how to stay within 1200 calories day

missscrim78

does anyone else struggle to stay within 1200 cals per day? And also do you eat back your calories burnt with exercise?

KaleiAlanaSmith

Vegetables are the key. I can eat a HUGE plate of whatever veggies I want and be within 300 calories. For breakfast and lunch I really just try to make healthy options. On the go, I’ll buy a 200cal breakfast sandwich from Starbucks or McDonald’s. If I’m at home I normal skip breakfast and just have coffee. Lunch will be salad or a sandwich with a range of 300-600 calories. I workout and most people say not to eat the calories back, but I do. Most of the time I’ll eat all the calories back by having a protein shake or snacks. Sometimes I do end up full by the end of the day and don’t eat my calories back.

RecognitionT

How anyone does it is beyond me.

Yeah sure I get women need a little less energy than men to function in general for a variety of reasons, but I can't imagine staying within a 1200 window throughout the day.

Most of the time Ive busted 1200 by lunch hour.

kommodevaran

If you struggle, maybe you're eating too little. Calorie target should be set according to needs. Needs is determined by sex, height, weight and activity level. What's your height and weight?

ladybug4233

missscrim78 wrote: »

does anyone else struggle to stay within 1200 cals per day? And also do you eat back your calories burnt with exercise?

I struggle with the 1270 but I work out most days and burn from 400-600 calories and eat at least half of them back. I have a sweet treat or glass of wine each day and Im still losing at a good pace.

ladybug4233

I wanted to say that I do believe you can eat most if not all of your workout calories back I just haven't needed to.

netitheyeti

I find 1200 borderline bearable for me - so I've been sticking to 1300 instead because having that extra 100cal for a small snack really makes a difference sometimes

But it really depends on the day... lots of vegetables, fibre, protein? I'm ok, usually even left with enough calories to have a nice glass of wine or a square of chocolate with my dinner... not getting enough sleep and not spacing out my meals properly throughout the day, snacking on something like chocolate or crisps? Yeah, I get hungry

From what I understand, with how MFPs goals work, your deficit to lose x weight per week is based on your normal activity without exercise taken into account (unless people are active so choose an active level because it takes into account that they move around a lot - I'm personally set to sedentary but log my exercise 5x a week)
So if you want to stick to the deficit MFP gives you - MFP gives you more calories to eat when you exercise on top of your normal activity level
Calorie burns can be a bit of an estimate though so I've seen people say to eat back something like 50% and monitor your weight and see if you're losing faster/slower than expected

Whitezombiegirl

Soups, stews, salads. Easy on the high fat, high carb stuff. No additions e.g. Salad dressing (just vinegar for me), no cheese sprinkle or croutons, no cream or honey drizzle. No Mayonnaise. No liquid calories, no alcohol. No cream based sauces or soups, no garlic bread on the side, breads ticks etc. No butter on top etc. You get the idea. This is what works for me.

Lots of veg...... Low carb helps keep me full. I eat full fat but smaller portions. I think of food as fuel. I don't need every meal to be a gourmet flavour experience.

try2again

missscrim78 wrote: »

does anyone else struggle to stay within 1200 cals per day? And also do you eat back your calories burnt with exercise?

It can be done, but the first question to ask is *should* it be done? If you have your weekly weight loss goal set at 2 lbs/week and you aren't very obese, you should first reconsider your goal.

evileen99

RecognitionT wrote: »

How anyone does it is beyond me.

Yeah sure I get women need a little less energy than men to function in general for a variety of reasons, but I can't imagine staying within a 1200 window throughout the day.

Most of the time Ive busted 1200 by lunch hour.

Me too, and I'm a woman.

netitheyeti

my *maintenance* for my goal weight is something like 1500 calories a day, so 1200-1300 for me doesn't feel that low - to slowly get there... but - I'm pretty short and I spend most of my days at a desk, outside my evening workouts

LivingtheLeanDream

try2again wrote: »

missscrim78 wrote: »

does anyone else struggle to stay within 1200 cals per day? And also do you eat back your calories burnt with exercise?

It can be done, but the first question to ask is *should* it be done? If you have your weekly weight loss goal set at 2 lbs/week and you aren't very obese, you should first reconsider your goal.

^^ this

I'm petite and it would never be enough to satisfy/fuel me. I lost eating 1700-1800 cals/ 0.5lb a week and that was much more doable imo - plus I lost and kept the weight off.

