1200 too few?
RaeannePemberton
Posts: 382 Member
does anyone else find that MFP defaults to 1200 calories too easily? i have found that it is somewhat misleading and yes you will lose weight but this can cause extreme complications physiologically as well as just mentally feeling starved. MOST people need more than 1200 calories just to live and lay around all day. if you are larger, then you likely have a BMR of way more than 1200... and if you are active, EVEN MORE.
the body does weird things when it is starved for extended periods. just sayin'.
the body does weird things when it is starved for extended periods. just sayin'.
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Yes, I'm with you. I don't understand why so many people try for 1200. It's freaking hard! I won't stick to things that are hard. I'd rather lose weight slowly and eat more (and some people will lose it faster while eating more so why not try it?).0
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I like having 1200 as my limit. I eat 3 meals a day and have 2 snacks.. I eat when i'm hungry and i'm full every time i eat, plus i'm losing weight. Works for me.0
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i eat arounf 1200-1300 calories a day, i have at least 3 meals a day and snacks and i dont feel hungry at all, i dunno whether im just choosing low calorie food so i can eat lots but it seems to be okay for me xx0
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Mine shows the 1200 and for some reason I have hard times meeting the 1200 because I am not hungry. My personal trainer keeps on telling me that I need to eat more, but if I am not hungry should I eat more?0
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I was set at 1450 when I started MFP in february. I updated my goals and let MFP do it and after I dropped 50 pounds, MFP dropped me to 1200 calories a day. After 3 weeks of not losing anything, I decided to raise my calories back to 1350 and voila one week later I have lost a pound. I do eat my exercise calories back, but I dont have huge burns so I felt hungry the whole 3 weeks at 1200...
So yes, I think 1200 is too few!0 -
Mine shows the 1200 and for some reason I have hard times meeting the 1200 because I am not hungry. My personal trainer keeps on telling me that I need to eat more, but if I am not hungry should I eat more?
I have that problem too! Sometimes at the end of the day i'll only have around a 1000 logged..
And i don't eat my exercise calories.0 -
Anyone who can eat 3 meals a day and 2 snacks must be eating tiny portions!
I like to have 4 meals a day otherwise I tend to binge anyway, and to have 4 x 300 meals would mean I'd just be starving.
I literally just upped my calories to 1500 and changing my goal to 0.5lb a week, and that was because I read about someone with starvation mode who literally cannot lose weight, even though she works out like a machine and eats clean and healthily.0 -
Mine is at 1290 and I find lots of vegetables keeps you full enough. I try to walk an hour everyday so that also allows me to eat more snacks throughout.0
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I do 1200 but I eat back my exercise calories so usually I'm eating around 1500 a day. It is enough for me. Some days I get hungrier and go over.0
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Hi! i have had the same problem in the past. I tend to eat like a bird and pick a little here and there without eating full meals and snacks on top of that, like my nutritionist suggested. I found that I was feeling too full and it was hard to get motivated versus feeling comfortable and being able to work out without feeling too full.0
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Yesterday I only ate 787 calories. I was on the go a lot yesterday school shopping for my youngest daughter and then we were preparing for Hurricane Irene!0
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I have no problem staying at or under 1200; not hungry and eat nutrient dense foods that are healthy and filling. MFP calculations are based on whatever you feed into it in terms of weight, goals, activity level, and I believe 1200 is the lowest number it allows to ensure adequate nutrition. If someone else has a lower setting, perhaps they could jump in.0
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When people say to "eat more calories than 1200 to lose weight". How much more are you talking about? I wonder what "more" is suppose to mean. I can easily go over 1200. I truly believe the ones that cannot get to 1200 aren't logging all of their food (unless you are super thin) : all drinks, oil for cooking, butter, cream for their coffee, the little things ADD up. Make sure you log everything that goes in the mouth.. just a bite here and there add up to.0
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Believe me, I add everything in. No I am not super thin! I just don't eat a lot and don't feel the need to eat if I am not hungry0
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Forgot to add that the majority of my day is water drinking and occassionally I will have a diet coke which is on my diary0
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I truly believe the ones that cannot get to 1200 aren't logging all of their food (unless you are super thin) : all drinks, oil for cooking, butter, cream for their coffee, the little things ADD up. Make sure you log everything that goes in the mouth.. just a bite here and there add up to.
Oh, I do think that people really eat 1200. They eat egg whites instead of eggs, cook it in Pam instead of butter. They don't put cream in their coffee, or dressing on their salad. They only eat chicken and fish (no beef). They don't have cheese on their sandwiches. They avoid fruit and milk as they are too high in calories.
