1200 not enough cal?
Iwilldothis4myself
Posts: 34 Member
So I weigh 215 pounds and I am 5'6. I set my cal to lose 2 pounds a week. It gave me 1200 cal a day. I lost 4 pounds week one. I am happy. I am drinking lots of water and don't feel hungry like I thought I would. A coworker is giving me a hard time saying that 1200 call is not enough and that I'm starving my body. Is that true? What is your opinion and/or experience?
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I roughly calculate your BMR at 1849 then add 30% for activity level, my guess is around 2400 to maintain weight, at 1200 its a 1200 calorie a day deficit. that's 8400 a week deficit, divided by 3500 (a pound in calories) that's 2.4 pounds a week loss (give or take) its aggressive, a better choice would be 1500 calories a day. Just an opinion.0
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1200 is MFP's default minimum (before exercise). The problem with defaults is they don't necessarily relate directly to you. Petite women and senior women likely have to eat that low, but you have choices.
Find your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). This is your maintenance; of course you need to eat less than that. But find something you can live with long term.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/0 -
Ok thank you! It's almost like I am afraid to eat! I want to lose weight so bad!0
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I would add another 100-200 cals. MFP set me at 1230, but I'm 5'2" and 168 looking to lose 1lb a week. Me personally, I try to get to 1300 or so. I lost the most weight when I stayed between 1300-1500. (I used to be 220)0
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1200 is the minimum for a female. What is your goal weight? Oh, some of that 4 pounds is water weight, probably it is closer to 2 pounds of actual fat.0
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Iwilldothis4myself wrote: »Ok thank you! It's almost like I am afraid to eat! I want to lose weight so bad!
I know you do! But remember, you have a journey ahead of you. 1200 calories is very little food, and you will lose eating more. If you have a more sustainable goal, you have a better chance of reaching the weight you want!
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Iwilldothis4myself wrote: »Ok thank you! It's almost like I am afraid to eat! I want to lose weight so bad!
Be careful with that. Eating too little can be as damaging to yourself as eating too much. There's a tendency to want to lose at top speed, and I totally sympathize, but losing at a sustainable, healthy rate is key.
For a lot of people except the most small, sedentary women, 1200 is too low. For reference, 1200 calories is about the recommended intake for a three year old girl.0 -
1200 would be too low for me. When I first joined MFP I was losing eating 1700 calories. As I got smaller I had to lower my intake just a bit. I'm now eating between 1400-1600 (depending on my workout) and still losing.0
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I'm 5'1 and I would be starving eating that little. Question, are you working out? You can lose through a calorie deficit alone, but if you're working out, you definitely need to up that calorie intake or make sure you're eating back all of your calories burned through exercise.0
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For most, yes. I have almost the exact same stats and I bumped my activity level up so it gave me 1380 calories instead of 1200 (I use a Fitbit so I'm normally eating about 1800-2000 a day). You can also lower your deficit to get a little more food.0
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I'm 5'7" and currently 231 (yikes). I'm at 1270 right now, and I don't often find I'm unbearably hungry. I work out, and eat back some exercise calories. I also don't freak out on the rare days I hit about 1350 or so. I was successful this way before, losing about 70 pounds. Unfortunately I am a severe emotional eater, so a hugely depressing life event through me way off track and I gained most of it back. I go by how I feel as far as eating. I don't force more calories in if I am truly not hungry, nor do I starve if I am hungry to stay precisely at my calorie goal.0
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Whoa!!!rankinsect wrote: »Iwilldothis4myself wrote: »Ok thank you! It's almost like I am afraid to eat! I want to lose weight so bad!
Be careful with that. Eating too little can be as damaging to yourself as eating too much. There's a tendency to want to lose at top speed, and I totally sympathize, but losing at a sustainable, healthy rate is key.
For a lot of people except the most small, sedentary women, 1200 is too low. For reference, 1200 calories is about the recommended intake for a three year old girl.
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That's amazing! Thank you!strong_curves wrote: »1200 would be too low for me. When I first joined MFP I was losing eating 1700 calories. As I got smaller I had to lower my intake just a bit. I'm now eating between 1400-1600 (depending on my workout) and still losing.
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I am doing zumba 3x a week. I burn a LOT it's very high impact my fitbit states about 700 cal per class!!I'm 5'1 and I would be starving eating that little. Question, are you working out? You can lose through a calorie deficit alone, but if you're working out, you definitely need to up that calorie intake or make sure you're eating back all of your calories burned through exercise.
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Thank you. I think you are right! :-)arditarose wrote: »Iwilldothis4myself wrote: »Ok thank you! It's almost like I am afraid to eat! I want to lose weight so bad!
I know you do! But remember, you have a journey ahead of you. 1200 calories is very little food, and you will lose eating more. If you have a more sustainable goal, you have a better chance of reaching the weight you want!
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Goal weight is probably in the 150-160 range.rileysowner wrote: »1200 is the minimum for a female. What is your goal weight? Oh, some of that 4 pounds is water weight, probably it is closer to 2 pounds of actual fat.
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Iwilldothis4myself wrote: »I am doing zumba 3x a week. I burn a LOT it's very high impact my fitbit states about 700 cal per class!!I'm 5'1 and I would be starving eating that little. Question, are you working out? You can lose through a calorie deficit alone, but if you're working out, you definitely need to up that calorie intake or make sure you're eating back all of your calories burned through exercise.
