1200 cal?

mmstgr
mmstgr Posts: 578 Member
edited September 30 in Health and Weight Loss
Why is it that I see so many people stating that their calories for the day is 1200?
Very plain and simple. "Out of my 1200 for yesterday..."
It's like everyone is on the same scale. I never see "blah blah blah 1400" or "1700".
Just wondering why so many 1200's?
1200 seems very low to me as well for anyone to be living off of. The calculator on this site gave me a much higher number to go from.
Just confused is all :/

Replies

  • plantgrrl
    plantgrrl Posts: 436 Member
    I wish the base for the food thing just used your calculated BMR (since they have a BMR calculator on the site) but the base calories for the day is 1200. I've heard Dr. and Nutritionists say that you should not eat less then 1200 calories per day to maintain your health. So that's probably why it does that.

    I just use the BMR calculator under tools to know my base calories and ignore the 1200. :)

    Hope this makes sense.
  • vulrich93
    vulrich93 Posts: 99
    Mine is at 1200 cal, but that's because I have a sedentary full-time job and started at a healthy weight range, just looking to tone up. I exercise daily so my caloric intake goes up to around 1500 (you can look at my diaries).

    Oh, and I picked 1 pound per week for weight loss. But it said something like 0.9 lbs per week.
  • emmaleigh47
    emmaleigh47 Posts: 1,670 Member
    Thats because alot of people pick 2 pounds to lose per week (which is not likely realistic) and MFP will not allow someone to go below 1200 ... most people would do much better if they actually ate a little bit (or in some cases) alot more.

    I eat 2200 to 2400 calories per day :)
  • AnotherMichelle
    AnotherMichelle Posts: 110 Member
    Yep- I second Vulrich's comment. Mine is at 1200 but Im on my feet all day and also have a toddler so when im not working,... im working. Plus I work out daily so my calories go up from that. Usually around 1700 or so. And it works for me.
  • AnotherMichelle
    AnotherMichelle Posts: 110 Member
    Thats because alot of people pick 2 pounds to lose per week (which is not likely realistic) and MFP will not allow someone to go below 1200 ... most people would do much better if they actually ate a little bit (or in some cases) alot more.

    I eat 2200 to 2400 calories per day :)

    How is 2lbs a week not realistic?
  • DaveShoreshe
    DaveShoreshe Posts: 20
    I agree with emma... people sometimes set unrealistic goals for themselves. It's unfortunate because your body DOES need calories. I am at 1540, but with my daily exercise, I take in about 1800+ calories.
  • Sporty98
    Sporty98 Posts: 320 Member
    The actual number of calories that your body needs is very individual.....You may not need the same number as I do, or as some other MFP contact. There is a lot of info out there that says 1200 is the "base" that all adults need each day.....Truth is: Everyone is different!

    How could the same number of calories for all people be the same!? That's like saying there's only one way to lose weight, or that everyone should eat the same food! My husband weighs almost twice what I do.....How could he and I have the same caloric requirement?

    You need to find the number that works for you. My calorie requirement is low. I found that out by counting calories....AND, for me, when I eat 1200 calories a day, I will gain weight! I set my goal for each day at 1000, but I rarely meet that. Many people have criticized that I eat so little.....But, I know what works for me. You should do some trial and error, and find what works for you! (I have a sister who can eat WAY more than me on a daily basis and she's never had a weight issue! Grrrrr!)
  • srf508
    srf508 Posts: 3 Member
    Because you really can't get much nutrition under 1200 calories, the site won't recommend less than that. So if you say you want to lose several pounds a week, the recommendation bottoms out at 1200. That is what was recommended to me, but I agree that it is too low, so I eat more, especially on work out days. I think it is a terrible idea to eat so little when you're exercising regularly, but I also think it isn't a good idea to skip regular exercise.
  • emmaleigh47
    emmaleigh47 Posts: 1,670 Member
    Thats because alot of people pick 2 pounds to lose per week (which is not likely realistic) and MFP will not allow someone to go below 1200 ... most people would do much better if they actually ate a little bit (or in some cases) alot more.

    I eat 2200 to 2400 calories per day :)

    How is 2lbs a week not realistic?

