Finding it really hard to stay under or at 1200 calories per

Blossom01
Blossom01 Posts: 658
edited September 22 in Food and Nutrition
I am finding it really hard to stay under or at 1200 calories per day. I don’t care for sea food and most of my cooking is done Mexican or Italian style. I am wondering if anybody knows of any good sites that have fixed meals with a calorie count or any other ideas?
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Replies

  • PHYYOU
    PHYYOU Posts: 11 Member
    You just have to watch the portion size you eat. The problem I have is that I always eat way to much
  • dansu2000
    dansu2000 Posts: 60
    www.skinnytaste.com. Just found this site Saturday, made the chicken piccata and I'm a fan! It was delicious; you wouldn't even know they are low cal recipes. Seems like you're doing great with your weight loss...keep it up!
  • cbirdso
    cbirdso Posts: 465 Member
    What do you have your calorie goal set for? I absolutely cannot eat at 1200 cals per day either so I have my weight loss goal set to lose only 1/2 pound per week. Also, I make sure I get some form of cardio each day so I can eat a little extra. I am eating in the range of 1500 to 1800 each day and I am losing. Granted, it is not at the rate many seem to require in order to stay motivated, but it works for me.
  • cef957
    cef957 Posts: 86 Member
    try cookinglight.com there is also a magazine by the same name
  • Iluvchopsticks
    Iluvchopsticks Posts: 130 Member
    1200 is very low. BTW you should never consume under 1200, this can force your body into starvation mode. Listen to your body too! If it is too hard to maintain 1200 consider bumping things up. Sometimes people try to restrict their calories too much and it is only to their detriment.
  • runner915
    runner915 Posts: 106
    1200 seems pretty low. Are you eating some of the extra calories you get from exercise too? I have a big appetite so I try to work out everyday so that I can get some more calories to eat otherwise I would be over my calorie limit even before dinner.
  • melizerd
    melizerd Posts: 870 Member
    I tried the 1200 calories a day (2lbs a week loss goal) and I just couldn't do it long term. So I switched to 1 1/2 lbs to lose a week and I'm at 1400 calories and that makes a big difference for me and I STILL lose 2lbs a week on average :D

    So it could be that it's just not a good goal for you if you can't do that very long you're more likely to completely binge at some point.
  • bcampbell54
    bcampbell54 Posts: 932 Member
    Eatingwell.com has some good recipes in both categories, though some are pretty involved. 1200 calories seems a tad low; you certainly don't want to sabotage yourself before you get started.
  • eager2plz
    eager2plz Posts: 1
    i am set on 1200 a day also and always stay under my calorie goal..... but it only stays under as i exercise frequently throughout the day (burn on average 1000 which gives you extra calorie intake), have smaller portion sizes, and eat things that are going to satisfy me but are not high in calories.
    I notice when i dont move around alot i am more likely to want to eat the larger portion sizes or i tend to snack (alot) so i always try and keep myself busy. Next time you feel hungry have a glass of cold water with your food, give yourself half of what you would normally have and go outside, clean the house, etc anything that will take your mind of food until it is time for the next meal.
    If it is proving to hard after that then your better off giving yourself more calories and slowly working your way down to 1200, maybe start at 1600 and each month take a 100 calories off that?!?

    Goodluck :-)


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  • KarenBorter
    KarenBorter Posts: 1,157 Member
    I am finding it really hard to stay under or at 1200 calories per day. I don’t care for sea food and most of my cooking is done Mexican or Italian style. I am wondering if anybody knows of any good sites that have fixed meals with a calorie count or any other ideas?

    are you exercising? If you are you should be eating some of those calories back.
  • DoctorLaura
    DoctorLaura Posts: 32 Member
    I really liked The Biggest Loser Club online when I used it a couple years ago. I needed a dummy proof plan where someone said "eat this at this time". Previously when I tried to count calories or "points" I would blow my daily allowance on empty calories or spread my allowance on only one or two meals which led to me being hungry all the time. Not Effective.

    The Biggest Loser Club tells you what to eat and when and the nutritional recommendations are very similar to those on MFP. Also, if you don't like the food they suggest you can "swap" ingredients or whole meals for something nutritionally similar. You can also track your food like on MFP if you eat something that's not on your plan (they make suggestions but you always enter what you actually ate).

