Those of you at 1200 cals. a day...

LuckyLeprechaun

so I just calculated based on your stats and if you are only "lightly active" then you get 1300 calories a day. If you are "active" then you get 1440 cals/day.

what do you do for work?

jtintx

so I just calculated based on your stats and if you are only "lightly active" then you get 1300 calories a day. If you are "active" then you get 1440 cals/day.

what do you do for work?

desk job...at my desk almost all day.

LuckyLeprechaun

then I'd pick "lightly active" and you get 1300.

dclarsh

I'm at 1290 net per day. Here's my meals for tomorrow (which I just packed in my lunch box... it's a lot of freakin' food!)

Breakfast:
Kashi Honey Sunshine cereal with blueberries and skim milk
Coffee with Purvia and cream

Morning Snack:
One cup of mixed fresh fruit - strawberries, black berries and kiwi

Lunch:
Salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, three bean salad, tuna and light italian dressing
All Bran crackers
Light string cheese

Afternoon Snack:
sliced banana
1/4 cup Fage non fat yogurt
1/4 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal

Dinner:
Whole wheat rotini with italian style veggie sausage, sauteed peppers, onions and mushrooms, chunky spagetti sauce and mozzerella cheese

I think it's 1206 calories for the whole lot.

SHBoss1673

so with a bmr of around 1330 to 1360, and a bmi (as flawed as that calc is) of around 25.3 I don't think that you should be at a 600 calorie deficit. you should be more like a 300 calorie deficit IMHO. It'll go slower, but you won't feel hungry, and you won't plateau as much. You'd be surprised at what a healthy increase in calories can do for your metabolism.

Just my opinion, but 1lb plus a week when your in the healthy range is a lot to try for.

Jeepluvr99

I eat LOTS of salad with warmed no skin chicken breasts or tunafish for PM meal and recommend spray dressings as they taste good and work really well as a low calorie, high taste addition. Rice with veggies at noon meal and use Mrs. Dash for seasonings (there are 7 or 8 and all are pretty good.) I like crunchy foods, so I eat celery with low fat peanut butter (carefully) or 4-5 no salt crackers and eat raw fruit, never canned. Only skim milk and LOTS and LOTS of water (I use FRS energy or Crystal light 10 calorie packs as it helps the monotony) to help keep my appetite in check. If I get a salt craving I add lemon juice (lightly) or a dash of vinegar.

SNACKS: (remember fruit has natural sugar so don't go hogwild--and watermellon is a natural diuretic so don't eat it too close to bedtime or you'll be up all night!)
Unfrosted miniwheat cereal, dry
trail mix, measured
yogurt or homemade applesauce (boiled down, no sugar added)
low fat cottage cheese with tomato slices or fresh peach slices
grapes and sliced bananas
Raisins or lowfat Special K bars, read your labels, though as there are 2 sizes of bars (Meal and snack size) I've found the meal bars helpful when I'm in a pinch, they do satisfy my hunger for quit a long while.

sounds dismal, but I change it up when I need or want to and it works OK. My kids like it, too, so I set a good example.

redreamingme

Breakfast: Slimfast or cottage cheese and apple sauce
Lunch: 2 tangerines or nuts and crakers
Dinner: Vegetarian chicken or vege delight at subway
Snacks: nuts, crackers, apple sauce, tangerines, slice of cheese, cottage cheese

arewethereyet

For those of you who are at the 1200 calories per day level, what does your food intake look like for the day? What do you have for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks? I'm finding it very hard to stay at 1200 cals. Having some exercise calories to eat back helps, but on my rest day or days I just can't workout I need to stay at 1200 and need some food ideas. Thanks.

It looks like Imma gonna exercise!!! :laugh: :laugh:

Seriously, I am at 1200 but make sure to earn at least 200 a day from exercise. At 1200 I am starving, at 1400 I am not. Crazy, huh?

