1200 Calories too low? Please help!

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  • leopard_barbie
    leopard_barbie Posts: 279 Member
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    I think 1200 it too low for anyone. It's not much food and I don't personally think very sustainable. It's the kind of calorie intake that we've all done a million times when we "diet". Our metabolism slows, we lose muscle, we realize it's not much food and start eating a bit more..and then we gain it all back. Unless you're 4ft 11 I'd eat more than that. I use the fat2fitradio.com site for my numbers. It incorporates activity so you don't eat back calories...just the calorie level of your general activity. HTH!

    What I like about fat2fitradio.com's calorie levels are that it's the calorie level for maintenance of your goal weight so in theory you just keep eating that forever, therefore making a lifestyle change rather than dieting.

    I've not actually managed to stick to their calories for long enough to test it though, I end up panicking and going back to 1200 plus my exercise calories but I'm thinking of giving it another go (after eating slightly over yesterday & feeling much better for it). How has this worked for you?
  • debzeeU2
    debzeeU2 Posts: 99 Member
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    read later*
  • FitForLife81
    FitForLife81 Posts: 372 Member
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    Yup way too low on calories. I was at 1200 calories when I was trying to lose weight and I didnt lose a thing. When I went up to 1500 I started dropping it like crazy. Now that I am in maintance mode I find it is 1800-1900!! Defintely eat more than your BMR!
  • LisaF1163
    LisaF1163 Posts: 141
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    I tried eating 1200 calories but wasn't losing any weight. I went up to 1310 and now I am losing at least an average of 1lbs per week. Slow and steady wins the race!
    I'm really really glad I found this topic! The system also has me pegged as staying at 1200 a day to lose 35 lbs. So yesterday, until I hit 1200 and was still under? The system kept showing me a message saying, "You're currently eating too few calories. If you don't eat more, you won't reach your goal as your metabolism will slow down with too few calories" or something of that nature. Which I've heard is true, but yesterday I went over my goal by 35 calories (oh, noes! LOL!), and still got that same message from the system. At about 5'3", 48 yrs. old and wanting to lose 35 lbs., plus I'm horrible at working out (which I know I need to change in order for this to work), where should my calorie goal realistically be? I started this week, lost one lb., and then nothing else this morning.

    This was a question I was planning to ask any way. I've read accounts from fitness experts in "Shape" and "Men's Health" magazines, that in order to boost your metabolism, you have to eat a little more. And that ideally, once a week, you should have one meal only of something "bad" to give your metabolism an additional fuel.

    However, my sister for example, is fairly old-school about it. She's very thin, naturally so, and is of the age-old train of thought that "you take in less calories and work out more - simple as that". Her view is that eating more calories to burn more is silly.

    Which one is correct? It's been driving me nuts for a while!
  • deppylicious
    deppylicious Posts: 1
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    I too am on my 3rd week of 1200 calories per day, with never going over that, in fact, running and burning 500 calories, and sword training burning about 200 calories, and I honestly don't feel hungry. I do believe that the body is saying WTH, and is in starvation mode. But I also believe, we don't need tons of calories a day. My daughter came home from college and said I look thinner, but I really don't feel thinner. I'm 5'9" and weigh about 145. I just want to lose the flab around my gut and arms. I try my skinny jeans on, and they still are tight. I have never been overweight in my life, always an athlete, but I am at old school thought that the less calories, the more you will lose. I just hope at my menopausal age, I don't send my body into shock or heart problems. I think the older you are, the harder it is to lose. I'm always very active besides the working out, but this is getting discouraging. I know, slow and steady wins the race. I had huge success on the South Beach diet in 2 weeks, exercising only 3 days a week about 7 years ago. But I can't do fatty foods anymore, on meds for that. Heredity high blood pressure and cholesterol. I was totally shocked when my cholesterol was high. So, I have to watch what I eat, but still can't seem to budge these last 10 pounds :( Although, like I said, my daughter said it looks like I lost 5, sooooooo keep a positive outlook. It does work, it's just harder the older you get :( Like the one lady said, better .5 pound loss a week than none at all. STAY STRONG!
  • tejula
    tejula Posts: 2
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    1200 calories is not necessarily too low. What if my BMR is 1200 calories? How much deficit should I have If I wanted to lose weight?
  • tejula
    tejula Posts: 2
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    Found this 1200 calorie diet http://healthiack.com/diets/1200-calorie-diet. I might give it a try. What you think?
    Thanks.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    MFP calculator figures out your estimated needed calories just to keep you alive and do ordinary daily activities like work, school, taking care of kids, etc. It does not include exercise in its calculation so that is why when you do exercise, it gives you more calories to eat. This is so you would lose weight on this system if you did no exercise, just by diet alone.

