1200 Calories?!

Foxypoo61287
Foxypoo61287 Posts: 638 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
MFP says I should intake 1200 Calories a day, I'm 5'9 1/2 & was 190 when I started. I lost 7 lbs, but due to some high stress levels in the last 3 weeks, I've gained that 7 lbs back. Now, talking to my mom she thinks that the 1200 calories is not enough. That I should be allotted 1500. I was feeling ok with the 1200 calories. Sometime I didn't feel full, but I was also going to the gym 2-3 times a week & burning off the extra calories I gained if I went over my 1200 calories.

My GW is 150. Its smack dab in the middle of the my HW which is 130-170. I want to be fit/healthy & at my goal weight by April. Sooner would be better, but ya know. Don't really want to push myself. My soldier is coming home then. And that is my goal. :smile:

Any input would be wonderful. I've have 2 kids, 5 yrs & 18 months today. So I've got that baby fat shelf that Im trying to get rid of. And I am bigger boned too. Or thicker framed. Here is my most recent picture and what I need/want to work on.

Areasofwork.jpg

Troubleareas.jpg

Replies

  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    You can eat a lot more than 1200 calories. :) I'm 5'0 and as of today 111.3 lbs and 1200 is the minimum of what I eat, and I'm not a hardcore exerciser. You can eat more calories the heavier you are and decrease them as you lose.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
    But I forgot to say that the pictures you posted--you look great already!
  • sa11yjane
    sa11yjane Posts: 491 Member
    Goodness you are hard on yourself with your photos- you look lovely to me! There is an excellent group on here called something along the lines of 'eat more to weigh less' where hordes of people claim to eat loads more than 1200 cals and are all doing fantastically well with their weight losses. One of the basic things they advise is not eating less than your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and it refers you to several sites on which you can check your's. I hope this helps and good luck with your journey xxx
  • jjelizalde
    jjelizalde Posts: 377 Member
    1200 is really low. Set your calories based on your BMR and TDEE. You'll find you should eat a lot more calories to support weight loss.
  • 42kgirl
    42kgirl Posts: 692 Member
    I eat for the weight I want to be and it's way more than 1200. I lost quickly at 1200-1300 then it was stall city. And I'm only 5'5". Go to www.fat2fitradio.com. Their calculators are fantastic. Once I started doing this, the weight is slowly, but surely coming off again.
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
    You definitely should be eating more than 1200 calories. And eating back most of your exercise calories.

    You don't really have a whole lot to lose. From your pictures it really looks like you have a body fat % issue rather than a weight issue. I think that you should be incorporating a weight training program into your schedule. It doesn't have to be a lot, but enough to maintain and / or build on what you have. That's going to reduce your size without leaving you with the skinny fat weight.
  • workoutgirl23
    workoutgirl23 Posts: 267
    You can eat more than 1200. when i first started this site. MFP had me at 1200 calories as well. but i felt like i was starving all the time. so i decided to up my calorie intake to 1500 a day. and so far its been working out great for me. i have been losing weight. 1500 is a good goal to set for yourself, that and make sure you exercise with it and you'll lose weight for sure.
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
    If you don't want your goal to be so low because it isn't attainable(for you), DON'T tell mfp you want to lose 1.5-2 lbs a week.:noway:

    Problem solved.

    Or, you could just exercise your butt off so that you have some exercise cals to eat and your overall intake it higher.

    But it's all in what is attainable for you.
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
    I used fat2fitradio.com for my daily calorie goal, I always make to eat at the very least netting my BMR. 1200 is too low for many people. This has to be sustainable. Use another calculator and adjust your goal.

    Edited to add, I am 5'2" and my calorie goal is 1705
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,412 Member
    I was really out of shape with sedentary life style when I started and I used the 1200 guideline. I lost average of 1 lb a week. With 2 kids you are probably a lot more active and 1500 might be ok. Everyone is different (I am 5'7 and went from 203 to 133 in a year and a half).
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
    1200 is really low. Set your calories based on your BMR and TDEE. You'll find you should eat a lot more calories to support weight loss.

