Doctor's reaction with 1200 calorie diet
jal92475
Posts: 53 Member
I haven't been to a general practitioner in years and made myself an appointment finally to discuss my general health and get my flu shot. I mentioned that I had been to the gym before I came and she said that's great. I told her that I'm working on losing weight. I told her that I'm on a 1200 calorie diet. She indicated that was a really low number and I should consider raising my goal. I did explain to her that I eat back the calories I earn from exercise. She felt a little better about that but it just kind of validated what a lot of people say on here. 1200 calories seems to be a little low.
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Don't worry, mine didn't like the 1300-1400 numbers any better!0
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You should follow the doctor's instructions, whether or not people on MFP agree and whether or not the app agrees.
I'm sure somewhere along the way, MFP has a disclaimer in there telling you that your doctor is smarter than their app and you should use the advice of the former over the latter.
1200 would be very low for many people. It's not a contest to see who can eat more or less! It's about everyone achieving their own goals.
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I haven't been to a general practitioner in years and made myself an appointment finally to discuss my general health and get my flu shot. I mentioned that I had been to the gym before I came and she said that's great. I told her that I'm working on losing weight. I told her that I'm on a 1200 calorie diet. She indicated that was a really low number and I should consider raising my goal. I did explain to her that I eat back the calories I earn from exercise. She felt a little better about that but it just kind of validated what a lot of people say on here. 1200 calories seems to be a little low.
A general practitioner who does not specialize in weight loss is not an informed source. I would go to a specialist who is up on the latest research.0 -
Good doctor, keep her. She seems to know what she is talking about, which is a rare find.0
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I've had numerous doctors, nutritionists, and personal trainers tell me 1200 is the minimum a woman needs to sustain her body's daily functions. Take it or leave it. Everyone is free to eat however many calories they like. It is your body and you should do what you feel is best for it. Definitely don't take advice from people on the internet or even things you read online....spend the $60 and meet with a nutritionist, you'll get your moneys worth if it is a good one.0
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I haven't been to a general practitioner in years and made myself an appointment finally to discuss my general health and get my flu shot. I mentioned that I had been to the gym before I came and she said that's great. I told her that I'm working on losing weight. I told her that I'm on a 1200 calorie diet. She indicated that was a really low number and I should consider raising my goal. I did explain to her that I eat back the calories I earn from exercise. She felt a little better about that but it just kind of validated what a lot of people say on here. 1200 calories seems to be a little low.
A general practitioner who does not specialize in weight loss is not an informed source. I would go to a specialist who is up on the latest research.
Look into Dr. Robert Huizenga's book, "Where did all the fat go?" He is a weight loss specialist and has done some pretty significant research on fat loss. Where his patients have lost weight (fat) and actually gained (not lost as usually is the case during weight loss in a calorie deficit diet) muscle mass.0 -
I've been eating 1200 cals for awhile now and I'm fine. I like to eat once per day. This way I can load my plate up and go to bed full. I stick to water and coffee all day. Works for me.0
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sullengirl78 wrote: »I've been eating 1200 cals for awhile now and I'm fine. I like to eat once per day. This way I can load my plate up and go to bed full. I stick to water and coffee all day. Works for me.
That sounds horrible..... I prefer eating a few times a day at least.
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i dont know why people freak out about 1200 calories ive been doing it for 2 months now and am fine id dont feel starving it really depends what you eat. and how your body feels.0
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I've probably been between 1400-1600 with eating back exercise calories. The TDEE method gives me about 1700 so I don't panic if I go over a bit.0
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sullengirl78 wrote: »I've been eating 1200 cals for awhile now and I'm fine. I like to eat once per day. This way I can load my plate up and go to bed full. I stick to water and coffee all day. Works for me.
That sounds horrible..... I prefer eating a few times a day at least.
I don't think the poster was suggesting it for you. I think they were just saying that it works well for them.
I don't eat one meal, either. When I eat large amounts in one sitting, I tend to feel hungrier, especially if there was pasta involved.
But I've read others who swear by the one meal method.
It works for them.0 -
sullengirl78 wrote: »I've been eating 1200 cals for awhile now and I'm fine. I like to eat once per day. This way I can load my plate up and go to bed full. I stick to water and coffee all day. Works for me.
That sounds horrible..... I prefer eating a few times a day at least.