OP if you're finding you're constantly hungry maybe aim for a diet with a few hundred more cals a day - would be easier to stick to imo.

Lounmoun

You are supposed to eat your exercise calories if you use MFP to set your goal.

Plan your meals. Prelog your day.
Use a food scale.
Include more low calorie vegetables to bulk out your meals.
Choose more lower fat foods. Go easy on added calories from cooking oil, salad dressing, condiments, sauces. Choose leaner proteins.
Make decisions on if some things are worth the calories. Maybe drinking your calories won't be as satisfying or more protein and less carbs works better for your satisfaction.

1200 is the minimum recommended calories. A lot of people get that if they set their goal to 2 lb a week loss. You could probably eat more and lose at a good rate. If you are not 50+ lbs overweight set your goal for 1 lb a week. If you are 20 lbs or less overweight maybe .5 lb a week is more reasonable and sustainable.

I increased my activity level so I could eat more than 1200 calories.

concordancia

It took some experimentation to figure out what makes me feel satisfied. Chocolate pudding is great, but a half serving of chocolate pudding with a half serving of peanuts is more satisfying. I cannot eat kale and chicken salad every day, but I can eat cabbage and chicken salad several days a week. Eggs start tasting like sadness if I try to have them two days in a row, but both Greek yogurt and peanut butter taste like happiness morning after morning, especially with herbal tea.

berky06

I do 1200 calories a day. There are even days where I don't hit 1200. What helps me is I do have a morning and afternoon snack-usually a Greek yogurt or fruit. Breakfast I try to have some type of protein (peanut butter or egg). I keep things pretty basic. I don't eat after dinner. I have lost 18# since mid January, but it seems like right now I have hit a wall. I keep going down a pound, up a pound...it's very frustrating. Right now, I'm wanting to lose 50#. I have more to lose but that's my first goal.

MelanieCN77

KaleiAlanaSmith wrote: »

Vegetables are the key. I can eat a HUGE plate of whatever veggies I want and be within 300 calories. For breakfast and lunch I really just try to make healthy options. On the go, I’ll buy a 200cal breakfast sandwich from Starbucks or McDonald’s. If I’m at home I normal skip breakfast and just have coffee. Lunch will be salad or a sandwich with a range of 300-600 calories. I workout and most people say not to eat the calories back, but I do. Most of the time I’ll eat all the calories back by having a protein shake or snacks. Sometimes I do end up full by the end of the day and don’t eat my calories back.

Who are these people?
At 1200, workout calories might be the thing that makes the whole thing reasonable.

kshama2001

KaleiAlanaSmith wrote: »

Vegetables are the key. I can eat a HUGE plate of whatever veggies I want and be within 300 calories. For breakfast and lunch I really just try to make healthy options. On the go, I’ll buy a 200cal breakfast sandwich from Starbucks or McDonald’s. If I’m at home I normal skip breakfast and just have coffee. Lunch will be salad or a sandwich with a range of 300-600 calories. I workout and most people say not to eat the calories back, but I do. Most of the time I’ll eat all the calories back by having a protein shake or snacks. Sometimes I do end up full by the end of the day and don’t eat my calories back.

People who use MFP and exercise but eat none of their exercise calories back are not using MFP correctly.

MFP uses the NEAT method (Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis), and as such this system is designed for exercise calories to be eaten back. However, many consider the burns given by MFP to be inflated and only eat a percentage, such as 50%, back. Others, however, are able to lose weight while eating 100% of their exercise calories.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/818082/exercise-calories-again-wtf/p1

kshama2001

missscrim78 wrote: »

does anyone else struggle to stay within 1200 cals per day? And also do you eat back your calories burnt with exercise?

How tall are you and how many pounds do you need to lose to meet your goal? 1200 calories is only appropriate for very very short women who are also inactive. You can't do anything about your height but you can do something about your activity level.

A lot of women get 1200 calories when we chose a weekly weight loss goal that is too aggressive for the amount of weight we want to lose.

SteamPug

I find 1,200 preferable because I’m impatient and know that I can rely on myself not to binge or regain the weight, but it’s by no means a fun journey. If you’re not in a hurry I’d definitely recommend a slower loss.

Seffell

In the beginning I was losing weight at 1200cal. But I was completely sedentiary (as in not even walking at all) and was maintaining at around 1500cal. I was losing about 2-3lbs per month. So it was not very fun because I couldn't afford treats but it was doable. I wasn't very hungry because I wasn't moving.

