struggling with a 1200 calorie allowance

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Replies

  • missing75
    missing75 Posts: 26 Member
    I've been eating 1200 calories for 60 days now... I know many of you think it's not enough calories but it works for me...
    This is my plan (my diary is open, as well): 300 calories for breakfast, only cauccino or so at lunch (this is because i don't have a lunch break at work); always a satisfying snack (cheese, salame or sweets) and lots of veggies for dinners... Of course I exceed 1200 caories once in a while but by planning my meals in advance I can manage 1200 calories.
  • summerbabe65
    summerbabe65 Posts: 19 Member
    I'm not having too much trouble sticking to it, more like I have trouble actually hitting the 1200 calorie allowance. No matter what I happen to eat throughout the day it barely exceeds 1000 calories. Sorry for not being as helpful but if you're finding 1200 hard to maintain maybe just gradually change little things about what you eat. Say, if you drink tea maybe don't add as much sugar as previously, so on so forth. I suggest having a high protein breakfast because for me at least I've found it'll kept my hunger satisfied until my scheduled lunch meal or snack :)
  • fushigi1988
    fushigi1988 Posts: 519 Member
    My BMR is already 1800, so 1200 would leave me starving.
    I eat between 2300-2500 on average. I lift weights 3x a week and go running 2-3x a week.
  • 1exercisefreak
    1exercisefreak Posts: 75 Member
    I am following a 1200 calorie diet ......It works out good...
  • 1200 Calories isn't too hard. Im a male with more caloric needs and find it simple..


    Breakfast-
    Oatmeal and Coffee

    Lunch-
    PPJ and Baked Chips

    Dinner-
    Talapia and Veggies

    Snacks-
    Klondike Bar

    And im talking a THICK PPJ, and a KLONDIKE.
    Got my protein, alittle more fat than i needed, but this is not a perfect day... but a day that shows you even eating an ice cream bar and i can stay at around 1200.
  • Solar07
    Solar07 Posts: 83 Member
    I'm doing ok with 1200 but I find myself hungry at 8pm. Trying now to eat a protein 1 hour before I go to bed so that I can sleep through the night. Not to mention I'm horrible with drinking water. So for that I started drinking hot water with lemon, which is supposed to help with digestion. Believe me, I'm not saying I don't go over but I've been walking to try and keep that under control.
  • KaterinaTerese
    KaterinaTerese Posts: 345 Member
    I did well with 800-1,200 for about 9 months. Then I gained 10 lbs back of the 65 I lost.

    i've found eating above my BMR/slightly below my TDEE to be the best method -- not hangry, but still losing.

    Right now I'm maintaining on 2,100 and planning to cut to 1,900 in a few weeks.

    Use this -->http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ --> to calculate your numbers.
  • gabrielleelliott90
    gabrielleelliott90 Posts: 854 Member
    This is why I don't do 1200. It's hard to stick to because it is so little calories. And also I wouldn't advise it because this is basically the least amount of calories your body can survive on, Do what makes you happy and comfortable. Remember, this is a marathon not a sprint, so no matter if you aim for half a pound a week or not, you will get there in the end and gradual is best. So if you up your cals, don't sweat it.
  • COliver416
    COliver416 Posts: 87 Member
    Steamed vegetables. This is my ace in the hole. Steamed Broccoli, Steamed Spinach, Steamed Green Beans, Steamed Brussels Sprouts, Steamed anything and everything. So good... tasty, wonderful, and excellent--you can add seasons and really make them good.

    The best part is that a bag of steamed vegetables is 110 to 130 calories, and you get 3.5 to 4 servings. On average I'll eat 16 to 20 servings of vegetables, and that's all under 400 to 600 calories. Then, I'll have 2 to 3 servings of protein, usually chicken breasts or fish filets and that's 2 to 5 hundred calories, which keeps me under a thousand. Then the rest are fruits and easily digestible carbs.

    Hunger is based on nutritional deficiency and the stretch receptors in your stomach that send a signal to the brain that says, I'm full.

