1200 Calorie Diet???? Seriously???

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  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
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    paperpudding wrote: »
    Incidentally now that exercise has been mentioned in the last page of posts - it is relevant to note that even this 1200 when it is appropriate, is 1200 NET - ie those people should still be eating more by the time they eat back at least some of the excercise calories - unless they are not doing any excercise at all.

    Excellent point! When I was working a desk job with a 4 hour commute, I lost a little under half a pound a week on 1200 calories. As soon as I retired and got even minimally more active, my calorie requirement increased, to the point where I'm now in maintenance toward the bottom of a healthy BMI and average about 1800 calories to maintain, with generally moderate activity.
  • amy19355
    amy19355 Posts: 805 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    me0231 wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »

    Did you see that the primary person now being responded to is a guy? Do you think you and a larger guy should be eating the same amount of calories?

    This always gets me on this forum. It's like 1200 is the magical line that somehow applies to all women. Why is it clear that a guy, who is bigger and heavier, should be eating more but a woman, whether she's 350lbs or 150lbs, has a cut off of 1200? How does that make sense? According to this logic a 150lbs guy needs to eat a minimum of 1500 but a 350lbs woman can eat a minimum of 1200o with no ill effects?

    And just to state the obvious I'm not saying someone should or should not eat 1200 calories, just that it can't be a hard cut off for any weight just based on gender.

    I'm confused. Are you saying it's wrong to tell a healthy adult man that 1200 cals is too low? Or are you saying it's wrong to say that 1200 cals is too low for most women?

    I believe the poster is saying that without knowing the height of a person, and maybe also their age, it's inaccurate to say that all men or all women require a the same specific calorie intake.

    5'1 and 5'8 carry 150 pounds very differently, and their individual calorie requirements are not going to be the same. period.

  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,986 Member
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    My own real life example n =1 - was then 50 years old, 5ft 3 in and lightly active - I lost weight to my goal in 10 months on NET of 1460.

    Sure, there are women who are older, shorter , less active than me and maybe need couple of hundred calories less than that - but I was toward lower end of all 3 criteria and that was the target MFP gave me which I found did work.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    etherealanwar wrote: »
    It's not for anyone else but the person (in this case a woman) to decide if 1200 works for them or not. If they notice they are fatigued and have difficulty sticking to this amount then it would not be appropriate but if they can get in all the nutrients they need and function fine on it then they should be left alone. Pointing this out is fine but saying only OLDER, small women should be on 1200 is over generalizing. Taller women may face more difficulty because they have a higher BMR on the other hand but ultimately its up to the person to decide.

    I have to say that fatigue may take awhile to show up for some people. I know that Im 5'6 1/2 and my bmr is 1272(yes you read that correctly) and I cannot eat 1200 calories, even if Im sedentary its too little for me. so just because a woman is taller doesnt mean her BMR is going to be higher. it will depend on the person of course but most BMRs that I have noted other people stated they have are at least 1400 calories or more. not many say their BMR is lower than that even many of the very short women.

    as for 1200 calories if your BMR is more than 1200 calories then you would be eating less than your BMR,which if you dont have a lot of weight to lose or a lot of fat then its not adviseable. if you are obese and you eat under your BMR for a short time it may be safe to do since they have excess fat stores to do it with(not saying people should do that anyway) to lose weight you eat less than your TDEE not BMR. so for many to eat under their BMR is not a good idea. so no for many 1200 will be too little. especially if they have an active job/lifestyle.The 1200 minimum is set for sedentary,elderly or very short women or a combo on many sites and not just this one.most health sites will recommend that most women not eat under 1200 calories.
  • KatyCSTinPNW
    KatyCSTinPNW Posts: 28 Member
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    Ugh. Seriously. I am losing weight just fine and am happy. I literally can’t drink water constantly (work). I know that I love ice cream and pizza and refuse to give those up. (In fact I’m pescatarian, yet I don’t preach it to others—to each their own). Just recently I updated my goals and current weight. MFP set me at at little more than 1200.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,986 Member
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    Katy what are your current stats and how long have you been doing this and what lb per week did you set MFP to?
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,986 Member
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    Plus 2 serves of dark chocolate.. just over 1000 calories.. that’s what I ate yesterday. I am often between 850 and 1200 I blow out when I add wine... have lost 7kgs over the last 9 weeks . Still have 15 to go but this is working and I’m not starving...

    Well, yes, it is working in terms of you losing weight - I dont think anyone disputes that a low calorie diet over time will result in weight loss.

    But it isnt healthy over the long term and i dont think the loss rate of nearly a kg (2lb) per week is healthy for someone with only 15 kg to lose.

