1200 Calories or 1500 Calories!? Help!

2

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,262 Member
    Day_knee wrote: »
    ilex70 wrote: »
    FWIW I don't think 2 pounds a week is too aggressive for a woman over 200 pounds.

    I have MFP set to 2 pounds a week, currently at 195 and it is giving me 1520 a day, so I question how it would give someone heavier 320 fewer calories.

    well it did. I entered my current weight on Monday and it said 1200 calories. Its my first time using this I can't imagine I got it wrong by entering the appropriate numbers. I am 5'6 and when I started on Monday I was, I believe 235. after a couple of days the scale said 233 and this morning it says 231.2.
    I hope I am not doing it wrong.

    FWIW I'm set at 5'6", 39 yo, 153 lbs and at sedentary I get 1250 with a 1 lb loss goal. The absolutely lowest goal MFP gives a woman is 1200. So if I chose 1.5 or 2 lbs I'd get 1200. I'm certain you're not doing it wrong.
  • DebraBenefield
    DebraBenefield Posts: 8 Member
    I just had two teeth extracted, and I am only eating soup with Kale and Cauliflower, Yogurt with mashed fruit, drinking plenty of water and tea and sugar free jello and peanut butter. It's wild I've lost 2lbs in 4 days
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    I always did better on a slight deficit then when I would go way under. For me the slow and steady wins this race. It also makes it less of a diet, diets are temporary. This is more of a journey to not only lose weight but to change eating and fitness behavior so the new you is sustainable. I would just plug in the numbers into MFP for no more than a two pound a week loss. If the numbers are right and you are honest with yourself about logging calories you must lose weight. That was one part for me and it works. The other part was to eat fresh nutritious foods (very little processed and lots of produce) and lots of exercise. I feel terrific and really enjoy "the new me".
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,262 Member
    I just had two teeth extracted, and I am only eating soup with Kale and Cauliflower, Yogurt with mashed fruit, drinking plenty of water and tea and sugar free jello and peanut butter. It's wild I've lost 2lbs in 4 days

    Not sure if you meant to post here. You may want to start your own thread.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,455 Member
    OP have you read the Most Helpful Posts at the top of the Getting Started forum section? I would read all of those, but in particular the "So You're New Here" one I think boils everything down quite succinctly (sorry I'm on my phone so I can't link it here). I think you have a lot of preconceived notions about diet and weight loss and threads like that, in addition to the helpful specific advice you're getting here, can really help it all sink in.

    Just to address a couple of points you've made, which have already been covered but want to reiterate them. There's no such thing as starvation mode as you are describing it. Your prior eating habits have not made it impossible for you to lose weight. You seem to be stuck on either 1200 or 1500 as an optimal target. As others have said, follow the guidance of MFP. It you can sustain the 1200, that's good, but make sure if you're exercising to eat back some of those calories. Continue using your food scale, that's great. Be patient! You're seeing quick loss this first week, a lot of that is water weight. You won't continue to lose at that rate, and the loss won't be consistent either. Weight loss is not linear due to so many complicating factors. The important thing is to stick with it and watch the downward trends over time.

    For what it's worth, I'm 5'2, 41, and lost my 30 lbs eating 1600-1800 calories and am maintaining eating >2000 calories. So you don't have to starve yourself in order to lose.

    Good luck.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,455 Member
    I am on 1200, I usually have between 1000 and 1100 in food and I don't eat back my exercise calories. And I feel great. In my opinion, you should listen to your body. If you feel hungry, tired, sick, etc. then something is not right. But if you feel good, keep going.
    Good luck :)

    What are your stats: height, weight, goal? Why so aggressive with the calorie deficit?
  • DebraBenefield
    DebraBenefield Posts: 8 Member
    I'm sorry, I have been on MFP for 1 year. When I began I was 190 lbs. So far I have lost 32 lbs and I am losing slow. I eat very healthy now, I have breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. I can tell you it works because I have been trying to lose weight for 20 years.
  • maxit
    maxit Posts: 880 Member
    Eat for nutrition and taste, at a small deficit. Monitor your energy levels, get enough sleep, & fold in some resistance training. The weight will come off and you will have developed habits that will help you maintain.
  • Day_knee
    Day_knee Posts: 85 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    Day_knee wrote: »
    ilex70 wrote: »
    FWIW I don't think 2 pounds a week is too aggressive for a woman over 200 pounds.

    I have MFP set to 2 pounds a week, currently at 195 and it is giving me 1520 a day, so I question how it would give someone heavier 320 fewer calories.

    well it did. I entered my current weight on Monday and it said 1200 calories. Its my first time using this I can't imagine I got it wrong by entering the appropriate numbers. I am 5'6 and when I started on Monday I was, I believe 235. after a couple of days the scale said 233 and this morning it says 231.2.
    I hope I am not doing it wrong.

