Should I eat less that 1200 calories?
vesi455
Posts: 10 Member
So I've been using MFP for over 2 months now and I've been doing great so far. I've lost 15 pounds in 2 months! I still have around 30 more pounds I would like to lose but I'm not sure how many calories I should be consuming as I lose weight? I've been eating 1200 calories from the beginning but when I calculated my TDEE and the amount of calories I should be consuming to lose weight on different calculators online, using my starting weight, they showed that I should be eating around 1300 calories to lose weight. So my question is since I've been eating 1200 calories for over 2 months now, as I keep on losing weight, should I reduce my calorie intake in order to keep losing weight and not go into plateau? Btw I'm a 20 year old female, 5'7, 151 pounds.
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Replies
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eat what mfp tells you to.10
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So I've been using MFP for over 2 months now and I've been doing great so far. I've lost 15 pounds in 2 months! I still have around 30 more pounds I would like to lose but I'm not sure how many calories I should be consuming as I lose weight? I've been eating 1200 calories from the beginning but when I calculated my TDEE and the amount of calories I should be consuming to lose weight on different calculators online, using my starting weight, they showed that I should be eating around 1300 calories to lose weight. So my question is since I've been eating 1200 calories for over 2 months now, as I keep on losing weight, should I reduce my calorie intake in order to keep losing weight and not go into plateau? Btw I'm a 20 year old female, 5'7, 151 pounds.
Set MFP to lose 1lb per week, eat that amount. Also eat back exercise cals14 -
Since you are not overweight your rate of loss should probably be more like .5 to 1 lb per week. I would change your MFP settings and slow down.
I would think that MFP would give you something closer to the range of 1300- 1600 calories if you tell it you are sedentary and want to lose at those rates with your stats.
I don't think you need to be eating the absolute minimum recommended calories of 1200 nor should you eat below that minimum.
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Definitely slow down your rate of loss.. set MFP to lose 0.5-1lb (max) per week.
Are you doing any exercise? You want to eat at least some of those back if you are.
Also is there a reason you are aiming for the exact bottom of a healthy weight for your height?11 -
So I've been using MFP for over 2 months now and I've been doing great so far. I've lost 15 pounds in 2 months! I still have around 30 more pounds I would like to lose but I'm not sure how many calories I should be consuming as I lose weight? I've been eating 1200 calories from the beginning but when I calculated my TDEE and the amount of calories I should be consuming to lose weight on different calculators online, using my starting weight, they showed that I should be eating around 1300 calories to lose weight. So my question is since I've been eating 1200 calories for over 2 months now, as I keep on losing weight, should I reduce my calorie intake in order to keep losing weight and not go into plateau? Btw I'm a 20 year old female, 5'7, 151 pounds.
If mfp gave you 1200 cals, that's 1200 +exercise calories. TDEE calculators include exercise already so that's probably the difference.
Having said that, with the only 30 lbs to go, and considering you are aiming for a very lean weight, you should not be losing so fast. You are going to be sacrificing a lot more muscle than you need to. Switch to 1 lb per week, and consider that your goal weight might be a bit lower than you need to go.6 -
HI, I'm new - does that amount change and adjust as you input lower weights?5
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Definitely slow down your rate of loss.. set MFP to lose 0.5-1lb (max) per week.
Are you doing any exercise? You want to eat at least some of those back if you are.
Also is there a reason you are aiming for the exact bottom of a healthy weight for your height?
Aiming for the lowest weight seems poppular around here7 -
No. 1200 is the lowest MFP will ever go, and even then it's not suitable for most people. Unless you're shorter, older, and sedentary, or you have a special medical need to lose faster, there is rarely a reason to eat 1200 calories. Since you only have 30 more to lose, set MFP to lose 0.5 to 1 lb a week and eat what it tells you. If you are also exercising, add that and eat back at least 50% of those calories too.5
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Thank you to everyone who replied. I will set my goal to 0.5 to 1 lb per week like you're advising me to do. As far as exercising goes... I did find a 45 minute workout on YouTube that I did 4 times in one week but that was 2 weeks ago and I did feel bad that I gave up on it. Also sometimes I'm too busy or tired to workout
I really don't like exercising but I know how important it is so I'm definitely going to do the 45 minute workout again, starting this week. And about the weight, losing 30 more pounds isn't set in stone. If I lose 20 more pounds and I feel good and like the way I look I will definitely stop losing weight and start maintaing it 
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So I've been using MFP for over 2 months now and I've been doing great so far. I've lost 15 pounds in 2 months! I still have around 30 more pounds I would like to lose but I'm not sure how many calories I should be consuming as I lose weight? I've been eating 1200 calories from the beginning but when I calculated my TDEE and the amount of calories I should be consuming to lose weight on different calculators online, using my starting weight, they showed that I should be eating around 1300 calories to lose weight. So my question is since I've been eating 1200 calories for over 2 months now, as I keep on losing weight, should I reduce my calorie intake in order to keep losing weight and not go into plateau? Btw I'm a 20 year old female, 5'7, 151 pounds.
