Trouble finding a healthy diet to stick to. help?

Sweetangel70
Sweetangel70 Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
Im 20 and i need a low carb diet preferably 1000-1200 calorie meal plan. can anyone who has had success losing weight help me out with a meal plan along with exercise that will help me lose weight?

Replies

  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
    Why do you need this? Who told you that?
  • Bethie_B
    Bethie_B Posts: 292 Member
    You'll most likely have a hard time losing and keeping weight off consuming so few calories.
  • Adina81
    Adina81 Posts: 252 Member
    Eat. (properly)
    Move. (with purpose)
    Sleep. (8 hrs)
    Commit. (not to a diet to your life)

    Don't get caught up in all this bull that floats around. Your on your way to messing up the only body you'll have in this life time.
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Are you currently logging all your foods? If you make your diary public we can make some helpful suggestions for lowering your carbs.

    1000 cals a day seem very low - has a doctor advised you to go that low?

    What height are you?
  • Sweetangel70
    Sweetangel70 Posts: 5
    No, I haven't been told. I'm just assuming 1200 is normal. I'm 5 ft 9
  • Sweetangel70
    Sweetangel70 Posts: 5
    Can anyone help with suggestions :)
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    Sustainable and low cal generally don't go together. 1200 will get you fairly fast loss, but you are likely to burn out quickly and go back to old habits.

    http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/ Use that web site to find your calorie goal (don't use sedentary unless you don't hardly move at all) and eat the right amount of pretty much whatever you want. I eat 1,800 calories a day without eliminating anything from my diet. Moderation and proper portion sizes are key.
  • BaileyP3
    BaileyP3 Posts: 151 Member
    Your calories are too low for your height...are you trying to lose weight?? If so, at 1500 calories is a good place to start.

    Try to avoid processed food, limit dining out in order to avoid high fat/high sodium foods
  • 120weeks
    120weeks Posts: 242 Member
    I see you've made 3 posts since November 2010....and all three are on this thread. I'd say just start using MFP the way it's set up, give it a month and just commit to it. Have you tried logging your food and exercising? You don't really need a plan. You just need determination. If you are not happy with your progress after a month, come back and we'll look at your diary and give more detailed advice. You can do it! There is no secret and there is no "plan".
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    No, I haven't been told. I'm just assuming 1200 is normal. I'm 5 ft 9

    Your assumption is likely waaay off. At 5'9 you can and should eat a lot more than 1200 calories. There may or may not be any reason to go low carb also.

    It depends on what your goals are and what else you're going to do but for general weightloss figure out your TDEE - the website posted above has some good tools - and eat at a deficit from that, usually 20%ish is a good starting point. If you want to be fit and not just skinny doing something that works your heart, lungs and muscles is a good idea also. Do that for a month or so and adjust as needed.
  • Sweetangel70
    Sweetangel70 Posts: 5
    Thanks all for your advise. I'm trying to lose weight that's my goal .
  • oldbutnotover
    oldbutnotover Posts: 13 Member
    Hi. Try to limit your meals to about 400 calories four to five times a day. If you exercise regularly, then it can be five times a day and, if not, then four times a day. Eat at the same times each day (three to four hours apart). Don't snack at all and don't eat after a specified time at night (two to three hours before bed).

    Your diet should consist of lean meats that are healthy and low in calories like chicken and seafood (eggs and low calorie peanut butter are a good occasional substitute) plus plenty of veggies (simple carbs that give you what you need and help you avoid the complex carbs that pack on the pounds). You should also get some quality whole grains or brown rice maybe once a day. Limit your fluid intake to water, maybe one coffee a day, and as little alcohol as possible (lots of calories in alcohol).

    Try to give yourself a bit of a treat once a week so that you can stick to the plan and have something to look forward to every week.
  • Lalouse
    Lalouse Posts: 221 Member
    Your first problem is that you are looking for a diet.

    What you should be looking for is a new lifestyle.

    That's the only way to lose weight and keep it off.
  • crazyellybean
    crazyellybean Posts: 999 Member
    What are you currently eating? Your diary is not open to public so we can't help you there...


