How to eat 1200 cals

I don't look forward to only having 1,200 calories. That seems like so little to me. My current goal is 1,530 and it can be pretty hard to stay withing my goal. I need to exercise just about everyday in order to stay under my goal. I don't know. Maybe when I get close enough to my goal that I only have 1,200, I might set my weight loss goal to only a half a pound a week, so it doesn't go down to 1,200 a day.

i agree planning ahead works so well. I pack my lunch from the night before and log it in as I'm going to work. So i'm less likely to treat myself to something extra or shy away from eating what i packed since i've logged it in. Also working out that work out in the AM and having a satisfying breakfast and lunch keeps me from getting crazy hungry in the afternoon and evening.

I agree, the day before I plan out what I'm going to eat. When I have time it is also helpful to make up my meals in advance so I can portion everything out. That way I have healthy meals to just grab and go and I'm less likely to snack while I cook .

I definitely find that planning ahead makes a huge difference. When I log as I eat, I have a tendency to get panicked at night with a couple hundred extra calories that I can't reasonably exercise off (in addition to my usual burn-off, that is). This morning, though, I put down my breakfast and lunch as I was making them, then chatted with the fiancé about dinner and logged that once we decided. That gave me ~40 calories extra, plus whatever I burn this evening, which averages out to ~330. That provides a decent buffer for any snacking I need to do between meals, so long as I keep it healthy and portioned, or if I don't need a snack, for desert after dinner!

I have recently changed my daily cals to 1,300 and am finding that ok now!! At first it was really hard just becasue I always felt hungry but as long as I drink pleny of water I seem to be ok!! I am very much a planner though!! My cals are usually sorted out the night before so I know exactly what I am eating and when!! Was a hard thing to get into but it has worked in the past and now I dont feel ready to relax untill I have everything planned for the next day

If it were me, I would add more exercise rather than lower my calories. It might seem counter-intuitive, but expending more energy actually does increase your overall energy levels.

Now that I am exercising on a regular basis, I can't imagine not doing it. It makes me feel so good.

1200 is too little unless, perhaps, you're a small girl who is not exercising. An active person who wants a high-performing body shouldn't be eating the bare minimum.

No matter how many calories you eat, if you are teaching yourself better eating habits, pre-planning is absolutely essential.

if I am away and not able to log I find it easy to stay under my 1200 by allowing a certain amount of calories per meal. I allow 250 for breakfast, 300 for lunch and save the rest for supper and a bowl of popcorn. if I stay within my set calorie allowances for breakfast and lunch, I am always ok for supper.

The thing that helped me the most, after joining MFP, was to have a calendar next to my fridge and write down/plan every meal for a week or week and a half. That includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus a snack. I log all meals for the day in the morning. I then know how many calories I will be consuming that day. If I'm over on my calories I try to look at items that maybe I could cut or eat less of that day. I also have a another calendar next to the fridge that has each workout I will be doing that day. After I complete the workout I check it off. If I don't do the workout it get an X. It gives me a visual of how I'm doing instead of trying to remember how I did on my workouts.

Sounds like a plan. I tend to do the opposite - take stock at lunchtime / mid afternoon and decide what comes next. So I'm currently (after lunch) half way on calories and protein but a bit behind on fats, so I think fish tonight rather than steak.

planning = success!!

I plan out my meals for the week since i eat a lot of the same things.
I usually enter my breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the work week on Sunday or Monday... I bring my own snacks to work also.

It really helps me stay on track and stay motivated!

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I AM EATING 1200 CALORIES A WOMAN AT 220 ,DO YOU THINK IT IS TO FEW CALORIES

I have to log my food ahead of time, (sometimes for several days) otherwise I would go way over. Then it gives me the opportunity to tweak a few items so I can stay closer to my numbers. Ex: If I'm over on fat I can cut out 1 tsp of margarine in a recipe. It's made a big difference since I started doing it that way. Good luck!!

I pre plan my meals also, it is the only way that has worked for me to stay within a 1250 calorie allotment. Fitness pal wants me to add more calories but I do want to lose 2 pounds a week + so using the cal count method, I customized my goals. I have recently lost 45 pounds using weight watcher plan. Just moved over to counting calories but using the same journaling method is about the same as counting the points. I moved my protein calories up from 15% to 30% and my fat and carbs down a bit and I track my fiber, it was giving me like 15 g fiber a day as a goal so I moved it to 25 per day. I eat the good fats, omega 3's, and avoid white carbs like sugar, salt, white flour, pasta. Sodium needs to stay at around 2300, instead of the 3500 they gave me. Not sure how that was calculated but I definitely do not need anymore than the 2300 a day. I have found fiber and protein stay with me longer helping me to feel more satisfied and I am rarely hungry, I have an appetite but I am not really hungry as I eat small meals every three hours. I count snacks as a meal so I am eating 6 meals a day.