Ladies on 1200cal diet lets share eating plans, tips, ideas!

princessangel

hi ladies just wanting to get together and create an area where we can share what we are eating and how we are improving our healh, would be great to get lots of different food options here to help us plan our dailly eating and strive to get the most nutrients out the 1200 daily cal limit. please only daily meal plans that total 1200 cals! xx

anyways here is what i had yesterday:

Total cals consumed: 1266
Total cals burned walking: 98

Breaky (total 172 cal):
Papaya 1.5 cups 82 cal
Skinny cap medium 90 cal

Lunch (total 650 cal):
Chickpea Salad, 100 g 95 cal
Couscous Salad, 150g 300 cal
Greek Salad side salad 195 cal
Cucumber Yogurt Dressing, 2 Tbsp. 60 cal

Dinner (total 220):
Papaya, 1 cup 80 cal
John West - Tuna Olive Oil Blend, 125 g 140 cal

Snacks (total 224):
Banana medium 144 cal
Apple medium 80 cal

I have room for improvement in my diet would like to include more protien and some read meat but afraid of how fattening red meat is now i am on a diet. As you can see i was a lil over but not by much and Im hoping my salad for lunch was less than it added up here as it is a medium sized salad box that come from healthy food place and so i get a mix of 3 salads in there. Im worried about the couscous though they might use butter, that is that bad thing about takeaway foods you never know what is really in there...

Please share your eating plans, ideas, tips etc! :)

rileysmommyy

eggs are a good way to add protein to your diet. at only 70 calories an egg, you can make a sandwich out of one, scramble them or even eat them hard boiled for a nutritious snack. i also like to portion out turkey meat for chili and burgers. and of course chicken breast is yummy and low in calories and fat. 4 0z is usually 100 calories. another favorite of mine for a good, filling snack is turkey pepperoni. 17 slices is 1 serving and only 70 calories! hope these suggestions help.

mirgss

I've tried to cut down on my total calorie intake as well as eating better calories. For instance, instead of eating bread on my sandwich (even a nice whole wheat is like 140 cals at least), I've started eating the Arnold Thins - they are 100 calories. Also, instead of eating mustard and mayo slathered all over my sandwich, I put some cheese - usually provolone or colby jack - on it. I eat Dannon Light and Fit yogurt in the morning (I used to eat plain yogurt with frozen fruit, but the store near me no longer sells plain yogurt )

Anyway I do pretty well with breakfast/lunch/snacks, but I have a harder time with dinner. I've started buying fresh spinach and sauteing it with red peppers and garlic. It's yummy

mythicals

Total Calories consumed: 952
Burned with cardio: 147

Breakfast:
Bowl of organic honey nut morning o's
strawberry yogurt
lemon ginger tea


Lunch:
2 crackers with peanut butter ( Yes, I was in a rush. )

Snack:
Pineapple fruit cup
2 kiwis
raisins

Dinner:
Mung bean soup
Seared tuna

I've been trying to eat a range of different foods and stop sticking with the same meals.

rseit29

I switch out my bread for half of a whole wheat pita when I make a sandwich! It's only 80 calories! And your lunch doesn't fall out of it when you eat it!

TxTish

I have found that good chef salads and frozen dinners like lean cuisines and smart ones and healthy choices are helping me stay on 1200 calories a day. The dinners are good at lunch when I'm in a hurry, I love a good chef salad at night with fat free dressing and 2% cheese. The 100 calorie snack packets make for good snacks at work. I drink water bottles and use propel 10 calories to sweeten them some. I love unsweet tea with lemon also. I start out some days with a junior breakfast burrito from Sonic only 330 calories. I go to Olive Garden every couple of weeks,, and resist the bread sticks, having a small portion of salad first, then the Eggplant Parmigana. I just know to add more exercise in if I go over the 1200 calories. This site has been awesome for keeping me on track. I eat grapes as a snack a lot too. I need to figure out some things that I can eat from fast foods that aren't totally awful, as I'm going to be on the road a lot and want to stay on track!

TxTish

Speaking of eggs, Egg beaters are awesome. Jimmy Dean makes a frozen bag of skillet breakfasts, that have ham, red and green peppers and onions in them. A serving is only 370 calories or so even if you use eggs,, talk about filling! This is one of my favorite meals when I'm hungry!

princessangel

oh yeah thanks eggs are a great idea, im going to head for a walk shortly to the shops to buy some eggs and healthy bread for breakfast only had my daily coffee so far and its 9:30 am.. hmm so hungry cant wait for my soft boiled egg with one pc toast cut in soldiers hehe.. should come to around 170-200 cal. really need to give up the coffee though not that geart for you and unwanted extra cals going to try get into drinking herbal teas instead like green tea apparently it helps fasten your metab as well who knows if that is true or not though..

smarston

A few breakfast ideas...

