1200 calories per day and foods that keep you feeling full

My favourite snacks are apples, bananas and strawberries but if you're wanting a sweet treat, I eat mini Jammie dodgers. They come in a pack of four and it's only 88 calories altogether (:

I'm struggling to stay at 1200 and feel like I am hardly eating anything all day and constantly feel hungry! I'm hoping if I see what others are eating at this level, it will help give me some new ideas of what to eat and help keep me full.

Also, if anyone can suggest their favorite foods that are low calorie and help keep you satisfied for hours, please share!!!

If you trust yourself to eat more on days that you are hungry, then do so--assuming diet is fairly clean and you are eating because your body is hungry.

Given this, here are things that might help. Drink 8- 12 glasses plain water daily. Incorporate more fibrous food with meals; perhaps a daily fiber goal could be 20-30g. A little more fat and protein in your diet could be needed. If you snack, make them small, such as a few walnut halves or 1/2 apple or 1c raspberries or 1/c c plain yogurt or a handful of raw green beans w 2Tb of hummus or half of cucumber sliced w 1/4c guacamole or half thin slice of whole grain toast w butter and cinnamon. Then top your snack off with a cup of tea or miso broth. The idea is to take the edge off of hunger. Avoid super sweet or salty foods at snack time, because it can be more difficult to moderate quantity. Sweet and salt tend to turn-on an appetite. Incorporate a food you crave into one of your meals.

Up your green veggie content, as they're practically zero cals (watch what you put on them or budget cals accordingly). Consider every grain being whole grain - rice, pasta, and I personally find quinoa very filling and satisfying. Hydrate!

1200 is very low and isn't the right answer for everyone. You may have more luck overall if you're getting good quality food and still feeling hungry. If you're hydrated and still hungry, then you need to eat more.

I am at 1200 calories too! I am trying a little thing called "carb cycling"! It is from the book that Chris Powell (Extreme Makeover) wrote. It is very interesting! I am kind of combining MFP and the program. I am doing 1200 low carb and 1500 high carb.. (alternating days) It has been pretty easy so far. I always know that I have a high carb day right around the corner! I have lost about 11 lbs so far! I am also only weighing myself every two weeks. I am a bit compulsive with the scale!!

My favorite snack: Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt and sliced stawberries (with Stevia). (120+20) It is yummy and a full cup of yogurt goes a long way!!! I am trying for 300 calorie meals and 150 calorie snack. Good Luck!!!!!!!!!

I have a meal that I eat almost daily and it really keeps me full. The granola is from A&P, but I'm sure whatever you'd like would be fine. I also vary the yogurt flavors. Target had them on sale for $1.25 last month, so I bought a ton. Normally they're $1.85 in my part of the US. Copying from my food diary. HTH and sorry if it doesn't.

Siggi's - Icelandic Style Skyr Strained Non-Fat Yogurt - Vanilla, 150 g
Target Market Pantry - Mixed Berries Frozen, 1 cup (140g)
the Food Emporium Trading Company - Granola (Apples, Blueberries, Almonds, Pecans, & 4 Seeds), 1/3 cup (30 g)

Calories: 300 Carbs: 47 Fat: 5 Protein: 17 Sodium: 105 Sugar: 27

I have this method....300 breakfast, 400 lunch, 500 dinner. Whatever I burn working out in the morning are my snacks. Here's my favorite dinner-keep me full recipe; Have you seen those tortilla oven shells bowls, as seen on tv, comes in a box, pack of four and they sell at Bed Bath and Beyond for $10 or at any Walmart? You toast them in the oven for seven minutes. Well, I use four corn tortillas Walmart brand, which equals 180 calories. 2/3 cup of brown rice 150 caloies, 1/2 cup of pinto beans 100 calories. Add your favorite spices, I like onion and garlic powder. Mix and pour evenly into four tortilla bowls. Top with cilantro and tomato. Add salsa if you'd like. Tastes really good and keeps you full.

I'm on 1200/day as well. Add me if you like. Although because it's Ramadan for me right now so i'm eating even lesser than that.

hey at first it was hard but you find your favorites I like tuna, greek yogurt, apples, bananas etc... I'll send you a request good luck!

Green Giant makes a great cauliflower & cheese sauce frozen dish that I often use as my lunch. A large portion is 1.5 cups and 150 calories. The cheese sauce is what makes it seem indulgent. I typically eat a late afternoon snack as well, but this is a dish that keeps me full for several hours.

Just be very aware of the sodium levels on those. I used to eat those as well but then I realized they were a big part of a lot of bloating.

