Is a 1200 calorie day really realistic???? Is that what most of you are doing????
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teagirlmedium wrote: »I think 1200 would take some planning depending on how you eat regularly and if you care about things like protein, fiber and the rest of that stuff.
it does and lots of planning so that i eat foods so that I'm not hungry all the time which where protein and fiber come into play. I also try to avoid too much refined sugar, not because I think it's bad but that I find it leads to cravings. I find it's best to avoid creating cravings because I love sugar, all sugar, any time anywhere0 -
At my usual 2 pound a week rate I get 2360 plus exercise with a very active setting for activity. Currently for this weekend I am at 3050(still a small deficit) because I wanted to eat closer to maintenance due an intense weekend of martial arts starting tonight. I will probably be eating closer to 4000 tomorrow to sustain myself through 2 hours of workout plus a 30 minute black belt exam.
1200 was what my Dr wanted me to do. My Dr is a moron when it comes to weight loss. I would never be able to function in my life on such a low number. I don't even know how so many people manage to do it and keep doing it long term.
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I tried 1200 calories in the past, before I really knew what I was doing. The weight definitely fell off, but I gained it right back once I stopped "dieting". That's one of my problems with 1200 calories, it's not even close to what I hope to eat for the rest of my life, so what's the point in doing it now? It puts me in the wrong kind of mindset. I'm in this for the long haul; I'm not on a diet, I want to change my lifestyle. That's way easier for me if I...actually eat a reasonable amount.
Also I was spending way too much time thinking about food when I was on 1200, trying to make sure I was getting enough nutrients and always wondering about what I could eat that wouldn't put me over, logging different options just to see how it would all work out before I finally decided on something, restricting myself to the same boring foods that I knew would be fine. Not fun and definitely not how I wanted to live!
These are purely just my own experiences of course, and everyone is different, but I would still recommend against eating 1200. Try a higher number for a month or so and if it's not working, drop it, but don't try the extreme option first! Go for the maximum number of calories you can eat and lose weight, not the minimum
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MFP has me at 1430 for a 1 lb/week loss. I almost always try and come in below that. In fact for sedentary days, I do aim for around 1200. For days when I'm working out, I purposefully eat a little back or I end up undernurished for the day. (My first time around, I stuck to 1200 religiously, regardless of activity. I lost a lot of weight... and also some hair... and my fingernails broke if I looked at them wrong.)
Eat at a deficit, but do it at a level that's sustainable for you. It's a lifestyle change. Six months of 1 lb/week is better than three weeks at 2 lbs/week only to quit because you can't keep it up.0 -
3dogsrunning wrote: »Urban_Princess wrote: »The calorie goal is based on the information you input when you joined. Did you choose 2lb/week loss? With 35lbs to lose, that's pretty aggressive.
Also, if you are exercising, you should be eating at least a portion of your calories back.
For reference, I'm 33, 5'4" and 144 and I eat 1,800 calories a day to lose.
holy famoly, you are stunning! Similarly, I'm 27, 5'4''..but I eat 1200 or less. my SW was 240 and I have lost eating 1000-1200 (very quickly, mind you) and I work out 5-6 times a week. I don't know if I could eat anymore (and do it without feeling guilty). I really wish i could eat 1800
@Urban_Princess ... I am 45 and 5ft even! MFP set my calories at 1000! I am so full now it is not funny! I do not know how people eat more than that! I started at 228 and am now 195 in 10 weeks!! YAY! I exercise everyday now, but am still not hungry even tho not eating over 1000-1100!
If MFP gave you 1000 calories you set up you goal during the glitch. MFP is not supposed to give you less than 1200 calories and it has been fixed now.
I should also add, I've done the lower calorie and tons of cardio, lost a bunch of weight and looked great. The real struggle came when I moved into maintenance.shadow2soul wrote: »Urban_Princess wrote: »The calorie goal is based on the information you input when you joined. Did you choose 2lb/week loss? With 35lbs to lose, that's pretty aggressive.
Also, if you are exercising, you should be eating at least a portion of your calories back.
For reference, I'm 33, 5'4" and 144 and I eat 1,800 calories a day to lose.
holy famoly, you are stunning! Similarly, I'm 27, 5'4''..but I eat 1200 or less. my SW was 240 and I have lost eating 1000-1200 (very quickly, mind you) and I work out 5-6 times a week. I don't know if I could eat anymore (and do it without feeling guilty). I really wish i could eat 1800
@Urban_Princess ... I am 45 and 5ft even! MFP set my calories at 1000! I am so full now it is not funny! I do not know how people eat more than that! I started at 228 and am now 195 in 10 weeks!! YAY! I exercise everyday now, but am still not hungry even tho not eating over 1000-1100!
