Is 1200 calories not enough?

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Nightmare_Queen88
Nightmare_Queen88 Posts: 304 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I started my journey in March at 268lbs but didn't join MFP until I was 240. My current weight is 213.8. I've lost, so far, 54.2lbs with 73.8lbs more to go. I started out eating, I believe, 1500-1600 calories a day, but then I bumped it down to 1400 because I became impatient with losing weight. I now only eat anywhere between 1200-1300 calories a day. I eat at or under my macros most of the time with sometimes occasionally going over them. I exercise 3 days a week for 30-45 mins. Oh yeah and I'm 5'6. I have no health issues. I do have a history of heart disease and diabetes in my family however. But I'm healthy. I want to know if the amount of calories I'm eating is enough or should I increase them back to 1500? And how do I do that without going over my macros? (I have a hard time coming up with good meals) My macros are: 105g Carbs 105g Protein 60g Fat (I believe).
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  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    Nightmare_Queen88 wrote: »
    I started my journey in March at 268lbs but didn't join MFP until I was 240. My current weight is 213.8. I've lost, so far, 54.2lbs with 73.8lbs more to go. I started out eating, I believe, 1500-1600 calories a day, but then I bumped it down to 1400 because I became impatient with losing weight. I now only eat anywhere between 1200-1300 calories a day. I eat at or under my macros most of the time with sometimes occasionally going over them. I exercise 3 days a week for 30-45 mins. Oh yeah and I'm 5'6. I have no health issues. I do have a history of heart disease and diabetes in my family however. But I'm healthy. I want to know if the amount of calories I'm eating is enough or should I increase them back to 1500? And how do I do that without going over my macros? (I have a hard time coming up with good meals) My macros are: 105g Carbs 105g Protein 60g Fat (I believe).

    Sounds too low to me, but I generally think that if you can lose eating more than 1200 cals, you should. For what it's worth I'm 5'2 and lost most of my weight eating between 1600-1900 cals.

    What does MFP provide you as a goal if you put in 1 lb/week, or 1.5 lb/week weight loss? If you change your calorie goal then your macro goals would likely change as well.

    Congrats on your success so far! Sounds like you are trying to do this the right way, but losing slowly, while frustrating, may help you preserve lean muscle and support your exercise.
  • Nightmare_Queen88
    Nightmare_Queen88 Posts: 304 Member
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    @WinoGelato I have my goal set at 2lbs a week currently. Like I said I'm very impatient. But maybe I need to learn to have patience and focus on being healthy and let the weight come off gradually. I'd hate to regain what I've lost by not taking it slow. :(
  • hollygirl101
    hollygirl101 Posts: 93 Member
    edited July 2016
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    I'm 5'4" and started at 275. Currently 259. I've been hovering around 1200 cals, which is below what MFP thinks I should be eating. I'm clearly in no danger of starving to death, what I am eating is healthy, and I'm not experiencing dizziness or any other side effects. In my opinion, eating fewer calories that what you're "supposed to" (as long as you're not going to extremes) has got to be better than being seriously overweight right?
  • Nightmare_Queen88
    Nightmare_Queen88 Posts: 304 Member
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    hollygirl101 wrote: »
    I'm 5'4" and started at 275. Currently 259. I've been hovering around 1200 cals, which is below what MFP thinks I should be eating. I'm clearly in no danger of starving to death, what I am eating is healthy, and I'm not experiencing dizziness or any other side effects. In my opinion, eating fewer calories that what you're "supposed to" and losing weight has got to be better than being seriously overweight right?

    Same here. I feel no ill side effects from what I'm doing. I just worry that after I've lost all my weight I'll gain it back some how because I wasn't patient enough and I didn't take it slow. :/
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    hollygirl101 wrote: »
    I'm 5'4" and started at 275. Currently 259. I've been hovering around 1200 cals, which is below what MFP thinks I should be eating. I'm clearly in no danger of starving to death, what I am eating is healthy, and I'm not experiencing dizziness or any other side effects. In my opinion, eating fewer calories that what you're "supposed to" (as long as you're not going to extremes) has got to be better than being seriously overweight right?

    People who have more weight to lose can initially support a faster rate of loss. However, as people get closer to goal, it is advised to reduce their deficit so that they are losing at a rate of 1 lb/week if less than 50 lbs to lose.

    Additionally, if you are at a higher weight to begin with, people often have difficulty adjusting to such a large deficit, some people give up and quite all together, deciding to JSF. Choosing the appropriate deficit for your body and your mind is important, as for me, losing weight slowly was key to being able to stick with it and easily transition into maintenance.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    Nightmare_Queen88 wrote: »
    @WinoGelato I have my goal set at 2lbs a week currently. Like I said I'm very impatient. But maybe I need to learn to have patience and focus on being healthy and let the weight come off gradually. I'd hate to regain what I've lost by not taking it slow. :(

    You're kind of on the borderline of being able to support a 1000 cal deficit which is what a goal of 2 lbs/week would give you. Since you were having success with the higher calorie goal, I would probably focus on increasing exercise and physical activity as you are losing, that will also help with your lean body mass retention, improve your overall fitness level, maybe help keep you motivated, and give you reason to eat more food!

    A wise MFP veteran once said, "The winner is the person who eats the most food and still loses weight..."

    For what it's worth - I think you look awesome in your profile pic! Keep up the good work!
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
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    That sounds low for your height and weight. Also, if you become more active, account for that and eat more. I underate for my activity level for a long time and lost a lot of muscle doing it. :(
  • bethannien
    bethannien Posts: 556 Member
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    Great job on your weight loss so far!

    Personally, I weigh about 5 pounds more than you and the thought of cutting to 1200 calories makes me sad. I've done this song and dance a few times now and been so impatient to see weight loss that I flame out. So this time I'm doing it .5 lb a week, focusing on creating good, sustainable habits and trying to ignore the scale.

    It gets said a lot but it's true. You didn't gain the weight over night, you won't lose it that way either.
  • Kerryatoon
    Kerryatoon Posts: 374 Member
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    For me that was too low. I lost a lot of weight but was losing muscle mass too. My body needs 1400 calories just laying in bed in a coma all day. When I diet that low for long periods I plateau because my metabolism adjusts to the very low calorie intake. I'm currently doing a metabolism reset and eating 2000-2200 cals/day while lifting heavy 3 x week. I am eating clean and always shoot to meet my macros. The idea is to reset my body to maintain at a normal (adult) calorie range and speed up my metabolism. Then I can do short (6-8 week) cuts that will not be long or drastic enough to cause my metabolism to slow down to a crawl. This is just my experience so take it with a grain of salt but I refuse to ever cut that low because I don't want to damage my metabolism again. Plus I like (healthy) food!!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    edited July 2016
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    If you up your calorie goals, your macro targets go up as well because macros are what make your calories.

    1g protein = 4 calories
    1g carbohydrate = 4 calories
    1g fat = 9 calories

    So your macro targets would completely change.

    As to the question of whether you should up them or not, that's up to you...I was always personally about being able to eat and enjoy myself while still losing weight...I couldn't have done that with a more aggressive target.
  • hollygirl101
    hollygirl101 Posts: 93 Member
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    Nightmare_Queen88 wrote: »
    hollygirl101 wrote: »
    I'm 5'4" and started at 275. Currently 259. I've been hovering around 1200 cals, which is below what MFP thinks I should be eating. I'm clearly in no danger of starving to death, what I am eating is healthy, and I'm not experiencing dizziness or any other side effects. In my opinion, eating fewer calories that what you're "supposed to" and losing weight has got to be better than being seriously overweight right?