    Unlike MFP there is a cost (I think I paid 20 dollars a month) but I found it was probably the best investment I ever made. After a year, making the right choices and eating regularly was a habit so I no longer needed the meal suggestions. That's when I switched to MFP because I only needed a place to track my food and MFP is FREE! :happy: Good Luck to you! :happy:
  • qwho
    qwho Posts: 157
    I have been at 1200 calories for 10 weeks now and have not been starving or anything.
    I eat a small breakfast and lunch and have about 60% of my calories for dinner. I cook
    a lot with chicken, but can have anything I want, it is the portion sizes you have to watch
    and eat as many fruits and veggies as you can
  • sarahlfleck
    sarahlfleck Posts: 8 Member
    My goal is set at 1200/day, too. Some days it's easier than others. There are two things that help me. The first is exercise - either biking or my Wii Fit routine. Secondly, I strictly regulate two meals a day (try Greek yogurt for breakfast. There's a lot of protein in there and it fills me up more than I would have thought. Just watch the sugar content) and have whatever I want for the third one while trying to control the portion. It makes me feel good cause I feel like I'm "cheating" on one meal, but I've built it into my diet with the two low-cal meals, so it works!
  • qwho
    qwho Posts: 157
    I find it easy not to 'cheat' either, as there is always another meal just a few hours away, you will not starve
    if you don't snack and if there is something you are craving, work it into your calories for the day. It is really
    the first taste or two of whatever you are craving that matters, so a small portion of it will satisfy, eat it
    slow, savor it, really enjoy it.

    I am still amazed at how large the portions were of everything I was eating when I was doing it mindlessly.
    And when you finish a meal, and think you are still hungry, give it a half hour, you will almost certainly realize
    you are indeed full and do not need more food.
  • somigliana
    somigliana Posts: 314 Member
    1200 calories was certainly too low for me when I was in weightloss mode. 1200cal is the minimum intake recommended for women, yes, but there's a natural difference in requirements already, depending on how tall you are. I averaged around 1450 calories before exercise (and I ate most of those calories, too) while I was losing weight. I also found I had to make my target loss/week less aggressive the closer I was to my goal weight.

    Good luck :)
  • Blossom01
    Blossom01 Posts: 658
    Thank you Ladies!!!!:flowerforyou: :heart: :flowerforyou:
    I also learned about this site dottisweightlosszone.com

    I hope I can put some meals together to meet my weight goal. 1200 is low but this is what it is going to take to lose the weight I need to lose. I move around during the day and clean hose go up and down the stairs and even take short walks but I do not have a fixed exercise routine. I need to get one. Any suggestions on how you start?
  • dom300186
    dom300186 Posts: 127 Member
    Haveyou thought about slightly increasing your calories I did this and I exercise at home 2-3times a week even walking the stairs for 15 mins if I can.
    I also take pills to stop me getting so hungry and they work.
  • lozf85
    lozf85 Posts: 62 Member
    Exercise exercise exercise! I consider any workouts I do a way to “earn” extra calories so I don’t have to go crazy trying to stick to 1200. :smile:

    The hardest part about starting an exercise routine is just that, starting! For the first couple of weeks you will have to force yourself, it will be an almost physical battle - but once you are in the swing of it, it becomes natural, and you will grow to enjoy the way it makes you feel! I suggest sleeping in your workout gear to begin with (that’s the only way I could get out of bed when I first started) that way you aren’t so tempted to hit snooze, and just go for a half hour walk to start off . As your fitness improves, increase your workout times.
  • michiganderrdh
    michiganderrdh Posts: 151 Member
    Exercise exercise exercise! I consider any workouts I do a way to “earn” extra calories so I don’t have to go crazy trying to stick to 1200. :smile:

    The hardest part about starting an exercise routine is just that, starting! For the first couple of weeks you will have to force yourself, it will be an almost physical battle - but once you are in the swing of it, it becomes natural, and you will grow to enjoy the way it makes you feel! I suggest sleeping in your workout gear to begin with (that’s the only way I could get out of bed when I first started) that way you aren’t so tempted to hit snooze, and just go for a half hour walk to start off . As your fitness improves, increase your workout times.

    Well said!
  • stuartme123
    stuartme123 Posts: 210 Member
    I'm set at 1200/day also, and you can feel free to look through my diary if you're interested in the kinds of meals that I eat. I usually stay within 100 cals of my goal +/- (though certainly not all the time!). What's helped me is cutting back on carbs (which I needed to do for my own health reasons). There are around 100 calories in every slice of the bread I buy, so I started making open faced sandwiches for lunch, and it has been a lot easier to meet my goals since then. Also, if I get a craving for a bagel (I LOVE bagels) then I'll make half of one instead of a whole one. I find that trying to eat as much protein as possible keeps me really full and satisfied. Hope that helps!