1200 looks like

1 egg + 1 egg white
1/2 slice american cheese
whole wheat english
1/2 banana

2 tbls hummus
8 baby carrots

4 oz chic breast
3 cups mixed spring lettuce
1/2 tomato
carrots
2 tlbs EVOO/Balsamic dressing

1 tbls peanut butter
1 slice whole grain bread

4 oz salmon
1tsp EVOO
cup broc
1/2 cup brown rice

snack if I have the cals-almonds 12-24

sabes2631

great post., i struggle at 1200 a day...
will post my food from work... LATE:(

1Corinthians13

I think if you eat lots of veggies and lean protein, you can eat a lot! Also, make sure that you're drinking milk (skim). I know you probably don't want to add the calories, but it's a proven fat burner! I am amazed at how much I can eat at 1200 calories if I just eat the right things. I feel like I'm constantly eating! Also, look for food with at least 3 grams of fiber - that will help you feel more full.

sabes2631

I'm at 1,000 a day and sometimes got to 1,200 to treat myself.

Breakfast: Reduced Sugar Instant Oatmeal
Lunch: Weight Watchers Yogurt, Honey Wheat Pretzels or Carrot Sticks
Dinner: Trying lots of new recipes - mostly 300 or less per serving, plus a serving of veggies and/or salad
Snacks (2 per day): Fiber One Chewy Bar, 2 Clementines, 1 oz. reduced fat cheddar and whole wheat crackers

sabes2631

does anyone know what the amount of cals is for a 18-25 point weight watcher plan?
18 points was impossible for me.

jtintx

then I'd pick "lightly active" and you get 1300.

Here is MFP's definition: Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)

That describes me perfectly...so that is 1200 a day. MFP won't even let me subtract 500 cal...its at 460. So I'm not even "trying" to lose 1 lb a week anymore because I'm going by MFPs recommendations still.

jtintx

so with a bmr of around 1330 to 1360, and a bmi (as flawed as that calc is) of around 25.3 I don't think that you should be at a 600 calorie deficit. you should be more like a 300 calorie deficit IMHO. It'll go slower, but you won't feel hungry, and you won't plateau as much. You'd be surprised at what a healthy increase in calories can do for your metabolism.

Just my opinion, but 1lb plus a week when your in the healthy range is a lot to try for.

I just used the BMI calc. and it does say 25.3 - but that is still in the over weight range.

SHBoss1673

so with a bmr of around 1330 to 1360, and a bmi (as flawed as that calc is) of around 25.3 I don't think that you should be at a 600 calorie deficit. you should be more like a 300 calorie deficit IMHO. It'll go slower, but you won't feel hungry, and you won't plateau as much. You'd be surprised at what a healthy increase in calories can do for your metabolism.

Just my opinion, but 1lb plus a week when your in the healthy range is a lot to try for.

I just used the BMI calc. and it does say 25.3 - but that is still in the over weight range.

Juuuuuuussssttt barely though. Essentially you are in the normal range, 1 lb and you should be in normal anyway.

LuckyLeprechaun

then I'd pick "lightly active" and you get 1300.

Here is MFP's definition: Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)

That describes me perfectly...so that is 1200 a day. MFP won't even let me subtract 500 cal...its at 460. So I'm not even "trying" to lose 1 lb a week anymore because I'm going by MFPs recommendations still.

sedentary is more like : you are on bed rest. you do not get up, walk around, climb stairs, drive your car, do laundry, load your dishwasher, you don't do anything. That isn't most people.

I sit on my @ss all day, and I am lightly active. I tried setting it at sedentary under the same thinking, and lost nothing.
SHBoss knows what he is talking about-

SHBoss1673

then I'd pick "lightly active" and you get 1300.

Here is MFP's definition: Sedentary: Spend most of the day sitting (e.g. bank teller, desk job)

That describes me perfectly...so that is 1200 a day. MFP won't even let me subtract 500 cal...its at 460. So I'm not even "trying" to lose 1 lb a week anymore because I'm going by MFPs recommendations still.

sedentary is more like : you are on bed rest. you do not get up, walk around, climb stairs, drive your car, do laundry, load your dishwasher, you don't do anything. That isn't most people.

