How do you people stay at 1200 a day??

Healthydiner65

I've been doing 1200 cals a day for the most part since January when I actually started MFP. I've been able to stick with it by eating lots of fruits, vegetables, almonds, greek yogurt, eggs, lean meats and fish. I try to eat low carb, high protein. If I eat carb/starchy food, I limit to 1-2 servings a day and then I only have things that are whole grain like oatmeal, brown rice, whole wheat bread, etc. I eat 3 meals and 2 snacks each day. Meals are about 300 cals each and snacks are below 200. Some days, depending on how many cals I burn during workouts, I eat back some of my cals. Also I have a "cheat" meal once every 2 weeks or so. I also try to cook things using fresh ingredients as much as possible rather than using pre-packaged items to help cut down on sodium. So far, that's what has worked for me. This is the longest time I've stuck with losing weight and I think it is because I've found something that I can do without being hungry all the time.

AWESOME!

SueGremlin

I have a very hard time with it, too, so I have been losing a bit more slowly than planned. It's ok, I'll get there.

Meanwhile, eating huge piles of greens helps fill my belly before I eat the higher calorie stuff. :laugh:

Sustainable is the important thing! Don't beat yourself up for going over a little if you have to. Get to know what works for you. You can do this. It's not a race, it's a marathon. Do your best and keep it sustainable.

kaneaap

Honestly I don't think that's a good number. What makes up those calories is really more important. I lost the weight I wanted on the South Beach Diet, which teaches you more about glycemic index of food. Proteins will fill you up more & last longer than carbs. Eat more often & smaller meals. I read the reply from the one gentlemen who stated he ate 6 smaller meals a day, his was really, really good advice. And don't forget the water. It seems weird, but you really do need to eat to lose weight.

findingme07

I drink water, I eat lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, lots fruit, spinach, lean chicken breast......but somewhere, oh somewhere I throw in a potato or some ranch or something that adds up..... I also tend to get up at night and snack because I can't sleep...THAT is what usually throws me wayyyyyyyyyyyyy over.....

Thank you all for responding....I just feel whiney today and am not seeing any progress and it gets frustrating....

Thank you though for your thoughts....I will take them to heart and keep them in mind and get to moving more.

I hardly ever eat all of my calories--but I have also decided to eat a "clean(er)" diet with more whole foods and little processed as well as cut my carbs to 50-100 grams instead of the recommended amounts MFP schedules for me. It is hard to resist, but I am refusing to let food and no exercise ruin my health. I exercise 5-6 days a week as well as work 80 hours, however, I find I have SO MUCH more energy because of the activity I have implemented. GOOD LUCK and you can do it!

Focusonfifty

I was netting under 1200 for the past 2 weeks or so. Needless to say, yesterday and today, my body has been starving! So I ate and ate. I was losing at 1200 anymore, just the inital water weight pounds, so am hopefully upping my cal's and netting at least 1400 a day will help my body lose. The more I exercise, the more I can eat At first I wasn't eating back my exercise calories, now I am all the way!

The goal is NOT to eat UNDER 1200 calories, but MINIMUM 1200. Even minimum for most is putting the body into starvation mode. The concept definitely is NOT eat less to lose. It's the opposite one MUST feed the body, especially if you're active. Continue to eat more nutritious calories. Best of luck.

pg3ibew

I have been doing this for a long time and I can not stay under calories, no matter how hard I try. How do you people do it??? I looked at some of your diaries and that ones I looked at.....one ate one meal a day and some vitamins, one ate protein shakes twice a day and a salad for the other, the others complain about not being able to get to 1200 a day, one eats pizza and goes over and still says he/she loses two lbs a week.

Don't you people get hungry??? How do you do it?????? I know, yes, my exercise is not where it should be and I"m working on it (majorly obese here so I'm working at it) but the diaries I was referring to didn't have any exercise calories listed in at the bottom....

Don't you get hungry?????? I'm beginning to think all these numbers maybe too complicated for this brain to figure out, too (like another post said).

You say that you are MAJORLY OBESE. Why in the world would you only be eating 1200 calories a day? Did you set up the GUIDELINES correctly?
Did you even bother to set up the guidelines?

wftiger

I have been eating at 1200 for 8 months. You have to eat a lot of veggies, fruits and lean meats. Carbs are high in calories so I don't do them (for other reasons as well).

I have no problems at all grossing 1200. I never net 1200 as I do not eat back exercise calories. Only on the days I intentionally mean to go over do I.

Crochetluvr

Don't you people get hungry??? How do you do it??????

Actually, no, I don't get hungry. Sometimes I get the urge to eat crap but tha'ts not being hungry...that's just wanting to eat for the sake of eating.