    Same here. I feel no ill side effects from what I'm doing. I just worry that after I've lost all my weight I'll gain it back some how because I wasn't patient enough and I didn't take it slow. :/

    The reason people say that crash diets (which is essentially what we're doing) don't work is because they're not sustainable. You cut your calories way back, you lose a bunch of weight quickly as a result, and because you didn't take the time to learn to make it "lifestyle change" you eventually gain it all back. This makes sense, but what if this approach becomes your lifestyle change? Like, keeping your calories low most days allows you to splurge when it's really worth it. That's just how I'm choosing to look at it. :smile:
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    Umm... but, well... undereating isn't going to be sustainable. Eventually your body will reach a point where it no longer has fat reserves to burn, and then it's going eat your muscle (including your heart), your bones (osteoporosis), your liver, etc. Instead of starving your body, why not try reaching your weight loss goal in a reasonable healthy way, then work back up to maintenance in a healthy, sustainable way?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,902 Member
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    OP - I'm your height and have been your weight and 1200 calories per day is not sustainable for me. Sure, it would be nice if the excess pounds just melted away, but doing it slower is more sustainable, as well as easier on your body. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
  • hollygirl101
    hollygirl101 Posts: 93 Member
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    ElizabethOakes2 wrote: »
    Umm... but, well... undereating isn't going to be sustainable. Eventually your body will reach a point where it no longer has fat reserves to burn, and then it's going eat your muscle (including your heart), your bones (osteoporosis), your liver, etc. Instead of starving your body, why not try reaching your weight loss goal in a reasonable healthy way, then work back up to maintenance in a healthy, sustainable way?

    Is 1200 really undereating? I'm not suggesting anyone try to live on like, 400 calories. I'm just saying that if 1200 or around there is working for you and you don't feel deprived then why force yourself to eat more? In the end you have to do what works for you.

  • karl317
    karl317 Posts: 87 Member
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    hollygirl101 wrote: »
    Is 1200 really undereating? I'm not suggesting anyone try to live on like, 400 calories. I'm just saying that if 1200 or around there is working for you and you don't feel deprived then why force yourself to eat more? In the end you have to do what works for you.

    She speaks the truth.
  • st476
    st476 Posts: 357 Member
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    Do whatever works for you. I've been averaging 1200-1250 calories per day and it works for me. I'm smaller than you though (5'4, 129 pounds) and don't exercise much so I feel like you could easily eat more. If you're not hungry and feel fine at 1200 calories I don't see what the problem is, but make sure you're eating back exercise calories
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
    edited July 2016
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    1200 is dependant on a number of factors- height, weight, age, gender, daily activity level without exercise.

    1200 was perfect for me F, 5'1, 54yo, 130 lbs, I lost at between 1-.25 a week over a year.

    For my SO, M, 47yo, 230lbs, it would be a disaster. He would lose in excess of the normal muscle loss because the body can only burn a certain amount of fat in a day and then goes on to burn muscle, including vital organs, he would also lose bone density, cognitive function, hair, skin texture and elasticity, and probably be malnourished.
    He would also get more lethargic performing less than optimally at any exercise, and be more inclined to laze on the couch.

    Weight loss may be faster at 1200 cals for some, and within the recommendations of MFP, but that doesn't always mean it is the best calorie goal for the individual.
    Recovering the bone, muscle, and health lost through such a deficit may take longer than losing the weight itself.
    The detrimental effects aren't always immediately noticeable. It can take years for the long term damage to show.

    If one is going to do low cal, one should research the consequences first and weigh the benefits long and short term.

    Cheers, h.
  • thatdesertgirl777
    thatdesertgirl777 Posts: 269 Member
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    Nightmare_Queen88 wrote: »
    @WinoGelato I have my goal set at 2lbs a week currently. Like I said I'm very impatient. But maybe I need to learn to have patience and focus on being healthy and let the weight come off gradually. I'd hate to regain what I've lost by not taking it slow. :(

    Go back to 1500. (Or at least check what your BMR is. You should never eat below your BMR number). And yes, not to be rude, but learn some patience. You did not gain the weight overnight. If you cut cals too low, you'll have no where to adjust from. And maintaining (or trying to) when you hit your goal, WILL be a nightmare. Good luck!

  • bclarke1990
    bclarke1990 Posts: 287 Member
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    For what it's worth, everyone is going to be driven towards "2 lbs a week" when given the choice between 1 and 2. That being said, it's not just free weight loss without any consequences. Being in a 1000 calorie deficit every day can take a toll on your energy and hunger, and makes binge-eating more likely if you do it for too long.

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