I'd just rather not eat like that. I like to eat. I like real food. I can loose weight, feel great, have a ton of energy whilst eating it. But I do try to remember that I'm not an expert and different people can do different things. To each his own I guess.0 -
I think 1200 is WAY too little, for me personally at least. I lose more when I eat more. It sounds crazy but I have tried eating 1200 and got no results. Up it to 1500-1700, I have lost.0
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Yeah I think 1200 is way too little & is only applicable to extremely sedentary people or any woman under 5 feet tall. I changed mine from sedentary to lightly active because aside from the very huge calorie deficits that I got from 1200, I don't consider myself sedentary even if I work on a desk job. I always walk during our breaks, on my way to the bus station which is about 1.5 km away from the office, I stopped at a point a bit farther from my actual destination so I have extra time walking and also climb stairs on 3 floors both in office and in the train stations & not to mention my weekly house cleaning & grocery. This way, I only log my actual workouts and if I do an extra 2 hours of general house cleaning.0
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I truly believe the ones that cannot get to 1200 aren't logging all of their food (unless you are super thin) : all drinks, oil for cooking, butter, cream for their coffee, the little things ADD up. Make sure you log everything that goes in the mouth.. just a bite here and there add up to.
Oh, I do think that people really eat 1200. They eat egg whites instead of eggs, cook it in Pam instead of butter. They don't put cream in their coffee, or dressing on their salad. They only eat chicken and fish (no beef). They don't have cheese on their sandwiches. They avoid fruit and milk as they are too high in calories.
I'd just rather not eat like that. I like to eat. I like real food. I can loose weight, feel great, have a ton of energy whilst eating it. But I do try to remember that I'm not an expert and different people can do different things. To each his own I guess.
Every word of this.
I would think that in my late 30s and (before MFP) pretty inactive, my metabolism wasn't really all that hot, but I still did way better on more than 1200 calories. Eating less doesn't always equal optimal weight loss, and definitely not optimal FAT loss.
During my time on MFP, I lost more weight on 1400 calories (plus exercise calories, but I set my profile to lightly active instead of sedentary, and only logged actual exercise) than I did on 1200 calories. Typically around 1.5 pounds a week. My body needed more than 1200 net to let go of the pounds.
I lost the SAME amount of weight on 1500 calories as I did on 1200. Typically about one pound a week. I upped my calories as I got within 10 pounds of my goal.
On the other hand, years before I joined MFP and knew anything about the danger of starvation mode, I ate around 700-800 calories a day and never lost more than a half pound a week. I thought I was a diet failure because I couldn't lose. I didn't know that eating more would have weight loss easier, both from the perspective of more pounds lost as well as feeling better while I was losing it.
Plus, the more you eat, the less lean muscle mass you're going to lose. I'm about the same size as a lean and fit 130# 39 year old than I was as a 120# 26 year old with less muscle mass. Losing "weight," losing more pounds, isn't always that great if you're losing lean muscle mass as well as fat.0 -
I truly believe the ones that cannot get to 1200 aren't logging all of their food (unless you are super thin) : all drinks, oil for cooking, butter, cream for their coffee, the little things ADD up. Make sure you log everything that goes in the mouth.. just a bite here and there add up to.
That's a rather insulting assumption. I log ALL that I eat including when I have sugar in my coffee, or a treat and weigh nuts and foods. You can look at my diary. The reason 1200 is attainable is because it's quality, nutrient dense food; even though my objective is to reach 50% of my calores from fat, over the past few months I've lost the weight I set out to lose and am healthier to boot than I've been in twenty years.0 -
It is very possible to eat twelve hundred and log everything. in fact I'm sure they are more likely to be the weigh and measure people who get the precise amount and numbers. I did it at one point. But then I started getting all crazy like and wanting to eat anything I could see. 1200 doesn't work for me but there are lots of people on here who have lost tonnes of weight and they did it eating 1200 a day or even less in some cases.0
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I truly believe the ones that cannot get to 1200 aren't logging all of their food (unless you are super thin) : all drinks, oil for cooking, butter, cream for their coffee, the little things ADD up. Make sure you log everything that goes in the mouth.. just a bite here and there add up to.
Oh, I do think that people really eat 1200. They eat egg whites instead of eggs, cook it in Pam instead of butter. They don't put cream in their coffee, or dressing on their salad. They only eat chicken and fish (no beef). They don't have cheese on their sandwiches. They avoid fruit and milk as they are too high in calories.
I'd just rather not eat like that. I like to eat. I like real food. I can loose weight, feel great, have a ton of energy whilst eating it. But I do try to remember that I'm not an expert and different people can do different things. To each his own I guess.
Bad assumption on your part!! I eat the entire egg (not just the egg whites), I do put extra dressing on my salad and I do eat beef!! I don't drink coffee and I have always used Pam. I do love my beef, but I do eat chicken and turkey. Yes I do put cheese on my sandwiches and I do eat fruit.
I am very active at the gym going 4 or 5 times a week and burning at least 600 calories per workout session.