I use egg beaters (all whites) They are only 30 cal for a 1/4. I eat 1/2 c scrambled and throw in spinach, green peppers. onions and either tomatoes or top with 2 lbs of salsa.

1 whole wheat tortilla, 1 tbs pbb, 1 medium banana 375 cals

ChristinaHill

35 calorie bread guys. 35 calories a slice, You can eat a whole sandwhich and not feel guilty

pinklady85

Wow 1200 cal. go by quickly....I try to go to the gym 4 times a week to increase my cal. intake...I haven't figured it all out yet but here's what I had for lunch today:

Homemade - Garden Salad, 1 salad 75cal.
Boneless, Skinless - Chicken Breast - Grilled, 4 oz 125cal.
Strawberries - Raw, 1 cup, halves 49cal.
Cucumber - Peeled, raw, 1 cup, pared, chopped 16cal.
Raw - Green Onion, 1/4 cup 10cal.
Homemade - Olive Oil & Cider Vinegar & Raspberry Vinegar , 2 tbsp 110cal.

For a total of 385cal.

I mixed everything into a huge salad bowl and boy it was good! Strawberries really give a little something extra!
I usually only have an Ensure shake in the morning: the regular one is 250cal.
I was never a fan of red meat so I can't help you there but if you like fish, I think salmon has the best fat-protein ratio.

pinklady85

I also stay away from pineapple, grapes and bananas... You wanna go for the berries, they have almost no sugar and they can pass for dessert if you have imagination!

pinklady85

35 calorie bread guys. 35 calories a slice, You can eat a whole sandwhich and not feel guilty

Oh my god! Which one?????????? Where??????????? How?????????? I want it!

hungrymarathongirl

Yes I want to know about this 35 calorie bread! Sounds too good to be true.

turtle080808

I eat a lot of protein and less carbs. I make protein shakes for right after my weight lifting days. Its very important for nutrition and muscles The best one I have found is Silk light chocolate soy milk, natural peanut butter, chocolate protein powder and ice....all blended together ITS AWESOME!! Also makes a good breakfast, it keeps me full longer!!

godblessourhome

what a great idea! tagging this to check back later.

amyvue

breakfast:
yoplait yogurt (i love the blueberry, strawberry banana, and boston cream pie ones!)
mixed nuts from "nut-trition" cans

snack:
orange or strawberries 1 cup
or wheat thins

lunch:
turkey sandwich with fresh spinich, tomatoe

snack:
string cheese

dinner:
salmon
asparagus or collard greens

usually if I do resistance I skip dinner and drink a protein shake instead.. fills me up especially when i put soymilk and fruits in with it

sorry i was too lazy to look up how much calories is in each... but I know that its right around the 1200 mark!

andieooh

Hi!
I have an eating too much protein problem, if that's a problem. I know protein is good for you and I think I've become overly focused, anyway here is my typical day for 1200 cals or under:

Breakfast:
- Oatmeal (rolled oats only - instant oats are a joke as far as nutrients) w/ 2% milk & brown sugar
- 1 or 2 servings (2 Tb/serving) of Wheat Germ for extra protein & fiber added to oatmeal (can't even taste it!)
- Coffee (YES!)

Lunch:
- Sandwich and some fruit, I had an Arby's melt the other day and it wasn't as calorically bad as I thought it'd be...Chick-Fil-A is the healthiest major fast food restaurant to go to - if you're a fast food-getter no sandwich on their menu is over 300 calories (source: eat this not that)

Dinner:
- White fish, battered and fried actually...not as calorically bad as you'd think, once again!
- Brown rice
- Broccoli
- Glass of red (YES!)


That's my typical day, sometimes it puts me over by a few calories when I don't exercise - I'm talking by like 20 calories...so not too big of a deal. I also don't drink soda (never have) and stay away from juice most of the time - water is my best friend.

Sorry that I didn't give any new recipe ideas or anything, I just have found that it's not too hard to stay around the 1200 calorie mark....surprisingly enough.

