Is 1200 enough?
Ne0Indigo
Posts: 17 Member
I started my diet about two weeks ago and have been following the no more than '1200' a day 'rule' which has been a bit of a struggle. I'm constantly hungry sometimes even after I eat my main meal because I've been hungry for so long. I've heard this is common when first starting diets but I'm also worried because apparently if you had more calories before you could be under eating which would result in weight gain. I didn't eat heaps often but what I ate was higher in calories or sugar than what I'm eating now for example those box meals that are around 400, or roll ups and chocolate. I'm just wondering if anyone's followed the under 1200 calorie limit and still lost weight? Do I need to eat more? Thanks in advance 
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Replies
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It may or may not be. You actually might want to provide a few details about yourself so one could give an educated guess.3
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Your calorie budget should be based on current size. 1200 should not be the default2
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Uh 1200 calories is the bare minimum lower limit, not the upper limit...you seem to have that backwards.
Also this "I've heard this is common when first starting diets but I'm also worried because apparently if you had more calories before you could be under eating which would result in weight gain" doesn't make sense. If you undereat you will be malnourished which will make you hungry and struggle to maintain and if you do force yourself to could cause you health problems...but it won't result in weight gain, that doesn't make sense. Why would undereating result in weight gain?
Yeah...if you are struggling to eat 1200 calories a day you should probably be eating more, there is nothing that says you must eat 1200 calories to lose weight....plenty of people lose weight eating much more than that.5 -
I tried it in my first week and it wasn't enough so changed it to 1 pound loss per week
You are not supposed to be hungry all the time this is why people give up after awhile1 -
If you're hungry right after eating a meal, most likely you're not hyrdrated enough. Start drinking more water with EACH meal. In between meals as well just to rule that out first.3
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No. Your body and mind need fuel. Drink tons of water, eat lots of veggies and protein, get active, get sleep and think positive!1
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Keep in mind this minimum is actually fornet calories. If you are active in any fashion you get to eat more.3
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I did it for 6 weeks cos I was new and thought I knew better
Then I lost most of my weight at 1500-1800
Now I maintain at 2200-2400
So for me no
If I was much smaller then maybe3 -
I tried the 1200 for a while and ended up caving and stuffing my face with all the foodz and then felt like a failure for not being strong enough to stick with it. It became a really vicious cycle. I did some reading here, and realized that I could make my goals more reasonable and have a plan that was more sustainable for me. When I increased my calories, I had more energy and was able to begin incorporating more exercise. It was the best decision I could have made.
That being said, depending on age, height, and activity level, 1200 might be appropriate for you. Play around with the macro (carb, fat, and protein) to find what works for you. I find fat, fibre, and protein tend to stay with me longer. To get the full stomach feeling, veggies have been important. This things may not work for you, but experiment with it to see what does. The time is going to pass regardless, don't make it miserable to the point where you give up.0 -
What you want to do is eat at a deficit to loose weight. Rule of thumb : you should loose about 1 pound for every 3500 calories deficit.
Depending on your level of activity, starting weight, height, age, etc...the number of calories you need to eat to be at a deficit will vary.
For instance, I have an active lifestyle (walk about 40 minutes a day 3-5 days a week + 3 gym workouts usually), i'm 5'8 and was 204 when I started... My TDEE is about 2400, so I eat about 1800 calories a day. I loose a little bit more than a pound per week with that and a little more from exercise burn.
I'm not hungry at that level, but I choose my food in order to feel full : lots of (lean) protein, whole grains, fruits&veggies with fiber, good sources of fats (avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, chia seeds, hemps seeds, etc. ).
So please don't starve yourself! It's totally possible to loose weight and not be hungry! Food is part of life!
Calculate your TDEE and remove 500 calories (only if that puts you over 1200). If you dont have a lot to loose, you will need a smaller deficit on a longer period of time.
Good luck!
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I started my diet about two weeks ago and have been following the no more than '1200' a day 'rule' which has been a bit of a struggle. I'm constantly hungry sometimes even after I eat my main meal because I've been hungry for so long. I've heard this is common when first starting diets but I'm also worried because apparently if you had more calories before you could be under eating which would result in weight gain. I didn't eat heaps often but what I ate was higher in calories or sugar than what I'm eating now for example those box meals that are around 400, or roll ups and chocolate. I'm just wondering if anyone's followed the under 1200 calorie limit and still lost weight? Do I need to eat more? Thanks in advance
Depends on your height, weight, and age. So plug those numbers into MFP's diet calculator, set yourself at a 1lb a week loss, and see what it comes up with. Then eat back 50% - 80% of any exercise calories you burn. Are you still at 1200? Unless you are 4 feet tall I doubt it. 1200 doesn't sound like enough.
