How do you eat 1200 calories?!

I know a lot of these people are telling you it's easy. Well it is eventually but it sounds like you are a beginner and it's not easy at first. It's just something you have to plan for, work yourself into. Your stomach will shrink as you get used to eating less and eating 1200 will be easier. I try to stay at 1300. When I first started a year ago that was HARD. But now I am not hungry at all.

I eat anywhere between 1100-1300 calories a day, I try to look at the bigger weekly picture when I know I have an event coming up or an outing where I can't prepare my own food

My diary is Public if you'd like to check it out for some ideas.

I leave my largest calorie allowance of the day for when I'm the hungriest, dinner time, and I either run 5/6km before or after dinner to avoid that heavy feeling at night.

I'm short (5'0") and pretty close to my goal (currently 130 lbs, would like to get to around 125). I am maintaining on about 1800 calories daily right now (I'm set to 1600, but I don't measure stuff and I'm sure I estimate poorly, so I'm guessing around 1800). So I would lose 1/2 pound a week on 1600. I work out about 4 times a week, but use TDEE method so I don't eat back exercise calories (they're already accounted for).

My mom is on 1200 calories (to lose). But she's in her 60s and is a couple of inches shorter than I am. (Yep, she's 4'10" or possibly shorter now)

My point is, 1200 calories may not be the most appropriate goal for you. I notice from your profile you have 40 pounds to lose. You probably want to set your goal to 1 pound a week loss. Then eat back your exercise calories.

And I agree with other posters who said that it takes time to adjust. Take small steps. If you were normally eating 3000 calories a day, dropping right to 1200 would be hard. You could probably drop to something like 2000 for a few weeks, then *kitten* if you need/want to drop again, maybe to 1800, etc. (If you were eating around 2000 before, try 1600 or so). You'll find the amount that satisfies you while allowing you to lose weight.

And there's a lot of good ideas for lower calorie meals that may suit you, as well. Good luck!

Well, your profile is pretty blank so we don't know any info. But I will start off saying that truthfully 1200 may be too low to start out with. Especially if you are new to this. Maybe start higher around 1500 to give yourself a big of wiggle room and learn the ropes. 1200 could eventually be spot on since we don't have all of the facts, but for anyone starting out, it's better to work your way to it with a little bit of trial and error first so you don't get discouraged when you go over a bit. Anyways, just a few basic tips to get you going. Try not to drink your calories. I'm guilty of this at times as I love flavored coffee! I don't drink soda or juice really, but I could tear up some coffee with a quickness. LOL But I try to either sip it black, work it into my cals, or drink water. So far, I have the coffee and work it in unless I am having something sweet and then I don't add the creamer. But I love coffee period so I can do that. Buy a scale. Measuring food by weight (in particular grams) will really not only keep your food on track, but will help to train your mind to true portion sizes. When eating, what helps me isn't to cut out any one food group, but instead to have what I want mixed with fruit or veg. An example is that my fave pizza place has a cheesy pizza that is 310 per slice. So, if I want pizza, I have that slice but then I have a good chunk of cucumber (100g is right at 16 cals for seedless) and 1tbsp of ranch bringing me to 391. It can work with that with all of your meals. You can have a couple of frozen waffles with fresh strawberries and whipped topping for under 300. You can have yogurt with fresh blueberries and toasted oats. You can have some dried fruit and nuts for a snack or just dried fruit and cheese. My snacks are usually something that goes with coffee, though, so mine has been these little Quaker Oats bars in Cinnamon Pecan and they're like 140 cals. That alone or maybe with some apple. Mostly, I try to have a smaller portion of what I want, dressing or whatever on the side, and a big helping of fruit or veg. I don't always hit the mark, but that is what I go for. Today I just wanted toast but I had it with butter and fresh 100% preserves. Lunch was pizza and an apple. Snack was a peppermint because that is what I wanted. Dinner was a good sized bbq sandwich with 'fried' corn and green beans. I'd have been well under 1200, but then I decided on a double bowl of vanilla froyo. That put me just over 1300 but my cal allowance for the day is 1600. My point is, be patient and a bit lenient with yourself while you are still learning and getting into it. You can do it and still enjoy life in moderation. Just give yourself time and don't be afraid to prowl some people's food journals!

o.o I am loosing 2lbs a week and have 1530 for my calories. This to me is a challenge sometimes. I had to break myself of the 1200 calorie goal as I would dread seeing it go over 1200 calories and freak out. SO I told myself that as long as I don't go over 1500 calories I would be fine. I range in the middle 1300-1450. I do TDEE as well and use a body media core armband to help me track my burns. My meals consists of what I am mainly craving for that day. I make it work into my macros and no worry about meal planning and such. TO me if I did a meal planner I would so go over in calories as I would feel ( in my mind) restricted.

