struggling with a 1200 calorie allowance

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  • tweetypixx
    tweetypixx Posts: 65 Member
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    I am currently on 1320 a day and am finding that pretty good for me, I even tend to have quite a few left over. Still eat 3 meals a day and don't feel hungry very often. I do log everything I eat/drink plus exercise but still come in under. I just make sure I eat things that will keep me full for longer, like porridge for breakfast and bread for lunch.
  • battybecks
    battybecks Posts: 147 Member
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    You will get people saying 1200 is not enough but it depends on age height and activity. I am 5'2" 54 years old and don't move much. 1200 is fine for me and I am losing although slowly. If I want to eat more I move more but I try to net 1200 calories


    This.

    1200 works for me - but I never actually only eat 1200. I exercise and eat them back. When I first started I was extremely sedentary, working from home and hardly moving at all. I needed an 'eating back' system to convince myself that getting up off my *kitten* was worth it. Now I hula hoop every day :)
  • mumblemagic
    mumblemagic Posts: 1,090 Member
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    The only way I can cope with 1200 cals is if I exercise and eat the cals back

    I'm not really on the 1200 per day plan, but there have been a few days when I have been below the 1200 target and this is what I did.

    Also, the poster that wrote this has a really, really cute dog.
  • Sylvitryinghard
    Sylvitryinghard Posts: 549 Member
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    this is so stupid
  • Cirsium
    Cirsium Posts: 41 Member
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    I find if you eating the rights foods like lean meat, fruit and veggies you don't go over the 1200 mark.

    that's so true. i started out not really changing my diet, just eating less to try and stick to it. didn't work, so i have now given up booze, taken the milk out of my coffee and upped the chicken and vegetables etc. and suddenly i've got loads of spare calories to play with!!
  • battybecks
    battybecks Posts: 147 Member
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    Ok. Just skimmed through some of the 'you are crazy' posts. Guys, this is MFP. We're talking about 1200 NET.

    NET, yeah?

    That means if you sit on your *kitten* all day you only get to eat 1200 calories, but if you move - even a walk to the shops, you eat more. There is nothing crazy about that.
  • battybecks
    battybecks Posts: 147 Member
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    << Speaking as someone who ate that pizza and stayed under 1200 net (because I'd been walking in the countryside)
  • ReneeDawalga5100
    ReneeDawalga5100 Posts: 177 Member
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    BUMP
  • newladykb2016
    newladykb2016 Posts: 34 Member
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    My son is a doctor and he told me not to starve myself. I am focusing at 1 1/2 lbs a week and Fitness Pal has me set at 1400 calories. This is what he suggested. At this time I am not exercising,but will add slowly. I eat real well and days it is less than 1400,but try to stay pretty close. I am not hungry and I eat normal with my family,

    I would suggest 1200 after my stomach has shrunk some and you pretty much stop losing at this. Good Luck with what you decide to do!
  • FattyFeast
    FattyFeast Posts: 23
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    I've been doing 1200 calories since Monday and actually it's fairly okay for me. I find that I get hungry and then it passes, and if you time your meals right, it never gets too bad. Provided you're eating enough for each meal, I think it's fine. I don't think I could do a big breakfast then a big dinner, for instance, it has to be spaced out. Also, putting in some gentle exercise means you can eat a little over the 1,200 if you want because it's cancelled out.

    If you really want to push yourself and work out hard, maybe it's a bit different. I'm injured at the moment so can't really do much strenuous exercise, but when I can then I'm going to up the calorie limit just because I know I don't run well if I'm low on energy/feeling hungry and I hate that sicky hypoglycaemic type feeling. I can never exercise well unless I feel good in myself!

    Anyway I have porridge for breakfast at 7AM.
    Lunch is either a salad or anything around 400 calories at 1PM.
    I have a snack (a pear) at around 6PM.
    Then dinner (soup) at about 8:30PM.

