So confused...1200 calorie maximum bad?

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Aprill42
Aprill42 Posts: 170 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I'm new to this whole MFP. My calorie intake for the day is 1200, but I see people posting about how it's a bad thing and how it's kind of starving yourself. So, I'm confused. It automatically set it for me and I just do what it tells me. LoL

Is 1200 bad or something?? I see people talking about 1500, is that better??? Help please because I am so confused!

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  • Tn2009
    Tn2009 Posts: 21
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    I'm new and I was confused as well. They all say that if you exercise you have to eat the same amount of calories as you burn. So say MFP tells you you need to eat 1200 calories for the day, that's the amount you have to eat without any exercise. If you exercise and burn say 300 calories, you will need to eat 1500 calories total. This is because if you eat 1200 calories and then exercise and burn 300 of that it will only leave your body with 900 calories for the day and that's way too low. So, eat about what you burn in exercise, because MFP has set a lower limit than your body will burn throughout the day anyway without exercise. Seems confusing, but makes sense after a bit.
  • Aprill42
    Aprill42 Posts: 170 Member
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    Ohhh ok that makes sense..
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    I see your profile says that you're trying to lose 20 lbs -- unless you're quite short and small already, 1200 may be too aggressive. Generally half a pound to a pound per week is more recommended when you're close to your goal weight already.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,121 Member
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    Reset your goals to "Lose 1/2 pound a week." At your weight you have your goals set too high. This site is a dumb tool. It will do what you tell it to do, and it is up to you to make healthy choices.

    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.
  • dovesgate
    dovesgate Posts: 894 Member
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    I see your profile says that you're trying to lose 20 lbs -- unless you're quite short and small already, 1200 may be too aggressive. Generally half a pound to a pound per week is more recommended when you're close to your goal weight already.

    This. You're not heavy enough to sustain 2lbs lost per week.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
  • Aprill42
    Aprill42 Posts: 170 Member
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    Ah..I see...Well, I switched it to 1 lb a week..and i get 1430 calories..yayyy!

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