@ptkat28 - You might want to re-set your goals. There was a glitch a while back where people were getting calorie goals below 1200. 1200 is the minimum calorie goal MFP will give a woman (excluding glitches).
You can read more about the minimum here:
https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1375583-a-message-about-myfitnesspal-s-updated-nutrition-goals
Thanks you guys!! I will re-calculate and see what happens! I don't want to do something wrong!!! I have tried to eat up to 1200, but I am just too full!!!
3 words........calorie dense foods
Nuts, nut butters, avocado, eggs, cheese, olive oil. When people start a diet the tendency is to find low calorie-high volume foods, diet this, and fat free that. It's not just about the calorie #....there is a nutritional element also.
Try to meet you protein & fat goals. You should have no problem getting "up to" at least 1200. Faster weight loss generally means a higher percentage of lean muscle loss. Pick something sustainable.0 -
I just trying to lose weight again and trying to stick to it. MFP gave me a calorie count of 1670 a day to lose 2lbs a week. I don't eat quite that many calories... I've lost 3lbs this week.0
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Everyone here will say something different. I never have been able to eat under 1200, about 1800 was much more doable for me (I am a guy). I am over 30 pounds lighter than I was 5 years ago, but it was not overnight.
I always wonder how such a thing is sustainable but people here seem to do it. If you exercise a lot and eat healthy more often than not, you will not have to worry nearly as much about it -- but then again it all depends on your goals, conditions (diabetes etc).
MyFitnessPal calculates it based on how many pounds a week you want to lose. I think it is much better to think about changing your lifestyle little by little until you are exercising more and eating healthier, but to each their own.
I say never starve yourself! Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit and protein and exercise frequently. Start with manageable goals - for me if I starve I will eventually pig out on lots of crap. Fiber can help fill you up nicely (fruit, veggies etc) and protein is a good accompaniment.0 -
I have to say one nice thing about the food diary here, it reminds me of the good foods to eat and the not so good ones. when you have to add that 1 twinkie and you think, gee I could have had a bunch of *insert sweet fruit of your choice* instead0
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3dogsrunning wrote: »Urban_Princess wrote: »The calorie goal is based on the information you input when you joined. Did you choose 2lb/week loss? With 35lbs to lose, that's pretty aggressive.
Also, if you are exercising, you should be eating at least a portion of your calories back.
For reference, I'm 33, 5'4" and 144 and I eat 1,800 calories a day to lose.
holy famoly, you are stunning! Similarly, I'm 27, 5'4''..but I eat 1200 or less. my SW was 240 and I have lost eating 1000-1200 (very quickly, mind you) and I work out 5-6 times a week. I don't know if I could eat anymore (and do it without feeling guilty). I really wish i could eat 1800
@Urban_Princess ... I am 45 and 5ft even! MFP set my calories at 1000! I am so full now it is not funny! I do not know how people eat more than that! I started at 228 and am now 195 in 10 weeks!! YAY! I exercise everyday now, but am still not hungry even tho not eating over 1000-1100!
If MFP gave you 1000 calories you set up you goal during the glitch. MFP is not supposed to give you less than 1200 calories and it has been fixed now.
I should also add, I've done the lower calorie and tons of cardio, lost a bunch of weight and looked great. The real struggle came when I moved into maintenance.shadow2soul wrote: »Urban_Princess wrote: »The calorie goal is based on the information you input when you joined. Did you choose 2lb/week loss? With 35lbs to lose, that's pretty aggressive.
Also, if you are exercising, you should be eating at least a portion of your calories back.
For reference, I'm 33, 5'4" and 144 and I eat 1,800 calories a day to lose.
holy famoly, you are stunning! Similarly, I'm 27, 5'4''..but I eat 1200 or less. my SW was 240 and I have lost eating 1000-1200 (very quickly, mind you) and I work out 5-6 times a week. I don't know if I could eat anymore (and do it without feeling guilty). I really wish i could eat 1800
@Urban_Princess ... I am 45 and 5ft even! MFP set my calories at 1000! I am so full now it is not funny! I do not know how people eat more than that! I started at 228 and am now 195 in 10 weeks!! YAY! I exercise everyday now, but am still not hungry even tho not eating over 1000-1100!
@ptkat28 - You might want to re-set your goals. There was a glitch a while back where people were getting calorie goals below 1200. 1200 is the minimum calorie goal MFP will give a woman (excluding glitches).
