How do you do 1200 Calories?

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Replies

  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Sarauk2sf wrote: »
    LeenaGee wrote: »
    rayw89 wrote: »
    LeenaGee: mamapeach may not be very tall, so these calories may be just fine. She's consistantly eating more than 1,000 calories a day, so I don't think she's in the "danger zone".
    One thing I think a lot of people forget to consider when it comes to my(or other's) consuming 1,100-1,200 calories a day, is this won't be a forever calorie set. After I reach my goals I'll be in maintenance, which will give me a few hundred extra calories per day.

    I agree the calories are fine for a small person and are not in the danger zone but her iron, potassium, calcium etc are.
    maidentl wrote: »
    LeenaGee wrote: »
    My diary's public. Feel free to look. I'm a vegetarian who often eats the same thing for a few days running, so it's pretty boring, though.

    I'm in a spell where I haven't been getting much exercise for medical reasons, unfortunately.

    I hope you don't mind mamapeach but you are constantly saying your diary is public so I took the liberty of printing it out and quite frankly I am not surprised you are as sick as your are.

    And people wonder why some us make our diaries private . . .

    I agree, I keep my diary and my life private but mamapeach repeatedly points out the fact her diary is public and constantly advises people on their diets. She is a brave woman.

    Danger Zone? What is this? Top Gun?

    i0nof.gif
  • Leana088
    Leana088 Posts: 581 Member
    I normally eat 1450. But on some days when I try to make up for a bad week I'd eat 1200 for a day or two. I would keep my breakfasts and lunches to 250 calories. Would look like this:

    Breakfast:

    1 serving high-fibre cereal with 1/2 cup fat free milk.
    OR
    1 piece of wholewheat toast with 2 eggs/1tbsp peanutbutter/1/2cup fat free cottage cheese.

    Midmorning - Protein shake

    Lunch: 100g chicken breast with 250g vegetables
    OR
    100g white fish with a salad
    OR
    Tuna Salad.

    Afternoon: Tea with milk and 1 sugar

    Dinner: This is a normal dinner, but I keep the calories to 500.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    I am still going

    80739-Supernatural-Dean-WHAT-gif-wtf-kMqN.gif
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
    LeenaGee wrote: »
    My diary's public. Feel free to look. I'm a vegetarian who often eats the same thing for a few days running, so it's pretty boring, though.

    I'm in a spell where I haven't been getting much exercise for medical reasons, unfortunately.

    I hope you don't mind mamapeach but you are constantly saying your diary is public so I took the liberty of printing it out and quite frankly I am not surprised you are as sick as your are. I understand you are vegetarian and have Celiac Disease but it would be unrealistic to expect a young healthy person to survive and function on this amount. You are constantly advising people regarding their diets and yet you eat poorly in my opinion. When you analyse your diet, there is not a lot of food there and this is fairly consistent from what I can see of the way you eat. And what is with all the water - 16 -18 glasses a day.

    2oz of Organic Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccine - that is less than a 1/4 of a cup and that is your main meal of the day with a serve of cabbage and pepper stir fry.

    I would be eating my right arm by dinner time.


    ...

    I also ran an 90 day Report on your diary and all your Iron, Potassium, Calcium, vitamins etc etc etc are all dangerously low on a consistent basis.

    How rude!
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    rayw89 wrote: »
    Would tofu or some meat substitutes help with protein? I'm a big fan of Gardein products myself.

    My vegetarian daughter loves the Gardein products, especially the crispy "chik'n" strips.

    Also. DUDES. I am feeling good about my diary being "friends only" right now. FFS.

    Mamapeach is wee, over 50, with multiple medical dietary restrictions. Personally, I thought that page that was printed here looked quite healthy. The micronutrient nitpicking is insane -- besides, I know I don't log my multivitamin, and I doubt I'm alone in that, sheesh. Plus, your "it doesn't surprise me that you're sick" is way out of line, and likely putting the cart before the horse. Consider that that day you chose shows a nice balance of whole foods, "treat" foods, protein and produce. I think that's impressive for someone not feeling well. You should see the crap I eat when I'm sick.

    Mamapeach always has sane and balanced dietary advice in my experience. She's not afraid to laugh at her former dalliances with fad diets (and sharing the "true story, they don't work" has real impact for some!) And, as the omnivorous mother of a vegetarian teen, I appreciate her advice as a former vegan about good non-animal sources of nutrients usually found in meat.

