Eating plan guide for 1200 calories

amymichelle1226

I find it pretty easy. I feel like I need the most calories for dinner. Here's what I generally do for a day with no exercise to meet the 1200.

Breakfast - Yogurt, Oatmeal or Banana. (Yogurt is lower calorie than the oatmeal, so if I want a bigger snack or dinner I'll have yogurt). Breakfast I usually do less than 200.

Morning snack - Fruit, lately it's been an apple.

Lunch - I use Nature's Own Whole wheat bread (100 cals for 2 slices), mustard and Oscar Meyer Turkey or Ham (usually about 45 - 60 calories). Sometimes I add Sargento thinly sliced cheese and maybe lettuce. I'll have a pickle or two with it. Sometimes fruit. Sometimes I do PB & J. I also eat Progresso Light Chicken Noodle....it's 140 for the whole can and I think it tastes really good. My lunch is usually less than 200.

Afternoon snack - baby carrots, fruit, or a 100 cal pack.

Dinner - I think I usually end up around 600 calories but there's certain things I eat that are lower. I get a lot of recipes from skinnytaste.com. My favorite dinners are perogies (frozen section) & vegetable, Chicken sausage with penne/Chicken Sausage with roasted vegetables (both recipes on skinnytaste), Turkey taco chili (skinny taste), Chicken fajitas, hamburgers (it's a little higher in calories but do-able), steak & vegetables.

I usually can fit in a WW or skinny ice cream. My favorite one is blue bunny vanilla caramel swirl...it's only 70 cals.

bluefox9er

My suggestion is to eat more. Good luck trying to make any progress on such a low calorie intake.

absolutely positively THIS ^^ ^^

I did lose a LOT by eating 1,200 calories a day and agressive cardio and not eating back a single exercise calorie: result: significant weight loss that came back in the blink of an eye and nothing but mental abject misery from lack of enjoying food.

second time around, I set my minimum calorie intake to 1,700 and ate every blooming exercise calorie: result : equally significant ( and equally rapid ) weight loss and a much happier sense of well-being.


mfp should really remove 1,200 as a default minimum.

amymichelle1226

After reading a lot of negative comments, I thought I'd add that I've been doing this since the end of June, I've lost 23 pounds. I just had bloodwork at the doctor one week ago and I'm perfectly healthy. Also, I exercise so obviously I'm eating more on those days but I don't exercise every day and I find the 1200 completely do-able.

Fit_2013

The book coach yourself thin recommends-
BF- 230 cals,dairy- 100 cals,lunch- 270 cals, snack- 100 cals and dinner- 400 cals.

I read recently that to feel full and not snack again one needs to eat about 400- 450 cals per meal. so that would mean three 400 cal meals.

secretlobster

1200 calories worked for me. I would usually eat cottage cheese and a half canteloupe for breakfast (350), some kind of soup or small homemade salad for lunch (300), a snack, and grilled chicken breast with steamed vegetables and a portion of rice for dinner (about 400).

I lost about 40lbs in three months. I didn't get the "starvation mode" symptoms that people sometimes find.

What I was left with was a wrecked metabolism and an eating disorder because the idea of eating at maintenance for me, which was maybe an extra thousand calories, was impossible to wrap my head around. It's been almost four years since I finished losing weight and if I could go back and do it differently, I would have given myself a few extra hundred calories a day. I probably would have gone an extra month trying to lose weight, but I wouldn't be struggling as much to maintain with a metabolism that works against me.

Good luck.

Helloitsdan

What I was left with was a wrecked metabolism and an eating disorder because the idea of eating at maintenance for me, which was maybe an extra thousand calories, was impossible to wrap my head around. It's been almost four years since I finished losing weight and if I could go back and do it differently, I would have given myself a few extra hundred calories a day. I probably would have gone an extra month trying to lose weight, but I wouldn't be struggling as much to maintain with a metabolism that works against me.

Good luck.

This is important folks!

imhungry2012

There are a lot of 1200 calorie haters, but it has been working for me. I NET 1200, I eat back all of my exercise calories and here is a typical day:

Breakfast - Greek Yogurt (anykind, sometimes non-fat sometimes traditional) 120 - 160 calories depending OR Oatmeal with brown sugar - 200 calories

AM Snack - Banana or apple - 100 calories

Lunch - Salad w/ chicken OR hard boiled egg (2), avocado, strawberries, balsamic based dressing, croutons (I mix the toppings up) 350 - 450 calories

Afternoon Snack - Almonds, mixed nuts or trail mix - 160-190 calories

Dinner - varies but try to keep it around 400 - 600 calories depending on what I ate that day and how much I worked out but usually consists of baked chicken, salmon or tilapia with a veggie and/or brown rice/wheat pasta side.

I almost always have a little snack before bed...frozen snack sized york pepermint patties are my current favorite - 60 calories each

Good Luck! It works, I would try not to net less than 1200 each day...I was and i found myself not being able to work out as hard and binging randomly after a week or so.

