1200 calories

jennydelgado09
jennydelgado09 Posts: 119 Member
edited November 21 in Health and Weight Loss
What does your 1200 calories a day look like?
Just want to get some ideas
«1

Replies

  • mywayroche
    mywayroche Posts: 218 Member
    3 x 400 calorie meals or my wife sometimes has 2 larger meals and a milkshake
  • mywayroche
    mywayroche Posts: 218 Member
    Sorry, i meant to say google "400 calorie meals"
  • Dofflin
    Dofflin Posts: 127 Member
    [Regardless of calorie goal] I have ~same every day:

    B'fast: oats/toast, coffee & fruit
    Lunch: crunchy noodle and bean salad
    Dinner: steamed veg & tofu
    Dessert (every other day): ice cream &/or alcohol
    Snacks: protein shake, fruit, nut butter on rice cakes
    (+sugar-fee drinks, lollies, hot cocoa & tea)

    Where:
    Type of fruit/veg varies seasonally
    Calories vary monthly
    Proportion calorie/meal ~constant.
    Macros are activity/mood-dependent, ranging from 40-60g fat, 60-120g protein & 100-160g carbs
  • threec
    threec Posts: 97 Member
    With my stats MFP gives me 1200 calories, 1380 when Fitbit exercise is added yipppppeeeeee. I can do 1200, BUT it's not much fun. So I track and log according to my burned calories on Fitbit and aim for the proper calorie deficit according to what I want to loose per week. It's much easier to maintain a calorie deficit of 200,500,750 or even 1000 than existing on 1200 a day. That just plain sucks

    It won't be perfect, I don't expect it to be as long as the scale keep moving the right direction and I can stick to it!!! It seems whole lot easier for me than existing on celery and hope. Which is what 1200 calories gives you
  • jennydelgado09
    jennydelgado09 Posts: 119 Member
    JustRobby1 wrote: »
    Judging by your posted picture, OP I am going to go out on a limb and guess that 1200 is nowhere near where you need to be even to meet your most basic TDEE needs. You will wind up getting lightheaded frequently and generally feeling lethargic and miserable. I know many people are in a hurry to lose weight. I get it. Trust me I do, but burning yourself out and punishing your body is not the right way to go about things.

    I agree. But the pic is old lol. I just had a baby and been very inconsistent. So 1200 is what was calculated if i don't do anything. Which I'm trying to get back at it. And when i do I'll of course add 200-300 more calories
  • JRSINAZ
    JRSINAZ Posts: 158 Member
    I've been doing 1200-1500 for the last 4 weeks since I started back on MFP and seeing good results. Getting in 10,000+ steps a day with my fitbit. I'm a walker. Typical day might be a protein shake with ground flax and a banana. Snacks thru the day. 1 oz air popped popcorn with seasoning. Fruit like peach or pear, Vegetarian chili for lunch, Taco salad for dinner and grilled zucchini for seconds. I make all my food and weighh and log it all. Recipe builder is a great tool for batch cooking.
  • eigna9187
    eigna9187 Posts: 6 Member
    I tend to do 250/250/700 so I can eat dinner with my fiancee. Usually some eggs/breakfast sandwich , a protein pack or some lunch meat and cheese for lunch and just meat and veggies for dinner with a small piece of 50 cal choc.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,383 Member
    Check out: www.reddit.com/r/1200isplenty
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,868 Member
    Breakfast-homemade veggie chili with 1 oz lean chicken added in : 240 cal
    Coffee milk during day- 40 cal.

    Lunch- mixed greens salad with 2 crushed almonds, 1 slice of mango, avacado (1/4), 10 raisins, 1 oz chicken and oil and vinegar. 270 cal

    Snack- protein bar. 190-280 cal nibbled throughout the day- very filling. The bar depends on my calorie count.

    Dinner- homemade tofu and chicken taco with 1 tsp homemade hummus, 1/4 avacado, 14 gm tofu cheese. 350 cal.
    Protein shake with half a banana and blueberries 280 cal.

    That gets me to about 1460 (with the higher cal protein bar) and I do cardio which burns 235 cal daily on the weekdays. I cut the protein bars or shake if no cardio.

    That's a typical work day. On the weekends I often eat a different lunch and dinner. I've been eating that for years, and get variety on weekends and snacks. But then the protein bar or shake get cut from the day.