    So, nyah.
  • Wiseandcurious
    Wiseandcurious Posts: 730 Member
    segacs wrote: »
    Wouldn't it be more helpful to talk about deficit %? I mean, a person for whom 1200 cal a day represents a 20% reduction in TDEE would feel fuller than a person eating 1500 but at 50% of their TDEE, no? I am still trying to get this down pat, if anyone has the knowledge and time to explain that would be great!


    'Course, that's partly how so many of us shorties gained the weight in the first place... by eating the same portion sizes as much larger people even though our bodies don't need anywhere near as much food.

    Oh this is sooo true... I am not short but my husband has one heck of a metabolic rate, all of my weight gain is from gradually getting to eating as much as him (sometimes more because chocolate) after we moved in together. Now I am beginning to actually remember, looking at my plate, that this is what it looked like once upon a time...
    LeenaGee wrote: »
    .....I also ran an 90 day Report on your diary ... Etc etc ...

    Regarding the unsolicited public diary analysis, I find that rude and uncalled for. If one feels such deep and genuine concern for someone from reading their diary, surely after all the reading and reports they can take the tiny extra effort to PM if they must! Mamapeach is not a child and neither are the people who she might be advising.
  • 4leighbee
    4leighbee Posts: 1,275 Member
    edited March 2015
    LeenaGee wrote: »
    .....I also ran an 90 day Report on your diary ... Etc etc ...

    Regarding the unsolicited public diary analysis, I find that rude and uncalled for. If one feels such deep and genuine concern for someone from reading their diary, surely after all the reading and reports they can take the tiny extra effort to PM if they must! Mamapeach is not a child and neither are the people who she might be advising.

    I agree completely.


    ETA to fix quotes, which I always seem to screw up.
  • vchan000
    vchan000 Posts: 38 Member
    5'0 tall, desk job, nearing 40. I clock 1200 calories a day average, with a bit more on days I exercise and a bit less on days I don't. I found for me routine is key. My week days are very structured, and I admit to eating the same thing for breakfast every day, a small rotation of tv dinners/fruit for lunch and a most of my suppers are meat/veggie/starch in various combinations. I'm pretty resistant to food fatigue, and find this works well for me. I still eat at restaurants every week or two, and meals out/at family events provide enough variety.

    Weekends are a bit more of a challenge with the lack of structure, but it's still coming off, so I'm still going with it.
  • rhonderoo
    rhonderoo Posts: 145 Member
    I try to stay under 300 calories and eat about four to five meals a day. Mostly protein, fruit and veggies. I'll have my Starbucks Venti Skinny SF latte for breakfast, it's got 12 grams of protein, and I don't feel bad about it at all... :P That's 120 calories that I've decided to keep, and give up something else. I'm 5'1" and really close to maintenance, and I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I maintain at about 1600 to 1800 calories, okay 1600. I try to get at least 300 calories of exercise back a day, whether I eat it or not. If I splurge on a day, or even a weekend, I just get back on track, it's another day.
  • KarenE86
    KarenE86 Posts: 75 Member
    Plenty of veggies with every meal. You get a lot of veggies for a small amount of calories
  • Melbo89
    Melbo89 Posts: 24 Member
    Repetition. Find what fits and works and stick to it. I've been on a 1200 calorie diet for a couple months and my meals are the same every day. It sucks, but its stopped me from stressing out about making dinners etc. I've lost 10+ pounds sticking to this. When I get to my goal weight I will eat to maintain. Yes, it is worth it for me. My 2 cents.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    edited March 2015
    Sarauk2sf wrote: »
    LeenaGee wrote: »
    rayw89 wrote: »
    LeenaGee: mamapeach may not be very tall, so these calories may be just fine. She's consistantly eating more than 1,000 calories a day, so I don't think she's in the "danger zone".
    One thing I think a lot of people forget to consider when it comes to my(or other's) consuming 1,100-1,200 calories a day, is this won't be a forever calorie set. After I reach my goals I'll be in maintenance, which will give me a few hundred extra calories per day.

    I agree the calories are fine for a small person and are not in the danger zone but her iron, potassium, calcium etc are.
    maidentl wrote: »
    LeenaGee wrote: »
    My diary's public. Feel free to look. I'm a vegetarian who often eats the same thing for a few days running, so it's pretty boring, though.

