Help on 1200 cals a day
avilancaster871
Posts: 147 Member
hey I joined a few days ago and set myself up a goal of 1200 cals a day loss of 2lb a week? I want to loose a total of 5stone ? Iv heard people saying 1200 is a bad cal to start at? Have I done the rite thing? Thanks x
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To know if you'll lose 2lbs/week, find a TDEE calculator (there's plenty if you search Google, use a few to get an idea as there are different algorithms that gives different results) and put your details in. This'll give you how many calories you burn in an average day. To lose 2lbs/week, you need to eat 1000 calories a day less than what you burn. If your TDEE is around 2200 calories, then eating 1200 will mean you lose 2lbs/week. If your TDEE is higher you can afford to eat more, if it's less you'll have to either do more exercise to get up to 2200 or put up with a slower loss.
People often say that 1200 is too low because people who don't have much weight to lose will just put in 2lbs/week because why wouldn't you, not knowing that 2lbs/week is only a good idea if you've got a lot of weight to lose (also eating at 1200 can make it difficult to get the proper nutrients you need in). If you've got 70lbs to lose as your profile says, 2lbs/week is fine, but bear in mind that as you get closer to your goal you should aim for a slower loss per week.0 -
With 70 lbs to lose, I would think you could easily lose on many more calories and be much less miserable. 1400-1500 leaves a lot of room for reasonable portions of your favorite foods.
If you change the goal to 1.5 lbs/week, what does the calorie goal change to?0 -
DemoraFairy wrote: »To know if you'll lose 2lbs/week, find a TDEE calculator (there's plenty if you search Google, use a few to get an idea as there are different algorithms that gives different results) and put your details in. This'll give you how many calories you burn in an average day. To lose 2lbs/week, you need to eat 1000 calories a day less than what you burn. If your TDEE is around 2200 calories, then eating 1200 will mean you lose 2lbs/week. If your TDEE is higher you can afford to eat more, if it's less you'll have to either do more exercise to get up to 2200 or put up with a slower loss.
People often say that 1200 is too low because people who don't have much weight to lose will just put in 2lbs/week because why wouldn't you, not knowing that 2lbs/week is only a good idea if you've got a lot of weight to lose (also eating at 1200 can make it difficult to get the proper nutrients you need in). If you've got 70lbs to lose as your profile says, 2lbs/week is fine, but bear in mind that as you get closer to your goal you should aim for a slower loss per week.
Ok thank u
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With 70 lbs to lose, I would think you could easily lose on many more calories and be much less miserable. 1400-1500 leaves a lot of room for reasonable portions of your favorite foods.
If you change the goal to 1.5 lbs/week, what does the calorie goal change to?
If I change to 1.5lbs a week instead of 2lbs it goes from 1200 to 1210 lmfao doesn't seem worth it tbh x0 -
avilancaster871 wrote: »With 70 lbs to lose, I would think you could easily lose on many more calories and be much less miserable. 1400-1500 leaves a lot of room for reasonable portions of your favorite foods.
If you change the goal to 1.5 lbs/week, what does the calorie goal change to?
If I change to 1.5lbs a week instead of 2lbs it goes from 1200 to 1210 lmfao doesn't seem worth it tbh x
Well that means you won't be losing 2lbs/week on 1200 calories, you'll be losing about 1.5lbs/week. To lose 2lbs/week you'd have to go lower than 1200, which is too low.0 -
Well it is set to 2lb a week and states 1200 calories? I don't no as new to this app but that's what it says in my settings0
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avilancaster871 wrote: »Well it is set to 2lb a week and states 1200 calories? I don't no as new to this app but that's what it says in my settings
MFP will never recommend less than 1200 calories. So when you put your data in it works out your TDEE, then takes away a number of calories depending on how much you said you wanted to lose per week - 1000 for 2lbs/week, 500 for 1lb/week and 250 for 0.5lbs/week. But it'll never go below 1200, so if the result is below 1200, it just recommends 1200. It should give you a predicted loss per week (for example I can set it to 2lbs/week, then it'll recommend 1200 and say 'Your projected weight loss is 0.8 lbs/week').0 -
1200 is the lowest it will let you go as that is the very least that a woman should be eating a day to make sure that she is fuelling her body with necessary nutrients (so long as you are making healthy choices!). Even if you do need to go lower to lose 2lbs a week, it won't let you because that is not healthy, hence why dropping the amount of weight you want to lose is recommend rather than dropping the amount of calories you eat a day.
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avilancaster871 wrote: »With 70 lbs to lose, I would think you could easily lose on many more calories and be much less miserable. 1400-1500 leaves a lot of room for reasonable portions of your favorite foods.
If you change the goal to 1.5 lbs/week, what does the calorie goal change to?