I don't think the poster was suggesting it for you. I think they were just saying that it works well for them.
I don't eat one meal, either. When I eat large amounts in one sitting, I tend to feel hungrier, especially if there was pasta involved.
But I've read others who swear by the one meal method.
It works for them.
I'm on that "method" too, and have been for around 1.5 years! it has been WONDERFUL for me, as I'm wheelchair-bound and cannot eat as much as someone who can walk. I also consume less than 1000 calories a day, but like I said, it works for me, it may not work for others.
Eating once a day has been a miracle for me, since I focus on the food I'm going to eat, eat it, and forget about food. That helps me with not binging, or grazing all day, which for me would cause in weight gain.0 -
sullengirl78 wrote: »I've been eating 1200 cals for awhile now and I'm fine. I like to eat once per day. This way I can load my plate up and go to bed full. I stick to water and coffee all day. Works for me.
In January, you posted that you were trying to find ways to eat 3000 calories so you could gain 20 pounds and get to your goal weight of 300 pounds. I guess that didn't work out for you?
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1177601/overweight-people-trying-to-gain-weight/p1
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sullengirl78 wrote: »I've been eating 1200 cals for awhile now and I'm fine. I like to eat once per day. This way I can load my plate up and go to bed full. I stick to water and coffee all day. Works for me.
In January, you posted that you were trying to find ways to eat 3000 calories so you could gain 20 pounds and get to your goal weight of 300 pounds. I guess that didn't work out for you?
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1177601/overweight-people-trying-to-gain-weight/p1
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sullengirl78 wrote: »I've been eating 1200 cals for awhile now and I'm fine. I like to eat once per day. This way I can load my plate up and go to bed full. I stick to water and coffee all day. Works for me.
In January, you posted that you were trying to find ways to eat 3000 calories so you could gain 20 pounds and get to your goal weight of 300 pounds. I guess that didn't work out for you?
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1177601/overweight-people-trying-to-gain-weight/p1
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sullengirl78 wrote: »I've been eating 1200 cals for awhile now and I'm fine. I like to eat once per day. This way I can load my plate up and go to bed full. I stick to water and coffee all day. Works for me.
In January, you posted that you were trying to find ways to eat 3000 calories so you could gain 20 pounds and get to your goal weight of 300 pounds. I guess that didn't work out for you?
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1177601/overweight-people-trying-to-gain-weight/p1
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I used to eat around 1200 a day. It was cool and it worked, but now I find myself about 2kg from my goal weight I slowly increased my calorie goal to 1300-1400. But whatever works for you depending on your lifestyle and measurements0
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I would hazard to guess that many of the people who are claiming to eat 1200 calories a day, every day, for sustained periods of time, are mistaken and are actually eating a much higher average through 'cheat' days, binge days, or simply poor tracking. Otherwise the population of underweight people would exceed the overweight population.0
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sullengirl78 wrote: »I've been eating 1200 cals for awhile now and I'm fine. I like to eat once per day. This way I can load my plate up and go to bed full. I stick to water and coffee all day. Works for me.
In January, you posted that you were trying to find ways to eat 3000 calories so you could gain 20 pounds and get to your goal weight of 300 pounds. I guess that didn't work out for you?
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1177601/overweight-people-trying-to-gain-weight/p1
Ooooooooh!
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This thread took an unexpected twist!0
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There is not a magic number that applies to everyone. The number of calories you consume is an individual thing. There are a lot of factors to consider. I began MFP @ 290#. I consulted with my doctor and we agreed to start out @ 1200 calories. It worked for me. I have been maintaining for a year now at between 130-135,( I did get down to 125 for about 10 minutes), and I am now eating between 1500-1880 calories per day. The point is, you need to have your health care professional involved and aware of what you are doing. General numbers are just guidelines. Find what works for you and a way of eating that will be sustainableI would hazard to guess that many of the people who are claiming to eat 1200 calories a day, every day, for sustained periods of time, are mistaken and are actually eating a much higher average through 'cheat' days, binge days, or simply poor tracking. Otherwise the population of underweight people would exceed the overweight population.
^^If you are honestly tracking your food and beverages daily and eat less than you burn and have no health issues, you will lose weight. However, I read the other day that 100 additional calories eaten per day over what you burn will be a 10# weight gain in one year. As a general rule, I don't think that most overweight people are eating 1200 calories a day as you burn more than that just by be alive and sedentary.