If you are moving you should eat your burns. When I'm losing now I still eat at 1200 but I eat my exercise on top so in fact I eat 1600-1700cals total.

If you need for some reason to eat 1200 total then find low calorie high volume foods you like. I eat salads (with only a little dressing) every day. I also eat a lot of vegetables.

saymyname2

missscrim78 wrote: »

does anyone else struggle to stay within 1200 cals per day? And also do you eat back your calories burnt with exercise?

LOADS of veg!
I do 1200 and I dont have a problem physically, mentally thats another issue.
sometimes my mind still thinks i NEED more food but slowing down when eating has curbed most of those feelings.
I personally don't eat back the cals but im also very obese and I HAVE to get this weight off.

BabyLovesToRun

I'd be eating walls .... if you're exercising, you should be able to eat a bit more. I can get away with 1800 cals and still lose 1 to 2 lbs a week. Play with your numbers a bit til' you find what works for you.

Goober1142

Short, female, old. Sigh. Living on 1200 forever. I eat really high protein and drink lots of coffee.

hroderick

grilled seafood

ITUSGirl51

Eat your exercise calories back, just make sure they are correct. If you are using machine calories or MFP calories eat half. If you have a heart rate monitor device that gives you have a calorie burn then eat all of them back. Your body needs fuel to function properly. I guarantee starving on 1200 calories a day and exercising a lot will cause you to binge and give up. It is not sustainable. You should want long term weight loss that is sustainable and allows you to live a full and healthy life.

takemetosingapore19

I eat around 1200... I was eating more for a while because I deviated from my plan.. now I’m back on plan, and I eat the same foods everyday. A ton of vegetables, some tuna, and eggs. Every day.

amh927

Lots and lots of veg. And TBH it’s low for me. About 70% of the time I’m fine but then I have days where it’s not enough. If I’m still hungry I give myself an extra 250 cal to eat. 1210 is my 2lb/week deficit so I figure even if I eat an extra 250cal 1 or 2 times a week it’s still a pretty high deficit.

sexymamadraeger

I eat about 1300. I've started eating one big meal a day at lunch time and snacks the rest of the day. I don't eat in the morning because I'm not hungry. It's working for me. I eat less calories and it got me losing again after I hit a long plateau.

holytricoli

I am on a 1200-1300 calorie diet, and only eat back exercise calories from time to time if I'm feeling hungrier than normal. At first it was a struggle, but the more I kept at it, the more manageable it became. I think protein is key, and I often go over my protein goal while still hitting my overall calorie goal.
Breakfast - I stir a serving of whey protein into my morning coffee (24g of protein right there), and pair that with fruit, a packet of low sugar oatmeal, or high protein/low sugar yogurt (I like Dannon Oikos triple zero varieties).
Lunch - I either make a sandwich/turkey burger using sandwich slims with minimal condiments plus a veggie, or I like to make crock pot shredded chicken and eat 4-5 oz over a bed of fresh spinach.
Dinner - 4-5 oz portion of meat, one cup of steamed brown rice, and about two cups of veggies.
Snacks - nuts, cheese sticks, HB eggs, veggies or fruit, etc.

I know that everyone is different so this may or may not work for you, but I hope the info is helpful!

Chunkahlunkah

1300 is what MFP gives me for losing 0.5 pound/week.

I find it easiest to stay in a 1200s groove with a combination of high protein and high-fiber volume eating.

For example, I'll make a soup that can give a huge *kitten* serving for 400-500 calories whose flavor I really love (very important, that!), and I'll eat that for dinner that week. Or I'll make a huge *kitten* salad at a similar calorie level whose flavors I really love. I prep the items needed for the salad ahead of time so at meal time I just need to put it all together.

Besides that, high protein and lots of veg. I love roasted veggies so I eat a big heap of that. I roast it with olive oil and sometimes top it with parmesan depending on the seasonings I used. Often, that'll be my whole meal but more often I'll have it with around 100-200 calories of protein.

I usually exceed the fat grams that MFP sets as a default and am under the carb grams. This is how I grew up eating though, so that macro distribution feels natural to me.

It takes some experimenting but if this isn't an aggressive deficit for you, it's not that hard to feel comfortable at this level. Planning and habit help a ton!

Chunkahlunkah

I don't currently earn enough calories through exercise to feel comfortable with eating them back. I think of them as my buffer for logging inaccuracies and days when I go over on calories.

If I were burning, say, 1500+ calories a week, then I'd start eating a portion of them back.