STICKING TO 1,200 CALS PER DAY? OR UP CALS???? HELP!!

EthanJeremiahsMama
EthanJeremiahsMama Posts: 534 Member
edited October 1 in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone! I've been on 1,200 cals intake per day for about 1 month & a half now... I was wondering if I should up my calories? I ONLY go to the gym 3 times a week for an hour and usually burn about 500 cals those 3 days.. sometimes I go on Sundays too.

Anyway.. anyone on here been on 1,200 cals per day with MFP for a while & upped their calories? I'm not sure how this works but jw! Thanks for any responses.

Replies

  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    I was on 1200 for the first 4 months I was on here. It was fine on the days I exercised, but I struggled on the rest days. I upped to 1480 (1/2 a lb a week loss then), and found that much easier, and actually still seemed to lose at about the same rate. I am struggling now as for 1/2 lb a week now I am back down to 1360, which really doesn't feel like enough. I can't exercise this week as am on a course all week, and I am hungry all the time. I honestly can't remember what it feels like not to be hungry.
  • SarahofTwins
    SarahofTwins Posts: 1,169 Member
    Depends on what works for you...

    At first I lost my weight by sticking to the whole "1200" calorie and ate some of my exercise calories back. No problem till I stopped losing the weight. I then changed my calorie intake and eat all of my exercise calories and started losing the weight again. Just gotta see what you can adjust and feel comfortable with. Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • savlyon
    savlyon Posts: 474 Member
    Try eating more often, but smaller meals. Maybe eating a 200 calorie snack/meal at 7 or 8 am, 10 am, noon, 2 pm, 4 pm and 6pm. That helps me. Oh and drink A LOT of water!
  • mrsher2
    mrsher2 Posts: 14 Member
    I can't imagine being happy on 1200 calories a day. I supposed I could do it, but I would be GRUMPY pretty much all the time. So I set my weight loss like the above poster to 1/2 per week. I'm 5'6" and weigh 138- looking to lose about 8 more pounds. Even with exercise calories, keeping my calories to the 1500 some I've given is HARD. I, too, am always hungry. I just entered my dinner and am really regretting the junk calories I ate earlier because I won't have enough leftover to eat an evening snack. :(
  • banjjo
    banjjo Posts: 89
    I've read that 1200 is really too low for about anyone. I think you are safe to up them, especially because you are burning so much on your exercise days. I bet it'll give your metabolism a boost. When I first started losing weight, I shot for 1200 but usually ended up at about 1600. I was exercising a lot, and I lost weight easily at that number.
  • Wilfred808
    Wilfred808 Posts: 113
    Hi everyone! I've been on 1,200 cals intake per day for about 1 month & a half now... I was wondering if I should up my calories? I ONLY go to the gym 3 times a week for an hour and usually burn about 500 cals those 3 days.. sometimes I go on Sundays too.

    Anyway.. anyone on here been on 1,200 cals per day with MFP for a while & upped their calories? I'm not sure how this works but jw! Thanks for any responses.
    moniter you weight at the beginning and end of the week. adjust calories as neccesary
  • shauna121211
    shauna121211 Posts: 575 Member
    Hi everyone! I've been on 1,200 cals intake per day for about 1 month & a half now... I was wondering if I should up my calories? I ONLY go to the gym 3 times a week for an hour and usually burn about 500 cals those 3 days.. sometimes I go on Sundays too.

    Anyway.. anyone on here been on 1,200 cals per day with MFP for a while & upped their calories? I'm not sure how this works but jw! Thanks for any responses.

    Is your goal set at 1 lb a week or less? If not, it's probably too low hun!
This discussion has been closed.

Categories