1100 calories?

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Hi all.

I'm quite new to MFP and I can't remember how or why my calorie goal is 1100. I'm not sure whether that was something that was worked out or just a random number I chose.

After reading a lot of people's diaries, their intake seems to be much higher than mine, however I feel as though mine is working for me and I'm eating enough and not going hungry - I sometimes even struggle to meet it and have to go out of my way to make sure I do.

I also have hypothyroidism and PCOS and remember reading somewhere than women with PCOS don't need as many calories as we burn them slower anyway..

Thanks for your help.
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Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Go into diary settings and reset it. You shouldn't be set any lower than 1200. And unless your doctor has advised you to eat 1100, 1200 is what you should be aiming for minimum.
  • Msjournie
    Msjournie Posts: 16 Member
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    It also depends on your height, weight, and activity level. I'm only 5'0 foot and my doctor and a health specialist told me to do 1000. Calories per day high protein low carb
  • seekingdaintiness
    seekingdaintiness Posts: 137 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Ohhhh , nooooes, if you go lower than 1200 you will DIIIIIIEEEEE and screw your metabolismssss!
    Trust me that's all the advice you will get from the MFP people.
    Yes, women with PCOS and insulin resistance sometimes can have a BMR as low as 1100 a day or even slightly lower. Not that most people here are going to believe you. I maintain on an intake of 1500. All the haters will tell me I am lying through my teeth or somehow am unable to count or use a simple calorie counting app, and somehow magically through their computer screens they know better than me how my own personal body works. Sorry, I still maintain at an intake of 1500. You do the math for what I have to do to lose just one pound a week.
  • viren19890
    viren19890 Posts: 778 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    Go into diary settings and reset it. You shouldn't be set any lower than 1200. And unless your doctor has advised you to eat 1100, 1200 is what you should be aiming for minimum.

    I've had some female friends who eat way lower than their BMR because the app said so ...then they say when they eat at BMR levels they gain weight. So I'm trying to understand how can I even explain them how unhealthy that is because they talk about weight gain at BMR levels.

    Just wondering that there must be things in their everyday life which must suck because of low energy zombie like moment all day but the number on the scale keeps them going on such a low caloric diet.

    LoL maybe BMR is just a myth and body can simply adjust to whatever the hell you put into it from their POV it seems
  • TheLegendaryBrandonHarris
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    If you feel fine and it's working for you, then what's the issue??? :wink:
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    viren19890 wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Go into diary settings and reset it. You shouldn't be set any lower than 1200. And unless your doctor has advised you to eat 1100, 1200 is what you should be aiming for minimum.

    I've had some female friends who eat way lower than their BMR because the app said so ...then they say when they eat at BMR levels they gain weight. So I'm trying to understand how can I even explain them how unhealthy that is because they talk about weight gain at BMR levels.

    Just wondering that there must be things in their everyday life which must suck because of low energy zombie like moment all day but the number on the scale keeps them going on such a low caloric diet.

    LoL maybe BMR is just a myth and body can simply adjust to whatever the hell you put into it from their POV it seems

    I think they have BMR and TDEE mixed up. BMR is what your body burns just being alive,with no exercise.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,930 Member
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    Ohhhh , nooooes, if you go lower than 1200 you will DIIIIIIEEEEE and screw your metabolismssss!
    Trust me that's all the advice you will get from the MFP people.
    Yes, women with PCOS and insulin resistance sometimes can have a BMR as low as 1100 a day or even slightly lower. Not that most people here are going to believe you. I maintain on an intake of 1500. All the haters will tell me I am lying through my teeth or somehow am unable to count or use a simple calorie counting app, and somehow magically through their computer screens they know better than me how my own personal body works. Sorry, I still maintain at an intake of 1500. You do the math for what I have to do to lose just one pound a week.

    A goal as high as a lb a week is not necessarily appropriate for everyone.
  • Nicklebee93
    Nicklebee93 Posts: 316 Member
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    In general, a female shouldn't go below 1,200 unless being supervised by a doctor. Just like over eating, under eating can 'cause negative effects too.

    In your situation maybe it'd be best for you to talk to a dietitian to make sure you're meeting the requirements? I'm no expert on diets, and i especially don't have the ability to tell you what's best for you based on having hypothyroidism and PCOS.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
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    The reason 1200 is considered a minimum is because most BMRs are above it and because it can be hard to get enough vitamins and minerals below that (for me, even at that level of calories).