    High Protein/Low Carb Foods

    Eggs
    Cheese
    Meat (Lean Meats like Turkey, Chicken, Lean Beef)
    Veggies
    Greek Yogurt
    Nuts (almonds are the best)
    Cottage Cheese
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,923 Member
    At 5'9 there is no reason to eat under 1400 calories/day. How much do you have to lose? How much does MFP tell you to eat when you signed up? If you have less than 15 pounds to lose set yourself up for .5lb/week (I know that's slow, but I can tell you right now it's not gonna come off over night, no matter what you do).

    This is what your diet should consist of: Fresh Veggies (raw or steamed), fresh fruits, lean meats (chicken breasts, extra lean ground turkey, salmon, white fish, shrimp, lean red meats, etc), high protein dairy products (cottage cheese, greek yogurt, almond milk, etc), whole grain carbs (brown rice, whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, etc). Get away from processed foods, drink TONS of water (TMI, but you should be peeing at least every 30 minutes ALL DAY), limit sugar, soda, and exercise moderately (30 minutes, 3x week to start, fast walking (something that gets your heart rate up) is great, BTW). Do some body weight exercises and weights. AND BE PATIENT. It takes work, motivation and determination. There is no easy fix. Good luck!
  • Love_flowers
    Love_flowers Posts: 365 Member
    Well... stop looking for one. :bigsmile:


    Seriously, just use your own intuition and basic common knowledge to determine what healthy eating means for you.
    Have occasional treats too if you want. Drink plenty of water. Make sure you know your BMR and TDEE, eat anything between those two estimates and make sure you have a reasonable calorie deficit.


    Most importantly, enjoy it all whilst your are doing it, it is not only about the goal, it is just as much as how you get there. :flowerforyou:
  • Cyclink
    Cyclink Posts: 517 Member
    Your first problem is that you are looking for a diet.

    What you should be looking for is a new lifestyle.

    That's the only way to lose weight and keep it off.

    Exactly.

    To be more precise, lifestyle is a combination of:
    - what/how much you regularly eat (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
    - what/how much you regularly do (your job, your chores, etc)
    - what/how much you regularly engage in exercise (lifting, running, cycling, rowing, elliptical, etc)
    - how much/how well you sleep

    The key there is routine. What is your schedule like every day? A "weight loss" or "healthy" lifestyle is often a matter of making sure that the changes you commit to can become routine for the rest of your life, not something you do just for a few months until the weight is gone.

    Weight loss does not mean never having a cookie again. It means having 1 occasionally and really enjoying it, not eating 6 all at once and barely noticing.
  • TinaBean007
    TinaBean007 Posts: 273 Member
    Eat. (properly)
    Move. (with purpose)
    Sleep. (8 hrs)
    Commit. (not to a diet to your life)

    Don't get caught up in all this bull that floats around. Your on your way to messing up the only body you'll have in this life time.

    I wish I listed to this advice when I was 20.

    BTW- I eat 1300-1500 cals plus workout cals, and I'm only 5'2 which 20lbs to lose. Feel free to add me to see my diary.

    Here is some info to help you get started:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/686963-large-collection-of-info-for-beginners
  • Sweetangel70
    Sweetangel70 Posts: 5
    Thank you all. I'll definetly take all the advice given . Many thanks again!
  • Tempe729
    Tempe729 Posts: 270 Member
    Eat. (properly)
    Move. (with purpose)
    Sleep. (8 hrs)
    Commit. (not to a diet to your life)

    Don't get caught up in all this bull that floats around. Your on your way to messing up the only body you'll have in this life time.

    Couldn't agree more! You don't need a specified "diet"... as long as you eat clean (you can still allow yourself some treats here & there just not in excess) .... exercise... get plenty of sleep & water!

    I wouldn't go below 1200 calories though... stick between 1200-1400 calories
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Im 20 and i need a low carb diet preferably 1000-1200 calorie meal plan. can anyone who has had success losing weight help me out with a meal plan along with exercise that will help me lose weight?

    I would suggest you read this:

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/

    It is a healthy and sustainable way to eat with simple and flexible 'rules'. There is no prescribed number of caloires. You choose that, but it has many helpful tips for losing and maintaining weight.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Your first problem is that you are looking for a diet.

    What you should be looking for is a new lifestyle.

    That's the only way to lose weight and keep it off.

    I lost weight on a diet. I've been maintaining that loss for 1.5 years on the same diet. If you eat, you are on a diet. Focus on the quality and quanitty that you eat and how much you move instead of labels and semantics.

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