What would a 1200 calorie diet look like

126siany

Here's a day where I didn't exercise so it was 1200:

*note, I'm not saying anyone "should" eat like me, just giving you a sample day from my diary*


Breakfast:
Milk - Nonfat (fat free or skim), 2 cup 172
Starbucks Caffe Verona Coffee, Ground, Bold - Starbucks Caffe Verona Coffee, Ground, Bold, 8 oz
Archer Farms - Gingerbread Coffee Syrup, 0.67 Tablespoons 27
Chobani - Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt, 8 oz (227 g) 140

Lunch:
Cabot - 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar - Shredded Cheese, 1/4 cup 70
Market Pantry - Low Fat Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, Garlic and Herb Flavor, 6 oz 180
Mission Carb Balance Tortillas - Carb Balance Flour Tortillas Medium Soft Taco, 1 tortilla 120

Dinner:
Laura's Lean Beef - Ground Beef 8%, 4 oz 160
Arnold's Whole Wheat Sandwich Thins Flax and Fiber - 100 Calorie Sandwich Wheat Rounds, 1 roll 100
Taylor Organic - Baby Spring Mix Salad, 3 oz (about 2 cups) 20
Kraft Salad Dressing - Light Asian Toasted Sesame (Reduced Fat Dressing), 2 TBS 50
Shop Rite - Crumbled Blue Cheese, 1 oz. 100

Snacks:
Green Giant - Carrots, Baby Cut , 6 oz (85g) 70

RealWomenLovePitbulls

example 1(what i eat) : Breakfast (DAILY) - Activia Light Yogurt OR Special K granola bar - I am not a big breakfast eater

Lunch - Smoked Sausage, Rice, and Mixed Veggies and Dinner: 6 inch Spicy Italian Sub from Subway with veggies, cheese, light mayo and oil and Vinegar - 1274 Calories

2. Breakfast: Yogurt - Lunch: Leftover Eggplant parmesan, homemade and a piece of garlic bread - Dinner: homemade mexican pizza - refried beans, salsa, tomato, onion, sour cream between 2 fried tortillas - 1109 Calories

3. Breakfast: Yogurt - Lunch: - bean and cheese burrito and a bite of a brownie (it didnt taste that good) Dinner : Frisch's Salad bar - small salad, - 1/2 bowl vegetable soup - 1/2 bowl spicy tortilla soup - some italian pasta salad and a couple pieces of fruit AND a snack after work (we had a late dinner that night) of 1/2 PB&J on whole wheat and a choc. chip cookie 1263 Calories.

you don't have to starve, you just have to make good choices on what you do eat, don't drink away your calories and try to stay away from the junk food

Car0lynnM

My goal was 1200 for my first two months or so and I did great. Really kick started things. lost 15 pounds and really learned how to eat better. I'm 5'1", and my BMR is only 1338 (I just changed my calorie goal to that). I didn't cut anything out, just made better choices about how much to eat and how often. I have to also say that I was NOT exercising during those first two months (at all), and I live a very sedentary lifestyle (desk job). so 1200 was very appropriate for me. I have recently added small amounts of exercise, and will be meeting with a personal trainer next week. I expect to start eating more as I exercise more. If you're taller and weigh more, I fully expect you to think 1200 is way too low. However, do NOT tell someone as small as me that they need to be eating 1600 calories a day.
K. done now.

Nagoyagirl49

Congratulations on your weight loss. I think how you feel is a better indicator of what you should be eating than some abstract number someone came up with. I don't really understand the whole subtracting calories from what you have eaten except that it shows how many extra calories you are burning. I think as long as you are ingesting 1200 calories a day, your net calorie count is not important. I'm sure others will not agree, but I do believe you must individualize your program. I once had a doctor tell me that my metabolism was so slow that I would not lose weight at anything less than 1000 calories. Turns out he was wrong, if I eat healthy I can eat 1200-1300 calories a day a still lose weight. I do not believe that 1200 calories is unhealthy. But then I am a woman in my 60's and my calorie intake should be less than that of a younger person.

postrockandcats

Forgive me for asking..........no throwing of barbs or sniping.....Im merely responding innocuously

I have lost 50 pounds in the last 55 days or so. Since I started my circuit training and some strength training I can hardly net 1000 let alone 1200 or more. Its not 'zactly on purpose. I eat good. My diet is quite varied. I just find that by the end of the day Im tired, Im done working out and Im full and dont want to eat more. I suspect its working for me because I have a lot to lose. Im 6' tall and want to lose about 100 more pounds. Ive heard it said that the more you have to lose the easier it is to lose.....at least in the beginning.

