Is this an ok 1200 calorie diet plan for the day?

skinnyrunner2
skinnyrunner2 Posts: 31
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi! Is this an ok meal plan for the day? Am I missing anything major? Thanks!

Breakfast: 160 calories
Half banana
One tablespoon peanut butter

Lunch: 400 cal
Whole wheat pita
Tabouli (basically quinoa parsley and tomato salad)
Mini babybell light cheese
Broccoli, cherry tomatos, cucumber slices, baby carrots, quarter of a green pepper
2 tbsp roasted garlic hummus

Dinner: 390 cal
Turkey burger (no bun) with slice of light cheddar cheese, onion, tomato, 1/4 avacado
1/4 green pepper
1/2 cup frozen raspberries

Snacks: 250
1 apple
Blackberry Chobani

Cardio: -500
3 mile run
Day 1 of the 30 day shred (about 25 min of circuit training)

What do you think? Thank you! :)

Replies

  • MelClaire2000
    MelClaire2000 Posts: 64
    Wait so you're only consuming 1200 calories AND burning an additional 500 from exercise so you're only netting 700 calories a day? You need to eat back those 500 calories from exercise.
  • GBRed2012
    GBRed2012 Posts: 5
    By no means am I an expert, but from what I have researched that seems to follow the "guidelines." Fresh, healthy and no carbs. However how do you keep yourself from being hungry after breakfast? I would love to follow something like this but I feel like i would be starving with only 1/2 of a banana. Drink lots of water?
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    A 1200 calorie diet may or may not be appropriate for you. More info needed.
  • jakkisr
    jakkisr Posts: 175 Member
    its a nice menu but its not enough! It adds up to 1240 then you should ADD on your exercise calories of 500 to give you a total of 1740 calories through food and drink for the day.

    If you don't want to eat all of the exercise calories you should at least add half back - so that would mean you need to eat at least 1490 calories today.

    This is working for me with a steady loss. 1200 just isn't enough when you're exercising (though I find it fine for days when I'm not).
  • Kstodola1
    Kstodola1 Posts: 7 Member
    Yes, it looks balanced for sure - I would do some kind of recovery meal (protein, good fat and small amount of carbs - I just usually do a protein shake after - It has definitely helped with muscle soreness) after your workout in addition to what you have here. If you are feeling super hungry on it, I would add a bit more protein to each meal.
  • geekette411
    geekette411 Posts: 154 Member
    You must eat back your exercise calories if you are on 1200 cals a day. I am too, and trust me, if you don't , in a few weeks your mental state will be borderline psychotic and your body will stop losing weight.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    What MelClaire said ......MFP gives you a calorie deficit BEFORE exercise ..... so when you exercise you make the calorie deficit bigger.

    The problem with a too large calorie deficit .... your body will burn fat AND muscle. Plan on eating back at least a portion of your exercise calories. The reason I say a portion of them ....... machines and MFP can overstate calorie burns..... use a couple of estimates and pick the lowest one ... or use a heart rate monitor (HRM).
  • dont_give_up
    dont_give_up Posts: 312 Member
    I started out on a 1200 calorie diet when I first started MFP. I exercised for 30 minutes every day, and ate back most of my exercise calories. I did make sure that I had at least 1200 a day. On my free day, I didn't exercise and ate 1200 calories. I ate what I wanted and still lost weight.
    Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, you need to eat more than just half a banana and some peanut butter.
  • skinnyrunner2
    skinnyrunner2 Posts: 31
    GBRed2012, I workout in the morning before work and I'm usually not hungry at all after working out (but I know I need to eat some protein/ carbs) so Ill just grab a banana as I head out the door at around 815. Between getting ready for work/ commuting I don't usually have time to think about eating haha. Then I usually eat lunch around 1130am which is pretty early!

    But yes LOTS of water. I think the people I work with think I have bladder problems... I get up to go to the bathroom literally every half hour haha
  • skinnyrunner2
    skinnyrunner2 Posts: 31
    Ok.... So it's kind of clear that I should be eating more. Hm. What else could I add in though? like any specific suggestions?
  • Tabby1216
    Tabby1216 Posts: 56 Member
    Like others have said, you should eat back a portion of your exercise calories. Maybe add some almonds, or a protein smoothie, or something of that nature for a snack and more protein? Totally easy for "on the go" when you are short on time.
  • missymakayla
    missymakayla Posts: 309 Member
    looks great to me.. And some people will tell you to eat back your calories, you have to do what is best for you. I too eat a 12000 cal diet, and I dont eat back my exercise cals, If I do I gain.. I might eat them back every once in a while... Good luck....:smile:
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
    Wait so you're only consuming 1200 calories AND burning an additional 500 from exercise so you're only netting 700 calories a day? You need to eat back those 500 calories from exercise.

    More than 500. She's running 3 miles AND doing a shred. More like 800-1000 calories burned so she is netting 200-400 calories a day.

    To the OP I ask a rhetorical question. You are hungry all the time on this plan, right?
  • skinnyrunner2
    skinnyrunner2 Posts: 31
    Nope, I am actually only burning 500. I have a HRM and am in really good shape (I run about 25 miles per week) grrr. I wish I was burning 1,000 calories with that workout!!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Ok.... So it's kind of clear that I should be eating more. Hm. What else could I add in though? like any specific suggestions?

    More protein. Meat, cheese, beans, eggs, nuts/seeds.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Are you trying to starve yourself? Then yes, it might work.
  • EszterNZ
    EszterNZ Posts: 51
    I agree with the poster who says have a better breakfast.
    I usually have a serving of Special K or some other plain/wholemeal type cereal or plain porridge for breakfast with trim milk, a cup of hot water with half a lemon and sometimes even a piece of fruit like mandarin, and my breakfast meal comes in between 185-200 calories. Which is only just over yours, BUT its actually a lot more food and more satisfying than just a banana and peanut butter.

    :) Good luck

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