October 4, 2007
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People say…..
I have heard many people say that you should never eat less then 1200
calories a day. That your body needs that amount to just survive. Does anyone
have any medical sites that they could tell me of that actually state that? (not
diet sites, actual medical ones)I know many people who only eat 500-700 calories a day. They are surviving
just fine. Where does this idea of the need for 1200 a day come from?I have been searching and I cannot find a medical site that says any such things, just diet sites.
I would love to hear your comments on the thought that a person needs 1200 calories a day to survive. Truth? Fiction? Do you eat at least 1200 calories a day?
Comments (11)
Just dropped by to say good morning. Be Blessed woman of God
I think its better to girls to be on a 1200 calorie diet rather then 500-600 because most girls who try always end up binging and beating themselves up over it and over time really destroying themselves
I dunno thats my opinion
and your right people go on those 500-600 diets and still survive so yeah you can i guess 1200 is a healthy calorie intake?
Thanks.
I have always heard that , you can survive on 500-600 cal, but you are not getting enough of what you need to have a healthy body, i think that keeping calories at 1200 will help a person to lose weight and also get what there body need’s to stay healthy, have a great day
GOD BLESS,
SANDY
I think that’s the average. We don’t realize how many calories we need, especially as women, to do things just like digest our food or menstrate. Yes, they may survive, but they are probaby skipping periods and not as healthy as you think – people that don’t eat enough have risk of getting sick easier as well as long term effects such as diabetes. Unless you take multivitamins, you have to ensure you eat enough food to get enough vitamins and nutrients.
I never count calories. I find the healthier and more natural something is, it has less calories (such as using spinach for the base instead of lettuce). I just follow a few guidelines of what to and not to eat, treat myself occasionally, and stay active and focus on health instead of amount. Quality vs quantity I guess.
I don’t think about such things.
I heard it on the Biggest Loser from their doctor and nutritionist and stuff. I don’t know if it’s on an actual medical site or not. But on that site, they said 1200 for women for 1500 for men.
Maybe you could google it, or try webmd, or ask your doctor? =) Good luck.
doctors put obese people on diets with like 500-700 calories to lose weight fast. it’s only supposed to be temporary to lose a certain amount of weight then when they reach that they go back to eating 1200 a day
there’s even a medical acronym for it that i can’t remember at the moment
good luck!
Hey Kristen,
FWIW, this is my take on the subject. Low calorie, and calorie counting diets are really hard to do for an extended period of time. Its a lot of work just keeping track of everything. (Having said that, I don’t think that a short term calorie counting diet is harmful) One issue with these diets is that many peoples bodies go into a “starvation mode” and try to store any extra calories because there has been such a drastic drop and the body says “Help food is short, store it.” Then whenever you go back to normal intake rapid weight gain is the result. Which of course, is terribly discouraging. If while counting calories you are making sure that you intake of protein and whole foods is adequate then this is not as much of an issue because the food you are putting in is truly nourishing. I have found, from personal experience, and experiences of friends, that a lifestyle change is the only thing that will really work long term. Eating whole foods (i.e. unprocessed, packaged, canned…..) goes a long way toward this goal. Our bodies actually need fat to burn fat, but it has to be the right kind. Unhealthy fats, hydrogenated oils, in particular, and sugar is the down fall of most of America. Some drastic results have been accomplished solely by completely cutting all processed sugar from your diet, and eating raw sugar forms in limited quantity. And of course, exercise is so lacking in most of our lives. Good luck! I am proud of you for your commitment and would be the last person to discourage you from your goals. Go for it! You asked for links, here is a couple. Sorry I didn’t have much time. Love to you!
http://www.drlark.com/free/thin_steps.asp
http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,4721.0.html
and this is just an interesting discussion
http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,3214.0.html
this is part 1 of 3 and seems to have a lot of solid info.
http://arthritis.about.com/od/weight/a/weightlossmyths.htm
http://www.realage.com/research_library/searchResults.aspx?link=crsfiles/aha/aha_odiet_crs.htm
Is from Dr. Oz:
Most weight reduction
diets suggest 1200 to 1500 calories a day for women and 1500 to 1800
calories a day for men. However, calorie needs can vary a lot depending
on your activity level and current weight. Ask your health care
provider or dietitian to help you determine how many calories you need
a day. You must eat a minimum number of calories
per day or your body will shut down its metabolism in an effort to
survive the lean time. This happens when people go on “starvation
diets.” The body’s survival response prevents them from losing weight. From the Mayo clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/HQ01625Very low calorie diets aren’t a healthy long-term strategy. Fewer than
1,200 calories a day for women and 1,400 calories for men aren’t
generally recommended. If your calories are too low, you run the risk
of not getting all of the nutrients you need for good health.
Another link where someone posed this question and got some interesting answers: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/HQ01625
My comment did not come out right… grrr.. that last link should be: http://www.calorie-count.com/forums/post/31295.html
Thanks Joan BTW, Great question!