Less Than 1200 / Day?

kroger7
kroger7 Posts: 124 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
Hey guys,
quick question. So I've been reading lots of stuff online and doing all sorts of calculations, and I realized that my resting metabolic rate is less than 1700 cal/day, which means that, at 1200 cal/day I'm not at a 500 cal deficit. I know that MFP won't set your cals lower than 1200 because that could put your body into starvation mode, but since I am mostly sedentary all day in class, should I be eating less than 1200? I've been having a hard time sticking to it as it is, I'm almost always hungry, I can't imagine eating less, could this be why I'm not losing?

Just curious. I won't eat less than 1200 anyway because, as I said, I'm usually hungry, but I thought it was confusing lol

Replies

  • jigs
    jigs Posts: 70
    I think my calorie deficit is only 435 and I've lost sloooowly, but that's my goal. Change my eating habits, not diet to drop weight only to gain it back when I go 'off' the diet. I was noticably hungry at first, but I've adjusted so that, with exercise, I can eat a little over 1200 calories a day and lose .8 lb a week. Occasionally, I'll only eat 1179 calories or something, but usually it's more like 1350/day.
  • lotusfromthemud
    lotusfromthemud Posts: 5,335 Member
    Your RMR/BMR is not your maintenance calories. It is the bare minimum estimation to keep your body alive with complete inactivity (in bed not moving, for example). Your maintenance calories are considerably higher than your BMR, and vary according to activity level.
  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 17,252 Member
    :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
    If you keep reading on MFP you'll find out that the suggestion is to eat no less than 1200 calories and then as you add exercise to your day, you add additional calories to what you can eat.

    Sometimes I ride extra on the exercise bike or go for an extra walk just so I can have cereal in the evening.

    Also, you won't be so hungry if you make sure all your calories are nutrition dense ( tomatoes are nutrition dense, Oreos are not :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: )

    drinking water helps too :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
  • chgudnitz
    chgudnitz Posts: 4,079
    Your RMR/BMR is not your maintenance calories. It is the bare minimum estimation to keep your body alive with complete inactivity (in bed not moving, for example). Your maintenance calories are considerably higher than your BMR, and vary according to activity level.

    Right on :drinker: Don't confuse the two...
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    Plus, 8 lbs to lose, 500 calories a day deficit is too much.
  • nolachick
    nolachick Posts: 3,278 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/10589-for-those-confused-or-questioning-eating-your-exercise-calo

    i was sooo confused about calories UNTIL i read this!
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