1200 calories a day..

Everyone thinks less means more weight loss which isn't always the case.

Set your loss goal to 0.5lbs per week, eat the amount and your exercise cals.

Go for more calories than that for sure! Especially with the exercise. I'm 29, 5'4", 135lbs and eat more than you and am losing weight.

That's fantastic that you ran 10k. I've spent over 4 weeks building up to be able to do the first week of c25k, so you're pretty much an inspiration.

BeccaKay96 wrote: »

So this is a debate I have with myself all the time..
A little background info:
I'm 19, 5'4, and 141 lbs.
About a year ago I went from 150-130 on a 1200 calorie a day diet and have gained since then. I would like to lose 10-15 lbs now.. I run three times a week, just did my first 10k and am planning on starting to train for a half marathon.
Basically I want opinions on if I should try 1200 (before exercise) or if I need more calories than that to keep my body from trying to slow my metabolism...
Please don't be rude to me I just want honest opinions from your experiences on what works best! My friends trainer says I need more calories I just am so stuck on the smaller number I guess I just need help convincing myself..

I like the comments above.
Sure, 1200 seems to be a magic number for people on diets, and people lose weight...gain it back, then lose again...and on...and on...

The recommendations on MFP are based on your specific needs, expectations and goals.
You might want to take a hard look at these suggestions and consider food intake to match that amount of daily calories required for 1 pound of weekly weight loss.

It would be a pity to sacrifice and lose weight again only to gain it back again.

Good Luck

Good luck on your marathon training. I have seen specific marathon plans on the internet. I personally enjoy cutting on 1800 calories a day. I feel like my body likes me more too.

Use this calculator on your computer not your smartphone:

http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/

You will need to know your bodyfat %. Google "bodyfat women" and then look at the images to isolate sort of where you fall.

If 30% bodyfat and Lightly Active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days a week) then you are maintaining at 1841 calories per day.

If 30% and Lightly Active is correct, then to safely lose weight, you would cut 10-20% off of themaintenance calorie figure of 1841. That would mean you should be consuming between 1473-1657 calories per day.

If you do so and are still not losing weight, then you are either overestimating your activity level or undershooting your calories consumed.

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Hitting your macros consistently can also affect body composition.

Ideally, ensure macronutrient sufficiency predominantly from whole and minimally processed foods.

Protein: ~0.60 to ~0.80 grams per pound of bodyweight (or target/ideal weight in the obese) -- the highest amount justified by research.

Fat: ~0.40-0.45 grams per pound of bodyweight (or target/ideal weight in the obese) -- the lowest amount implied by clinical observation.

Remaining caloric budget: whatever mix of macronutrients you prefer -- as implied by research.

Eat as much as you can while you still lose weight. If you can't lose on 1300, you can't. But start higher, wait a couple weeks and if you don't lose, drop it by 100 every two weeks until you begin losing.

That's my non-expert advice.