    FWIW I'm set at 5'6", 39 yo, 153 lbs and at sedentary I get 1250 with a 1 lb loss goal. The absolutely lowest goal MFP gives a woman is 1200. So if I chose 1.5 or 2 lbs I'd get 1200. I'm certain you're not doing it wrong.

    ok good! Thank you
  • Sweepypie
    Sweepypie Posts: 161 Member
    I am 5ft and half an inch (not leaving the half an inch out ( :D ) 67years old and I have lost 30lbs on 1490. I am disabled and I try and move about as much as possible! I have been on MFP for 14months. I love it!
  • Day_knee
    Day_knee Posts: 85 Member
    rsclause wrote: »
    I always did better on a slight deficit then when I would go way under. For me the slow and steady wins this race. It also makes it less of a diet, diets are temporary. This is more of a journey to not only lose weight but to change eating and fitness behavior so the new you is sustainable. I would just plug in the numbers into MFP for no more than a two pound a week loss. If the numbers are right and you are honest with yourself about logging calories you must lose weight. That was one part for me and it works. The other part was to eat fresh nutritious foods (very little processed and lots of produce) and lots of exercise. I feel terrific and really enjoy "the new me".

    I agree slow and steady. I am not trying to find a quick fix and I hope I don't come off as such. I set it for a 2 pnd wait loss a week and it gave me the goal of 1200 calories. I think that I am going to keep doing that as I feel totally fine health wise meaning it is not affecting my sleep or wake or being tired or anything. I feel perfectly fine. I just think I won't be terribly strict and likely stay between 1200 to 1500
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    OP have you read the Most Helpful Posts at the top of the Getting Started forum section? I would read all of those, but in particular the "So You're New Here" one I think boils everything down quite succinctly (sorry I'm on my phone so I can't link it here). I think you have a lot of preconceived notions about diet and weight loss and threads like that, in addition to the helpful specific advice you're getting here, can really help it all sink in.

    Just to address a couple of points you've made, which have already been covered but want to reiterate them. There's no such thing as starvation mode as you are describing it. Your prior eating habits have not made it impossible for you to lose weight. You seem to be stuck on either 1200 or 1500 as an optimal target. As others have said, follow the guidance of MFP. It you can sustain the 1200, that's good, but make sure if you're exercising to eat back some of those calories. Continue using your food scale, that's great. Be patient! You're seeing quick loss this first week, a lot of that is water weight. You won't continue to lose at that rate, and the loss won't be consistent either. Weight loss is not linear due to so many complicating factors. The important thing is to stick with it and watch the downward trends over time.

    For what it's worth, I'm 5'2, 41, and lost my 30 lbs eating 1600-1800 calories and am maintaining eating >2000 calories. So you don't have to starve yourself in order to lose.

    Good luck.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1
  • Day_knee
    Day_knee Posts: 85 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    OP have you read the Most Helpful Posts at the top of the Getting Started forum section? I would read all of those, but in particular the "So You're New Here" one I think boils everything down quite succinctly (sorry I'm on my phone so I can't link it here). I think you have a lot of preconceived notions about diet and weight loss and threads like that, in addition to the helpful specific advice you're getting here, can really help it all sink in.

    Just to address a couple of points you've made, which have already been covered but want to reiterate them. There's no such thing as starvation mode as you are describing it. Your prior eating habits have not made it impossible for you to lose weight. You seem to be stuck on either 1200 or 1500 as an optimal target. As others have said, follow the guidance of MFP. It you can sustain the 1200, that's good, but make sure if you're exercising to eat back some of those calories. Continue using your food scale, that's great. Be patient! You're seeing quick loss this first week, a lot of that is water weight. You won't continue to lose at that rate, and the loss won't be consistent either. Weight loss is not linear due to so many complicating factors. The important thing is to stick with it and watch the downward trends over time.

    For what it's worth, I'm 5'2, 41, and lost my 30 lbs eating 1600-1800 calories and am maintaining eating >2000 calories. So you don't have to starve yourself in order to lose.

    Good luck.

    Thanks for responding. I am not "stuck" on the 1200 to 1500 calories per say. I am new to this so I am not really stuck to one thing or another. I was just saying that MFP says 1200 a day for what I entered as my height and weight and age. But I have seen others say that it is too low. I was merely trying to find out and figure out if I am okay doing 1200.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I am on 1200, I usually have between 1000 and 1100 in food and I don't eat back my exercise calories. And I feel great. In my opinion, you should listen to your body. If you feel hungry, tired, sick, etc. then something is not right. But if you feel good, keep going.
    Good luck :)

    There's a price for fast weight loss.....it's a larger percentage of lean muscle loss.