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I think it really depends on the individual. Height, current weight, activity level, age, etc…. I went to a naturapath and my base metabolic rate was 1363kg. I'm 152cm (5 foot) tall, 42 years old, 17kg overweight and have a sedatry occupation (Bookkeeper, sit on my a.. all day). She placed me on a 1227 cal restriction to loose weight. This has worked for me so far with 1.7kg weight reduction in 3 weeks.
However, I have a friend who's a lot taller, 7 years younger, works as a cook in an aged care facility and her calorie restriction in 1600 approx. She is also loosing weight.
Go see a professional who speciallises in this field to get a recommendation that suits you.
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__drmerc__ wrote: »afortunatedragon wrote: »Good doctor, keep her. She seems to know what she is talking about, which is a rare find.
It's rare to find a doctor that knows what they are talking about? I find that hard to believe. What are your qualifications?
Maybe she meant nutritionally speaking? I've heard that the nutritional education in medical school is somewhat lacking but maybe that is inaccurate.
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I agree with that... What I was saying is that there are a lot of people who claim to be eating 1200 calories a day and complain that they aren't losing and I call B.S. on that. Unless you're extremely small of stature or have underlying health conditions, you will lose weight on 1200. However, limiting yourself to 1200 really isn't sustainable for long periods of time for most people. And to those who claim that they've been doing it for years on end and they're fine--again, B.S.--they would be seriously underweight and be considered to have an eating disorder.
(I have done 1200 calories a day. I have done less than 1200 calories a day. I had an eating disorder. Although it never got to the point where I had to be hospitalized, my BMI was well under the healthy range. Looking back, I don't like that I had an eating disorder. I like to eat food so I try to run everyday and can easily lose weight eating ~1500 calories.)0 -
For what it's worth, I've been told by both a doctor and a kinesiologist that it's best to eat no lower than your basal metabolic rate, which is how much you burn just sustaining life, with no activity at all. Any lower and you risk losing muscle as well as fat. MFP has BMR calculator. For me, I had a BMR test done, and MFP was pretty close: it estimated 2200 / day when the test showed 2400/day (I'm 6'4", 255). What I found interesting is that my weight loss was a little faster than I expected when I used MFP's numbers. Of course, while I was told this by a doctor and kinesiologist, I'm neither so for you it's hearsay...0
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Listen to your doctor! 1200 calories is too low for the majority of people. When I was losing weight almost a year ago, there were days when I was at 1200 calories and I felt like I was starving.0
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sullengirl78 wrote: »I've been eating 1200 cals for awhile now and I'm fine. I like to eat once per day. This way I can load my plate up and go to bed full. I stick to water and coffee all day. Works for me.
In January, you posted that you were trying to find ways to eat 3000 calories so you could gain 20 pounds and get to your goal weight of 300 pounds. I guess that didn't work out for you?
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1177601/overweight-people-trying-to-gain-weight/p1
Wow...stalker much? I can't believe you took the time to wade through all my posting history. Well if you all must know I realized how stupid it was and I was giving myself health problems so I stopped. Simple. Been losing weight now and I feel much better. Mystery solved.
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sullengirl78 wrote: »I've been eating 1200 cals for awhile now and I'm fine. I like to eat once per day. This way I can load my plate up and go to bed full. I stick to water and coffee all day. Works for me.
In January, you posted that you were trying to find ways to eat 3000 calories so you could gain 20 pounds and get to your goal weight of 300 pounds. I guess that didn't work out for you?
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1177601/overweight-people-trying-to-gain-weight/p1
LOL thanks for the laughs.
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sullengirl78 wrote: »sullengirl78 wrote: »I've been eating 1200 cals for awhile now and I'm fine. I like to eat once per day. This way I can load my plate up and go to bed full. I stick to water and coffee all day. Works for me.
In January, you posted that you were trying to find ways to eat 3000 calories so you could gain 20 pounds and get to your goal weight of 300 pounds. I guess that didn't work out for you?
community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1177601/overweight-people-trying-to-gain-weight/p1
Wow...stalker much? I can't believe you took the time to wade through all my posting history. Well if you all must know I realized how stupid it was and I was giving myself health problems so I stopped. Simple. Been losing weight now and I feel much better. Mystery solved.
Good for you!!!! Good luck with your goals:)
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