1200 calorie meal plan for road trip?

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Replies

  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    edited December 2014
    We'll see
  • emdeesea wrote: »
    Serah87 wrote: »
    22 year old female, you should be eating more than 1200 calories.

    I know who this person is. She recently deactivated her account because she's got an eating disorder.

    No I have never had another account. And I am so sorry for the individual who has an eating disorder, but I do not have one. Also this is not something to talk about lightly. Eating disorders are scary and are the main causes for suicide so please don't be talking about this. Road trips= Fun, exciting, and adventurous
    eating disorders= trauma, depression, anxiety, illness that should never be ignored.
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    I'm about to go on a 20 hour road trip and was wondering what I can eat during that 20 hours. Fast food or gas stations are the only stops we will be making my husband made that very clear lol any suggestions? Meal plans?

    Cheese - grab some string cheese or those mini babybel cheese wheels.
    Protein bars
    Water, to avoid pop.
  • lishie_rebooted
    lishie_rebooted Posts: 2,973 Member
    emdeesea wrote: »
    Serah87 wrote: »
    22 year old female, you should be eating more than 1200 calories.

    I know who this person is. She recently deactivated her account because she's got an eating disorder.

    No I have never had another account. And I am so sorry for the individual who has an eating disorder, but I do not have one. Also this is not something to talk about lightly. Eating disorders are scary and are the main causes for suicide so please don't be talking about this. Road trips= Fun, exciting, and adventurous
    eating disorders= trauma, depression, anxiety, illness that should never be ignored.

    No one is taking it lightly. We're all very aware of how dangerous eating disorders are.

    Reevaluate your settings in MFP. 1200 cals is likely too low for you
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Pack some stuff for the car. Pack things like water, a sandwich, fruit, vegetables, hummus, granola bars, salad, yogurt, cheese, popcorn, or trail mix.
    Order an unsweetened iced tea and a small sandwich to have with stuff you packed from home.
    Look at menus of common fast food places and make a list of things that you can fit in your plan so you know what to order.
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    603reader wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    segacs wrote: »
    Just out of curiosity, why do people keep recommending McDonald's?

    I mean, sure, eat it occasionally if you like it. But if you don't like fast food, why not just pack food in the car?

    Because a big mac meal is like 1150 calories, nails the 1200 calories per day requirement super simple.

    Yeah but she'd be hungry for most of the day if one Big Mac meal is all she could have. Better to space out the 1200 calories over the course of the day. IMO


    It's too few calories for almost everyone - especially a 22yo female. Unless she's like 4'9" or in a wheelchair.

    Actually not really. I don't know who this person is or what her circumstances are, but I'm 5'3" and 175 lbs and 49 years old and to lose just 1 lb a week I have to net around 1300. And that's at a high weight. If (when!) I get down to say, 150, still 20 lbs from my goal weight, I'll have to net 1200.
    Aren't you a bariatric patient?

    Lap band
  • zipa78
    zipa78 Posts: 354 Member
    Actually not really. I don't know who this person is or what her circumstances are, but I'm 5'3" and 175 lbs and 49 years old and to lose just 1 lb a week I have to net around 1300. And that's at a high weight. If (when!) I get down to say, 150, still 20 lbs from my goal weight, I'll have to net 1200.

    Unless you have thyroid problems or some other similar condition that affects your metabolism, your BMR should be around 1400-1500 kcal / day, and even if you did nothing more than slept for 8 hours and then sat and watched TV for 16 hours before going back to bed again you'd burn around 2000 kcal / day.

    1300 kcal sounds low to me. I'd bump it up to at least 1500 and see what happens.

    For the OP, 1200 kcal is ridiculous. You could eat almost twice that and still lose weight unless you are completely sedentary 24/7.
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
    OP I don't know where you are, but Sheetz gas stations/convenience stores have amazingly good food for when you're on the road. I'm sure they're not the only one, so look for the big chain gas stations and you should be able to make good food choices that fit your calorie budget.
  • sheepotato
    sheepotato Posts: 600 Member
    Lounmoun wrote: »
    Pack some stuff for the car. Pack things like water, a sandwich, fruit, vegetables, hummus, granola bars, salad, yogurt, cheese, popcorn, or trail mix.
    Order an unsweetened iced tea and a small sandwich to have with stuff you packed from home.
    Look at menus of common fast food places and make a list of things that you can fit in your plan so you know what to order.

    This. We took road trips all the time when I was a child, we always had a cooler in the back and a box of non-perishable snacks. We usually just made a sandwich or had some fruit, crackers or juice whenever we felt hungry. Later on when bottled water started being a thing it became a staple of road trips. We only really stopped for gas or to use the restroom along the way.