If I change to 1.5lbs a week instead of 2lbs it goes from 1200 to 1210 lmfao doesn't seem worth it tbh x
If those are the numbers MFP is giving you, that means it's putting your TDEE around 1960 calories. Did you use sedentary for your activity level? If so, if you log exercise the app will give you more calories to eat. Most people would recommend eating about half of the extra calories it gives you. You don't have to exercise to lose weight, but it just helps to "earn" more food calories to eat.0 -
I've been eating the recommended 1260 calories per day and I'm not losing...anything. It's been like a week. This is ridiculous.0
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ljparsons08 wrote: »I've been eating the recommended 1260 calories per day and I'm not losing...anything. It's been like a week. This is ridiculous.
Seems rude to say: but that attitude is ridiculous. Totally. It's been a week. Weight loss isn't fast, a week in weight loss is literally nothing. Ziltch. Zip.
I guess I'll have to ask if you're weighing your foods with an electric food scale... are you?0 -
ljparsons08 wrote: »I've been eating the recommended 1260 calories per day and I'm not losing...anything. It's been like a week. This is ridiculous.
Yeah, it is pretty ridiculous that you'd expect to see a loss after only a week :P
You need to leave it a lot longer before assessing your progress. Weight loss isn't linear - some weeks you'll stay the same, some you'll lose, some you'll gain. Many people find they don't lose anything for the first week or two, then have a large loss overnight.
Also make sure you're counting accurately - use digital scales if you can to weigh everything, and be careful if you're eating back your exercise calories because the MFP exercise database and gym machines have a reputation for wildly overestimating calorie burn.0 -
avilancaster871 wrote: »With 70 lbs to lose, I would think you could easily lose on many more calories and be much less miserable. 1400-1500 leaves a lot of room for reasonable portions of your favorite foods.
If you change the goal to 1.5 lbs/week, what does the calorie goal change to?
If I change to 1.5lbs a week instead of 2lbs it goes from 1200 to 1210 lmfao doesn't seem worth it tbh x
Welcome to my world...lol.
I do good on 1200 calories though. Most of my calories are protein. When I start lifting weights I'm going to see if I lose on 1600 calories.
Good luck. The folks on here are great!0 -
Why would you not lose the most during your first week? That should be the biggest difference. I'm allowed to be frustrated if I want. It makes no sense that I wouldn't lose anything. Yes I have been measuring food and counting every bite. Even some exercise twice this week. Zumba and jogging.
I would love to know if I don't understand something about weight loss? Why would I not have even lost a pound? I don't want anything huge just something.0 -
I will stick to the 1200 calories and see how I get on then I try not to eat back the calories I loose working out anyway, Iv only been on this 3 days so don't no if I will loose anything this week or if it will take longer but I'm hoping to notice a slight difference as I used to drink fizzy drinks all day everyday and have 3 sugars in my tea! The last 3 days I have cut out fizzy drinks completly and stuck to water including cutting out the 3 sugars in my tea lol I did go over on my calories yesterday a little due to my dinner 0
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You should try measuring yourself instead of weighing. I saw results in my inches way faster than the results on the scale.0
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ljparsons08 wrote: »Why would you not lose the most during your first week? That should be the biggest difference. I'm allowed to be frustrated if I want. It makes no sense that I wouldn't lose anything. Yes I have been measuring food and counting every bite. Even some exercise twice this week. Zumba and jogging.
I would love to know if I don't understand something about weight loss? Why would I not have even lost a pound? I don't want anything huge just something.
Do you weigh daily or weekly? The body fluctuates each day, these fluctuations can easily cover up weight loss if you've only left it a few days, especially if you're only weighing weekly. Fluctuations are even more noticeable if you're on or around your period, if you ate a lot of salty food one day (going out to a restaurant, for example) and starting a new exercise regime (as the muscles retain water). If you've just started the Zumba and jogging this week then that could well be what's stopping you seeing a loss. And if not, fluctuations happen sometimes without any apparent reason, it's just how our bodies work.
Ignoring fluctuations, many people find they don't have a loss when first starting a diet. Bodies are complicated things and don't always work exactly the way we'd expect them to. The woosh effect is very common.0 -
ljparsons08 wrote: »Why would you not lose the most during your first week? That should be the biggest difference. I'm allowed to be frustrated if I want. It makes no sense that I wouldn't lose anything. Yes I have been measuring food and counting every bite. Even some exercise twice this week. Zumba and jogging.
I would love to know if I don't understand something about weight loss? Why would I not have even lost a pound? I don't want anything huge just something.
As I said... weight loss is a slow process. If you don't have patience, then have fun being frustrated.
It can take up to 3 weeks to see results...0 -
ljparsons08 wrote: »Why would you not lose the most during your first week? That should be the biggest difference. I'm allowed to be frustrated if I want. It makes no sense that I wouldn't lose anything. Yes I have been measuring food and counting every bite. Even some exercise twice this week. Zumba and jogging.