    Good luck on the continuation of your journey :bigsmile:
  • PLUMSGRL
    PLUMSGRL Posts: 1,134 Member
    Easiest exercise is walking-I've been using the Leslie Sansone walk at home series $10 at Walmart or Target. She's fun and the miles go by quick. 1-5 miles 12 or 15 min miles. I try to get in three miles or more a day.:wink:
    Now I'm starting Kettlebell workout I found at Walmart (Danskin Calorie Burner Workout with Gin Miller) to start toning.:tongue:
    Good Luck!
  • rcsewell
    rcsewell Posts: 18 Member
    I am finding it really hard to stay under or at 1200 calories per day.
    There is no way I could stay under, or anywhere near, my target calorie intake if I drank anything besides water. With the exception of 2 cups of coffee in the morning with non-dairy creamere (no sugar), I've been water-only for about a year now. Sure, once in a blue moon I'll have unsweetened tea (never thought I could drink it without sugar!), but there are almost no calories in that.

    Good luck!
  • thelgeson
    thelgeson Posts: 17
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/61706-guide-to-calorie-deficits
  • gentlebreeze2
    gentlebreeze2 Posts: 450 Member
    I would not last long on a 1200 calorie diet. After the first week or two on mfp, I could see I wasn't going to meet my goals very quickly, so I uped my workout. Not only does it help me lose weight, but I can also indulge in my favorites occasionally. If I couldn't indulge, I don't think I would stay committed for long. I've lost 31 pounds since the end of August. My indulgences are; having a chocolate day once a week (chocolate cheerios and a hershey bar later on), an occasional homemade cheeseburger (with lots of lettuce), and fixing homemade pizza every 10 days. But even on those days... I still manage to stay around the 1400 calorie mark. So far its working.
  • nhanson62493
    nhanson62493 Posts: 10
    i have been doing Dietchef.com since August - granola with greek yoghurt for breakfast, soup and a roll for lunch = 200 calories and for dinner lasagne, chicken curry etc i just then have 2 pieces of fruit a day, veg or salad for dinner and a packet of french fries as a snack. This makes it up to 1200 then i go on the treadmill and walk for 45 mins. I want to lose 1 stone by christmas already lost 1 stone. This diet chef is has shown me how to portion size. :happy:
  • Blossom01
    Blossom01 Posts: 658
    I am finding it really hard to stay under or at 1200 calories per day.
    There is no way I could stay under, or anywhere near, my target calorie intake if I drank anything besides water. With the exception of 2 cups of coffee in the morning with non-dairy creamere (no sugar), I've been water-only for about a year now. Sure, once in a blue moon I'll have unsweetened tea (never thought I could drink it without sugar!), but there are almost no calories in that.

    Good luck!

    I am on coffee and water myself but I also drink tea is that not good for you or why did you give it up?
  • Blossom01
    Blossom01 Posts: 658
    Thank you for all your help and support MFP buddies.:flowerforyou: Starting with low cardio and walks sound like a good idea! I can do this and then work my way up. I am also enjoying the sites that where shared with me.:bigsmile: I appreciate you all taking the time and sharing them and on all the helpful advice from each and every one of you. :happy: Thank you so much you are all special!:flowerforyou:

    Does anybody have a hard time staying full with small portion sizes or how do you all do it to keep yourself from eating more then what you are supposed to?
  • qwho
    qwho Posts: 157
    I have had no real hunger at all since I went on the diet, I think positive thinking and just being committed to achieve your goal is all it takes. My breakfsts and lunches are small but satisfying and dinner is when I can enjoy a larger meal. I think it is important
    not to deny yourself something you crave either, just have a taste or two ... and often you will find yourself choosing not to even have it anyway, but just knowing you can is enough. Fill up on food, not beverages or desserts for the most part.
  • esq2man
    esq2man Posts: 30
    1200 seems really low, but if that is what's right for you its doable. 2 packets of no sugar added instant oatmeal for breakfast = 240
    subway 6 inch turkey with veggies and red wine vinegar for lunch is 340 and any lean cuisine for dinner is 220-300. add an eskimo ice cream no sugar added and you're there with calories to spare
  • slansdown
    slansdown Posts: 94
    I found that you can have a quesadilla with corn tortillas and 1 ounce of cheese for about 300 calories -- eat steamed veggies and/or a big salad with lemon and pepper or balsamic vinegar on the side and you will fill up for less than 400 calories. Use this principle: sane to small portion of high calorie -- high fat -- high starch food (almost all mexican and italian choices fall into this category) and then cut it with vegetables -- vegetables and more vegetables.
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