Dropping below 1200 calories/day?
allysar
Posts: 87 Member
I am 49 years old 5'4" and weigh 128 lbs. My calories have been set at 1200 since I started tracking here a few months ago. I did great in the beginning but my loss has tapered off. According to my Garmin Vivofit2 my TDEE runs around 1550 cals/day on an average day. 1750 or so on a workout day using the HRM. It has been around 7 weeks since I have lost anything. Yes, I weigh my foods. So, if my math is correct I would need to be somewhere around 1000 calories/day to lose a pound a week with no exercise days.
I am not unhappy with my results. I have lost 19 pounds since I started back in August and have improved my muscle tone. I would like to continue to see a loss and my goal is around 120. It has been hard for me to exercise everyday the past month or so. I can still get in around 3 workouts a week.
Any thoughts from those on lower caloric intakes?
I am not unhappy with my results. I have lost 19 pounds since I started back in August and have improved my muscle tone. I would like to continue to see a loss and my goal is around 120. It has been hard for me to exercise everyday the past month or so. I can still get in around 3 workouts a week.
Any thoughts from those on lower caloric intakes?
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Replies
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I wouldn't go that low. Personally, if it were me I'd eat at maintenance for a few weeks and then try cutting calories again and see if that gets the scale moving. You don't have much to lose so just make sure you're spot on with your CI vs CO.0
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There is no special magic to an energy calorie that comes from your fork compared to one that comes from a fat depot. The "1200 kCal a day minimum" maxim is meant to improve the odds that a dieter will take in enough nutrients -- protein, vitamins, and trace minerals.
Do you ?0 -
You only have 8 pounds to lose. Those are going to come off super slowly. You've heard the adage that the last ten pounds are the toughest? Set your loss to .5 pounds per week and be patient, patient, patient.0
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Definitely don't drop below 1,200 - I tried this, and all it did was make me feel terrible, with very little weight loss to show for it, and you can't keep it up for long.
Instead I suggest playing with your macros - where you are getting the calories from. I have had good results recently with increasing my fat & protein, and lowering carbs (100g a day or less). Eat full fat cheese, nuts, whole milk in your coffee, etc and cut out bread, pasta, etc.0 -
ericGold15 wrote: »There is no special magic to an energy calorie that comes from your fork compared to one that comes from a fat depot. The "1200 kCal a day minimum" maxim is meant to improve the odds that a dieter will take in enough nutrients -- protein, vitamins, and trace minerals.
Do you ?
I have tweaked my macros to 30%C/35%P/35%F I am not perfect all the time. There are days it is hard to hit my protein (not too hard to hit the fat!) and hard to keep the carbs down.
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quiksylver296 wrote: »You only have 8 pounds to lose. Those are going to come off super slowly. You've heard the adage that the last ten pounds are the toughest? Set your loss to .5 pounds per week and be patient, patient, patient.
So...so....so....slowly!!! I am trying to be patient. I am. I tried changing to 0.5 lb/week. That took me to 1440 cal/day. Although, I have to say I feel eating more won't help me get to where I want to be? Maybe I will reset myself a bit?
p.s. my 50th birthday is in 6 weeks and I am working hard to look and feel my best by then!
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I am 49 years old 5'4" and weigh 128 lbs. My calories have been set at 1200 since I started tracking here a few months ago. I did great in the beginning but my loss has tapered off. According to my Garmin Vivofit2 my TDEE runs around 1550 cals/day on an average day. 1750 or so on a workout day using the HRM. It has been around 7 weeks since I have lost anything. Yes, I weigh my foods. So, if my math is correct I would need to be somewhere around 1000 calories/day to lose a pound a week with no exercise days.
I am not unhappy with my results. I have lost 19 pounds since I started back in August and have improved my muscle tone. I would like to continue to see a loss and my goal is around 120. It has been hard for me to exercise everyday the past month or so. I can still get in around 3 workouts a week.
Any thoughts from those on lower caloric intakes?
If you were actually eating 1200 calories/day for 7 weeks with a TDEE of 1550 on all those days you would have lost 4.9 lbs by now. So probably your 1200 calories isn't really 1200 calories. I know that's nothing anyone wants to hear, but I would work on tightening the logging and NOT reducing. Like someone mentioned above, increasing protein might help (I have seen it work in similar folks who have very little to lose, I suspect it has something to do with substituting protein for other foods that they were tracking inaccurately, but whatever works works).
