How do you eat 1200 calories?!

Options
torontochick13
torontochick13 Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
I am really struggling with how to plan out meals that lead up to only 1200-1500 calories...I feel like I could eat that in one meal! I know that my old habits need to change, OBVIOUSLY...I would really appreciate any sort of meal plan or advice, tips or guidance on how to even begin!

Thank you!!
«134

Replies

  • kkerri
    kkerri Posts: 276 Member
    Options
    That's the range I eat when I am losing.

    The only way I can do it is to eat low carb.

    B - string cheese & coffee

    S - plain greek yogurt & apple

    L - grilled chicken salad w/veggies

    S - 1/2 serving almonds (or whole) and apple/orange

    D - meat & veggies


    *Sometimes there are extra calories available and I always have trouble fitting in wine.

    But, at my age, and with certain joint/back issues that prevent me from doing hard core workouts, I need to keep my calories low. I do try to get a couple hundred from workouts for buffer.
  • kkerri
    kkerri Posts: 276 Member
    Options
    Low refined carb that is - I know fruit is a carb :-)
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Options
    0% fat yogurt and 2 eggs for breakfast, small apple for snack, 250 calorie microwave boxed crap for lunch, 130 calorie All bran bar for snack, 3 oz meat and lots of veggies for supper, see what's left and have a snack mid evening.
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    Options
    With exercise you can eat more. Also try for high protein. What I did for a long to e is save my cals for dinner, yum yum.
  • gk03ub
    gk03ub Posts: 99 Member
    Options
    1200 is impossible for me, but I eat between 1500 and 1600 daily.
    The key is eating fibre-rich or nutrient-dense foods because they keep you full for a long time. Try to choose oats, potatoes, squash, brown rice, eggs, fruit, veg, lean protein, whole grains, nuts, and other nutrient-dense foods as the bulk of your caloric intake. Eating these foods, you can fill up your plate and have it look and feel like a whole lot of food, and it is quite filling. Its also important to listen to your body and to eat if you are really hungry because 1200 calories is extremely low.
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    Options
    I don't - I go to
    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    I input my current weight and my goal weight the same (what my weight is now) and then I calculate my calories and I eat 400-500 less than my activity level. I am currently eating around 1500-1600
  • metaphoria
    metaphoria Posts: 1,432 Member
    Options
    I wash it down with 400 more...
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    Options
    0% fat yogurt and 2 eggs for breakfast, small apple for snack, 250 calorie microwave boxed crap for lunch, 130 calorie All bran bar for snack, 3 oz meat and lots of veggies for supper, see what's left and have a snack mid evening.

    I'd be starving!
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    Options
    I wash it down with 400 more...
    YEP!
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Options
    Whether you do TDEE or just net 1200, it's the same thing. The only way (usually) that I can net 1200 and meet my macros is to burn calories. My favorite activity is walking!
  • mosommer
    mosommer Posts: 45 Member
    Options
    Eggs and bacon for breakfast, yogurt and or fruit for snack, big salad with a little chicken, tuna, or beef at lunch, lean protein and veggies for dinner. No sodas. I drink coffee with creamer only, then lots of water. My treat is sliced strawberries dipped into jello sugar free dark chocolate pudding. It tastes like chocolate covered strawberries.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    Options
    I don't - I go to
    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

    I input my current weight and my goal weight the same (what my weight is now) and then I calculate my calories and I eat 400-500 less than my activity level. I am currently eating around 1500-1600

    This and
    I wash it down with 400 more...

    This.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
    Options
    I don't wanna sound like a jerk or anything but I see this Q posted constantly on these forums, and I don't really understand. My current calories (no exercise) are at 1,410 and I find that pretty easy to meet. MANY days I am close to 1,200 and I don't feel like my diet is very restrictive at all.

    Typical for me would be 200 cal breakfast, 400-ish calories for lunch, and 500-ish calories at dinner. That still leaves 100 cals to play with at the minimum 1,200.

    I'm just not sure where the problem is for you. Do you drink any of your calories? That can add up very quickly.
  • QuietBloom
    QuietBloom Posts: 5,413 Member
    Options
    I don't wanna sound like a jerk or anything but I see this Q posted constantly on these forums, and I don't really understand. My current calories (no exercise) are at 1,410 and I find that pretty easy to meet. MANY days I am close to 1,200 and I don't feel like my diet is very restrictive at all.