    I'm 5'2", 62 yo, and lose about 1 1/2 pounds a month for the past 9 months. I'm close to switching to maintenance and will add 150-200 calories slowly. I'm not hungry on this, eat out with friends (half portion usually), and don't feel deprived.

    I go over on the weekends by about 300-600 calories depending on the day and event and recognize that this might up my daily calories to 1300 if I averaged it out, but I also don't count walking calories, just dedicated cardio. I feel great and have tons of energy. You need to play with it.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    jennydelgado09 wrote: »
    JustRobby1 wrote: »
    Judging by your posted picture, OP I am going to go out on a limb and guess that 1200 is nowhere near where you need to be even to meet your most basic TDEE needs. You will wind up getting lightheaded frequently and generally feeling lethargic and miserable. I know many people are in a hurry to lose weight. I get it. Trust me I do, but burning yourself out and punishing your body is not the right way to go about things.

    I agree. But the pic is old lol. I just had a baby and been very inconsistent. So 1200 is what was calculated if i don't do anything. Which I'm trying to get back at it. And when i do I'll of course add 200-300 more calories

    1200 is a default minimum before exercise. So if you are sedentary AND very petite or elderly.....this goal is adequate. But if you chose a high weekly weight loss goal then MFP bottomed out at 1200 to accommodate that request.
  • SephiraAllen
    SephiraAllen Posts: 78 Member
    I have been doing 1200 calories since April, don't always make it, but most of the time I'm on target. I have my goals set up as 160 for Breakfast, 470 for Lunch, 250 for Dinner and then two Snacks of 160 each. I generally eat whatever I want, just less of it, but also try to stick to lean meats and lower carb options.

    I also tend to wait as long as possible each day to start eating (usually at least noon, unless I'm just really really hungry). Just works better for me that way.
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    nowine4me wrote: »
    1200 looks like a crappy day of hunger to me. I wasn't able to keep it up. I can survive 1700 and lose about a pound a week. No need to white knuckle it.

    This. Except I aim for 2000 and a half pound.
  • magster4isu
    magster4isu Posts: 632 Member
    I have been hanging around 1200 for a while. I eat 3 meals a day and usually 3 snacks a day. I rarely feel hungry or deprived. It's all about finding the right combination of foods that work for you. I do a lot of meal planning and food prep to make it work for me.
  • jennydelgado09
    jennydelgado09 Posts: 119 Member
    TeaBea wrote: »
    jennydelgado09 wrote: »
    JustRobby1 wrote: »
    Judging by your posted picture, OP I am going to go out on a limb and guess that 1200 is nowhere near where you need to be even to meet your most basic TDEE needs. You will wind up getting lightheaded frequently and generally feeling lethargic and miserable. I know many people are in a hurry to lose weight. I get it. Trust me I do, but burning yourself out and punishing your body is not the right way to go about things.

    I agree. But the pic is old lol. I just had a baby and been very inconsistent. So 1200 is what was calculated if i don't do anything. Which I'm trying to get back at it. And when i do I'll of course add 200-300 more calories

    1200 is a default minimum before exercise. So if you are sedentary AND very petite or elderly.....this goal is adequate. But if you chose a high weekly weight loss goal then MFP bottomed out at 1200 to accommodate that request.

    I put 1lb a week and sedentary since I've been so inconsistent with working out. And I am 4'11 so yes very petite.

    I just want to get a general idea. I still plan to eat an extra 200-300 calories if I'm able to go workout. If not then 1200-1300 still puts me in a deficit. But having it set at 1200 and planning meals around that gives me room to add accordingly.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    ryenday wrote: »
    On 1200 I certainly felt deprived and miserable. Unfortunately 1200 a day was at best 2 pounds a MONTH loss for me so it is what I'm stuck with if I want to lose weight. I couldn't do it anymore after 6 months, so I'm off diet (eating at goal weight maintenance around 1450) for 2 months or so. I started intermittent fasting this month, so I'm crossing my fingers that will help when I drop back down to 1200.