    I choose moderate weight loss because I want to keep as much existing lean muscle as I can (I'm over 50). Exercising and not fueling your workouts is like exercising to increase muscle loss. But hey, at least the scale looks good.
  • IsaCaliBel
    IsaCaliBel Posts: 99 Member
    I'm 5'3 and was 240 lbs when I started. I set MFP to lose 1 lb a week and ate back most of the workout calories I burned. This is the way MFP is intended to work. I found I was eating on average between 1600-1800 calories a day. I lost 60 lbs this way and never felt hungry.

    I also agree with the other post who suggested you measure and WEIGH your food!!! You'd be amazed how many calories you consume when you think it's only one meal. It was a real eye opener for me. Try not to eye ball portions, measure and weigh all of it. I still do and it never fails me.

    Best of luck!!! :smiley:
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,455 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    OP have you read the Most Helpful Posts at the top of the Getting Started forum section? I would read all of those, but in particular the "So You're New Here" one I think boils everything down quite succinctly (sorry I'm on my phone so I can't link it here). I think you have a lot of preconceived notions about diet and weight loss and threads like that, in addition to the helpful specific advice you're getting here, can really help it all sink in.

    Just to address a couple of points you've made, which have already been covered but want to reiterate them. There's no such thing as starvation mode as you are describing it. Your prior eating habits have not made it impossible for you to lose weight. You seem to be stuck on either 1200 or 1500 as an optimal target. As others have said, follow the guidance of MFP. It you can sustain the 1200, that's good, but make sure if you're exercising to eat back some of those calories. Continue using your food scale, that's great. Be patient! You're seeing quick loss this first week, a lot of that is water weight. You won't continue to lose at that rate, and the loss won't be consistent either. Weight loss is not linear due to so many complicating factors. The important thing is to stick with it and watch the downward trends over time.

    For what it's worth, I'm 5'2, 41, and lost my 30 lbs eating 1600-1800 calories and am maintaining eating >2000 calories. So you don't have to starve yourself in order to lose.

    Good luck.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1235566/so-youre-new-here/p1

    Thanks doll!
  • ilex70
    ilex70 Posts: 727 Member
    You are taller or have set yourself as having a higher lifestyle activity level if your maintenance calories without exercise are 2520.

    No, 5'6 and set to sedentary. Figured it out though. User error. I made my first goal and hadn't put in a new goal. :p Luckily I haven't been eating that much anyhow.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 4,951 Member
    I'm 5'4.75", 47 years and started at 195. I'm at 170 now and set at sedentary and mfp gives me 1270 calories a day for a 1 pound per week loss. I had my goal at 1.5 for a while and it gave me 1200. I do sometimes eat back some of my calories if I feel like I need to. Typically I will eat between 1150 - 1400 and I have been losing. I worry sometimes because people on here talk about 1200 being so low, but so far it is working for me.
  • ivvassileva
    ivvassileva Posts: 24 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    I am on 1200, I usually have between 1000 and 1100 in food and I don't eat back my exercise calories. And I feel great. In my opinion, you should listen to your body. If you feel hungry, tired, sick, etc. then something is not right. But if you feel good, keep going.
    Good luck :)

    What are your stats: height, weight, goal? Why so aggressive with the calorie deficit?

    I'm 167 cm, 85.7 kg as of this morning, my goal is to get to 57-60 kg. I don't feel starving or even hungry as I eat 3-4 times a day and I don't really think I am going aggressive. On the contrary - I feel very good :)
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,455 Member
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    I am on 1200, I usually have between 1000 and 1100 in food and I don't eat back my exercise calories. And I feel great. In my opinion, you should listen to your body. If you feel hungry, tired, sick, etc. then something is not right. But if you feel good, keep going.
    Good luck :)

    What are your stats: height, weight, goal? Why so aggressive with the calorie deficit?

    I'm 167 cm, 85.7 kg as of this morning, my goal is to get to 57-60 kg. I don't feel starving or even hungry as I eat 3-4 times a day and I don't really think I am going aggressive. On the contrary - I feel very good :)

    1200 is the minimum net requirement which means if you are regularly eating 1000-1100 and not eating back exercise calories, you are risking not getting adequate nutrition, eventually fatigue, possible hair loss, loss of lean muscle, etc

    How long have you been at those levels? A lot of people do feel great at first before eventually finding it too difficult to maintain. And are you using a food scale to weigh your food? It's possible you're eating more than you think but it's not good to advise people to net well below 1200 calories.