    Typical for me would be 200 cal breakfast, 400-ish calories for lunch, and 500-ish calories at dinner. That still leaves 100 cals to play with at the minimum 1,200.

    I'm just not sure where the problem is for you. Do you drink any of your calories? That can add up very quickly.

    I suspect that we are poor meal planners. :ohwell:
  • kaydeedoubleu1
    kaydeedoubleu1 Posts: 567 Member
    Options
    eat calories that have the biggest bang for your buck. by that i mean get your calories from protein, low-gi carbs, fibre etc. For breakfast, for example, 2 slices of toast and a tablespoon of peanut butter is around 400 cals, but about 2 hours later you will be starving again. Instead, you can have 30g of oats cooked in water with some seeds/nuts (i personally use chia seeds and linseeds, which have plenty of benefits within themselves) for around 350cals and you will find yourself full for hours. So for less calories, you are getting more benefits than just simple fuel; you are getting a good source of fibre, protein, omega 3 etc.

    Steering away from too many fruits (1 piece a day is sufficient, find one that has a high fibre content etc) can help (they don't keep you satisfied for long are are generally loaded with sugar). Instead, i find snacking on natural almonds, pumpkin seeds etc works much better at keeping hunger at bay, and plus you are doing it without the sugar. Be careful with nuts though, try to stick to a handful a day, they are calorie dynamite if consumed heavily.

    I personally steer away from rice/pasta and other starchy foods like potatoes. Instead, i will have sweet potato/pumpkin, beans and legumes and a large array of greens. You can have a very satisfying meal using those things, without the bloating and massive calorie usage.

    Drinks. Stick to water/tea's and coffee (although do try and limit sugar and try ordering long blacks instead of lattes)-fruit juice/soft drinks and alcohol are killers, and are basically just empty cals.

    Anyway these are things I have been sticking to, and I have found them to be most effective.
    I hope they help you! (i am for 1200 a day and usually have not too much of an issue sticking to it)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    Options
    I don't. Not even when I first started on the healthy jounrey. 1,200 is way low and most likely for a person who wants to lose 2 pounds a week with no exercise.

    I eat between 1,750 and 1,850 every day, but I also exercise every day.
  • mariabrumberg
    mariabrumberg Posts: 2 Member
    Options
    I eat lots of veggie soups, steamed veggies, steamed fish, red meat or chicken meat cooked in the oven with vegetables and tomato sauce, fruit, low calorie cottage cheese and yogurts.
  • Mellyajc
    Mellyajc Posts: 142 Member
    Options
    Breakfasts of cottage cheese and fruit, oatmeal, or a bagel with light cream cheese and tomato... rarely more than 300 cals.

    Lunches of PBJ, lentil or cous cous salad, or leftovers from last night's dinner..usually around 400.

    My dinners are larger, probably 700-800 calories, so I average around 1200 after the exercise deficit.

    High protein foods are the most filling. I'm vegetarian so that helps too (fake meat is half the calories of the real stuff). Beans, lentils etc..can feel full without using up a ton of calories.
  • laursoar
    laursoar Posts: 131 Member
    Options
    I eat about 1450 calories a day. I always have room for snacks between meals and everything too. I do plan my days in advance though and then modify from there. My breakfast almost always consists of oatmeal, pb2, and then either pumpkin puree with pumpkin pie spice or berries. That's under 200 calories, but filling. My other almost daily staples include a smoothie before dinner with a coconut milk, spinach, and half a banana base and then whatever else I like to add. I tend to snack on fruit, portioned out granola, rice cakes, apples and cinnamon, graham crackers, and 2% string cheese. I've also upped my vegetable intake, especially with green low cal veggies like broccoli and spinach. Feel free to friend me and check out my food diary!
  • kkerri
    kkerri Posts: 276 Member
    Options
    1200 calories is totally doable, IMHO, for food/meals.

    It does not leave a lot of room for snacking, alcohol (I just had 2.5 glasses of wine that was no in my 1200 calories, but was much needed for my sanity). That bumped me over my day of rather well eating.

    Sad, but true reality is that you cannot eat like most people on 1200 calories, but you can eat well and what your body NEEDS.


    ---> My body didn't need wine, but my head did ;-)

Categories