1200 Calorie Diet???? Seriously???
Replies
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pandamonium1987 wrote: »1. You do not need to "eat clean." (you can eat a variety of foods, lose weight, and meet nutritional needs)
2. Drink the lemon water if you like the taste, but it will do nothing for weight loss.
3. Meal timing is personal preference.
4. You can eat lunch meat and still lose weight. (and be healthy)
5. You do not have to limit condiments. (if it fits into your day, go for it.)
6. You do not have to limit dairy. (unless you have a medical reason)
7. You do not have to limit fruit. (fruit has numerous nutritional benefits)
8. The only reason somebody should be restricting sugar is because of a medical reason. (sugar is carb, so track that.)
I agree wholeheartedly!
^^^^ yep1 -
paperpudding wrote: »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.)
Not disagreeing but just adding information: I'm also 5'3 and MFP has me at 1380 (with a non sedentary activity level) pre exercise for .5 lb/week. I'm within a healthy BMI, but if I were at sedentary and trying to lose 1 lb/week I'd get 1200 from MFP even above the healthy BMI. I think 1 lb/week is an okay goal even within the healthy range, especially if one is somewhat active, but the key is realizing you can add back in exercise and that most people aren't really sedentary (even pre exercise).
I don't use MFP's goal, but a TDEE based one (that includes estimated exercise).0 -
It's all relative. IOt all depends on what your TDEE is. A 1200 calorie diet really isnt crazy for someone with a TDEE of like 1700. That's only a 500 deficit, which really isn't insane at all.
I feel like this is really just a poorly thought-out / ignorant post made by someone who hasn't done the appropriate google searches.3 -
Eh, it was 2013, olden time people didn't know stuff. ;-)7
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cnewsom1237 wrote: »It's all relative. IOt all depends on what your TDEE is. A 1200 calorie diet really isnt crazy for someone with a TDEE of like 1700. That's only a 500 deficit, which really isn't insane at all.
I feel like this is really just a poorly thought-out / ignorant post made by someone who hasn't done the appropriate google searches.
This depends on how much weight one wants to lose. A 500 calorie per day deficit is a 1 pound per week rate of loss. That's a reasonable pace for some people, but for those who don't have very much to lose, it's overly aggressive.2 -
dragon_girl26 wrote: »quiksylver296 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
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.
5'2 and agree
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1200 calories is appropriate for some based on personal factors such as activity level, age, height... I'm only 5'4.5, sedentary (desk job) and 40 yo. MFP has me set at 1300. My calorie allowance goes down as I lose weight. My goal is 1.5 lbs loss per week. I splurge a bit on weekends though, so I lose about a pound per week instead. It works for me- and I don't feel deprived or starved and my energy levels are great. My digestive issues have gotten better and overall I feel a lot better than I have in YEARS. Down 70.5 lbs and still going strong! Just because it doesn't work for you- doesn't mean it's unhealthy or wrong.
If you're set for 1.5lbs and losing 1 because of splurging on weekends that's really not saying that the 1300 works for you is it? You're eating closer to 1550 per day averaged over the week.
Although you're right that your TDEE will come down as you lose weight, so should your rate of loss.9 -
I’m 5’2.5” and 62 years old. MyFitnessPal has me at 1580 to maintain at 130, according to my Fitbit my TDEE is right around 1700.
I lost quite nicely eating 1400 plus Fitbit step points.4 -
dragon_girl26 wrote: »quiksylver296 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 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.
I'm 5'1" and 56 years old and 1200 isn't my friend because I'm active.
There are real concerns with eating a small amount of food. When I first started dieting, my arthritis was very bad and I hadn't yet worked on strengthening my muscles and joints to have a lot of daily movement. So, being older and short, 1200 calories was appropriate for me.
Saying that, I made sure I was getting adequate protein in my day. That came out to around 100 grams or so. I made sure I was getting adequate fat. That's necessary for hormone health. That came out to around 40-45 grams. Food choice was important to meet these goals and I needed every calorie for it.
Dieters need more protein to preserve lean mass while they're losing weight. The concerns expressed in this thread regarding low calorie levels stem from knowledge gleaned by experienced dieters who know it's not all about how "satisfied" you are and how fast you lose weight. You have to think about the long-term implications of the choices you're making. Also? Satisfaction wanes the closer you get to goal. If you're being overly restrictive, your body has hormones that fight back and make it very hard to keep eating at a steep deficit.
Don't be so quick to lose weight that you forget that the whole point isn't just to get the weight off. It's to learn habits and information that will enable you to keep off the weight you lose. Weight loss and maintenance are a continuum. Think big picture and long term. Don't sacrifice your muscle mass for a short-term goal of seeing the scale go down quickly.10 -
paperpudding wrote: »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.)
I’m 5’4” and 35 yo. I agree and think I’ll adjust to 0.5 lbs/week. I am in a healthy BMI. I actually didn’t have an exact weight goal. I’ve been too skinny before and hated it (110-120lbs). I guessed maybe 130lb but I’m actually pretty comfortable so I adjusted to about 135. Plan to stay in that area +/-5lbs.
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CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »1200 is way too little for a male unless he is an outlier or under the direct care of a dr
And I would happen to be one of those outliers. 5'6" male, early-mid 40s, riddled with health problems from birth. Some health issues under control with meds but some not simply because it's unaffordable without health coverage or a massive income.
