1200 Calories

machelle04

I have been on a 1200 calorie diet for the last two years and I am only 35. I never feel starved but I eat a ton of vegetables and drink tons of water. Good Luck on your goals!

TiffKouns

machelle04 wrote: »

I have been on a 1200 calorie diet for the last two years and I am only 35. I never feel starved but I eat a ton of vegetables and drink tons of water. Good Luck on your goals!

TiffKouns

I would love to hear some food ideas from you! I have trouble thinking of meals! Also I get worried I am not entering my food correctly!

trina1049

Here's a guide that I found right here on MFP that might help you determine how to set your MFP stats.

If you have 75+ lbs to lose 2 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 40-75 lbs to lose 1.5 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 25-40 lbs to lose 1 lbs/week is ideal
If you have 15 -25 lbs to lose 0.5 to 1.0 lbs/week is ideal
If you have less than 15 lbs to lose 0.5 lbs/week is ideal

Fayeworth

tkouns2015 wrote: »

I would love to hear some food ideas from you! I have trouble thinking of meals! Also I get worried I am not entering my food correctly!

Have a look at the recipe section on this site, you will find lots of inspiration there.

Liftng4Lis

Exercise and earn more.

TiffKouns

maggierenee88 wrote: »

I eat 1200 cal comfortably. If I'm hungry because I worked out hard I'll eat more. Just listen to your bod. I'm gluten free so I find it easy to eat 1200. You can look at my diary if you need some ideas.

xmarye

machelle04 wrote: »

I have been on a 1200 calorie diet for the last two years and I am only 35. I never feel starved but I eat a ton of vegetables and drink tons of water. Good Luck on your goals!

Just curious. Why are you still eating at 1200cals? Are you maintaining or still losing?

machelle04

I had trouble with entering my foods at first but it gets easier. For breakfast almost daily I have fresh strawberries and pineapple. I keep celery and bell peppers in my mini fridge at my office for snacks. For lunch I always do a salad with no meat. At supper time is my most calories I always have 4 oz of meat, cottage cheese, and a vegetable (raw or steamed). My daughter is gluten free so we hardly ever have bread in the house and it makes my dieting a lot easier. Check out some gluten free menus it might help you!

TiffKouns

I love seeing other peoples diary's it helps to see what others are eating daily!

machelle04

Just curious. Why are you still eating at 1200cals? Are you maintaining or still losing?[/quote]

I am maintaining currently!

kellymoore104203

I am trying to lose my food diaries are open I believe

xmarye

machelle04 wrote: »

I am maintaining currently!

Is it because you are gaining when eating more? Or are you simply satisfied with 1200cals?

It's because I am eating 1200cals while losing, but I am hoping to bump it up a little once I am maintaining! I do think that 1200cals isn't a lot for me.

machelle04

Just curious. Why are you still eating at 1200cals? Are you maintaining or still losing?[/quote]

I am maintaining currently![/quote]

Is it because you are gaining when eating more? Or are you simply satisfied with 1200cals?

It's because I am eating 1200cals while losing, but I am hoping to bump it up a little once I am maintaining! I do think that 1200cals isn't a lot for me.[/quote]

I am completely satisfied with the 1200 cals I don't fluctuate at all with my weight. 1200 cals is not for everyone I completely agree and you may need to bump yours up a little. Occasionally during football season when I drink beer at the games I go over but hardly ever I always adjust my meals prior too. I am only 5'4 and I my weight stays at 126 which I am perfectly comfortable with.

TiffKouns

machelle04 wrote: »

I had trouble with entering my foods at first but it gets easier. For breakfast almost daily I have fresh strawberries and pineapple. I keep celery and bell peppers in my mini fridge at my office for snacks. For lunch I always do a salad with no meat. At supper time is my most calories I always have 4 oz of meat, cottage cheese, and a vegetable (raw or steamed). My daughter is gluten free so we hardly ever have bread in the house and it makes my dieting a lot easier. Check out some gluten free menus it might help you!

