1200 Calories too low?!


Question: 1200 Calories too low?
I am 5'7" and currently weigh 173 pounds, and would like to weigh 125 - 130 lbs.
I read that the number of calories you consume to lose weight should be based on the weight you would like to be. For example: 120 lbs, 1200 calories. 130 lbs, 1300 calories. This is to get down to that weight, not maintain it.
I've been consuming 1200 - 1300 calories daily and have had no problem with it at all.

I've cut grains (not difficult, I'm gluten intolerant anyway), most sugar, processed food and any drinks beside water.
I eat a lot of negative calorie fruits and vegetables along with the 12-1300 calorie cutback and always make sure I eat at least the 1200 every day.
Mostly I eat a lot of fruit, veggies, lean protein (chicken, fish, legumes, tofu), with some dairy. Whole foods with minimal processing.
I am aware of the danger of putting my body into "starvation mode", when the body feels that there is the threat of not receiving the amount of calories it needs to function it will store as much energy as possible (fat) to survive, but I was told that 1200 is the minimum amount you can consume before sending your body into starvation mode.

Answers:

There is extensive research which sets 1200 as a "normal" minimum for women (1500 for men). If you are more active this may not be enough, but if you are somewhat active or sedentary (i.e. less than 5 hours of intense activity a week) then it should be fine, provided you stay on it only as long as you want to keep loosing weight (and then slowly ease to a maintenance). You are correct that below that you will threaten to enter into starvation mode where your metabolism will be significantly effected.

Now, this research is for "normal" people. For a few this could be too low. For many others, they could go lower with no risk. But it's a good rule of thumb.

The main thing is to eat enough (and enough volume wise which generally means healthier foods) that you don't harm yourself or feel so hungry you are unable to function normally (mentally/physically).

I ate exactly your range for 8 months and lost 60 lb. I logged my calories on Calorie-count and exercised 30 minutes five times a week.

To be honest, I mostly did it with TV dinners and the like (if you are only counting calories, you can eat whatever you want, but you will pay for it for high caloric items by having to eat much smaller portions). But the health benefits from loosing the weight far outweighed the subpar diet. And, in the quest to not be hungry, I ended up learning to eat (and cook!) a lot healthier anyway.

I think what you are doing is a totally safe way to do it and I wish you luck. I did mine 4 years ago and every now and then whenever I get over 140 I go right back on the counting for a few months to get it back down.

The only thing I see is that I am 5'4" and I feel 130 is just right for me...also my body fights very hard below about 132. At 5'7" you might want to consider whether 125-130 is really the right number?

Loosing 60 lb (190 to 130) doing 1200-1300 calories a day using Calorie-Count.com + extensive reading on topic via articles/research posted online.



1200=120 lbs is a myth.
I weigh 90 lbs and I eat around 1,400 a day.

For starvation mode: 1200 might be low, if you find you are not losing anything I would go up to around 1,400 or 1,500



It is okay as long as you DO NOT go below 1200. Also, your diet needs to be balanced, which it sounds like you are doing a good job of.
By the way, negative calorie foods are a myth.

Dietitian



Wow, it sounds like you're doing a great job! 1200-1300 calories should be just right-- maybe a little more if you're more active.



1200 calories is (usually) the lowest a hospital will give a bedridden patient.

For you, as your BMI is 27.3 (anything over 25 being overweight), that's actually not too bad. Many meal plans (like Nutrisystem, among others) have 1200 calorie-a-day programs. Just remember to get your nutrients (take a vitamin daily).

It's good to adjust what you eat when you try to loose weight. Jump from three days of mostly protein to three days of balanced protein and carbs, then go back to mostly protein--it 'tricks' your metabolism, because as you loose weight, you body *knows* it, so your metabolism decreases.




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