Daily 1200cal ideas

naterciarodrigues58

Hello,

So I recently changes my goals on MFP and it now shows a goal of 1200cal a day. I need "daily menu" ideas, anyone eating this many calories a day that can tell me what they eat during the day? Specially packed lunch ideas that go with these counts would be great!

Thanks
Nat

harphy

Small, small amounts of everything, lots of veggies and fruit to keep you full, whole wheat, no sugar, little processed food. I go 100-200 calories above 1200 because I workout so much. My diary is open. Make yourself 5 meals a day, otherwise it's really hard and you are hungry all the time.

Sylvitryinghard

Im on 1200 cal as well you can add me if you want. Sometimes I post recipes and my food is open. (just dont mind the weekends ) Im just starting and try to find a way to keep to it, which is really hard at times!

jdad1

The reason it has your goals set to 1200 is because you have it set to lose to much weight. Set it to one pound a week and you won't be satting yourself up for failure by having such a low daily calorie count. You don't have to eat that little to lose weight. My wife is 4'10'', older then you, and she loses weight eating 1500. If your shorter then that then maybe i am wrong, however i am willing to bet you just put in a weight loss goal of 2 pounds a week and did not put your activity level in correctly.

Every one is different and you have to find what works for you. If you try this 1200 stuff and your hungry then stop and take a better more long term approuch that will not only bring you results but not leave you feeling hungry and that will allow you to keep the weight off even after you start eating like a normal person again.

harphy

If you wan't to loose weight, you've got to be a little hungry. Not starving. Especially if you cut from 3000 like me. There is nothing wrong if you use up to 1500 per day.

mazdauk

Set yourself to lose 1lb a week, and sedentary, then eat back all your exercise calories. MFP reset me to 1240 when I'd lost 20lb but that was way too low 9even with crazy exercsie) so its now set to 1400 plus eating exercsie calories, and I'm still losing.

__Di__

Hello,

So I recently changes my goals on MFP and it now shows a goal of 1200cal a day. I need "daily menu" ideas, anyone eating this many calories a day that can tell me what they eat during the day? Specially packed lunch ideas that go with these counts would be great!

Thanks
Nat

For lunch, I usually eat salmon and cucumber sandwiches = two slices bread, 7g of spread, 50g of tinned salmon and four slices of cucumber. With my packed lunch is also two medium sized apples and three hard-boiled eggs.

The total for all of that is 613 calories.

That leaves 587 calories for dinner and breakfast.

I am seriously not hungry when I eat that way.

toutmonpossible

Save for later.

gem5639

1200 cals per day only does one thing, sends your body into starvation mode!! At least 1800-2000 cals of the right food CLEAN food, with exercise and you will lose weight and better still manage to keep it off

toutmonpossible

1200 cals per day only does one thing, sends your body into starvation mode!!

No it doesn't.

gem5639

For lunch, I usually eat salmon and cucumber sandwiches = two slices bread, 7g of spread, 50g of tinned salmon and four slices of cucumber. With my packed lunch is also two medium sized apples and three hard-boiled eggs.

The total for all of that is 613 calories.

That leaves 587 calories for dinner and breakfast.

I am seriously not hungry when I eat that way.

You aren't hungry because you are crashing your metabolism!

__Di__

For lunch, I usually eat salmon and cucumber sandwiches = two slices bread, 7g of spread, 50g of tinned salmon and four slices of cucumber. With my packed lunch is also two medium sized apples and three hard-boiled eggs.

The total for all of that is 613 calories.

That leaves 587 calories for dinner and breakfast.

I am seriously not hungry when I eat that way.

You aren't hungry because you are crashing your metabolism!

What with over 600 calories for lunch??? Give me a bloody break, where do you get these broscience ideas from.

I have lost 33lbs and 41lbs on two separate occasions in the past on 1200 per day, so DON'T try to tell me how to suck eggs ok because you haven't got a bloody clue!

I put weight back on because I ate like a fricken pig and stuffed my face.

My metabolism is just fine thanks, I see that because I lose weight on it and continue to do exercise. Do some research and then you can tell me what to do, until then, I really am not interested in your guessing games.

__Di__

1200 cals per day only does one thing, sends your body into starvation mode!! At least 1800-2000 cals of the right food CLEAN food, with exercise and you will lose weight and better still manage to keep it off

Starvation mode, yeah, people like to go on about starvation mode all the time here, that is basically because it gives them lots of excuses to eat, eat, eat.

Some of us don't continually think about food, those that eat lots are the ones that do that.

jennwren77

The reason it has your goals set to 1200 is because you have it set to lose to much weight. Set it to one pound a week and you won't be satting yourself up for failure by having such a low daily calorie count. You don't have to eat that little to lose weight. My wife is 4'10'', older then you, and she loses weight eating 1500. If your shorter then that then maybe i am wrong, however i am willing to bet you just put in a weight loss goal of 2 pounds a week and did not put your activity level in correctly.