    Some other tricks that you can do. Drink one liter of ice cold water right when you wake up before you do anything. It'll naturally curb your appetite. Then, keeping water out of the fridge and drinking a warm bottle of water 30 minutes before a meal will curb your appetite. Another trick is HIIT exercise. High intensity Interval Training, causes a release of hormones that suppress hunger as well.
  • Fill up on fruits and vegetables with low calorie counts and high fiber. Volumize your meals with legumes and raw veggies to help keep you fuller longer. Don't forget your protein either as it will help you work with a 1200 cal budget. If you exercise more, you can eat more!
  • ahagood11
    ahagood11 Posts: 2 Member
    It is hard to stick to 1200 calories for sure. This is all good advice. I workout everyday so that I can eat more calories but also just try to make sure that the calories I do get help fill me up. I try to be sure to get enough protein in my diet with each meal and snack. when you see the results of your hard work it sure make all of this worth it. I wish you the best of luck on your journey!!:happy:
  • EuroDivas
    EuroDivas Posts: 93 Member
    I'm doing good with the 1200 calorie. The only thing that I am having issues with is the sugars. I am going over in them anywhere from 10 to 20 a day......

    I have the same issue as I eat a lot of fruit to stay full and love fresh fruit in general. The 1200 cal a day worked for me pretty well but I did have days where I went over. Drinking a lot of tea helps with the cravings.
  • Most people try to jump in and start with the "Lose 2lbs" a week program. Start at a lb or 1/2 a lb until your stomach shrinks, and you get use to the smaller portion sizes, then lower your calorie count. Determination isn't a bad thing, but don't make the boulder too big to push up the hill. Start with a smaller stone, then when you are use to pushing it, make the stone bigger. Don't set yourself up for failure. JMO

    sooo true.. last year i started at 1 1/2 lbs and only made it 3 months .. lost 30 lbs though! in 3 months .. that in my opinion is too much to lose all at once! I couldn't sustain it.. and fell off the wagon. this time i started at 1 lb per week.. then i upped it but that's just because i keep messing up LOL.. i think i'll put it right back down now!
  • leogal14
    leogal14 Posts: 5 Member
    I just joined 10 days ago. I was wondering- when you set your goals, is it better to start with a 20 pound weight loss for the goal, or to put down the total amount you are hoping to lose? Does that affect the calorie amount it sets up for you? I put down 25 as my goal, but if I lost all I need to lose, it would be 50. It has me on 1350 calories per day. Any advice or recommendations? Thanks!
  • Autumngolds
    Autumngolds Posts: 30 Member
    I just joined 10 days ago. I was wondering- when you set your goals, is it better to start with a 20 pound weight loss for the goal, or to put down the total amount you are hoping to lose? Does that affect the calorie amount it sets up for you? I put down 25 as my goal, but if I lost all I need to lose, it would be 50. It has me on 1350 calories per day. Any advice or recommendations? Thanks!

    I'm pretty sure it wouldn't change the calorie amount it sets up to begin with (I'm not sure if it might change later), but you could change it back and forth to check. I had no idea how much I needed to lose so I set an estimate for all that I wanted to lose, but I think I might have to change it eventually to quite a bit more. I think quite a lot of people start with a smaller goal as the first step to a bigger one. I think it's a good idea, because you see the ticker moving faster, and you can celebrate reaching each goal as you go. :)
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
    I am on a low fat, high protein, controlled carb diet of 1000 calories (but if I have exercised and I go to 1100 I don't sweat it).

    Here is my best advice: be creative, you would be surprised what you can come up with.
  • fushigi1988
    fushigi1988 Posts: 519 Member
    I am on a low fat, high protein, controlled carb diet of 1000 calories (but if I have exercised and I go to 1100 I don't sweat it).

    Here is my best advice: be creative, you would be surprised what you can come up with.