    Of course if you like fast food then you can use google maps and see what will be along the way and check out their menus for things you might like and prelog a few combinations to find something that fits in your goals.
  • 1200 calories is not too low for everyone. It might be too low for some people, but it's a little arrogant to take what works for you and extrapolate it to the entire population.

    That said, I wouldn't like to be capped at 1200 every day. I eat there or under some days, sure, but to have that be the maximum number of calories I can have without failing? No, too limiting for me.

    Taco Bell has a handful of decent choices. They've got a Chicken Fresco something or other that is 230 grams (so I'm assuming filling), 340 calories, with only 70 of those calories coming from fat. I can't recommend it, I only saw it when I was checking out the nutrition info for what I do get there on road trips, which are the bean or black bean burritos. Those are about 200 grams, about 380 calories, with about a third of that coming from fat. But since I don't eat meat, those are what I usually get. Oh, and I love me some fat, I need some to get full, so I don't see higher fat things as bad. But if I did eat meat, the chicken fresco thing is something I'd check out.

    I'm going to pack 2 Kind bars for our trip this weekend, but I have to be careful of those. They do keep me full for 2 hours or more on 250 calories or less, but they are so very, very good that I run the risk of saying "eff it!" and eating 2, 3, 4, more. They are basically candy bars made from good stuff, but hell, Oatmeal Raisin cookies are, too, right? :wink:

    Hard boiled eggs pack well, you can even shell them first, wrap them in a paper towel, put them in a baggie, and it's good. Also, I like Campbell's Go soups-they taste fine room temperature, and all you need to do is tear open the pouch and you can eat them with a spoon or (carefully) tilt them up and drink them.

    Finally, back to your original question, check out this WebMD link for their opinion on the Top 10 healthiest fast food meals.
    http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/10-best-fast-food-meals

  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
    603reader wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    segacs wrote: »
    Just out of curiosity, why do people keep recommending McDonald's?

    I mean, sure, eat it occasionally if you like it. But if you don't like fast food, why not just pack food in the car?

    Because a big mac meal is like 1150 calories, nails the 1200 calories per day requirement super simple.

    Yeah but she'd be hungry for most of the day if one Big Mac meal is all she could have. Better to space out the 1200 calories over the course of the day. IMO


    It's too few calories for almost everyone - especially a 22yo female. Unless she's like 4'9" or in a wheelchair.

    Actually not really. I don't know who this person is or what her circumstances are, but I'm 5'3" and 175 lbs and 49 years old and to lose just 1 lb a week I have to net around 1300. And that's at a high weight. If (when!) I get down to say, 150, still 20 lbs from my goal weight, I'll have to net 1200.

    And you are more than twice her age.

    And by the time you are 20 lbs from goal weight, you shouldn't still have your goal set to lose 1 lb per week...it should be .5 lbs by then.

    1250 then
  • kkimpel
    kkimpel Posts: 303 Member
    Get a different husband.. jk
  • zipa78
    zipa78 Posts: 354 Member
    1200 calories is not too low for everyone.

    That is true. If OP was 4' tall and weighed 100 lbs, that would be a good goal.
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
    edited December 2014
    zipa78 wrote: »
    Actually not really. I don't know who this person is or what her circumstances are, but I'm 5'3" and 175 lbs and 49 years old and to lose just 1 lb a week I have to net around 1300. And that's at a high weight. If (when!) I get down to say, 150, still 20 lbs from my goal weight, I'll have to net 1200.

    Unless you have thyroid problems or some other similar condition that affects your metabolism, your BMR should be around 1400-1500 kcal / day, and even if you did nothing more than slept for 8 hours and then sat and watched TV for 16 hours before going back to bed again you'd burn around 2000 kcal / day.

    1300 kcal sounds low to me. I'd bump it up to at least 1500 and see what happens.

    For the OP, 1200 kcal is ridiculous. You could eat almost twice that and still lose weight unless you are completely sedentary 24/7.

    I didn't pick these numbers out of the blue. I've been doing this for awhile and this is what works for me. I've already lost about 75 lbs without starving myself so I think I'm doing it right. No thyroid problems -- my only problem is 20 years of obesity plus middle age. I have a desk job so I'm considered sedentary. I get up at 5am every day to exercise so I can eat a little more. In order to lose weight I have to net about 1300. I'm currently allowing myself about 1600 cals through the holidays. I have unbelievable amounts of stress in my life right now and I wanted to give myself "permission" to eat a little more without the guilt. After the new year it's back to 1300. It's ok. I'm not complaining. I'm just addressing what the previous poster said about 1200 being too low for just about everybody. It's really not too low for many people -- my stats aren't that special.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    603reader wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    segacs wrote: »
    Just out of curiosity, why do people keep recommending McDonald's?