I would love to know if I don't understand something about weight loss? Why would I not have even lost a pound? I don't want anything huge just something.
Weight fluctuates ALL THE TIME. Water, fat, muscle, waste, etc. Maybe you're retaining water from sodium or from your new fitness regimen. Maybe you just need to use the restroom.
Regardless, if you are legitimately weighing your foods with a digital scale and logging every bite to add up to 1260 cals per day, then you WILL lose weight. You have to be more patient than waiting a week. I went up 4 pounds on the scale between two days ago and today, but I know that it is not actual fat gain. I have been eating at a deficit, so gaining fat is not physically possible. You just have to be patient and keep going.0 -
How often is best to weight urself ?0
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Also when you first start you're all pumped up and ready to get it done!! Then reality hits!
This is going to take time and work. And that feeling sucks.
So just keep going and ignore your "feelings"!
Become a calorie counting machine and count everything and count ACCURATELY.
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I'd say once a month is best.. You can do weekly your weight does fluctuate though.0
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avilancaster871 wrote: »How often is best to weight urself ?
I weigh myself every day. It's helpful for a few reasons. Seeing the daily fluctuations will help you see your own body's trends and give less power to the number you're seeing. It's not scary to see that you've "gained" three pounds from yesterday when you know from experience that it's just time of the month and will go away.0 -
Also, if you're only weighing once a week or month or whatever, you're less likely to be seeing accurate data. The trends are more helpful than the individual numbers.0
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avilancaster871 wrote: »How often is best to weight urself ?
Entirely up to you, different people prefer different things.
Personally I weigh daily and log it in a spreadsheet. I do this so that I can know when I'm fluctuating - if you weigh weekly and happen to be fluctuating on the day that you weighed, then you won't know if you've lost weight or not. But when you weigh daily you know. It would drive me mad to weigh any less than that.0 -
avilancaster871 wrote: »How often is best to weight urself ?
As often as you can stand. Same place, same time, same scale. Keep in mind: higher sodium day, sore muscles, time of month are all fluctuations that mess with the number on the scale. If you don't mind the ups & downs, then weigh everyday. You are looking for a downward trend.
As far as not eating calories back....there are 2 schools of thought. Eat as little as possible lose "weight" quickly. Eat as much as possible and lose mostly fat.
I'm in the lose mostly fat camp. Really large deficits (MFP gave you the largest possible deficit before exercise)...makes it hard for your body to support existing lean muscle mass.0 -
I weigh myself every day, but that is because the fluctuations don't bother me-I don't freak out if I see a gain of a pound or two. This morning I saw a gain of 3lbs, and I'm not freaking out about it.
If it bothers you, weigh once a week. But I would also second taking your measurements, as whilst the number on the scale isn't doing much for me, clothes that didn't used to fit are now fitting so I know despite that number I am doing something right!0 -
ljparsons08 wrote: »Why would you not lose the most during your first week? That should be the biggest difference. I'm allowed to be frustrated if I want. It makes no sense that I wouldn't lose anything. Yes I have been measuring food and counting every bite. Even some exercise twice this week. Zumba and jogging.
I would love to know if I don't understand something about weight loss? Why would I not have even lost a pound? I don't want anything huge just something.
It makes total sense you wouldn't see much progress in the first week.
Firstly, you'll start retaining water when you start exercising.
Secondly, it's your first week, and you're still figuring out portion sizes and caloric burns. For example: How far did you jog for? Did you know, 2 miles is only about 200 calories burned? That's less than a snickers bar. Zumba? 30 minutes? You burned (maybe) 150 calories over that 30 minutes.
Thirdly, weight loss isn't linear. Some weeks, it'll look like you gain, and some you'll see dramatic drops.
It's not a sprint: It's a marathon.0 -
NoIdea101NoIdea wrote: »I weigh myself every day, but that is because the fluctuations don't bother me-I don't freak out if I see a gain of a pound or two. This morning I saw a gain of 3lbs, and I'm not freaking out about it.
If it bothers you, weigh once a week. But I would also second taking your measurements, as whilst the number on the scale isn't doing much for me, clothes that didn't used to fit are now fitting so I know despite that number I am doing something right!
Where do u measure? Just stomach or do u do everywhere? X0 -
ljparsons08 wrote: »I've been eating the recommended 1260 calories per day and I'm not losing...anything. It's been like a week. This is ridiculous.
There are several things that can cause this. Two of the most common ones are not accurately measuring out your portions and using inaccurate entries in the database. You should be weighing all solids. Read the "Most helpful" announcements on this board and the Getting Started board, use a food scale, and give it a few weeks.0
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