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

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

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!

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!

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

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.

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!

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!!

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!

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.

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; )

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).

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.

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?

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:

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.