I keep myself busy so I don't think of food. I am a grazer by nature so the more I stay out of the kitchen, the better off I am. But I eat pretty well and enough that I am satisfied. I include a little treat in my numbers each day so I am not deprived.

However, one thing I did in the beginning was get my body used to not eating as much. I could put away a couple thousand calories from just one meal. I had to get my body used to not eating the carbs and sugar so I cut out the starchy carbs and refined sugar for a month to get rid of the cravings and get used to eating less. And, for me, it worked. I get fuller faster and don't need a lot to satisfy me. Now I eat 1200 a day without exercise and 1400 or so with exercise. And I am feeling good...more energetic and my blood sugar readings are well under control.

kelseyhere

I actually find it pretty easy to stay under 1200 a day as long as I avoid processed foods and grains, those are what add up fast. I eat two solid meals every day and I am not hungry or starving. Personally I prefer to skip breakfast but I could still stay under 1,200 AND eat breakfast by taking 200 cal from dinner and eating them at breakfast. If I were to eat breakfast I would make an omelet with 1 egg, 3 whites and veggies which would be under 200 calories. Here is what a typical day looks like for me:

Lunch 300-400 calories
I make a salad with three main elements: greens, lots of fresh veggies, and a protein
Salad made with huge bed of greens (4-5 cups)= 15 calories
Fresh chopped veggies (varies depending on the protein, usually add carrots, onion, avocado)= 75-150 calories
Protein= 80-150 calories (either 2 hard boiled eggs, 4 oz. tuna, 4 oz. canned salmon, 3-4 deli turkey slices, or veggie burger)

Dinner 600-900 calories
6 oz chicken breast OR 6 oz tilapia or other white fish OR 4 oz sirloin= 210 calories, or
veggie side= 50-200 calories (either I make a small salad, I steam some fresh veggies, or I sauté veggies if I have room for the extra cals in the olive oil)

Late night snack= >200 calories
1 cup fage greek yogurt= 130 calories
1/2 cup blueberries= 40 calories

You can look at my diary for more ideas, it is open. I don't log everyday for dinner but am pretty consistent with lunch to give you ideas. Most of the time I eat no bread, no pasta, etc. and that is what really helps me stay under. If I do have those items I limit myself to one serving (usually about 100-200 calories) and no more! On days when I have extra calories I enjoy fresh fruit.

itsjustdawn

You dont HAVE to eat 1200 calories a day to lose weight!! STOP starving yourself. Eat between your BMR and TDEE.

^^^ THIS!

Bratbug

I don't know how you got the number 1200 because that is way to low for most people. You should take your goal weight and multiply that by 10 and that is what you should be eating a day, combine that with at least 20 mins. of excersise to start. Otherwise I feel that you are not going to stay motivated to keep going

Bobby_Clerici

I have been doing this for a long time and I can not stay under calories, no matter how hard I try. How do you people do it??? I looked at some of your diaries and that ones I looked at.....one ate one meal a day and some vitamins, one ate protein shakes twice a day and a salad for the other, the others complain about not being able to get to 1200 a day, one eats pizza and goes over and still says he/she loses two lbs a week.

Don't you people get hungry??? How do you do it?????? I know, yes, my exercise is not where it should be and I"m working on it (majorly obese here so I'm working at it) but the diaries I was referring to didn't have any exercise calories listed in at the bottom....

Don't you get hungry?????? I'm beginning to think all these numbers maybe too complicated for this brain to figure out, too (like another post said).

You say that you are MAJORLY OBESE. Why in the world would you only be eating 1200 calories a day? Did you set up the GUIDELINES correctly?
Did you even bother to set up the guidelines?

We know the answer tot that. I can't speak for others, but one reason I was "MAJORLY OBESE" was that I knew everything.
When a person knows everything, why bother changing?
I had to get stupid to unlearn a few things, then saw results eating more and enjoying life.
The starvation, crash diet route is a fast lane to nowhere.

JuneBPrice

Honestly, I just don't feel hungry at all. If you're hungry, you shouldn't deny yourself--don't starve yourself. Up your calorie goals and be happy

Promqueen_74932

IDK how they do it either!

My BMR, even at a sedentary level, is 1405 cals a day and up to 2237.6 cals a day for very active. Way to low for me! Kudos to those of you who can, like I always say To each His own we're all different. :-)


Sara

AnitaVolpato

I am allowed 1800 calories a day but I don't eat that many usually.

The secret for me is, I drink about 10 -12 cups of water a day. The first thing I do when I get up is drink two cups of water before breakfast. I drink 2 cups of water before a meal and I only drink water with my meals. I know I might be a little obsessed with water but it is a cheap filler and it does so much more for the body.

I also eat foods high in fiber like; oatmeal, spinach, broccoli, almonds, whole grain whole wheat products etc.
They help with managing your appetite and are lower in calories so you can eat more.

