1200 calories on rest days? How is it possible?

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  • farmerpam1
    farmerpam1 Posts: 402 Member
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    I'm a little person and found 1200 was too low. I am obsessively active and was hungry all the time. I had to listen to my body and up the calories. Egg white omelets, lots of veggies, cottage cheese, yogurt, lean chicken and fish. I don't worry too much anymore if I go over, I'm happy with losing a half pound a week. I need energy to do the things I do. It's all good, slow and steady wins the race, right?
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
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    debrag12- Eating less than you burn is how you lose weight.

    yes I know that, I was more making a point that on my rest days I can still burn well over 1200 calories. Sticking to 1200 would be too big a deficit for me and I'd be hungry and go over, maybe the deficit is too large for OP to be satisfied on 1200

    Oh maybe I don't know the point I'm trying to make lol
  • LumberJacck
    LumberJacck Posts: 559 Member
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    OP, just as an experiment try eating 1200 calories just out of veges. I would use frozen since they are easier, but try any, except perhaps corn and potatoes. The mixed frozen veges I have would require me to eat 4 kilograms to reach 1200, that includes 52 grams of protein built into the veges. The only problem with this experiment is that it costs a lot and also you'll have frequent trips to the toilet, you're basically drinking 3.5 litres of water.

    So the question for this experiment is: are you hungry?
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
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    So how do you stay at your 1200 calorie goal on days you don't work out. I am always over. How do u meet even just your protein needs? I have a shake and 1 egg white for breakfast and that's already 150 calories, 600 for lunch, and let's say 600 for supper, that's already 1350??? And I haven't even had a snack at all yet. I can't figure it out? Are you guys eating very very tiny meals, if so please in lighten me as to an idea of what I are eating please?...

    I don't. I plugged my numbers into IIFYM.com and I eat that calorie goal every day, whether I work out or not. MUCH happier.
  • mom2nicknat
    mom2nicknat Posts: 56 Member
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    I eat 6 meals a day and total 1,200 on rest days - feel free to look at my diary.
    Took a while to figure out what worked and kept me full. I go over my proteins usually and fat (mainly good fats) and stay under for carbs, sodium and sugar.
  • KittenKat1454
    KittenKat1454 Posts: 3
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    I do intermittent fasting.
    As long as I have no snacks, I am always able to eat 1,200 or lower.
  • brittvas55
    brittvas55 Posts: 15 Member
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    My go to filler upper for no workout days is a spring field mix salad, with lemon chicken (no oil), a little shredded cheese or avocado, cucumbers, and light italian dressing.

    ooo and light & fit greek yogurt. Only 80 calories and very filling.
  • olgasgarden
    olgasgarden Posts: 34 Member
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    old thread but really useful. :)
    i am 5' 7" and currently at 188 pounds, started out at 211 .i am doing about 1200 cal days for last 30-40 days now (i also run 4-5 times a week but i stay at around 1200 even if i run). feel free to look at my diary. i basically eat salads with yogurt dressings for lunch and dinner. took a while to get used to it. all of these salads make me sometimes i fell like i am turning into a rabbit but it works. they fill me up which is what make me feel comfortable.
    hope this is helpful to however is trying to do 1200 cal days :)
    feel freed to add me as a friend.
  • hazleyes81
    hazleyes81 Posts: 296 Member
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    Low carb/cal days for me are:

    Breakfast Lean Shake 25 (200 cal, 25 pro)

    Snack protein shake (104 cal, 25 pro)

    Lunch: Tuna with mayo on sliced cucumber (200 cal, 30 pro)

    Pre and post workout snack: Quest bar (180 cal, 21 pro)

    Dinner: seasoned chicken breast, 3+ cups salad w/2 tbs dressing, 1/4 avocado (237 cal, 28 pro)

    somewhere in there I also have a mozzarella snack for an additional 50 cal, 8 pro

    Total: 1015 cal, 140 pro, 33 fat, 65 carb (33 net), 33 fiber

    I do a 3:1:2:1 ratio of low to "high" carb/cal days. High days are ~1500 calories, which puts my weekly avg at 1200 per day.

    My 1500 cal days come out to 135 pro, 55 fat, 125 carb (100 net), 25 fiber.

    Either way I feel like I am constantly eating with the way I divide everything up (ever 3 hours)
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    I don't aim for 1200 per day. But my meals are often 300-400 without really trying to keep them low. Lean meat & veggies often comes out to a low #. But I eat often throughout the day, so my 'snacks' category fills up.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    I don't aim for 1200 per day. But my meals are often 300-400 without really trying to keep them low. Lean meat & veggies often comes out to a low #.

    This. I've been working on increasing the calorie count now that I'm not doing 1250, but if you have a leaner meat source, veggies, and even a moderate amount of a starch, it's not hard to stick around 400 or less, depending on the meat. If I want to decrease calories, I replace the starch with a second (different) vegetable, or maybe some fruit.

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