Well the minimum number of calories is different for everyone, and 1200 is low for almost anyone. SO, to determine how many you should be eating, I'd need to know your height, weight, and age. For me, I'm 20, 5'8, and 138 pds. I need to eat *at least* 1450 calories a day just to function without any activity. Be sure not to eat too few or else you'll be making this a more difficult and painful process than what it needs to be =)

Couldn't give you a source, but I remember reading somewhere that 1200 should be the minimum for ANY woman (and then of course it can go up too depending on your individual circumstances).

For men I am less certain of the number, but I think it was either 1300 or 1400 (I am a man, so probably should know that, but, I am a long way from worrying about that low a number!  lol)

I think your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs even if you spend the whole day in bed) is the minimum and that varies from one person to the next. You can calculate an estimate of yours under "expenditure".

Thanks so much for posting. I am 5'5", 121# and 48 yrs old. I am trying to lose that stubborn 10# that can make or break a two piece swimsuit. I am very small framed and any extra weight comes on as fat. I am trying to figure it all out on here but get a little confused.

1200 was too low for me. My metabolism slowed down so I was losing only half a pound a week with a 1000 calorie deficit everyday. I'm 5'5", and I need 1450-1500. Find out your BMR and eat that number - go lower than that and your metabolism will probably slow.

http://www.phord.com/cc/ 

Try the above link - it is pretty good for giving you the RMR and BMR based on your height, weight, gender, etc.

The RMR/BMR is the number you should not go below. For me it means a calorie deficiet of only a few hundred calories, but I can up the difference by adding in activities into my life to get a bigger deficiet. CC told me to not go below 1280 calories, but everywhere else (including the above link) has told me not to go below roughly (as it changes with your weight) 1580 or so (5'2", female at 203#'s). I'm losing steadily, so I think keeping up there is working for me in my weight loss.

Original Post by disc:

I think your BMR (the amount of calories your body needs even if you spend the whole day in bed) is the minimum and that varies from one person to the next. You can calculate an estimate of yours under "expenditure".

Your BMR is a safe number to use as a minimum, but it isn't a hard and fast rule. I consistently eat below my BMR and have steadily lost weight over the past year. It is really too dependent on the person, activity level, how much body fat you have, and other factors to be an exact science.

The best advice I could give would be to experiment until you find the level that works for you, but avoid going too low (1200 for women, 1500 for men, and about 1800 for active teens) so that you don't rob your body of essential nutrients. The minimum values are there because it is very hard, if not impossible, to get proper nutrition with fewer calories.

If you are very overweight, or very athletic, please be aware that BMR (especially using the Harris-Benedict formula) is a very crude calculation and for those two categories of people, the numbers are not very accurate at all.

I am new and I can't find "expenditure" on the website.  Where is it?

Apart from the frame size I have similar stats to you - I am 47, 5'5 1/2" and looking to lose about 10-12 lbs.

I got down to my target weight 2 years ago on a 1200 calorie a day diet - recommended by the instructor in a slimming club (based in the UK).  I was exercising 3x a week and had a reasonably active job.  As I say I lost the weight but felt cold, tired and miserable.  I since put on about 16 lbs but my metabolism was really messed up.

6 weeks into CC I am doing cardio 3x a week and weights 3x a week, I'm on 1600 cals and have accepted the weight loss will be slower.  Its more important to me to have a weight loss I can sustain than quick results and I'm enjoying feeling healthier and looking more toned even if the pounds don't shift so fast!

When I went to that site it told me to only eat 1184. WOW. Now what? I dont know what to do. It is very frustrating!

1200 is the rule of thumb around here but it's a safe bet as techdog said to not go below your BMR. However, have you used the Tools of this site to calculate your recommended calories to lose whatever amount of weight you want to lose by a certain date?? That is what this website is for! Check out the Unofficial Guide to Calorie Count in the New Members forum for more info.