having a hard time with 1200 calories in 6 portions a day

lwagnitz

I would make or by some soups, I have soup every lunch and as its a liquid it tricks your stomach into feeling fuller for longer! God luck!

Yes, I make giant batches of homemade soup quite often. Usually vegetable...sometimes homemade chicken noodle...I keep some in the fridge and freeze some (make sure it has things that freeze well if you're going to do this...like..i learned DONT use mushrooms lol) It's a pretty easy go to when you have to be making meals so frequently. I also always keep cut up fresh fruit and veggies for my go-to's. Individual yogurts are good ones too.

emergencytennis

2 eggs 140 cal
12g tasty cheese 50 cal
1/4 fat free milk dunno 20 cal?

= scrambled eggs about 200 cal

John West tuna small tin with flavours like sweet chilli or curry about 120 cal
big big bowl of salad (no avocado) 50 calories

=lunch about 200

witchy_wife

If I had to eat 6 times a day, I would do as others suggest and make up larger portions and divide it up, so that you are not cooking and prepping food all day long. Maybe low fat casseroles and soups that can be frozen. Good luck!

twelfty

as above really 6 portions is the same as 3 or 4, but needs must.... one sandwich if skimped on filling is roughly 200 calories, protein rich foods are low calorie so a normal chicken salad with low calorie dressing would be around 200 calories, yoghurt, a 400ml skimmed milk protein shake is under 200 calories iirc a very small bowl of oatmeal/porridge can be 200 calories, chicken and rice can be 200 calories

the thing i always think of this 6 meals a day thing is eating 200 calories your body is gonna process this food really quickly the acids in your stomach are gonna be there to digest a 400 - 700 calorie meal and if you give it 200 it's not going to last long, this is a tactic used by body builders to eat more food in a day to gain weight

not to mention you'll basically be eating constantly all day idk about your day but mine is filled with enough things to do than eating every 2 or 3 hours and like you've said yourself you're not likely to be eating something normal in 200 calories so it will either be something super healthy or if you have a wobble... a chocolate bar? then what happens? you're starving after half an hour

my best advice is to not change when you eat, just how much you eat, theres no secret key or combination it's purely volume and quality of food and probably excersize

Bigblondelady

I went to a dietitian once and she put me on 1400 and said if I did nothing at all I would loose weight, Maybe your Dr. is thinking the same way, aka couch potato. they are right add exercise and balance. you can eat three meals an normal , but save calories for three snacks. am mid day and an evening.,.That way you keep your sugar level consistant through the day. remember veggies are our friend:happy:

fabulara

bump for when I have more time.

newcs

For low calorie, I like veggies (steamed or raw), chicken (grilled, plain) or wasa crackers with Laughing Cow cheese wedges. I find that those give you the most full feeling without the high calories. Beans are great for that too. Stay away from things that have high calories in a small quantity (most dairy, grains, oils) if you're going for low calorie but make sure you balance as well.

sisierra

a pint of arctic zero ice cream only has 150 calories!

ltowne

I do lots of veggies on the grill and it changes the taste a bit. Anything lean and clean...not processed should help out. Also hot tea is filling and satisfying throughout the day along with lots of water. Also try riding a recumbent bike or stationery bike. I have a few back issues and the bike doesn't put any pressure on my lower back. Pleae feel free to add me as a friend and I will support you along your journey. Best wishes!!!

Griffin220x

I just started a dr. supervised and she wants me to eat 1200 calories a day in 6 portions. That works out to 200 calories a meal. I'm having a really hard time finding things to eat that fit those perameters. Anybody got any ideas where I can look for ideas?

You don't have to eat six portions. That is completly irrelevent to body compostion. The amount of meals you have should be convience. Whether you have two or five it does not matter. As long you adjust your calories so you're losing weight/gaining weight (whatever your goals are) it does not matter. Meal timing and frequency are unessential to fat loss/weight gain but should be used as tools of convenience. Some days I eat five meals which is convenient for me but I still lose fat. Other days I eat three or even two meals.

Hope this helps :bigsmile:

*edit: a bunch of typos

HypersonicFitNess

You can also do three larger meals and 2 small snacks

275-325 breakfast
75-120 snack
325-375 lunch
75-120 snack
325-375 Dinner

Plan ahead and you can get within the right calories

SoDamnHungry

Why don't you do three meals and three snacks? Or two meals and four snacks?

cindyb6045

Bump for later. Lots of good idea's.

mizhuff

Sorry about the typos but I was using my android pad with a blue tooth keyboard that you have to hit the keys really hard to make them work. It was also the end of a really frustrating day. I literally melted down at the grocery store because I was having a hard time finding things that I could make work without spending the day assembling food in the kitchen plus I also have a husband that works really hard and deserves decent meals, too. He's being a sweetheart about the whole thing but I feel like my diet has taken over both our lives.

We're supposed to go to Savannah to an Emmie Lou Harris concert Wednesday and spend the night. How do I do that? I'll figure it out but I'm starting to feel WAY food obsessed. I've gained all this weight and honestly, I would eat an omlett, or a cup of yogurt, or a piece of cheese toast for breakfast, usually I would eat left overs from dinner the night before for lunch, and for dinner I would make either sauteed chicken, broil fish, or Gary would grill steaks or pork chop and I'd make baked potatoes, pasta, or brown rice and steam some kind of vegetable. I was bad about snacking on cookies and I never drank water, but about 4 mountain dews a day.

I had back surgery about 10 years ago and until then was a real athlete. I played basketball all the way through high school and college and worked at high energy restaurants for 15 years as a manager (60 hour weeks) but when Gary and I started dating (about 38), I got my teaching credentials reinstated and started teaching again. I was an elementary school teacher and I didn't even have a desk in my room. I taught on my feet, moving around the room from the minute the first bell rang until dismissal. Exercise has been tough with my back but I can ride a back without too much backlash.

