1200 cals per day is not working for me!

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  • djdelano
    djdelano Posts: 30
    Hi

    I just did a quick poke over to that BMR on fit2fat. 72" 201 goal to weigh 195

    This is me: Moderately Active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/wk) 3021 Calories per day.

    That's insane, if I ate that many calories, even considering the exercise, I'd be GAINING a pound a week.

    your results may vary, but that is WAY WAY WAY too much for me.

    -D
  • Hollie_downunder
    Hollie_downunder Posts: 192
    Woah! yeah thats huge, i don't think it would be possible for me to even eat that many calories per day, unless all i was eating was mcdonalds.. and we dont want that! haha
  • Almiel
    Almiel Posts: 61 Member
    Thanks so much for your advice everyone, i think i have gone on far too long with the scales only slowly going down, then a touch up, then down again! ARGH! :)

    For those who asked, 1200cals is what MFP set for me as i had it on the maximum weightloss with sedentary lifestyle as i have a desk job (but then again no car so i walk pretty much EVERYWHERE!)

    So it seems i have been way off the mark for so long, time to mix it up and hope for results!

    If you walk everywhere, then change your settings to lightly active, and see how that goes for a few weeks. I, like other responders, went from 1240 up to 1490 and started losing weight again.
    Another thing I do is I to make safe counts. I usually log a little more calories' food and a little less burned calories, even though is it not true. It gives me a safe zone.

    Anyone, would like to comment my strategies that wrote above. Opinions are welcome.

    On the latter, that is good for sure! Most people forget they are burning calories even when not exercising. For example, I burn about 1.5 cals/minute sitting at my computer. So after I exercise, I multiply the minutes by 1.5 and subtract that from my calories burned. E.G. Yesterday I did circuit training. My HRM reported 275 calories and it took 35 minutes. 35 x 1.5 = 52.5. To make it easier, I just knocked 50 calories off and reported 225 calories burned.
  • lupa01
    lupa01 Posts: 162 Member
    I'm set at 1200 calories and it works fine for me, probably because I work out almost everyday and eat back some of my exercise calories. I usually average around 1400 but on the weekends around 2000. I do, however, burn more calories on Saturdays and eat back almost all of those calories because it is my "cheat day". I've been on MFP for about two months, and have weighed myself twice. The first month I lost 13 pounds and the second month I lost 6 pounds. I have lost more inches since my last weigh in, but will not weigh again until the end of this month. I guess it works for me because I rarely eat the 1200 calories! I eat all day long, drink lots of water, I never feel deprived, and the weight is literally falling off! With all that said, try eating back some of your exercise calories. Depending on how many calories I burn, I usually eat back around 200-300 of them, except on "cheat days".lol I hope you find balance and what works for you, blessings to you on your journey!;-)
  • yankeedownsouth
    yankeedownsouth Posts: 717 Member
    1200 doesn't seem to be working for me either, although I do eat some/most of the calories I burn while exercising. I lost the first few weeks, then I've been gaining/losing the same pound repeatedly the last two weeks. I'm starting to wonder if 1200 is just too low or if I'm struggling because I only have 10 pounds to lose. I've thought about upping my calories a bit, but I'm afraid to gain back the whopping three pounds I've managed to lose...
  • hnsaunde
    hnsaunde Posts: 757 Member
    I started doing the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, and at the same time increased my calories to 1500 per day. For 30 days, I didn't eat more than 1500 regardless of how much I exercised (, and I made sure that I was eating healthy foods, and I didn't drink alcohol. I lost about 3 pounds but dropped a dress size. I had plateaued for about 3 months, and the switched helped me drop more weight while toning.
  • jovz10
    jovz10 Posts: 531 Member
    1200 calories usually wont work for anyone!
    Have your numbers run or goto fat to fit radio and do the military calculator and BMR tool!
    When you see numbers like 1600-2000 dont be surprised!

    Add me for support if you need it!

    Thanks for the tip on fat to fit radio. Great site. Although you were right. It's tells me to eat 1700 calories to reach my goal weight. I don't understand how that is possible. And it really doesn't explain why. 1700 is a lot and I'd be nervous to eat that much.

    don't eat your exercise back though... i think 1700 for gross not net.... that's my goal right now... 1750 (maintain weight) but net 1300cal/week after exercise (1293cal BMR)
  • disappearingact206
    disappearingact206 Posts: 33
    I have found the the recommendations on MFP can sometimes be WAY too low.
    my trainer informed me that you should be eating 10x your weight in calories a day.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    1200 calories usually wont work for anyone!
    Have your numbers run or goto fat to fit radio and do the military calculator and BMR tool!
    When you see numbers like 1600-2000 dont be surprised!

    Add me for support if you need it!

    Thanks for the tip on fat to fit radio. Great site. Although you were right. It's tells me to eat 1700 calories to reach my goal weight. I don't understand how that is possible. And it really doesn't explain why. 1700 is a lot and I'd be nervous to eat that much.

    Nutrients for your vital organs!
    If you are seriously obese then eating closer to BMR is healthy to a point.
    Your body will fuel itself with your fat essentially burning it off.
    But if you arent obese then you are robbing vital nutrients from bital organs ie: Brain, liver, kidneys, heart...etc.
    Its similar to you trying to run a marathon with a belt around your chest restricting how deep your breaths are while sprinting!

    the trick is staying at 1700 calories with well balanced macros for 2 weeks to see the difference!
    Can you do it?
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
    Hi,

    What this shows is how different people are.

    I'm at 1870 Calories per day. I'm 6'2 and now 201 lbs.

    I workout at least 4 times a week, and often burn 500-800 calories per day. I'm losing very slowly.

    I'm actually stunned that some of your are losing weight at 1300/1400/1500 calories without vigorous workouts.

    As I've mentioned before I often don't officially track sat/sun but I consiously add up the calories to about 200-400 excess cals.

    If you are able to eat that much food and maintain, or lose, be HAPPY, because there are many of us who are very jealous!

    I predict my next weigh in when I finally get to 195 MFP will reduce me under 1800. Goal is 190 by end of February (going on a cruise)

    -D

    I am totally with you! I lost 0.6lbs a week on 1200 cals plus eating back half my exercise cals. Now I am maintaining on 1500. I only get to eat 1800 if I do an hour of aerobics or circuits! 2000 if I run 10k.
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