    THIS!!!! Check out the group "Eat More to Weigh Less" for more information.
  • kwin91
    kwin91 Posts: 128
    I definitely agree with the strength training 2x a week because that will burn fat all over your body. Plus you'll have lean sexy muscles(and you will NOT get bulky, I hear that too often). Also I eat 1200 calories a day and I work out 3-4 times a week maybe more depending on how busy I am. I feel fine, but everyone is different with what they need to eat. I've lost 8 pounds in a month and when I started I was eating 1500 calories and the scale wasn't moving so each week I lowered it and saw more progress...You just have to find what works best for you, so maybe you should just test a day or two to see how many calories you need to feel full and still have some energy at the end of the day, ever after working out.
  • secretgirl4611
    secretgirl4611 Posts: 474 Member
    LOL mfp started me at 1200 a day too, BUT that doesnt mean thats all you eat.. then u input ur exercise calories and you should be eating around no more then 1600 per day... then you will start to lose again.. but for me and im smaller and shorter than you I aim for around 1600-1900 per day.. and it works more than eating that measly 1200.. ALSO WTF!??! U are not even close to BIG BONED.. Im more big boned than you and have a muscular athletic body type which I hate :/ YOU have CURVES and a tiny little frame so yea re-think that one.. But ne ways gooooood luck!
  • SusanLovesToEat
    SusanLovesToEat Posts: 213 Member
    We're about the same height and near weight but you look like you have more muscle. I've been doing well with 1450 cals a day and eating back up to 1700 on the days I exercise a lot.

    Still loosing a 1lb a week and much slimmer. I have also reduced the "overhang" considerably in spite of the seemingly small weightloss. Probably because that's not where I normally carry weight.

    I agree with the others that you might need to up the calories a bit or you will plateau and wreck your metabolism.
  • Tristis
    Tristis Posts: 288 Member
    I eat for the weight I want to be and it's way more than 1200. I lost quickly at 1200-1300 then it was stall city. And I'm only 5'5". Go to www.fat2fitradio.com. Their calculators are fantastic. Once I started doing this, the weight is slowly, but surely coming off again.

    ^^^ Totally agree with this! www.fat2fitradio.com helped me out, too...and increased my calories. So, I'm not depriving myself in any way and my calories will be a constant even for maintenance at my goal weight. Also, I changed my macros to 40% carbs/30% fat/30% protein. It helps me stay fuller longer and cuts down on my cravings.
  • Venturin
    Venturin Posts: 244 Member
    You don't really have a whole lot to lose. From your pictures it really looks like you have a body fat % issue rather than a weight issue. I think that you should be incorporating a weight training program into your schedule. It doesn't have to be a lot, but enough to maintain and / or build on what you have. That's going to reduce your size without leaving you with the skinny fat weight.

    I think this is good advice
  • AFitJamie
    AFitJamie Posts: 172 Member
    I'm sure you have gotten this from the above posts, but I don't see it spelled out so hopefully this is helpful:

    MFP tells you 1200 calories because of what you told it.

    Based on your age, height, weight and gender, and activity level you told it, MFP starts with an estimate of your Total Calorie Burn in a typical day for you. Then it takes off calories from your allotted daily calories based on what you told it you want to lose in a week. To lose weight you eat less than you burn - really is that simple.

    So, without looking up your personal numbers here is a simple example:

    If it estimated that you were to eat 1950 calories a day based on your information, it would then take off 500 calories each day for every pound you told it you wanted to loose in a week. This is because when you make your body utilize fat stores for energy, when it has drawn approximately 3500 calories from your stores, it has burned off a pound of fat. So 3500 in a week/7days = 500 calories less a day...

    That would be 1950 - 500 = 1450 ...

    I'm assuming you told it you wanted to lose more than a pound... If you said 2 Lbs (remember, this isn't YOUR TDEE in here, but that is easily determined) then in our example that would be 1950 - 1000 = 950. But MFP doesn't let people eat less than 1200 because there is a point at which you are not eating enough calories and your body will begin to respond negatively to that level of deprivation.

    I would suggest you use a BMR calculator (Basal Metabolic Rate - essentially this is what your body would burn if you slept all day) and whatever than number is, do not eat below it. This will help to ensure you consistently lose. If you set MFP to 1 Lb a week it will give you more calories to eat - I'm a strong believer in slow and steady wins this race. Make this about lifestyle change and not a "diet".

    Adding exercise to the mix would have you eat more when you do so.... (not everybody here does this, but I do think you should) this is because when you burn a lot in a day in a workout, your body may not receive enough calories to fuel the workout and your body... a bigger deal in my opinion if you begin working out frequently - like 4 or more times a week.

    hope this helps - feel free to friend me if you wish...
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