Is 1200 calories/day sustainable?
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looking at your stats I've used a BMR calculator to work out your calories.
Basal Metabolic rate : 1369 calories
1-3 times exercise a week 1883 calories
so if you exercise 1-3 times a week then your looking at 1883 calories... take off 500 calories a day so thats 1383 Calories a day and you should lose 1ilb a week.. as 1ilb of fat is roughly 3500 calories. Hope that helps!3 -
Ooh, yeah! I'm 5'3"..glad to hear I'm not short!1
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MFP always gave me 1200, even when I selected one pound a week instead of two. I ate it, and I survived, and I lost weight. I did at one point up it to 1300-1350 by choice to see if I would continue to slowly lose weight, and I did so enjoyed the extra snack. I never felt ill or dizzy or exhausted. (I feel like when I was younger I tried 1200 and I was angry and tired all the time.... but not this time. Probably because I have a desk job so need fewer anyways.)
I just made sure to log a nice dinner first (early morning) then plan the rest of my day. I always like a decent sized dinner.1 -
fitmom4lifemfp wrote: »serinaster wrote: »I've had folks tell me 1200 calories is basically starvation.
LOL!!
Trust me. It's no where near.
What sort of workout are you doing to burn 200 calories in 20 min?
I usually rotate thru some of Jillian Michaels HIIT like 30 Day Shred, kickbox fast fix, 6 weeks 6 packs and also found some Lumowell videos on Amazon prime. I'm open to any suggestions for effective at home workouts. I usually skip lunges and any moves that are hard on my knees. If I can change up my bedtime I could possibly do her longer workouts like Banish Fat and No More Trouble zones. But I've found that the 30 Day Shred helps with muscle definition and I dont have saggy arms so theres that!0 -
emilysusana wrote: »I’m 5’2 and almost 40 and I have been netting 1200 daily for 12 weeks so far but I exercise more to eat more. I like to eat more and the more I exercise, the more I enjoy it. I also don’t plan to stay at 1200 the whole time I’m losing. Since it’s been working I’ve kept it up this long, but soon I plant to go to about 1450. This same pattern worked for me last time I lost weight (I lost a little more than 30 lbs a couple of years ago—all good until maintenance, which I botched by thinking I could get away with not logging).
I think this is the approach I will go with. If I want to eat 1400 or so calories a day and net 1200 I'll have to do a high intensity workout for at least 30 min. Not counting calories is what ends up getting me. I just subscribed to MFP so I know that will push me to commit to counting calories.0 -
If I could make a suggestion, why not set yourself to maintenance calories for one week out of the month, since you know you crave more food then? If you eat a little more you may not be tempted to binge, and maintaining means you are not undoing your hard work the rest of the month, just slowing things down for a week.6
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I think more important than the calorie number is whether you are getting all the nutrition you need from your diet. If you stick to low calorie veggies, fruit, lean protein and drink only water you might find you can maintain 1200 without starving or being malnourished. I know it goes against what a lot of people here will say though, so watch me as I get flamed....
You can maintain 1200 without being malnourished, yes - but not on this diet, which completely misses out a major macronutrient.
I strongly recommend not taking dietary advice from someone who doesn’t realise that fat is essential to good health.
My enemy right now is not fat but carbs... and sugar! I end up going over my daily macros for carbs and barely hitting my protein and fat macros. I did subscribe to MFP in order to figure out what the carbs culprits are so I can switch them out with more protein and fat dense alternatives. I was looking to quit dairy (I drink like 2 cups of whole milk a day and one flavored Greek yogurt) but that affected my calcium. I'm iron and vitamin D deficient so I'm taking OTC supplements. I do tend to stress eat candy and that is where I waste some of my nutrients.
So any advise on foods I could incorporate would be appreciated! I've googled this to death and still feel a bit clueless. I have a desk job and I hate cold foods. I dont meal plan and sometimes have gone to work without packing snacks which is how I end up sabotaging my calories. I bought some vegan protein powder and am hoping to start making smoothies. Mostly with berries and a banana to avoid excess fruit sugars. I've read I shouldn't mix fruit and veggies... otherwise I was looking to add either spinanch or spring mix to the smoothies. And I also measured my last smoothie that was sans protein powder and it was 500 calories so I know I gotta watch that.
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rheddmobile wrote: »If I could make a suggestion, why not set yourself to maintenance calories for one week out of the month, since you know you crave more food then? If you eat a little more you may not be tempted to binge, and maintaining means you are not undoing your hard work the rest of the month, just slowing things down for a week.
MFP gave me 1700 calories for maintenance. I think my problem is I mainly crave junk food that one week and not just any healthy foods. So the trick for me will be to figure out how to still eat more healthy food without going overkill on sugar. One thing that did help is I quit alcohol... the first few months were brutal with craving it that I've caved a few times. Funny thing is I never used to get PMS but the last couple of yrs its hit me with a vengeance... I'm still working out how to properly deal with it.0 -
What is wrong with mixing fruit and veggies?7
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serinaster wrote: »I think more important than the calorie number is whether you are getting all the nutrition you need from your diet. If you stick to low calorie veggies, fruit, lean protein and drink only water you might find you can maintain 1200 without starving or being malnourished. I know it goes against what a lot of people here will say though, so watch me as I get flamed....