I love my food too. The only way I can stick with it is by earning between 300-500 exercise calories a day. Otherwise I would starve.

Typical day for me

Breakfast. Special K or oatmeal with OJ
Lunch. Turkey or tuna sandwich or Special K flatbread plus salad and yoghurt.
Snack. Bowl of grapes or banana
Dinner. Varies. Try to avoid fried food and stay around 500 cals.
Evening snack weightwatchers ice cream bar, low cal granola bar or light beer!!!

Good luck!

I think I was kind of doing this too start with (I started on weight watchers and when I started logging here, that is what my weight watchers day worked out to be. I am now averaging about 1400 a day with a 1450 goal. and I do eat back exercise calories well at least some of them. I am 5ft2.

Breakfast - when at work I have half a cup of rolled oats with yoghurt (I don't like milk), Weekends I was doing a couple of slices of dark rye toasted, poached eggs, wilted spinach, sauteed mushrooms (butter on the toast)
A breakfast when I am in a rush, is a 6 inch subway poached egg and bacon roll with tomato, cucumber, baby spinach, capsicum, no sauces and cheese.

My favourite Make before Lunch is a Filo Pastry Quiche - pretty much 5 slices of Filo pastry, 4 eggs, 1/2 cup skim milk, a little feta cheese, about 150g of protein chopped up and whatever veggies you like. I also really like Vietnamese rice paper rolls and sushi which are close to work and a couple of salad franchises near my work also has reasonably good options

I usually have a larger dinner, but mostly grilled or bbq'd meat a salad and steamed veggies and I love baked potatoes so have that a bit with butter sour cream and mozarella.

Snack wise, I stick with fruit and veggies
but I have had days where I included small chocolates, duck, beer (corona), full fat potato salad, thai currys, rice, english muffins

Since upping the calories, I have extra snacks or a larger amount of protein or starchy stuff at dinner.

edited- to fix crazy brain typing things I didn't mean to type

I don't understand people commenting here 'but can you do 1200 calories for life?' to those saying that 1200 is do-able if you plan correctly.

Um...it's not for life. It's to lose weight, then adjustments can be made once goal weight is reached. I'm on 1200 net a day right now, and once I reach my goal I won't need to be at that level anymore, I'll be on 1800 or somewhere about that.

I can manage 1200 in total on the days I can't exercise, though I much prefer to work a little harder to earn some more so I net 1200 instead. For lunches I switched from normal sandwiches and snacks to ryvita crackerbreads with fish or a sliced egg (or sandwich thins) along with a piece of fruit and a pot of low-fat dessert/yoghurt/fromage frais. Cutting down on my breakfast cereal and using skimmed or semi-skimmed milk also cut down the calories and lets me have a more normal sort of dinner. Soups with lots of vegetables in are also a good idea for lunch or dinner and the smooth blended sort keep you feeling full for longer according to what I have read and seen in documentaries about weight loss.

I'm 5'2", 56 yrs old and 115 lbs with a very tiny frame. 1200 calories is my maintenance. I envy those of you who are younger, bigger, etc and who can eat more. I do go over sometimes, I'm not crazy restrictive about the 1200 but that's the area I need to stay in to not start gaining again. Yes, it's a life sentence because I don't see myself getting any younger!

If you should be eating more I don't recommend that 1200 should be your goal but if it's where you have to be then you have to make the best of it.

I am really struggling with how to plan out meals that lead up to only 1200-1500 calories...I feel like I could eat that in one meal! I know that my old habits need to change, OBVIOUSLY...I would really appreciate any sort of meal plan or advice, tips or guidance on how to even begin!

Thank you!!

I did 1200 kcals for a good 3 months. I slowly upped it to 1500 kcals and Im a grown man so it wasn't easy. The trick is to cut corners wherever possible.

Everything that you can eat, try and find lower fat/lower cals versions off, from meat all the way to the morning toast. I found that eventually I actually felt pretty full on 1200 cals with the right calculated approach.

One thing I always did was calculate the cals I was going to have in the morning before I commence my day, really helped keep things in check.

I found it pretty easy eventually and had to pinch myself to move up a couple of cals, now I'm on 1500 and I struggle at the end of the day to complete all 1500 of them, I'm always let with up to 150-200 because I'm now so used to eating well.