Best of luck ladies and gents! Keep it movin!

andieooh

By the way - I googled "35 calorie bread" and it came back with:

http://www.thedailyplate.com/nutrition-calories/food/earthgrains/35-calorie-wheat-bread

Or if you're afraid of links or are lazy...it's earthgrains brand...oops just found another called Heiners bread - it's also 35 calories...they sell it at Walmart.

princessangel

35 cal bread sounds so good.. to bad i dont think we have this in australia i looked on the shelf today and nothing even under 80 cal a slice but not the biggest supermart so next time i will check out somewhere else. so far today i been doing really well sticking to my calorie plan but going out to dinner tonigh sigh i bet all the meals will prob be a whole 1000 cals just for one meal but its nice to enjoy ourselfs as well so going to try not feel guilty about it

Zonadow

Oh you people are so lucky! I'm on a hard diet since I took outt frustrrations with food when I was little ( 6-10) and I gained like crazy until I turned 14 weighing in at 214 -.- so at 15 it pleases me to say my chosen diet is working. I'm losing 2 pounds a week, and the secret? Going shopping with my mother for walking and such, using an Ab Lounge Sport machine, and as for foods? Fruits and vegetables. That's it. Protein could be sullied in nuts as well but my mother refuses -.- So we get the rare treat on Friday - roasted chciken. Put the oven away though, we don't actually cook any of the vegetables. We eat salad, carrot juice is a fantastic vitamin supplement ( though gross in my tastes ), lemon juice instead of salad dressing, etc.!

I've been on this diet for 1 week and using the ab lounge sport for 3 days and I've lost 2 pounds already.


( I apologize for any grammar/spelling errors, I'm on my iPod Touch XD; )

smarston

Hi!
I have an eating too much protein problem, if that's a problem. I know protein is good for you and I think I've become overly focused, anyway here is my typical day for 1200 cals or under:

Breakfast:
- Oatmeal (rolled oats only - instant oats are a joke as far as nutrients) w/ 2% milk & brown sugar
- 1 or 2 servings (2 Tb/serving) of Wheat Germ for extra protein & fiber added to oatmeal (can't even taste it!)
- Coffee (YES!)

Lunch:
- Sandwich and some fruit, I had an Arby's melt the other day and it wasn't as calorically bad as I thought it'd be...Chick-Fil-A is the healthiest major fast food restaurant to go to - if you're a fast food-getter no sandwich on their menu is over 300 calories (source: eat this not that)

Dinner:
- White fish, battered and fried actually...not as calorically bad as you'd think, once again!
- Brown rice
- Broccoli
- Glass of red (YES!)


That's my typical day, sometimes it puts me over by a few calories when I don't exercise - I'm talking by like 20 calories...so not too big of a deal. I also don't drink soda (never have) and stay away from juice most of the time - water is my best friend.

Sorry that I didn't give any new recipe ideas or anything, I just have found that it's not too hard to stay around the 1200 calorie mark....surprisingly enough.

Best of luck ladies and gents! Keep it movin!

Good to know about the Chic-Fil-A. The kids want to eat there tomorrow night before the hockey game. They got free meals from book reader club so that makes me feel a ton better about going there. Thx.

TheMaidOfAstolat

Feel free to look at my food diary (I only log M-F, my weekends are treated as free days but I still eat very healthy).

suejonestx

My 1200 calorie day:
breakfast (~380 cals): blueberries, all bran (1/4 cup), whole grain cheerios (1 cup), skim milk, coffee with powder creamer
lunch (~350 cals): sandwich on whole grain bread, turkey, spinach, pickles, tomatoes, cucumber, mustard (no mayo) or a salad
dinner (~350 cals): lean cuisine or roasted chicken with veggies or turkey bratwurst (awesome!!!) or Progresso light soups
snacks (~200): banana, apple, goldfish crackers, every now and then a ~120 cal beer or two
water: lots of water every day...especially when I'm hungry, I try a large glass of water before snacking
exercise: 2-3 days per week burn 500 calories per session, walk about 15-20 minutes every day for an extra 60-90 calories
my basic no-no's: cheese, creamy dressings, sodas/juice, sweets, chips, fried anything, large portions

Thanks to everyone for sharing!

kdiamond

I have found that if you prepare all of your meals at home you can certainly eat a lot of food for 1200 calories! Sometimes I have issues even getting to that number because I feel so full eating clean!

Breakfast - coffee w/ half and half, oatmeal, 2 egg whites, couple strawberries or handful of blueberries - 250 cals
Snack - Fage 0% yogurt - 90 cals
Lunch - HUGE homemade salad w/ grilled chicken or tuna and homemade dressing - 300 cals
Snack - s/f pudding or fruit w/ a few almonds - 60-150 cals
Dinner - turkey burger w/ f/f cheese, huge serving of veggies - 220 cals
Snack - s/f ice cream or fruit or both - 100-150 cals

This is under 1200 a day slightly.

amandahope79

The best one I have found is Silk light chocolate soy milk, natural peanut butter, chocolate protein powder and ice....all blended together ITS AWESOME!! Also makes a good breakfast, it keeps me full longer!!

