is 1200 a mythical number

tlamarch
tlamarch Posts: 105 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
O.k. I have read so many diffrent answers on the magic number 1200, can a person eat less without going into starvation mode

Replies

  • BuckeyeLife
    BuckeyeLife Posts: 313 Member
    This will blow up...

    Just find your BMR and keep above that. Don't overcomplicate your life.
  • fraser112
    fraser112 Posts: 405 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/633808-just-how-low-can-i-go

    I asked this the other day and got some good responses.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    I think it's not so much mythical as practical.
    They have to pick a minimum so people don't choose unrealistic goals and end up with a recommended daily allowance of 403 calories. 1200 is quoted in lots of places as a "safe" minimum, so I guess that is why they use it.

    To answer your question - my (non-professional) opinion is "probably, but why would you want to?".
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    O.k. I have read so many diffrent answers on the magic number 1200, can a person eat less without going into starvation mode
    It's a general guideline somebody said once. Possibly the American College of Sports Nutrition.

    Other guidelines are available.

    If by "starvation mode" you mean a reduction of metabolic rate in response to reduced calorie intake, that happens at 800, 1200 and 1600 and probably any other calorie intake less than maintenance whether it is above or below any prediction of BMR.
  • tlamarch
    tlamarch Posts: 105 Member
    I think it's not so much mythical as practical.
    They have to pick a minimum so people don't choose unrealistic goals and end up with a recommended daily allowance of 403 calories. 1200 is quoted in lots of places as a "safe" minimum, so I guess that is why they use it.

    To answer your question - my (non-professional) opinion is "probably, but why would you want to?".
    Most days I eat around 800 , I dont feel hungry at the end of the day, just wondering if some people need less then that
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Most days I eat around 800 , I dont feel hungry at the end of the day, just wondering if some people need less then that
    Below 800 it is difficult to get all the protein, minerals, vitamins, fats etc that you need unless you're using a formulated diet that ensures completeness. Such diets exist and are used for limited periods in obese people.
  • onikonor
    onikonor Posts: 473 Member
    Most days I eat around 800 , I dont feel hungry at the end of the day, just wondering if some people need less then that
    Below 800 it is difficult to get all the protein, minerals, vitamins, fats etc that you need unless you're using a formulated diet that ensures completeness. Such diets exist and are used for limited periods in obese people.

    Totally agree with this statement. If your body is full eating 800 then you have probably reduced your metabolism so you feel full at those calories.

    Low calorie diets are good to drop a few pounds quickly, but are not good in the long run.
  • tlamarch
    tlamarch Posts: 105 Member
    thanks everybody for all the great info
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    Most days I eat around 800 , I dont feel hungry at the end of the day, just wondering if some people need less then that
    Below 800 it is difficult to get all the protein, minerals, vitamins, fats etc that you need unless you're using a formulated diet that ensures completeness. Such diets exist and are used for limited periods in obese people.

    I'm not disagreeing but I find it ironic how on the way UP the scale, no one cared about our/their macros or what was good for us, apparently. But on the way down, now we're all delicate, special creatures who can't miss a gram of protein or we'll implode. Yes, I'm exaggerating. But it's weird how people do a 180 on general health in this situation, from totally ignoring eating right to totally obsessing on it.

    I think people need to listen to their bodies and eat sensibly. But I guess people are so used to specific guidelines handed down from above, it's hard to go back. What in the world did we do before we KNEW our BMR? LOL You'd think we'd be dropping like flies left and right from starvation.
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