You can maintain 1200 without being malnourished, yes - but not on this diet, which completely misses out a major macronutrient.
I strongly recommend not taking dietary advice from someone who doesn’t realise that fat is essential to good health.
My enemy right now is not fat but carbs... and sugar! I end up going over my daily macros for carbs and barely hitting my protein and fat macros. I did subscribe to MFP in order to figure out what the carbs culprits are so I can switch them out with more protein and fat dense alternatives. I was looking to quit dairy (I drink like 2 cups of whole milk a day and one flavored Greek yogurt) but that affected my calcium. I'm iron and vitamin D deficient so I'm taking OTC supplements. I do tend to stress eat candy and that is where I waste some of my nutrients.
So any advise on foods I could incorporate would be appreciated! I've googled this to death and still feel a bit clueless. I have a desk job and I hate cold foods. I dont meal plan and sometimes have gone to work without packing snacks which is how I end up sabotaging my calories. I bought some vegan protein powder and am hoping to start making smoothies. Mostly with berries and a banana to avoid excess fruit sugars. I've read I shouldn't mix fruit and veggies... otherwise I was looking to add either spinanch or spring mix to the smoothies. And I also measured my last smoothie that was sans protein powder and it was 500 calories so I know I gotta watch that.
To be perfectly frank, and IMO only, you're believing silly niche-y things you read someplace.
It's just food; and the the nutrient numbers are just data.
What do you think are the odds that natural selection designed us not to mix fruits and veggies, over thousands of years of history where food was mostly on the slightly-scarce side if we were lucky, and the very-scarce side if we weren't? I'm betting on near zero odds. So put the veggies in your smoothie.
Further, fruit sugarz are not the debbil, so don't fret that. If you want to reduce fruit sugars to reduce calories - which is perfectly legit in order to reach other nutritional targets like adequate protein and fats - then banana is possibly your one of your worst available choices: Higher in sugar than a lot of other fruits (like those berries, for one - or the veggies). Again, inherent sugar, including fruit sugar, is not evil. It's just that getting lots of sugar can drive out other necessary nutrition from your eating, especially in a calorie deficit.
It's all about well-rounded nutrition, within your calorie goal. Balance!
Carbs are not your enemy, fats are not your enemy, and why would you quit dairy if you're not lactose sensitive/intolerant (well, ethical strictures would be a possible reason, if you feel that way - but not health)?
Think about eating as an exercise in finding enjoyment and nutrition at a reasonable calorie level, not as some kind of melodramatic epic battle of good and evil. IMO, drama doesn't help.
How do you know you're D and iron deficient? If the answer is logging in MFP, it might be wrong (most food labels don't include micronutrients, even if they're present - and with the crowd-sourced database, the user who entered the food may not have input them even if they were on the label. Iron is not something you probably should supplement unless your blood tests say you need it.
Take a deep breath, don't believe everything you read on XYZ blog, and look at some mainstream nutrition advice. Start there: Enough protein, enough fats, plenty of fruits and veggies, foods you enjoy, the occasional less nutrient-dense treat; commit to a little bit of prep and planning. See if you can meditate or exercise for stress management instead of eating; or if not, try to stress-eat fruit instead of candy (it's sweet, too - but less calorie-dense, more filling, and more nutritious).
You can do this. If you want to.
Best wishes!
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serinaster wrote: »I think more important than the calorie number is whether you are getting all the nutrition you need from your diet. If you stick to low calorie veggies, fruit, lean protein and drink only water you might find you can maintain 1200 without starving or being malnourished. I know it goes against what a lot of people here will say though, so watch me as I get flamed....
You can maintain 1200 without being malnourished, yes - but not on this diet, which completely misses out a major macronutrient.
I strongly recommend not taking dietary advice from someone who doesn’t realise that fat is essential to good health.
My enemy right now is not fat but carbs... and sugar! I end up going over my daily macros for carbs and barely hitting my protein and fat macros. I did subscribe to MFP in order to figure out what the carbs culprits are so I can switch them out with more protein and fat dense alternatives. I was looking to quit dairy (I drink like 2 cups of whole milk a day and one flavored Greek yogurt) but that affected my calcium. I'm iron and vitamin D deficient so I'm taking OTC supplements. I do tend to stress eat candy and that is where I waste some of my nutrients.
So any advise on foods I could incorporate would be appreciated! I've googled this to death and still feel a bit clueless. I have a desk job and I hate cold foods. I dont meal plan and sometimes have gone to work without packing snacks which is how I end up sabotaging my calories. I bought some vegan protein powder and am hoping to start making smoothies. Mostly with berries and a banana to avoid excess fruit sugars. I've read I shouldn't mix fruit and veggies... otherwise I was looking to add either spinanch or spring mix to the smoothies. And I also measured my last smoothie that was sans protein powder and it was 500 calories so I know I gotta watch that.
