If you’re like many people on a weight loss journey, there’s a chance you’re cutting more calories than you need to.
When you begin a weight loss journey, it may be tempting to drastically cut calories to reach your goal faster, but that can backfire.
In fact, 1,200, 1,500, or even 2,000 calories may not be enough for some people, depending on their starting weight and lifestyle. If you have a physically active job, such as a nurse or construction worker, you’ll probably need to eat more than someone who sits all day.
For example, many people believe they need to follow a 1,200 calorie diet to lose weight. But that is not entirely true. “It’s possible to meet your minimum nutritional needs on 1,200 calories a day, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to do or that doing so is ideal,” says Stephanie Nelson, senior nutrition scientist at MyFitnessPal.
“It’s a pretty difficult puzzle to get all the nutrients at that low-calorie level,” he says.
What to know about setting a calorie goal too low
According to Nelson, these are some of the most important reasons to consider setting a higher calorie goal. These are the main reasons why a diet that is too low in calories could derail your weight loss process.
1. It is not flexible
While a low-calorie goal of 1,200 calories might technically be enough to prevent you from developing nutrient deficiencies, it may not leave much room for flexibility in your diet.
“The more calories you have to work with, the easier it will be to get all the nutrition you need because you can include a wider variety of foods,” Nelson says.
Plus, a 1200 calorie goal is unnecessarily difficult. It doesn’t leave you room for ice cream on a summer day or a slice of cake at a party. If your calorie goal doesn’t leave you the flexibility to live your life, you’re unlikely to meet it.
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2. It can cause loss of muscle mass
One of the biggest problems with setting a calorie goal as low as 1200 is that it often leads to muscle loss in addition to fat loss.
“Whenever you’re in a calorie deficit, your body will break down fat for energy, but it doesn’t stop there. It will also break down your muscles,” says Nelson. “And the more aggressive your calorie deficit, the more likely you are to lose muscle mass along with fat.”
To avoid this, Nelson suggests modestly reducing the number of calories you typically consume.
“We’ve found through research that the maximum caloric deficit you can have without risking significant muscle loss is about 500 calories per day,” he says. “A higher calorie goal makes it easier to maintain muscle mass while losing fat.”
3. Requires drastic changes
If you set your calorie goal too low, you may need to radically change the way you eat overnight. The average American eats 3,540 calories per day according to data from the United Nations. Imagine what you would need to do to reduce your daily intake by half or more.
When it comes to losing weight, for most people, small changes and a slow and steady approach are probably better than drastic calorie cuts. And the data proves it! More than half of MyFitnessPal members who reported reaching at least 90% of their goal weight lost less than 1 pound per week on average.
“Instead of overhauling your entire diet at once, try making gradual adjustments,” suggests Nelson. “For example, you can swap a soda for sparkling water or reduce the amount of peanut butter you use on your sandwich.”
4. It can affect your hunger hormone levels.
You already know that when you don’t eat enough, you get hungry. But it’s not a lack of willpower that’s to blame: it’s probably hormonal.
“When you cut calories too much, your body’s hunger hormones go into overdrive, making you feel hungrier than usual,” she explains. “These hormonal changes can persist for up to a year after stopping the calorie deficit, making it even more difficult to maintain long-term weight loss.”
Nelson also notes that a less aggressive calorie deficit can also help prevent hormonal imbalances that can unconsciously increase appetite.
About the experts:
joy manning is a health journalist and former nutrition editor of Prevention magazine. His writing has appeared in many publications, including Men’s Health, Eating Well, Shape, and Web MD.
Stephanie Nelson (MS, RD) is a registered dietitian and MyFitnessPal’s in-house nutrition expert and nutrition scientist. He graduated from San Diego State University with a concentration in disease research and prevention.
How to Choose the Right Calorie Goal for You
So how can you set a calorie goal that’s right for you? As always, you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise routine. Nelson also suggests getting a basic understanding of your current calorie intake by downloading the MyFitnessPal app.
Track your meals and snacks
To set a goal, you need to understand your starting point. “Track your meals and snacks for at least a week, including weekdays and weekends, to get a good representation of your eating habits,” advises Nelson. “From there, you can start making adjustments, starting with a small reduction of 200 calories per day.”
You will begin to lose weight when you reduce your calories enough to enter a calorie deficit. That simply means that you are eating fewer calories than your body needs in a day.
Fun fact: MyFitnessPal gives members access to one of the largest nutritional databases in the world. Track your calories in the app.
“Common estimates say that a calorie deficit of 500 calories per day roughly equates to a weight loss of one pound per week, but that’s actually pretty aggressive,” says Nelson.
Remember, weight loss is not a one-size-fits-all solution. “For people with obesity, a pound per week or a 500-calorie deficit is appropriate,” Nelson says.
But if you are not obese? “I would suggest a deficit of 250 calories, or half a pound per week.” In any situation, your calorie goal will probably be higher than 1,200, Nelson says. You can manage your weight loss rates in the goal settings in MyFitnessPal.
Prepare for stagnation
When deciding on a calorie goal, it’s a good idea to anticipate weight loss plateaus. That’s when your progress seems to stall despite your best efforts. Nelson says setting a higher calorie goal from the beginning can help you get through this.
If you hit a plateau and work with a small to medium calorie deficit, you have more options compared to people who cut their calories down to the bone from the start. “You have room to make adjustments without falling to an unsustainable calorie level,” explains Nelson.
Consider maintenance
Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is a lifelong journey. Today, you may be focused on losing weight, but the number of calories you eat now can affect your success in maintaining your weight loss in the future.
When you eat more than 1,200 calories, you’re more likely to avoid the dangers that come with rapid weight loss, including a slower metabolism and increased hunger, even after you’ve reached your goal.
Establish sustainable habits now that will serve you well in the future, such as tracking. “A big predictor of weight loss success is continuing to track after you’ve lost weight,” says Nelson. It helps you stay responsible and avoid gradually slipping back into old habits.
Conclusion: Setting the right calorie goal is essential for weight loss success
While a low-calorie diet may seem like a quick fix, it is often too low to provide the nutrients your body needs. It can also leave you too hungry and discouraged to keep trying.
By making small, consistent changes and giving your body the nutrition it needs, you’ll be more likely to maintain a healthy weight.
How MyFitnessPal Can Help
When you create your profile, we ask your age, height, weight, gender, and normal daily activity level. We use them in combination with other factors to determine the calories needed to maintain your current weight.
We also ask you how much weight you would like to lose or gain per week and, with this goal in mind, we subtract calories (to lose weight) or add calories (to gain weight) to determine your daily calorie and nutrient goals.
As you log your meals, the app displays how many calories you’ve consumed in each snack or meal. This knowledge can help you make gradual adjustments that support your weight loss goals.
The post Why It’s Important to Choose the Right Calorie Target for Weight Loss appeared first on the MyFitnessPal blog.
