Home › Forums › Chat Forum › 1200 calories a day – really?
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1200 calories a day – really?
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littlemisspandaFree MemberPosted 12 years agoSo I’ve given MFP a go, after getting a few recommendations. I’m finding it useful, just to see as a guide what the hell is actually IN my food without the need to scrutinise every label.
BUT….the thing is, I have about a stone to lose (if we’re talking just BMI terms). MFP suggests I need to only eat 1260 calories a day to achieve a weight loss of 1lb per week. Now, I tried this for 2 days and I was hungry. Like, pretty much all the time. I got light headed in the middle of my circuit class and had to go outside for some fresh air!
I asked my gym instructor about it as she is also a personal trainer, and she said that if I restrict my calorie intake that much I risk losing muscle and not being able to build any lean muscle mass. While I want to be slimmer, I also want fitness and strength, for the bike, and I’d rather be toned and slim than a slim weakling!
STW-ers usually have lots of opinions on the subject of diet and nutrition, so bring em on….is it about the calories full stop, or is there more to this here weight loss thing? Or not even just weight loss, just not being a fatty, I’m not too fussed what I weigh so long as I don’t look like a porker and I can hold my own on the bike.
I’ve had a look at that diet, but I think the emphasis on legumes might be a problem for me (inflammatory bowel disease). Anyone had success with adapting it?
soobaliasFree MemberPosted 12 years agoi think yesterdays diet thread (“lose my belly…”) is still running.
in amongst all the bullscript and backstabbing is a link to a good read.
slimjim78Free MemberPosted 12 years agoim surving well on 1500kcal or less at the moment, which after training is effectivley considerably lower.
the hunger virtually disappears once you give up sugars/easy carbs, I promise.
philconsequenceFree MemberPosted 12 years agoi can’t speak for the accuracy of MFP’s calculations, but i’d guess its based on height, age, current weight etc. if you want to stick to the 1200odd kcals a day then i’d maybe try getting the majority of thos kcals from protein as it’ll fill you up better and you’ll feel fuller for longer, high protein diets often lead to a big drop in the amount of fibre people eat and this can have a detrimental effect on the digestive system….. you could of course bump up the diet with low kcal high fibre stuff like vegetables, if that’s a struggle then maybe look at some of the fibre supplements, there’s a few you can buy that are pretty neutral, apparently ispaghula husk is pretty safe for people with digestive disorders
legspinFree MemberPosted 12 years agoSet it to loose 1/2lb a week so you get a few more calories or do more longer steady exercise so you have more calories to eat. Eat a less calorie dense food so you eat more bulk but not so much calorie, be imaginative with your food. or all 3
muppetWranglerFree MemberPosted 12 years agoDon’t know how the fitness pal doohickey works but if your normal allowance is 1,500 kcal and you do exercise on top of your normal daily activities then shouldn’t you add the equivalent calories burnt during that exercise to the days allowance?
i.e normal allowance of 1500kcal + 500 kcal burnt during Spinning class = 2000 kcal for that day.
GrahamSFull MemberPosted 12 years agoMFP has me on 1960 a day and I’m a 6’1 99kg male.
I think they basically take your estimated Basal Metabolic Rate (i.e. how many calories you need to burn just to tick over) then they subtract an amount from that to give you a calorie-deficit based on how much weight you want to lose.
I got light headed in the middle of my circuit class and had to go outside for some fresh air!
Did you log that exercise on MFP? – if you do then it allows you to eat more calories that day (the age old “Sweat Out vs Pies In” balance).
e.g. I had a flapjack yesterday, because I had an 11 mile commute to do and I’d have been a bit low without it.
thisisnotaspoonFree MemberPosted 12 years agoi can’t speak for the accuracy of MFP’s calculations, but i’d guess its based on height, age, current weight etc. if you want to stick to the 1200odd kcals a day then i’d maybe try getting the majority of thos kcals from protein as it’ll fill you up better and you’ll feel fuller for longer, high protein diets often lead to a big drop in the amount of fibre people eat and this can have a detrimental effect on the digestive system….. you could of course bump up the diet with low kcal high fibre stuff like vegetables, if
This +1, I found that if I ate healthily in the idave/4HB style then I actualy consumed very few calories and had to eat more meals or big protions to eat what I thought was a normal ammount of calories. Not 1200, but certainly it made me realise how much I was eating that was just calories rather than being usefull in other ways. What I mean is a calorie is a calorie, but the body can do more usefull stuff with 100 calories of veg than it can 100 calories of pasta, same with meat and pulses, the body can use them either as fuel or as muscle building material whereas carbs are just carbs.
