Breakup of the 1200! Help!

Options
vanilakitten
vanilakitten Posts: 66 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all!

I just put in my goals etc and I'm supposed to eat 1200 Cals a day. My BMR is approximate 1250 and TDEE - 1750. I just wanted to know, in the 1200, how am I supposed to break up the calories? As in, how much of it should be fat/protein/etc? I'm trying to get healthier and lose about 20 LBS so really appreciate your advice here :)

Replies

  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
    Options
    If your total weight you need to lose is 20 lbs, go back on your goals page, forget the 2 lbs per week you have chosen, and aim for 0.5 to 1 lb max per week. This will give you a more reasonable number of calories, and will be easier to follow and maintain. As for what you eat, this has nothing to do with weight loss, it has to do with health and specific goals or restrictions you might have. You can eat 100% of your calories in fast food, or 100% on tomato salads and fish and the result will be the same, regarding weight loss.
  • alt5057
    alt5057 Posts: 62 Member
    Options
    The standard macros (based off of what it tells me in the app, and I have never changed it) are Carbs 50%, Fat 30% and Protein 20%. Personally, I don't really plan my meals to meet these. I've only been doing MFP steadily for two weeks and have lessened the amount of refined carbs (breads, pastas) that I had been eating which gets me close to the preset macro goals.
  • GillianLF
    GillianLF Posts: 410 Member
    Options
    I'm about the same as you, roughly 20lbs to lose. I've wondered about the macros and will probably redefine them as I become more educated but I altered mine to be 40% carbs, 35% fat, 25% protein. I've managed to stay near enough to these guidelines but I'm not too strict on it. I'm new to MFP so I'm trying to learn how to just manage the calories!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,988 Member
    Options
    With only 20 pounds to lose, setting a goal of 0.5 pounds per week will be more sustainable.

    Find the macro ratio that works for you. Many people feel more satisfied with more protein than the default gives you. I feel less satisfied with carbs so gave some of them to protein and shoot for Carbs 40%, Fat 30% and Protein 30%.
  • XavierNusum
    XavierNusum Posts: 720 Member
    Options
    aggelikik wrote: »
    If your total weight you need to lose is 20 lbs, go back on your goals page, forget the 2 lbs per week you have chosen, and aim for 0.5 to 1 lb max per week. This will give you a more reasonable number of calories, and will be easier to follow and maintain. As for what you eat, this has nothing to do with weight loss, it has to do with health and specific goals or restrictions you might have. You can eat 100% of your calories in fast food, or 100% on tomato salads and fish and the result will be the same, regarding weight loss.
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    With only 20 pounds to lose, setting a goal of 0.5 pounds per week will be more sustainable.

    Find the macro ratio that works for you. Many people feel more satisfied with more protein than the default gives you. I feel less satisfied with carbs so gave some of them to protein and shoot for Carbs 40%, Fat 30% and Protein 30%.

    Right here. Good luck.
  • rosej31
    rosej31 Posts: 189 Member
    Options
    My nutrition set my goal at 40% carb, 30% fats, & 30% protein and the calories are set at 1450 daily instead of 1200 calories.
  • DebJ618
    DebJ618 Posts: 36 Member
    Options
    If you do searches online you will find a lot of variety in what macros should be. Some authors, I believe Kesser is one, suggest that as long as you are getting 80-90g protein, half cal from fat, then the rest is carb - uhm lets see math wise... Now other Paleo and low-moderate carb people will roughly agree with this though they may make protein higher or sometimes fat which seems odd till you read through the literature.
    1200 calories
    Say 320 from Protein - roughly 80g - this is 26-27%
    If you want to do half calories from fat that would be say 600 fat - roughly 67g fat - or the 50%
    the rest carbs - 280cal = 70g carb or 23-24%
    Others will tell you that you should aim for about 40% fat, 30% carb, 30% protein...
    If you want to do the math consider 4cal per gram of protein and carb.... fat is ~9cal per gram.
    From there you have people who are not aiming for low/moderate carb and instead suggest higher carb values. Even there usually you will see no more than 40 (maybe 45) % carbs for weight loss. Idea being you have to let go of the sugars (carbs) to lose weight. From there the other 55 to 60% is 30% fat and 30-35% protein.

    To be perfectly honest you will have to play with it over time and learn what your body works best at.

    For me I alternate because I also do a modified 5:2 fast (still averaging 1200 cal a day but some days it is 500 cal and some days my limit is 1800). In addition to alternating what my total calorie goal for each day is I also change the percents. I have learned and through self-testing (plus reading that backed it up) that on the lower cal days (my 500 cal days) to really increase the fat percent to about 50-60% goal of calories and most of the rest is protein with my carbs on those days being high in fiber such as carrots, celery, etc. Reason being that fat is more satiating.

