1200 calorie sample day? i need advice

traceyrbb

i have been doing my diary since january and have lost weight but i don't eat as healthy food as i should. does anyone have a sample day of what is good to eat and reach 1200 calories? just curious

shelly650

Im actually really interested to see what examples there are because im also not too sure that my options are the healthiest!!
You can check out mine if you like!!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/shelly650

mazomama

some good meals are in the hungry girl books - 200 under 200 or her new one coming out called 300 under 300. Yo can get them both from amazon.

heres' a BUMP for ya though :happy:

jleshuk

honestly the key for me in eating healthier is eating a big breakfast and small meals until dinner when you can eat more. My meals usuallly go like this

Breakfast
Toast
banana
WATER WATER WATER!

AM Snack
Greek Yogurt- fat free but loaded with protien keeps me more full longer
WATER

I work out on my lunch break all while drinking water

Protien shake with fat free milk after work out

Lunch
salad or sandwich with a fruit

pm snack
wheat thins with cottage cheese

By dinner you will still have at least 500 calories. Water is very essential to staying full and making it easier to last all day on your 4 small meals. If you dont like water you can try crystal light. only 5 calories and a nice change!

judyfurtado

Feel free to look at my diary.

MB_Positif

I am in NO way an expert...just wanted to say that first...my daily calorie goal is 1370, so I am able to keep each meal around 400 calories and then have a couple of snacks. I guess with 1200 you'd have to shoot for 300 calorie meals which is pretty hard. I have found a lot of great meals around 400 calories in Prevention Magazine as well as their one cookbook, The Flat Belly Diet Family Cookbook. So you could probably lighten up some of those recipes to lower the calories even more...hope this helps at least a little!

AbiNichole

I'm not this huge weight loss success story... yet. I've been on MFP for about a month. I've lost before and I've learned the biggest thing is to eat quality calories. Lots of ppl have success eating processed foods and those are ok in moderation but eventually you will plateau eating that sorta stuff. Also, just trying to eat below a daily limit doesn't teach your body or yourself a healthy LIFESTYLE--- which I feel like are ppl's main objectives on MFP. 3 tips

1. Lower your sodium intake so stay away from frozen meals, fast foods, and "diet" foods. My weakness is Lean Cuisine but you really shouldn't make them a staple in your diet. Though tasted, they're very processed. The same w/ soups and those lil 100 calorie snack packs. Delicious. Good for treats. But not good to include everyday.
2. I try to eat 2-3 servings of lean protein (turkey, chicken, fish), 4-5 servings of veggies (anything green is good. stay away from starches like corn, potatoes, and certain beans), 2-3 servings of fruit (watch the sugar on these. berries are better than banans, apples/oranges better than peaches, etc.), 1-2 servings of complex carbs (whole grain cereal, whole wheat bread products, etc.)
3. Snack right! Some days it's tough to eat a healthy snack but I'm a "regular" oxidizer (according to Jillian Michael's book) so I try to eat snacks w/ some complex carbs and lean protein. Example: apple w/ unsalted almonds OR 2 ounces of lean turkey on 1 slice of whole wheat bread folded up like a sandwich.

Best of luck! Just remember if a caveman could find the food you're eating pretty easily it's probably fine for you. Cavemen didn't have factories to extract all the fat and cals out of a mini pack of oreos.

PamDW

I try to eat small meals 5 times a day
Activia is a staple in my life because it helps with other aspects of my diet
cauliflower and broccoli are great fillers... they are best to have around as snacks
I also keep celery and fresh fruit around
lunch on a workday consists of healthy choice or the like
dinners salad or some type of concoction in a Tumaros tortilla (only 60 cal)
dessert or my snack is kellogs antioxidant fiber plus bars.
also eat dried cereal.... ones with fiber and limited sugar
keep skim swiss in my fridge
bake or boil chicken to have on hand for meals
low fat red meat too for the protein
I really concentrate on my calories and protein... limit my fat.
oatmeal is good too!

PrincessLacey

My diary is set at 1,200 but I exercise too so I eat maybe 1,400 calories a day (on an ordinary day)
you can check out my diary,i'll add you so you can see it.
(ignore yesterday I was having a bad day)

melsinct

My diary isn't open but here are my most recent 1200 calorie days (usually I don't eat cereal but I have been on a kick this week):

Breakfast:
2 poached eggs
2 pieces of bacon
1 piece of toast
Lunch:
Bowl of Kashi Go Lean Crunch with skim milk
Dinner:
Jambalaya with cornbread (homemade)

Previous day breakfast:
Kashi Go Lean Crunch with skim milk
Lunch:
1/4 bagel toasted with 1 teaspoon cream cheese
Plain yogurt with strawberry jam
Banana
Dinner:
Mango curry (homemade) with 1 cup of brown rice and 4 ounces of chicken

snobuny032

Meal one Breakfast
0.5 Serving Max Muscle Max Pro 65 cal
1.0 Serving Voskos Greek Wild Strawberry Yogurt 120 cal
1.0 Item Banana 109 cal
Total 294 cal

