Eating plan guide for 1200 calories

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  • Shua89
    Shua89 Posts: 144 Member
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    I rarely go over 1200 calories, here's how my day is typically broken up.

    Breakfast about 70 calories - I'm not a breakfast eater so creamer in my coffee accounts for the 70 calories
    Lunch about 250 calories - I really like soup for lunch, it hits the spot and fills me up
    Afternoon Snack about 200 calories - anything from a fruit smoothie to granola bars
    Dinner - 400-600 calories - it will all depend on my mood and how hungry I am but I always try to include a lot of protein in dinner
    Evening Snack (or dessert) - about 100 calories - this is my time for just a small something sweet.
  • PatrickCoyle
    PatrickCoyle Posts: 16 Member
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    I lost over 180lbs since January 1st this year eating at 1200-1300 calories, I have increased by lean body mass and greatly reduced my body fat. I also have a cheat meal every 2 weeks which is high calories just to ignite my metabolism. It can be done and bro-science is very rarely accurate
  • DonaA123
    DonaA123 Posts: 337 Member
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    bump
  • Swissmiss
    Swissmiss Posts: 8,754 Member
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    My suggestion is to eat more. Good luck trying to make any progress on such a low calorie intake.

    1200 calories may be what MFP has set for Katrina. But, if she is not losing at that count then a few more calories may work.
  • kinrsa
    kinrsa Posts: 111 Member
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    My general (vegetarian) plan:

    Breakfast - 150ish (1/2 pack of oats & daily vitamins)
    Snack - 120ish (greek yogurt / mixed nuts / fruit)
    Lunch - between 200 & 450 (200 is all veggies, usually add veggie burger & all the fixings in there to bring it up to 450)
    Snack - 100ish (1 Tbsp peanut butter is my weakness)
    Dinner - between 400 & 650 (also lots of fresh veggies & I like egg white omelettes at night)

    It works for me. Play around with it for a few days & you'll find what works for you.
  • aphid
    aphid Posts: 47
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    This is how I do it:
    Brekky - 300cal
    Snack - 100 - 150 cal
    Lunch - 300 cal
    Snack - 100 - 150 cal
    Dinner - 400 cal

    Roughly. On days I exercise with some sort of intensity I eat more as I am hungry but I never eat back all of my exercise calories, only some. Good luck, and remember if your body stops responding, up your calorie intake :)
    You should have to worry about having your body "stop" responding. The problem is people immediately go bare bones and cut every thing out. You have to look at weight loss as peeling an onion. You have to strip each layer from the onion when you reach a sticking point.

    At 1200 calories you have NO room to make any adjustments and you're on way to metabolic rehab. This is not a scare tactic, this is real life. Even if the original poster is severely obese 1200 calories is still not advisable.

    The whole point is to make your meals filling. Meal frequency is not an issue, so you don't need to eat 6,7, and 8 meals a day. IMHO, snacks make you fat, and are an indication that your meals are not filling.

    1200/3 = 400 calorie meals or 1200/4= 300 calorie meals. Both are a much better choice then having a 100-150 calorie "snack" which will leave you hungry.


    1200 calories is very reasonable if your starting weight is not that high... if you are a short person, 1200 is about right and won't mess up your metabolism.
  • JBDaniel08
    JBDaniel08 Posts: 67 Member
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    I have found that I eat less during the day..only a small breakfast 150 clalories and a small lunch. This leaves me calories left over when I am at home at night and love to snack. 1200 calories is tough bu at some point you will go to maintaince and you will have more to spend. Good Luck!

    Jamie
    Friend me if you would like to chat
  • TheFitHooker
    TheFitHooker Posts: 3,358 Member
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    My suggestion is to eat more. Good luck trying to make any progress on such a low calorie intake.

    Seriously? A good number of people eat only 1200 calories a day and loss weight. I was on 1200 prior to my surgery and lost 48 pounds. Of course since gastric bypass I only eat 600-900 calories...and am still losing.
    Yeah seriously, cause it's not all about losing weight. Losing weight is just one part of the puzzle. You should be concerned about:
    1. How much lean body mass.
    2. Your metabolic rate.

