1,200 calories is enough for a child. So why are grown women still being told to eat that little? For so many of us, dieting was just part of growing up. Weight Watchers. “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” Losing weight before vacation. Watching the women around us restrict, lose weight, gain it back, and start all over again. Somewhere along the way, we learned to be afraid of food—and especially afraid of calories. In this episode of Get the Girlies Moving, we’re talking about where the 1,200-calorie diet came from, why restrictive dieting has stuck around for so long, and what actually happens when you continuously ask your body to do more while giving it less. In today’s episode, we’re talking about: • Where the 1,200-calorie diet came from and how diet culture kept it alive • What calories actually do in your body—and why you need them for WAY more than your workout • What chronic under-fueling can do to your energy, recovery, hormones, muscles, bones, and overall health • Why eating more might actually help you get closer to the goals you’ve been chasing • How to start seeing food as fuel instead of something you have to earn Your body is not your enemy. It isn’t trying to sabotage you. It isn’t trying to make your life harder. It’s doing exactly what it was designed to do: keep you alive so that you get to experience your life. So maybe the goal doesn’t need to be eating the fewest calories possible or seeing the smallest number you’ve ever seen on the scale. Maybe the goal is building a body that has enough energy to move, laugh, make memories, get stronger, eat dessert with your friends, and actually be alive for your life. And if you wouldn’t starve, punish, or constantly criticize your best friend’s body, maybe yours deserves that same kindness too. Love you, girlies. Please feed yourselves and be kind to your bodies this week. A NOTE FROM US: This episode discusses restrictive eating, calorie restriction, and eating disorders. If this conversation feels triggering or unsafe for you, please stop listening and reach out to a qualified healthcare or mental health professional for support. We are not registered dietitians, nutritionists, or medical professionals. This episode is intended for education and conversation and is not individualized medical or nutrition advice.
RESOURCES FROM TODAY’S EPISODE:
• The History of Calorie Counting & Lulu Hunt Peters — Science History Institute
https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/counting-calories/
• Eating Disorders & Their Health Impact — BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-45894206
• Women, Medicine & the “American Plan” — JSTOR Daily
https://daily.jstor.org/when-america-incarcerated-promiscuous-women/
• Research on Calorie Restriction & Energy Expenditure — PubMed
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8363198/
• Estimated Daily Calorie Needs by Age, Sex & Activity Level — National Academies / NCBI
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2004/table/A324/
• Celebrity Diet Culture & the 1,200-Calorie Diet — CNN Transcript
https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/sbt/date/2008-08-21/segment/01
• Weight Loss & Calorie-Deficit Recommendations — U.S. Government Report
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GOVPUB-FT-PURL-LPS23309/pdf/GOVPUB-FT-PURL-LPS23309.pdf
• Daily Energy Expenditure Across the Human Lifespan — Science / PubMed
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34385400/
• Long-Term Effects of Not Eating Enough — Sanford Behavioral Health
https://sanfordbehavioralhealth.com/rehab-blog/long-term-effects-of-not-eating-enough-why-your-body-needs-balance/
• How Eating Disorders Can Damage the Heart — American Heart Association
https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/02/26/how-eating-disorders-can-damage-the-heart
• Basal Metabolic Rate & the Energy Your Body Uses at Rest — Cleveland Clinic
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/basal-metabolic-rate-bmr
• Low Energy Availability & Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) — International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement
https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/48/7/491
• Exercise, Resistance Training & Resting Metabolic Rate — Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis / PubMed
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32397898/
FOLLOW GET THE GIRLIES MOVING:
Instagram: @getthegirliesmovingpodcast
TikTok: @getthegirliesmovingpodcast
#GetTheGirliesMoving #WomensHealth #DietCulture #1200Calories #WomensFitness #Nutrition #FoodIsFuel #RestrictiveEating #HealthyRelationshipWithFood #FitnessPodcast #WomensWellness