This sounds delicious!!! Do you know how many calories are normally in a shake? I have been looking for one after I work out and would like to try this. Thanks!

catlynna

I am on 1200 a day and this is my first week started Monday only 1 day I went over.. I am doing my best to find low calorie food tha that is satisfying. I have lost 5 pounds this week. If you can access you are welcome to look at my food diary as I do alot of research and trial and error finding the right balance of food for 1200 calories.

Breakfast I discovered a great protein satisfying meal that takes about 10 minutes to cook:

I use simply egg whites in a carton 30 cal per serving and I use 3 servings and that is alot
then I chop up a broccoli floret and some onions which I sautee in with Becel Light margarine (35 cal) then add the eqq whites and season with veggie sal. This is very good and full of protein and keeps me full until lunch.

With the portions I use it comes to about 180 calories which is excellent for something that is actually satisfying. good luck!

PS: I am in Canada and wondering if anyone has found that 35 calories bread mentioned in Canada?

pfenixa

Lunch:
- Sandwich and some fruit, I had an Arby's melt the other day and it wasn't as calorically bad as I thought it'd be...Chick-Fil-A is the healthiest major fast food restaurant to go to - if you're a fast food-getter no sandwich on their menu is over 300 calories (source: eat this not that)

Actually, if you go on the Chick-fil-A website, the lowest calorie sandwich IS 300 calories, which is a plain Chargrilled Sandwich. The Chargrilled Club and the regular Chicken sandwiches are both over 400 calories.

Having said that, I think they still have the lowest calorie fast food sandwiches out there. =\

aippolito1

As far as bread is concerned, I usually just do whole wheat tortillas or flatout flatbread light original - which are under about 100 calories and very filling because they're whole wheat. Also, whole grain is your best friend. Kroger's brand Private Selection has some good artisan breads that are whole grain, DELICIOUS, and about 140 for like, 1/7 of the loaf which ends up being 2 slices for my sandwich. It's a bit too thick for sandwiches so I like to eat them open-faced. You can usually find "older" breads on the sale cart for about $1.50 or so versus $4 regular price.

My days vary a lot because I don't like eating the same thing but this is a rough draft of what my day today will be like:

BREAKFAST: Nature's Own Whole Wheat Thinly Sliced Bagel 140 cal
1 scrambled egg made with pepper 70 cal
1 slice colby jack cheese 80 cal
1/2 slice Kroger deli ham 8 cal (not sure if this is correct?)
8 oz. POM Wonderful Pomegranate Blueberry juice 150 cals
TOTAL: 447

SNACK: Orville Redenbacher 100 Cal Kettle Korn Smart Pop

LUNCH: 1/2 Flatout Flatbread Light Original 45 cal
1/4 cup Kroger canned chicken 60 cal
1 tbsp Kroger Classic Mayo 100 cal
1/2 cup Peanuts in shell unsalted 170 cal
TOTAL: 375

SNACK #1: 1 Kroger White Cheddar Rice Cake 40 cal
1 teaspoon Kroger (Natural) Honey Roasted Peanut Butter 28 cal
1 teaspoon Target imitation honey 22 cal
TOTAL: 90

SNACK #2: 2 blocks Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar 80 cal
4 oz. 2% milk 60 cal
TOTAL: 140 cal

DINNER: 4 oz. Kroger Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenderloins baked 110 cal
5 spears Asparagus baked with olive oil & season all roughly 58 cal
TOTAL: 128

This puts me at a total of 1,280 cal, 143 carbs, 53 fat, 77 protein, 15 fiber, and 1,730 and only putting me over on fat by 8. (Calculated after 350 calories I'll burn on the elliptical and 100 calories burned doing general walking throughout the day - I do at least this everyday).

If you like this, my diaries are public. :happy:

profjan6

Those sandwich rounds are great. Only 100 cal and you can eat a burger on them, too! Grilled cheese (fat free or low fat) is also good. I will probably lay an egg because I eat a lot of egg whites, egg beaters, and chicken. But it seems to go a long way!

Amberly10

Right now I am doing the Kellog's Challenge.

Breakfast: 3/4 cup Kellog's Special K Vanilla Almond Cereal
Coffee w 1tbs Coffee Mates French Vanilla Creamer 2tsp sugar
Fruit

Lunch: Kellog's Protein Shake French Silk
Fruit and veggies raw

Dinner: Healthy Choice Zesty Rotini and Marinara Sauce
Mixed green salad with added baby spinach and light rasberry vinegarette dressing (just a dash)

Snacks: Kellog's Fruit Crisps, snack or cereal bar

Lots of water and occassionally 1 can of soda (I know not the best but hey, I'm a mom of 4 so sometimes I just need the caffine!)

My food diary is public so feel free to browse. Most of the time I am under my calories by quite a bit. If I am I throw in a couple of almonds or some peanutbutter.