    Because for alot of people who choose to pick 2 pounds per week means that MFP recommends them to eat under their BMR which is really not possible. Multiple studies have shown that the slower you lose your weight, the more likely you are to maintain it. Other studies have shown that losing more than 1% of your body weight per week is not associated with prolonged weight loss.

    Thus, using those two things... that is why I think it is unrealistic unless you have alot of weight to lose.
  • Edithrenee
    Edithrenee Posts: 546 Member
    Mine was calulated at 1200 because im short. I think that is why alot of people have 1200. Short people dont need as many i supose, if you exercse regularly then it gives me more calories and i love it cuz i love food. hmm may be why i needed to be on the site lol.
  • melibea
    melibea Posts: 228
    Well, my basal metabolic rate IS itself around 1200 calories. And my lifestyle is very sedentary so I don't really burn much more than my BMR. I do eat my exercise calories when I do work out. But if I ate 1700 calories (net) I would gain weight... and that's not what I want :\

    I guess that is because I'm short and I'm already at a healthy weight.
  • junipuni
    junipuni Posts: 264 Member
    I do think that it is because a lot of people want to lose the most amount of weight in the least amount of time and by picking the highest goal their calorie count is as low as it will allow.

    I know that was me until I realized that it just wasn't going ot work for me and eating more and focusing on the specifics (carbs/fat/protein, etc.) was more influentual in my weight loss efforts than just eating the bare minimum amount of calories.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
    I am SO TIRED of people on this site judging others. Just because 1200 is not right for YOU, does not mean that it is not right for someone else. Saying no one can live off of 1200 calories per day is beyond ridiculous. I am 5 feet tall. I wear children's size shoes. if I eat any more than 1200 calories per day, I GAIN WEIGHT. And no, it is not because my metabolism is slow. I am JUST SMALLER THAN YOU. I will not suddenly go into "starvation mode" and neither will many other people. Just because this site gives you a higher number, does not mean that everyone else is given the same number and is simply being "unrealistic" by setting their caloric goals to 1200. That might be unrealistic for you, but how dare you start judging others solely based on your needs.
  • aldrmctchr
    aldrmctchr Posts: 19 Member
    Shoot mine says I can have 2432 calories! In the past two weeks doing that or lower I have lost 11 pounds so - i am avg height, but very heavy too, so..
  • prettyash76
    prettyash76 Posts: 117
    I get 1332 but im 6 feet
  • grrrlface
    grrrlface Posts: 1,204 Member
    Mine is 1200 & my BMR is 1200. Even having balanced meals I find it very difficult now to eat more than 1200cals a day. When I exercise I get more but I generally don't eat them because if I do I will gain weight. I'm very short and do very little exercise so I just don't need more. I am losing weight quite steadily with what I am doing at the moment. :)
  • mmstgr
    mmstgr Posts: 578 Member
    I am SO TIRED of people on this site judging others. Just because 1200 is not right for YOU, does not mean that it is not right for someone else. Saying no one can live off of 1200 calories per day is beyond ridiculous. I am 5 feet tall. I wear children's size shoes. if I eat any more than 1200 calories per day, I GAIN WEIGHT. And no, it is not because my metabolism is slow. I am JUST SMALLER THAN YOU. I will not suddenly go into "starvation mode" and neither will many other people. Just because this site gives you a higher number, does not mean that everyone else is given the same number and is simply being "unrealistic" by setting their caloric goals to 1200. That might be unrealistic for you, but how dare you start judging others solely based on your needs.

    Geesh, I truly did not intend to offend anyone.
    I'm new here, and just going by things I've "heard" I just thought it seemed low. And that I had seen so many people using the same number, I thought maybe I was doing something wrong :/
  • 1_up
    1_up Posts: 1,414 Member
    I aim for 1700+ because MFP allows me to have 2070 calories with a 1 lb a week loss. If i eat the 2070 that's fine, but I also read a article that 1200 may be a good setting for some people, but for me its better to have 1600+ (good amount of protein) to maintain the muscle I have as I lose some of the bad weight.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Thats because alot of people pick 2 pounds to lose per week (which is not likely realistic) and MFP will not allow someone to go below 1200 ... most people would do much better if they actually ate a little bit (or in some cases) alot more.