I sit on my @ss all day, and I am lightly active. I tried setting it at sedentary under the same thinking, and lost nothing.
SHBoss knows what he is talking about-

I DO NOT! TAKE THAT BACK!

LuckyLeprechaun

:laugh: :bigsmile:

it's true. Banks, you are our resident expert. Whenever I am confused, have a question about what is going on in my body, what I should do to get the results I want, I read your posts and it all becomes clear.

jtintx, obviously, it's up to you to choose your own path. you asked for some advice, we tried to give it. let us know how it goes-

jtintx

Ok, I'm going to eat a little more but still shoot for at least a 300 cal. deficit. The scale won't move as much as I'd like but as long as the jeans keep getting too big I'll be ok.

One more question - is 135 pounds realistic for me? Right now I just want to get to 145. But the reason I ask isn't for vanity reasons but for athletic performance reasons.

tig3rang3l

Breakfast: Fibre One & source yogurt, with V8 Fusion on side

Snack: Banana with almond butter

Lunch: Fat free chicken on whole grain bread, slice of cheese

Snack: Carrot sticks

Dinner: Vegetable soup (home made) & Turkey Burger

If I'm over, I just leave out the cheese... if under, I'll have a handful of air-popped popcorn or some nuts. I like to save most of my calories for the evening, I hate going to bed feeling hungry!

SHBoss1673

Ok, I'm going to eat a little more but still shoot for at least a 300 cal. deficit. The scale won't move as much as I'd like but as long as the jeans keep getting too big I'll be ok.

One more question - is 135 pounds realistic for me? Right now I just want to get to 145. But the reason I ask isn't for vanity reasons but for athletic performance reasons.

Truely, I think that once you reach around 25 BMI or so, I usually say, abandon the scale, focus on Body Fat %. I know it's a tougher measurement, and it takes longer to move it, but it will be what keeps you healthy in the long run. The better your muscle to fat ratio is, the healthier you will be (and you'll look better too, and isn't that what we all are really hoping for? Good health and to look mahvelous! )

You probably COULD get to 135, but whether that's a healthy weight for you, something that you can maintain and be happy with, that's a question only you can answer.

LuckyLeprechaun

Ok, I'm going to eat a little more but still shoot for at least a 300 cal. deficit. The scale won't move as much as I'd like but as long as the jeans keep getting too big I'll be ok.

One more question - is 135 pounds realistic for me? Right now I just want to get to 145. But the reason I ask isn't for vanity reasons but for athletic performance reasons.

I think it's more about how you look, body fat percentage, endurance, than a certain number on a scale. 145 still puts you in the healthy BMI range, and 135 is smack in the middle of the healthy range, so really it comes down to those other factors.

go for 145. see how you look, and feel. If you feel like you still need to continue, do so. But understand that because you are so close to your goal, it will be slow going. I have seen posts from members who took 6 months to get the last 10 lbs off. and that's okay.

and for goodness sake, eat! 1350-1400 will still be moving towards the goal. :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

LuckyLeprechaun

HA! see I told you Banks knows what he is talking about!!!

jtintx

HA! see I told you Banks knows what he is talking about!!!

You both do!! And thanks to both of you!!!

Thanks to all who replied with food info also...I got some more good ideas of how to keep in my cal. range.

hiddensecant

Definitely eat all your exercise calories, especially if you're aiming for athletic performance. The inches will come off faster when you do.

tamcamp

What is in three bean salad?

BONITATEJANA

I find that replacing a meal with a protien shake works, and follow serving sizes, that helps you stay in your range..alot of water will help with the hunger and trying taking in more fiber, that is what has helped me over the years of lossing weight...hope that helps a little..

skwhatley

tagging! :flowerforyou:

harleygirl6363

I know I already relpied to this thread but I tried something different for breakfast yesterday and it was amazing and filling. I had an egg white omlette with, turkey, mushrooms, tomates, fat free cheese, salsa and fat free sour cream. All of that was only 170 calories and it was HUGE and I stayed filled untii lunch time which is amazing in itself. As for lunch and dinner that hasnt changed much. Good luck and keep up the great work!!!