Is 1200 calories a day enough??

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NINAjustdoit
NINAjustdoit Posts: 80 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I just joined MFP and set up my goals. I weigh 165 lbs and want to loose 2lbs a week with my final goal weight set at 145 lbs. I plan on working out 4 times a week for an hour. MFP suggested I eat 1200 calories a day. This seems really low, is 1200 calories a day enough???

PS - Low calorie meal ideas would be really appreciated! :)
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Replies

  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    Not in my opinion, but many around here eat that or even less.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Possibly but it doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room for hitting your minimums for proteins and fats, so you'd require very low cho.

    why not start somewhere around 1,600cals and adjust as needed?
  • Jeff92se
    Jeff92se Posts: 3,369 Member
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    1200 as a base? I don't know. At 180lbs I was allowed 1800.

    But when you workout you will be able to add calories. ie... 1 hour of jogging would be around 600-700 calories. Now on that day, you are allowed 1800-1900 calories.
  • AnninStPaul
    AnninStPaul Posts: 1,372 Member
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    I just joined MFP and set up my goals. I weigh 165 lbs and want to loose 2lbs a week with my final goal weight set at 145 lbs. I plan on working out 4 times a week for an hour. MFP suggested I eat 1200 calories a day. This seems really low, is 1200 calories a day enough???

    PS - Low calorie meal ideas would be really appreciated! :)

    2lb per week is on the aggressive side; I'd go with the MFP-recommended 1.5 lb/wk and re-evaluate closer to goal.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    If you're only trying to lose 20 pounds, 2 pounds a week is way too much. You should be aiming for 1 pound a week.
  • wigglentwink
    wigglentwink Posts: 336 Member
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    It really just depends on what and how often you eat. I eat about 900-950 a day and run 3-5 miles in the morning and do 30-60 min of crosstraining in the evening. It's enough for me and I'm 170. I don't snack, though.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    It really just depends on what and how often you eat. I eat about 900-950 a day and run 3-5 miles in the morning and do 30-60 min of crosstraining in the evening. It's enough for me and I'm 170. I don't snack, though.

    This is dangerous
  • DisneyAddictRW
    DisneyAddictRW Posts: 800 Member
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    I struggled to lose weight on 1200 calories and gained back my weight. I adjusted mine higher and things are going much smoother. I need calories in order to lose.
  • psych101
    psych101 Posts: 1,842 Member
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    My advice:

    Lower your goal per week to 1lb or even to 0.5lbs per week. This will give you more calories....mmm more calories

    xx
  • misty8parker
    misty8parker Posts: 45 Member
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    You get more calories if you workout. My goal is 1200 but I often do 1300-1500 (or more on just plain OFF days). I eat alot of spinach, romaine, fruit, yogurt, tofu, pico de gallo.....basically fruits and veggies with beans and black rice or quinoa....nutrient rich and low cal!! Low cal cheese ...baked chicken or boiled, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts....... It is probably a low goal but I dont lose my mind if I dont make it. So, if you arent eating tons of veggies....not much food.
  • kimmerkay
    kimmerkay Posts: 110
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    I started last week and it put me at 1200 calories,, and I weighed 251 pounds....I was like,,,no way. and I bumped it up to 1400. I feel better there. I'm just try it for a few weeks and see what happens to my body. Everyone is so different and the whole journey is trial and error..... Maybe you could do a few days at 1200 and see if you feel too starving. Remember you will get the exercise calories to eat back. That can be quite a few calories. The days you don't exercise may leave you a little hungry. Play with it and see what works for you.
  • blueimp
    blueimp Posts: 230 Member
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    I set my goal to the 1200 calories; 60-08 g carbs my nutritionist recommended. An hour of aerobics every day increases the calories available to 17-1800 or so. I don't eat all of my exercise calories.
  • maddymama
    maddymama Posts: 1,183 Member
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    1200 is enough, provided you add in your exercise calories when you exercise. You don't want to go below 1200 after exercise.... you want 1200 plus most of your exercise calories.
    If I were you, I'd try for 1 lb weight loss a week, it'll give you a bit more wiggle room.
  • MaggieMay131
    MaggieMay131 Posts: 211 Member
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    No. You will find yourself tired and sluggish and probably hungry. I'd start with about 1500 and see how it goes, you can adjust accordingly!
  • MaggieMay131
    MaggieMay131 Posts: 211 Member
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    It really just depends on what and how often you eat. I eat about 900-950 a day and run 3-5 miles in the morning and do 30-60 min of crosstraining in the evening. It's enough for me and I'm 170. I don't snack, though.

    This is dangerous

    truth.
  • Alexdur85
    Alexdur85 Posts: 255 Member
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    I was eating 1200 calories plus exercise calories and I lost 16lbs. Now I've hit a plateu and have been very hungry lately. I've upped my cals for myself to 1400 without exercise and plan on eating my exercise cals back. You have to eat to lose!
  • AveryWays
    AveryWays Posts: 150 Member
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    1200 is enough, provided you add in your exercise calories when you exercise. You don't want to go below 1200 after exercise.... you want 1200 plus most of your exercise calories.
    If I were you, I'd try for 1 lb weight loss a week, it'll give you a bit more wiggle room.

    Totally agrees. MFP has me on 1,200 calories with loosing 1 lb a week. With the amount of exercise and lifting I do, I do try to eat up my exercise calories as much as I can plus I eat 5-6x a day. There are days I burn close to 700-900 calories so I do my best to make sure my net calories is close to 1,200.
  • jocraw66
    jocraw66 Posts: 52
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    It really just depends on what and how often you eat. I eat about 900-950 a day and run 3-5 miles in the morning and do 30-60 min of crosstraining in the evening. It's enough for me and I'm 170. I don't snack, though.

    That just seems so unhealthy to me.


    I have lost a lot of weight and I can tell you that when you set your calorie deficit so low that this weight loss thing feels very diet like. I don't want to feel as if I am on a diet. I want to feel as though I can still enjoy my life.

    I'd suggest upping your calories to at least 1400/1600 and see where you are. Most people eat far more than that before they really start paying attention to exactly what they put in their mouth.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    2lbs a week is lot to try to lose. I would lower that to 1lb a week. Slow and Steady will get you there and it's a more sustainable diet, you won't feel deprived
  • mom2my5sons
    mom2my5sons Posts: 28 Member
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    not for me! I am hungry on 1200 cals-and much more likely to give in to those cravings. I'm better off eating 1400-1500 nutritious calories and fueling my body. I was set at 2 lbs/week for a while-and I didn't lose a thing. I changed that to 1 1/2 lbs/week-and now I'm losing. And much less hungry and cranky :D

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