    Adequate nutrition is really important. You can use MFP to see what you're eating regarding the RDA of some nutrients. Personally, I don't eat enough of the right foods to get all my vitamins/minerals, even the days I eat 1500-1700. I take a multi-vitamin. :smiley:
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    If it works for you and your weight loss is reasonable, then stick with it.

    Some people put their goal lower than they really mean it to be because they know they underestimate their portion sizes etc. when not tracking die hard.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    MFP wouldn't have set you lower than 1200 calories...
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Ohhhh , nooooes, if you go lower than 1200 you will DIIIIIIEEEEE and screw your metabolismssss!
    Trust me that's all the advice you will get from the MFP people.
    Yes, women with PCOS and insulin resistance sometimes can have a BMR as low as 1100 a day or even slightly lower. Not that most people here are going to believe you. I maintain on an intake of 1500. All the haters will tell me I am lying through my teeth or somehow am unable to count or use a simple calorie counting app, and somehow magically through their computer screens they know better than me how my own personal body works. Sorry, I still maintain at an intake of 1500. You do the math for what I have to do to lose just one pound a week.

    bitter wow.

    BMR is the amount of calories you need to live if you never move...so 1100 is reasonable for BMR if you are a smaller woman ie short and light...but not TDEE...not even NEAT.


  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Ohhhh , nooooes, if you go lower than 1200 you will DIIIIIIEEEEE and screw your metabolismssss!
    Trust me that's all the advice you will get from the MFP people.
    Yes, women with PCOS and insulin resistance sometimes can have a BMR as low as 1100 a day or even slightly lower. Not that most people here are going to believe you. I maintain on an intake of 1500. All the haters will tell me I am lying through my teeth or somehow am unable to count or use a simple calorie counting app, and somehow magically through their computer screens they know better than me how my own personal body works. Sorry, I still maintain at an intake of 1500. You do the math for what I have to do to lose just one pound a week.

    You're a little off base there. I'm short, old and within my healthy range, so I don't get to eat a lot unless I get up and move a lot.

    My BMR is 1120 according to a couple different places. MFP has me maintaining at 1470. I find that pretty accurate. I have everything set to sedentary because unless I get up and do purposeful exercise, I usually average less than 2K steps a day due to my job.

    No one is going to be all dramatic about it, like in your example, but the general idea is that really shouldn't eat at below 1200 calories a day. MFP doesn't even have a setting less than that, that i'm aware of, and will scold you if you don't get at least that much. I at least eat that most days just because I would like to lose a little more. I move as much as I can when I have time. My loss rate at 1200 calories a day is about 1 pound in 5 weeks. Not every woman is old, short and at or near their goal weight. I've made it to about the halfway point, slightly higher maybe, into my healthy weight range but still have about 10 pounds i'd like to shed. It's moving along very slowly but surely. If a 44-year-old short, 122 pound female can lose on 1200 pounds with very little activity, there's no reason to eat less than that. I do have a treadmill and walk and eat about half of those calories back and it's much quicker for me to lose weight when I do that, but there are weeks where my workload is crazy and I have to sit and type for 12 hours every day all week long. Which has been my life this week. ugh.

    Edited to fix nested quotes.
  • StacyChrz
    StacyChrz Posts: 865 Member
    edited April 2016
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    I also have hypothyroid and PCOS, I am 5'2" and just turned 40 (proudly!!). I eat a whole lot more than 1100 calories/day and am losing at a safe, sustainable rate. Please recheck your goals, we women shouldn't be eating less than 1200 calories/day net. You need to fuel your body with healthy, nutritious food and plenty of water in order to sustain your muscle while losing fat.
    I have a Fitbit so I believe my calorie burns are a little more accurate, I eat back 75-100% of my exercise calories and even with going over my goal several days this past week I still lost 0.8 lbs. (totally happy with that) I average between 1500-1800 calories/day gross depending on how active I am and other factors.
  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
    edited April 2016
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    Ohhhh , nooooes, if you go lower than 1200 you will DIIIIIIEEEEE and screw your metabolismssss!
    Trust me that's all the advice you will get from the MFP people.
    Yes, women with PCOS and insulin resistance sometimes can have a BMR as low as 1100 a day or even slightly lower. Not that most people here are going to believe you. I maintain on an intake of 1500. All the haters will tell me I am lying through my teeth or somehow am unable to count or use a simple calorie counting app, and somehow magically through their computer screens they know better than me how my own personal body works. Sorry, I still maintain at an intake of 1500. You do the math for what I have to do to lose just one pound a week.

    bitter wow.

