I can't seem to eat 1200 calories!

maddiemcdonald33

This sounds ridiculous and I know it but I've been dieting for about 2 weeks and the hardest part is actually eating the 1200 calories. I eat tons of fruit and salad but I oversleep a lot so by the time I get up to eat breakfast, it's lunch! I know I should just wake up earlier but even then, my meals are only about 200 calories each! What should I do?

haylz247

the worst thing you can do is think of it as a diet. its a lifestyle change

have protein/diet shakes. great way to get calories.

you need more than fruit and salad. do you eat meat? try preparing food in advance too

kdward83

I know when I first started I didn't have any problem staying under my calorie goal, but as I worked out harder and longer over time I'm much hungrier. I still eat healthy food, but i eat ALOT of it lol. I increased my calorie goals because I was either frustrated about going over or staying at target and not having the strength for my workouts.

sgoessling

Bump I'll be back with info

michellekicks

Stay away from anything low-fat, fat-free, low-cal, sugar-free, no-sugar-added, or nutrition-free.

Eat normal food. Stuff that grew out of the ground or had a mother... lean meat, poultry and fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits. Add in healthy fats - olive oil, avocados, coconut oil...

Don't eat diet food. Ever. Yuck.

thebrianmo

Into my second weeks and I can't hit my 1200 calorie mark some days and am still getting a lot of food because of the choices I'm making. You said sometimes you sleep in and since I do that as well I thought I'd share what I do. On days when I sleep in and don't get up until late, I just begin my day with my first meal regardless of the time. On my journey and lifestyle change I am using the New Direction Meal Replacement drinks for half of my 1200 calories and I turn those into smoothies using ice and fruit. One of the keys is portion control. Salad, while good for you (depending what you put on it) would become not so good if you ate 2 or 3 pounds of it a day. One of the best ways to help you succeed is to use a food log or journal. I am constantly updating mine each day so I know at any point how many calories I've consumed and then another key is learning what you can eat to stay within those calories. If your not already part of a medical weight loss group, I'd recommend it. That has become so vital to me in my journey and early success. Best wishes!

KuroNyankoSensei

Lots of avocado and peanut butter :flowerforyou:

maddiemcdonald33

I don't eat red meat but I eat chicken at least once a day and I make my lunch and dinner for the week on most weekends but sometimes it's still not enough. I usually eat about 1000 calories a day, if that.

maddiemcdonald33

Thanks! I try not to eat anything packaged and I only drink water, tea, and coffee. I think I'm going to switch to five meals at about 250 calories each and see if that works better for me.

eig6

Stay away from anything low-fat, fat-free, low-cal, sugar-free, no-sugar-added, or nutrition-free.

Eat normal food. Stuff that grew out of the ground or had a mother... lean meat, poultry and fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits. Add in healthy fats - olive oil, avocados, coconut oil...

Don't eat diet food. Ever. Yuck.

Exactly.

NoxDineen

Sounds like it's time for you to make friends with protein shakes. Or maybe just work out harder. I still often net just under 1200 but since starting to work out my appetite has been pretty rock solid.

stfriend

If you're just not that hungry then you want high calorie/low density foods. Avocados, peanut butter, olive or canola oil, etc. Protein shakes are good too.

RoseVernon

Nuts are good. :-)

Linda1028

String cheese (about 80 cal a pc) might be a good option to boost your intake of calories. Also I have slept in on occassions too and I just eat my breakfast WITH my lunch. Good luck, you don't want to screw up your metabolism doing a 1000 cal a day, soon your body will think that's "too much" and then you'll really be in stravation mode and frustrated that you can't seem to lose on even a 1000 cal!

meeka472

If you're eating clean, 1200 calories can be hard to hit for some people (myself included). I add protein shakes into my diet to make sure I get to at least 1200 per day.

tigersword

Eat real food, not just "fruit and salad."

justinajulie

That used to happen to me for the same reason. I changed my morning habits and now I get up at 7 and eat properly. It is too hard
to get the calories in if I start the day later. I feel less depressed and I love how much stuff I get done! However, when I work( 3 days a week) I get up at 5:30 for a long commute and am starving again by 9:30! Yes, and it is a good idea to get some protein in; beans, fish, lean meats.

JeSuisPrest

If you don't already have one, get yourself a food scale and measure everything. Do not eyeball! Lawd knows I can eat 1200 calories in one meal, easily!!

SNelsonRN

Protein!

TallyGal97

Stay away from anything low-fat, fat-free, low-cal, sugar-free, no-sugar-added, or nutrition-free.

Eat normal food. Stuff that grew out of the ground or had a mother... lean meat, poultry and fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits. Add in healthy fats - olive oil, avocados, coconut oil...

Don't eat diet food. Ever. Yuck.

THIS!! THIS!! THIS!!

Kona2014

Nuts are good. :-)

^What she said :0)