1200cals is this not too low? Thoughts?! Please add me!

How tall are you and what do you currently weigh? Did you set your weight loss goal to 2lb per week?

I'm confused. 1200 or 2000? 1200 might be too low or not depending on your activity. I'd like to lose 18 lbs too, for example, but I'd be completely starving on 1200 as I typically burn 2200 on a normal day (average 15k steps).

Try both, I would bet you’ll fall in the middle. Weight lost should dictate calories, Aim for 2 lbs a week. If you lose more than 2 lbs, increase 100 calories. If you don’t lose, decrease by 100. I start at 2k and lose 2-3 lbs/week. After 6 months or so, I’ll drop to 1750 to maintain 2 lb lost.

foreverlivingkatie wrote: »

My PT says you should stick too 2000 as any less and your body will start storing fat not losing? I’m new to this and want to lose 18lbs. Any help or tips gratefully received!

Your body doesn't store fat if you eat too little. Unfortunately many PTs know nothing about nutrition.

With ony 18 lbs to lose, you should set your goal to no more than 1 lb per week. Put in your stats and MFP will give you a calorie goal. Log your exercise and eat at least some of this calories back. Log accurately and consistently, choosing the database entries carefully (as many have been incorrectly entered by users). Get training guidance from your PT if you want, but ignore their diet advise. I am 5'4 and 130 lbs lightly active, and I would gain a lb or two a month eating 2000 cals. I lost weight eating @1500 cals.

If you can hone in on your hunger cues, you will know the right amount of calories you can eat to gain, maintain or lose. Every body is different.

AudreyJDuke wrote: »

If you can hone in on your hunger cues, you will know the right amount of calories you can eat to gain, maintain or lose. Every body is different.

That works for some people, and works with practice for some more, but it's not always true for everyone.

A lot of times, people in the 'honeymoon' phase of weight loss post something along the lines of, "1200 calories is too many. Do I really have to keep eating if I feel full at 900?" Chalk it up to being highly-motivated at the outset, eating foods that are more satiating, drinking more water, etc.

In my case, I eat at a moderate deficit and generally walk about 2 hours a day and strength-train three days a week. Two months ago, I had surgery. On medical orders, I was forbidden to lift more than three pounds for a couple of weeks. And, because I had a catheter bag for the first five days, I didn't want to leave the house. (I was worried about the bag showing and I was worried about the need to check discreetly whether it needed draining.) Now, I had MFP set up for me to lose 1lb a week prior to the surgery. I was eating back half my exercise calories. After the surgery, I reset it to 1/2-lb. I figured, even though I couldn't exercise, I also wouldn't need the extra calories because there was no workout to fuel. And, for the first time in nearly a year, hunger was big problem for me. Okay, it was only for those five days, until I could start walking again, but it was the only time that I found it hard to stick to the program.

It's not exactly news to me that exercise helps reduce my hunger pangs (within reason! Like I said, I eat back half my calories to fuel those workouts). But I hadn't expected such a dramatic difference when I had to go five days without it. But for those five days, my hunger cues were pretty unreliable.

Your PT is wrong. Commenters saying that 1200 is never appropriate for anyone are also wrong.

1200 is the minimum number of calories recommended for women. It is appropriate for a small group of people (no pun intended), such as very short women. I am less than 5 feet tall and I lost weight eating 1200 calories plus exercise calories.

MFP, however, gives most women the minimum 1200 calories if they put in a weight loss pace of 2 lb. per week. However, if you aren't in that "very short" category, you can likely lose weight at a slower pace by eating more than 1200. Try calculating your calorie goals with a 1 lb. per week weight loss instead.

Have we toyed with the idea that perhaps
1. The OP misunderstood their PT or that
2. Perhaps the PT told them something to the tune of that but for a reason. If the OP is doing really strenuous workouts, 1200 isn't going to be enough to sate them. I tried doing 1200 and started to see a PT. And my PT was right, 1200 is too low if I was to continue to work out at the level I was and stay healthy. 1200 is for short/sedentary/senior individuals and not appropriate for an average woman who works out.

OP, my suggestion is if your are concerned about the advice given to you, speak to another professional. Find a RD instead of your PT to discuss your workout regime and diet.

kimny72 wrote: »

I don't understand why people are suggesting OP pick a random number in between and try it. We are literally on a website that figures out a good starting point for you, you don't have to guess.

OP no doubt got 1200 calories because she chose 2 lbs per week which is too aggressive. If she chooses a realistic pace and adds her exercise calories on top of her goal, I'm sure mfp will have her eating more than 1200. Maybe even closer to 2000. Then she can tweak based on results. No need to guess.

Yes to all of this.

I also am skeptical of a PT that makes blanket statements with incorrect information and suggest you ask your PT to focus on the fitness aspect and stay away from the nutritional/calorie portion of your program.