    BMR is the amount of calories you need to live if you never move...so 1100 is reasonable for BMR if you are a smaller woman ie short and light...but not TDEE...not even NEAT.


    ^^This

    Also, to the other poster, though it may seem like it's silly to offer the opinion to bump up to 1200 when it's only 100 calories difference per day, if you think of it in the course of a week, that's 700 calories your body is missing out on the nutrients from. Eating an extra 700 calories per week is enough to stall weight loss, so 700 calories in the other direction certainly could be enough to cause nutritional deficiencies in the long run.
    I don't think that makes me a "hater" for saying so, but your opinion may be different.
  • Jazzykatt
    Jazzykatt Posts: 38 Member
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    I eat 1000 from Monday to Thursday, 1500 on Fridays and Sunday's and don't count on Saturdays since I'm usually eating out. This may be low on those 4 days but I more than make up for it on Saturday. I work out 5 to 6 days a week and normally lose 1 to 1.5 lbs a week. I'm on my last 10...usually the hardest. I also (IF) only eat in the evening from Monday through Friday.
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
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    I am also hypothyroid, I am 5 ft tall, currently 182 lbs, and I lose a pound a week on 2000 calories. (I also lift and cardio 5 days a week, and I try to get steps in throughout the work day. So I am decently active and I lose weight on a good amount of calories.)
    I could also lose weight if I ate 1400, 1200, or even 1100 calories. But here's why I don't.
    I still want to lose another 50 lbs or so, and as I get smaller my body won't need as many calories. If my weight loss slows down, it's very easy on a higher intake for me to drop some daily calories and keep right on chugging. If I were eating 1200 or 1100 right off the bat, it may not be that simple. There isn't really anywhere to go from there.
    Everyone's caloric needs will be different and can change as you progress through your journey. If your BMR is actually very low compared to most people, maybe a slower rate of weightloss is a better option as another poster mentioned.
    I find it very hard to stick with long term if I try to eat much too little.
    As you mentioned OP, you aren't sure how you came up with 1100 calories. You also didn't mention how much weight loss that produces per week or how long/if you have stuck with it. I always encourage people to find the calories that work for them to achieve a reasonable weightloss goal. If this is actually a reasonable intake for you, that's fine. If not you may want to raise it.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    It sounds like you may have set up your account and goal during the time there was a glitch in the app that set people below the minimums. Rerun your goals like others have suggested and go from there.
  • Parfumista
    Parfumista Posts: 15 Member
    edited April 2016
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    Also, to the other poster, though it may seem like it's silly to offer the opinion to bump up to 1200 when it's only 100 calories difference per day, if you think of it in the course of a week, that's 700 calories your body is missing out on the nutrients from. Eating an extra 700 calories per week is enough to stall weight loss, so 700 calories in the other direction certainly could be enough to cause nutritional deficiencies in the long run.

    If 700 calories extra per week stalls weight loss I'd say the deficit was a bit low anyway. Unfortunately, 700 calories extra don't mean you automatically get more nutrients and the "magical" number 1200 is something to forget about quickly.
    The lower the calories, the more accurate the tracking of food has to be to ensure there's no deficiency in fat, protein, vitamins and minerals and at a certain point it's not possible to get all nutrients, yes. That number of calories is not 1200 by default, though, and eating less than 1200 calories & working out does not result in your metabolism shutting down / slowing down significantly or your body "clinging" to every bit of food once you eat above 1200 calories again. ;)

  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Jazzykatt wrote: »
    I eat 1000 from Monday to Thursday, 1500 on Fridays and Sunday's and don't count on Saturdays since I'm usually eating out. This may be low on those 4 days but I more than make up for it on Saturday. I work out 5 to 6 days a week and normally lose 1 to 1.5 lbs a week. I'm on my last 10...usually the hardest. I also (IF) only eat in the evening from Monday through Friday.

    at that rate of loss you are losing muscle too..

    if you are at the last 10lbs changing to 1/2lb a week is more than sufficent however at this point probably pointless due to the consistent low calories I suspect you won't save much muscle now.