    I'm in a spell where I haven't been getting much exercise for medical reasons, unfortunately.

    I hope you don't mind mamapeach but you are constantly saying your diary is public so I took the liberty of printing it out and quite frankly I am not surprised you are as sick as your are.

    And people wonder why some us make our diaries private . . .

    I agree, I keep my diary and my life private but mamapeach repeatedly points out the fact her diary is public and constantly advises people on their diets. She is a brave woman.

    Danger Zone? What is this? Top Gun?

    archer-danger-zone-meme-generator-seriously-call-kenny-loggins-your-in-the-danger-zone-9c4b20.jpg
  • rayw89
    rayw89 Posts: 564 Member
    Haha, I love Archer.
    EWJLang wrote: »
    rayw89 wrote: »
    Would tofu or some meat substitutes help with protein? I'm a big fan of Gardein products myself.

    My vegetarian daughter loves the Gardein products, especially the crispy "chik'n" strips.
    If you can, try Quorn brand as well. It's really good, and very convincing as meat. I had to go back and re-read the label the first time I tried it, to make sure they didn't sneak some chicken in there. :P It's soy-free, and made from mushrooms. It has egg-white powder in the ingredients, so it's not vegan, but it's vegetarian. And so good! (Especially for chicken nuggets, and their Turkey is amazing)
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    Lots of nonstarchy vegetables. Meats as lean as possible. Limited carbs. Chewing gum and drinking lots of tea to stave off hunger.
  • babystush
    babystush Posts: 17 Member
    I just make sure that I workout at least 30 minutes so I can cheat on a few calories like a glass of wine or some toast on my egg sandwich! :)

    Haha im on a 1400 and today iv decided to cheat....going to work out tonite. Just had toast with spinach n egg for breaky n a fruit for lunch....so have quiet alot of calories left for dinner.lol

  • babystush
    babystush Posts: 17 Member
    Rashanti1 wrote: »
    I'm at 1240 since my job requires me to sit at a desk for 8 hours :-P. I always (intentionally) go over on protein.

    Im struggling on my 1400 intake...starting to feel more tired now.
    Update me on ur progress im really interested
  • carlamarie1979
    carlamarie1979 Posts: 24 Member
    rsm193 wrote: »
    I exercise at 45 min on the eliptical everyday so i can eat more by eating most of my exercise calories back

  • carlamarie1979
    carlamarie1979 Posts: 24 Member
    That's the bonus of training you earn calories to eat 1200 calories is working ace for me x
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
    Mitzimum wrote: »
    honestly, I really don't think 1200 calorie diets work. This is from my own experience of course, basically you should work out how many calories you need to eat to lose weight based on your height, weightloss goal, age and a few other factors. I found I actually hold onto weight if I eat less than 1600 a day and can't lose weight at all. I highly recommend working out your calories using a calculator such as this http://www.losebabyweight.com.au/weight-loss/body-mass-index/
    it could make your life a whole lot more enjoyable and successful

    I will agree with you that there are a few people on this thread who should probably be eating more than 1200 calories.

    HOWEVER... blanket statements are rarely true.

    Short people with little to lose, older women, older shorter women, those who need to subtract an additional percentage due to medical conditions? It's just the way the math works out to be at a deficit. When I'm at maintenance at my goal weight, my calorie allowance will probably be right around 1200 because of my age and my height. Thems them breaks.

    As for you saying you hold onto weight if you eat less than 1600 calories?

    Highly doubtful. Because science.

    Thankfully when I'm at my goal weight my maintenance would be around 1500 calories, my BMR would be 1271 ish though.

    35 | 155cm | 115lbs

  • Maquillage_
    Maquillage_ Posts: 194 Member
    I eat 1290 calories a day but I'm short,have a desk job, and my only exercise is Pilates so I'm not exerting a lot of energy. I have fruit or veg with every meal which keeps me quite full! I don't find I go hungry and I have more than enough energy for what I do.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I eat two meals a day. Something small for lunch, usually leftovers, soup or salad for around 250-350 calories. Then I eat a nice big dinner of the rest of my calories. It's really more like a snack and a meal.