I do look at other peoples diary and wonder if they record everything or if they are serious about losing weight. If you want to succeed at this, you have to commit to making some difficult changes over time.

Exactly, I don't drink soda, juice or anything of the sort. I might have a cup of coffee in the morning but the rest of the day I drink water. I eat lot's of fish, chicken, sweet potato's, broccoli, salad... when my stomach starts growling I will eat some English walnuts... I love them. I have a cheat day once a week maybe two if there is a special occasion. I have never been one to eat junk or a lot of fast food anyway. I just had a baby and I want this weight off... Good Luck! You can do it if you really really want to!

loristeck

Me too - I suck at it!! And here I am thinking well today I'll just eat around 1000 to make up for yesterday going over and then go over AGAIN. I have the workouts down and meet my goals there but I blow it by eating too much. I eat healthy, juice, eat salads, black beans, too much fat peanut butter though. I guess I need to read up more on all you successful peeps out there. You inspire me to do better. I've logged religiously for 40 days now but have only lost 3 pounds - cause I can't unstrap the feedbag!
Good luck everyone

beckylawrence70

I did it only while I was losing weight and it worked, I exercised too and ate back the calories, the more I exercised, the more I ate, it's possible to do.........I've upped my since but I did it for 4 mos.......

Rhea30

I have been doing this for a long time and I can not stay under calories, no matter how hard I try. How do you people do it??? I looked at some of your diaries and that ones I looked at.....one ate one meal a day and some vitamins, one ate protein shakes twice a day and a salad for the other, the others complain about not being able to get to 1200 a day, one eats pizza and goes over and still says he/she loses two lbs a week.

Don't you people get hungry??? How do you do it?????? I know, yes, my exercise is not where it should be and I"m working on it (majorly obese here so I'm working at it) but the diaries I was referring to didn't have any exercise calories listed in at the bottom....

Don't you get hungry?????? I'm beginning to think all these numbers maybe too complicated for this brain to figure out, too (like another post said).

You can go above 1200 if 1200 is to hard. Maybe try around 1500 or 1600 and see if you're still losing weight then just adjust to what suits you

ashlinmarie

I set myself to lose 1 pound a week so I get 1640 a week. I usually eat 1400-1600 calories a day and usually still have a 400-600 calorie deficit including my exercise calories...so I usually lose 1.5-2 pounds a week. Just knowing I have those extra cals makes it easier.

lioness

there are a lot of sites that can give you a meal plan with 1200 cals. a day and when i look at it it seems like a lot to eat in a day

tammykosmala

A small piece of fruit in the morning before my dance class that burs 297 calories for 40 min. Then lunch salad or sandwich with the Sara lee reduced fat bread it's on 40 calories per slice. Dinner is tough but I meaure out my portions to 1 cup always another big salad and lot's of vegetables with dinner. I have to have someting sweet at night ususally 2 cookies tollhouse oatmeal only 80 calories per cookie or frozen yogurt. I stay away from all sodas and high calorie coffee drinks. I'm usually always under 1200 calories. But I get the extra 297 for the dance class I take.And lot's of water during the day. Hope that helps good luck it is always a challenge

Balance05

Check out my diary. I think it depends on the type of food being consumed. Try to have protein with almost every meal and snack. Also, I think after a couple of weeks doing it, your stomach shrinks (not scientific, don't quote me ), but the first 2 weeks were aweful. I had headaches and was so hungry, but now its not so bad. Oh, I also go over a bit most days, but workout really hard, too.


Try it out for a couple weeks, your body may end up surprising you.

pg3ibew

I have been doing this for a long time and I can not stay under calories, no matter how hard I try. How do you people do it??? I looked at some of your diaries and that ones I looked at.....one ate one meal a day and some vitamins, one ate protein shakes twice a day and a salad for the other, the others complain about not being able to get to 1200 a day, one eats pizza and goes over and still says he/she loses two lbs a week.

Don't you people get hungry??? How do you do it?????? I know, yes, my exercise is not where it should be and I"m working on it (majorly obese here so I'm working at it) but the diaries I was referring to didn't have any exercise calories listed in at the bottom....

Don't you get hungry?????? I'm beginning to think all these numbers maybe too complicated for this brain to figure out, too (like another post said).

You say that you are MAJORLY OBESE. Why in the world would you only be eating 1200 calories a day? Did you set up the GUIDELINES correctly?
Did you even bother to set up the guidelines?

We know the answer tot that. I can't speak for others, but one reason I was "MAJORLY OBESE" was that I knew everything.
When a person knows everything, why bother changing?
I had to get stupid to unlearn a few things, then saw results eating more and enjoying life.
The starvation, crash diet route is a fast lane to nowhere.

