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Old 10-19-2009, 10:36 PM   #1  
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Question Calorie Intake

Okay. So I have a question...

I'm reading through the posts and I'm finding that a lot of people, some a bit lower than myself and others who are heavier, are aiming for an intake of 1200 calories a day. Can I ask why? Should I be aiming lower? My general target is the 1700 - 1800 range, depending on how much exercise I've done. If I do a really big workout that burns of 700+ calories, then I'm generally not so worried if I go above my target by 100. Especially if I'm actually feeling hungry.

I'm just kinda. Really confused. How many calories are you aiming for? How many do you aim to burn a day? Why?
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Old 10-19-2009, 10:40 PM   #2  
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I aim between 1300-1600 per day. I entered all of my information on sparkpeople.com and that was the amount they suggested, and it's been working for me so far .
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Old 10-19-2009, 10:56 PM   #3  
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Don't go by anyone other than yourself. If you're losing at a rate you like and feel you can keep doing this then you don't need to change a thing!

Do note, though, that it is notoriously difficult to get any kind of accurate sense of calories burned. Most of the machines greatly overestimate calories burned.

Good luck!
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Old 10-19-2009, 11:15 PM   #4  
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I don't use machines that tell me how many calories have been burned. I do a lot of free weights. Typically, I take however long I've worked out, cut that time in half, and figure the calories burned that way. It works pretty well... Or seems to be.

I have no intentions of dropping my intake goals lower than the already are (adjustments as I lose weight aside, obviously). But I have had problems in the past with not eating enough. It's basically shut down my metabolism all through high school. I guess it's just when you see a bunch of people running around eating 1200 calories, you can't help but worry that you're doing something wrong.
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Old 10-19-2009, 11:20 PM   #5  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Heather View Post
Don't go by anyone other than yourself. If you're losing at a rate you like and feel you can keep doing this then you don't need to change a thing!

Do note, though, that it is notoriously difficult to get any kind of accurate sense of calories burned. Most of the machines greatly overestimate calories burned.

Good luck!
I agree.
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Old 10-19-2009, 11:47 PM   #6  
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Quote:
Don't go by anyone other than yourself. If you're losing at a rate you like and feel you can keep doing this then you don't need to change a thing!
Third, fourth, and fifth this. Your body will respond to a different number of calories than my body, which will respond to a different number of calories than Heather's body, etc. Experiment and find the level where you're comfortable with your losses, satiated, and eating a sufficient number of calories so you don't go into starvation mode (1200 is a good bottom limit, higher if you're too hungry or do a lot of activity).
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Old 10-19-2009, 11:49 PM   #7  
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I was usually between 1300-1400 while I was losing measurable amounts. I exercise daily.
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Old 10-20-2009, 08:06 AM   #8  
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I'm between 1600 - 1800 now and it's enough for me to lose 1 lb a week in a good week. I do lose even if it isn't a huge number. I started out at 1800 - 2000 and then dropped when I wasn't seeing a loss like before. I'm a firm believer in providing enough fuel for the body so for me, a 1200 calorie diet would kill me.
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Old 10-20-2009, 08:47 AM   #9  
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On behalf of 1200 calorie-ers ... let me try to explain why I do this.

Firstly let me say that while I say 1200 cals, life happens. My average over time is more than 1200 cals. In fact, I'm pretty happy to have a monthly average under 1600.

I have actually asked a doctor about this ... he will tell you 1200 cals and to be active 40 minutes five times a week because he knows you will not. You'll over shoot your calories and under shoot your exercise BUT you will be eating less and moving more. And I am living proof that folks in general are underacheivers

I think I got off track there ...

#2 I'm little. Tiny shoulders, little hips ... it doesn't take many calories to support this body.

#3 I'm sedentary. I like to read, be on the internet, knit ... these activities do not use many calories.

#4 I'm shorter than you.

#5 My plan is the result of many years of practice. I know my body and my brain and know what they are capable of sustaining. I might be able to use 2400 cals in one day but ... not every day and certainly not on a sustained basis forever.

You have been given an amazing machine. It's yours and yours alone. No other is quite like it. It lives in your environment and no one elses environment is quite like yours either.
Read and listen all you want. Take some and discard some. You will develope a plan (not today, not tomorrow, maybe not even this year) that is as beautifully unique as you are ... and that grows and changes like you do.
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Old 10-20-2009, 11:19 AM   #10  
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I don't have a good reason why I went with that -- just seemed to work well for what I was doing and losign. There are times that I feel hungry and then I go over a bit but I don't think I can tell you the last time that I consumed more that 1800 in one day and if I did eat near that I ate less the next day. It's what works for you and makes you happy -- no 2 people are the same.
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Old 10-20-2009, 02:05 PM   #11  
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i cycle between 1200 and 1600/day. when i first started on this board i was only eating 1000 and these chickies talked me out of it. ive actually been losing more. the problem with eating 1200 and your height and weight is this: eventually you are going to hit a plateau, what will you do then? drop to 1000... what about the next plateau? 800? you can see how it causes trouble. you need to leave yourself enough room to make cuts as you start getting smaller and your body starts needing less, if you've already got your body accustomed to eating 1200, its going to be hard to keep making cuts and keep losing.
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Old 10-20-2009, 08:51 PM   #12  
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Please, please don't go as low as some of the extreme people on here. I know everyone has their own way to lose weight, but fast results are NOT necessarily lasting results. At 1700 calories, plus exercise, you are setting yourself up for healthy, sustained weight (about 1 to 2 lbs per week). If you go too low in your calorie intake, your body thinks you are starving, and it will actually STOP you dropping weight. You sound like you are doing well. Good for you.

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