Are you eating those calories back? Because if you aren't then you're netting 500 calories for that day which is not enough to sustain your body.0 -
I started around 240 and im 5'5 I think the calories are too low but I would say increase in proteins and veggies not carbs to maybe 1400-1500 *I am not a dietitian* just my experience in my weight loss process and that kept me from feeling super hungry0
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Iwilldothis4myself wrote: »I am doing zumba 3x a week. I burn a LOT it's very high impact my fitbit states about 700 cal per class!!I'm 5'1 and I would be starving eating that little. Question, are you working out? You can lose through a calorie deficit alone, but if you're working out, you definitely need to up that calorie intake or make sure you're eating back all of your calories burned through exercise.
If you have a fit bit and have it linked to MFP do you eat the calories it gives you? You should be.0 -
Side note: I completely understand the fear of eating when you want to lose weight quickly. It's true that undereating can cause damage, but I also find that when I don't eat enough, I actually stop losing weight. That's why I need some kind of a tracking system to help me with both overeating and undereating.0
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I had the same qestion. Im on 1200cal and im not hungry at all but as i can see i should be on 1500cal.0
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you should be eating some of your exercise calories back. that is how MFP is set up0
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I've lost 30lbs in 6 months while eating 1300-1800cal every day. (I look at my weekly calorie deficit) My maintenance calories are less than yours probably, at only 1900cal. So you can definitely eat more than 1200cal! I only go down to 1200cal like once or twice a month or something. Otherwise I always eat over 1300 at least.0
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I think the best idea is to figure out what your maintenance intake is at your goal weight, Start eating that today and keep eating it for most of the rest of your life.0
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Thanks everyone! I bumped it up to 1500 cals and so far I feel much better!0
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Have you been losing on 1500?0
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Iwilldothis4myself wrote: »So I weigh 215 pounds and I am 5'6. I set my cal to lose 2 pounds a week. It gave me 1200 cal a day. I lost 4 pounds week one. I am happy. I am drinking lots of water and don't feel hungry like I thought I would. A coworker is giving me a hard time saying that 1200 call is not enough and that I'm starving my body. Is that true? What is your opinion and/or experience?
Okay, first of all, don't listen to your co-worker. One of the biggest mistakes we make in our weight loss journeys is listening to random people. I am doing very well on 1200/day and do not feel deprived. I am eating mostly lean protein, LOTS of veggies (which fill me up), some fruit and a little cheese. And wine EVERY night. Play around with what you eat and when - 1200 is fine.
For the record, I am on Day 23 and down 11 lbs.
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Iwilldothis4myself wrote: »So I weigh 215 pounds and I am 5'6. I set my cal to lose 2 pounds a week. It gave me 1200 cal a day. I lost 4 pounds week one. I am happy. I am drinking lots of water and don't feel hungry like I thought I would. A coworker is giving me a hard time saying that 1200 call is not enough and that I'm starving my body. Is that true? What is your opinion and/or experience?
Okay, first of all, don't listen to your co-worker. One of the biggest mistakes we make in our weight loss journeys is listening to random people. I am doing very well on 1200/day and do not feel deprived. I am eating mostly lean protein, LOTS of veggies (which fill me up), some fruit and a little cheese. And wine EVERY night. Play around with what you eat and when - 1200 is fine.
For the record, I am on Day 23 and down 11 lbs.
Please don't give this advice. It's ignorant and it's not healthy for someone OVER 200lbs. Thanks.
OP, if you eat 1200 calories when you're starting to lose weight, you will have no where to go when your weight loss stalls and you need to reduce calories to keep progressing down the scale. Additionally, should you drop weight at that extreme speed, you may find you'll be left with a lot of excess loose skin, as opposed to losing more slowly and looking great naked when you're done by incorporating weightlifting into your routine in addition to a much milder caloric deficit.0 -
I agree.One of the biggest mistakes we make in our weight loss journeys is listening to random people
Neither desirable, sustainable, or appropriate goals for most.I am doing very well on 1200/day and do not feel deprived. I am eating mostly lean protein, LOTS of veggies (which fill me up), some fruit and a little cheese. And wine EVERY night. Play around with what you eat and when - 1200 is fine. For the record, I am on Day 23 and down 11 lbs.[/b]
And good advice has been given.Sarah4fitness wrote: »OP, if you eat 1200 calories when you're starting to lose weight, you will have no where to go when your weight loss stalls and you need to reduce calories to keep progressing down the scale. Additionally, should you drop weight at that extreme speed, you may find you'll be left with a lot of excess loose skin, as opposed to losing more slowly and looking great naked when you're done by incorporating weightlifting into your routine in addition to a much milder caloric deficit.
reasonable caloric deficit can be defined as 10% to 20% of your TDEE, maybe up to 25% while your fat levels are similar to those found in people who are obese.0 -
I too am following around a 1200-1400 calorie diet and have lost 7.2 pounds in 19 days. I recently noticed on days where I was closer to the 1200 calorie mark, I had headaches and some trouble sleeping so now I make sure to hit at the very least 1350.
Be careful and listen to your body. It will tell you what it needs.0
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