    Having the big meal at the end of the day gives me something to look forward to and keeps me on track. I eat a little more on the weekends because I'm more active.
  • Angierae75
    Angierae75 Posts: 417 Member
    I get 1400, and I make sure to hit enough steps on my fitbit that it gives me another 300 or so. Eating 1700 and taking an hour long walk at work during the day is totally better than eating 1400. :)
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    edited March 2015
    LeenaGee wrote: »
    My diary's public. Feel free to look. I'm a vegetarian who often eats the same thing for a few days running, so it's pretty boring, though.

    I'm in a spell where I haven't been getting much exercise for medical reasons, unfortunately.

    I hope you don't mind mamapeach but you are constantly saying your diary is public so I took the liberty of printing it out and quite frankly I am not surprised you are as sick as your are. I understand you are vegetarian and have Celiac Disease but it would be unrealistic to expect a young healthy person to survive and function on this amount. You are constantly advising people regarding their diets and yet you eat poorly in my opinion. When you analyse your diet, there is not a lot of food there and this is fairly consistent from what I can see of the way you eat. And what is with all the water - 16 -18 glasses a day.

    2oz of Organic Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccine - that is less than a 1/4 of a cup and that is your main meal of the day with a serve of cabbage and pepper stir fry.

    I would be eating my right arm by dinner time.


    Breakfast
    Trader Joe's - Irish Breakfast Tea, 24 oz
    Splenda - Splenda, Granulated, W/ Calories, 1 Cup, From Splenda.co.uk, 0.36 cup (25 g)
    Land O Lakes - Low-fat Half & Half, 4 Tbl
    Spices - Cinnamon, ground, 0.25 tsp
    Nuts - Almonds, 6 g(s)
    Trader Joe - Fat Free Cottage Cheese, 1 cup (113g)
    Libby's 100% - Canned Pumpkin Puree, 0.5 cup (122g)
    Spices - Pumpkin pie spice, 0.25 tsp

    Lunch
    Explore Asian - Organic Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccine, 2 oz
    Cabbage Pepper Stir Fry, 1 serving(s)

    Dinner
    Simply Nature - Creamy Almond Butter, 0.5 tablespoons
    Fage Greek Yogurt 0% Fat - Greek Yogurt, 8 oz
    Nuts - Almonds, 8 g(s)
    Quick Tools

    Snacks
    Quest Bar - Vanilla Almond, 1 bar
    Talenti Gelato - Toasted Almond, 1/4 Cup (100g)


    Totals 1,115
    mamapeach910 Daily Goal 1,254
    Remaining 139

    I also ran an 90 day Report on your diary and all your Iron, Potassium, Calcium, vitamins etc etc etc are all dangerously low on a consistent basis.

    Leena, I am very short and 52 years old (I am amused you referred to me as young) and have hypothyroidism. I need to run at an extra deficit to lose weight. 2 ounces is the recommended serving size for pasta. Hint: it's measured dry, before cooking.

    Editing to add that as for my illnesses? Do some research on how some people have an autoimmune response to pregnancy. Educate yourself.

    Editing to add one more thing regarding all the water. I have chronic dry mouth and throat due to a medication I'm taking.
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    LeenaGee wrote: »
    rayw89 wrote: »
    LeenaGee: mamapeach may not be very tall, so these calories may be just fine. She's consistantly eating more than 1,000 calories a day, so I don't think she's in the "danger zone".
    One thing I think a lot of people forget to consider when it comes to my(or other's) consuming 1,100-1,200 calories a day, is this won't be a forever calorie set. After I reach my goals I'll be in maintenance, which will give me a few hundred extra calories per day.

    I agree the calories are fine for a small person and are not in the danger zone but her iron, potassium, calcium etc are.
    maidentl wrote: »
    LeenaGee wrote: »
    My diary's public. Feel free to look. I'm a vegetarian who often eats the same thing for a few days running, so it's pretty boring, though.

    I'm in a spell where I haven't been getting much exercise for medical reasons, unfortunately.

    I hope you don't mind mamapeach but you are constantly saying your diary is public so I took the liberty of printing it out and quite frankly I am not surprised you are as sick as your are.

    And people wonder why some us make our diaries private . . .

    I agree, I keep my diary and my life private but mamapeach repeatedly points out the fact her diary is public and constantly advises people on their diets. She is a brave woman.