    I mean, sure, eat it occasionally if you like it. But if you don't like fast food, why not just pack food in the car?

    Because a big mac meal is like 1150 calories, nails the 1200 calories per day requirement super simple.

    Yeah but she'd be hungry for most of the day if one Big Mac meal is all she could have. Better to space out the 1200 calories over the course of the day. IMO


    It's too few calories for almost everyone - especially a 22yo female. Unless she's like 4'9" or in a wheelchair.

    Actually not really. I don't know who this person is or what her circumstances are, but I'm 5'3" and 175 lbs and 49 years old and to lose just 1 lb a week I have to net around 1300. And that's at a high weight. If (when!) I get down to say, 150, still 20 lbs from my goal weight, I'll have to net 1200.
    Aren't you a bariatric patient?

    Lap band
    You're an outlier then, and no indicative of any norm.

    Not as a slight, but the reality is that you are altered, and now have different nutritional rules than the rest of us. What works for you may not work for others.
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    603reader wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    segacs wrote: »
    Just out of curiosity, why do people keep recommending McDonald's?

    I mean, sure, eat it occasionally if you like it. But if you don't like fast food, why not just pack food in the car?

    Because a big mac meal is like 1150 calories, nails the 1200 calories per day requirement super simple.

    Yeah but she'd be hungry for most of the day if one Big Mac meal is all she could have. Better to space out the 1200 calories over the course of the day. IMO


    It's too few calories for almost everyone - especially a 22yo female. Unless she's like 4'9" or in a wheelchair.

    Actually not really. I don't know who this person is or what her circumstances are, but I'm 5'3" and 175 lbs and 49 years old and to lose just 1 lb a week I have to net around 1300. And that's at a high weight. If (when!) I get down to say, 150, still 20 lbs from my goal weight, I'll have to net 1200.
    Aren't you a bariatric patient?

    Lap band
    You're an outlier then, and no indicative of any norm.

    Not as a slight, but the reality is that you are altered, and now have different nutritional rules than the rest of us. What works for you may not work for others.

    Nope. Lap band is not the same as bariatric. My digestive system has not been altered in any way. I still absorb every nutrient and every calorie the way I did before. Don't take my word for it -- look it up.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Lap band surgery is a bariatric procedure.

    You are altered. You have a medical device that was surgically placed inside you, that is restricting what you can intake. Due to this device, you have different nutritional rules than the rest of us. What work for you may not work others who are not altered.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    603reader wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    segacs wrote: »
    Just out of curiosity, why do people keep recommending McDonald's?

    I mean, sure, eat it occasionally if you like it. But if you don't like fast food, why not just pack food in the car?

    Because a big mac meal is like 1150 calories, nails the 1200 calories per day requirement super simple.

    Yeah but she'd be hungry for most of the day if one Big Mac meal is all she could have. Better to space out the 1200 calories over the course of the day. IMO


    It's too few calories for almost everyone - especially a 22yo female. Unless she's like 4'9" or in a wheelchair.

    Actually not really. I don't know who this person is or what her circumstances are, but I'm 5'3" and 175 lbs and 49 years old and to lose just 1 lb a week I have to net around 1300. And that's at a high weight. If (when!) I get down to say, 150, still 20 lbs from my goal weight, I'll have to net 1200.

    Actually really.
  • hamoncan
    hamoncan Posts: 148 Member
    There's lots of Subway 6" subs that are 2-300 cals. They're my goto fast food.
  • 0somuchbetter0
    0somuchbetter0 Posts: 1,335 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    Lap band surgery is a bariatric procedure.

    You are altered. You have a medical device that was surgically placed inside you, that is restricting what you can intake. Due to this device, you have different nutritional rules than the rest of us. What work for you may not work others who are not altered.

    With all due respect, unless you're a bariatric surgeon, I think I know the difference between my nutritional and caloric needs as a lap band patient versus those of a gastric bypass patient or gastric sleeve patient, etc. better than you do. I researched the different procedures for a year before I made my decision. The only restriction I have is physical - my physiology is no different than before the surgery. I'm not going to discuss this further.