Can you increase your workouts? I'd start there first. Try to get more walking in. Adding steps to your day will increase your TDEE. Also make sure you are drinking plenty of water so water retention doesn't mask any losses.0 -
Going below 1200 isn't the solution. I'm 5'3.5" and 112.5 pounds. When I hit 120 pounds, I changed my rate of loss to 0.5 pound per week. You are aiming way too high with 1 pound per week. The slow and steady approach worked for my physique beautifully. Exercise is very important at this point in the game, so keep going with the three workouts per week. If that's all you can fit in, resistance training will be better for you than cardio. Your logging also has to be super tight.
As you can see, there was a major change with even a few pounds.
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Nope....I freely admit that there are days maybe one or two a week that are closer to 1400 or 1500/day. But, shouldn't that still have netted me a 2-3 pound loss? I am far from perfect and am honest with myself about enjoying food and a glass of wine now and again.
I appreciate your insight and definitely need to step up my water. I am really taking in as much protein as I can tolerate. Seriously, at 120 grams/day I am stuffed!!!
I am working on fitting in more exercise. My reality right now is very tight on time. Single mom, 3 kids, working 12 hour night shifts as a nurse and back in school. Not an excuse just the way it is right now.blues4miles wrote: »I am 49 years old 5'4" and weigh 128 lbs. My calories have been set at 1200 since I started tracking here a few months ago. I did great in the beginning but my loss has tapered off. According to my Garmin Vivofit2 my TDEE runs around 1550 cals/day on an average day. 1750 or so on a workout day using the HRM. It has been around 7 weeks since I have lost anything. Yes, I weigh my foods. So, if my math is correct I would need to be somewhere around 1000 calories/day to lose a pound a week with no exercise days.
I am not unhappy with my results. I have lost 19 pounds since I started back in August and have improved my muscle tone. I would like to continue to see a loss and my goal is around 120. It has been hard for me to exercise everyday the past month or so. I can still get in around 3 workouts a week.
Any thoughts from those on lower caloric intakes?
If you were actually eating 1200 calories/day for 7 weeks with a TDEE of 1550 on all those days you would have lost 4.9 lbs by now. So probably your 1200 calories isn't really 1200 calories. I know that's nothing anyone wants to hear, but I would work on tightening the logging and NOT reducing. Like someone mentioned above, increasing protein might help (I have seen it work in similar folks who have very little to lose, I suspect it has something to do with substituting protein for other foods that they were tracking inaccurately, but whatever works works).
Can you increase your workouts? I'd start there first. Try to get more walking in. Adding steps to your day will increase your TDEE. Also make sure you are drinking plenty of water so water retention doesn't mask any losses.
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Thanks @synacious your photos are inspirational! I have added resistance bands to my regular cardio/strength and I love them. I knew it would get harder as I got closer I am just grinding to a halt! I have adjusted to 0.5/wk and will see how that works for me for a month or so.0
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People on this website have some notion that 1200cal is some magically absolute minimum. at 1200 calories life is beautiful and everyone on earth rejoices but 1199cals signals eating disorder and a malnourished person.
"it has been around 7 weeks since I have lost anything."
This means youre eating to much obviously.
Also you're probably not counting your calories right.0 -
AnabolicKyle wrote: »People on this website have some notion that 1200cal is some magically absolute minimum. at 1200 calories life is beautiful and everyone on earth rejoices but 1199cals signals eating disorder and a malnourished person.
"it has been around 7 weeks since I have lost anything."
This means youre eating to much obviously.
Also you're probably not counting your calories right.
There's a certain amount of nutrients your body needs to function properly. Drop your calories too low and you're not eating enough to get those nutrients.
VLCD aren't just a bad idea, they're unsafe.0 -
If correct, then on average (and averages are fine,) an 1000 kCal diet will be 350 kCal protein which is about 90 grams. That is way more than enough. Frankly though, I'd be surprised if you manage 35% of your calories as protein.ericGold15 wrote: »There is no special magic to an energy calorie that comes from your fork compared to one that comes from a fat depot. The "1200 kCal a day minimum" maxim is meant to improve the odds that a dieter will take in enough nutrients -- protein, vitamins, and trace minerals.