Tamisha15

I was reccommended to do 1200 cals a day by one of my fitness instructor but so were all the other women (I'm the largest in my class and I know that everyone's body doesn't require the same amount of calories to maintain or loose) and I have found that does'nt work for me. I have a hard time sticking to it and it sometimes drive me crazy. At first I would get headaches when I stuck to 1200 cals. With my body weight according to my BMR I should intake 2100 cals a day but my body feels great at 1500 - 1600 cals. I sit at a desk all day but after work I work out 2 to 2 1/2 hours and I'm always starving after I workout. I've noticed that since I've increased my activity level the weight is starting to come off.

Weight loss is a science and you have to almost experiement to see what will actually work. It takes research, trial and error, patience and time but once you find what works, just marvel at your success :-)


I pray that you reach your goals, GOD bless you!!

secretlobster

What I was left with was a wrecked metabolism and an eating disorder because the idea of eating at maintenance for me, which was maybe an extra thousand calories, was impossible to wrap my head around. It's been almost four years since I finished losing weight and if I could go back and do it differently, I would have given myself a few extra hundred calories a day. I probably would have gone an extra month trying to lose weight, but I wouldn't be struggling as much to maintain with a metabolism that works against me.

Good luck.

This is important folks!

If you asked me WHILE I was losing weight, I would say yes, go for 1200 calories, it's working!! Yeah. It's easy to say it's a great plan because all you want is those pounds to come off.

How many of the people on the 1200 calorie plan have finished losing weight, and find no difficulty maintaining their new body? I haven't seen any in this thread yet. Have fun with that.

amy1612

The book coach yourself thin recommends-
BF- 230 cals,dairy- 100 cals,lunch- 270 cals, snack- 100 cals and dinner- 400 cals.

I read recently that to feel full and not snack again one needs to eat about 400- 450 cals per meal. so that would mean three 400 cal meals.

That book sounds like a load of nonsense. There's no magical low number forumla that results in awesome weightloss and ultimate health....eat less crappy food, eat more natural, nutritious food, do some exercise (SOME being the operative word), which you enjoy and suits you.

Personally, I've done 1200 calories a day, I lost weight, and was left obsessed with calorie counting. I worked out hours a day, and stll had a soft body. I now eat a lot of food, good healthy food, and lift heavy a few times a week. Im happier, fitter, healthier and look much better. You dont have to do the most drastic things in order to lose, just the smartest.

Helloitsdan

There are a lot of 1200 calorie haters, but it has been working for me. I NET 1200, I eat back all of my exercise calories and here is a typical day:

Breakfast - Greek Yogurt (anykind, sometimes non-fat sometimes traditional) 120 - 160 calories depending OR Oatmeal with brown sugar - 200 calories

AM Snack - Banana or apple - 100 calories

Lunch - Salad w/ chicken OR hard boiled egg (2), avocado, strawberries, balsamic based dressing, croutons (I mix the toppings up) 350 - 450 calories

Afternoon Snack - Almonds, mixed nuts or trail mix - 160-190 calories

Dinner - varies but try to keep it around 400 - 600 calories depending on what I ate that day and how much I worked out but usually consists of baked chicken, salmon or tilapia with a veggie and/or brown rice/wheat pasta side.

I almost always have a little snack before bed...frozen snack sized york pepermint patties are my current favorite - 60 calories each

Good Luck! It works, I would try not to net less than 1200 each day...I was and i found myself not being able to work out as hard and binging randomly after a week or so.

Joined may 2012.
At 1200 cals for 2lb per week loss you should be at about 50lbs lost.
Member has lost 17lbs in appx 24 weeks.

I have people who are losing more per week eating 1600-2200 and only working out 3x a week.
This is the example I try to make daily.
Dont push something that doesnt work.

secretlobster

Joined may 2012.
At 1200 cals for 2lb per week loss you should be at about 50lbs lost.
Member has lost 17lbs in appx 24 weeks.

I have people who are losing more per week eating 1600-2200 and only working out 3x a week.
This is the example I try to make daily.
Dont push something that doesnt work.

Yeah. No offense to anyone (or maybe not), but if you're going to follow someone else's routine, look closely at their results.

jesspi68

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.

That doesn't make a bit of sense. I am losing weight steadily on 1830 calories, snacking pretty much the entire day. I eat around 7, 10, 12, 3, 5 and 8. Stating that snacks "make you fat" is completely incorrect. Eating more calories than you expend makes you fat. Eat when you are hungry, figure out the right number of calories for your body and don't starve yourself, 1200 isn't a magic number that everyone needs to lose weight.

petiteLady89

Since you are just starting out I would start eating at your maintenance and give it a few weeks and see what happens. If you're losing then great! Keep eating at your maintenance until you plateau. Then drop by a few hundred. I wish I had done my research when I first started. I started at 1200 and it took me over a month of torturing my self to finally find a healthier way to lose weight. Go to fat2fitradio.com and check out the BMR calculator. Seriously, there is no reason why you need to start eating 1200 calories right away.