    These are not only concerns of bodybuilders, they should be concerns of everyone. It's not about WEIGHT loss. It's about losing bodyfat and keeping your metabolism healthy.

    Anyone can lose weight. The question is can they do it in a safe and effective manner.

    Of course it isn't the magic number for everyone, but you can if it is a proper number for you, lose weight and still be healthy. I started out at 250 lbs, at 5 foot 3 inches tall. I'm now 129 lbs and I eat 1200 because I am still losing weight. I have not hit a plateau yet and I have a lot higher metabolism then I have ever had, I have lost a lot of inches as well, I also work out. I just started Insanity and hope to get the last bit of weight off me. Once I hit my goal weight I'll worry about gaining lean muscle, not everyone does it like others. I'll up my calories when I get to where I'm going to put on 10-15 lbs of lean muscle.
  • bsuew
    bsuew Posts: 628 Member
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    Hey your welcome to friend me and look at my diary. I tend to eat bacon and eggs in the morning. Starting off with a good protein helps me not be hungry thru the day. If I'm feeling more so in the am I will eat some fresh fruit with my protein. Sometimes a couple of tomatoe slices. For lunch I eat veggies and protein. EXP: Salad with grilled chicken, greens, okra, tomatoes, and chicken grilled, stewed. For supper I eat some kind of stewed, baked or grilled chicken or fish or lean red meat. If I snack I eat something that will fit into the remaining calories that I have left for the day. I try not to snack a lot because that's what got me into the mess I am with my weight. I do not eat my exercised calories back. I hope this helps feel free to friend me. I've been on 1200 calories since March. I also try to stay on a low carb. That's why you normally don't see bread, potatoes etc on my log. I just seem to feel and do better with out loads of carbs.
  • family_girl2626
    family_girl2626 Posts: 46
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    I started with the minimum as well not feeling hungry or in need of more. That can and did change for myself however everyone is different. Re-evaluate as needed. If you are exercising and planning to build muscle (not just tone) you will need to rethink your numbers. It is all very individual. You will do great.
  • Fat2Fit145
    Fat2Fit145 Posts: 385 Member
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    Wow, thanks for all the replies. I didn't expect my question to cause so much conversation.
    1200 calories is what I was recommended by MFP, perhaps from all the comments this is going to be too low. I haven't done a calorie counting weight loss/healthy eating plan before so I had no idea whether this would be too low or not.

    I'll look into it a bit further as to what number of calories would be best.

    Thanks again.


    1200 calories is not too low... u just have to choose HEALTHY foods.... you can check my diary for some ideas... im also on 1200 calories and i harldy make all of it....and i eat all through the day, but healthy, low calorie foods....fruits, vege, protiens....u have to change ur diet and u'll be able to do it.. All the best.
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
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    Hi,
    Ok, I going to give it a proper go and rid myself of this weight.

    I'm going to start off with a 1200 calorie intake, but I need some guidance as to how to break up the 1200 calories into meals and snacks. Any suggestions?

    Thanks in advance.
    Katrina.

    I broadly allow myself between 300-400 per meal (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
    As someone said - find out what works for you, but I tend to have something with protein in the morning, to try and keep me fuller and to resist snacking in between.
    I find soup at lunch also helps to avoid that snacking in between dinner.
    Then have a balanced dinner in the evenings.

    I try and stick to at least 4 glasses of water in the day at the moment (it is taking me a while to adjust to that from barely any water) ...
    I generally go over a little due to exercise and.... y'know... life!
    I eat back some of my exercise cals - but really not that bothered if I do or if I don't on a religious basis - so as a result I may have more to play with on mornings where I have burned around 300 in the gym/pool versus my rest days where I might only burn abour 60-80 on stretches and stepping.

    Everyone is different - some see results but on a slower timeframe, others see rapid loss... I have a long way to go to reach my first goal, but I also have a life and want to enjoy it so for me the combination of some exercise-eat-back but on the whole healthier eating and reduction of portion sizes has worked for me.
  • muffle1969
    muffle1969 Posts: 96 Member
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    I'm confused on one point...the general principle is you have to burn more calories than you take in to lose weight. MFP started me at 1360 per day, then I lost 21 pounds in about 2.5 months, and now I'm on 1200 a day. I exercise pretty much daily, and eat back anywhere from 2/3 to all of the exercise calories.