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Go to google search for a RMR "resting metabolic rate" calculator that will tell you your minimum calories you should be eating just to live, make sure your organs everything is running at full peek.0
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I think 1200 for most people (unless they are midgets) is way way too low. I'm pushing 6' and I am an endurance athlete...I have been following the sites 1200 cal recommendation and it has me losing 5lb a week lol.. time to eat more XD1
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Depends on your height/age. Older shorter folks like me, maybe.0
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Go to IIFYM.com and use their calculator to see what your calories should be. Or at least enter your info properly into myfitnesspal and follow their calorie recommendation- don't just arbitrarily set your calories at 1200.0
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I thought that it wasn't enough myself...but I've been losing 3-5lbs a week on it. For comparison, I'm 48, 5'7," 168 pounds, lightly active (mostly sedentary with some activity here and there) and I am trying to get to 150-155. It depends on your diet, but I fill up on cauliflower, broccoli, eggs and squash (use salsa and hot sauce as condiments), throw in lean chicken, beef or fish a few times a week, occasionally snack on low-fat cheese crackers (150 calories for 25) and don't feel hungry too often outside of mealtime.
I figure I'll get to where I want to be and then just maintain. The calories to maintain my goal size are around 1500.0 -
BridgetHarrington wrote: »I thought that it wasn't enough myself...but I've been losing 3-5lbs a week on it. For comparison, I'm 48, 5'7," 168 pounds, lightly active (mostly sedentary with some activity here and there) and I am trying to get to 150-155. It depends on your diet, but I fill up on cauliflower, broccoli, eggs and squash (use salsa and hot sauce as condiments), throw in lean chicken, beef or fish a few times a week, occasionally snack on low-fat cheese crackers (150 calories for 25) and don't feel hungry too often outside of mealtime.
I figure I'll get to where I want to be and then just maintain. The calories to maintain my goal size are around 1500.
you aren't eating enough. Based on your stats you BMR is 1469. losing 3-5lbs a week is an unhealthy rate of loss and some of that will be lean muscle mass.
You should probably actually be eating around 1600-1700 calories given you amount less to lose, and your maintenance is closer to 17-1800.1 -
I started my diet about two weeks ago and have been following the no more than '1200' a day 'rule' which has been a bit of a struggle. I'm constantly hungry sometimes even after I eat my main meal because I've been hungry for so long. I've heard this is common when first starting diets but I'm also worried because apparently if you had more calories before you could be under eating which would result in weight gain. I didn't eat heaps often but what I ate was higher in calories or sugar than what I'm eating now for example those box meals that are around 400, or roll ups and chocolate. I'm just wondering if anyone's followed the under 1200 calorie limit and still lost weight? Do I need to eat more? Thanks in advance
I don't think you SHOULD be hungry starting a diet, because it means you are unlikely to stick to it for very long. 1200 is often given as the standard calorie suggestion, which is both a default on the part of MFP and also on the user, who often will try and choose the largest possible deficit they can ie. 2lbs per week. 2lbs per week is the sort of target for the very obese, and people often get frustrated when they don’t see those sort of results.
One philosophy is to find the maintenance calories at your goal weight and eat at that. The weight loss will be slow, but you will learn portion sizes for the rest of your life, and not feel like this is a temporary fix.
Some people work on a rolling average – so they eat more at weekends and have a higher deficit during the week. 1200 is only enough calories for a very very small number pf people -the very small and the very old. I for example am aiming for 1500 NET, and I’m under 5’ tall. I’d rather have enough energy to be active, and not be hungry, than aim for any number on a scale.