You can read more about the minimum here:
https://myfitnesspal.desk.com/customer/portal/articles/1375583-a-message-about-myfitnesspal-s-updated-nutrition-goals
Thanks you guys!! I will re-calculate and see what happens! I don't want to do something wrong!!! I have tried to eat up to 1200, but I am just too full!!!
3 words........calorie dense foods
Nuts, nut butters, avocado, eggs, cheese, olive oil. When people start a diet the tendency is to find low calorie-high volume foods, diet this, and fat free that. It's not just about the calorie #....there is a nutritional element also.
Try to meet you protein & fat goals. You should have no problem getting "up to" at least 1200. Faster weight loss generally means a higher percentage of lean muscle loss. Pick something sustainable.
@TeaBea
If you look at my diary, you can see exactly what I eat. Low carbs/good carbs, high protein, not much sugar at all. To me this is not a diet! This is my lifestyle change. I am 45 and have been on the "diet rollercoaster" long enough. 0 -
Everyone is different, but, for me, I couldn't do 1200 a day. I tried for awhile and just never felt it was enough even eating primarily "whole" foods. I used this calculator to determine my TDEE: http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/tdee-calculator.html I'm 5'2", 145 pounds, and entered "light exercise" (my goal is always "moderate exercise" 3-5 times a week but I know that's not always the reality!) and I can maintain my weight at 1973 calories a day. I manually entered my MFP goal to be 1500 and I don't sweat it if I'm upwards of 1700 from time to time. I know that anything under 1973 is in deficit mode. I don't have a lot to lose and I'm not trying to do it quickly, just in a way that's sustainable in the long-term.
It can take some time to figure out what works for you! Best of luck, OP!0 -
1,200 is do-able. If you choose well, you will not be hungry. But prepared to eat lots of lean protein (chicken breast, fish fillets, sushi, eggs, tofu).and vegetables.
You'd have to basically cut out sugars, and restrict carbs and "healthy fats" like almonds, peanut butter, avocado..
I did it and lost 25 lbs of baby weight. But I was super strict.
Sweetened yogurt and a handful of almonds could eat up half my day's calories.
But - I have to say it works. And, no. You will not starve yourself.
I suffered at 1,200 for many months. It's only sustainable for so long.
Now I am maintaining at 1,500, doing weights and loving it!
Good luck
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Everyone's calorie needs are different - you'll have to experiment a little to see what works for you. All of the calculators that say how many calories you need to consume are estimates, not exact numbers. If you can continue to lose weight at 1400 or 1500 calories and you're satisfied that is a good thing to me. You can always cut more calories if you have to do that.0
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Personally I've done it, but it depends on your height. I'm 5' tall. Sometimes its hard, since I have always been a big eater. Just try to settle on your sweet spot.0
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MFP started me off at 1000 calories; but the Medical Weight Loss Program set me at 960 to lose weight. I drink two protein shakes and eat one protein bar a day; then I can have the rest as a regular meal. They gave me 4 or 5 pages of meals for less that 550 calories a day; occasionally I will go over, no matter what I do . . . but that is 'rarely'. The meal plans they gave me are substantial and have been easy for me to do.0
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i just wanted to day that I thought I was doing 1.2k but really it's closer to 1.4k because I eat about half my exercise calories0
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I just started and my goal is 1570 and I've got 100lbs to lose. I'd starve if I tried to adhere to 1200 a day. I've tried that in the past and got hunger headaches and then gave up.0
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I was worried too that the 1200 would actually cause me to hang on to weight not lose. I am going to the gym 4-5 times a week and mix cardio and weights! I am totally confused by all the weight loss info out there and not sure at all what carbs/protein/fat to be eating. I think 55% carbs is too much but not sure......I would like a 1-2 pound loss a week but I guess maybe thats quite a lot....I set my calories to 1250 for now :-/0
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35pds2newme wrote: »Are most people generally going with a 1200 calorie goal for the day. Just out of curiosity it seems that is what I am seeing posted. How realistic is this really? I am only at day 2--Any thoughts?
I am at 2000 and I have been losing an average of 1.5 lb a week (currently it has slowed down to closer to 1.2 lb a week which I am still happy with). 1200 is realistic for a small person who does not work out but there aren't many who fit that description.
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I do 1200 most days. I do not need a big break fast or lunch. I work in an office so I do not burn much sitting on my *kitten*. I will have a nice supper though. Not saying this is for everyone, but it works for me.0
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I eat around 1400 calories a day during the week. I usually earn another 300-400 from exercise and I "bank" those for weekend booze and food since I fall apart on weekends. Ultimately I do eat back those exercise calories, just not on the day I earned them.0
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