What really scares me is the threat of diabetes so I try to stay away from eating too many carbs in my 1200 calories. I have been really good about drinking water since I found Mia (stuff you add to water to give it a little flavor with no calories). I've been drinking over 64 ounces of water a day with no problem (except spending a lot of time in the bathroom). I also don't really like artiicial sweeteners as almost all of them, except splenda, give me a headache almost immediately.

Thanks for listening. I'm really a wreck. I've GOT to lose this weight so I can be healthy again. I also think it will make my back problems better and I KNOW it will make me feel better all over, but I just need to get a handle on how to meet these objectives without obsessing over them.

twelfty

to me it sounds like you're struggling with a few things but most of it just your mental approach to things

move your obsession with food to a healthy need for logging, try not worry yourself with this 6 meals a day BS and eat when is right for you, at 1200 calories imo it's low... but if that is what you're going to have split it in 3 there's no need to make this more difficult than necessary you open up your options for food and types massively by allowing yourself 400 calories instead of 200 per meal

sounds like your back issues have caused you alot of problems, what condition would you say you are physically now? are you able to excersize without causing problems?

as a teacher the best way to treat this is it's a numbers game, if you have 1200 calories and need 0.8g of protein per lean lb of body mass what does that leave you with for 30% fat and what does that leave you with for carbs?

not to make an assumption but i'm sure your husband wants nothing more than to see you back to who you see yourself as again, so while you may feel you're causing him a burden to him it's probably nothing less than necessary

with regard to water that's a perfect amount for you to be drinking most would be very jealous you can drink 64 ounces so keep up the good work there

the thing is it's easy to become obsessed over something so important to you, but this is no time to be irrational if you take that away you're just passionate and there's nothing wrong with that

my advice would be to add some friends on here the same height/weight/age and get some ideas for meals, see what others are doing and use their knowledge to your advantage

after all that is what this site is about, sharing support, good techniques and ideas

FitSuga

From the sounds of it you ate pretty healthy before, your problem was soda and treats (cookies). You said something like 4 Mountain Dews in a day, well that's nearly 700 calories right there! Homemade cookies could be anywhere from 70-200+ for just one. Honestly if I were you, I would eat normally but would be taking out the junk food. Chances are, you'll lose weight. There's nothing wrong with cooking in a little Evoo, those are healthy fats. Just go by actual servings for foods, like only 1/2 cup cooked brown rice instead of spooning out however much.

I know that's not the answer you're looking for, but why dramatically change the way you live/eat unless its absolutely necessary? Take small steps first and go from there. No reason to completely overwhelm yourself, you'll end up frustrated and give up.

pennydreadful270

I think you're on a good track to start, but if you make this too strict and too hard on yourself you are more likely to throw in the towel. That would be a real shame.

Although it is good not to leave yourself to get really hungry - I have been given very similar advice at some weight loss classes I am going to right now - I would agree you don't need to make all those meals exactly even. It is quite easy to have snacks available for around 100 cals. Carrots and hummus, nuts, fruit, jelly cups, eggs, yoghurt are all a good start.

Then you can save up some extra calories for your evening meal so you can share with your husband. 400-500 for the evening is not a huge portion but it is enough to fit in a "real" meal.

I think a big part of it is not worrying so much about seeing meat, veg and potatoes on the plate. One "meal" can be a hard boiled egg and some grapes. Nothing wrong with that.

Best of luck.xx

maegmez

Could you set an alarm to remind you to eat breakfast and lunch? Then have 2 small snacks in between. That way, it's not as stressful trying to eat all day and figure out what is 200 calories.

Also, have you thought about swimming?

All the best

arewethereyet

It is frustating to begin with, but you will get it!

For me it was easier to make one meal and break it up. Especially sandwiches. I LOVE them so that was easy peasy for me. I'd have my egg white veggie omelet for breakfast with 1 pc of low cal whole grain toast, 10 am 1/2 sandwich, 12:20 other half of sandwich plus a small salad, carrots and maybe something crunchy. Afternoon was low fat cheese and triscuits, dinner was 300-400 calories because I ate it with my family and no way I could do 200!

All and all I was never hungry and my blood sugar stabalized rather quickly!

Good luck. You've GOT this! (Oh and for Savannah? A cooler and premade baggies of veggies, dips, and sandwiches!)

JaimeMWS

First, if I look at my day so far I am on track to eat 6 times without planning to - if you think of three meals plus three snacks it makes more sense.

Second, changing habits is hard and takes a lot of attention - hence feeling your diet is taking over your life:) It will get easier and take less attention as you get used to it, and your health is worth it!

I find it helpful to make lists of foods that I CAN eat so I don't think as much about the ones I can't. And I don't break my calories into equal amounts - I save about a third of them for dinner, and try to make meals of normal food but eat less of some of the things. For example, roasted chicken, green beans and pureed cauliflower makes a meal I and my husband can enjoy. If I serve rolls with it, he can add a roll. And if I drink water and he drinks milk or wine or juice, he gets more calories than me that way. Fish is also a good protein for building a dinner around.

I also try to cook something like a roast or a meatloaf every week so it works for multiple meals, including my lunches (added to salads).

Research has shown that when we eat makes a difference in how we metabolize food, and I find that the most important thing I can do when trying to lose weight is to eat an adequate-protein breakfast within an hour of waking up. It takes a while to get my body used to it, but it gives me more energy and limits evening grazing.

Good luck! Avoiding diabetes is a really worthwhile goal - it is one I share, because I am watching my father struggling with it.

Jaime:flowerforyou: