How do people cope on 1200 calories p/d?!
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I haven't even gone over my 1200 allowance in the 2 weeks I have been here I am eating lots of fruit and salads I have one little chocolate treat a day which is a fun size milky bar and that's my limit I also haven't had a drop of alcohol in the time I have been on the diet but that will all change at then weekend when I am at a party0
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I'm just getting started, but I definitely have to echo drinking PLENTY of water! Drink water before a meal and between them to start out a little fuller (and processing everything efficiently), then make sure you are getting lean protein (tofu can be VERY tasty!). Also, EXERCISE, go for an extra walk or hit the gym, whatever it takes to earn a few extra calories back
Watch out for extra sugars (even in fruit), I am learning they are pure evil and I have a killer sweet tooth : ) 0 -
The closer you get, the more you can eat, generally. You're on the right track. Don't give up now!0
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This is how I feel. My goal is actually 1600-something but I rarely get to that, I hover around 1200-1400. I do it by only eating when actually hungry, not "just because" like I used to so much.It's hard at first but after a while you realise how much food you eat out of bordem/greed rather then what your body actually needs
Once I stopped eating out of boredom, I actually found myself rarely hungry and at the beginning I could barely get to 1200! It's amazing to find out what your body needs (or doesn't need, more accurately).
Of course I started eating more the more I exercised and I have no problems getting to 1200 most days.0 -
First off inner fat girl...I love your user name! I say all the time that I'm 500 pounds at heart. Secondly, I commend you for wanting to eat more than 1200 calories and not restricting yourself as much. However, you should really increase your protein. By doing that you may feel full longer.0
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Mine is currently 1240, and even then there are days when I have to add a snack in to get it up high enough. I have never had a problem with feeling hungry. If I feel hungry and it's not mealtime, I drink water and it goes away. But when school starts, I may change my settings to make it higher. I just wonder how I'm going to eat more food...0
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This thread is making me hungry.
Yep, me too. Haha.
At first, it was hard for me to stay at 1,400. After eating pretty clean for a while (very lean meat, LOTS of fruits and veggies, low-cal whole grain tortillas and breads, etc.,), I was ending most days with calories left over. I've since bumped myself down to just above 1,200 calories - and I still end up drinking a glass or two of organic milk before bed on some nights, to make sure I hit my mark.
For me, it's not about how much I eat. I try to avoid large meals, in fact, so that I can avoid the temptation to overeat. I just eat constantly throughout the day and drink more water than should be humanly possible... Haha. You'll find that as you incorporate more fruit and vegetables into your diet, you'll be less hungry on less calories. Just my two cents.0 -
On days I don't work out I fast during the day and eat only dinner .. ever tried to eat 1200 cals of chicken breast and veg? I can't even eat that much. ; )0
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The first day I logged my foods, I wanted to lose weight as quickly as possible so I set my goal at 1200 calories per day. Trouble was, I was halfway through the day when I decided to start and had already put away 1100 calories by 3 or 4 o'clock. (I ate TONS of bread, cereal, and fruit, which although not necessarily junk food, adds up the calories quickly).
So, I had 100 calories left for dinner. Lucky for me, my husband wasn't home that night so he couldn't make fun of my dinner. I made scrambled egg whites and had like 9 large shrimp, cold. I went 50 calories over so I hopped on the treadmill until the readout reached 50 calories (I understand that the readout is not always accurate, but hey, points for trying right?).
Anyways, the best way to stay within 1200 is to cut out most grains. I know, that's not popular around here, but most breads, cereals, and pastas pack a LOT of calories. Have eggs for breakfast with fruit or veggies. For lunch, have salads with chicken or shrimp (I think a 3 oz chicken breast is around 100 calories. It's totally bland, but it's food, right?). For snacks, have carrots and celery and if you use any kind of dip/hummus, just put a tiny speck on each vegetable. I eat asparagus, squash, and zucchini cold and plain every day. For fruits, try to stick to berries and citrus instead of apples and bananas, which are like 100 calories each. A can of tuna is only like 100 calories- I have that for lunch a lot. I also have scrambled eggs for dinner every time my husband works late or is out so he won't make fun of me. Sweet potatoes with cinnamon are also a great, filling snack.