I now try and avoid carbs, or when it comes to pasta dishes only add as much pasta as I need rather than a pate of pasta with a dolop of sauce on top, replace that with a dollop of pasta and a plate of sauce.
toby1Full MemberPosted 12 years agoIf you are only a stone ‘over-weight’ are you really overweight or just worrying about nothing?
If you are healthy, able to sustain exercise and don’t have a ring around your middle then why worry about it?
I have no right to comment really, according to the NHS I am obese (height vs weight ratio) and while I could afford to loose several pounds I commute to work by bike everyday, run about 3 times a week and circuit train, I just have really well insulated muscles 🙂
littlemisspandaFree MemberPosted 12 years agoPhil, I’ve noticed that if I eat a protein breakfast, something like eggs and spinach, I’m fuller for longer. My usual breakfast of choice is soy yoghurt and gluten free almond granola, but I’d say I get half an hour more of being hunger free with the protein combo.
slimjim – when we’re talking sugar, do you mean fruit as well? I have reluctantly noticed that my one glass of orange juice in the morning is pretty much my whole sugar allowance for the day! Probably not a good use of the calorie allowance….
seanocFree MemberPosted 12 years agoI done the 1200 kcal thing for 2 months and the weight fell right off….I think I only had to cut 1 run short due to fatigue but I was running over 40 miles a week.
You’re body is just adjusting to the restriction; work through it.
restlessFree MemberPosted 12 years agoMFP also allows me 1200 cals per day and i weight about 9and half stone.
I find that i eat a lot of toast, i have it for breakfast,with marmite, lunch (with an egg inside) and as a snack at nightime and this can take me over by a few hundred calories if i have dinner aswell.
I am always tired though so can’t give you any advice. Guess i should reduce my toast intake 😥
grumFree MemberPosted 12 years agoFrom a starting points of weighing 17.5 stone I’m aiming for 1700 calories a day and sometimes having less, but by eating low GI I really don’t find I’m getting hungry.
Not sure what a circuit class is but beasting yourself with high intensity exercise for an hour or two is almost certainly counter productive in terms of trying to lose weight. Low intensity exercise more often (with the odd brief spell of high intensity stuff) is much much better apparently.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1914974,00.html
littlemisspandaFree MemberPosted 12 years agoToby – I’m not massively overweight, only slightly but I do have a bit of extra round the middle that I’d rather not have. My priority is being fit, over weighing a certain amount.
My problem with idave and that type of diet has been that I can’t eat legumes/pulses and nuts, not in any quantity anyway, so I’m kind of restricted to meat/fish/eggs and veg! Using MFP has definitely highlighted that I’m eating too much sugar though, so I can act on that.
philconsequenceFree MemberPosted 12 years agoMy problem with idave and that type of diet has been that I can’t eat legumes/pulses and nuts, not in any quantity anyway, so I’m kind of restricted to meat/fish/eggs and veg! Using MFP has definitely highlighted that I’m eating too much sugar though, so I can act on that.
sounds like mrsconsequence, MFP has really highlighted how she runs on a sugar high all day until she crashes and sleeps at night!
TheSouthernYetiFree MemberPosted 12 years agoAnyone had success with adapting it?
Yes.
I train in the morning so started eating porridge post exercise rather than eating eggs etc first thing.
I also added the fruit back in. I really like fruit and it’s low GI so it seems to be ok.
Also, I find that most of the iDiet meals work best with a bit of French bread. So I have a baguette most days.
Finally to satisfy my sweet tooth I still eat chocolate and cake.
Seems to be working at the moment. The most important thing in the iDiet is cooking your meals from scratch IMO.
Edit: Forgot to mention that I’ve increased the cheat days and I take a break from it every 3rd day to keep my energy levels up.
tony24Free MemberPosted 12 years ago1200 calories is bull you need 1200 just to breath and function etc. then add allowance for what you do daily then any exercise i used to weigh 17 stone i am now 11 stone 11 i done pure cardio and ate around 2200 calories but tbh wish i ate more or done weights because now i am thin but imo scrawny with little mucle and 18% body fat. Ok i can cycle all day and run miles but whats the point when you look like a crack addict. Lift weights do hiit and eat your look good and feel strong !
Just my opinion !
yunkiFree MemberPosted 12 years agoinflammatory bowel disease and weight loss is a pain the arse.. excuse the pun.. if you find a way to do it please enlighten me.. again, please excuse the pun..
it’s a struggle to even just eat healthily let alone lose weight
slimjim78Free MemberPosted 12 years agoslimjim – when we’re talking sugar, do you mean fruit as well?
i’m afraid so.
i’ve learnt to pretty much avoid fruit juices. If possible, try and keep your glass of OJ down to a third of your usual serving.
