1,200 calories.....ideas

CassieJones104

I'm trying to do a 1200 calorie a day diet but feel like I want to eat 24/7. Anyone have any tips for meals/snacks that are low calorie but will make me feel fuller longer?

Lounmoun

The first question is should you be doing a 1200 calorie diet? That may be too low for you if you are hungry all the time.
Protein, fats, fiber are good for fullness. Are you meeting these goals?
Eggs, cheese, cottage cheese, nuts, yogurt, vegetables, fruit, popcorn, hummus

scarlet67

Grapes! !

marenba21

I do 2 cups of almond milk (60 cal.) plus 1 serving of Slim Fast (chocolate) (110 cal.) to replace a meal. Total is 170 and I am satisfied for at least 3 hours, I am on 1,260.

Dogmom1978

I eat 1300 and with exercise find it pretty easy to stay under on most days. I don't eat anything different either, just less of it than I used to.

PennWalker

Oatmeal keeps me full for hours. I eat the unsweetened instant with sliced apple for sweetener. You can add all kinds of things to oatmeal.

Vegetables, anything from sliced squash to steamed leafy greens, are low calorie and have bulk. I like to simmer a batch in vegetable broth or stir fry in a little olive oil.

GottaBurnEmAll

If 1200 is truly appropriate for you -- are you older, shorter, and sedentary? Then check out this subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/1200isplenty/

If not, I'd suggest a less aggressive caloric deficit. Too many people are in a rush to lose weight quickly and find that it's not sustainable because they're hungry or lack energy. If you chose the option to lose 2 pounds a week and were given 1200 calories, set your goal to lose a pound a week and cut yourself some slack.

I know it's tempting to want to get the weight off, but weight management is a continuum that never ends. The loss phase is just the start. There is no need to rush through it. You will have to be conscientious about energy balance for the rest of your life in order to maintain whatever you lose. Think about that. Think about the long game. You have time.

NewMeSM75

I stay at 1200. I'm 5 feet tall, 41 and work at a desk. For me - the more I stay awake from prepackaged meals, the better I do. There's nothing wrong with them but I find I can pack my own to have more food for the calories.

I stick to lean proteins like fish, chicken, pork tenderloin, ground round plus lots of fresh or fresh frozen veggies.

For breakfast: oatmeal, precooked bacon (80 calories) with cheese toast (use 2% slices & 40 cal bread); turkey sausage with toast, omelets

Lunch: I try to fix enough at dinner to bring for leftovers. Chicken with frozen corn, had pork chop sandwich on 40 calorie bread with fiber crackers on side, sandwiches, wraps, salads.

Dinner: fish tacos using seabest frozen tilapia, corn tortillas, salsa. I season the defrosted filets with adobo seasoning with lemon and sautee in non stick skillet spayed with cooking spay. Toast corn tortillas in hot dry skillet.

Monday we had stuffed bell peppers using brown rice and ground round.

Tonight is pork tenderloin filets wrapped in bacon (180 calories) with sautéed squash and some other side.

Lean protein and fiber helps me. I can't eat salads day in and out. They're good but I need something that will stay with me.

kksmom1789

marenba21 wrote: »

I do 2 cups of almond milk (60 cal.) plus 1 serving of Slim Fast (chocolate) (110 cal.) to replace a meal. Total is 170 and I am satisfied for at least 3 hours, I am on 1,260.

do you use the powder slim fast?

AllOutof_Bubblegum

I am on a cut diet for a bikini competition right now, and eating around 1,200 to 1,400 cals. I am never hungry. Feel free to creep my diary. I eat a lot of the same stuff from day to day though, for simplicity's sake. Some people might whine about my lack of variety. But it gets results, so I can't complain!

avskk

I'm at 1690 right now but I eat around 1200 on (most) weekdays so I can play on the weekends. My diary is open.

Arapacana1

Protein, fruit, vegetables, and lots of water. Eggs, lean precooked ham, chicken, lean beef, yoghurt, raw and cooked veggies, and all kinds of fruits work well for me. Beans and lentils are quite filling for the calories as well.

leanjogreen18

I have a carb, protein and fat almost every meal, this seems to keep me satisfied.

Protein, fiber, fat and water. Also 7-8 hrs of sleep to keep stress hormone at bay as it will make you hungrier.

KrazyKrissyy

cassiekimbrough104 wrote: »

I'm trying to do a 1200 calorie a day diet but feel like I want to eat 24/7. Anyone have any tips for meals/snacks that are low calorie but will make me feel fuller longer?

Veggies and fruits! For example, lots of cooked veggies with meals. Raw veggies with dip instead of chips. And fruits as snacks. My calories are lower than your's (average of 1,000). I never feel hungry. Am vegetarian by the way so I replace meat calories with low calorie, high volume fruits/veggies. And make sure to get plenty of sleep!

jgnatca

I made room for 100 calorie snacks morning and afternoon so I never got too hungry. To make it up elsewhere, I lightened my lunch to a soup or a salad. I did not skimp on breakfast; at least 400 calories.

I got protein and a little fat in every meal.

Some unusual combinations to try; edamame, lupini beans, cooked oatmeal with yogurt and a little PB stirred in, or half a protein bar.

trigden1991

Is 1200 calories appropriate for you?

peter2100

In my experience, if you're hungry, you should probably eat. You can't fight your brain forever. You should eat satiating foods for your meals, so you won't feel hungry. How do you know what is satiating? Well, you just keep trying different things until you find things that work for you. I suggest low food reward whole foods, think blandish, get enough protein, and restricted food variety. When I eat 1500kcal, I still make sure to get 90g of protein, and I'm not that hungry.

GottaBurnEmAll

cujodog wrote: »

If people want to eat 1200 calories or less please just let them. Sick of seeing all the judgemental comments

Since I'm one of the people who responded somewhat critically, but also gave advice, I'd like to tackle this.

There's a reason for those comments. They come from experience.

People who start at 1200 calories and aren't satisfied often either burn out and give up or come to a standstill in their diets due to metabolic adaptation and come back complaining they can't lose weight.

They're at rock bottom caloric intake, and then what?

I've been dieting for two years. Guess what my starting caloric intake was? 1200 calories. I'm older, I'm shorter, and was sedentary. I've learned a lot. I used to be 210 pounds. I'm 116 pounds now. I'm still losing weight. On 1600 calories sometimes. I'm 54.

So no, I don't believe in eating as little as possible because it's not dieting smart.

Jellybewbie

I am on 1670 a day - I have porridge for breakfast (oats with coconut milk or almond) then a chilli opr something with rice/rice noodles for lunch and then chicken/steak for tea with lots of vegetables. When I cook a chilli or bologanise I use lots of vegetables and lean meat to make more portions with less calories, but are more filling - celery leek onion, carrots etc are good for this and low in calories!

stacydianereagan

marenba21 wrote: »

I do 2 cups of almond milk (60 cal.) plus 1 serving of Slim Fast (chocolate) (110 cal.) to replace a meal. Total is 170 and I am satisfied for at least 3 hours, I am on 1,260.

I do this too, but I add a scoop of whey protein and ice to my smoothie. The ice gives more volume, and the whey protein makes me feel full.

chunkytfg

Personally I'm not eating anywhere near as low as 1200 a day but I find from a snacking point of view I find Jelly pots really useful. They can be less than 10 calories and some of the flavours are more like 5 or 6. I tend to not even bother counting them but they work well for satisfying the urge to snack without sabotaging your days food intake.