If you stick to just lean proteins (tuna, chicken, turkey, shrimp, egg whites) and vegetables and just 1-2 servings of fruit a day, you can eat a LOT and still be under your calories. I think one egg's worth of whites are like 20 calories. A cup of broccoli is 33 calories. 9 large shrimp is around 100 calories. A cup of strawberries is around 50 calories. It's doable.0 -
Exercise! Go for an hour-long walk in the morning or evening at a faster pace (like 4mph +) and earn some more calories. I am losing weight easily at 1550 net, and I hate rest days because I can't eat 2000-2200 like I do on run days. If I want more food, I work out.0
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People do. Cut out all the crap food and it's easy! Some smaller girls like myself have to, or else I can't lose any fat. If you are tiny and doing it just to cut some surface fat, it is very very important that you don't do it too long, pay close attention to your nutrient levels, and keep the protein high. Oh ya, lift some weights so you aren't burning muscle.....0
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I am still losing @ 1800 calories a day btw, so you don't HAVE to eat 1200 to lose
Me too. I started at 1500 calories a day when I had 50 pounds to lose, now I have 10 pounds to lose and I'm up to 1850 plus exercise calories. 1200/day works for some people, but I am not one of them.0 -
I eat less than 1200 per day and I'm not hungry. It's all in how you use your calories... fruits, veggies and lean meat is key.You should eat every couple of hours as well as drinking lots of water and exercising. I feel the only time I struggle is when I go out but there are some good things to pick from at most restaurants. The trouble is wanting what everyone else eats. You can still do that too if you plan for it and just eat less. Your body adjusts to eating less.0
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I have been using the Herbalife protein shakes!!! OMG what a difference!0
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Once upon a time, I gave up on trying to lose weight and picked "sedentary maintenance" calories.
My body was like, "Oh, that's cool" and dropped a few more pounds almost immediately.0 -
I load up on veggies I have 3-4 different kinds per meal. with protien and with a small portion of processed carbs i.e dinner roll, baked chips, or crackers depending on the meal or fruit.0
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look at my diary, it's average is 1200 or less. im always full, and the things i eat are really yummy!! x0
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I find I can keep to 1200 with eating my 3 meals but having the "budget" for snacks is the hard part for me. I have been loading up on iced tea so that I am too full to snack. I would love to know what low cal stuff people are snacking on?0
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My net calories can range from 1200 - 1400 but I've eaten almost 2400 calories through out the day.. those are the days I work out hard though. Eat, be healthy, and feel good. I'm generlaly in a better mood when i eat and exercise.0
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I'm on week 2 of my 1200 calorie plan, and quite honestly, I never thought in a million years that I'd be full with that, but I am. I start the day with high fiber, which keeps me full most of the morning. Then, I have a healthy lunch with turkey, whole grain bread, and even throw on a slice of cheese! I have some healthy chips on the side. In between meals I have plenty of fruit! I have a nectarine, which is only 57 calories, and a fruit cup, which is only 60 calories. Then I eat dinner, which consists of grilled chicken, salad, and sometimes a small baked potato. That puts me right at my calories. I get in my cardio 4 times a week, and on those days, I have 500-600 calories leftover! It tells me I'm in starvation mode, but I can't think of anything else to eat and I'm not hungy. So that's my challenge, how to get extra calories on workout days.
Long story short, you can do it! It's all about food choices. Find substitutes for some of your favorite things. Try sugar free jello or pudding, instead of something else sweet. Things like that really help. Hang in there, it's hard, but it will be soooo worth it!0 -
I usually have to have an extra snack to get up over that 1200 calorie mark. My dinners are the heaviest meals, because the rest of my food is eaten on the go. Usually I'll try to have a decent dinner with a salad, which will be about 500 cal for dinner and another 100 cal for salad. I almost never "drink" my calories, because it isn't filling and doesn't add much to what my body needs. I take coffee black, drink coke zero sparingly, and water the rest of the time.
