Physically active with 1200 calorie restriction

ohsosweet26
ohsosweet26 Posts: 45 Member
edited December 3 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm still getting used to this whole losing weight and MFP but for those who have a 1200 calorie restriction but are physically active, do you actually stay within the calorie limit? I jog 5 miles 4x a week, dance and bike once a week. I also go out for evening walks almost everyday and lift weights 3x a week. I am having trouble staying under 1200 cals because I'm always feeling deprived.

For those who are NOT following the 1200 cal restriction, what is your normal calorie intake?

Replies

  • olive1968
    olive1968 Posts: 148 Member
    MFP is designed for you to eat back those exercise calories, at least a portion of them.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
    I eat back half of my exercise calories as calculated per MFPs calculator. If you're feeling deprived and hungry, reevaluate how much you're eating compared to how much you're burning. :)
  • bethannien
    bethannien Posts: 556 Member
    edited August 2016
    Maybe set your MFP settings to active if you don't want to eat back exercise calories? If you're very active and you're feeling deprived, maybe your body is telling you that you need more fuel.

    ETA: my settings are at sedentary and I'm eating about 1920 per day plus 50% or so of my exercise calories and losing weight. I also weigh about 210 lbs.
  • shagerty777
    shagerty777 Posts: 185 Member
    1200 is basically a bare survival amount of calories. I'm not sure what your goals are nor your body specs so....
    I have lost over 40 pounds on a little over 2200 calories a day but that's what fit my body specs and training.
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    edited August 2016
    Hi! :blush:

    Your body is already telling you're not eating enough.

    It sounds like your pounds per week goal might be too aggressive. How much weight are you looking to lose? The general idea is:
    • 25 lbs or less to lose = .5 lb per week loss
    • 25-50 to lose = 1 lb per week loss
    • 50-75 to lose = 1.5 lb per week loss
    • 75+ to lose = 2 lb per week loss

    Setting your weekly weight-loss goal and caloric deficit for the right amount of loss will help you meet your body's nutritional needs, minimize the loss of lean body mass and help prevent bingeing from over-restricting intake. Even if you want to lose 75 or more pounds, you can still set your loss to be lower. Slow and steady wins the race. You want to build sustainable habits you can maintain. It's not a diet it's a lifestyle change.

    The other thing to look at is sticking to 1200 calories gross might be too restrictive for your activity level. Are you eating back your exercise calories? The idea is to net 1200 calories (this would be calories left after subtracting exercise). (1200 for women, 1500 for men.) Hedging that calories out can take time to figure out and many folks eat back somewhere between 50-75% as the numbers we get from MFP or cardio machines can be inflated. You'll find what works for you.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited August 2016
    I am short and when loosing 1200 is the min MFP gives me to lose less than .5/lb a week (usually around .4). If I did not eat back my exercise calories I would have trouble exercising the next day. MFP exercise calories are a blessing for me.. Eat some of them back, your body will thank you for it.. :)
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    You are supposed to eat back at least 50% of the exercise calories, so make sure to input them into MFP.
    If you don't want to do that, go change your goal to active and eat that amount instead.
  • DaniCanadian
    DaniCanadian Posts: 261 Member
    edited August 2016
    If you're feeling hungry and restricted then you have a decently high chance of gaining back whatever you lose.
    1200 is bare minimum. I think you should reset your weekly loss goal to something less aggressive and eat back at least half of those exercise calories.
    I'm currently eating 1700 per day and adding 300 cals as exercise for breastfeeding (I'll eat those back if I'm hungry) and I'm losing about half a pound per week.

    Edit: I'm 5'3 and currently 170 lbs
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    You are very active. 1200 is not adequate for most people never mind someone as active as you. As others say, you need to eat back at least some of your exercise calories to fuel your workouts and meet minimum nutritional needs.

    I gross 17-1800 per day, sometimes more, sometimes less because I am pretty active. I am set to lose 1lb per week, started at 220lbs, now 171lbs.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited August 2016
    olive1968 wrote: »
    MFP is designed for you to eat back those exercise calories, at least a portion of them.

    This.

    I did 1250 for a while, but I ate back exercise calories (well, a good many of them) and was fine. I had more to lose then, and lost at about 2 lb/week. I've done various levels, have currently decided to lose a bit more so am aiming to eat 1650 during the week and maintenance on the weekends (this includes exercise, however). I lost most recently at around 1750-1800 (again, including exercise).
  • JeanLaw131
    JeanLaw131 Posts: 78 Member
    Psychgrrl,

    Thanks for posting this, as I've been wondering when to change my rate of loss. I'm half way to my goal and have 22 lbs to go. I've been at a rate of 1lb/ week, and will now drop it to .5/ wk. Like you said, slow and steady wins the race!

    "It sounds like your pounds per week goal might be too aggressive. How much weight are you looking to lose? The general idea is:
    25 lbs or less to lose = .5 lb per week loss
    25-50 to lose = 1 lb per week loss
    50-75 to lose = 1.5 lb per week loss
    75+ to lose = 2 lb per week loss"
This discussion has been closed.

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