1200 Calories is Enough for me. Is that wrong?

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cvpis4me
cvpis4me Posts: 50
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok, I have a lot of weight to lose, close to 50 pounds. So when my calorie counter gave me 1,200 calories a day, it sounded like it wouldn't be enough. But after 2 days on MFP it seems like I'm doing pretty good. I do tend to get a rumbly tummy a couple times a day but I usually stick it out for about half an hour of discomfort and then I eat a snack, or I stretch out a meal into an hour-long event. But if I go even 2 calories under my 1,200 daily intake the system says I'm not taking in enough and I'll go in starvation mode if I don't eat more. Am I really going to do that? Should I take in more calories every couple days to prevent my body from freaking out?

Replies

  • biancardi
    biancardi Posts: 20
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    are you working out? You should reclaim those calories burned by exercise and eat.

    Try to keep at 1200 calories if you aren't exercising, but if you are exercising, you should eat those calories. I don't know if it is "wrong" for you to be at 1200 calories. Eventually, you will hit a plateau if you aren't exercising, in my experience.
  • cvpis4me
    cvpis4me Posts: 50
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    I exercised yesterday and burned 291 calories. I had only logged about 1,100 calories yesterday and the system gave me the "starvation mode" alert so I ate an extra sandwich at dinner and that brought me up to about 1,335 so I didn't eat all the exercise calories I earned. I don't plan on working out for another few days due to a recent injury (not workout related)
  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    2 days is easy. It's after a couple of weeks you start feeling hungry. I would go with how you feel. If you are ok on 1200 then stick with it. If you start finding it isn't enough, up it.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
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    Based on your goals and what's really happening, you might have to make adjustments in yoru calories. MFP allows for you to manually adjust calories up or down. Mine are set to 1 lb per week, and it works pretty good. But, if I was losing 5 lbs per week or something, and starving, I'd manually add calories and see how that works for me. It might take a little while to find the right bakance of calorie intake and weight loss.
  • cvpis4me
    cvpis4me Posts: 50
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    2 days is easy. It's after a couple of weeks you start feeling hungry. I would go with how you feel. If you are ok on 1200 then stick with it. If you start finding it isn't enough, up it.

    Really? I always though the first few days of dieting were the hardest!! I guess I'll have to see how I feel after a few weeks then
  • robie11
    robie11 Posts: 3
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    I have the same calorie allowance, I just started recently. I usually have left over calories so far each night. I have put in all food up to tonight and have 100 left over. Some areas are over in count like protein but that can only be good right?:smile:

    I dont want to eat when I'm not hungry, that doesn't make sense does it?
  • jennkess
    jennkess Posts: 86
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    i wouldn't go below 1200....especially on day's you exercise. when you exercise you need to feed the muscles you are using. sounds strange I know , however as you read threads you will see many comments on how you need to eat to lose weight. it's eating the correct foods and not going overboard.

    Have you used the BMR calculator to see the low end of the calories your body needs according to your height and weight.... your weight loss goal may be high and set you at the lower calorie intake- but the adjustments for your body may be different.

    for me, my laying in bed all day calories needed to sustain/ maintain are 1487. you add any movement and you need to consume more. according to a few other sites, basic movement walking, typing talking your body will use another 500 or so calories. i personally though i have almost 50lbs to lose only have my calorie goal at 1600

    as you continue on you will find what works for you... just make sure you drink tons of water and if you start feeling light headed, headaches, especially when you are exercising your food intake is not high enough....

    good luck :flowerforyou:
  • danmoffett
    danmoffett Posts: 110
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    You don't have to worry about or count calories if you eat the right food. You can't over eat on good food.
    I've lost 152 pounds in the past 24 months. I never have and never will count a calorie.

    Do yourself a big favor and listen to the following videos on YouTiube:
    Ultimate Wellness with Dr. James Carlson. It is an 8 part video.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d86WeZxCRUw&feature=related

    Read the book called "Wheat Belly" by Dr. William Davis

    Free your self from the slavery of calorie counting.

    Read my blog. I have noting to sell, you won't find any ads on the blog, just lots of helpful info.
  • cvpis4me
    cvpis4me Posts: 50
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    i wouldn't go below 1200....especially on day's you exercise. when you exercise you need to feed the muscles you are using. sounds strange I know , however as you read threads you will see many comments on how you need to eat to lose weight. it's eating the correct foods and not going overboard.

    Have you used the BMR calculator to see the low end of the calories your body needs according to your height and weight.... your weight loss goal may be high and set you at the lower calorie intake- but the adjustments for your body may be different.

    for me, my laying in bed all day calories needed to sustain/ maintain are 1487. you add any movement and you need to consume more. according to a few other sites, basic movement walking, typing talking your body will use another 500 or so calories. i personally though i have almost 50lbs to lose only have my calorie goal at 1600

    as you continue on you will find what works for you... just make sure you drink tons of water and if you start feeling light headed, headaches, especially when you are exercising your food intake is not high enough....

    good luck :flowerforyou:

    I haven't used the BMR calculator. I'll have to go find it. Right now I put that I want to lose 2 pounds a week but that's just for the beginning. I plan to trim it down after I lose 10-15 pounds.
  • annabellio
    annabellio Posts: 127 Member
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    To borrow a term from substance recovery of which I am not in but have a lot of training in, you are in what could be referred to as the "pink cloud", meaning you are energized by what you are doing for yourself and the positive actions you are taking really inspire you. That's awesome! But be cautious, because it could go away and then all of a sudden you're either starving or in a plateau or both !! Listen to your body - if you feel like you're hungry a lot of the time , then you probably need more calories. Since this is supposed to be a lifestyle , think about how you will continue long term. I'm not being judgey mcjudgerson at all just giving my opinion. MFP is the longest lifestyle plan I've ever stuck with - 13 months. SOmetimes I lose and sometimes I don't but except for a relapse recently due mostly to emotional eating through grief , I have moved only downward on the scale. And I don't see myself leaving MFP even when I reach my goal, because it works so well for me. I have adjusted my calories up and down countless times , sometimes I let MFP set it sometimes I set it at my BMR or other random amount. That's all !! Keep up the great work !!
  • bbbgamer
    bbbgamer Posts: 582 Member
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    i would not eat if I wasnt hungry......save that for when you are hungry. The body does not reset itself just because the clock strikes midnight. 1100 calories one day 1300 the next averages out to me.
  • firesoforion
    firesoforion Posts: 1,017 Member
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    Everyone is different, see what works for you. I found that I wasn't hungry at 1200 (or even 1000) calories but I stopped losing weight. Who knows if it was genuinely starvation mode or not but I do know that in attempting to start my weight loss again, I started a different way of logging (eat at what a site says is my BMR, then not eat back exercise calories unless I've burned 1000 or more), and even when I don't work out (I haven't been very good lately, hope to change that soon...), I don't gain weight, even though I've bumped up my calories by 300 calories a day. I've still been stuck but at least now I feel like I'm stuck because I'm eating almost exactly what I need to maintain, rather than because my body is acting out of whack. Playing around with it is key. If 1200 works for you, do it, if 1000 works for you, do it, if a whole different method of counting entirely is what works for you, do it!
  • amykathleen2005
    amykathleen2005 Posts: 79 Member
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    2 days is easy. It's after a couple of weeks you start feeling hungry. I would go with how you feel. If you are ok on 1200 then stick with it. If you start finding it isn't enough, up it.


    Exactly.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    I think it is, if you put in the right info and MFP says 1200. I also have 50 lbs to lose. I started at 170lbs and I've lost 12 since Christmas. But, I also walk a lot. Add me as a friend if you'd like. :)
    Also, there are days when I feel like 1200 is too much and I feel like I shouldn't be eating. I go ahead and do it because I've found that if I don't, im STARVING during my 2 hr walk and I feel weak. Your body will tell you if you're doing ok,, just watch for signals. If you feel like you've had your limits on your calorie goals/exercise, then drink water. That helps me sometimes.
  • TourThePast
    TourThePast Posts: 1,753 Member
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    You don't have to worry about or count calories if you eat the right food. You can't over eat on good food.
    YOU might not have to worry about or count calories. Good for you. Well done. That must be great.

    YOU might not be able to over eat on good food. Good for you. Well done. That must be great.

    However if you were four foot ten and weighed under 120lb you would not be quite so glib with your "one size fits all" advice. I can VERY easily over eat on "good" food.

    But well done you for being a bloke. Have a biscuit...

    *rolls eyes*

    To the OP, two calories under 1200 isn't going to make any difference at all, but for any woman who isn't significantly below a normal height and who isn't underweight, eating a balanced diet of 1200 calories of good healthy food will generally ensure that your body does get the nutrients it requires.

    Don't get stressed about a few calories above or below that, but it's a good starting point.

    In my view,, if someone's going to eat "junk" food regularly and not exercise, it's worth them slowing their weight loss to half a pound a week, and having the "junk" food as well as their 1200 calories worth of nutritious food, but it may be that half a pound a week seems too daunting to keep it up for the length of time necessary to achieve whatever target is chosen.
  • littlebeans
    littlebeans Posts: 36 Member
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    For me it's simple: if I can lose weight and eat more than 1200, why would I stay at 1200? Food is too good! I'd say play around with it, try eating at least half of your exercise calories, see that you are getting results and keep it up, or mix up eating all of them vs eating 1/2 of them the next days, etc. I don't have science to back up what I'm doing but I have eaten all of my exercise calories for the past 2 months and have steadily lost a pound a week. I've also spiked a few days going over my calories. It seems to me our bodies get used to whatever calorie range you stick to. I like to keep mine on it's toes. Weigh yourself, stick to something for a week or two, and weigh again. Adjust and repeat until you've got a stride. Good luck!
  • cvpis4me
    cvpis4me Posts: 50
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    I just checked out my BMR and it's 1,685 calories a day, the same as calculating the AMR * .80 as someone else said. Is my body really so fat that I burn over 1,600 calories by just resting?? Good lord I need to lose that weight!
  • poysen
    poysen Posts: 3
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    I've battled with this issue for years. I hear you should eat small meals often, but what about when you aren't hungry? It seems stupid eating when not hungry, then you start getting your body wanting food when bored, tired, or just plain craving a particular taste. That's not helping matters, and is a big part of my issue from eating when not hungry because it was mealtime.

    In all honesty, I could easily skip 1-2 meals a day, snack on a 100 calorie snack and have dinner and be fine hunger wise. Then I get the starvation mode/reduced metabolism warning like some neon sign buzzing before the self destruct button kicks in. At that point, I'd eat more and of course, I'd gain more.

    I'm losing average of 2 pounds a week currently even if I miss a work out day (happens too often lately.) However, I get a 6-12 block walk 5 days a week, so there's still calorie burning being done in some form or another. I've decided to go with the "if not hungry food is not the answer route" for now. Good luck to you!

    Edit: I checked my BMR and it's BMR of 1623.9. Not sure what that means, exactly, though.
  • slkarr
    slkarr Posts: 1
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    To lose weight, take your weight X 12 - 10-20% and that's the minimum calories per day you should be eating.

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