Now my problem is getting my calories up to maintenance levels from dieting levels. I still log something like 600 calories less than I should, but as I'm still packing around an extra 20 lbs, I think I'll be okay.0 -
I love food to and used to be a total carb addict. What I do is eat lots of veggies and drink tons of water, multivitamins help too. Eventually the cravings go away. Don't give up, some days are hard but it's worth it...good luck!!!!! 0
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Here's a look at my typical day, on a 1300 calorie diet, plus I burn 500 calories in exercise per day.
Breakfast: Half cup of oatmeal, milk and half cup strawberries
Morning Snack: Banana and two Clementines
Lunch: Spinach, deli chicken, 2 tbsp's walnuts, 1 tbsp cranberries, 1/4 feta
Afternoon Snack: 1 apple, half cup greek yoghurt, 1 tbsp organic honey
Dinner: 1 fresh salmon filet, 1 sweet potato (baked) or 1 cup broccoli.
Perfect combination of protein, fiber, good fats etc.
If I get hungry due to the fact that I work out a lot, then I would choose veggies or fruits to snack on. Or I would have a 2 egg, 1 egg white plus veggies omelette for breakfast. I NEVER drink soda or high calorie coffee drinks. I drink black coffee which is virtually calorie free and high in anti-oxidents. Drink lots and lots of water! And I ALWAYS prepare all my food for the day in the mornings and take it to work so I don't go to the mall at lunch and be tempted by the chinese food ;-)0 -
Lean dense protein. Keeps you fuller longer.0
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Thanks everyone for your replies. Ah, I'm just at a difficult point in this journey. With moving house, being around a lot of temptation and reducing from 1650 calories, it's a struggle. I'll get over it, I'm sure.
You're all right about the veggies etc. Need to have a look at some recipes and get creative again!0 -
Load up on proper nutrition and you should be able to stay at 1400 net. Take a peak at my diary.
Your diary is private.0 -
You've got 180 calories in your morning coffee alone. That's a couple of snacks. You could try substituting for either a regular black coffee which would be 3 calories, or 12 calories if you had it with skimmed milk.
Also, I notice that in today's diary, you had a lot of pre-packaged stuff - try making your own lunches and dinners.
Yeah, I had to have coffee as I was doing a morning shift (4.15am alarm). I can't function without it. I hate the taste of coffee so I wouldn't be able to have a black coffee. I can, however, have the coffee without syrup or just down a double espresso and try to ignore the horrible taste :laugh:
As for my food, it was all cooked. As in, I prepared it all yesterday for the next few days.0 -
Homemade (low calorie) soups also help a lot. Zucchini came into our garden in full force several weeks ago. I diced it up with a tomato, onions, and a little (very little) potato, salt and pepper to taste. It was yummy and filling. This week, I've been doing a lot of grilled veggies. Again, dice them up, put on an aluminum foil liner (or a grill basket), a little cooking spray, salt and pepper. I have been grilled zucchini, mushrooms, and onion. I even splurge most nights and have a small baked potato...love my spuds!
Good luck on your journey!0 -
Lean dense protein. Keeps you fuller longer.
Sadly, protein doesn't seem to do anything special for my satiety.0 -
Homemade (low calorie) soups also help a lot. Zucchini came into our garden in full force several weeks ago. I diced it up with a tomato, onions, and a little (very little) potato, salt and pepper to taste. It was yummy and filling. This week, I've been doing a lot of grilled veggies. Again, dice them up, put on an aluminum foil liner (or a grill basket), a little cooking spray, salt and pepper. I have been grilled zucchini, mushrooms, and onion. I even splurge most nights and have a small baked potato...love my spuds!
Good luck on your journey!
Oh, that sounds lovely! Thanks for the idea - I love potato too!0
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