    Just 1000? Isn't that a bit too low?
  • MandyKuchta61
    MandyKuchta61 Posts: 26 Member
    I started at 1200 but found it difficult to stick to,i upped it to 1300 a day and still lost,im lucky that have only a stone to lose,have gone from 1300 to 1400 this week and yes my weightloss isnt quick but at least i can stick to it and im still losing weight,think its finding the balance that you can stick to yet still lose,must admit have done a lot of diff diets but calorie countings one i always come back to x
  • rutheglen
    rutheglen Posts: 24 Member
    This advice should be the first thing everybody hears, when they decide to start losing weight! If you find it too hard, or your goal is too big, you are more likely to give up!

    Keep it up - one pebble at a time ;)
  • appletonirvinea
    appletonirvinea Posts: 100 Member
    Planning is key, that's how I cope.
  • leogal14
    leogal14 Posts: 5 Member
    Thank you! I did change the weight loss goal to 50 pounds just to see what it came up with. It went from 1350 cal/day to 1200 cal/day. Quite a difference. I know I need to get enough calories and not go under, in order not to go into starvation mode. What I really love about this program is the ability to scan barcodes! It does all the work and makes me so much more accountable.
  • jojo28012
    jojo28012 Posts: 26 Member
    Love your Boston Terrier. Such a cute pic!!!
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
    Hi
    I was using my fitness pal last year and went from 9st 2lb down to 8st within 2 months and found it really worked for me but I was eating all the wrong things but staying with in my calories, now my aim is to start all over again currently weighing 8st 6lb want to get down to 8st and teach my self to eat healthier.
    Now im eating healthier but I am really struggling to eat enough calories since Monday I have maybe eaten a maximum of 900 calories a day that's 3 meals a day, I would like to aim for the maximum as I know eating too few calories can hinder weight loss, where am I going wrong? :sad:

    I understand wanting to eat better and applaud you for it, but I didn't give up anything that I didn't plan to give up for good, so eat a few of those less healthy things if you need calories at the end of the day. Last night, after I had already eaten nuts as a snack to up my calories, I ended up heating a leftover biscuit, 1/2c of blueberries, 1/2 tbsp of butter and a tsp. of sugar in the microwave and ate it with a 100 calorie container of frozen yogurt. I still had close to 200 calories left for the day when I went to sleep, but I refuse to have over 200 left on any day that I am feeling well. That only makes me ravenous on the next day. (Disclaimer, my goal is 1650, not 1200. However, if you are only eating 900 calories, that would have put you just over 1200 and you could have not used the butter to stay right at 1200.)
  • andreanichole82
    andreanichole82 Posts: 10 Member
    I am also on the 1200 calorie plan. It's working for me so far . I completely changed the way I eat, and now I'm not as hungry or feel as sleepy :)
  • seamonster1203
    seamonster1203 Posts: 118 Member
    Myfitnesspal gives 1200 to everyone. Regardless of your age, size, metabolism, etc. it's always 1200 which makes this app pretty dumb.
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
    I can't figure out how to make that page work. I don't know what to put for percentage of protein and carbs. I entered everything else, but there is nothing to click and nothing shows up on the bottom part.
    Hi try to use this..will give your daily calorie requirements.. =)

    scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • wow Congrats of the weight you have lost. I am so proud of you. Good advise.
  • I am alloted 1345 calories. So I am not sure about the 1200 calories? I have a problem eating that many calories and staying with in the sugar allowance with eating the daily fruit. I will learn as I go.
  • Hi just watch the calories on everything you eat. If you eat carbs in the morning you are going to be hungry the rest of the day. Try dairy ie..yogurt or cottage cheese and fruit for breakfast it was worked for me so far.
  • Muddy_Yogi
    Muddy_Yogi Posts: 1,459 Member
    I don't know if this will even be seen since it is on the 8th page...but PLEASE stop this 1200 calorie insanity! You are most likely eating far below your BMR which is extremely unhealthy. Read the post below. It has a lot of great information. Change your way of thinking! You do not have to be miserable, dizzy and sick to lose weight!

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants?hl=sexypants