If you’re trying to reduce carbs and increase protein, why would you reduce dairy (which is a good source of protein) and add extra bananas (which contain a lot of carbs - and fruit sugars)?
Mix up your fruits and veggies all you like; my apple-and-fennel salads ain’t killed me yet Try out some low fat dairy options to see if you like the taste; they tend to be higher in protein and won’t take up as many calories. But if you do that you may need to add fat elsewhere, for example a little extra oil in frying and roasting.
Eggs are good for protein and fat, if you eat eggs, and can be fairly easily added to any meal. You can’t beat a nice omelette, in my book.
And beans are a reasonable source of protein, and if you have an office microwave you can batch-cook a whole load of chilli or stew and reheat it for lunch.6 -
serinaster wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »If I could make a suggestion, why not set yourself to maintenance calories for one week out of the month, since you know you crave more food then? If you eat a little more you may not be tempted to binge, and maintaining means you are not undoing your hard work the rest of the month, just slowing things down for a week.
MFP gave me 1700 calories for maintenance. I think my problem is I mainly crave junk food that one week and not just any healthy foods. So the trick for me will be to figure out how to still eat more healthy food without going overkill on sugar. One thing that did help is I quit alcohol... the first few months were brutal with craving it that I've caved a few times. Funny thing is I never used to get PMS but the last couple of yrs its hit me with a vengeance... I'm still working out how to properly deal with it.
If you’re getting adequate nutrition most of the time and staying within your calorie limit there’s nothing wrong with eating some junk food for a few meals. Just plan ahead so you have a reasonably limited portion, and enough less calorie dense foods so that you don’t end up feeling starved.3 -
How do you know you're D and iron deficient? If the answer is logging in MFP, it might be wrong (most food labels don't include micronutrients, even if they're present - and with the crowd-sourced database, the user who entered the food may not have input them even if they were on the label. Iron is not something you probably should supplement unless your blood tests say you need it.
Take a deep breath, don't believe everything you read on XYZ blog, and look at some mainstream nutrition advice. Start there: Enough protein, enough fats, plenty of fruits and veggies, foods you enjoy, the occasional less nutrient-dense treat; commit to a little bit of prep and planning. See if you can meditate or exercise for stress management instead of eating; or if not, try to stress-eat fruit instead of candy (it's sweet, too - but less calorie-dense, more filling, and more nutritious).
You can do this. If you want to.
Best wishes!
My bloodwork has always shown am iron and vitamin D deficient. Last one my levels were so low I was prescribed some iron pills. I'm due for a physical soon so am hoping to see if both my levels have improved to see if I still need to continue supplementing iron.
You are probably right about me buying into the hype surrounding food! My mom is taking care of an elderly couple in their 90s and she told me they eat mostly all of the "forbidden" foods like ham, drink a soft drink each a day and even donuts and muffins and such. So it's all about perspective... and not overeating.1 -
Is 1200 calories/day sustainable?
No ... nor is it supposed to be.8 -
serinaster wrote: »According to my smart watch, I burn on average 1500 - 1800 calories/day. I currently weigh 161 lbs at 5 ft 3. I'm female and almost 40. My ideal BMI weight is 135 but the last time I was that weight I looked malnourished so I'd settle for 145. I've been struggling with losing 15 lbs for almost 10 years now. I tried intermittent fasting and went down to 151, but thanks to PMS among other things, I end up eating like crazy for a week out of the month.
Should I shoot for 1200 calories or 1500? I do workout like 3 -5 days a week for 20-30 min and burn on average 200 calories. I also like to drink warm water but I think I may have been drinking distilled water instead since sometimes the water on my electric kettle is almost close to boiling so I add some more from my brita pitcher.
I've had folks tell me 1200 calories is basically starvation. Any advice on how to get the weight off and stay off would be appreciated!
I have been at this crossroads myself recently
I eat clean most of the time so struggle with eating 'enough' calories if that makes sense. Recently I have made a conscious effort (on advice) to up my protein and my training. By upping protein it seems to have upped my calories and gives me the extra push (maybe subconscious) to train harder.
I'm almost 2 weeks into the changes and so far they seem to be working for me.
I think so long as you are getting the nutritional value in your meals then calories aren't everything I have found.
Sorry if this post is as clear as mud as I am 18 months into my journey so due to body changes I am trying to figure it out myself hahah4 -
serinaster wrote: »Should I shoot for 1200 calories or 1500?
Why not 1350 ... or 1412 ... or 1298 ...
You don't have to go for either 1200 or 1500.
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I'm also kind of curious about the not mixing fruit and vegetables thing. Especially since tomatoes, cucumber, peppers and squash are all fruits, so that would really start limiting your options!3
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I'm also kind of curious about the not mixing fruit and vegetables thing. Especially since tomatoes, cucumber, peppers and squash are all fruits, so that would really start limiting your options!
Yes ... and what if I eat veggies with dinner, then have a handful of grapes for "dessert" ... like I did tonight? Fruit and veg are together in my stomach!0
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