    My exercise is just my normal bicycling to and fro or going for a walk. A few cups of tea and plenty of water, diet coke etc. seems to keep me going nicely. I mean I don't know how accurate MFP is (I find it hard to believe I burnt off 500+ calories just by going on a walk!!) so I never eat back everything I've supposedly burnt off (that and I'm sure my calorie calculations must contain a few errors), but if you move around a bit then it means you can have a fairly decent meal of 400-500 calories each time you eat.
  • OldRusty
    OldRusty Posts: 4 Member
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    I think it all comes to food choices. You need to find lower calorie food that will fill you up and stay with you. I eat a lot of homemade soups. I enter the ingredients on "My Recipes" and it calculates the number of calories per serving. I recently made a clam chowder that was 53 calories for one cup. I kept some in the fridge and froze some for workday lunches. With so few calories, I eat one and a half cups and some times add crackers. Just be creative. You can do it!:smile:
  • nicoleisback
    nicoleisback Posts: 184
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    I find I vary day to day as to how well I can stick to 1200. I have had days where I ate an ice cream at the end of the day and STILL ended up under, and that was in addition to 3 meals and a snack.

    When I first started I tried just reducing my portion sizes but found it didn't work, because I was just wanting more food. Recently I have changed what I have been eating which has helped a lot. I find high fibre veggies and lots of water really help. I try not to drink sugary drinks (water only, when I can stick to it) as sugar always makes me crave savory foods.

    I also make sure when I exercise I eat back at least some of the extra allowance. To keep it safe (and because this site seems to way overestimate exercise burn) I try to keep it to eating back a third of my exercise calories.

    Just an indication of what I have (and stay under 1200).
    Breakfast - Up and go. I can't stand eating solids in the morning.
    Snack - Small piece of fruit or a small handful of dried fruit
    Lunch - Home made chicken and veggie soup (1 cup) and 1-2 ryvitas. The soup I make has carrot, pumpkin, kumera and chicken, and is less than 100 calories a cup but quite filling
    Snack - Small handful of nuts (great for an energy boost)
    Dinner - Steamed veggies and meat (steak, grilled chicken, fish, etc)

    I know this won't work for everyone, but I just thought I would share a day of (mostly) unprocessed food eating that can keep you under 1200
  • trinakiddo123
    trinakiddo123 Posts: 10
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    hey guys, ive been doing the 1200 cals a day for about a year now - but i allow myself atleast one blow out cheat meal a week! think it stops me from going insane. i also dont eat back the calories i burn off,
    i find really good foods are eggs, tuna, skinny pasta, loading bologneses/stir frys/chillis with LOTS of vegetables and small amounts of meat! i also weigh pretty much everything as it is so easier to go over the weight of pasta etc.

    there are some days when im starving and some when im stuffed! very strange.

    keep at it :) produces amazing results. xxxxx
  • trinakiddo123
    trinakiddo123 Posts: 10
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    i also drink atleast 4 - 6 litres of water a day, lots of peppermint green tea AND coffee with skimmed milk and sweetners ;) keeps me full xxx
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    Nope. 1800-1900 calories. :happy:
  • QueenAthena
    QueenAthena Posts: 5 Member
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    I couldn't do it. Bumped up to 1450 and it's manageable! 1200 I was ALWAYS cranky and hungry.
    Sweet if you can hang in!
  • vickilgreshik
    vickilgreshik Posts: 13 Member
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    I had a 1260 allowance and had a terrible time with it. I thought about food all day long, even though I was eating a lot of fruit and vegetables (always amazed how I used up my sugars so quickly with fruit). I went up 90 calories to 1350 and it made a huge difference for me. I didn't feel deprived and just upped my exercise to accommodate it. I also found that drinking a LOT of water really helped. I tried to get 10-12 8-oz servings a day, although walking back and forth to the bathroom all the time probably burned off a few calories, too.
  • AmayaJo1
    AmayaJo1 Posts: 34
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    I actually stay between 1200-1300..( I'm 5''0, I don't exercise. and I'm 28.)
    Try going to: http://scoobysworkshop.com/accurate-calorie-calculator/ and see what numbers it gives you...1200 cals isn't for everyone.

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  • kkeen1487
    kkeen1487 Posts: 9 Member
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    i log everything I plan on eating first thing in the morning so i know when i have room to spare for a extra snack. plus working out gives you more to work with just make sure you are making fresh healthy choices
  • buffholtman
    buffholtman Posts: 1 Member
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    1200 seems okay but at night when I want a snack, it pushes me over the limit. Anyone have a suggestion for a healthy snack? I have tried celery and peanut butter which is okay, but I want other good choices. Fruit puts my sugar intake too high and peanut butter adds too much fat. Any suggestions?

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