    Over the last week and a half, my weight loss has stalled. I've just started trying to switch up my workout...instead of swimming 30 laps 5-6 days a week, I'm trying alternating swimming and walking. Another point of confusion is that I know walking burns less than swimming, but this is supposed to jump-start my weight loss again? Given the general principle of burn more than you eat, I don't understand how this works.

    So how does increasing calories, or decreasing calories burned, restart weight loss?

    Thank you for any information. :)
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
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    I don't think (perhaps I'm wrong) that we can aim for a weight loss of more than 2lb per week using MFP guidance.

    Folk who are nearer goal, female, and not too tall can easily get a recommendation of 1200. Indeed at 1200 I'm told I'll loose 0.8lb a week. That's hardly aiming for too rapid a weight loss.

    And I am not starving on 1200 either.

    good to hear you're not starving :P

    yep what you say above is true, but using MFP to calculate your intake alone isn't the best of ideas. clearly its working for you and thats good, i just want to make sure people get the information that I didn't get when I first came here.

    health is the ultimate goal, so when someone comes with questions about a 1200 diet I try to make sure that its also not going to affect their health.

    its great that you find it working for you, but it doesn't suit everyone, and some it could be very harmful.
  • eileent01
    eileent01 Posts: 8
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    This is the best advice I have read on mfp I especially like the cheat meal every two weeks gives you something to look forward to.
  • kris4chloe
    kris4chloe Posts: 245 Member
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    yesterday was a rest day and i ate 1578 calories. my goal is 1650 a day. i can do 1200 a day, but i prefer not to. and my 1500 calorie day is full of veggies, protein and good fats.
  • Breadbar
    Breadbar Posts: 334 Member
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    Good post - I appreciate this thoughtful exchange. Storm Sandy is keeping me homebound for a few days - I'm going use this down time to re-evaluate my eating plan
  • Chikipiwi
    Chikipiwi Posts: 117 Member
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    You also have to consider the hight and weight. Somone small cant have the luxury of eating more than 1200 cals a day and still have a deficit.
  • Chikipiwi
    Chikipiwi Posts: 117 Member
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    My general (vegetarian) plan:

    Breakfast - 150ish (1/2 pack of oats & daily vitamins)
    Snack - 120ish (greek yogurt / mixed nuts / fruit)
    Lunch - between 200 & 450 (200 is all veggies, usually add veggie burger & all the fixings in there to bring it up to 450)
    Snack - 100ish (1 Tbsp peanut butter is my weakness)
    Dinner - between 400 & 650 (also lots of fresh veggies & I like egg white omelettes at night)

    It works for me. Play around with it for a few days & you'll find what works for you.
    [/quote

    You can take a look at my diary to see how I consume my calories.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    I think MFP sets most women up at 1200 calories! :tongue: That's what I started with as well, and lost a few pounds, but eventually stalled on weight loss, was hungry, anxious about going over my limit, and didn't have enough energy for my workouts.

    Earlier in this topic someone mentioned knowing your BMR and TDEE, two of the greatest terms I've learned here, and how to use them. I did so through this topic: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Great info there and links to tools to find your BMR and TDEE, and what to manually set your calorie and macro goals to here at MFP. I am now set at 1800 calories a day, and while my scale doesn't change much as I'm very near my goal weight, I am more focused on my measurements and how my clothes fit - and the fat is steadily coming off, and I keep having to buy new clothes! Since switching to the higher calorie intake I've dropped another two pants sizes - expensive, but a good feeling! LOL :bigsmile: Thrift stores are becoming my best friend as I transition through sizes!

    If 1200 works for you, you're not hungry, tired, or stalling in weight loss, go for it. But check out that thread, lots of good info - and why eat the bare minimum when you can eat more, feel better and stronger, and still lose the fat? My whole fitness journey has been a learning process, and I'm just hoping to share what I've learned with others along the way.

    Edited to add: My diary is open, feel free to have a look. I log everything, and some days I go over (some days WAY over!), but I'm still losing.

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