Housebound 95% of the time and most days I probably don't take a thousand steps due to widespread pain, joint problems, and fatigue. Yes, I'm under a doctor's care; it was the doc who suggested that I try low carb/keto to see if it would help with some of the autoimmune inflammation and migraines. Yes, it helps with the joint inflammation and the migraines but it hasn't lessened the pain. The fatigue is somewhat better and my brain fog and short term memory issues have lessened.
My next checkup is Tuesday afternoon. I've lost 70 pounds but still have a good 35 - 40 to go. The weight dropped off massively at first but currently only losing about a pound a week. I weigh and log everything accurately. I drink a ton of water. Today I had 1253 calories and I'm absolutely stuffed.
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dragon_girl26 wrote: »quiksylver296 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 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.
I’m debating gnawing my arm off at 1900 cal during cut - down from 2600...I can’t even imagine 12004 -
shelbydodgeguy wrote: »CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »1200 is way too little for a male unless he is an outlier or under the direct care of a dr
And I would happen to be one of those outliers. 5'6" male, early-mid 40s, riddled with health problems from birth. Some health issues under control with meds but some not simply because it's unaffordable without health coverage or a massive income.
Housebound 95% of the time and most days I probably don't take a thousand steps due to widespread pain, joint problems, and fatigue. Yes, I'm under a doctor's care; it was the doc who suggested that I try low carb/keto to see if it would help with some of the autoimmune inflammation and migraines. Yes, it helps with the joint inflammation and the migraines but it hasn't lessened the pain. The fatigue is somewhat better and my brain fog and short term memory issues have lessened.
My next checkup is Tuesday afternoon. I've lost 70 pounds but still have a good 35 - 40 to go. The weight dropped off massively at first but currently only losing about a pound a week. I weigh and log everything accurately. I drink a ton of water. Today I had 1253 calories and I'm absolutely stuffed.
the difference is you are under a drs care. thats the difference. many people are not and no way to know if they are truly outliers or not. some will be but the majority of them will not be in most cases. its good that you mentioned being under the care of a dr so others dont try and do what you are doing on their own(those not under the care of a dr).5 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »This post is a bit patronising. I am short with a petite frame and am for the most part inactive. I lost most of my weight eating around 1200 calories. It took me over a year and a half to lose 57 lbs. That's hardly fast weight loss! I'm currently on 1250 calories, losing weight VERY slowly. It's taken me over a month to lose 2.4 lbs. If I was eating more, I would not lose any weight, but likely gain it.
Just because something works for you, that doesn't mean it will work for the rest of us. It doesn't mean your way is the only right way and the rest of us are doing things wrong.
we arent talking about petite women as women who are very short,elderly.sedentary or A combo of the 3 many DO need less calories. but the whole point was the poster who is MALE needs more calories just to get enough nutrients to fuel his body. its 1500 for a male who is very short,sedentary,elderly or a combo.1200 is way too little for a male unless he is an outlier or under the direct care of a dr,same with MANY women. many very short women here also eat and maintain on more than 1200 calories. The more active a person is the more calories they need to be taking in to fuel their bodies.1200 might be fine for some people but its not for everyone.
I was only 70 lbs overweight and I was eating more than 2000 calories and still losing weight being sedentary(at 5'6 1/2). so if someone who is more than 100 lbs overweight surely they can eat more than 1200 and still lose weight as their intake to maintain their weight is probably more than 2500 calories.(depending on height,weight,age and activity level).
There is also those who think they are eating 1200 calories and in reality are eating way more calories.Those are the ones who post later on in the forums that they are maintaining their weight on low calories and cant lose and cant figure out why. they had blood work done and everything comes back normal. when they start using a food scale and weighing everything their eyes are opened as to how much they were really eating and they start losing again. of course those scenarios arent going to apply to everyone either,but most of the time its the case.
Here that is in chart form:
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
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I'm really short and really sedentary. 1,200 isn't actually that low for me. Case by case judgements rather than blanket judgements.5
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1200 calls daily for 2 years and now I have a few more on weekends (I started having a drink again at weekends) and I’m not miserable I think Iv just got used to that being how much I eat. I don’t want to go back to eating for the sake of it I eat what I need and my body is thankful for it. My digestive system works now which three years ago 5 stones heavy it was shockingly slow and I feel ill all the time. Some people can run on this and do it in a healthy way! I eat cereals, soups, oats, fruits and veggies way way healthier than I did and I enjoy it!5
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jodietownsend03 wrote: »1200 calls daily for 2 years and now I have a few more on weekends
So you haven’t been on 1200 calories “daily” for two years. If you are eating more on the weekends your average intake is higher than 1200 calories.
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jodietownsend03 wrote: »1200 calls daily for 2 years and now I have a few more on weekends (I started having a drink again at weekends) and I’m not miserable I think Iv just got used to that being how much I eat. I don’t want to go back to eating for the sake of it I eat what I need and my body is thankful for it. My digestive system works now which three years ago 5 stones heavy it was shockingly slow and I feel ill all the time. Some people can run on this and do it in a healthy way! I eat cereals, soups, oats, fruits and veggies way way healthier than I did and I enjoy it!
In another thread you said you eat 2500 cals on Sat and Sun. That averages out to 1550 calories a day.10 -
My TDEE (I am in the normal BMI range, 22.5) is 1715 so if I want to lose weight, MFP gave me 1200/day. And I am tall: 5.9 (or 175cm).0
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That seems strange claucescu - as I am 6 in shorter and probably older than you and it gave me 1460.
What rate of loss have you put in - given you already have a BMI right in middle of healthy range , you must only have very small amount you want to lose, so you should be setting it at 1/2 a week.2
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