What is this 1200 calorie bullsh*t?

I'm 5'7 and weight 140 so I'm not chubby but I wouldn't mind toning up a bit.
I don't count calories .. at all so I'd say I easily eat 3000+ plus a day. I guess I'm not blowing up like a baloon because I'm 18, I don't know.

I'm a 28 in jeans but I want to get down to a 26, so just lose a couple inches.

I made myself a 2000 calorie meal plan with a half hour of cardio every day and some core excersises. I never count calories and I never excersise so I'm expecting results from this.

Then I go on this board for fitness & food tips and everyone's eating between 1200 - 1500 calories a day AND excersising?

WTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOW CAN PEOPLE DO THAT?
I feel like I'm over eating but eating 2000 cals a day but that should be fine shouldn't it? You confuse me CC. >.<

Your a fairly tall teenage girl, you need more calories than the short sedentary older women that eat 1500 cals a day to lose.  1200 calories in the absolute minimum for an adult female but is below what most people need to eat even to lose weight.  As an 18 y/o you need a minimum of 1500 cals. but with 2000 you should do fine meeting your goals.

Edit: you would be shocked to find out how many teenage girls come that come to this site are eating less than 1200 calories but they have an illness that they are trying to overcome.

HOW?... Because many people don't actually bother using the online calculator to see what a sensible intake would be and just pick a number out of the air.  Or they're well over 21 years of age and quite small already.  Or they're doing exercise but set their activity level to 'sedentary'. 

If you don't know for certain that you get 3000+ normally then you might find you're actually maintaining on a lot less if you kept your food log for a few days.

Rather than making a similar mistake run your stats though this calculator.  http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/bodycomp/bmiz2.html Read off the 'Daily Energy Requirement' appropriate to your activity level (probably 'moderate') and deduct 500 from the number you get.  Ultimately, what happens on the scales will determine whether it's the right number or not. 

Thanks for the replies, girls! :)

Well I know I eat at least 3000 because I go out to eat once, sometimes twice a day, I eat before bed, snack alot, ect. When ever I try to count my calories I get over 2500 I'm just like EFF IT. Haha. :)

So I think I'm cutting out at least a few hundred cals by going to 2000, and adding on excersise on top of that. I'm fairly busy too, so I'm usually always on the move.

I think I would die if I had to eat 1500 a day, I couldn't even imagine 1200.
But it seems like that's what everyone on here eats.

I don't know, I guess I just want some assurance that eating 2000 is normal/fine. Haha. :)

Original Post by blackout:

But it seems like that's what everyone on here eats.

It isn't.

Original Post by amethystgirl:

Original Post by blackout:

But it seems like that's what everyone on here eats.

It isn't.

 It's not.  I eat between 1500 and 1800 a day depending on how much activity I do.  Maintenance for me is around 2000 calories/day.  However, that being said I'm almost 30 and I'm only 5'2.5" so I need a lot less calories  than you do. 

i'm five foot tall, 28, and moderately active. i aim for 1200-1500 a day, but i am small, and weight 127. invariably, i always am nearer the 1500, sometimes 1800, but 1200 is ok for me too.

if lots re aiming for 1200, they may actually eat a lot more, but still aim for 1200. our goals are not always met. also, some have ED's to battle as well. adn for those, 1200 might be a big step to the beginnings of recovery.

essentially, what people say they eat, and what they actually eat, is most likely to differ.

but you sound like you have it sussed out, your plan looks sound. give it a go. :o)

I eat 1800 / day (upped it from 1400 / day since I got more active). Occasionally, 2000 - 2100. I exercise once - twice / wk with hockey practice and games, then I like to ride my bike 2-3x per week, so I just decided to use the "lightly active" modifier instead of sedentary and pluck my numbers from that. I lose .5 lbs every 3 days or so.

If I stuck to 1200 I'd probably die of hunger and irritability

Original Post by blackout:

I'm 5'7 and weight 140 so I'm not chubby but I wouldn't mind toning up a bit.
I don't count calories .. at all so I'd say I easily eat 3000+ plus a day. I guess I'm not blowing up like a baloon because I'm 18, I don't know.

I'm a 28 in jeans but I want to get down to a 26, so just lose a couple inches.

I made myself a 2000 calorie meal plan with a half hour of cardio every day and some core excersises. I never count calories and I never excersise so I'm expecting results from this.

Then I go on this board for fitness & food tips and everyone's eating between 1200 - 1500 calories a day AND excersising?

WTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOW CAN PEOPLE DO THAT?
I feel like I'm over eating but eating 2000 cals a day but that should be fine shouldn't it? You confuse me CC. >.<

You eat 3000 calories a day, and you are 5'7", and you weigh 140? 

Yeah...I believe that.

I'm at around 2500 most day.

Original Post by fitmom4life:

Original Post by blackout:

I'm 5'7 and weight 140 so I'm not chubby but I wouldn't mind toning up a bit.
I don't count calories .. at all so I'd say I easily eat 3000+ plus a day. I guess I'm not blowing up like a baloon because I'm 18, I don't know.

I'm a 28 in jeans but I want to get down to a 26, so just lose a couple inches.

I made myself a 2000 calorie meal plan with a half hour of cardio every day and some core excersises. I never count calories and I never excersise so I'm expecting results from this.

Then I go on this board for fitness & food tips and everyone's eating between 1200 - 1500 calories a day AND excersising?

WTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOW CAN PEOPLE DO THAT?
I feel like I'm over eating but eating 2000 cals a day but that should be fine shouldn't it? You confuse me CC. >.<

You eat 3000 calories a day, and you are 5'7", and you weigh 140? 

Yeah...I believe that.

 

 Huh? She's 18, so yeah she can eat that much and still weigh 140

That was kinda rude...

Original Post by hotrebeccainmesa:

Huh? She's 18, so yeah she can eat that much and still weigh 140

That was kinda rude...

 Nothing rude intended, dear.  But I guarantee that she is guessing on that calorie number, 18 or not.  I know what my 16 year old son eats, and what he does in a day.  I am VERY familiar with teenage metabolism.

i'm eating about 3500- 4000 cals everyday, 5ft4 and 100lbs 19,i'm not trying to lose or gain just maintain.

Original Post by fitmom4life:

Original Post by hotrebeccainmesa:

Huh? She's 18, so yeah she can eat that much and still weigh 140

That was kinda rude...

 Nothing rude intended, dear.  But I guarantee that she is guessing on that calorie number, 18 or not.  I know what my 16 year old son eats, and what he does in a day.  I am VERY familiar with teenage metabolism.

 I don't mean this to be insulting...

 You're going to base all teenage metabolism/calorie needs off of just your son?...

That's a huge generalization

Oh man i miss being a teen now.... I could eat sooooooooooo much food. This discussion is not good for my brain.

Original Post by hotrebeccainmesa:

Original Post by fitmom4life:

Original Post by hotrebeccainmesa:

Huh? She's 18, so yeah she can eat that much and still weigh 140

That was kinda rude...

 Nothing rude intended, dear.  But I guarantee that she is guessing on that calorie number, 18 or not.  I know what my 16 year old son eats, and what he does in a day.  I am VERY familiar with teenage metabolism.

 I don't mean this to be insulting...

 You're going to base all teenage metabolism/calorie needs off of just your son?...

That's a huge generalization

 

 And where did I state that I am basing ALL teenage metabolism/calorie needs off my son?  Just used him as one example of my experience.

Original Post by fitmom4life:

Original Post by hotrebeccainmesa:

Original Post by fitmom4life:

Original Post by hotrebeccainmesa:

Huh? She's 18, so yeah she can eat that much and still weigh 140

That was kinda rude...

 Nothing rude intended, dear.  But I guarantee that she is guessing on that calorie number, 18 or not.  I know what my 16 year old son eats, and what he does in a day.  I am VERY familiar with teenage metabolism.

 I don't mean this to be insulting...

 You're going to base all teenage metabolism/calorie needs off of just your son?...

That's a huge generalization

 

 And where did I state that I am basing ALL teenage metabolism/calorie needs off my son?  Just used him as one example of my experience.

 It was implied...

Original Post by fitmom4life:

Original Post by blackout:

I'm 5'7 and weight 140 so I'm not chubby but I wouldn't mind toning up a bit.
I don't count calories .. at all so I'd say I easily eat 3000+ plus a day. I guess I'm not blowing up like a baloon because I'm 18, I don't know.

I'm a 28 in jeans but I want to get down to a 26, so just lose a couple inches.

I made myself a 2000 calorie meal plan with a half hour of cardio every day and some core excersises. I never count calories and I never excersise so I'm expecting results from this.

Then I go on this board for fitness & food tips and everyone's eating between 1200 - 1500 calories a day AND excersising?

WTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOW CAN PEOPLE DO THAT?
I feel like I'm over eating but eating 2000 cals a day but that should be fine shouldn't it? You confuse me CC. >.<

You eat 3000 calories a day, and you are 5'7", and you weigh 140? 

Yeah...I believe that.

 

 3000 calories is an estimate. Your son probably eats more than he things (calorie wise.) My guy friends can eat a whole large pizza and a 2L thing of pepsi and are still the skinniest things. Age is deffinatly a factor, I would think. What I eat wouldn't seem like 3000 cals but when you add everything up, it gets up there. Expecially when you are including drinks.
If I was asking for advice, I wouldn't lie. But thanks anways! :)

An active teenager could easily eat and maintain on 3000 calories a day. 

As I recall Fitmom4life is the one who gloats about eating less than 1200 calories a day... so I wouldn't worry about anything said above. 

Try the 2000 calories/day with the 30 min exercise a day and you'll probably drop the pant size. 

As you get older though, you'll need less calories.  :(

I just signed up and I'm wondering about the 1200 cals too.

Three years ago, I lost 50 pounds on Nutrisystem at 1500 cals per day. However, in the past year and a half, since I've been married, I've put 20 of those pounds back on.

I was rather shocked when I signed up here and filled out the imformation and it  told me I should be eating 1200 cals/day. I think I'll be sticking to 1500, since I know I can do that AND I've lost weight on that before ! 

Also, the weight target it gave me (120 lbs) I felt was too low.  I'm 5' 5" and got down to 138 before.  For a while I was as low as 134 and everyone told me I looked too thin, even unhealthy, so I think 140 would be a good weight to aim for.

What's going to help me here is the counter and tracker tools and the community.  That was especially important when i was on Nutrisystem, so you guys will probably be seeing a lot of me!

I need to get back to my Walk Away the Pounds too

No doubt! I am 5'1" and I weigh 98 lbs. Being quite active (work out 6 days a week), I eat 1800 calories a day. I now need to increase it because I think I am starting to slightly lose weight, which I don't want to do. So I'm up to 2000.

I love to eat (grazer!), so 1200 calories would severely impair both mood and work out. Not worth it for me!