I eat bck all but the last 100 cals...usually...well at 1410 I was very slowly creeping up in weight..although a do believe I have actually reached the point in which my muscle mass was increasing....I weigh between 117-120 lbs....usually hovering at 118. I had my body fat % measured a month back and it was 17.8% but I understand the accuracy of th handheld device is not perfect.
I was starting to get mor 120-122 lb weigh ins so I manually lowered my goal to 1300...still eating back al but 100 xrcise cals (that is my cushion for mismeasures and overestimates of exercise cals...although I probably burn more than I give credit) anywhow...my net cals for a typical day are between 1100 and 1300. I get close to 1200 most days NET but usually am a tad under. I feel energized, great and am only maintaining. There is no way I would lose at 1200 for a goal...except that I always shoot for 100 less than goal to cushion myself...thus I would eat between 900-1100....I do beleive my petite size does contribute to that....I am just not a very large person...how can I need the same amount of NET calories as my 5'8" neighbor?

Let me also add...you must be as accurate as you possibly can..log all food and only exercise that is actual exercise...I did a lot of extra activity around my house yesterday but it was within normal activity...ie...I did a few loads of laundry more than the usual one or two a day...but I didn't log the 8 extra trips up and down the stairs...I scrubbd the bathroom more vigorously than its usual wipe down...but didn't log that....I danced the day away while doing chores...but didn't log it...but every bite of the kids cereal I snuck...every ingredient in my salad I logged etc.....
Then I would only adjust your goal by 75-100 cals at a time. see if that is enough. Others have suggested going for 1300 basd on your bmr...not a bad Idea...that extra 100 cals that you would be eating each day would really take a while to add up to signficant weight gain so gve it a go for a month...if that isn't the ticket..go back to 1200 for a month...then maybe try 1150. but give everything a good month before you decide if that is the way to go.....

I am 4' 11, barely, and I stay at 1200 on non-exercising days. Days I exercise, I try to eat 1400-1600 calories. I have lost almost 14lbs since Jan 26th