Every one is different and you have to find what works for you. If you try this 1200 stuff and your hungry then stop and take a better more long term approuch that will not only bring you results but not leave you feeling hungry and that will allow you to keep the weight off even after you start eating like a normal person again.

This is a big assumption. You even said yourself "Everyone is different" yet you are comparing your wife with the OP. MFP also gave me a daily goal of 1200 and it is NOT because I set to loose too much weight. I have tried to adjust the weekly goals using different amounts from .5 lbs per week to 2 lbs per week and no matter what I change, my daily goal is 1200 without exercise. (My TDEE is 1700) 1200 is the correct starting goal for some people. Of course, I can exercise a lot more and eat more but I am sedentary due to my job and a knee injury. I eat 5-6 times per day and I am never hungry. I'm not setting myself up for failure, I can eat this way long term and will actually eat more once I hit maintenance.

__Di__

to the OP - you will get the anti-1200 calories per day brigade storm your thread now, they cannot mind their own business and will continually try to tell you that you will do yourself harm.

Stick with what YOU want to do, not with what others continually press with what THEY want you to do. They are after verification and affirmation that their own ways are correct.

I hope you find your own way.

Take care xxx

Southernb3lle

May I add that everyone is different. What works for one person may NOT work for another. I don't do the 1200 as I use the Tdee 20%...but that doesn't mean that someone else has to do what I do.

newb01

1200 calories without good exercise is just too low. Now I am on 1200 calories but I am getting 500 to 800 from exercise a day...and I stay about 200 below that with exercise. So if I have 1800 I eat about 1600 calories a day. I find that to be ok...

egarrabrant

I'm set there as well - but I almost always eat more from exercise. I think it's fine to use it as a goal, but if you're hungry at the end of the day and out of calories, eat something good and healthy and don't worry if it says 1309

Things I've found that are super 'cheap' for my calorie budget:

Roasted carrots - I can't stand raw carrots, but roasted carrots go with just about any main dish.
Egg whites - I often have a 3 egg white omelet with fat free cheese = about 81 calories
Chicken breast - yeah, everyone knows this
Strawberries - you can eat SO many for so few calories
Peaches - just 70 cal ea!
Sweet Potatoes - again, roasted and they're great for you in moderation
Green veggies - of course
Extra lean beef - great for burgers or mix with ground turkey and egg whites for meat loaf or meatballs
Baked fruit - if you have a sweet tooth (I do), baked apples and cinnamon with splenda or sugar if you're willing to take the extra cals - it's pie without the shell! Also works with cherries and blackberries
Pancakes - no really, I found a great recipe for low cal high protein pancakes. Blend 1 cup oats, 6 egg whites, 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 tbl sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp vanilla. It's about 75 calories for a 4-5 inch pancake. Top it with that baked fruit and it's heaven

Good luck and hang in there!

__Di__

May I add that everyone is different. What works for one person may NOT work for another. I don't do the 1200 as I use the Tdee 20%...but that doesn't mean that someone else has to do what I do.

Exactly! Yours is the voice of reason even though we use different weightloss methods :flowerforyou:

I hate people telling me I am doing something wrong when it has worked for me without a doubt :laugh:

Rays_Wife

The reason it has your goals set to 1200 is because you have it set to lose to much weight. Set it to one pound a week and you won't be satting yourself up for failure by having such a low daily calorie count. You don't have to eat that little to lose weight. My wife is 4'10'', older then you, and she loses weight eating 1500. If your shorter then that then maybe i am wrong, however i am willing to bet you just put in a weight loss goal of 2 pounds a week and did not put your activity level in correctly.

Every one is different and you have to find what works for you. If you try this 1200 stuff and your hungry then stop and take a better more long term approuch that will not only bring you results but not leave you feeling hungry and that will allow you to keep the weight off even after you start eating like a normal person again.

This is a big assumption. You even said yourself "Everyone is different" yet you are comparing your wife with the OP. MFP also gave me a daily goal of 1200 and it is NOT because I set to loose too much weight. I have tried to adjust the weekly goals using different amounts from .5 lbs per week to 2 lbs per week and no matter what I change, my daily goal is 1200 without exercise. (My TDEE is 1700) 1200 is the correct starting goal for some people. Of course, I can exercise a lot more and eat more but I am sedentary due to my job and a knee injury. I eat 5-6 times per day and I am never hungry. I'm not setting myself up for failure, I can eat this way long term and will actually eat more once I hit maintenance.

If your TDEE is 1700, then .5/week weight loss would be 1450 cals, NOT 1200 :flowerforyou:

jennwren77

If your TDEE is 1700, then .5/week weight loss would be 1450 cals, NOT 1200 :flowerforyou:
[/quote]

Is that the only thing wrong with what I posted? The point was don't tell someone 1200 is wrong