mfp just starting. its saying 1230 daily calorie goal...does that seem low?

What did you put as your weight loss goal per week?

Two things 1) it is 1200 PLUS exercise calories - so if you workout at all you can eat more, 2) set it to a less aggressive goal and you'll have more calories available.

It depends on your current weight, height, age, weightloss goal, and activity level. I am overweight. 170 lbs, 5'6", 26, and am on my feet for 10-12 hours 5 days a week and am only trying to lose 1 lb a week, so I get to eat almost 2000 calories a day. If you feel like your calorie goal is too low I recommend lowering the rate you want to lose weight maybe to 1 lb. a week or incorporating more exercise so you can consume more calories.

Yes I'm 5'8" sedentary and started at about 180lb. It gave me 1200 when I said I wanted to lose 2lb and I stuck to that for about 3 mths eating carefully and taking a multi vitamin to try to get my nutrients in. It's doable in the short term but I wouldn't do it for too long for various reasons. I found I usually lost 2lb pw but a few times I lost 3+ which was too much for healthy loss so I've gradually adjusted it. I'm trying for 0.5lb now but still seem to be losing at a faster rate prob b/c I'm sedentary in the workplace but active outside. So it's trial and error! At 1200 I tried to hit my protein macro first - to minimise lean body mass loss. There's a ton of info in the stickies which I found very useful when starting out. Good luck

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I was your height and weight when I started but chose a goal of losing 1 pound per week, which is more sustainable for me. I get 1520 calories as a base and generally eat closer to 1800 due to exercise. On days when I swim and garden, I'm well into the 2000s.

Since April, I've lost 17 pounds. I understand the desire to want the weight to come off quickly, but I am personally not willing to make myself miserable in order to do it. Most days, I don't even feel like I'm dieting.

Your BMR is 1700 calories range - and that's at complete rest for the entire 24 hours. 1200 is very low. You will feel starved all the time - it's emotionally and physically exhausting. Before you know it, you will start craving foods, and eventually binge.

I have a very strong opinion on always keeping in mind your BMR and do not eat less than that (at least not consistently and not by a lot) as providing your body with insufficient level of energy will backfire.

Start with at least 1700 calories and adjust going forward.

I was recommended to eat 1200 a day . . . 1200 is min. I'm doing a step down approach. I did 1800 for a little bit till I had it nailed and I wasn't feeling like I was starving to death. Then 1600 . . . now I hit between 1300-1400. I did an 1136 2 days ago . . . but I got up late. I wouldn't do 1200 unless you want to feel like you are dying all the time. and you will eventually binge on things that are not normal . . like icing and bags of sugar and peanut butter . . . straight butter . . .