1,200 calories a day - is it too little?
hannahbolm
Posts: 3 Member
I made the decision to lose weight about a month ago. MFP recommended I consume 1,200 calories a day. A month ago, I was around 190 pounds and now I’m 180. Obviously what I’m doing is working but I’ve been reading recently that 1,200 calories a day for anyone is simply too little and can slow BMR. I am a mostly sedentary female. I just want to know if what i’m doing is healthy. Losing 10 pounds has me thrilled! But I don’t want my weight loss to stall in the long run because of a slowed BMR.
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Replies
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Haven’t we been over this with this OP already?9
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What rate of loss did you pick when you did your setup on MFP? 2 lbs/wk? It's likely too aggressive given your current weight (180 lbs). You could probably select something like 1-1.5 lb/wk, and get a higher calorie target.
OP = original poster6 -
Someone posted an extremely similar thread just the other day which eventually got shut down. My apologies if it was not you
Anyway like I told her. If living is important that’s why eating 1200 is critical6 -
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Here is some info on calories. Basic take is if it is working keep at it as long as it feels good. With a 1200 calories diet sometimes the calories are not enough to sustain daily activities. You can go into a "starvation mode" where the body will not allow you to lose weight. This is done by slowing the BMR. Each person can react differeny to a low calorie. Try it as long as seems to work maybe play around when you plateau. You can create a diet free day or weekend. Some say this can fool the body and restsrt the metabolism. Then go back to the 1200 calories. Also women with Thyroid issues (25g of population) will lose weight ar different rates.32
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collectingblues wrote: »
Fair. My bad6 -
It would be to little for me, I find it more sustainable to be on higher calorie goal and lose weight more slowly.
If I tried to stick to 1200 for any length of time I would be miserable, starving, and end up eating everything I could get my hands on. Of course YMMV, but if you're worried about it why not increase it a bit?5 -
Really depends.
1200 is too low for me and definitely unnecessary for me to cut that low. Even in Feb, when I was on doctors orders not to workout, I averaged around 1600 calories and still lost 3.9lbs that month (which surprised me because I wasn’t trying to lose). When I exercise I can lose weight eating around 2000 calories a day.
It’s also not necessarily for most people to drop to 1200 for weight loss and it can backfire in some cases. By that I mean people will eat 1200 most of the week, but then have a day or two where they eat a lot more making there overall calorie average higher than 1200. Depending on how bad these overeat days are it can slow weight loss or result in maintaining weight. Sometimes people are even unaware that they are doing that and it makes them feel like they can’t lose on 1200.
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hannahbolm wrote: »I made the decision to lose weight about a month ago. MFP recommended I consume 1,200 calories a day. A month ago, I was around 190 pounds and now I’m 180. Obviously what I’m doing is working but I’ve been reading recently that 1,200 calories a day for anyone is simply too little and can slow BMR. I am a mostly sedentary female. I just want to know if what i’m doing is healthy. Losing 10 pounds has me thrilled! But I don’t want my weight loss to stall in the long run because of a slowed BMR.
MFP gave you 1200 calories based on your stats and the weekly weight loss goal you put in. For women who are not very very short AND sedentary, 1200 calories is unnecessarily low.
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
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Here is some info on calories. Basic take is if it is working keep at it as long as it feels good. With a 1200 calories diet sometimes the calories are not enough to sustain daily activities. You can go into a "starvation mode" where the body will not allow you to lose weight. This is done by slowing the BMR. Each person can react differeny to a low calorie. Try it as long as seems to work maybe play around when you plateau. You can create a diet free day or weekend. Some say this can fool the body and restsrt the metabolism. Then go back to the 1200 calories. Also women with Thyroid issues (25g of population) will lose weight ar different rates.
The problem with undereating (too few calories) is that it can feel fine . . . until it suddenly - and possibly severely - doesn't.
I started at 1200, the estimate MFP gave me for a reasonable loss rate at my size/age/etc. Compliance was easy, and I felt great . . . until, quite suddenly, I didn't.
I turned out to be one of the somewhat unusual people for whom MFP's estimates are very wrong - way too low a calorie goal. I lost weight too fast, and corrected as soon as I realized, but still got weak and fatigued; it took weeks to recover normal energy level and strength.
"Starvation mode" as the quoted post describes it is pure myth, no matter what the silly side of the blogosphere says. If it were a possibility, no one would ever die from starvation; sadly, people worldwide do so in vast numbers every day. It's true that under-eating will depress energy level (sometimes including basic physiological processes) and slow weight loss, as a natural-selection-constructed strategy to preserve life and (relative) health. So, when under-eating, weight loss can be slower than expected; but, if still eating fewer calories than one is burning, a person will still lose weight.
Under-eating is a bad plan: A health risk. Bodies are clever. They are not fooled. Understand them; don't try to trick them.
And guess what? I'm a woman with a thyroid issue: I'm severely hypothyroid, and have been for nearly 20 years. (Gosh, I'm an aging, postmenopausal, hypothyroid woman, which should be a trifecta for slow weight loss, according to the silly-side blogosphere!)
