1200 calories???

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kimmerkay
kimmerkay Posts: 110
in Health and Weight Loss
Good Morning! I'm new, not to calorie counting, but to this site... When I filled out my questionaire when starting it told me my calories should be 1200. That seems really low to me. I used to be on a different site last year and I was on 1650 calories. I'm 251 pounds, 5'3" and 45 years old. I have a desk job so I sit all day at work. I had bumped my calories to 1500 for the first 2 days, but I'm questioning myself and thinking I should probably leave it at the 1200, since that is what the website recommended. What do you all think? Thanks, Kim

****After getting some advice.. One of the things I did was go to tools and run my bmr... It came up 1734.

Replies

  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    How fast are you trying to lose? You can adjust that if you need more calories. And remember you earn extra calories by exercising.
  • jennajava
    jennajava Posts: 2,176 Member
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    Best advice someone gave me-- calculate your BMR, then eat that in calories. Mine is 1400. I had been doing 1200, then when I upped it, I started losing again. Best of luck! Feel free to add me. I'd be glad to offer help any time.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Good Morning! I'm new, not to calorie counting, but to this site... When I filled out my questionaire when starting it told me my calories should be 1200. That seems really low to me. I used to be on a different site last year and I was on 1650 calories. I'm 251 pounds, 5'3" and 45 years old. I have a desk job so I sit all day at work. I had bumped my calories to 1500 for the first 2 days, but I'm questioning myself and thinking I should probably leave it at the 1200, since that is what the website recommended. What do you all think? Thanks, Kim

    It is really low, i'd start by shooting for 1800-2000 and then adjust as needed
  • edithcita
    edithcita Posts: 13 Member
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    I am 5' 4" and 174 pounds and I got the same advice: 1200 cal per day. I have a sedentary job. I really don't know what to tell you, because it also seemed a little low for me at first. Also, you should take into account that it is 1200 net calories. So, if you are working out, that also counts. If you don't feel comfortable with the 1200, maybe you can do 1500 and see how it goes. As long as you are reducing your intake, it will work.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    That's MFP's suggestion for most women, and it's very low in my opinion...and borderline dangerous.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    The calories are set according to how much weight you chose to lose per week. If you enter your exercises you will "earn" more calories so that you still have a deficit to lose at the chosen rate.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    That's MFP's suggestion for most women, and it's very low in my opinion...and borderline dangerous.

    It's only that low if you set your lifestyle to sedentary and say you want to lose 2 lb per week. If you are sitting all day you really don't need many calories.
  • mollyb33
    mollyb33 Posts: 69
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    It can seem extremely low and it may be depending on your level of activity. I work a desk job so MFP has me set to 1260 and that works for the days when I'm at my desk and I don't get to workout in the evening. However on my extremely crazy days when I'm out and about, and I do an intense workout I definitely bump it up otherwise I'd pass out. You really have to try and listen to your body.
  • jenniet04
    jenniet04 Posts: 1,054 Member
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    If I were you, I would start with my BMR number and see how that works. Mine is 1448, so that's what I have set mine to and on most days I generally burn anywhere from 2400-2500 calories so I'm getting my 1000 calorie deficit each day. I have a desk job, but am very active when I get home, chasing after 4 boys, cleaning house, cooking, etc. You can update this on your goals if you customize.
  • FunkyGranolaTree
    FunkyGranolaTree Posts: 399 Member
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    I am 244.7 and 5'7 and have a very sedentary job.. I had set mine for the 2 pounds a week and it gave me 1320 a day... The first day was tough and the 2nd day was almost impossible, but yesterday was not that tough at all..... To me it feels like a huge cut because I was really bingeing before I started... you need to make the right choice for you... If 1500 feels right for you, right now, then do it! You are in control of you!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Good Morning! I'm new, not to calorie counting, but to this site... When I filled out my questionaire when starting it told me my calories should be 1200. That seems really low to me. I used to be on a different site last year and I was on 1650 calories. I'm 251 pounds, 5'3" and 45 years old. I have a desk job so I sit all day at work. I had bumped my calories to 1500 for the first 2 days, but I'm questioning myself and thinking I should probably leave it at the 1200, since that is what the website recommended. What do you all think? Thanks, Kim

    ****After getting some advice.. One of the things I did was go to tools and run my bmr... It came up 1734.

    That 1200 assumes no exercise, once you exercise and add it in you will be given more calories. Most likely the other site based you caloric intake taking planned exercise into consideration.

    Essentially the other side set your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure including planned exericse) then creating a deficit from that to lose weight. This is what most trainer/doctors/nutritionists do. Most professionals will tell you not to eat your exercise calories back because they added it into your TDEE, whereas MFP ignores exercise and only accounts for it when you perform it. Either way should get you to the same place.

    As an example say MFP gives you 1450 calories to lose 1 lb/week, and you plan on exercising 5x/week for an average of 400 cals per workout. well MFP will tell you to eat 1450 on the days you don't workout and 1850 on the days you do whereas a "professional" may tell you to eat 1750 everyday regardless if you workout.

    So for the week MFP will have you eat 12,150 (1450*2+1850*5) whereas doing it the other way will have you eat 12,250 (1750*7) almost the same number of cals for the week. The issue in not following MFP is if you don't workout the full 5 days or burn more or less than planned. If that is the case you may lose more or less than your goal, whereas MFP will have you lose your goal amount regardless how much you actually workout.

    What many MFPers do is take the low 1450 and not eat back exercise calories which is wrong, if you are not eating them back then your daily activity level should reflect the higher burn with would be covered in the 1750/day above.