I keep fuit consumption down to the occasional nibble of a blueberry or slice of banana.Get your fibre and other goodness from veg. Double/Triple how much you normally eat.
Switch mashed spuds for mashed swede or parsnips or butter beans, and avoid bread, rice and pasta as much as poss.I find the energy awarded from pulses/beans very beneficial, but yes, its going to be tricky for you if they affect your digestion.
Without starchy sugars in my system I never really get hungry enough to worry about what im missing out on! (this coming from a big heavy chap).
The good news is, after strenuous or extended exercise you can award yourself some fruits or simple carbs.
Good luck!
TheSouthernYetiFree MemberPosted 12 years agoDrinking OJ is almost as stupid as drinking Coke if you’re trying to lose weight. IMO.
Have an actual orange.
littlemisspandaFree MemberPosted 12 years agoinflammatory bowel disease and weight loss is a pain the arse
agreed! I hear ya there. People think if you have IBD, you’re going to be thin. One word – steroids 🙁 not had any of those now for 8 months though.
One thing that concerns me about the mega low calorie thing is that as soon as you eat normally again you would stack it all back on surely?
GrahamSFull MemberPosted 12 years agothe mega low calorie thing
Work out your BMR: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator
You’ll probably find that 1200 calories isn’t that low compared to the BMR for your weight/height/age. Particularly if you’re doing a fairly sedentary job.
philconsequenceFree MemberPosted 12 years agoindeed, “eating normally” usually means ‘eating too much’ for most people in the uk, hence gaining weight the momnent they stop dieting…. dieting should be replaced with just eating healthily for your activity level IMO
KarinofnineFull MemberPosted 12 years ago1200 calories a day! Blimey, that’s not many, that’s getting on for too few IMO. Surely you’d be hard pressed to eat enough of enough different things to get all yer vits and minerals?
IMO diets don’t work, that’s why the diet industry is worth so much money, I think it’s cruel, especially those exercise videos made by women who are naturally tall and slim. No amount of exercise is going to turn anyone into Elle MacPherson.
I’ve had two jobs where I was doing a lot of walking. One was delivering leaflets – walking round gently for four or five hours a day and one was picking wild oats out of wheat, again walking round gently for hours. I lost loads of weight, didn’t feel hungry, or faint.
Short hard efforts don’t do the trick because your body uses energy in a different way. Slow and easy is the way. (And drink less sherry).
EDIT: Just looked at that link – they reckon I should be eating 856 calories a day! That just shows how ridiculous it is. I ride for 2 hrs 20 mins 4 days a week, 3 – 5 hours on a Sunday and specifically* walk for at least 2 hours every day.
That means actually dog walking, and excludes all the walking I do at work, to and from the shower, the laundry room, the water tap etc.
What rubbish. I eat 856 calories per meal probably. And, how can a website possibly know if I’m 62kgs of flubbery fat or 62kgs of pure muscle?
TheSouthernYetiFree MemberPosted 12 years agoBTW you can get by on 1200 calories a day if you eat the right things and drink lots of water… no bother.
GrahamSFull MemberPosted 12 years agoEDIT: Just looked at that link – they reckon I should be eating 856 calories a day! That just shows how ridiculous it is. I ride for 2 hrs 20 mins 4 days a week, 3 – 5 hours on a Sunday and specifically* walk for at least 2 hours every day.
That means actually dog walking, and excludes all the walking I do at work, to and from the shower, the laundry room, the water tap etc.
You are misreading that link Kof9.
It says your Basal Rate is 856 calories. i.e. that is how many calories your body needs at rest, just to tick over WITHOUT accounting for any exercise.
It is NOT what they recommend you should be eating.
KarinofnineFull MemberPosted 12 years agoI’m sure you can. But I don’t want to “get by”. Food isn’t just fuel to humans, it’s linked to lots of pleasurable and social activities too. That’s why I dislike the “diet” idea – as something to be endured or suffered. My thought is that it’s better to settle on a sustainable regime which contains commonly available (and oh-so-very-tasty) “bad” things rather than some Atkins-like torture which you will abandon the very moment you hit target weight.
Frankly I’d rather be a [/i]little bit overweight and have a nice time than ripped and f***ing miserable because I can’t have a glass of sherry and some Kettle Chips.
🙂
BTW: was watching The Professionals yesterday. Almost none of the actors were thin. Going further back, think of Marilyn Monroe – size 16 – and she was not unusual. What about Humphrey Bogart, Rock Hudson, John Wayne – none of them were waif-like.
littlemisspandaFree MemberPosted 12 years agoI dunno, it feels low to me, probably because I’m used to eating a bit more than I should be. I’ve neither lost nor gained much weight for around 6 months, but I’m not that happy with my size and shape, hence the drive to do something about it.
