Should i eat fewer than 1200 calories a day? - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

vettelvr · 10-26-2008, 07:40 AM

I have been eating around 1200 calories per day for close to a month and have only lost about a pound. I weigh 153. Should I lower my calories?Also I'm exercising 5-7 days a week. Thanks for any suggestions.

luvja · 10-26-2008, 07:54 AM

Don't take my advice because I don't really calorie count - but 1200 calories a day seems rather low? I could be wrong.

staja · 10-26-2008, 08:27 AM

Chances are really high that you are actually eating too few calories, especially with the amount of exercise you are doing. When you eat too few calories, your body goes into 'starvation' mode and you could even end up gaining the weight back.

Where did you come up with the number 1200? Have you checked out any Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) calculators? Those can give you a general idea of how many calories your body burns, just by living. You can also calculate how many calories to eat, if you want to lose weight, based on your BMR and level of activity.

Also, as you lose weight, you sometimes need to lower your caloric intake to keep up the losses. If you start at the lowest end of the spectrum, where do you cut your caloric intake after?

Best of luck!

bargoo · 10-26-2008, 09:03 AM

Never go below 1200 calories, you will be robbing yourself of needed nutrients and will actually slow your weight loss rather than speeding it up,

vettelvr · 10-26-2008, 09:52 AM

Thanks, I am going to increase my calories today and see what happens.

eilla05 · 10-26-2008, 10:05 AM

I agree with the others. 1200 calories is the standard guideline for the lowest you can go. its prob your BMR. Check out a calculator to find out for sure what yours is. And if your working out that much you be eating more than 1200 per day for sure. Look at it like this

workout burns 500 calories and your eating 1200

1200-500cal = 700

If your body resting (meaning staying in bed all day long) burns 1500 calories you have a deficit of 800 calories. Therefore your body is starving because your not even eating enough calories to let it do the everyday things. After doing this for a while your body say hey im not getting what i need so im hanging on to this fat meaning no weight loss.

Id try upping your calories to at least 1600 or so depending how many calories you burn during your workout. 1200 calories should be your net goal meaning you consume that much even after a workout.

good luck!

Extasee58865 · 10-27-2008, 10:46 AM

I know everyone says that 1200 is bad, but I have been eating average 1200 a day & I lose 1 pound a week. For the last 6 weeks I have lost either 1 or 2 lbs each week. I was eating about 750, but upped the calories because of everyone advice here. 1200 works for me, slow & steady... I can deal with 1-2 lbs loss per week

lorilove · 10-27-2008, 12:58 PM

Extasee - have you ever considered that you might lose more if you up your calories. I lost 2-3 lbs per week when I was your size and I was eating on average 1500 calories per week.

Vetelver - what is your workout routine? The goal is to create a calorie deficit whether it be from eating less or exercising more. As you get smaller and closer to goal you need to look more at the exercise option.

vettelvr · 10-27-2008, 04:56 PM

I am exercising to Bodies in Motion or Total body sculpt 5-7 days a week. Each show is 30 minutes in length. I dont really know how many calories I am burning though.

smallification · 10-27-2008, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Extasee58865

I know everyone says that 1200 is bad, but I have been eating average 1200 a day & I lose 1 pound a week. For the last 6 weeks I have lost either 1 or 2 lbs each week. I was eating about 750, but upped the calories because of everyone advice here. 1200 works for me, slow & steady... I can deal with 1-2 lbs loss per week

I thought the same thing in the past.

I cut calories excessively, and it worked... but in retrospect I probably would have lost at the same rate or even faster if I had not cut back so drastically. After a few months of it I was losing my hair. Seriously. I also gained the weight back pretty much instantly.

I don't necessarily believe that 1200 is a universal figure for everyone, but unless you are really tiny I would be careful. It's also worth noting that I *am* tiny and that still happened to me.

lorilove · 10-27-2008, 05:59 PM

vettelvr

You would benefit a great deal from getting a HRM. It will show you the number of calories that you are burning. Also don't forget that the more that you do the same thing the less effecient it is. Your body gets into a routine amd you burn less calories doing the same thing. You will be able to see this with a HRM.

Keep in mind that food is fuel for your workout. You need enough calories to support your basic body functions - breathing, etc and to support your exercise. When you meet these needs you optimize how your body performs. If you have too few calories you metabolism slows down because it is conserving energy for this purpose.

I have found that as I lose weight I actually need more calories, basically I have become more fit and workouts overtime have become more intense.

Best wishes

vettelvr · 10-27-2008, 08:50 PM

lorilove

Where would one purchase a heart rate monitor? How can i find out what my target heart rate should be? Thanks to all of you guys for the advice. I have found this website to be a great motivation for me, it keeps me going

Angel's_Dust · 10-27-2008, 09:56 PM

Never go below 1200 calories per day. Your body will go into starvation mode and then hold on to any food it does get. I think you should be eating around 1500 or higher. Use a daily calories calculator to find your maintenance weight. Reduce it by 500 and, technically, you should lose 1 pound a week. I know that every body is different, but only eating 1200 and lower is very bad for your body.

lorilove · 10-28-2008, 07:10 AM

You can find a HRM at most sporting goods stores. I got mine at heartratemonitorsusa.com.

http://www.heartratemonitorsusa.com/

I would recommend a Polar there are several price points that all work well. You can also check out polarusa.com

Don't forget to check out retailmenot.com for any online coupon codes

aphil · 10-29-2008, 02:14 PM

Whether or not a calorie level is "bad" is going to depend on how active you are, and what size you are. The smaller you are, the less you need.

So, 1200 calories a day for someone who weighs 135 pounds is just fine...but it is way too low for someone who weighs 270 pounds. It's just the way it is.

You have to take in consideration your size, and your activity level.

Also, at 153 pounds, it is not uncommon for your weight loss to be slow. The smaller you are, the slower it usually comes off-you aren't going to see 3 pounds a week losses like someone who weighs 240 pounds might see.

Extasee-I still think that 1200 is on the low side, given your current weight. You could easily be eating 1500 a day and losing the exact same amount that you are right now-about a pound a week. 1200 might be working fine for you NOW, but when you get to 180, 170, 150 or wherever-and plateau-you don't have any more options left, except to start increasing your exercise to spark that weight loss. That is what happens when you go too low, too quickly.