    Anyhow... play with your numbers and find what works best.
  • vanilakitten
    vanilakitten Posts: 66 Member
    Options
    Thank you all! I'm going to play around with this but stick to 1200 cals a day. Either way I'll try not going over the 40-50% of fat content per day.
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Options
    vanilakitten wrote: »
    I'm going to ... stick to 1200 cals a day.

    :/ Why?

    You didn't gain the weight overnight. Why expect to lose it quickly?

    Don't crash diet then inevitably gain it all back and then some. Use MFP to learn sustainable habits that will stick with you for life.
  • Clarewho
    Clarewho Posts: 494 Member
    Options
    I feel the first priority is protein to preserve lean body mass. So calculate your lbm and multiply by 0.6-0.8 then that's the min no of grams of protein per day. Then u can look at the other 2 macros. It's difficult to get the amt of protein you need at only 1200 cals/day.
  • sheldonklein
    sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
    Options
    Unless you have specific goals (e.g., body building),I wouldn't spend a lot of time worrying about macros. Eat a reasonably varied diet and you'll be fine.
  • vanilakitten
    vanilakitten Posts: 66 Member
    Options
    Orphia wrote: »
    vanilakitten wrote: »
    I'm going to ... stick to 1200 cals a day.

    :/ Why?

    You didn't gain the weight overnight. Why expect to lose it quickly?

    Don't crash diet then inevitably gain it all back and then some. Use MFP to learn sustainable habits that will stick with you for life.

    I guess I want to try not to overeat. I have a bad habit of doing that, so in my head I'll try sticking between the 1200-1400 range. I definitely cannot crash diet - doesn't work and I'm not a believer of them. But I want to try and eat healthier :)
  • LaurenGraham2
    LaurenGraham2 Posts: 16 Member
    Options
    I do 40% carbs and protein 20% fat. I don't meet these all the time but always around these percentages and it's what works for me. X
  • Orphia
    Orphia Posts: 7,097 Member
    Options
    vanilakitten wrote: »
    Orphia wrote: »
    vanilakitten wrote: »
    I'm going to ... stick to 1200 cals a day.

    :/ Why?

    You didn't gain the weight overnight. Why expect to lose it quickly?

    Don't crash diet then inevitably gain it all back and then some. Use MFP to learn sustainable habits that will stick with you for life.

    I guess I want to try not to overeat. I have a bad habit of doing that, so in my head I'll try sticking between the 1200-1400 range. I definitely cannot crash diet - doesn't work and I'm not a believer of them. But I want to try and eat healthier :)

    So long as "healthier" means eating what you love from a wide variety of foods with treats you definitely deserve daily and not depriving yourself, that's great to hear! Good luck!
  • jimjoevie
    jimjoevie Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    Stick to 1200, be disciplined and try to eat more protein than carbs. You will continue to drop weight without having to be too scientific.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Options
    aggelikik wrote: »
    If your total weight you need to lose is 20 lbs, go back on your goals page, forget the 2 lbs per week you have chosen, and aim for 0.5 to 1 lb max per week. This will give you a more reasonable number of calories, and will be easier to follow and maintain. As for what you eat, this has nothing to do with weight loss, it has to do with health and specific goals or restrictions you might have. You can eat 100% of your calories in fast food, or 100% on tomato salads and fish and the result will be the same, regarding weight loss.

    Correct, as far as WEIGHT loss, it will be the same, but do you want to lose fat or muscle..... ;)
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Options
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    With only 20 pounds to lose, setting a goal of 0.5 pounds per week will be more sustainable.

    Find the macro ratio that works for you. Many people feel more satisfied with more protein than the default gives you. I feel less satisfied with carbs so gave some of them to protein and shoot for Carbs 40%, Fat 30% and Protein 30%.

    ^^ +1
  • bethn24
    bethn24 Posts: 19 Member
    Options
    I'm on the same boat as you I started with 25 lbs to loose I've being having about 1400-1500 cal a day though as I'm quite active so far I've lost 7 Lbs in 8 weeks, I generally have eggs or oats for breakfast, a whole grain tuna or ham sandwich for lunch, Meat and non starchy vegetables for dinner and 3 healthy high protein snacks such as nuts or natural yogurt. Hope my advice helps you out.
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    Options
    My TDEE is also 1750 calories. I work-out 4 times a week and eat 1500 calories and lose 0.5lbs-1lb a week. If you struggle at 1200, I'd suggest upping your calories to the same sort of number as mine. It's much kinder (I'm not as hungry as I was on 1200) and I'm still losing weight - Just ever so slightly slower. It's totally up to you though!

    If you're happy on 1200 however, you can still eat what you like and I wouldn't get too caught up in the macro's. Protein can help fill you up so aim to veer towards high protein if you can! :)

Categories