1200 Calorie People... How do you do it and stick with it?

MsEndomorph

I try to eat something simple every 3 hours so I don't ever get that hungry feeling. Cuts out a lot of cravings and the desire to overeat. I usually wake up around 6:30 and have a piece of fruit (not a morning person, no desire for a full breakfast.). Then around 10 I'll get my protein in. Today it was an egg white sandwich on a low-carb English muffin with cheese and Canadian bacon. And coffee!
Lunch is something simple like tuna salad in an avocado or a soup and salad if I'm eating out. And dinner is usually a little mode elaborate but still a protein and veggies. And I'll snack on fruit for the meals in between. After working out I can splurge on wine. . I can't say I've ever gone hungry, and days when I burn 400+ calories I'm a little lost as to how to get them all in.

The problem I have is going too low carb. I don't do it intentionally, but it's just the simplest way to cut cals and I end up feeling like complete poo.

saahy1

The most important thing for me has been getting lots of sleep! There's a big difference between doing 1200 calories on 6hrs a night versus 9hrs.

I eat many small snacks (50-150 cal) throughout the morning and afternoon. Then I have a 400-500 calorie meal a few hours before bed. And then another small snack right before bed (hate the feeling of an empty stomach at bedtime, even if I'm only imagining it).

I don't usually eat back my exercise calories during the week. Instead, I hoard them for the weekend so that I can have a few drinks and maybe even go out to dinner with friends.

Bouneschlupp

I'm restarting my diet and as one already stated before, for me it's also hard to eat up to 1200 kcal.
I lost some weight several month before and stayed there. My professional life got a bit tougher and so I was happy enough with maintaing my previous loss. But now I'm focusing again on losing some more pounds.
To begin I always make 1-2 day fruit days (mostly melons and all the fruit I like) and cut out all processed food (of which I don't eat eat much by the way), all dairy and grains (also pasta). This helps me to kickstart the weight loss program because I'm very full and have no sweet cravings.
Then I continue with green smoothies, which I have daily. I make about 2 liters/day. In my refrigerator I always have some hard boiled eggs on hand, which I use to snack on. This is the way it works for me because I feel never really hungry and the green smoothies are just delicious. They just smell like regular fruit smoothies, but are loaded with nutritious greens. Depending on the fruit or other ingredients you use, they can vary in calories. I use a banana, an apple, some strawberries and a peach, mix it together with a cup of leafy greens and half a liter of water.
It's just wonderful to have that feeling of satisfaction in my stomach. I'm a real believer in green smoothies, it's the thing that works for me. The bonus is that they will give me real energy, so that I actually find myself in the mood to work out.

stevenleagle

The person starting the thread has de-activated.

But FWIW I believe that like any calorie target, it is easier to reach if you use exercise as well as eating less to get to goal.

Having said all of that, I struggle to keep under 2000 calories personally...

chrisdavey

I ration my 6 pop tarts out every 2.5 hours as it keeps me full and my metabolism burning quickly.

ash190489

I did it for ages last year, I have also changed it up to 1400, 1500 and 1600 & didn't really get any results either and thus I have moved mine back down to my approximate BMR (basal metabolic rate) which is 1356 calories per day. Fingers crossed I get some results!

To eat at this amount I make sure I have protein in every meal and chose more wholesome and nutrient choices (brown bread over white) etc. eat lots of eggs and good fats like avocado, nuts etc.