Instead of people trying to help the thread starter how to stay UNDER 1200 calories, maybe Someone should explain how to use the site and eating right.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

elenathegreat

Been doing this a little over a year now, and I usually eat more than my allotted 1250 calories a day. Getting to eat back exercise calories is great incentive to MOVE IT! If I didn't burn at least 300-400 calories working out, I would starve! Some days if I'm tired or sick, I load up on more fruits and veggies to stay within my goal, and some days I just eat whatever the hell I want and enjoy it!!

PandaCustard

I honestly don't have a huge appetite. My weight gain came from no exercise and eating not much food, but all the wrong kind. Now, I'll eat some fruit for breakfast, a sandwich with some applesauce or cottage cheese for lunch, more fruit or carrots/sliced bell peppers for a snack, and usually baked or grilled lean meat like chicken or fish with vegetables for dinner. Yesterday, I just wasn't hungry and was so low on my calories by the end of the day (580) that I pretty much had to force myself to eat so my totals weren't so low. It all just depends on appetite and how much you eat throughout the day. On exercise days I try to eat my calories back but I just can't eat them all.

Mellie289

I drink water, I eat lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, radishes, lots fruit, spinach, lean chicken breast......but somewhere, oh somewhere I throw in a potato or some ranch or something that adds up..... I also tend to get up at night and snack because I can't sleep...THAT is what usually throws me wayyyyyyyyyyyyy over.....

Thank you all for responding....I just feel whiney today and am not seeing any progress and it gets frustrating....

Thank you though for your thoughts....I will take them to heart and keep them in mind and get to moving more.

So, you've listed all the healthy, low calorie foods you eat, but what are you snacking on? Is it also calorie dense foods like potatoes and ranch dressing?

I find it easy to stay under 1700 calories -- I gave up bread, pasta, potatoes and the only salad dressing I have mostly is balsamic vinegar, although I will sometimes use a little olive oil. Now that I'm doing a lot of exercise and trying to eat back some of the calories, I went out on the weekend and bought some potatoes because I'm having a hard time actually eating up to the calories. I eat lots of fruits, leafy vegetables, grilled veggies like peppers, eggplant and zucchini, and lean meat.

If you are struggling to stay under 1700 calories a day, you need ask yourself how much you really want that dressing or those snacks. Clearly, your eating behaviors before caused weight gain and you need to examine everything that you put in your mouth to see if they are good choices for your goal.

I also second what someone said about possibly not measuring the right amounts too, like the ranch dressing. Are you using measuring spoons or cups when you portion all of this out? I did that very strictly for quite a while, and still do sometimes, although I have a pretty good idea now what 3 oz. of chicken etc. looks like so I can eye ball it.

honkytonks85

I have been doing this for a long time and I can not stay under calories, no matter how hard I try. How do you people do it??? I looked at some of your diaries and that ones I looked at.....one ate one meal a day and some vitamins, one ate protein shakes twice a day and a salad for the other, the others complain about not being able to get to 1200 a day, one eats pizza and goes over and still says he/she loses two lbs a week.

Don't you people get hungry??? How do you do it?????? I know, yes, my exercise is not where it should be and I"m working on it (majorly obese here so I'm working at it) but the diaries I was referring to didn't have any exercise calories listed in at the bottom....

Don't you get hungry?????? I'm beginning to think all these numbers maybe too complicated for this brain to figure out, too (like another post said).

Your goal should be higher than 1200 anyway, at this stage.
In any case, many people stick to 1200 by doing exercise (eg earning extra calories) so they can eat more food.
1200 calories a day with no exercise is not really sustainable.

girlygirl45419

I was wondering that too, and until I actually tried it I thought it was impossible. I think its all about food choice. Also I divide the 1200 calories so its 300 calories every meal and an extra 300 for snacks.You can eat alot of veggies that are low in calorie and it will keeps you full. Another great tip is to keep yourself busy so that you dont think about being that hungry. When Im hungry but I dont really want to eat, i just drink water. Now its actually hard for me to reach my goal of 1200 calories. I average on about 900 calories a day.

P.S. The more you work out the more calories your allowed to intake! ( i workout everyday for about an hour).

NikkiSoFab

Many of us are different in so many ways, but speaking for myself...The way I have been maintaining my 1200 calorie count for the past four months has a lot to do with time management, and my in take of liquid fluids such as green tea, and or water... As well as munching on snacks every now and again. When I first started counting calories and cutting back majorly I would get hungry, but now that I've learn to pick the foods that I love to eat, it is no longer a problem... It's become natural... Edited: oppssyyy didn't elaborate on what i meant by the time mangment part, but What I mean by it, is that you have to set strict times in which you decide to have your meals, and make sure that it stretches out all the way up until an hour before bedtime, .