TiffKouns

Great suggestions thank you!

kellymoore104203

Then there is days like today where my daughter has invited me out for a play date with my grandson and will be going out for lunch and my mom has invited me to go to a new restaurant ... this day will prove to be challenging and hopefully I have energy and time to work out more

machelle04

kellymoore104203 wrote: »

Then there is days like today where my daughter has invited me out for a play date with my grandson and will be going out for lunch and my mom has invited me to go to a new restaurant ... this day will prove to be challenging and hopefully I have energy and time to work out more

Hang in there at the play date I am sure you will get some exercise!

kellymoore104203

Yes he turns two in march I am counting on his workout lol thanks Machelle

judyde

Mischievous_Rascal wrote: »

rosebette wrote: »

If you are over 40 and smaller, your TDEE is not that high. Even active, my TDEE is roughly 1500-1600 calories. 1200 is not unreasonable for a smaller woman who is sedentary. Even at that level, I would only lose .5 to 1 lb. a week because it's a very small deficit. Our metabolism is much lower than that of younger people due to age and size; this especially true for post-menopausal women. The "1200 calories is too low" rule is not one size fits all.

kristen6350 wrote: »

My mom is 5'3, 156, and 61 years old and is losing .5lbs/week on 1400-1500 calories. And is a breast cancer survivor on daily estrogen suppressant meds. Sorry if you don't think that my advice is sound but I'm not that big of dumb butt. The age card is BS.

I may be 36, and 5'11 and eat more to lose weight that most, but I do know that my mom is successful at higher calories and is older than you.

Not everyone is like you.

Agreed. Everyone is different. My sedentary TDEE is 2300+ at 46 years old and I'm not a large woman. And the only way to really know is to track your intake and monitor your daily fluctuations, etc. over a long period of time. MFP is a tool you can use to help you get informed of what is best for you.

OP: This place is designed for you to eat your exercise calories back. Unless you absolutely know what your maintenance calories are and what a safe deficit is for YOU, you should follow the advice of the folks who designed this site until you get it down for yourself. Best of luck.

Glad to see you back on the forums and providing your awesome advice, Mischievous!!!

cruegypsy

I too am at 1200 cals, but I have about 40ish pounds to lose. I'm finding I have to really evaluate my meals carefully, and not rely too much on prepackaged foods which isn't easy. The tips on this thread are so great, I'm going to incorporate them all as I ease back into MFP and 1200 cals again...

middlehaitch

I maintain at 1200, have done for 5+ years. I don't count calories most of the time, but use portion control.
I am 61, 5'1 and 100 lb and that is why my cals are low for most people, but completely normal and manageable for me. I eat back 200 cals for each hr of exercise I do.

( previous poster, your mother is the same age as me , but 2 in taller and 56lb heavier, so she would eat more than me or Rosebette who is closer to my weight than your mother's )

I am not a breakfast person, so that is usually coffee, granola or protein bar, and an orange.

Lunch is yogurt or cottage cheese, fruit and veg, with maybe some crackers or a rice cake, or a tuna melt. High protein lunch a must.

Dinner is my big feed of the day, it always has been, and for this I have whatever I wish, within a portion size that suites me and my calorie goal. It helps that I don't like fast food or much deep fried foods, so everything is boiled, streamed, broiled, baked, or grilled, so much less fat is used, and usually cooked by me.
I also love my veg so at least half my plate is veg, cooked, or raw in a salad.

Snacking isn't my thing either, except my 9 pm 'supper'....
I usually have room for a 100 cal glass of wine and 50cal chocolate truffle each evening.

I have started drinking a protein drink, mixed in water, throughout the day just to up my protein levels ( 120-150 cals) when exercising.

I drink about 2litres of club soda a day.

Cheers, h.

Ellaskat

feel free to look at my diary - i am set to 1200 cal; I look at my cals every 7 days, instead of daily so you will see some days at approximately 1500 cals and a few days at 800-900 cals to make up the difference....

MrsBowen952015

I'm 5'4 and 148 lbs currently. My diary is set to 1200 calories and I don't exercise. I stay full on 1000 calories (cue the dogs). I've lost 8 lbs in the last couple of months and am certainly not depriving myself of anything. I agree that it's not for everyone but it's working for me and I know I can't be the only one.