    I eat 2200 to 2400 calories per day :)

    this exactly. I don't understand why some many people try to eat the bare minimum. If I can eat a good deal more and still lose weight (even if it's a little slower), I chose the eat more option.
  • Bsp120167
    Bsp120167 Posts: 68 Member
    I think MFP is a little cookie cutter with the calories, but having said that I am on 1200 a day. I started out at 1300 but when I lost 15 lbs MFP adjusted my calories down. I do work out daily and that give me an extra 500 - 600 calories I can eat. I try to eat my exercise calories because MFP has already calculated a calorie deficit. At the end of the day I am somewhere around 1500 to 1600 calories total when I include my exercise calories. I actually have a hard time eating all those calories sometimes because of my schedule.
  • kspirit
    kspirit Posts: 61 Member
    I am at 1400 calories but usually eat about 1500 calories. I am losing weight but it's slow. I will take slow because it's more realistic and I feel that my body likes it. I am not willing to starve myself. This is about healthy weight loss and a life style change that I feel I am learning to do. It feels great.
    I also believe it depends on your age, sex, activity level and current weight that plays a major factor on the amount of calories one needs to either maintain, lose or gain weight.
    Keep up your good work and remember to do what is best for your body and don't worry about what others are doing. We are all our own unique individual and what works for others might not be good for you.
  • msstillion79
    msstillion79 Posts: 142
    Mine is set at 1200 cause that is what my dietian said to i am 279 lbs and am a nurses aid and i mother of three well only two of them are active wonderful kids so i am active and i also have diabetes so she said with that amount of calories a day and 135 daily carbs i will reach my weight loss goal in a year and my body doesnt need that much to burn what i have stored i have to stay at that i cant go under 1200 I think everyone is differant the best thing i think is to ask ur docter or see a dietian if u can remember the food u do put in ur body is just fuel thats it just like ur car if u dont give it anything it will not move for very long . hope that helps take care :drinker: :happy:
  • vitaminquartet
    vitaminquartet Posts: 3
    There is no scientifically valid reason why 1200 calories a day should be a universal bottom limit for calorie consumption. It is a common medical recommendation but like, sadly, too many recommendations, it is not a scientific one. It is meant to be right for most people, and notably, to discourage eating disorders and crash diets that are typically unsustainable. It is certainly possible however to have a slower metabolism where 1200 calories a day does not represent a recommended 500 calorie deficit - it is even possible for 1200 calories a day to exceed some people's caloric needs if again their metabolism is unusually low and they have a sedentary lifestyle. Treating 1200 as a magic number is just a dogma and frankly misinformation.

    Similarly while eating below a certain optimal amount may lead to a reduced metabolic rate the belief that this 'starvation mode' can actually *prevent* weight loss is a complete myth. People eating at such rates continue to lose weight, and they lose weight more quickly in absolute terms than if they ate more - but with diminishing returns. The real problem is not that it will prevent weightloss but that it can prompt compensatory overeating after people stop, and that such overeating is especially damaging given the lower metabolic rate.
  • RoseBlanc
    RoseBlanc Posts: 140
    Thats because alot of people pick 2 pounds to lose per week (which is not likely realistic) and MFP will not allow someone to go below 1200 ... most people would do much better if they actually ate a little bit (or in some cases) alot more.

    I eat 2200 to 2400 calories per day :)

    How is 2lbs a week not realistic?

    Because for alot of people who choose to pick 2 pounds per week means that MFP recommends them to eat under their BMR which is really not possible. Multiple studies have shown that the slower you lose your weight, the more likely you are to maintain it. Other studies have shown that losing more than 1% of your body weight per week is not associated with prolonged weight loss.

    Thus, using those two things... that is why I think it is unrealistic unless you have alot of weight to lose.

    I eat 1200-1500, burn 222 a day, and I'm losing 2 pounds a week without trying. I'm not deprived, tired, or weak. I complete my workouts, and I don't feel hungry between meals (except in the afternoons, so a snack is always ready.)
    I don't think its unrealistic. I've always aimed for 2 pounds a week.. and I've always achieved it.
    I'm also 5'5'' and 134 currently.
    Been anywhere from 108-156.6 ... always been able to successfully, and safely lose two pounds a week. Its when I eat unhealthy foods and stop working out that I have problems lol.
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