5'7" ? NO. 1200 is really more appropriate for petite and/or elderly women who are sedentary.
Accept slower weight loss. But, to make sure you are eating the number of calories you think you are....get a digital food scale if you don't already have one. 1/2 pound a week (recommended) is a 250 calorie deficit. Hard to hit consistently if your logging isn't as accurate as it could be.5 -
Set yourself to lose 0.5 pounds good luck!0
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You are often tired? You may want to consider that 1200 Calories is not a lot of food. You are already within the normal weight range.
The look you may be aiming for MAY or MAY NOT be possible on the basis of just diet and weight control: strength training may also be required...6 -
I lost weight eating 1200 plus exercise calories. I am under 5 feet tall. You're 7 inches taller than I am and 14 years younger; you can eat considerably more than me. You are also in a healthy BMI range. Your goal weight of 120 is the very bottom of your healthy BMI range, and that's not an exaggeration--118 is underweight for your height. I would *very strongly* recommend focusing on strength training to change your appearance, rather than trying to lose that much more weight.22
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singingflutelady wrote: »Definitely slow down your rate of loss.. set MFP to lose 0.5-1lb (max) per week.
Are you doing any exercise? You want to eat at least some of those back if you are.
Also is there a reason you are aiming for the exact bottom of a healthy weight for your height?
Aiming for the lowest weight seems poppular around here
I don't know about that; a lot of us aim to get at or below the highest healthy weight - a BMI under 25 and some aim lower, but I rarely see anyone aim for below 20. BMI says you are healthy down to 18.5 but I would argue that few people are at their healthiest below a BMI of 20.1 -
singingflutelady wrote: »Definitely slow down your rate of loss.. set MFP to lose 0.5-1lb (max) per week.
Are you doing any exercise? You want to eat at least some of those back if you are.
Also is there a reason you are aiming for the exact bottom of a healthy weight for your height?
Aiming for the lowest weight seems poppular around here
I've noticed this a lot lately too. Specifically women who are 5'7" which stands out to me because that is my height. I've seen a lot weighing or Making their goal 120-130 tops. I can't even imagine going that low, granted I lift weights, but I am aiming for 155, possibly 150.
OP, eat the 1300 that it told you to eat at the minimum, plus exercise/activity calories. .5-1 pound a week is more than enough as you are already at a healthy weight for your height. What is your goal? To be very thin? Are you not happy with your shape? Is losing more going to get you where you want to be? These are things to take into account.1 -
Thank you to everyone who replied. I will set my goal to 0.5 to 1 lb per week like you're advising me to do. As far as exercising goes... I did find a 45 minute workout on YouTube that I did 4 times in one week but that was 2 weeks ago and I did feel bad that I gave up on it. Also sometimes I'm too busy or tired to workout I really don't like exercising but I know how important it is so I'm definitely going to do the 45 minute workout again, starting this week. And about the weight, losing 30 more pounds isn't set in stone. If I lose 20 more pounds and I feel good and like the way I look I will definitely stop losing weight and start maintaing it
The most important thing about any workout is that it has to be something you don't hate, so you will keep doing it for the rest of your life. It sounds like you sort of hate this one, so it may not be the best plan for you. Are there any physical activities you really enjoy? Walking outside, swimming, cycling, running, sports, dancing? Also, depending on what you are doing and how hard you are doing it, 45 minutes at a time may not be necessary for you. A 10 minute workout you will do and stick to it is better than a 45 minute one you dread and never do.
Try to get in cardio at least 3 times a week and strength training at least 2 times a week, for your health and to earn a few more calories, but you can do anything you enjoy to achieve that.2 -
melissa6771 wrote: »singingflutelady wrote: »Definitely slow down your rate of loss.. set MFP to lose 0.5-1lb (max) per week.
