200 calorie meal - does it exist?

MarySunshine70

1/2 cup of greek yogurt - nofat and a TON of water with it = 60 cal (feels like so much more)
Then an hour later when the monster bites again - 1/2 cup of Pacific Natural Foods organic red pepper & tomato soup 55 plus one Wasa brand whole grain crisp bread - 40

If I'm really struggling... cider vinegar water - really cuts the hunger and wierdo that I am - I LOVE it.

tambamis

Thanks to all for the specific advice!
From what I am hearing/seeing I'm just eating too much (I know duh) but
I think I'm just so accustomed to eating "more" that a can of soup for dinner immediately makes me think I'M GOING TO STARVE so i want to go cry myself to sleep...but I guess I've never really tried it and listened to my body - not cry.
I did squeeze in a workout so I got another 275 calories - GO RIPPED IN 30!

tinytinadeluca

ViSalus Meal Replacement - 90 calories, Plain Almond milk - 60 calories. Flavor packet and lots of ice. It's thick, satisfying and a great choice for a healthy option!

koosdel

maybe 1200 isnt the right number for you...it sure isnt for me.

I doubt 1,200 calories is right for anyone. Except maybe a small child or a little person. It seems most want to select the maximum weightloss setting, this is not always best.

m0dizzle

Salad with hard boiled egg and red wine vinegar. About 70 cals.Yum!

JobasIsaacs

Thanks to all for the specific advice!
From what I am hearing/seeing I'm just eating too much (I know duh) but
I think I'm just so accustomed to eating "more" that a can of soup for dinner immediately makes me think I'M GOING TO STARVE so i want to go cry myself to sleep...but I guess I've never really tried it and listened to my body - not cry.
I did squeeze in a workout so I got another 275 calories - GO RIPPED IN 30!

My view is it gets easier. Your body will get used to eating a "normal" amount of calories over time - whether 1,200 is "normal" for you, you need to work out for yourself. For me, early on at least, it was easier to maintain my calorie target if I planned my whole day (food wise) either when I got up or even the night before. Rather than thinking after lunch "OMG, I've just blown half my calories for the day", I'd know how I could manage my calorie count to ensure I had something to look forward to later in the day.

My biggest tip is to find something you like that's low cal AND filling, that becomes your "staple". There are some good suggestions here. One of my staples is steamed vegies - I now eat larger meals than I used to, but can stay under a reasonable calorie count by having a large pile of steamed veg with a small amount of meat instead of the other way round. If you've got nothing left but 200 calories, measure out 200 calories worth of fresh beans, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, brussel sprouts, spinach, peas and a small amount of carrots. Even if you're ravenous you'll struggle to finish them.

I couldn't do soups as I don't find them terribly filling. I'm okay with salads but personally I need to have variety in my salads to stay enthused about them (and it's often easy to accidentally choose a dressing that undoes all the good work). Best to experiment with what might work for you. But don't give up!!

rose_mortem

egg whites! one of my favorite foods ever
I am currently eating quite a lot of processed foods, but 3/4 cup egg beaters -- my favorite is the cheese kind, since I don't have to add any cheese -- and 1 morning star farms vegetarian "sausage" patty. 180 calories or so, a TON of protein and barely any carbs.

albayin

egg whites! one of my favorite foods ever
I am currently eating quite a lot of processed foods, but 3/4 cup egg beaters -- my favorite is the cheese kind, since I don't have to add any cheese -- and 1 morning star farms vegetarian "sausage" patty. 180 calories or so, a TON of protein and barely any carbs.

This!

With 3 eggwhites (90 cal), add some fresh spinach or mushrooms, you will stay full all morning!

Chicken breast is another choice but you really have to make sure you are not eating more than 6 oz and no added fat/oil.

Big green salads with a 3 oz lean protein, no dressing, just salt pepper and vinager would be pretty safe too.

The other option is fat free plain yogurt with some berries.

But you will get tired of these if you eat every day. So plan ahead and leave a small treat for yourself by the end of the day.

bachooka

Stirfry veggies with soya sauce and a half cup of rice. So delicious! you might even have enough left for an apple after supper.

albayin

Stirfry veggies with soya sauce and a half cup of rice. So delicious! you might even have enough left for an apple after supper.