TheSouthernYetiFree MemberPosted 12 years agoWhen I said ‘get by’ I was meaning that you’d have to restrain yourself in terms of exercise… eggs, lean chicken and a shed load of salad.
Anyway…
Cook from scratch, cut out crappy snacks, do a bit of exercise. You’ll be right.
puppypowerFree MemberPosted 12 years agoSurely you should be logging the exercise and eating extra for that? I use it, and it gives me 1200 a day before exercise, but I then log exercise on top and so eat more than 1200 most days.
Though I think it gives me too many calories, e.g. for cycling to and from work (25 mins each way), I get about 500 calories. Some days I have made 1600 calories extra from exercise!
But it is working, I have only lost a couple of kgs, and have a couple more to go ideally. I just find it good for making sure I think about what I eat, I did do iDave diet and that also worked but it felt like a diet to me as I couldn’t just eat what I wanted in moderation. I have taken from doing that not to pig out on carbs though – it was just a bit difficult to do family meals with iDave having kids that love pasta and won’t touch lentils/pulses.
KarinofnineFull MemberPosted 12 years agoI agree with you TSY.
Must do some work now.
Good luck Littlemisspanda – and remember, don’t beat yourself up! x
tony24Free MemberPosted 12 years agoMy mate is consuming 4000 calories + a day and his not fat certainly got alot bigger mucles than me…. If you do weights and a bit of cardio you can pretty much say good bye to all that low calorie stuff. If your body is mucle it will be be more efficient at burning calories riding a bike is great for burning fat … But its also great for eating your mucles.
slimjim78Free MemberPosted 12 years agoit feels low to me, probably because I’m used to eating a bit more than I should be
Bingo.
Cook from scratch, cut out crappy snacks, do a bit of exercise. You’ll be right.
Bingo.
Though I think it gives me too many calories, e.g. for cycling to and from work (25 mins each way), I get about 500 calories. Some days I have made 1600 calories extra from exercise!
Bongo. You’d be surprised, most calculations have cycling down for 50 to 60kcal per mile if achieving a good average pace (15mph should just about do it). 1 hours hard cycling can easily rack up 1200kcal worth of energy expended.
littlemisspandaFree MemberPosted 12 years agoTSY, your approach sounds quite sensible. I tend to exercise in the evenings so I might stick to protein and veg during the day and a bit of fruit and have some carbs in the evenings. I can’t eat carbs at lunch time anyway because I fall asleep!
I do exercise, 2-4 times a week. I was playing badminton on a Monday until I got a shoulder injury, but I’m just looking at going back to it now. Tuesday/Thursday my dog is in doggy day care, so I try and do something after work on those days, ride or a class at the gym. Mon, Weds and Fri I come home from work and walk the dog for 30-60 mins.
Weekends OH and I try and get out for a ride, but it doesn’t always happen, social/family commitments, but if we don’t ride it’s a longer walk with the dog.I have already lost around 9-10lbs in the last year but plateaued somewhat and not lost or gained the last 6 months.
TheSouthernYetiFree MemberPosted 12 years agoJust try and add in some exercise first thing in the morning on an empty stomach…
grumFree MemberPosted 12 years agoI’m sure you can. But I don’t want to “get by”. Food isn’t just fuel to humans, it’s linked to lots of pleasurable and social activities too. That’s why I dislike the “diet” idea – as something to be endured or suffered.
Frankly I’d rather be a [/i]little bit overweight and have a nice time than ripped and f***ing miserable because I can’t have a glass of sherry and some Kettle Chips.
I don’t feel like I’m just getting by with eating low GI – I’ve been eating lots of really nice healthy stuff and cooking things I wouldn’t normally make. I feel healthier and I’m getting steadily thinner.
This doesn’t feel like a diet to me, just a better way of eating that I will be able to sustain indefinitely. I’ve done an Atkins-style diet in the past and lost a lot of weight quickly but it never felt sustainable and I didn’t feel healthy.
My thought is that it’s better to settle on a sustainable regime which contains commonly available (and oh-so-very-tasty) “bad” things rather than some Atkins-like torture which you will abandon the very moment you hit target weight.
Not for me (and seemingly lots of other people) – better just to not eat the bad stuff in the first place and learn to enjoy things that aren’t bad. I don’t think it’s the end of the world on occasion to eat crisps or whatever – but I don’t think seeing that as the nice stuff as opposed to miserable boring healthy stuff is the best way.
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