Remember when I said earlier that MFP underestimates my calorie needs, even when I input correct profile values? That suggests to me that hypothyroidism isn't necessarily a constraint on weight loss. (And there are many others I've talked with here who are hypothyroid, and lost weight fine at MFP-estimated calories.) People with treated hypothyroidism have no reason to expect their experience to be any different than anyone else's.
And sometimes even small-ish, old, sedentary, hypothyroid women with tens of pounds to lose are poorly served by eating 1200 calories, let alone younger ones.
OP: That idea proposed above, of targeting no more than 1% of body weight loss per week, is a good one, and it can make sense to go slower than that for many when within around 50 pounds of goal weight. For anyone, it's good to set the MFP goal weight-loss rate accordingly, eat all the calories it estimates for them, eat back at least a significant fraction of exercise calories on top of that (all of them, if they're estimated accurately), then stick with it for 4-6 weeks (at least a full menstrual cycle plus a bit for premenopausal women). Then re-evaluate the calorie goal based on average weekly weight loss rate, and adjust intake accordingly.
If the routine proposed in the previous paragraph results in what appears to be very fast weight loss, especially after the first couple of weeks (which can have water weight weirdness), and the person starts feeling weak or fatigued for otherwise unexplained reasons, they should eat more before the 4-6 weeks are over. If they seem to be losing too slowly, they should stick with it for the whole time. (Losing weight at inconsistent rates week to week is common. Losing too slowly, overall, is frustrating. Losing too fast can be a health risk, i.e., dangerous. It's good to tolerate potential frustration, in the interests of avoiding health risk.)
OP, this is a good read, from a sound source:
https://www.aworkoutroutine.com/1200-calorie-diet/
For you, 1200 could be right or wrong. Be careful. Also, remember that it's always fine to choose slower weight loss for any reason, and it's very useful to do so if a slower loss rate makes it sustainable, so easier to be compliant thus consistent over the long term, which is needed for true weight loss and weight management success.14 -
I’m short (5’2) and am eating a net 1200 a day (on average), but I wear a Fitbit and exercise a good amount and I eat back every single calorie I’m given through my Fitbit adjustment. I lose around a pound a week (maybe 1.25?) and I feel like I eat a lot (actual calories consumed on some days, with a big workout, can be as much as 1900 or 2000 calories). So for me it works, but if I didn’t exercise and could only eat 1200, it would be too little food.6
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Age plays a role in how many calories you are assigned also. I am 5’4” and MFP gave me 1200 calories to lose .5 pound a week. I am not short, but I am sedentary and I am 59. (However, I have managed to lose .5 a week eating 1300 just fine.)3
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Hi Hannah, you might like to get another reference point. Here's a very popular calculator for Basal Metabolic Rate:
https://tdeecalculator.net/ MFP gave me 1200 per day, when I wanted to lose 20 lbs. But the TDEE told me 1341 calories (for those rare days I don't *do* any exercise). I felt better eating 1341; I'm usually pretty active, and I think even my lazy days I'm burning more. Active days, I log my activity and eat back almost all my calories.
Your initial 10lb loss doesn't strike me as strange. I quickly dropped 10 lbs ("water weight"?) when I started watching my portions and passing on sweets. As Ann said in her post, what is sustainable for you, both psychologically, health-wise?0 -
Hannah, if you do decide to update your calories, just go to your MFP Home > Goals > Daily Nutrition Goals > Calories. That's what I did because MFP's generated calories were just too low for me.0
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Thank you all for the helpful feedback. I’ll admit that there are days where I feel sluggish with no energy (which I thought was somewhat normal for people just starting out?) But most days I feel just fine eating 1,200 calories. I’m paying CLOSE attention to my body, therefore I plan on sticking with my current calorie goal for the time being. The moment I start feeling weak or fatigued I will shoot for 1,300-1,400. Thanks again everyone.3
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You CHOOSE how many lbs a week you TELL MFP you want to lose.
2lbs a week, or even 1lb a week is NOT the BEST / RIGHT choice for everyone.
YOUR best option may be a different rate of loss.
After you do all that MFP spits out a number with 1200 being the lowest it will suggest.
ON TOP of the 1200 you're expected to eat ALL of your ACTUAL Calories that are expended to support an activity factor higher than the one you selected.
For reference only a few people meet the definition of sedentary that MFP uses. Most people with an outside job, young children, outside classes, or a busy household do meet the lightly active level. And on MFP speak deliberate exercise is added on top of the activity levelm
Accurate food logging has a lot to do with out perception as to how correct of an activity level we have picked out for ourselves.
The goal, ihmo, is not fast weight loss. The goal is long term weight loss.
Is what you're doing adding to your maintenance tool-set?6 -
Listen to your body and the evaluation of friends and family. Are you diet miserable? Are you in a horrible mood?
I’m 33, 5’4” started at 2 lbs/week at 206. It was fine, until I emotionally wasn’t, right about 176-180. I changed my settings to 1 lbs/week and went up to 1350. Im still loosing 2 lbs a week.0 -
hannahbolm wrote: »Thank you all for the helpful feedback. I’ll admit that there are days where I feel sluggish with no energy (which I thought was somewhat normal for people just starting out?) But most days I feel just fine eating 1,200 calories. I’m paying CLOSE attention to my body, therefore I plan on sticking with my current calorie goal for the time being. The moment I start feeling weak or fatigued I will shoot for 1,300-1,400. Thanks again everyone.