Meal 2 Snack Protein Carbs Fat Calories
1.0 Item Apple 81 cal
1.0 Serving Max Muscle Max Pro 130 cal
Total 211 cal

Meal 3 Lunch
4.0 Ounces Chicken Breast, Meat Only 187 cal
10.0 Ounces Asparagus 65 cal
2.0 Items Carrots 52 cal
2.0 Cups Strawberries 86 cal
Total 390 cal

Meal 4 Snack
1.0 Serving Max Muscle Max Pro 130 cal
Total 130 cal

Meal 5 Dinner
5.0 Ounces Ground Turkey, Raw 211 cal
2.0 Cups Cauliflower, Chopped 50 cal
1.0 Cup Green Bell or Sweet Peppers, Boiled, Drained 38 cal
Total 30 299 cal

Meal 6 Snack
1.0 Serving Max Muscle Max Pro 130 cal
Total 130 cal

This is just over 1400 calories with the max pro.. Very filling!.. I eat this every other week and usually skip 6th meal
Good Luck!

eyeamAnne

This is what I've been doing:

Breakfast:
2/3 cup oatmeal, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon butter, a small handful of craisins -- almost 300 calories

Lunch:
1 1/2 flatbread, pizza sauce, mozeralla cheese, Hormel mini peperoni, tomatoes, green peppers -- 382 calories
Somewhere in the forum here people talked about flatbread pizza. Toast both sides so it doesn't get soggy and then put your ingredients on.

or I have a PB&J Sandwich

Dinner: varies. I've been cooking with the crockpot because I don't like to cook and if I wait last minute to throw dinner together I end up snacking on bad food. I'll do a meat with frozen veggies and bread and butter. If I go lean on dinner I'll have a homemade fruit smoothie after.

I'm not really snacking during the day, but I don't feel like I need to either. What I'm eating for breakfast and lunch is very satisfying!!! I love, love, love, LOVE pizza and I prefer the flatbread pizza over delivery because the veggies are fresh (I don't like cooked tomatoes or green peppers). My current menu may not be the healthiest, but I'm not hungry and for now this is something I know I can maintain. The only thing I'd do differently would be to snack on crunchy veggies (however, I have braces on my teeth and a lot of things are difficult to eat).

And yes --- what the others have said ---- lotsa water!

If I workout I drink a cup of milk, have more peanut butter and bread, eat a banana, and I plan to pick up some avacados to eat plain because I LOVE avacadoes. BTW, I'm new to this.

victoriashea

Okay! Start your day right. Try:
1/2 oats (measured while uncooked) -75 calories
1/2 of a medium apple - 45 calories (appx.)
1 tbsp fat free half & half in your oatmeal - 10 calories
1 tbsp brown sugar (or stevia if you want to go calorie free! I mix mine in with the heated milk. It all tastes the same.) 45 calories (appx.)
I like to throw in a couple raisins, about 1/8 cup. 52 calories.
That's a 227 calorie breakfast that'll keep you satisfied for a few hours.
For a snack, try the rest of your apple from breakfast - 45 calories.

Lunch: A round of whole wheat pita bread - 148 calories (6" diameter)
Top it with a container of Chobani non-fat Greek yogurt - 150 calories and super filling.
Throw some blueberries on top - 50 berries are 39 calories. And that's a LOT of berries.
337 for lunch, and that brings you up to 609.
Keep in mind that none of these meals are large. Small, healthy meals scattered throughout the day are great for a variety of reasons.
Have another snack. Something small. A tablespoon of peanut butter is 95 calories. It's the same for about 5 walnuts. Or if you're a little hungrier, that's about the same amount of calories as an entire grapefruit.
That brings your daily total to somewhere around 700 calories. You should reach this fourth meal by about 3 o'clock. If the meals are spaced out well you should never feel hungry.

For dinner, think small. I like a cup (or maybe two) of sauteed broccoli and carrots, tossed in sesame seeds and soy sauce.
1 tbsp sesame seeds is 15 calories.
1 tbsp soy sauce is 10 calories.
1 cup of steamed broccoli is 30 calories.
1 cup of carrots is appx. 55 calories.
Total: 110 calories, bringing your daily total to 810.

Later tonight enjoy a chef's salad: 2 cups salad greens- 20 calories
2 oz water-packed drained salmon (60)
1/4 cup cooked chickpeas (70)
2 Tbsp reduced-fat shredded cheese (50)
2 Tbsp fat-free ranch dressing (40)
Pair it with a small dinner roll (80)
Total: 320
Daily total: 1,130 calories.
With 70 calories leftover for dessert!
I really love Fiber One yogurts (especially the key lime pie) and they're only 50 calories. Bingo!