    I take a multivitamn, and... read below.
    Sarauk2sf wrote: »
    LeenaGee wrote: »
    rayw89 wrote: »
    LeenaGee: mamapeach may not be very tall, so these calories may be just fine. She's consistantly eating more than 1,000 calories a day, so I don't think she's in the "danger zone".
    One thing I think a lot of people forget to consider when it comes to my(or other's) consuming 1,100-1,200 calories a day, is this won't be a forever calorie set. After I reach my goals I'll be in maintenance, which will give me a few hundred extra calories per day.

    I agree the calories are fine for a small person and are not in the danger zone but her iron, potassium, calcium etc are.
    maidentl wrote: »
    LeenaGee wrote: »
    My diary's public. Feel free to look. I'm a vegetarian who often eats the same thing for a few days running, so it's pretty boring, though.

    I'm in a spell where I haven't been getting much exercise for medical reasons, unfortunately.

    I hope you don't mind mamapeach but you are constantly saying your diary is public so I took the liberty of printing it out and quite frankly I am not surprised you are as sick as your are.

    And people wonder why some us make our diaries private . . .

    I agree, I keep my diary and my life private but mamapeach repeatedly points out the fact her diary is public and constantly advises people on their diets. She is a brave woman.

    You do realize that half the foods in here do not even have most of the micros recorded don't you? Potassium is a big one that is usually not in the database.

    So your attempt at diary shaming is a bit of a waste of time.

    Also, you are not in a position to say what is a dangerously low level for her.

    I never check for micronutrient content. I have never had a deficiency come up during my routine physical bloodwork panel yet.
  • becca5446
    becca5446 Posts: 14 Member
    I eat back nearly all my exercise calories. That really helps. My rest days from exercise are Friday and Monday and I allow myself a cheat day on Fridays, so Mondays are the only day I am actually only eating 1200 calories. And I starve that day lol. 1200 calories is very hard. I would much rather exercise and get more.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    LeenaGee wrote: »

    I also ran an 90 day Report on your diary and all your Iron, Potassium, Calcium, vitamins etc etc etc are all dangerously low on a consistent basis.

    But seriously, how do you do this?? I know how to run a report on my own diary, but can't for the life of me work out how to do it on someone else's, and I'm (normally) pretty damn clever.
  • natboosh69
    natboosh69 Posts: 277 Member
    Here's my typical day for my 1200:

    Breakfast: Either 2 scrambled eggs w/ 10g butter, 2 boiled eggs and 2 wholemeal toast with minimum butter, or 2 weetabix with semi skimmed milk (Up to around 300 cals)

    Lunch - Mini jacket potato w/ tuna and 30g light mayo, banana and satsuma (around 300-350 cals)

    Dinner - Salad w/ lettuce, red onion, mushrooms, feta cheese, tiny bit of sweet chilli sauce and 2 chicken grills (around 400 cals) Chocolate dessert (90 cals)

    I usually have around 100 left over per day which I save up for the weekend :)
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    LeenaGee wrote: »

    I also ran an 90 day Report on your diary and all your Iron, Potassium, Calcium, vitamins etc etc etc are all dangerously low on a consistent basis.

    But seriously, how do you do this?? I know how to run a report on my own diary, but can't for the life of me work out how to do it on someone else's, and I'm (normally) pretty damn clever.

    You can use this.

    https://www.designbyvh.com/myfitnesspal-export-data/#.VQiZRI7F-Sr

    It only gives the following however - I have no idea how she even got the other info:

    Calories Carbs Fat Protein Cholesterol Sodium Sugars Fibre
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
    Sarauk2sf wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    LeenaGee wrote: »

    I also ran an 90 day Report on your diary and all your Iron, Potassium, Calcium, vitamins etc etc etc are all dangerously low on a consistent basis.

    But seriously, how do you do this?? I know how to run a report on my own diary, but can't for the life of me work out how to do it on someone else's, and I'm (normally) pretty damn clever.

    You can use this.

    https://www.designbyvh.com/myfitnesspal-export-data/#.VQiZRI7F-Sr

    It only gives the following however - I have no idea how she even got the other info:

    Calories Carbs Fat Protein Cholesterol Sodium Sugars Fibre

    Well, it amazes me that she could figure out how to see the micro nutrients and yet neglected to read my profile where it clearly states that I am not a young woman, and am 52.

  • hezemakiah
    hezemakiah Posts: 157 Member
    Some days it's not easy to do 1200! But I plan my food so I eat enough to not feel hungry throughout the day. LOTS of trial and error! And this works as long as I keep active and busy....
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