    As an example your day to day requirements are like a tank of gas. if you use a tank of gas/week going to and from work, if you go on any extra trips or errands you will need to add more gas in order to have enough gas to get to work. So if you need 1200 for day to day stuff (you will lose weight with 1200 cals and no exercise), then when you do extra (workout) you need to put more calories in your body.
  • H_Factor
    H_Factor Posts: 1,722 Member
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    I'm 5'7", weighed 208 when I came to MFP, am a guy, and set my weight loss goal to 2 lbs per week when I signed up with MFP at the end of July. It gave me a calorie target of 1280. I figured out what foods I could eat that would keep me full and right around that calorie target. I found out it wasn't hard to do. When I exercised, I ate more to account for my exercise calories.

    Now I weigh 181, have changed my weight loss goal to 1.6 pounds per week and my MFP calorie total is 1360 per day. No sweat. I can assure you that I don't go hungry. Sure, I still have some battles with my mind as far as *wanting* things...and, shoot, sometimes I give in because its okay to do that sometimes....but I have been on the journey long enough to know the difference between physical hunger and mental bullcrap. Just because I want something, doesn't mean I'm hungry. I am no longer a prisoner to my mind.

    Its really just a matter of understanding that cooking your own food instead of eating processed foods is likely going to give you more food to eat...and healthier food at that. Its a matter of understanding that eating lean proteins, healthy fats, and carbs with a low glycemic index value (which usually come with solid fiber as well) are going to: (a) keep you full longer; and (b) minimize insulin spikes and cravings for sweets.
  • LaurenH2010
    LaurenH2010 Posts: 71
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    I thought the same thing, 1200 are you crazy? Now I find it hard to eat that many calories some days. It all depends on what I choose to eat. Healthier food, high in protein and fiber, fill me up. If I have a bad day and eat something like fast food, than 1200 calories adds up in almost one meal. I agree with what most people are saying that it depends on how fast you want to lose the weight on how much of a deficit MFP will calculate for you. So MFP is basically saying that if you do no additional activity and want to lose weight 1200 calories a day is the way to do it. Once you start logging your food, you start paying attention to what fills you up for longer periods of time and what is worth the calories and what isn't. Stick with it and you will see results, good luck to you :smile:
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    I'm 5'7", weighed 208 when I came to MFP, am a guy, and set my weight loss goal to 2 lbs per week when I signed up with MFP at the end of July. It gave me a calorie target of 1280. I figured out what foods I could eat that would keep me full and right around that calorie target. I found out it wasn't hard to do. When I exercised, I ate more to account for my exercise calories.

    Now I weigh 181, have changed my weight loss goal to 1.6 pounds per week and my MFP calorie total is 1360 per day. No sweat. I can assure you that I don't go hungry. Sure, I still have some battles with my mind as far as *wanting* things...and, shoot, sometimes I give in because its okay to do that sometimes....but I have been on the journey long enough to know the difference between physical hunger and mental bullcrap. Just because I want something, doesn't mean I'm hungry. I am no longer a prisoner to my mind.

    Its really just a matter of understanding that cooking your own food instead of eating processed foods is likely going to give you more food to eat...and healthier food at that. Its a matter of understanding that eating lean proteins, healthy fats, and carbs with a low glycemic index value (which usually come with solid fiber as well) are going to: (a) keep you full longer; and (b) minimize insulin spikes and cravings for sweets.

    The minimum a guy should get is 1500, the 1200 floor is for women and both are net goals, with your hieght and wieght you should not be aiming to lose more tham 1 lb/week.

    Here is a guide for setting healthy weight loss goals:
    If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal,
    If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal, and
    If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal.
  • pinkcloud57
    pinkcloud57 Posts: 1
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    The important thing is to do what works for you, and remember - never give up!
  • kimmerkay
    kimmerkay Posts: 110
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    You all are great!!!! MFP has such a wonderful support system.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    I'm 5'7", weighed 208 when I came to MFP, am a guy, and set my weight loss goal to 2 lbs per week when I signed up with MFP at the end of July. It gave me a calorie target of 1280. I figured out what foods I could eat that would keep me full and right around that calorie target. I found out it wasn't hard to do. When I exercised, I ate more to account for my exercise calories.

    Now I weigh 181, have changed my weight loss goal to 1.6 pounds per week and my MFP calorie total is 1360 per day. No sweat. I can assure you that I don't go hungry. Sure, I still have some battles with my mind as far as *wanting* things...and, shoot, sometimes I give in because its okay to do that sometimes....but I have been on the journey long enough to know the difference between physical hunger and mental bullcrap. Just because I want something, doesn't mean I'm hungry. I am no longer a prisoner to my mind.

    Its really just a matter of understanding that cooking your own food instead of eating processed foods is likely going to give you more food to eat...and healthier food at that. Its a matter of understanding that eating lean proteins, healthy fats, and carbs with a low glycemic index value (which usually come with solid fiber as well) are going to: (a) keep you full longer; and (b) minimize insulin spikes and cravings for sweets.

    1360cals for a guy who is apparently engaging in resistance training is pretty low, hitting both your fat and pro min would take up almost all of that, so you'd basically be at 0 cho a day

    and GI is irrelevant to the avg person and does not provide better satiety or increase weight loss
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    I think 1200 isn't enough most times. On days I work out, sure my net can be under 1200 or about there easily, but on days I don't, I feel like crap if I only eat 1200. So I moved my weight loss goal to half a pound a week which allows about 1400 a day. So on days I don't work out I won't feel as crappy when I finish and it says "YOU WENT OVER!"

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