So sorry to say, you are mistaken on your part about some of the 1200 calorie people0 -
I don't know. I understand the stigma around it. But my calories are also 1200. Most days I eat under 1200. I am not trying too. I just eat until I am satisfied. And I try to get as close to 1200 as possible. I eat breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, and sometimes snack. Some days I go over too which I am not concerned about given my BMR is more then 1200. With that being said. I am full of energy, healthier then ever, my hair, skin, nails everything's healthier. I am more alert, and I don't need to sleep 12 hours to feel well anymore nor do I need to drink coffee. I am steadily losing weight and I am NEVER hungry (however I do eat a lot of protein). Soo I am really not sure weather it is too low. I think people need to figure out what works for them. If you barely hanging on at 1200 I'd think you need to amp up your calories because once you start eating your regular 1500-1600 there will be weight gain. But if you are comfortable and satisfied at 1200 then why not right.0
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Believe me, I add everything in. No I am not super thin! I just don't eat a lot and don't feel the need to eat if I am not hungry
Judging from your ticker, this is very early on in your weightloss journey, though?
Hunger can be a bit of a cumulative thing, in my experience.
When I was on WW, I did 14-18 points for several weeks, trying to crash a plateau. I was fine for a while, thought it was no problem,. But after a while I was completely *starving* and could have binged for days. And that, I suspect, is at least part of the danger of depriving yourself too significantly of calories.0 -
Add me to the 1200 calories works if you choose the right foods group. I'm still at a stage where I weigh and measure almost everything that isn't pre-portioned, since it helps me develop a sense of how MUCH I can eat and still feel satisfied and meet my nutritional needs. My husband likes to go out for drinks, so I make a point on those days of exercising so I can still eat actual nutritious food and have a 1200 calorie net. I do allow myself occasional days where I go over, esp. if it's a special event where I'm not able to decide where and what I'll be eating, because that's how life is. When I finally reach my goal--still months away--I think it may be a challenge to start to think about eating more, although perhaps current ndulgences such as pasta will be part of my menu more often.0
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Believe me, I add everything in. No I am not super thin! I just don't eat a lot and don't feel the need to eat if I am not hungry
Judging from your ticker, this is very early on in your weightloss journey, though?
Hunger can be a bit of a cumulative thing, in my experience.
When I was on WW, I did 14-18 points for several weeks, trying to crash a plateau. I was fine for a while, thought it was no problem,. But after a while I was completely *starving* and could have binged for days. And that, I suspect, is at least part of the danger of depriving yourself too significantly of calories.
My ticker is my weight since I started on MFP a week and a half ago. I lost 20 pds even before I started on MFP0 -
I truly believe the ones that cannot get to 1200 aren't logging all of their food (unless you are super thin) : all drinks, oil for cooking, butter, cream for their coffee, the little things ADD up. Make sure you log everything that goes in the mouth.. just a bite here and there add up to.
Oh, I do think that people really eat 1200. They eat egg whites instead of eggs, cook it in Pam instead of butter. They don't put cream in their coffee, or dressing on their salad. They only eat chicken and fish (no beef). They don't have cheese on their sandwiches. They avoid fruit and milk as they are too high in calories.
I'd just rather not eat like that. I like to eat. I like real food. I can loose weight, feel great, have a ton of energy whilst eating it. But I do try to remember that I'm not an expert and different people can do different things. To each his own I guess.
Bad assumption on your part!! I eat the entire egg (not just the egg whites), I do put extra dressing on my salad and I do eat beef!! I don't drink coffee and I have always used Pam. I do love my beef, but I do eat chicken and turkey. Yes I do put cheese on my sandwiches and I do eat fruit.
I am very active at the gym going 4 or 5 times a week and burning at least 600 calories per workout session.
So sorry to say, you are mistaken on your part about some of the 1200 calorie people
I didn't mean to offend. I was merely pointing out to the previous person that it is possible to eat only 1200 calories. If you work out and eat those calories, yeah, you'll have a lot more room in your diet for "real" food.0 -
My "goal" cals are at about 1400, well yesterday i ate and ate and i was super full, but by the end of the day i was about 200+ cals under 1200cals, i was more than that, but made myself eat something else and it still didn't make a difference. I know its not healthy and i try really hard to eat at least that amount, but im so full with all the yummy healthy food i eat to start with, the thought of eating anything else, makes me want to throw up. I think it will get better as time goes (still new here, only 4 days).0
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I did 1200 and at times, had a hard time making it. It takes a LOT of healthy foods to get to 1200. I reached and surpassed my goal in exactly 90 days( I only had to lose about 25 pounds.) There were lots of times that I felt hungry but I think that is part of living this new lifestyle. You have to listen to your body and stop eating when satisfied. I was so used to just eating just because and NEVER feeling hungry and in the beginning it was really tough; but I made it and could not be happier. Now I am maintaining and eating more + eating my exercise calories. I do not think that 1200 is for everyone, but for me, it was perfect.0
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I eat whatever I want and have no issue staying at 12000
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