Is it absolutely essential to have atleast 1200 calories in a day?

Question

First of all, I am not anorexic or anything. In fact, I am 120 pounds at 5 feet tall (everyone in my family is small, so my height is normal and I won't be growing any taller). Although I am classified as clinically fit (Body Mass Index of about 23.6) I know I need to lose weight, and that is why I'm counting calories. I want my Body Mass Index to be around 21 or 22.
The fact is that I feel pretty full by eating about 1000 calories. Usually, I eat more, like about 1500 but I exercise off 500 calories almost everyday. It is just stationary cycling and it doesn't tire me out or make me feel weak or anything. I have heard and read that you need a minimum of 1200 calories a day. So, does that mean that I can't go lower than 1200 calories while I'm trying to lose weight? Like, if I go lower, would my body would think I'm starving and I would not lose weight? Is it really the bare minimum for effective weight loss? (Please advise me, especially if you have past experience in this.)

Answer 1

Yes, yes, yes. Do not drop below 1200 calories per day. You're going to get a lot of bad advice but this is critical. I know it makes it harder to lose weight, but the fact is, your internal organs can begin to malfunction with sustained calorie depletion.

Now, you can work out all you want if you take in 1500 calories a day or so...this is really the way to go. 500 calorie deficit equals one pound of body weight, so if you burn, say, 200 calories more than you eat per day, you will lose two pounds every five days! Good luck!

Answer 2

It is essential to eat a minimum of 1200 calories per day. Your body uses 800-900 calories running itself, and the remaining go on your general movement, walking around, brusing your teeth. You can't say that you feel full after 1000 calories, because, that could be a slice of pizza or 6 pounds of broccoli. So if you are calorie counting, eat lots of fresh fruit and veg, fresh meat. Steer clear of diet products as they are either full of sugar or fat. Maintain around 1500 calories a day and do between 30minutes to 1 hour exercise.