MyFitnessPal's 1200 calorie daily intake - too low?

Natasha7t2
Natasha7t2 Posts: 129
edited September 30 in Health and Weight Loss
I believe 1200 calories is way too low and not great for long-term weight loss especially if you are working out 2-4 times a week.

You should consume 1200 calories for 2 weeks ONLY, and then increase to 1500 calories thereafter or your body thinks it's going into starvation mode and weight loss will not be efficient. You may lose a lot of weight quickly, but when you've achieved your goal weight and increase your calorific intake, you're likely to put the weight back on fast and your body and metabolism will be out of kilter.

Any thoughts about this?

Replies

  • Lauren38570
    Lauren38570 Posts: 239
    I shoot for 1200 but use my excercise calories to fall back on if I need to =)
  • SimplyDeLish
    SimplyDeLish Posts: 539
    Most doctors and nutritionists that I have spoken with are happy with the 1200 calories a day at a minimum. However, like anything else, we all have to listen to our own bodies and do what is best for us.
  • jkcools
    jkcools Posts: 66
    Mine also have me at 1200 a day; and Ima dude; but I'm older now too, so not sure what to think, Im going with it right now.
  • MissingMyOldSelf
    MissingMyOldSelf Posts: 689 Member
    There's some days I'd totally agree, and those days are the hungry days, where I can't stop wanting to just eat and eat.... and then there's some days where I think 1200 is too much and I'm just not hungry. (I have a little bit of ice cream just to get my calories in, though...)

    But thanks for the post! I didn't know that you should up your intake! that's very interesting!
  • mikihainesy
    mikihainesy Posts: 98
    maybe that depends on what weight you are to begin with ??? I don't know but it's working so far and I eat back my exercise cals, which works out quite a bit
  • Natasha7t2
    Natasha7t2 Posts: 129
    Most doctors and nutritionists that I have spoken with are happy with the 1200 calories a day at a minimum. However, like anything else, we all have to listen to our own bodies and do what is best for us.

    I wonder if it depends how much you have to lose?
  • clrrrr
    clrrrr Posts: 261 Member
    I kind of agree...I was at 1200 for the first six weeks or so of using MFP and it wasn't doing it for me. I was hungry if I didn't exercise to earn extra calories. Now I'm at 1440 and it's way better for me in terms of hunger/not being grumpy all the time and (so far, it's been less than a week) I actually feel like it's working better anyway. But yeah, I'd say this is a definite "listen to your body" situation.
  • leix
    leix Posts: 176
    Pro/Cons to it.

    1200 works for limited times for me, but more intake with 6 days cardio works out even better.
  • Natasha7t2
    Natasha7t2 Posts: 129
    There's some days I'd totally agree, and those days are the hungry days, where I can't stop wanting to just eat and eat.... and then there's some days where I think 1200 is too much and I'm just not hungry. (I have a little bit of ice cream just to get my calories in, though...)

    But thanks for the post! I didn't know that you should up your intake! that's very interesting!

    To be honest, I'm a bit confused about it! I don't think MFP would be stupid enough to recommend a calorie intake that was unsafe.
    I'm similar to you! about the hungry vs. not hungry days!

    3 years ago I lost 56 lbs by increasing my calories from 1000 calories for the first 2 weeks to 1500 thereafter. It was a very steady weight-loss of 2lbs per week (I was going to the gym 3-4 times a week).

    Thanks for sharing your pov :)
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I think everyone's different and their body needs a different number of calories.

    i started at 1200, which i found ok. i am now at 1380 as i have reduced my loss to 1/2 a pound per week, which i do like better but i dont feel i was doing anything unhealthy or not getting enough calories at 1200.
  • charliebird
    charliebird Posts: 168 Member
    I found 1200 a day too hard to stick to so I adjusted my goals. I now have 1390 a day and I am losing 2 pounds a week on average. I also eat a large percentage of my exercise calories back.

    I think it really depends on the individual - for some it works!
  • Brendasor1976
    Brendasor1976 Posts: 6
    I discussed this very topic with my doctor on Wednesday and she agrees with you. Never stick to the 1200 kcal for longer than two weeks, then raise it to 1500kcal until you hit a plateau, then up them to 2000kcal for two weeks, dropping once again to 1200kcal repeating the process. This way your bodies metabolism gets a chance to recover and it will start burning Fat again.

    Ideally, you should exercise three times a week too. I've been having trouble losing weight which is why I discussed the topic with her.

    She pointed out that surviving on 1200 kcal a day was like trying to run a car on no petrol........You won't get very far before it stops!!!
  • Ahluvly
    Ahluvly Posts: 389 Member
    I agree, 1200 is way too low. Yes, you will lose weight, how could you not...you're drastically cutting your calories no doubt!

    I entered all my info, goals and it spat out 1200 to me too. I told my trainer at the gym and he said to play about with it. So, I changed from sedentary to active and it then gave me 1410 cals a day. Again, I had a chat with the trainer and he worked out my daily calories himself and he said I should be aiming for around 2300 cals daily as I'm working out 3/4 times a week.

    It's been a massive jump in food to be honest but, a buddy on here suggested I use the following to work out my cals as I was still having a fit about it and whey hey....what do you know, it works out around the same SO, I'm sticking with around 2235 cals a day, I have a review tonight so gonna print out my food & exercise diary and see what the trainer says!