1/2 cup rice, how many calories are in this? One serving of my brown rice has 150.

katyejean

Salads are always great choices when you're looking to get only 200ish cals. And drinking a lot of water before you eat your meal gets you fuller faster!.BUT. I will suggest this. PLAN TOMORROW TONIGHT! I have found that planning the night ahead keeps me on track, full all day, and not going over my goal. If you go over a little bit today, don't beat yourself up. It will happen at least once to all of us. Just be careful. It is a mental game sometimes, and you have to ask yourself "Do I really need this, or am I WANTING this? Will this leave me feeling better or WORSE about myself?" Those kinds of things sure help me. Good luck!

albayin

I am really struggling with staying at 1,200 calories a day - its noon and I thought I had done a good job...NOT SO MUCH.
I only have 200 calories left for the day and I know I'm going to be HUNGRY at dinner time.
I've tried to make healthier food choices, but my mind or body (I think mostly my mind) still seems to think it needs more food.
Is there a 200 calorie meal that exists?

The key here to stay within is PLANNING. Plan ahead and spread out the calories through out the day. But things happen and we don't always eat very strategically. totally hear you.

Try a big bowl of steamed veggies, such as broccoli, bok choy, asparagus and mushrooms. Add any spice you want to flavor it up. Use some cooking spray and that might help.

tambamis

Thanks again...more!
This is where it gets nasty for me, I WANT to eat without thinking and obsessing about it.
I've submitted to the exercise part and determined I HAVE to do that, and I'm willing too.
But eating...I just want to eat and eat and eat. So silly.
I will start planning my meals for the day - effective immediately!
Can't wait to see some results.

slashkiss

I use a lot of Cooking Light recipes ... I have books but you can get a bunch of their website too.

I just made a wonderful turkey and bean chili that was only 211 calories per cup.

I also have snagged some tasty recipes from EatingWell.com. I frequently make this lemon chicken stir fry which is only around 225 calories for 1 1/2 cups and we put it over rice for extra calories but if you just add in extra veggies you can skip the rice/pasta all together and it is very filling.


There are lots of tasty healthy recipes out there if you just look!

MattGetsMad

McDougal's Baked Chicken Ramen
McDougal's Tortilla Soup

Is what i usually eat for a light lunch but they definitely fill me up!

Love all the McDougal big cups. The black bean soup is the most filling 170 calories I've ever had.

rainbowbow

I've seen that one but haven't tried it! I'll try that next time.

McDougal's Baked Chicken Ramen
McDougal's Tortilla Soup

Is what i usually eat for a light lunch but they definitely fill me up!

Love all the McDougal big cups. The black bean soup is the most filling 170 calories I've ever had.

pastryari

I'm also doing 1200 cals. I find that it's a lot easier if you plan what you're going to eat for the day.
Also, I eat at least 5-6 times a day. I just find low calorie snacks and munch throughout the day. & of course, if you're ever low on calories GO WORKOUT! Even 15 mins will get you at least another 150 calories!

But when I do need a low-cal dinner, I have salad w/ some chicken & light dressing. I also love just having an egg on a sandwich thins w/ some avocado.

& Remember, it's OKAY to go over a little bit. Just don't beat yourself up about it. I always try to stay within 100-200 of my calorie goal, whether up or down.
Hope this helps.

luvinlaurakate

[/quote]

I doubt 1,200 calories is right for anyone. Except maybe a small child or a little person. It seems most want to select the maximum weightloss setting, this is not always best.
[/quote]

I don't think it is right to say that 1200 isn't right for anyone. I do 1200 calories and alot of days I struggle to even get to that. My breakfast and lunch usually only sit around 200 calories each, about 100-200 calories each for snacks between, and I end up with alot left over for dinner and a snack afterwards. This works for me because I have alot of kids and they don't want to eat what I eat so it makes me able to compromise on dinners some. Of course, somedays work out better than others, and I don't always stay within this parameter, but pretty much, this is how I eat.

Obviously, this doesn't work for everyone. Some people would rather eat 3 big meals than spread it out over the day. You just need to play with it and find what works best for you. 1200 calories may be too little for you, or you may need to re-evaluate what you are eating every day. Also, I am assuming you have it set to lose 2 pounds per week... maybe that is too much and you need to cut back to 1 1/2 pounds? Just play with the system on here, it is easily modified to your particular needs. You will eventually find a setup that works! Good luck!

MermaidFaith

my low calorie meal is 4 ounces of grilled chicken and some seasoning, 15 spears of asparagus, and half a cup of cottage cheese. about 240 calories and filling

JamiroJunior

How about working out a little more to have some extra calories?

Dave198lbs

How about working out a little more to have some extra calories?

winner

dp1228

when low on calories i ALWAYS go for a big bowl of seasoned vegetables. i dont know what i would do withiout veggies! theyre so low in calories and a nice hot bowl of veggies with a nice big mug of tea always does the trick for me!!!

speedycakes

progresso light soups. Typically less than 200 calories a can and very filling. Do you mean 1200 net calories or 1200 actual calories? You don't have to eat only 1200 why not have a healthy range of 1200-1500? Just make sure you exercise.