Do you ?
I have tweaked my macros to 30%C/35%P/35%F I am not perfect all the time. There are days it is hard to hit my protein (not too hard to hit the fat!) and hard to keep the carbs down.
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ericGold15 wrote: »
Can you cite some sources for this information? Most information and studies I've seen point at .6-1.2 grams of protein per lb of lean mass and some resistance training for people on a restricted calorie diet in order to preserve lean mass during the period of loss. Otherwise losses will come from lean mass as well as fat.0 -
Losses will always come partly from lean mass.
Most info I've seen says 50-60g for women.0 -
WalkingAlong wrote: »Losses will always come partly from lean mass.
Most info I've seen says 50-60g for women.
Adequate protein intake combined with resistance training can drastically reduce lean mass loss.0 -
WalkingAlong wrote: »Losses will always come partly from lean mass.
Most info I've seen says 50-60g for women.
Huh. Those women don't lift.
I weigh 179 lbs, 5'9", lift progressively heavy for me, and aim for 145 g of protein per day. 0.8 grams per pound of body weight.
And I understand OP's attitude about trying to get in enough protein. It's hard!0 -
WalkingAlong wrote: »Losses will always come partly from lean mass.
Most info I've seen says 50-60g for women.
I've seen these number too, but they are usually associated with the RDI or prevoiusly RDA which is a system of minimums required for an already healthy person's intake in order to stay healthy. I was mainly asking that question of that particular user because their profile states that they are a doctor and they were seemingly recommending a 1000kcal intake for OP, which, without knowing more information about OP could potentially be very bad advice. OP's stats, according to IIFYM and set at sedentary, which they are not, show a BRM of 1192 and TDEE of 1371. SInce OP indicates that their TDEE measured by Garmin is 1750, cutting to 1000kcal would be a drastic cut for them.
*Edited to correct typo0 -
Do you use anything but the scale to measure your progress?
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Carlos_421 wrote: »AnabolicKyle wrote: »People on this website have some notion that 1200cal is some magically absolute minimum. at 1200 calories life is beautiful and everyone on earth rejoices but 1199cals signals eating disorder and a malnourished person.
"it has been around 7 weeks since I have lost anything."
This means youre eating to much obviously.
Also you're probably not counting your calories right.
There's a certain amount of nutrients your body needs to function properly. Drop your calories too low and you're not eating enough to get those nutrients.
VLCD aren't just a bad idea, they're unsafe.
so 1199 is VLCD and 1200 is moderate and safe
cool story bro0 -
AnabolicKyle wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »AnabolicKyle wrote: »People on this website have some notion that 1200cal is some magically absolute minimum. at 1200 calories life is beautiful and everyone on earth rejoices but 1199cals signals eating disorder and a malnourished person.
"it has been around 7 weeks since I have lost anything."
This means youre eating to much obviously.
Also you're probably not counting your calories right.
There's a certain amount of nutrients your body needs to function properly. Drop your calories too low and you're not eating enough to get those nutrients.
VLCD aren't just a bad idea, they're unsafe.
so 1199 is VLCD and 1200 is moderate and safe
cool story bro
1200 is an estimated lowest recommended number. 99% of people should not go under that for their body to function properly, and most will need more instead, even for losing weight. There are people that can safely go under that, but they're very small people and even then, I wouldn't recommend it without them first talking with their doctor.0 -
AnabolicKyle wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »AnabolicKyle wrote: »People on this website have some notion that 1200cal is some magically absolute minimum. at 1200 calories life is beautiful and everyone on earth rejoices but 1199cals signals eating disorder and a malnourished person.
"it has been around 7 weeks since I have lost anything."
This means youre eating to much obviously.
Also you're probably not counting your calories right.
There's a certain amount of nutrients your body needs to function properly. Drop your calories too low and you're not eating enough to get those nutrients.
VLCD aren't just a bad idea, they're unsafe.
so 1199 is VLCD and 1200 is moderate and safe
cool story bro
Where did I say that?