Filling stuff... lean protein like chicken breast, turkey. Personally I love tofu but I know that's not a popular stance. Tempeh. Lentils and beans are full of protein and really good to fill you up on not-so-many calories.

Investigate fresh vegetables because if you stick to lean protein + veggies I'd be surprised if you could be VERY hungry. You may crave stuff like cheese or pizza but you shouldn't be hungry. Most green veggies are so calorie sparse that you'd feel ill from overeating long before you hit a calorie limit.

My fave workday lunches are about 200g chicken breast and then 100g each of a few veggies; broccoli, cauliflower, kale, butternut squash, onions, eggplant, pumpkin, peas, corn, peppers, beets, cabbage... a good mix of colours so I'm "eating the rainbow" Depends how hungry I am, sometimes I will need about 4 veggie sides, other days I only want 1. A glug of olive oil or some pepper, balsamic vinegar, herbs, maybe some mustard or fat free yogurt to taste as dressing and the combinations are limitless.

Porridge for breakfast is a godsend! Make with water and top up with a little milk just as you're about to tuck in. Add a handful of chopped fruit, it keeps me going all morning.

Make sure you drink plenty too. Water is ideal but sure, tea or diet soda is not going to harm you. Watch your fruit juice intake as it's easy to think "ah it's fruit, that's healthy" and not realise how the sugar is adding up. Just eat the fruit whole as a snack, it's way way better for you, more satiating too.
If you are hungry/ feel the urge to snack have a big glass of water/ tea and an apple or orange or a chunk of melon. I was surpised how quickly the AARGH STARVING feeling went away.

Also listen to your body. If you are constantly hungry and unhappy, up your intake a little. It won't be the end of the world! Moderation in everything. Including moderation.

My daily amount of calories is 1280, but I'm "cheating" it by exercising and eating some of these calories back. I'm spinning twice a week, doing weights, burning appx. 350 cal and dancing 90 minutes, burning about 600 cal. On the days I don't exercise I tend to go for very long walks. This works for me - I'm allowed to eat more.

Eating exercise calories back is not "cheating" .... MFP gave you a calorie deficit with ZERO exercise.... not everyone can/will exercise. This is why you are expected to eat these calories back. It does sound weird ..... but the reason behind eating calories back ...... you will lose fat AND muscle when the calorie deficit is too large.

The problem people experience with eating exercise calories back is that calorie burns are estimates(often too high) .....so eating back a portion of these calories is a good idea. Then adjust up/down as needed.

Protein shakes. I made them with almond milk. I sometimes put 1tbsp of peanut butter or a banana.

100 cal packs of almonds. They even have ones dusted in cocoa powder. Only 1g of sugar and lots of protein.

Non fat plain greek yogurt with some fruit.

Oatmeal

Fish and Chicken...basically lots of protein.

If you would like to add me, I have an open diary. I log M-F and sometimes take a break from logging on the weekends. I am at or just above 1200, and I am usually very satisfied. If you are working out, make sure you are getting a bit more. I shoot for 1200, but if I burn 500 cals and my stomach is growling during the day and I have eaten all nurturance dense foods, I have some more.

I eat 1200 most days. I eat alot of the same things everyday because I like it. Not for everyone...and probably too boring for most...but this is basically what I eat.

Breakfast - Kashi, milk, chia seeds, flax seeds

lunch - usually steel cut oats or 100 cal pak oatmeal with at least 3 servngs of the following fruits or veggies (carrots, apple, banana, blueberries, nectarines, grapes, strawberries) and sometimes a luna or larabar. I find that for myself carrots are very filling and take me forever to eat and then oatmeal is also filling. I space out my lunch. If I start with carrots and oatmeal at noon. I usually won't eat the luna bar til 1:00. This little bit for lunch fills me more than one would think.

3:00 Snack - spinach salad. Can get really filled up on minimal calories.
Chobani greek yougurt.
popcorn
anything with hummus

Dinner - black beans, salsa on a 50 calorie wrap...usually have 2 for just over 200 calories.
Or I love eggs. Or a bowl of cereal (love cereal). Or some kind of meat...turkey burger, chicken, etc.
Try to get my veggies here too..love broccoli and edamame!

Snack - usually have dark chocolate every night or a scoop of natural peanut butter or both. If I am hungry I skip this at eat something more filling.

I drink tea and water as much as possible.

If I am hungry I just eat a little more (up to 1350) or I chew gum when I just have cravings.

Hope this helps you.

Best of luck!

you can look at my diary. it is not perfect but I could give you some ideas. I have a sweet tooth and have been working hard to work on that.