So that feeds you for 24 hours with 6 small meals. I've consumed an almost identical meal plan on many an occasion. Hope this is what you were looking for!
-Victoria

lolabugs

I may not have the most healthy meal plan, but so far I'm within range for carbs, fats, protein and sodium. He's a sample from Thursday. I would suggest eating a larger breakfast instead of adding calories with chocolate, but if you're like me, a little chocolate at the end of the day can keep you from feeling deprived (just pay attention to how much you consume).

Breakfast:
Kashi TLC Honey Almond Flax Chewy Granola Bar - 140 cals

Lunch:
16 reduced Fat Wheat Thins - 130 cals
Laughing Cow light sun dried tomato & Basil Mozzarella Wedge - 35 cals
2 medium carrots - ~50 cals
Sabra Sun Dried Tomato Hummus (2Tbsp) - 70 cals
Fage 0% greek yogurt with strawberry &Goji - 110 cals
Unsweetened Iced Tea - 0 cals

Dinner:
Smoked Turkey Breast Wrap:
Flatout! Whole Wheat Flatbread - 100 cals
Diestel Chipotle Peppered Turkey Breast Slices (2) - 60 cals
Boar's Head Muenster Cheese Slice - 100 cals
Beaver Cream Horseradish (1tsp) - 10 cals
French's Mustard - 0 cals
Green Leaf Lettuce (1 leaf) - 4 cals
Vlasic Baby Kosher Dill Pickle - 5 cals

1 Carrot - 25 cals
Trader Joe's Smooth and Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (1Tbsp) - 40 cals

Snacks:
Frigo Light String Cheese (2 sticks) - 120 cals
Trader Joe's Mini Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups (27 pieces) - 210 cals

totals:
Cals: 1,209
Carbs: 130
Fat: 51
Protein: 75
Sodium: 2,407

I hope this helps. The way I usually try to work it out is to have a small breakfast, a medium lunch and a relatively medium dinner. I found the website www.eatbetteramerica.com a while back and love their meals. There's a whole section for dinner entrees under 300 calories and sides for under 100. Keep plugging away. Veggies are the simplest ways to eat a bunch of food without worrying that you're taking in too many calories. Plus, I was surprised at how cheep they are compared to the packaged foods I buy.

I also have the opportunity to buy a weeks worth of lunch foods and store them at work so I don't have to worry about making lunch in the morning. It can get a little boring to eat the same thing everyday for lunch, but you'll know exactly how many calories you're eating for that meal and I've found that I can plan a lot better for dinner.

traceyrbb

thanks everyone! i keep reading things in the communities about eating your NET calories and that all calories are not the same and then there are others who are like me who eat the before exercise calories and try to work in regular foods as well as healthy foods. I think I'm just getting myself confused where I don't need to. I was doing great before I started to analyze it all....

I appreciate everyone's samples. It's a big help!

traceyrbb

This is what I've been doing:

Breakfast:
2/3 cup oatmeal, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon butter, a small handful of craisins -- almost 300 calories

Lunch:
1 1/2 flatbread, pizza sauce, mozeralla cheese, Hormel mini peperoni, tomatoes, green peppers -- 382 calories
Somewhere in the forum here people talked about flatbread pizza. Toast both sides so it doesn't get soggy and then put your ingredients on.

or I have a PB&J Sandwich

Dinner: varies. I've been cooking with the crockpot because I don't like to cook and if I wait last minute to throw dinner together I end up snacking on bad food. I'll do a meat with frozen veggies and bread and butter. If I go lean on dinner I'll have a homemade fruit smoothie after.

I'm not really snacking during the day, but I don't feel like I need to either. What I'm eating for breakfast and lunch is very satisfying!!! I love, love, love, LOVE pizza and I prefer the flatbread pizza over delivery because the veggies are fresh (I don't like cooked tomatoes or green peppers). My current menu may not be the healthiest, but I'm not hungry and for now this is something I know I can maintain. The only thing I'd do differently would be to snack on crunchy veggies (however, I have braces on my teeth and a lot of things are difficult to eat).

And yes --- what the others have said ---- lotsa water!

If I workout I drink a cup of milk, have more peanut butter and bread, eat a banana, and I plan to pick up some avacados to eat plain because I LOVE avacadoes. BTW, I'm new to this.

I love, love, love, LOVE peanut butter sandwiches! Glad to see someone else includes it in their diary!

Mommyof3texans

Feel free to look at my diary, it's open. I struggle a little with variety but have really focused on trying to eat as healthy as possible.

manda907

We picked up a book that has a starting guide, and lots of recipes that list the calories, what veggies you get, etc.

The book is called "No Fad Diet" by the American Heart Association, we picked it up at Barnes & Noble. We are using it to start our 1200 cal diet, it has 2 weeks of menu inside and lots of other recipes, as well as menus for 1600 & 2000 cals.

kbean33

bump