Cool strawman bro.0 -
If all your numbers are correct, you should have lost fat. It could be you are unusual and you burn less calories than most other people, or, far more likely, you need to tighten up on your logging as it is far more likely you are not in a deficit overall. Either you are measuring wrong someplace, using and incorrect food entry, or are having enough days where you are over that along with the built in range of error in calories, you are eating away your deficit.
What are your weekly numbers like. That may give a better indication than daily numbers assuming you track everything. It will show what your overall weekly deficit is at and how much those days you say you eat more food are affect that overall total.0 -
Thanks @synacious your photos are inspirational! I have added resistance bands to my regular cardio/strength and I love them. I knew it would get harder as I got closer I am just grinding to a halt! I have adjusted to 0.5/wk and will see how that works for me for a month or so.
As an aside, 0.5lb/week may be difficult to see through the routine weight fluctuations in a month, especially if not weighing daily. I still agree that that's a better approach under the circumstances, if your goal is truly "to look and feel your best" by your 50th b-day in 6 weeks. Strong, energetic & healthy is a great way to feel, and I wouldn't think you'd want to risk missing that part of the results just to lose a tiny number of extra pounds by then.
(I'm 5'5", CW around 122, and very glad that I slowed my loss rate in the later stages. I tried 1200 net with workouts briefly en route, and the resulting fatigue was Not Worth It.)0 -
BecomingBane wrote: »ericGold15 wrote: »
Can you cite some sources for this information? Most information and studies I've seen point at .6-1.2 grams of protein per lb of lean mass and some resistance training for people on a restricted calorie diet in order to preserve lean mass during the period of loss. Otherwise losses will come from lean mass as well as fat.
Yes, this! At 0.8 grams/lb of total body weight (not lean mass) it gives me right around 100g of protein/day. I have been averaging around 90. Honestly, that is about all I can stomach, even with protein shakes and such added in.
Thank you for your thoughts!0 -
rileysowner wrote: »Do you use anything but the scale to measure your progress?
The measuring tape hasn't shown much change but my jeans fit better now. 0 -
Thanks @synacious your photos are inspirational! I have added resistance bands to my regular cardio/strength and I love them. I knew it would get harder as I got closer I am just grinding to a halt! I have adjusted to 0.5/wk and will see how that works for me for a month or so.
As an aside, 0.5lb/week may be difficult to see through the routine weight fluctuations in a month, especially if not weighing daily. I still agree that that's a better approach under the circumstances, if your goal is truly "to look and feel your best" by your 50th b-day in 6 weeks. Strong, energetic & healthy is a great way to feel, and I wouldn't think you'd want to risk missing that part of the results just to lose a tiny number of extra pounds by then.
(I'm 5'5", CW around 122, and very glad that I slowed my loss rate in the later stages. I tried 1200 net with workouts briefly en route, and the resulting fatigue was Not Worth It.)
Thank you....Valid points! It is good to hear from someone similar in size. I do feel great, honestly! (way better than I should at my age ) I am not totally depressed or distraught over the whole thing I just want to continue to make progress, you know? I have made good changes over the past few months. I feel terrific and am getting stronger. I just have this place I would like to be and want to take advantage of the experience here to help me get there! 0 -
OP I'm also of the mindset that slow and steady loss while giving yourself enough calories (energy) and nutrients (macros/micros) to enjoy life while reaching your goals is important. At 5'4 and 128 lbs and having lost almost 20 lbs since August you are doing great and probably look fantastic! I really think aiming for the 0.5 lb/week goal, focusing on strength training will get you the results you want even if it isn't the ultimate scale weight you were aiming for. In fact you may want to look into recomposition while maintaining your current weight, it is slow but the results in body composition from those who are successful are very impressive. There is a great thread here on recomposition that may give you some pictures for reference.0
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Oh also for what it's worth, I'm 5'2, 41, and started at about 153. My initial goal weight was 125 which I reached, but then tried for 120 and just couldn't seem to get there. I decided I was tired of the deficit and moved myself to a maintenance range of 123 +/- 2 lbs. that gave me some extra calories but more importantly the ability to roll with the natural fluctuations in my weight without getting discouraged. The funny thing is once I took that pressure off, I sort of of settled into the lower end of that range and for the last few weeks I've been weighing in at 119!0
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