Unfortunately, by the time you feel it, you will have done some damage and it will take you weeks to get back to a better place. Losing 2+ lbs per week is only appropriate for those who are obese and/or well over 200 lbs. Losing too fast most likely means you are burning through far more muscle than you'd want, along with all the other processes your body neglects while it's working overtime trying to keep up the pace.
Also keep in mind that the MFP calorie goal does not include exercise. It is expected that you will log your exercise and eat back those calories. If you aren't doing that, you are compounding the overly aggressive goal by under-eating even more so.
But it's human nature to need to learn the hard lessons ourselves rather than listen to others who have already succeeded. We get posts here all the time from people who lost fast and felt fine until they either hit the wall, felt like crap, and gained all the weight back, or they managed to white knuckle it to goal and are unhappy with how they look and how little food they can eat. Best of luck however you proceed.14 -
I'm on approximately 1200 - 1340 calories a day (it varies), with exercising (cardio, weights, walking the dogs). I've been careful about what I eat but still eating what I like - just less of it. Some days I'll eat more - up to 1500 etc if I'm eating out with friends/family.
I am five feet tall. I've lost 20kg in 15 weeks (started at 86.6kg, now at 66.6kg). I have another 16kg to lose before I get to goal weight (I might stop after 10 or 11kg, though depending on how I feel.
In the beginning, it took a while to find out the right mix of exercise and food.
I find there are some things that make me more full / keep me full longer. You definitely have to eat enough to be able to be strong enough for the exercise. I'm doing zumba classes, HIIT sessions etc and have gone from only being able to plank 5 seconds to being able to plank for 2 minutes, so eating enough to get stronger is quite important.1 -
Hi mine is the same 5.2 1200 cals list 1lb lol and struggling but close to giving up and thks to the girls with there very help full advice you lot are great x1
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OP - for most people 1200 is too low.
It is ok for older, shorter, smaller, less active women.
If this is not you, then it is likely too low.
What are your current stats - age, height, weight, activity level?
Also, even for those whom 1200 is right that is your NET calories - ie you are expected to eat back excercise calories as well.4 -
koalathebear wrote: »I'm on approximately 1200 - 1340 calories a day (it varies), with exercising (cardio, weights, walking the dogs). I've been careful about what I eat but still eating what I like - just less of it. Some days I'll eat more - up to 1500 etc if I'm eating out with friends/family.
I am five feet tall. I've lost 20kg in 15 weeks (started at 86.6kg, now at 66.6kg). I have another 16kg to lose before I get to goal weight (I might stop after 10 or 11kg, though depending on how I feel.
In the beginning, it took a while to find out the right mix of exercise and food.
I find there are some things that make me more full / keep me full longer. You definitely have to eat enough to be able to be strong enough for the exercise. I'm doing zumba classes, HIIT sessions etc and have gone from only being able to plank 5 seconds to being able to plank for 2 minutes, so eating enough to get stronger is quite important.
You are losing over 1 kilogram a week by the looks of it. That really is too fast for the little weight you have left to lose.You really should consider upping your calories by at least 250 a day to slow it down to a healthier level of no more than 1/2 kilo a week.1 -
hannahbolm wrote: »Thank you all for the helpful feedback. I’ll admit that there are days where I feel sluggish with no energy (which I thought was somewhat normal for people just starting out?) But most days I feel just fine eating 1,200 calories. I’m paying CLOSE attention to my body, therefore I plan on sticking with my current calorie goal for the time being. The moment I start feeling weak or fatigued I will shoot for 1,300-1,400. Thanks again everyone.
If you're having days where you're feeling fatigued then you're not listening to your body. I underate for a week (unintentionally) and it took a month to recover. Had quite a few days where I felt sluggish no matter what. It also negatively affected my cycle.3 -
koalathebear wrote: »I'm on approximately 1200 - 1340 calories a day (it varies), with exercising (cardio, weights, walking the dogs). I've been careful about what I eat but still eating what I like - just less of it. Some days I'll eat more - up to 1500 etc if I'm eating out with friends/family.
I am five feet tall. I've lost 20kg in 15 weeks (started at 86.6kg, now at 66.6kg). I have another 16kg to lose before I get to goal weight (I might stop after 10 or 11kg, though depending on how I feel.
In the beginning, it took a while to find out the right mix of exercise and food.
I find there are some things that make me more full / keep me full longer. You definitely have to eat enough to be able to be strong enough for the exercise. I'm doing zumba classes, HIIT sessions etc and have gone from only being able to plank 5 seconds to being able to plank for 2 minutes, so eating enough to get stronger is quite important.
From everything you describe, your deficit is way too aggressive. You may be getting stronger (for now), but that would be despite your diet. 20kg in 15 weeks makes sense for somebody much larger than you. Highly recommend that you slow this down.
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