    A typical day for me will be no breakfast. 500 cals for lunch - salad (no dressing), chicken breast and 1/2 serving sunflower seeds. Choice of cheese on salad, 100 g serving of pineapple or cantaloupe, or glass (8 oz) of tomato juice. Dinner 600 calories: Meat (lean) of some type, baked potato (100 g) with 1 tsp butter, sautéed spinach and onions. 8pm 'snack': protein drink. 120 calories. Pretty Dismal. Not looking forward to going back to it. But doable. Especially if you like fish ( I don't, lol).

    please do not hijack this thread to tell me I'm doing it wrong, etc. I weigh my food, I swim 3 or 4x times a week, I log meticulously - On 1200 calories a day I lose a fairly steady 1/3 pound a week. On swim days I usually allow myself an extra 120 calories for another protein shake. My weight loss IS unfortunately at the low end of normalcy but it is within a 20% margin of error to what online calculators do predict for my height and age. Done

    I wish there were a sad face response. I'm in the other side of that 20% margin of error, so I totally feel for you.
  • Broadbeam28
    Broadbeam28 Posts: 3 Member
    Days I manage to stick to 1200 I typically have: breakfast- coffee & semi milk, fruit salad and low fat yoghurt or a small bowl of cereal and semi milk. (250-300) Lunch is either low fat soup and a sandwhich thin with low fat cheese or a large mixed salad with cold meat and a slice of toast with low fat cheese spread. (250-300) Dinner low fat recipe of typical family meal including lean meat, v small portion potatoes and 2 veg or a pasta dish. (400) Snacks include a piece of fruit or cereal bar late afternoon (50-70) and a small glass wine or beer in evening. (150). I haven't been doing well recently though. Too much beer!
  • melissaulmen
    melissaulmen Posts: 123 Member
    1200 is tough - It is not long term so being prepared is key. I usually keep frozen meals (no preservatives) on hand just in case I have not prepared so I have options that fit in my calories.
    Breakfast - RX Bar & Starbucks Coffee 400 cal
    Lunch - 1/2 Caesar Wrap 1/2 spinach wrap, romaine lettuce, Chicken Breast, Caesar Dressing - If you like spicy add franks Red Hot Sauce 0 Calories!! 330
    Dinner - Baked Shrimp and Broccoli - Toss in Olive oil, S&P 200
    Snacks - Cottage Cheese, Toast w/ butter 300

    This is 1230 calories. My advice is requesting friends who have the same goal at this time so you can look at their diaries. That is how I get a lot of ideas.
    Feel free to add me. You will have to go back about a week in my diary though, I have been sick so there is not a lot on there besides noodle soup.
  • Nik1473
    Nik1473 Posts: 6 Member
    SephiraAllen wrote: »
    I have been doing 1200 calories since April, don't always make it, but most of the time I'm on target. I have my goals set up as 160 for Breakfast, 470 for Lunch, 250 for Dinner and then two Snacks of 160 each. I generally eat whatever I want, just less of it, but also try to stick to lean meats and lower carb options.

    I also tend to wait as long as possible each day to start eating (usually at least noon, unless I'm just really really hungry). Just works better for me that way.

    And, would you say your weight loss has been consistent?

  • Anamatronic
    Anamatronic Posts: 17 Member
    Breakfast- small slice of granary bread with peanut butter: 180 cal
    Lunch: 75g of wheat pasta bulked out with pepper/courgette/onion roasted in balsamic and a basic tomato sauce which is typically 400cal
    Dinner: grilled meat, roasted veg coated in a teaspoon of red pesto and a sweet potato mash which is roughly 450.

    I try to go to the gym 4/5 days a week and burn 500 calls. On those days I'll allow myself a treat like a cookie at 50 cal or pop chips at 100.

  • Gracie12311
    Gracie12311 Posts: 44 Member
    Given your height and if your really sedentary, 1200 calories is fine for right now. I'm also short and was fine on 1200 a day for a few months. Once I increased my activity I then increased my calories, which is what you said you'd do. The main thing is eating more protein and veggies/fruits to keep you feeling satiated longer. I definitely ate (and still do) my fair share of bread and desserts and wine, but too much of it will increase my appetite. Just doesn't stay around long.
  • Agent_Freckles
    Agent_Freckles Posts: 79 Member
    edited September 2017
    I agree with many of the others, 1200 is way too low for me, and probably you, even without exercise. I typically eat anywhere from 1450-1700. I have a small lunch and bigger breakfast/dinner
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