    However, then, when you choose "I want to lose 2 pounds per week" (doesn't everyone want to lose 2 pounds a week, even if that is physically impossible for our body?) it just subtracts a set amount of calories from your calculated need. It will subtract 1,000 calories if you choose 2 pounds per week. But it will not set you below 1,200 bottom line because that is the minimum that is needed to get your proper nutrition.

    If you do not have a lot of weight to lose, choosing 2 pounds per week is not appropriate or reasonable or healthy. Then when you also do not eat back exercise calories, you are creating an even bigger unreasonable and unhealthy deficit.

    So, here is an example.....

    MFP figures out that for me age, height, weight, I need 1800 calories a day (remember, this is without any exercise). I choose "lose 2 pounds a week". It tries subtracting 1800-1000 = 800. 800 is too low, it gives me a default of 1200. I eat 1200 and I burn 300 in exercise 1200-300= 900 net calories. Unhealthy, I need to eat 1200 + 300 = 1500.

    Most people's BMR is higher than 1200 (this is the amount of calories they would feed you in a coma just to keep you alive).

    Unless you are a very small person, or have a lot of weight to lose, 1200 is probably not right for you.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Here is a great guideline for setting weekly weight loss goals:

    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
  • jsmith11111
    jsmith11111 Posts: 1
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    This information is super helpful and it may explain why I've not been able to lose successfully in the past. For those of us who only want to loose 15-20lbs, it *seems* we can work really hard for 2.5 months and drop off the pounds. What you're saying is that it will take nearly a YEAR (40 weeks to lose 20lbs). That's essential information that can help those with not much to lose avoid becoming discouraged.

    In essence, those without much to loose aren't overeating by much and only need to make a small adjustment. Our caloric take in is close enough to ideal that it will take quite a while to lose weight without putting out bodies into starvation mode.

    The above table of information should be included in the mfp app, imo. Programmers have written error codes that display when calories are too low, and similar suggestions ought to display when users have only a few pounds to loose.
  • muffinsandcakes
    muffinsandcakes Posts: 333 Member
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    leopard_barbie wrote: »
    I think 1200 it too low for anyone. It's not much food and I don't personally think very sustainable. It's the kind of calorie intake that we've all done a million times when we "diet". Our metabolism slows, we lose muscle, we realize it's not much food and start eating a bit more..and then we gain it all back. Unless you're 4ft 11 I'd eat more than that. I use the fat2fitradio.com site for my numbers. It incorporates activity so you don't eat back calories...just the calorie level of your general activity. HTH!

    What I like about fat2fitradio.com's calorie levels are that it's the calorie level for maintenance of your goal weight so in theory you just keep eating that forever, therefore making a lifestyle change rather than dieting.

    I've not actually managed to stick to their calories for long enough to test it though, I end up panicking and going back to 1200 plus my exercise calories but I'm thinking of giving it another go (after eating slightly over yesterday & feeling much better for it). How has this worked for you?

    this sound good :))))
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Not everyone loses at the same rate. I eat a lot less than many and lose slower.

    It also gets harder. The more you lose, the harder it gets.

    Everyone is different. Some are eating 800 calories, some are eating 2200. There is no right way that applies to every single person.

    See your doctor. Get good advice and follow it. Then stop comparing yourself to others and don't worry about MFP's recommendations.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    POST IS FROM 2012
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Oops. Must learn to check.
  • LoraKay131
    LoraKay131 Posts: 58 Member
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    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!
    i read it too....
  • PokeyBug
    PokeyBug Posts: 482 Member
    edited October 2014
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    Crap. Got sucked in.
  • andrejsel
    andrejsel Posts: 4
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    Try this tool - it will give you a basic dieting starting plan http://healthiack.com/weight-loss-calculator
    After you try this regime out you can adjust it accordingly (if you're not losing weight).
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    bigbits71 wrote: »
    I kept my caloric intake at around 1200 calories a week and I exercised about 3 hours a day and was losing 4-5 pounds a week. In total I lost 90 pounds in less than 4 months. You can do 2 pounds a week if you mix in exercising as well.

    So you failed to give yourself the nutrition an active male needs, lost lean body mass, and now advocate unhealthy practices to others.

  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    andrejsel wrote: »
    Try this tool - it will give you a basic dieting starting plan http://healthiack.com/weight-loss-calculator
    After you try this regime out you can adjust it accordingly (if you're not losing weight).
    Did you make that tool? I don't think it's correct. It tells me if I eat 866 calories below my TDEE I can lose 13 lbs. in 180 days. More like 45 lbs. at that deficit.

  • andrejsel
    andrejsel Posts: 4
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    I tried and it worked for me, but i'm using metric system (cm and kg), never tested the imperial system calculations...

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