How do you eat 1200 calories?!

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  • sami_83
    sami_83 Posts: 161
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    I normally eat more, but yesterday I had about 1200ish cals. I ate:

    Breakfast: toasted sandwich- 2 slices wholemeal bread with avocado, tomato and mushrooms (no cheese).
    Lunch: 'mexican' salad- couple handfuls of mixed salad leaves, diced tomato, half a diced avocado, half a tin of 'Mexi Beans' and a squeeze of lime.
    Dinner: 2x Quorn Southern Style Burgers, plus boiled carrot and broccoli.
    Snacks: 1x fun size Snickers and a handful of nut/seed/sultana mix.

    Kept me pretty satisfied :smile: I could have eaten more but I was feeling lazy and couldn't be arsed looking for more food.
  • isbef72
    isbef72 Posts: 7 Member
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    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!
  • OMGeeeHorses
    OMGeeeHorses Posts: 732 Member
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    Yanno, some of us are genuinely sedentary, short, etc, and eating at 1200 isn't a death sentence. ;) Feeling great, here! And if I want more food I just make sure I go for a long walk/jog/swim/whatever to burn it off!

    But could you eat 1200 calories for the rest of your life? Wouldn't you rather do something that is sustainable? It really sucks to get to your goal weight only to start gaining it back because you 'eat normal' again - JMO Cuz I've been there!

    ^^this..

    I couldn't see myself for life eating 1200 calories. I can see myself eating 1530 tho and have no issues with it as I can eat pizza and cookies and cake and ice cream and lose weight just fine and maintain there as well ( ticker proves it).
  • Qski
    Qski Posts: 246 Member
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    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
  • veganavocado
    veganavocado Posts: 4
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    honestly, the biggest piece is portion size. look at your plate. if its half spaghetti and meatballs and just a little bit of salad, reverse the portions.
    Also, another girl said watch what you drink. I only drink water and tea.
    Use smaller plates/bowls.
    1200 is obviously a little low...but definitely not impossible. I usually eat about 1300.
    You just have to fight for the first 2 weeks to form a habit of it, then your body gets used to it and your stomach shrinks and soon enough a meal thats more than 500 cal will leave you feeling so full you dont think you can move! Same gores for exercise after about 2 weeks of using muscles constantly and getting used to it you kind of start to like it... :)
  • tizmi
    tizmi Posts: 19 Member
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    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.
  • shst07
    shst07 Posts: 61 Member
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    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
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    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.
  • mfoulkebrown
    mfoulkebrown Posts: 94 Member
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    I don't wanna sound like a jerk or anything but I see this Q posted constantly on these forums, and I don't really understand. My current calories (no exercise) are at 1,410 and I find that pretty easy to meet. MANY days I am close to 1,200 and I don't feel like my diet is very restrictive at all.

    Typical for me would be 200 cal breakfast, 400-ish calories for lunch, and 500-ish calories at dinner. That still leaves 100 cals to play with at the minimum 1,200.

    I'm just not sure where the problem is for you. Do you drink any of your calories? That can add up very quickly.

    This.

    It is a huge help if you can cook. If you don't know how, start looking around at some websites or books.

    I have a HUGE lunch everyday that clocks in at just over 300 calories. I have a sandwich with 45 calorie bread, 1 ounce of ham, 1 TBL of mayo, lettuce, and 1 wedge of light Laughing Cow Swiss cheese. I have a big salad with lettuce, artichoke hearts, banana peppers, and reduced fat feta cheese. 1/2 ounce of chips. 2 pickles. Baby carrots with hummus. 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup strawberries.

    Seriously, the biggest thing for me was small substitutions and reductions in portion sizes.
  • DapperKay
    DapperKay Posts: 140 Member
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    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! :)
  • septembergrrl
    septembergrrl Posts: 168 Member
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    I stay in the 1200-1400 range most days, and basically what I did was cut waaaaaay back on all the fun extras, like alcohol, baked goods, and fried foods. A typical day might look like this:

    Breakfast:
    - Granola with lowfat milk
    - Tea with honey

    Lunch:
    - Whole-wheat pita with ham, Swiss cheese, mustard, pickle chips
    - Handful pretzels

    Dinner:
    - Vegetarian lasagne
    - 1 slice garlic bread
    - Salad w/vinaigrette

    Snacks:
    - String cheese
    - Large apple

    It's enough that I'm not dying of hunger, even if it's not as much fun as the days of hamburgers and beer were.
  • smc864
    smc864 Posts: 570 Member
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    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 :)
  • rosemary98
    rosemary98 Posts: 632
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    not saying you should or shouldn't be on a 1200 calorie diet. There are many things that factor into why/who should be on such a diet. however, this is an example from my own experience:

    breakfast:
    coffee=0 calories
    Starbucks zesty chicken black bean salad w/o dressing=230 calories (lots of portein in this salad)

    snack:
    almond milk 8 ounces: 30 calories (significant calcium)
    almonds (100 calorie pack): 100 calories

    lunch:
    no-sodium vegetable soup: 200 calories
    nonfat cheese stick: 50 calories

    snack: tea topped with steamed nonfat milk: 20 calories
    apple: 80 calories


    dinner:
    steamed green beans: 70 calories
    chicken breast: 100 calories
    cherry tomatoes: 20 calories
    slice of bread with butter: 180 calories

    snack: popcorn: 100 calories


    good sources of protein (salad, almonds, chicken)
    good sources of dairy (cheese stick, almond milk)
    good sources of veg (salad, green beans, tomatoes, vegetables in soup)
    low on fruit (not saying that is a good thing...I am not a big fruit eater)
    moderate on breads/grains (salad has quinoa; bread at dinner)
    moderate on fats (butter on bread/almonds)

    many times i go 1300 to 1400 because i do want that late night snack. but not always.
  • 0321MarineMom
    0321MarineMom Posts: 15 Member
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    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.
  • bekahlou75
    bekahlou75 Posts: 304 Member
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    1200 calories is totally doable, IMHO, for food/meals.

    It does not leave a lot of room for snacking, alcohol (I just had 2.5 glasses of wine that was no in my 1200 calories, but was much needed for my sanity). That bumped me over my day of rather well eating.

    Sad, but true reality is that you cannot eat like most people on 1200 calories, but you can eat well and what your body NEEDS.


    ---> My body didn't need wine, but my head did ;-)


    Amen to that! I will eat less and exercise more just to get the wine!
  • Wrxsti23
    Wrxsti23 Posts: 62
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    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
  • mynewlife10
    mynewlife10 Posts: 52
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    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 focus mine on protein and spreading them out, because protein fills you up. Get some protein powder and soymilk - when you get really hungry have 4 oz. and let it "sink in" for 30 minutes. Eat negative calorie foods - these are vegetables that the body spends calories on digesting.

    I also learned since last week that water is the only thing I can drink. Otherwise, I am more likely to feel like eating more. I take in 1,200 (-/+) a few a day. And, lastly, go to bed early. You will be asleep instead of feeling like eating.
  • Bebubble
    Bebubble Posts: 938 Member
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    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!
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    I wash it down with 400 more...

    lol this.
  • Ibleedlipstick
    Ibleedlipstick Posts: 33 Member
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    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.

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