    Enter your details and see what comes out for you....sounds daft but you have to eat to lose weight! If you don't get your daily cals right then you'll just be in a constant state of starvation mode, weight wise and you'll not shif it! I realise that's what I've been going throught he past 2 years! Here's the link....http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/
  • msmith5251s
    msmith5251s Posts: 80
    Mine has me a bit above 1300... sometimes I go over by 200 calories and I feel bad.
    But I am guessing that if I remain below 1700, I shall still notice weight loss.
  • Natasha7t2
    Natasha7t2 Posts: 129
    I discussed this very topic with my doctor on Wednesday and she agrees with you. Never stick to the 1200 kcal for longer than two weeks, then raise it to 1500kcal until you hit a plateau, then up them to 2000kcal for two weeks, dropping once again to 1200kcal repeating the process. This way your bodies metabolism gets a chance to recover and it will start burning Fat again.

    Ideally, you should exercise three times a week too. I've been having trouble losing weight which is why I discussed the topic with her.

    She pointed out that surviving on 1200 kcal a day was like trying to run a car on no petrol........You won't get very far before it stops!!!

    I knew I wasn't going mad!!

    I think you should make this a title post!
  • helloburger
    helloburger Posts: 243 Member
    For me my maintenance calories are around 1500, there fore to lose just half a pound a week I have to cut to 1200, however I am only 5ft 1 !
  • Natasha7t2
    Natasha7t2 Posts: 129
    Also, the reason you should only consume 1000-1200 calories for 2 weeks is because it acts as a 'kick-start' to your motabolism.
  • Elleinnz
    Elleinnz Posts: 1,661 Member
    I believe 1200 calories is way too low and not great for long-term weight loss especially if you are working out 2-4 times a week.


    Any thoughts about this?

    Just to clarify - the MFP premise is that you eat your 1200 calories - and then all the calories that you burn when you exercise, so if you work out 2-4 times a week and you burn 300 calories each time you will be eating 1500 calories on those days....
  • cass89
    cass89 Posts: 198 Member
    i think it depends too on what foods you're eating. I aim for 1290 a day and i eat the same amount of food as before...just changing..like rather than BigM chocolate milk or hot chocolate i have hot chocolate you mix with water (47 cals) and yesterday i bought weight watchers two fruits and rather than it being in syrup it's in flavoured water...making the whole thing like 36 calories. I still manage you have cereal with milk, crumpet with jam and a juice for brekky, a yoghurt and nuts for morning tea, a salad sandwich for lunch and afternoon i had some rice crackers and two fruits and for dinner i'm having beef and vegetable pie. i dont get hungry. some days i do and I eat over but not huge amount. i guess everyone is different and what we were eating before we starting counting
  • MrsWibbly
    MrsWibbly Posts: 415 Member
    1200 is the mimimum - not a maximum!! Your intake should depend on your height, current weight and how much you want to lose. If you do daily exercise then you will also have exercise calories to eat back. I am only 5'1" so my BMR given my sedentary 'day job' is only 1560 (thats my maintenance level!!) so 1200 is only 360 calories below that. The thing with calories is quality not quantity.

    If you want to know what is best for you calculate your BMR and go from there.
  • MrsWibbly
    MrsWibbly Posts: 415 Member
    There seem to be loads of responses that are not taking into consideration one of the basic principles of MFP which is that you MUST eat back your exercise calories. So if you burn 750 calories on a day where you work out a lot and your MFP mininum calories is 1200 then you should eat 1950. If you only burn 150 calories on a light day then you should eat 1350. If you don't eat your exercise calories then yes 1200 is too low.

    EAT YOUR EXERCISE CALORIES!!
  • CarolineT82
    CarolineT82 Posts: 71
    I found that I wasn't losing as much as I would have liked when I was religiously sticking to 1200 cals a day, I was probably only losing about 1lb a week max..... this week I've not been as good, I've not been going over by much, but I haven't been sticking to 1200 - and I've lost 2lbs. I was just thinking this morning that perhaps 1200 is too low for me.......
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
    Unless I do zero exercise (which is very rarely) do I stick to 1200 calories.

    I have always eaten back my exercise calories so on average am between 1300 - 1500 cals per day.
  • nextrightthing
    nextrightthing Posts: 408 Member
    bump
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    If you set your daily calories limits to 1200 and don't eat back your exercise calories, you're not using MFP as it's designed.

    MFP will set your daily calories based on your current weight, height, sex and (non exercise) activity level and give you the appropriate calories per day to lose your target amount, which it recommends you set at 1lb a week. For instance when I started it set my calories at around 1600, but when I got lighter it reset them to 1360.

    The activity level you set does NOT include your exercise, so MFP suggests you eat back all or most of your exercise calories. That's why it gives you a running net total, not to make you do difficult sums to stay under some arbitrary amount.
  • lcarter25
    lcarter25 Posts: 286 Member
    I am zig zagging an only on one day do I eat 1200 most days is more
  • Trixtabella
    Trixtabella Posts: 471 Member
    I manage to stick to mine ok, some days I have trouble hitting it and sometimes I may be slightly over. I just try to make a healthier choice so instead of going to Mcdonalds and having burgers ect I will just make my own burgers at home.
  • JoelleMonique
    JoelleMonique Posts: 107
    oh dear, looks like I've been eating too little! I eat 1200 everyday and very seldom eat back my exercise calories :( Will have to make some adjustments. I do feel satified with 1200 calories do I have to force myself to eat?
  • ingeh
    ingeh Posts: 513 Member
    I dont eat back all my exercise calories. I sometimes have around 2-300left at the end of the day. Is that too much? I do however sometimes eat more then the 1200 anyway. If I eat more its usually around 1,300 though. Like Joelle I dont feel hungry enough to eat over 1200
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