    Back to my point: regardless of whether someone has had lap band surgery or not, 1200 calories is not too low for many many people.
  • angelamb1970
    angelamb1970 Posts: 123 Member
    1200 isn't too low for me! In fact, it's right about maintenance. 5'2" 260 pounds, 44yrs old woman. Log, weigh everything, wear a FitBit and keep track of it all. Some people are just slower burners than others.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    segacs wrote: »
    Just out of curiosity, why do people keep recommending McDonald's?

    I mean, sure, eat it occasionally if you like it. But if you don't like fast food, why not just pack food in the car?

    Because a big mac meal is like 1150 calories, nails the 1200 calories per day requirement super simple.

    Yeah but she'd be hungry for most of the day if one Big Mac meal is all she could have. Better to space out the 1200 calories over the course of the day. IMO

    sounds boring ..

    better to get it all in, in one shot …

    just like the song "hit me with your best shot…"
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    603reader wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    segacs wrote: »
    Just out of curiosity, why do people keep recommending McDonald's?

    I mean, sure, eat it occasionally if you like it. But if you don't like fast food, why not just pack food in the car?

    Because a big mac meal is like 1150 calories, nails the 1200 calories per day requirement super simple.

    Yeah but she'd be hungry for most of the day if one Big Mac meal is all she could have. Better to space out the 1200 calories over the course of the day. IMO


    It's too few calories for almost everyone - especially a 22yo female. Unless she's like 4'9" or in a wheelchair.

    Actually not really. I don't know who this person is or what her circumstances are, but I'm 5'3" and 175 lbs and 49 years old and to lose just 1 lb a week I have to net around 1300. And that's at a high weight. If (when!) I get down to say, 150, still 20 lbs from my goal weight, I'll have to net 1200.
    Aren't you a bariatric patient?

    Lap band

    And you don't think (aside from the age difference) that THAT was a vital piece of info to include or at least one that should have made you realize the difference in your nutritional needs?
  • iheartinsanity
    iheartinsanity Posts: 205 Member
    edited December 2014
    hard boiled eggs, protein shakes, chicken and rice (yes, cold), fruit, and raw veggies, granola, protein bars. It's not too hard. :) When you're sitting down all day long, you really don't need a ton of calories. I usually only burn 2K the days I'm sitting all day on our roadtrips.
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    1200 isn't too low for me! In fact, it's right about maintenance. 5'2" 260 pounds, 44yrs old woman. Log, weigh everything, wear a FitBit and keep track of it all. Some people are just slower burners than others.

    I am 5'2, 45 yrs old and 115 pounds, I lose weight eating between 1600-1900 calories depending on exercises. Now maintaining eating 2300-2600 calories.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    Serah87 wrote: »
    1200 isn't too low for me! In fact, it's right about maintenance. 5'2" 260 pounds, 44yrs old woman. Log, weigh everything, wear a FitBit and keep track of it all. Some people are just slower burners than others.

    I am 5'2, 45 yrs old and 115 pounds, I lose weight eating between 1600-1900 calories depending on exercises. Now maintaining eating 2300-2600 calories.
    How nice for you.

    Thank you for sharing that with all of us who have to eat less. It is so helpful.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    edited December 2014
    Kalikel wrote: »
    Serah87 wrote: »
    1200 isn't too low for me! In fact, it's right about maintenance. 5'2" 260 pounds, 44yrs old woman. Log, weigh everything, wear a FitBit and keep track of it all. Some people are just slower burners than others.

    I am 5'2, 45 yrs old and 115 pounds, I lose weight eating between 1600-1900 calories depending on exercises. Now maintaining eating 2300-2600 calories.
    How nice for you.

    Thank you for sharing that with all of us who have to eat less. It is so helpful.

    Ummm...it provides perspective, especially seeing as the OP is a 22 year old with not much to lose so yes, it is pretty helpful. Hopefully people won't get oversensitive about it.

  • 1200 isn't too low for losing, thats what is recommended I thought?
  • angelamb1970
    angelamb1970 Posts: 123 Member
    Serah87 wrote: »
    1200 isn't too low for me! In fact, it's right about maintenance. 5'2" 260 pounds, 44yrs old woman. Log, weigh everything, wear a FitBit and keep track of it all. Some people are just slower burners than others.

    I am 5'2, 45 yrs old and 115 pounds, I lose weight eating between 1600-1900 calories depending on exercises. Now maintaining eating 2300-2600 calories.

    Everyone is different. Congrats on your achievements and continued success!
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    1200 isn't too low for losing, thats what is recommended I thought?

    According to your profile, you have 5lbs to go. What did you set the loss per week at and what did you put your activity level at?

    Are you also eating back exercise calories?
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