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Personally if I am hungry when dieting I eat more and adjust accordingly. I don't find it particularly sustainable to be hungry when trying to lose weight and at least for me it isn't necessary. I can lose a pound a week without being hungry at all. So is hunger a requirement for dieting for you personally? I can't really say but I doubt it. Is hunger a requirement for dieting period for everyone? Definately not.0
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I have eaten at (or under) 1200 calories per day since February, exercised regularly, and successfully lost weight. Being hungry is a regular thing for me, but I've learned to live with it in order to reach my goals. If you space your calorie intake out appropriately, you can mitigate the hunger...for me that's a small morning meal or protein shake, a second pre-planned meal when I get so hungry I can barely stand it (2-3pm usually), and a third pre-planned meal around 6-8pm.0
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BridgetHarrington wrote: »I thought that it wasn't enough myself...but I've been losing 3-5lbs a week on it. For comparison,
I wouldn't necessarily call losing that much a week a good thing. In the first couple weeks it is probably fine but long term unless you have 100 or more to lose that's an awfully big loss each week. I'd be concerned about getting adequate nutrition on such an extreme deficit, muscle loss, being able to maintain your loss when you get to your goal weight, loose skin from losing so rapidly, etc...0 -
kelleybean1 wrote: »Depends on your height/age. Older shorter folks like me, maybe.
^^This.
I lost a lot of weight @ 1200 calories and have kept it off for almost 3 years @ 1800 maintenance. I start gaining if I eat over 1800. I am pretty active now and sedentary when I began. It seems to be enough calories for me.
5' - 2 3/4" age 65.
I have been doing MFP with my dr's guidance and blessing for total calories for over 4-1/2 years now.
There are general guidelines, but truly, everyone can be different.
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girlinahat wrote: »you aren't eating enough. Based on your stats you BMR is 1469. losing 3-5lbs a week is an unhealthy rate of loss and some of that will be lean muscle mass.
Then why, I wonder, does MFP set me at 1200? I really think that a lot of what I've lost so far is water. I started off at 185, and I'm larger boned. To give you an idea of what that might look like on me, the profile pic I used was last summer, and I was about 165 in that pic. I've lost 12" off my waist alone and my face is much thinner. My rings also no longer fit. At most, all I had was 30-35 pounds to lose. I gained that weight from eating junk and not sleeping for days on end (crappy relationship had a lot to do with me not caring what I put in my mouth and sleep), and also because I'd gotten an IUD. I'm sure the IUD played a part...I got it out and immediately dropped 7 pounds, and that was before I got on here.
I can't be at THAT much of a deficit, because I'm not very hungry between meals. Nutritionally, I don't think I'm at a loss, either. My skin looks better than it has in years and I'm not tired or unfocused like I can be when I don't eat enough. I never had any kind of a weight issue until this recent situation, because I always ate the way I relearned eating to fit MFP limits (mostly veggies and lean meat, no sweets or soda, no junk food). I never had to monitor my weight before, ever!
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Petite (shorties between i.e. 4'10 - 5'4"), completely sedentary may be so inclined to get this 1200 limit. It also depends on where you start with your weight.
I would say its not enough calories, but would need to know your stats before determining if you fit into the 1200 calorie min. How many pounds (rate of loss each week)?
In the very beginning of your weight loss, some hunger or changes in those hunger signals are bound to happen as you are getting used to eating less calories before you started. Sometimes meal timing and what you eat to provide fullness and satiety which can help when on lowish calories.
Constant hunger, perhaps the hunger that's uncomfortable may mean to me that you are possibly eating below BMR or close to it and it just may not be enough to fuel your day to day and be able to lose weigh comfortably if you will. You throw in exercise (EAT) on top of that and a deficit too steep will cause a person to be quite uncomfortable. Changing your rate of loss will give you more calories to eat, also you can move more and if you are currently sedentary, this would allow you to increase your activity level in MFP if you were to change your "real" activity level (this gives you more calories as well).. Or you can do TDEE 15%- 20% and go that route.0 -
BridgetHarrington wrote: »girlinahat wrote: »you aren't eating enough. Based on your stats you BMR is 1469. losing 3-5lbs a week is an unhealthy rate of loss and some of that will be lean muscle mass.
Then why, I wonder, does MFP set me at 1200? I really think that a lot of what I've lost so far is water. I started off at 185, and I'm larger boned. To give you an idea of what that might look like on me, the profile pic I used was last summer, and I was about 165 in that pic. I've lost 12" off my waist alone and my face is much thinner. My rings also no longer fit. At most, all I had was 30-35 pounds to lose. I gained that weight from eating junk and not sleeping for days on end (crappy relationship had a lot to do with me not caring what I put in my mouth and sleep), and also because I'd gotten an IUD. I'm sure the IUD played a part...I got it out and immediately dropped 7 pounds, and that was before I got on here.