I cannot, for the life of me grasp the whole concept of "eating back your calories". I know the whole starvation mode thing. I consume about 1300 calories average UNTIL I subtract my "exercise calories" then I bottom out with a net of 400 to 600. Everything I read here says that's not good. But isnt it more individual than that? Ive been consistently losing weight, I feel great, I have tons of energy, I dont crave anything, Im not overly tired and it just seems to be working.

FYI.......I have a couple health issues aside from the weight so I am doing this with a physicians approval as well as a dietician and nutritionist.

Thanks for any input

Things tend to be a little different for those with more than 50 pounds to loose. Your doc has you on this plan to get some of the weight off but I'll bet there are a few changes along the way as your body changes. MFP is just a guide. If you are following a doctor's plan then don't worry about it. You can even change your MFP goals to match your doctor's goals for you. No no worries

ETA- I hate the phrase "eating back calories;" it sounds like you're meant to come back home after a workout and stuff your face. I just plan for the workout days and eat more on those days.

The idea is, with the MFP plan is that you eat at a deficit of your TDEE, which is your daily calories burned. It calculates your daily caloric goal based on your weight, height, age, gender and normal activity level minus how much you want to gain/ loose weekly. A typical pound a week loss is based on a 500 calorie a day deficit from how much you burn from how much you eat. If you exercise more on one day, then you're burning more calories and therefore require more food while still taking the deficit into account.

For example (just throwing round numbers out there), if your normal TDEE is 2500 calories and you want to loose a pound a week, you eat 2000 a day. If you do a workout and burn 500 calories more than you normally would on a non-workout day, you've burned 3000 calories that day, so to maintain that 500 calorie a day deficit, you're now at 2500 calories a day that you can eat.

This isn't meant to start an argument, just trying to explain the concept. Everyone has their own minds and bodies and will, and SHOULD, do what's right for them.

B_loves_A

My diary is open to look at, I eat 1200 or a little less each day. I believe in only eating when I am hungry and not eating just to meet a number each day. But I also do low carb so my daily food are based on eating that way. Good luck on your weight loss!

HealthyisBeauty

1200 calories is what I am set to eat, it is not unhealthy it depends on how much you weigh and how tall you are. Under 1200 is unhealthy. If MFP set you to that goal then it is correct and I def do not starve.

I eat 5-6 small meals a day. I buy smart with my groceries. I mix higher calorie foods with low calorie ones to fill me up. For example I will eat a sandwhich 100% wheat bread with skim milk cheese and lean turkey, then I will eat that with carrots, celery, some fruit, lowfat cottage cheese, or other low calorie foods. I use fat free mayo and limit extra sauces and condiments. I try to make sure I get in all the food groups everyday (some meat, fruits, veggies, dairy, and grains..). This method works well for me and my snacks are healthy such as a low fat yogurt or an apple. If I get hungry I will eat, I just eat smart and strive for foods with high nutritional value. I drink a lot of water as well which keeps me full and hydrated and I also run so I can normally eat more than 1200. Since I eat frequent small meals I get full really quickly, my stomach is small and used to small meals at a time. I have Lean Cuisine meals a lot for dinner which is probably packed with sodium but I'm in college so I dont always have time to cook and they are low calorie meals and yummy. I also eat light progresso soups a lot (also a lot of sodium though) but they fill me up and are good. If I eat salad I eat it with a low-fat low-calore dressing, I really like Ken's Fat Free Italian dressing, only 10 cals/package. I never drink any pop and drink fat free milk. My weakness is jolly ranchers so sometimes I will eat 3 for a snack but will still be under 1200. This works well for me and is giving me great results.

xoxosarinaxoxo

i have about 300 cals for each catagory. or cometime 600 for dinner and no snacks

postrockandcats

/ what should it look like

If I were on a 1200 a day diet, I'd probably make it a higher protein, lower-ish carb diet to help keep me full. Probably one of those 40/30/30 setups. But, that would be me.