CALORIES . . .

etpx3
etpx3 Posts: 147 Member
edited September 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
HMMMMM am I eating too little?? I'm 21, 134lbs, BMI : 23.7, I'm eating about 1300...is that enough?

Replies

  • cathy200
    cathy200 Posts: 5
    i want to know if i can lower my calories to 1200 yesterday i only ate 1147 help
  • WishfulShrinking331
    WishfulShrinking331 Posts: 244 Member
    I usually try to eat under 1,200. I'm 20 and 132
  • etpx3
    etpx3 Posts: 147 Member
    yeahh MFP told me to eat 1200 also...but i was reading around and saw that its possible we could be eating too few? ahhh >.<
  • BflSaberfan
    BflSaberfan Posts: 1,272
    I did 1200 calories for about 10 months and have recently increased to almost 1400 since my lean body mass has increased I found my body was hoarding the fat I had left because my body wasn't getting enough calories. Try increasing to 1400 for a couple of weeks and see what happens. If you exercising as well your calorie intake should increase - muscle needs more calories than fat.
  • bethrs
    bethrs Posts: 664 Member
    I don't think 1200 is too few (unless you are meaning you eat 1200 and then burn several hundred which you don't eat back)- so my point is 1200 net should be okay for smaller folks (and in the low 130's you are a smaller person). I'm not a nutritionist, just going by my experience and what I've learned from these threads and the site.

    Under 1200 could be too few for some folks, though.
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    You should be focused on NET calories. If you are getting 1300 NET then you are fine. If you are eating 1300 off and then burning off a bunch then you should be eating more.

    General advisory (that has little to do with the OP- sorry) Not everything is about LOW CALORIE or LOW FAT etc. Aim for things that have a high nutrition value- something with protein or fiber (or both!), Greek Yogurt, Peanut butter (or other nut butters), Oatmeal, Avacados- these are all foods many people with a traditional concept of "diet" avoid, but in reality they are the kinds of sturdy filling foods that are worth the calories they are.
  • etpx3
    etpx3 Posts: 147 Member
    sounds good =) I exercise everyday so i'll try that
  • etpx3
    etpx3 Posts: 147 Member
    lol yeah i do eat my calories back =) so generally keep it in the 1200-1400 range
  • meggonkgonk
    meggonkgonk Posts: 2,066 Member
    I don't think 1200 is too few (unless you are meaning you eat 1200 and then burn several hundred which you don't eat back)- so my point is 1200 net should be okay for smaller folks (and in the low 130's you are a smaller person). I'm not a nutritionist, just going by my experience and what I've learned from these threads and the site.

    Under 1200 could be too few for some folks, though.

    From my reading (and I'm not a nutritionist, this is strictly armchair experting) a good guideline for your minimum NET calories as you get into/are in a healthy BMI is your BMR. These are the calories your body requires for basic function before you so much as bat an eyelash, so it's a good way to individualize your "minimum" in take to your own body. Remember though- it's all estimates, so you don't have to eat exactly to your BMR, a little over or under should still be fine.
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