I can't be at THAT much of a deficit, because I'm not very hungry between meals. Nutritionally, I don't think I'm at a loss, either. My skin looks better than it has in years and I'm not tired or unfocused like I can be when I don't eat enough. I never had any kind of a weight issue until this recent situation, because I always ate the way I relearned eating to fit MFP limits (mostly veggies and lean meat, no sweets or soda, no junk food). I never had to monitor my weight before, ever!
1200 is based on "I want to lose xx pounds per week." It's a default minimum. Sometimes a moderate weekly weight loss goal results in 1200......for very petite, and/or elderly women.
But more often 1200 is the result aggressive weekly weight loss goals.
Pound per week goals
75+ lbs set to lose 2 lb range
Between 40 - 75 lbs set to lose 1.5 lb range
Between 25-40 lbs set to lose 1 lb range
Between 15-25 lbs set to lose 1 -.50 lb range
Less than 15 lbs set to lose 0.5 lbs range
Also keep in mind 1200 is BEFORE exercise. When you log exercise in MFP you "earn" more calories. Eat a portion of those calories as well. Just a portion because calorie burns are estimates. This keeps the deficit in check, so a larger % of your weight loss is fat (not muscle).
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"Then why, I wonder, does MFP set me at 1200?"
Because you told it to via your answers to what you wanted. MFP is just a calculator, it isn't a person giving you advice. You put in numbers, it spat out a number.2 -
My calculations give me 1250 calories a day to lose 2lbs per week. I started at 256lbs and am a 5'6" female, so I have about 100lbs to lose. 1250 seemed IMPOSSIBLE to me, but the math made sense, and I really want to lose 2lbs per week until I get to 200lbs. Then, I plan on changing to 1lb per week until I'm closer to goal.
I also committed to 1-3 walks per day (usually walking the dog twice and then one extra walk during my lunch break), and I eat back at least half of my exercise calories. I end up eating between 1300-1400 per day. I feel like I have had a good deal of success so far, but a lot of it is getting it right in my head about "food feels." I do feel hungry and I do drink a lot of water to not feel as hungry. I have to plan and pre-log my meals every day to make sure I won't feel starving and stay within my goals.
It's hard work, but I've had some good success which keeps me going. I had to be all in on this, though, and stop making excuses for all the reasons why I can't (too busy, too tired, too fat, too in pain) and focus on what I can do and what I can control. Small tweaks lead to big changes is something I tell myself constantly.
You can look at my diary and see what I eat to hit those calories.2 -
I am old and short and started out sedentary, so I started out at 1200.
I didn't stay there long.
Most people do not need to eat 1200 calories. Anyone who is the least bit active should not be eating 1200 calories. You need to fuel your activity, and ideally should be striving to become more active.
OP, from the sound of your post, 1200 seems as if it's too aggressive a deficit for you. Can you share your stats?1 -
I would not use MFPs default setting of 1,200 calories. It's not a one size fits all. Use a macro calculator, such as IIFYM.com and use that to determine your macros and how many calories you should be eating. But again, everyone is different so after following it for a few weeks, you might need to make some changes in order to better reach your goals.0
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BridgetHarrington wrote: »I thought that it wasn't enough myself...but I've been losing 3-5lbs a week on it. For comparison, I'm 48, 5'7," 168 pounds, lightly active (mostly sedentary with some activity here and there) and I am trying to get to 150-155. It depends on your diet, but I fill up on cauliflower, broccoli, eggs and squash (use salsa and hot sauce as condiments), throw in lean chicken, beef or fish a few times a week, occasionally snack on low-fat cheese crackers (150 calories for 25) and don't feel hungry too often outside of mealtime.
I figure I'll get to where I want to be and then just maintain. The calories to maintain my goal size are around 1500.
If you're losing 3-5lbs per week at your size @BridgetHarrington then i can almost guarantee you'll be losing plenty of muscle along with fat. Retaining muscle at our age is super important, you may not like what you look when you get down to your goal weight, because your body fat compared to muscle will not be at optimum levels. Google "skinny fat".0
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