1200 calorie day

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myrevelpump
myrevelpump Posts: 2 Member
in Food and Nutrition
What does a balanced 1200 calorie day look like? Without grains or dairy. I have 75 pounds to lose. And I'm hoping I can pretty much make up a plan of a few different meals and just stick to them for a while to make things easy.

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  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited April 2017
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    Focus on protein first. Get some healthy fats. Meet fiber with veggies, fruit, and grains. If you have medical issues then eliminate those foods.

    1200 is the default minimum before exercise. If you exercise you earn more calories. If 1200 leaves you hungry, eat more. Consistency is the key.

    Weight loss is calories in vs. calories out. Find lifestyle changes. Things that will help you keep the weight off for good.

    Don't make a list of diet foods and just eat those. You need to learn portion control for all your "regular" foods, unless you plan on eliminating those when you get to goal. A smaller you is going to require (somewhat) fewer calories forever.
  • tapwaters
    tapwaters Posts: 428 Member
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    Hi there, I'm a vegan so no dairy andanu of my days are 1200. Feel free to add me to peak at the diary.
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    edited April 2017
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    myrevelpump wrote: »
    What does a balanced 1200 calorie day look like? Without grains or dairy. I have 75 pounds to lose. And I'm hoping I can pretty much make up a plan of a few different meals and just stick to them for a while to make things easy.

    What are your stats - height & weight? I speculate that 1200 may be too low of a starting target given that you have 75lbs to lose.

    I'd suggest starting with what MFP recommends for losing 1lb a week.

    This may seem low but it's smart to spend your first 1-2 weeks focused on building self awareness - measure and log everything you eat, work on your meal planning skills. Once you get into a rhythm it's much easier to increase your loss goal and actually hit your calorie targets.

    For planning ideas I suggest looking at the diaries of your MFP friends for ideas. Also many posters have their diaries open for anyone to examine, I think mine is that way.
  • TheCupcakeCounter
    TheCupcakeCounter Posts: 606 Member
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    Google and Pinterest are your friend here - type in "dairly-free, grain-free recipes" You can also search for Whole 30 recipes as they will have no grains or dairy.

    Taco bowls - cook ground turkey or ground beef until no longer pick and add taco seasoning and half a can of black or refried beans and cook 5 more minutes on low heat. Spoonful of the meat and bean mixture over cauliflower rice (go to Pinterest for a recipe for Mexican Cauliflower rice - its pretty simple) or mixed greens and top with corn, salsa, and some sliced avocado. If you like more of a dressing mix you can either mix 1-2 tb of your favorite non-dairy ranch with the salsa or make up a cilantro-lime vinaigrette (again google it).

    Roast cubed sweet potatoes with 1 TB oil and spices (salt, pepper, garlic, paprika) at 400 for 20 minutes. Add a head of broccoli and 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts brushed with your favorite BBQ sauce ad bake for another 20 minutes. Comes in around 300-350 calories depending on the weights of your food.

    Cauliflower fried rice with chicken, shrimp, or pork.

    Zoodles (Zucchini noodles) with Marinara and turkey meatballs or sliced chicken sausage


    I also second Theo166 that you should start out with a slower weight loss goal (I'm assuming you have it set to 2lbs a week). Figure out what your maintenance is and shoot for 100-200 calories below that each day or start at 0.5lbs per week and do that for a week or two (depending on how difficult you find it) then move it to 1lb/week and so on until you get to the 2 lbs or 1200/day. Gives your body and mind time to adjust to the change and you will be less likely to quit because you are hungry all the time.

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