Is This Healthy????????

izzyissy
izzyissy Posts: 48 Member
edited October 2 in Health and Weight Loss
I set up my goals here and it says in order for me to lose 1 lb a week, I can only eat 950 calories a day. I thought it was harmful if you do under 1200 calories. I don't get it... I am 4'7. I can't do 950 calories a day.

Is there anybody else who is short here? How many calories are you eating?

Replies

  • limex
    limex Posts: 81 Member
    I'm 5.0' and eating 1200. But that's only enough to lose 0.8lbs per week. I though MFP will always recommend a minimum of 1200, so that's weird. No, I don't think 950 is healthy.
  • redhead91
    redhead91 Posts: 251
    MFP is set up to not recommend less than 1200 calories a day. I have no idea how you got that number.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    Maybe it allows a lower number when you're that short. Just an idea..
  • CoraGregoryCPA
    CoraGregoryCPA Posts: 1,087 Member
    I bet it is because of your height.. maybe 950 calories is ok. You should really ask a doctor on that one.
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
    Try for losing only half a pound a week. 950 isn't a lot of calories, it would be hard to get the right nutrients and things in.
  • cownancy
    cownancy Posts: 291
    At your height, you will not lose as much per week as a taller, heavier person. .8 is a lot of weight per week for a person of your size and I would think 1200 should be your minimum, but, again, I would double check with your doctor and ask about a multivitamin, etc.

    Good luck!
  • vbowman_morris
    vbowman_morris Posts: 22 Member
    You dont want to eat under 1200 calories!! Your body will go into starvation mode. Plus, its not too much about the calories you put in versus whats in the calories you put it. You can eat 950 empty calories full of processed nastiness or 1200-1500 calories of clean foods. Lean meats, veggies, low-sugar fruits, complex carbs...lots and lots of protein. Calories arent bad if you are eating the right calories :)
  • mrselbow
    mrselbow Posts: 27 Member
    You dont want to eat under 1200 calories!! Your body will go into starvation mode.

    Yeah, because everyone knows that if you eat 1199 calories a day, you'll automatically starve.

    Who said 1200 is the magic number anyway!?

    OP - I say chat to a health professional about this. You need to find something suited to you and if that's going to mean you're eating 950 or so, it'll be good to have full information from your doctor.
  • splackk
    splackk Posts: 163
    You dont want to eat under 1200 calories!! Your body will go into starvation mode.

    Yeah, because everyone knows that if you eat 1199 calories a day, you'll automatically starve.

    Who said 1200 is the magic number anyway!?

    OP - I say chat to a health professional about this. Probably best not to rely on people who only have personal experience to back up their claims. You need to find something suited to you and if that's going to mean you're eating 950 or so, it'll be good to have full information from your doctor.

    Thank you. It gets so tiring to hear the litany of DON'T GO UNDER 1200 EVER OR YOU'LL STARVE AND NEVER LOSE WEIGHT AGAIN. The body isn't dumb, it saved that excess fat for times of need and by eating at a deficit you are putting that need in, it's going to burn that fat and you're going to lose weight. It almost sounds like a threat nowadays with people ranting it off without considering the calorie needs of a 6'1'' man at 450 and 5'0'' at 100 woman are very different and 1200 may suit neither, maybe too little for the man but maybe too MUCH for the woman.

    Very low cals are still not recommended for a variety of reasons (including the inability to stick with it long term) and should be talked about in depth with a doctor or registered nutritionist, but at that height 950 may be very well enough, just check with a professional to get the best advice for you specifically.
  • vbowman_morris
    vbowman_morris Posts: 22 Member
    My trainer and Jamie Eason. It cant be healthy to only consume 950 calories. Where's all the nutrition your body needs in that? Lean meats are usually 140 calories per serving and you need alot of protein so I dont see it as possible to get all of the nutrition your body calls for in 950 calories. And I have never heard of height having anything to do with calorie intake, but then what do I know....I'm no doctor. Take it or leave it.
  • vbowman_morris
    vbowman_morris Posts: 22 Member
    I never said you would starve...that takes some time.
  • mrselbow
    mrselbow Posts: 27 Member
    You dont want to eat under 1200 calories!! Your body will go into starvation mode.

    Yeah, because everyone knows that if you eat 1199 calories a day, you'll automatically starve.

    Who said 1200 is the magic number anyway!?

    OP - I say chat to a health professional about this. Probably best not to rely on people who only have personal experience to back up their claims. You need to find something suited to you and if that's going to mean you're eating 950 or so, it'll be good to have full information from your doctor.

    Thank you. It gets so tiring to hear the litany of DON'T GO UNDER 1200 EVER OR YOU'LL STARVE AND NEVER LOSE WEIGHT AGAIN. The body isn't dumb, it saved that excess fat for times of need and by eating at a deficit you are putting that need in, it's going to burn that fat and you're going to lose weight. It almost sounds like a threat nowadays with people ranting it off without considering the calorie needs of a 6'1'' man at 450 and 5'0'' at 100 woman are very different and 1200 may suit neither, maybe too little for the man but maybe too MUCH for the woman.

    Very low cals are still not recommended for a variety of reasons (including the inability to stick with it long term) and should be talked about in depth with a doctor or registered nutritionist, but at that height 950 may be very well enough, just check with a professional to get the best advice for you specifically.

    *applause*

    Splackk said it better!... just read what she said! :wink:
  • significance
    significance Posts: 436 Member
    At your size, you can't lose 1 lb per week without going under 1200/day. Going under 1200 net calories/day isn't recommended by MFP. Going under 1200 gross calories/day isn't recommended by anyone, without close medical supervision. If you want to try to lose 1lb/week despite that, you can eat 1200/day and exercise away 350 of that to get a (not really recommended) 950 net calories/day.
  • hiway30
    hiway30 Posts: 2
    You have not stated your starting or goal weight, if you only have a small amount of weight to lose, consider losing 1/2 pound a week as I am. The site does also state you should check with your doctor. A lot of generic calculations used by weight loss programs do not work effectively for those who are extremely short/tall/athletic etc. Get professional advice, as it sounds very low.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    The bigger you are, the more calories your body needs just to get through the day, so of course height is important.

    1200 is a rough guide, not a magic number. But I agree that 950 sounds on the low side.
  • izzyissy
    izzyissy Posts: 48 Member
    Just another FYI, when I checked my BMI, it was 1661. And it says to eat 500 calories less a day to total 3500 calories a week to lose one pound a week, so my calorie intake for the day should be 1161. Is this correct?

    So I guess I can eat 1161 and will still lose a lb a week.

    I am very short, but I also am about 40-45lbs over weight.....

    Since I am new ,I know I will just have to see what works for me, but I really wanted to shoot for 1lb a week. I am going to do 40 minutes of exercising 4x a week, but I wanted to have those extra calories as a buffer to eat them if I needed them and still lose weight.
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    950 cals isn't healthy at all even for short people. If you find yourself starving for less than 1200 then it means its not healthy for you at all. Its better to lose 1/4 lbs. a week on a moderate calorie deficit than to lose 1 lb a week on a very low calorie diet. The best thing to do is to increase your activity level so your BMR will increase & so you can up your cals a bit while still losing weight.
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