in a dilemma PLEASE HELP!

idk what to do,

ive been hearing alot that 1200 is too little fer a teenager, even though when you diet yer supposed to make a 500 calorie deficit. cc says i burn 1700 so i thought i was correct, i have a gym at my school & was a little confused so i went to ask one of the gym workers, & he told me that it would be best that i have the 1700 cals & just work out an hour a day. the thought of not having a calorie deficit that i cant actually SEE, scares me. what should i do?

you will have a calorie deficit after you subtract the exercise calories you burned.

If you need to see the deficit, just set your activity level at sedentary and log your workouts.  It will adjust your burn for the day, so you will still see the difference.

I do what brandy said...it works for me

do you guys thinks its best to have deficit by food, or by excercize?

Definitely making your deficit with exercise is better if you have a choice. That way you will loose weight (fat) and build muscle. The muscle building is good for looking tone, and your body will burn more calories with the more muscle you have.

Plus you will look like you weigh less then you do, muscle is a great optical illusion!

I am new to this site but certainly not new to dieting.  I could write the web-site or a book on losing weight but not maintaining the weight loss.

I can tell you from experience that as a growing teenager you need your calories or you could end up with the problems I had as a teenager - hair loss and several broken teeth.  Too little protein and too few calories made me lose bone mass.  I am far from a teenager now but continue to deal with dental issues.  My problems occured as a result of severe dieting in the '70s when there was no internet or other good source for nutrition/dieting.

The rules for adult consumption do not apply to teenagers under any circumstances unless prescribed and monitored by a physician.

1700 is too little for a teenager, boy or girl. The recommended daily caloric intake for an active teenage girl is 2200, for an active teenage boy it's 2500-3000.

What you do to yourself during your teenage years affects your health in the future. This also means getting enough vitamins, minerals, etc. Particular to teenage girls in the U.S. is an ever growing problem with Calcium and Iron deficiencies.

If you want a 500 calorie deficit in your diet it should be through exercise. The question that begs to be asked is do you need a deficiency? What is your BMI? What is your height? How much do you weigh?  What percentage of your body weight is fat?

I have noticed an overwhelming number of teenagers, boys and girls but especially girls, who are obsessed with losing weight even though they are exactly where they should be or even worse, below. They should be more concerned with the macronutrients they are ingesting rather than calories.

Please consider ALL the factors for a healthy life, now and in the future.

Exercise, Eat enough and Eat well.

All the best.