need ideas for 1200 calories

tashfashion

Hi Everyone,

I'm looking for some quick and easy meal ideas to meet my calorie intake of 1200. i'm trying to lose 2 lbs per week and was successful with weight watchers at one point, but i'm trying to stay away from frozen meals. I just need some guidance on what to eat for lunch and dinner. any sample meal plans out there anyone can share?

smarieallen85

I'm at 1200/day!

Here's what I had today:

Breakfast : 305
coffee
luna bar

lunch : 285
Salad with red leaf lettuce, tomato, mushroom, cucumber, 2 table spoons of lite balsamic

Snacks:
cottage cheese and blueberries 151
brownie 128

Dinner : 278
Same salad except with a can of tuna and a little bit of shredded mozzarella

I burned 202 doing cardio (I don't count weight training) so I have 330 calories to look forward to for desert! Yum! Stoneyfield organic frozen yogurt, 100 calories for a half cup.

tashfashion

Thanks for sharing!
I'm worried that 1200 isn't going to be enough to feel full but I may try the salad idea and add ground turkey..

itsbasschick

i'm on 1200 net calories per day.

today for breakfast i had 1/3 cup oats made with 2/3 cup non-fat milk (i hold a little of the milk back to put on the oatmeal when it's hot), cinnamon and sweetened with stevia. unsweetened oats are good for you. they're a clean complex carb with almost no fat but fiber to help keep you feeling full. they're also cheap.

fage 0% non-fat yogurt is something i use a lot. it's high in protein, fat free and has few carbs. i add newman's light italian plus tons of dill and pepper and eat it as a dip. i mix it 2 parts yogurt to 1 part avocado, add lots of dill, lemon juice, salt substitute (salt will work) and pepper or with salsa. then eat with baked or garden of eatin organic blue corn tortilla chips. i also just eat it as yogurt, and make salad dressings with it. sometimes i eat 3 ounces as a protein boost between meals.

a 5.3 ounce (before baking) potato is less than 170 calories, high in carbs, fiber and vitamin c. then a tablespoon of balade light butter and 2 or 3 Tb of daisy light sour cream, top with pepper and enjoy.

honestly you can eat any food you want, just control the amounts by weighing your servings. 1 serving of pasta is 200 calories. you can pour sauce on it, light sour cream with all sorts of spices or just add a teaspoon of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of parmesean and toss. you can make a serving of rice for 200 calories, then mix in steamed veggies with the sauce of your choice. or barley makes a delish cold salad with some chopped celery and other veggies, then drizzle with a light creamy dressing.

i'm a vegetarian, so some of what i eat may not work for you, but there's always a slice of tasty sour dough bread (or in my case half a slice) with trader joe's light mayo plus a slice of sargento reduced fat swiss.

galeo's ginger wasabe dressing is delish, and is good on a wide variety of foods to liven them up. it's lower in sodium and fat than most dressings, and it's my fave.

i eat a single serving of archer farms lower salt potato chips or rice thins (1 weighed ounce) when i'm out or in a rush, along with some yogurt or cheese or dip.

and check out the 40 calorie brownies in the recipe section of MFP! yum! i'm going to try and add protein powder for more protein, but the greek yogurt does make it pretty decent if you have a couple servings.

smarieallen85

Thanks for sharing!
I'm worried that 1200 isn't going to be enough to feel full but I may try the salad idea and add ground turkey..

I thought the same and while I have to admit the hunger I experience before my meals is WAY MORE INTENSE, I'm just trying to deal with that. I find that the food I'm allowed to eat is completely enough. I seriously have a desert every night. Sometimes it's only like...pineapple, but I've learned to cherish fruit. I somehow was able to fit in a brownie and a half pint of frozen yogurt today because I had 2 salads...I don't recommend always eating 2 salads. I'm lazy.

mommysews67

I am also on 1200 calories. I do some exercise every day but don't often burn many calories. Anyway my diary is public so you can see what I eat and maybe get some ideas

FatFreeFrolicking

Breakfast:

2 eggs, 2 slices Sara Lee 45 calorie bread with a little butter

Morning snack:

Apple

Lunch:

3-4 oz lean meat, 1/2 cup brown rice, veggies

Afternoon snack:

Protein shake or 15 almonds

Dinner:

3-4 oz lean meat, 1 small sweet potato, veggies

Late night snack:

100 calorie popcorn

astralweeks82

No idea, but good luck. 1200 calories a day would make me mad with hunger.

mcaila

I recently discovered Joseph's flax & whole wheat pitas which are only 60 cals a pita and pretty filling. I'll sometimes pair one with a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese (35 cals) for a pretty low calorie snack or lunch. Today for dinner I made some fresh spring rolls which were pretty easy to make - just wrapped up some chopped veggies, cilantro and shrimp in a rice paper wrapper with some peanut sauce for dipping. Overall it was pretty easy to make, delicious & low-calorie.

incogneato

I have become a huge fan of lettuce wraps. There are tons of recipes online for asian lettuce wraps made with ground turkey, or "taco" lettuce wraps made with shredded chicken and taco toppings. Taking away the tortilla or rice or whatever carb usually goes with the meal really lowers the calorie count while still leaving the meal with veggies and protein. For breakfast I usually have scrambled eggs with 1-2 whole eggs, then some egg whites, topped with fresh salsa. Salads are good ut I need some protein and filling toppings added to be satisfied, like some chopped avocado, beans, meat, etc.

Serah87

No idea, but good luck. 1200 calories a day would make me mad with hunger.

This!! ^^^

I like food to much. :bigsmile:

You know you can lose weight with eating more, just thought I throw that out there.