    FYI - MFP T+C's also prevent the promotion of VLCD's
  • KatyCSTinPNW
    KatyCSTinPNW Posts: 28 Member
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    paperpudding wrote: »
    Katy what are your current stats and how long have you been doing this and what lb per week did you set MFP to?

    Started in May at 167. Wasn’t really sure what I was doing at first but eventually set 1lb/week. In September I purposely went into maintenance (for my wedding). Started back in October again 1lb/week.

    Just the other day reset at current weight of 140 (138 today) and changed my goal to 135. MFP set me to 1340. (Sorry guess it’s not down to 1200 but fairly close).
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,986 Member
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    KatyCSTinPNW wrote: »
    paperpudding wrote: »
    Katy what are your current stats and how long have you been doing this and what lb per week did you set MFP to?

    Started in May at 167. Wasn’t really sure what I was doing at first but eventually set 1lb/week. In September I purposely went into maintenance (for my wedding). Started back in October again 1lb/week.

    Just the other day reset at current weight of 140 (138 today) and changed my goal to 135. MFP set me to 1340. (Sorry guess it’s not down to 1200 but fairly close).


    Ok, so without knowing your height, is still bit hard to comment.

    But presuming you are of average-ish height, then you are not far off an ideal BMI, if not already in the range.

    You probably should be setting a rate of 1/2 lb per week now - if you are shortish then 1340 may be right.
    That is NET - ie before eating back any excercise calories.

    For comparison, I am 5 ft 3 in and I was on 1460 to lose at 1/2 lb per week although I am older than you ( presuming your avatar is you.)

  • dragon_girl26
    dragon_girl26 Posts: 2,187 Member
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    quiksylver296 wrote: »
    pinuplove wrote: »
    middlehaitch wrote: »
    I'm reading @me0231's question as-
    Why do men get a higher minimum, 1500, than women, 1200, even if they weigh equal or less than a woman at the same height.

    The answer, as far as I know, is that men have a higher BMR, in general, due to a larger muscle mass. Bone density and testosterone probably come into play somewhere too.

    Cheers, h.

    Also, I don't know many (any, personally) men my height of 5'2. Smaller doesn't just mean lighter at the same height (I know you know this :wink: just clarifying for the peanut gallery). IMO it's probably never ideal for a 5'8 woman to eat 1200 either.

    At 5'9", I can confirm that 1200 calories is never my friend...

    Even at my shorter 5'5", I can also confirm that 1200 is not my friend.
  • MoveitlikeManda
    MoveitlikeManda Posts: 846 Member
    edited November 2018
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    bygblu21 wrote: »
    I'm fairly new to this forum and am really surprised at how many people on here are starving themselves to lose weight. Weight loss is not a sprint its a marathon. Its something that should happen over time, not within a few weeks. Weight loss is more than just limiting your caloric intake. Its a combination of eating clean and healthy ( I hate the word diet) and exercising on a daily basis. Starving yourself is not a healthy way to lose weight and by limiting your caloric intake to 1200 or so calories is doing just that. Not only is it unhealthy, but its a process that you will never stick to because its not natural and uncomfortable to do. So lets be serious and talk about how to lose weight realistically.

    I would first ask yourself, "why do I want to lose weight?' Is it for appearance? Is it to be more healthy? Is it to be able to make it up that flight of steps without getting tired? Once you understand your own reasoning you can then move forward and begin your weight loss journey, because after all that's what it should be, a journey not a short trip. Once you've realized your goal and the reason for it you need to make the biggest decision of all, and that's to commit to yourself and commit to achieving your goal of losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle.

    So now you've made the decision to put your health first; now what? Lets start with your eating habits. What do you eat? When do you eat it? and how often are you eating? Your body is a very complex machine but by following some simple rules about eating, you can have it running very efficiently. Follow these few simple rules and you'll see and feel the difference in your energy level.
    -Start every day with an 8oz. glass of lemon water
    -Monitor your portions- you should be eating small portion meals throughout the day rather than one, two or three large portioned meals a day
    -Drink water, all day long
    -Focus on lean proteins like chicken, turkey, salmon etc. and I don't mean processed cold-cuts...
    -Focus on eating fresh vegetables, steamed when possible
    -Limit unnecessary condiments i.e. mayonnaise, oils, salt etc.
    -Limit, but don't restrict carbohydrates. Complex carbs are needed by your body
    -Dairy is ok but in limited portions and should be kept to low fat dairy. Greek yogurt is a good choice.
    -Fresh fruit should be kept to 1 or 2 pieces a day. Its high in sugar and you should be limiting your sugar

    This si just a guide to go by. Your food intake should be directly related to your physical activity. Exercise is key but that's a whole other topic....

    erm, ok :D:D:D

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