Are you doing any exercise? You want to eat at least some of those back if you are.
Also is there a reason you are aiming for the exact bottom of a healthy weight for your height?
Aiming for the lowest weight seems poppular around here
I've noticed this a lot lately too. Specifically women who are 5'7" which stands out to me because that is my height. I've seen a lot weighing or Making their goal 120-130 tops. I can't even imagine going that low, granted I lift weights, but I am aiming for 155, possibly 150.
OP, eat the 1300 that it told you to eat at the minimum, plus exercise/activity calories. .5-1 pound a week is more than enough as you are already at a healthy weight for your height. What is your goal? To be very thin? Are you not happy with your shape? Is losing more going to get you where you want to be? These are things to take into account.
I'm 5'7" and 150 lbs right now. That is too heavy for me (although I don't look like a large person by any means). I'm 54 years old and for most of my life at 5'7" I naturally weighed (without trying) anywhere between 125 and 141 lbs. That crept up to closer to 160 lbs as I got older and more sedentary. I've never been a muscular person and have a very small frame. I'm happy enough at about 145 lbs, but I actually look best at the 130-140 range.1 -
If you don't eat enough then your body will go into starvation mode and will store fat and make it very difficult to loose.
1200 is really low considering a normal (non diet) allowance for sedentary woman is 1600-2000.
1300-1500 is better I would say.
If you're really not sure go and ask a nutritionist.
1200 is low. You don't want to get ill.30 -
If you don't eat enough then your body will go into starvation mode and will store fat and make it very difficult to loose.
1200 is really low considering a normal (non diet) allowance for sedentary woman is 1600-2000.
1300-1500 is better I would say.
If you're really not sure go and ask a nutritionist.
1200 is low. You don't want to get ill.
nope, starvation mode isn't a thing...adaptive thermogenesis is, but that takes months of prolonged undereating to cause an effect7 -
Thank you to everyone who replied. I will set my goal to 0.5 to 1 lb per week like you're advising me to do. As far as exercising goes... I did find a 45 minute workout on YouTube that I did 4 times in one week but that was 2 weeks ago and I did feel bad that I gave up on it. Also sometimes I'm too busy or tired to workout I really don't like exercising but I know how important it is so I'm definitely going to do the 45 minute workout again, starting this week. And about the weight, losing 30 more pounds isn't set in stone. If I lose 20 more pounds and I feel good and like the way I look I will definitely stop losing weight and start maintaing it
You might find your energy improves once you adjust your goals and you are eating a bit more.
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If you don't eat enough then your body will go into starvation mode and will store fat and make it very difficult to loose.
1200 is really low considering a normal (non diet) allowance for sedentary woman is 1600-2000.
1300-1500 is better I would say.
If you're really not sure go and ask a nutritionist.
1200 is low. You don't want to get ill.
@deannalfisher addressed the "starvation mode" myth. I want to point out there is no such thing as a "normal" allowance for any woman. It depends on height, weight, age and goals among other things.6 -
If you're "too tired" to work out at 20 years old, then you probably aren't eating enough.
Eat a little more. And for exercise? Even going for a 30 minute walk is enough sometimes.3 -
I would like to point out that what I meant by "being too tired sometimes" doesn't have anything to do with eating or the amount of food that I'm consuming. I meant that some days I get home late from university and the last thing I want to do is work out ( I should have mentioned this), plus I'm quite lazy when it comes to working out since I honestly don't enjoy it lol. I have never felt hungry at 1200 calories but I did change my goals and now my calories are 1320. Also, I'm going to look into strength training like a lot of you guys mentioned, hopefully, I can finally find a workout that I like and not give up on. I do try to walk a lot because I enjoy it. Today I have taken over 10000 steps but unfortunately some days I just don't have anywhere to go or I have to study for exams. This is why I want to add some exercise into my life.0
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If you are 5'7" and 151, you are already in a healthy weight range. Aiming for anything more than .5lb per week loss is too aggressive. Your age gives you an advantage of probably having a higher maintenance calories, barring any form of metabolic problems.
You would probably benefit more from recomposition and slow weight loss than aggressive calorie restriction.4 -
If it's working, stick with it.1
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Glad you are going to eat 1320 calories instead of 1200. You'll continue to lose weight, and it's a healthier rate at which to do so. You don't want to lose the muscle mass that is possible with very rapid weight loss.0
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