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

TeaBea

No idea, but good luck. 1200 calories a day would make me mad with hunger.

ME too!

Trying to lose fat and KEEP muscle....1200?.....no thanks

leahraskie

You can look at my diary for ideas. <.< There are some days I've exercised a ton though, but I ate back those calories for snacks. It might help.

Boobietrap1337

I'm pretty good at sticking to 1200 calories and I never go hungry. Take a look at my diary for ideas!

randomtai

More food is an idea.

GoldspursX3

No idea, but good luck. 1200 calories a day would make me mad with hunger.

ME too!

Trying to lose fat and KEEP muscle....1200?.....no thanks

Way to hijack someone's thread with your $.02.

marieamethyst

I do 1200+exercise, and my diary is open - feel free to browse / add if you want! :flowerforyou:

tashfashion

Thanks for sharing!
I'm worried that 1200 isn't going to be enough to feel full but I may try the salad idea and add ground turkey..

I thought the same and while I have to admit the hunger I experience before my meals is WAY MORE INTENSE, I'm just trying to deal with that. I find that the food I'm allowed to eat is completely enough. I seriously have a desert every night. Sometimes it's only like...pineapple, but I've learned to cherish fruit. I somehow was able to fit in a brownie and a half pint of frozen yogurt today because I had 2 salads...I don't recommend always eating 2 salads. I'm lazy.

have you lost any weight yet? What are you doing for excersie? ?

smarieallen85

Thanks for sharing!
I'm worried that 1200 isn't going to be enough to feel full but I may try the salad idea and add ground turkey..

I thought the same and while I have to admit the hunger I experience before my meals is WAY MORE INTENSE, I'm just trying to deal with that. I find that the food I'm allowed to eat is completely enough. I seriously have a desert every night. Sometimes it's only like...pineapple, but I've learned to cherish fruit. I somehow was able to fit in a brownie and a half pint of frozen yogurt today because I had 2 salads...I don't recommend always eating 2 salads. I'm lazy.

have you lost any weight yet? What are you doing for excersie? ?

I started June at 162/163 and am now 149 the first week of August. I started at 1500 calories and dropped it to 1200 sometime in July.

For exercise I circuit train and learn heavy/free weight stuff with a trainer. Besides that, spin once a week, maybe zumba once a week, and 10-30 minutes of the stair master after every weight training session. 5-6 days of gym in the week. You'll still lose weight without all that but you'll look more toned and nice with it.

michikade

My calorie goal is actually quite a bit higher than 1200 but there have been days when I only ate 1200 - 1300 and felt satisfied. (Full disclosure: my real goal is 1730 and if I move I eat more, but if it's an entirely sedentary day I have eaten much lower. Most days I eat between 1650-1700 -- over my personal BMR by a bit but below my personal TDEE).

In my house, we eat a lot of egg whites, roasted or raw vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, brussels sprouts, sweet peppers, cherry size tomatoes), apples, grilled chicken, roasted turkey breast (not lunch meat - "turkey roast" - we cook them on weekends, slice them and have them on hand for the week), mixed tree nuts, baby greens for salads, salsa for salad dressing, even peanut butter. You can eat a TON of those kinds of vegetables for very few calories. We also get the 100 calorie 100% whole wheat sandwich rounds for sandwiches if we want one - I make egg white sandwiches for breakfast sometimes and it comes out to somewhere between 150-180 calories depending on whether or not I chop up some bell pepper and onion and make an omelet sandwich.

Note: if you want to aim for 1200 calories, make sure it's net calories - so when you exercise you should eat back the calories you burned to move. You'll still have a caloric deficit and it'll provide you with the energy you need.

Naley2322

Today I Ate:

Breakfast: Coffee / 1/8 cup unsweetened almond milk / baked apple / egg beaters = 220 calories

Lunch: Tofu / sauteed green beans & red bell pepper / seasoning = 316 calories

Snack: Mini Apple / Fage Greek yogurt = 197 calories

Dinner: Lite Life Vegan Chicken on romaine lettuce / 1 1/2 cup zucchini / chopped peppers / seasoning = 268 calories

Snack: oatmeal / apricot = 197 calories

total: 1.198 calories

smarieallen85

Today I Ate:

Breakfast: Coffee / 1/8 cup unsweetened almond milk / baked apple / egg beaters = 220 calories

Lunch: Tofu / sauteed green beans & red bell pepper / seasoning = 316 calories

Snack: Mini Apple / Fage Greek yogurt = 197 calories

Dinner: Lite Life Vegan Chicken on romaine lettuce / 1 1/2 cup zucchini / chopped peppers / seasoning = 268 calories

Snack: oatmeal / apricot = 197 calories

total: 1.198 calories

Thanks for sharing this! I have trouble when I don't log cardio so I can eat back some calories. So this is what a true 1200 calorie day looks like....Much easier burn 200 and eat 1400

scottyray12

Best advice is go big for breakfast get filled up. I like oat meal and an apple, lunch i do tuna on pumpernickle, lettuce, mayonaise and a side salad. dinner half of a baked potatoe, salmon, steak, or chciken breast with a side salad or steamed veggies. Then add about 30 to 40 minutes of excersise (walking briskly) You will be surprised at how hard it is to eat 1200 when you are keepimg track of it. Dont forget include your butter when doing your food diary.

smarieallen85

For some reason that sounds like way more than 1200 calories. Portioning I guess.

Naley2322

Nope Its 1,200 I weigh / calculate and measure everything... I have been counting for so long i have learned to make really high volume low calorie meals