Also cut out fruits and anything sugary. Veggies are great and are much lower in sugar. Bread is a culprit, have it in moderation. Try and bake/grill everything, stay away from frying!

I eat 1200 calories/day but I eat my exercise calories back so usually it is about 1400. Most days go something like this:


Breakfast (never changes):
6 egg whites
1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal, sweetened with Equal

Snack:
String cheese or fruit

Lunch:
4 oz of protein and steamed vegetables and 1/2 serving brown rice

Snack:
whatever I feel like that day... muscle milk light, pure protein bar, 100 calorie bag of popcorn

Dinner:
Protein and 2 servings of steamed vegetables, sometimes I add 1/2 a serving of brown rice.


For the proteins I either eat lean turkey burgers, chicken tenderloins cooked with no oil, or tilapia cooked with EVOO.


I know a lot of people on MFP are all about calories in<calories out, but the cleaner I eat the more weight I lose, the better I feel, and I notice other physical improvements... After giving up dairy for two weeks my skin completely cleared up. This is just what works for me. Feel free to add me if you would like to check out my food diaries to get ideas

It's pretty easy to maintain 1200 calories on a whole foods, plant based diet: unsweetened oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, a huge salad with no oil, dressing or meat on top for lunch with a baked potato, and brown rice with a veggie stir fry for dinner. Drink only water, snack on plain veggies or fresh fruits and voila! I maintained that for a few weeks before refined sugar crept its way back into my life. Even with the sugar, though, I usually stick around my 1500 goal :-) :-)

It's easy to create a meal plan that sticks to 1200 calories. I could create several...but I wouldn't want to eat any of them.

REALISTICALLY speaking...If I had to eat the above meal plan continually...I'd quit. I LIKE food. I want to enjoy food. 1200 calories is not enough to eat everyday...just my opinion. Maybe 2-3 times a week is sustainable, but everyday...I couldn't do.

I think 1400 is more realistic. Maybe the weightloss will be much slower, but at least you won't feel like giving up.

I do 1200 calories and it works for me...unless I workout really hard and feel hungry then I allow myself to eat them back.

I also center my day around lots of snacks because I realize that I snack out of boredom at my job. I do not have this problem on the weekends.

Breakfast- Egg whites and spinach omelette- 75 calories

Morning Snack- 100 calorie English Muffin and Cinnamon laughing cow cheese spread- 145 calories
Cup of coffee with lite creamer- 15 calories

Lunch- P90X Vegetable Soup(3 cup serving)- 150-170 calories

Afternoon Snacks-
100 calorie bag of popcorn
Smartfood Selects Hummus popped chips (Tomato Basil Garlic)- 100 calories
Banana- 105 calories
PB2 (2 TBL)-45 calories
Special K Crackers(24 crackers)- 120 calories

Dinner-
8 ounces of Swai Fish- 140 calories
Broccoli (1 cup) 30 calories
Uncle Bens Brown rice(1/2 cup)- 85

Dessert- Blue Bunny Fudge Popsicles- 90 calories

Total= 1200

I don't - I go to
http://www.fat2fitradio.com/tools/bmr/

I input my current weight and my goal weight the same (what my weight is now) and then I calculate my calories and I eat 400-500 less than my activity level. I am currently eating around 1500-1600

This and

I wash it down with 400 more...

This.

Exactly!

It isn't too difficult if I plan, but I find that it is very difficult if I leave the house with no idea as to what I'm going to eat that day.

A good day for me is:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with and chia seeds (240ish) and a cup of coffee with cream (45)

Snack: Fruit or veggies with PB (200) I like a bigger mid-morning snack because I don't eat lunch until 2pm ish.

Lunch: Massive "taco" salad with 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar and a dressing made from light sour cream mixed with salsa. If I get fancy and throw some taco crumbles on it (I'm vegetarian, so it is usually Quorn or tempeh) it might come out to around 300 calories.

Snack: I don't usually have a snack because my lunch is usually pretty late and a snack typically causes me to push my dinner to around 9:30, and I try not to eat too late in the evening or I can't fall asleep.

Dinner: Massive bowl of taco soup made with black beans, refried beans, Jalapeno and Ro-tel, topped with light sour cream. Roughly 400 calories, maybe a few more if I add cheese.

I'm really on a spice kick as we head into colder weather, but this is what I have eaten in the past week. I'm really quite sedentary, so this is a good day for me. I end the day having had more than enough protein and fiber, and I feel satisfied. If I have more free time during the day and manage to fit in a workout, I might add a glass of wine or some sort of dessert.