Friend suggests 1200 calories. Is this too little?

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  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
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    MFP calculated my daily calories at 1,200 only...I am 5'9", 47 years old (not tiny, old, short as thorsmom implies) but only trying to lose about 5 pounds (office job so I chose "sedentary" as lifestyle). I synched mapmyrun so that the workouts come over and it calculates the goal as 1,200 plus workouts which is probably close enough, 1600/day or so.

    If you are bigger, farther away from your healthy weight, your body burns more calories just by existing, and your exercising burns more calories, and running a bigger deficit isn't healthy or sustainable, you want your body to slowly burn off fat and build some muscle, not freak out. Eat more and log it so you have data, see how it goes, if you are losing slowly over time that's the right amount, especially if your measurements are shrinking; but that "right amount" will get smaller as you do, your eventual maintenance amount may be smaller than what you can eat now and lose weight eating.
  • scottish_laura_13
    scottish_laura_13 Posts: 69 Member
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    mrscartguy - maybe change it to 1lb a week, mfp gave me 1260 to lose 2lb a week but I changed it to 1.5 and now I get 1360 and I don't feel bad when I go over 1200, but honestly there's days where im under 1100 and not hungry and days where I hit 1400 and im starving
    the whole point is to make a lifestyle change and to keep to a diet/calorie counting way of life that works for you, it might be slower to lose by increasing ur intake a bit but its likely more sustainable in the long run
  • nossmf
    nossmf Posts: 9,267 Member
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    I don't believe in crash diets with the goal of upping food intake at a later time. If you want to weigh x, eat as much food as somebody who already weighs x should eat. Your body will naturally gravitate towards that body weight over time, and when you get there you won't need to adjust your food intake at all, it'll already be a lifestyle.

    (There's no way on God's green earth I could get away with 1200 for an extended period of time. My lunches alone typically hover around 1000 (on a 2k limit).)
  • KareninCanada
    KareninCanada Posts: 795 Member
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    MFP put me at 1200. I set it to 1500 manually, and still go over once in a while. If I were working out regularly then it would be higher than that.
  • thelizabeff
    thelizabeff Posts: 3 Member
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    I can't speak in general facts, only anecdotally: I told MFP I wanted to lose 1.5 pounds a week, and it set me to 1200. Even after adding back in exercise calories, every morning I woke up exhausted, and every day I felt like I was starving and wanted to rip everyone's face off. My skin even looked terrible. So I decided to eat more and just be more patient and realistic about shedding the bit of extra weight I have left to lose.
  • NewMeSM75
    NewMeSM75 Posts: 971 Member
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    My goal is 1200 but I'm tiny, old and short. Lol. It's sustainable for me but wouldn't advise it if mfp has you at a higher goal. Why make yourself miserable for no reason. If you're losing at 1600 and you feel satisfied, that's a win. Go with it. :)
  • AskTracyAnnK28
    AskTracyAnnK28 Posts: 2,834 Member
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    I think 1200 is ok if you don't have much to lose, your tiny and you're relatively sedentary (just my opinion).

    MFP defaulted me to 1200 calories, but the Scooby calculator gives me 1355. I eat somewhere in the middle of that.
  • Danimri84
    Danimri84 Posts: 262 Member
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    I'm 5'7" and have 60 pounds to lose. MFP set me at 1280 and I typically don't have a problem with it. I did this a few years ago and it was the same. Lost 70 pounds. But I wasn't hungry on it. If you are constantly feeling hungry, you probably need more. I also don't freak if I go over my calories by 100 every now and then.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
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    Some people are terrible loggers so they think they have to eat 1200 calories to lose weight, when in actuality they are eating much more than they think.
  • elaineamj
    elaineamj Posts: 347 Member
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    I'm only 5ft so at 1lb a week, MFP defaulted me to 1200 calories. According to Scooby, my TDEE is only 1687 (with no exercise). I have been going with the 1200 calories + eating back half my exercise calories. So averaging about 1350-1400 calories a day. I do look at it over a week so I can bank calories for bigger meals.
  • evayna
    evayna Posts: 66 Member
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    I'm 5'2" and MFP set me at 1200 cal., once I found a balance in what I was eating I stopped feeling hungry. I think it's realistic if you are my size, but otherwise no.
  • reginaminer
    reginaminer Posts: 10 Member
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    MFP set me at 1400 and I've lost 18 lbs in a month by religiously (and honestly) logging my food and reducing my carb intake. And, like others, I don't fret on a daily basis if I'm under/over that sometimes. If I'm within a couple hundred of my goal it's fine. Good luck!
  • hound9395
    hound9395 Posts: 1 Member
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    Take your body weight. Multiply it by 14-17. 14=sedintary 17=super active. And that's your maintaince calories. Subtract 500 from it and you will lose 2 pounds per week. Keep macros at 50% carbohydrates 30% protien and 20% fat. Your welcome.
  • oolou
    oolou Posts: 765 Member
    edited January 2016
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    The best way forward when starting out is to go with the MFP recommendation and then after a month adjust the daily goal according to your level of success. I.E. if you haven't lost enough to satisfy you on the MFP recommendation, then increase your calorie deficit further by eating less and/or exercising more. Of course, also making sure you keep it within the recommended guidelines so you don't damage your health.
  • BoaRestrictor
    BoaRestrictor Posts: 194 Member
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    hound9395 wrote: »
    Take your body weight. Multiply it by 14-17. 14=sedintary 17=super active. And that's your maintaince calories. Subtract 500 from it and you will lose 2 pounds per week. Keep macros at 50% carbohydrates 30% protien and 20% fat. Your welcome.

    500x7=3500, or one pound a week. If you want to loose 2 pounds a week you'd have to eat at a 1000 calorie deficit. 1000x7=7000, or two pounds a week. Not saying anyone should do this just pointing out your math is wrong.
  • Talan79
    Talan79 Posts: 782 Member
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    JanetYellen wrote: »
    If I could only eat 1,200 cals a day, I would get so hungry I would google: how to cook my cats
    I'm 5'2.

    I'm also 5"2, 1200-1300 was even too low for me.
  • blankiefinder
    blankiefinder Posts: 3,599 Member
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    hound9395 wrote: »
    Take your body weight. Multiply it by 14-17. 14=sedintary 17=super active. And that's your maintaince calories. Subtract 500 from it and you will lose 2 pounds per week. Keep macros at 50% carbohydrates 30% protien and 20% fat. Your welcome.

    No thanks.

    This doesn't even take age into account. Or height.

    Use MFP to calculate your goals.
  • Nachise
    Nachise Posts: 395 Member
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    I am 64 and just barely 5'4", if I stand really, really straight. My nutritionist set me at 1220 to lose weight, with no eating back calories. It can be done, but it doesn't leave any room for eating crap or processed food. Considering my fitness level, I don't consider myself old. After our recent blizzard, I found I can shovel snow with the best of them.
  • tbirk
    tbirk Posts: 25 Member
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    My sister and mom can eat 1200 calories a day, but I cannot! I do not have that kind of will power. I stick to about 1500 net calories per day. This obviously means the weight loss is a little slower, but I find it way more bearable. Start cutting back slowly, so start with 1600. If you can manage that, then try 1500. If you think you can do 1200, then go for it. If not, as long as you're cutting calories, then you should be losing weight.

    Best of luck on your weight loss journey!

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