How to stay full at 1200 calories

Not really the answer you are looking for but I dont. I always go by the rule of thumb of eat when hungry, I tend to live on aroung 1400 - 1500 cals a day and I'm dropping weight at a rate of 1 pound a week but I don't have loads to lose and I train hard.

What I'm trying to say is as long as what you are eating isn't junk listen to your body and don't starve yourself

Lots of fruits and veggies, and water.

today I had a 300 calorie fried egg sandwich for breakfast (egg, toast, 60 calorie sliced cheese, small amount of low fat mayo) , a nectarine for a morning snack (80 calories). fajita chicken salad for lunch (300 calories with chicken breast, sauteed pepper/onions/mushrooms, lettuce, lowfat sour cream, lowfat cheese, salsa). Dinner will be grilled prawns, brown rice, and roasted cauliflower (280 calories). This still leaves me 240 calories for other snacks. I like cheese strings (60 calories) with a piece of fruit, or a piece of weight watchers bread with light shredded cheese melted on it (130 calories) .
Also, I know lots of people will say this but drinks lots of water, I fill a jug and add one cut up lemon and have a glass beside me all day at work.
Hope this helps!

water helps, but I am notoriously bad for drinking water during the day :-( While at work I have filled my drawer with boxes of 100 cal snacks like smartfood popcorn, almonds, etc. I also have fibre one bars. This way I have stuff at work so my kids don't eat it all on me :-)

When I eat my meals and I don't feel full I have a glass of water and and tell myself to wait 20 mins before I entertain eating anything else. Let's face it, the food hasn't even hit our stomachs yet. By the time 20 minutes passes, I'm usually full and not needing/wanting to eat.

Proteins, fibre, whole grains get you fuller and take longer to digest. Hope this helps! If it helps I have the same battle every day!

You can look at my food diary if you'd like.

For me it's eating before I get too hungry. (small breakfast, snack, small lunch, snack, small dinner, snack)

Also, I get really hungry when I eat foods that spike my blood sugar like anything with processed sugar, white flour, white rice, potatos etc.

Eat more than 1200 calories. You can, and you probably should.

Follow the principles of calorie density. Use your starches for fullness and satiety. Use your veggies and fruits as volume foods. Minimize oils, nuts and high calorie items. Try to get all of your calories from the first four groups listed below.

Fresh Veggies are around 100 cal/lb
Fresh Fruits around 250-300 cal/lb
Starchy Veggies/Intact Whole Grains around 450-500 cal/lb
Legumes around 550-600 cal/lb
Processed Grains (even if their Whole grain) around 1200-1500 cal/lb
Nuts/Seeds around 2800 cal/lb
Oils around 4000 cal/lb

Some days I can eat like this and fill up on less than 1000 calories.

if you're snacking, protein is THE best at keeping you fullest longest.

if you're eating a meal, protein + good fat + low glycemic carbs (think whole grains and vegetables) is the winning combo.

also, stick with REAL FOODS. (stay away from processed snack foods and fake foods.) your hunger will be much more satisfied and so will your body.

Thanks for the great info.

Do you know your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate)? You can get a quick calculation for it here:

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculators/rmr-calculator.html

RMR is the minimum caloric requirement for the maintenance of your basic systems and your muscle mass. Eating below that is not a good idea.

Sugar free jello by the bowl full. Entire box is only 40 cals

today I had a 300 calorie fried egg sandwich for breakfast (egg, toast, 60 calorie sliced cheese, small amount of low fat mayo) , a nectarine for a morning snack (80 calories). fajita chicken salad for lunch (300 calories with chicken breast, sauteed pepper/onions/mushrooms, lettuce, lowfat sour cream, lowfat cheese, salsa). Dinner will be grilled prawns, brown rice, and roasted cauliflower (280 calories). This still leaves me 240 calories for other snacks. I like cheese strings (60 calories) with a piece of fruit, or a piece of weight watchers bread with light shredded cheese melted on it (130 calories) .
Also, I know lots of people will say this but drinks lots of water, I fill a jug and add one cut up lemon and have a glass beside me all day at work.
Hope this helps!

I second the lemon water idea! I have the hardest time drinking water because it's so bland but I just put some "Real Lemon" juice from the bottle in and I end up drinking tons of water every day!

Just keep at it for a few months and you'll become really savvy and learn which foods you can eat loads of and they don't add too many calories.
Because you're always looking out for 'great finds' (low calorie foods that fill you up) you can come across some amazing things that you've never even noticed before. Also food combinations you wouldn't have thought to ever try together suddenly make loads of sense.

What helped me was during the week I had a protein bar for breakfast and then mid morning I had a piece of fruit. Lunch varied, sometimes I would have lean cusine, sometimes I had a toasted bagel with peanut butter, sometimes I would have a wrap just depending on what I was hungry for. I made sure I ate the biggest part of my calories at noon and then I ate small snacks the rest of the day like popcorn and yogurt and more fruit or nuts, crackers etcs.

On the weekends I have boiled eggs and yogurt for breakfast or egg beaters on a wrap.

Cereal did not fill me up so when I was eating 1200 I didn't eat that. You will just have to find what keeps you from getting hungry. Cuecumbers are suppose to be very filling and also give you energy so try snack on that with a low fat dip

When considering a food or drink don't just judge it by its calories. Judge it by its ability to fill you yet not trigger further hunger. Judge it by its amount of processing. If its not a whole food then be very cautious. Things like sugar free jello and Diet Coke seem great and smart but the artificial sweeteners will trigger a hormonal reaction that has been proven clinically to stimulate your appetite. Not to mention the unhealthy chemicals. You just cannot fool nature. You can even swish them in your mouth and spit them out and the damage is already done since the receptors on the back of your tongue have given your brain the message that high calorie food is on the way and then your brain tells your body to prepare for it. When the food doesn't come you then get hit with hunger. Also remember that starches are almost just as bad as sugar. True they have some bulk and you will feel full for a while but they also over stimulate your appetite.

Good hydration, leafy greens, (lean proteins, lower glycemic fruits, good fats- these in controlled amounts) will satisfy and will make it easier to limit your calories (less hunger pangs).

There is no magic to 1,200 calories. Your intake should be planned as a function of your current body weight, composition and goals. This could mean 1,100 calories or 2,800 calories. Don't get caught up on this 1,200 calorie thing. It is not a panacea and for you, and for others, could actually be harmful.