1200 Calorie

Options
12357

Replies

  • musikalmami237
    musikalmami237 Posts: 214 Member
    Options
    yumm.... this has me hungry now
  • Albagal
    Albagal Posts: 11
    Options
    I've just started using MFP and the calories (according too MFP) 1200 as well before exercise. I'm inly a few days in but I am finding vegetable omelettes, salads with lean protein, beans and pulses are great. Seafood like prawns and calamari are good as long as you grill them.

    Good luck

    I started MFP today & have been allocted 1200calories too. I need to lose about 4 stone but am only 5ft & have a sedentary job sitting down most of the day. I only get to the gym once a week & I am 62 yrs old. 1200 does seem low but even so it said I would only lose about 1 pound a month.

    I'm over 60 and 5'3" and can only lose on around 1200 cals. too, as I don't do all that much exercise. Before anyone says I should - it's not easy when you are older and overweight.
  • Albagal
    Albagal Posts: 11
    Options
    Why do people have to be so hard on someone they know nothing about? You don't know anything to be doing that to her.. how rude! people come here for support. My god look at my diary you all will probably go into cardiac arrest!
    I had people come at me with their daggers when I first started here too.. Don't mind them any attention. Listen to the ones that actually want to help you and ask the questions, and truly care.. The other ones that say eat more without saying anything, they are what I call TROLLS.

    Anxiously awaiting a "people are meanies" thread from you...

    It would be constructive if the members gave advice and not just say 'eat more'. Maybe they mean to keep her calories up and exercise more or she will fail on just 1200 calories? I think, explanations are needed. BTW, MFP has set my calories as 1200 calories!!!!!
  • Albagal
    Albagal Posts: 11
    Options
    Started a 1200 calorie diet January 1. Looking for food ideas. Anyone got ideas?

    I don't know where you live but I love Ryvita Crackerbread at just 19 cals. a slice. I, also, use Linda McCartney's vegetarian sausage and make a hotpot with lots of veg. and that is very low on cals. Also, meat-free burgers are low too.

    Add some stock cubes, some tinned tomatoes and even baked beans for protein. I add a dash of tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Delicious!!!
  • carolhama
    carolhama Posts: 5
    Options
    Celery is excellent full of fiber. Supposedly has a negative calorie effect Try eating a handful of stalks before each meal. Also roasted red peppers on the side with each meal is great. One poached egg in the morning really helps. Research has said people who eat one whole poached egg in the morning tend to eat 400 less calories a day.
  • rella_1003
    rella_1003 Posts: 70 Member
    Options
    Since being on 1200 calories I've discovered veggies are awesome! I've been on 1200 for one and a half months now and so far so good, just make sure you eat back your exercise calories. I'm eating back a bar of chocolate now :laugh:

    Also, for people who are saying they have difficulty exercising try walking! I love it! I have panic disorder so I find it hard to do exercise that makes my heart rate increase so my main form of cardio exercise has been walking, you can just walk outside or youtube "walk away the pounds" there are different intensities so you can do whichever one suits you
  • bbvsusan
    bbvsusan Posts: 41
    Options
    I, too, am hanging around 1200 calls. I'm a nurse and that is what I know best. I will certainly gage my hunger and energy levels.
    We eat a LOT of salad, so many things you can add to lettuces!! And lean proteins … eggs, steak, fish, chicken breast, cottage cheese … just watch your portions
  • KentWhiteRabbit
    KentWhiteRabbit Posts: 92 Member
    Options
    OP - Please be aware that there are a lot of people who like to shout down the idea of anyone eating less calories than them! :tongue:

    As others have stated it's a good idea to know what your body needs as 'crash' dieting doesn't work long term. If however, like me, 1200 cals is reasonable for you in order to maintain a slow and steady weight loss, I wish you luck. Maybe if you filled out your profile a little more people would have more to go on and tailor their advice better.

    I found that hearty soups and lots of veggies help, avoid sugar whenever you can as it's high in calories and doesn't fill you up.

    I had a skiing holiday over Christmas in a catered chalet and despite loads of excercise I put weight on which I blame on the desserts (although the wine may not have helped)! Feel free to look at my diary for ideas.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Options
    OP - Please be aware that there are a lot of people who like to shout down the idea of anyone eating less calories than them! :tongue:

    As others have stated it's a good idea to know what your body needs as 'crash' dieting doesn't work long term. If however, like me, 1200 cals is reasonable for you in order to maintain a slow and steady weight loss, I wish you luck. Maybe if you filled out your profile a little more people would have more to go on and tailor their advice better.

    I found that hearty soups and lots of veggies help, avoid sugar whenever you can as it's high in calories and doesn't fill you up.

    I had a skiing holiday over Christmas in a catered chalet and despite loads of excercise I put weight on which I blame on the desserts (although the wine may not have helped)! Feel free to look at my diary for ideas.
    (your diary is closed right now):smile:
  • Mslibb
    Mslibb Posts: 69 Member
    Options
    Hi OP - welcome to MFP :)

    I'm currently on 1200 cals net. I'm 5' 1", 40 yrs old, 70kg (154lbs), trying to lose 0.5kg per week (1 lb). Here's what my diary looks like on a non-exercise day.

    However, if I'm actually still hungry (as in, really feeling hungry, not just wanting to put food in my mouth), I'm happy to go over. I eat a proportionally high amount of protein, as I find it very filling. I always eat back exercise cals, and I'll post an 'exercise day' diary shortly.

    Nearperfectfoodday403030macros1200cals_zpsaab9c9df.jpg

    Hope this helps you with some ideas :flowerforyou:
  • Mslibb
    Mslibb Posts: 69 Member
    Options
    And here is an exercise day. Good luck with your weight loss and fitness :smile:

    Nearperfectfoodday403030macros1500cals_zps29518eaf.jpg
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,188 Member
    Options
    Im eating max 1200 calories too and my favorite snack is a table spoon of peanut butter and carrot sticks its about 90 calories depending on the peanut butter you choose.

    Is 1200 what MFP assigned for you? I ask because at your weight you should be eating much more. For a short time eating at 1200 would likely be fine, but not for too long. You need the food to provide nutrients to keep you healthy and keep your energy up. As your weight goes down MFP will suggest you recalculate you calorie goal to allow for the decreased calories you will burn because you are not carrying around that extra weight.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,188 Member
    Options
    Why do people always tell people doing 1200 calories to "eat more food" before they ask them their height?

    The MFP website puts shorties like me at 1200, in case people didn't know that; and scooby puts people of my height and lower at LESS than 1200.

    MFP seems to put almost everyone at 1200. I am a 5' 10" male, and if I went by MFP's numbers I would be at 1200 which is considered generally insufficient to provide minimal nutritional needs for a male. At that level of calories men will lose a bunch of muscle with the fat. Since MFP almost seems to default to 1200 for pretty much everyone, including males of average and even above average height people tend to say eat more. Add to that many of the people on 1200 don't eat back even a portion of their exercise calories, and that means most, albeit not all, people on 1200 are not eating enough.
    In your case, you probably told it 2LBS a week loss?

    I had over 50 pounds to lose at that point, 2lbs a week would not be out of line. At 1200 I was losing closer to 3.5- a week, easily hitting 10-13 pounds a month lost. The numbers were simply wrong as I was obsessive about measuring and weighing everything. Even at 1 pound week it was not much over 1200. For a male, unless very short or quite old, 1200 is simply way to low.
  • velrist
    velrist Posts: 6 Member
    Options
    I'm 4ft 11, weigh 154lb and am 44 with a reasonably sedentary lifestyle. My current TDEE is 1496, even when I get to my desired goal weight and BF% my TDEE will be 1400 or so. In all honesty, if I am not eating crap then 1200 calories is more than enough, I am TINY and have a tiny stomach, I can happily eat kid's sized meals and be satiated.

    Even when I was a very healthy active teenager I didn't eat that much, it is finally going back to eating like I used to when I was slim that is helping me to lose weight now. I eat when I am hungry and not otherwise. Last year I lost 30lbs and gained 12 back over a really stressful 6 months at work. Now I have reset my stats again and have started to lose again.

    Good luck with whatever you decide to go with.
  • OMGeeeHorses
    OMGeeeHorses Posts: 732 Member
    Options
    huh maybe I got 1510 on sedentary because I am 283lbs (5'3 27). Because I am seeing a lot of people around my age and some in my weight group with less to eat. I know I can't do 1200 because I started out with that. Recently found my old nutrition information from when I was 18 and went to a dietician she had me at 1660 just to lose from 175 to 145. So eating more seems to be the key as a professional was telling me to do so as well as a good amount here. But that is just my opinion.

    FYI: trying to lose 2lbs or more a week :)
  • zara1408
    zara1408 Posts: 11
    Options
    If you love your fruits and veggies, its really easy to live off 1200 calories with no exercise. Low calorie food help make meals so much more filling. Oatmeal/bran flakes/ eggs (i like them poached) is a perfect way to start the day. For lunch, you can have lots of veggies with some lean protein and I like to add a little bit of cheese just to add some more flavour. Snacking on fruits or smoothies is good as well as having low fat yoghurt. For dinner, i personally enjoy soups and salads just because I hate having meals which are too filling for dinner as I eat dinner quite late. I actually do keep a store of 'junk food' for those days when i get a craving but its normally really small portioned treats, like a treat size chocolate which is only like 50-ish calories or a lollipop which is about the same, so I can get away with satisfying my cravings and still keeping within my calorie limit. When it comes to drinks, I have a tea/ coffee without sugar every morning and live off green tea for the rest of the day. I try not to have carbonated drinks but occasionally when I do, i just opt for the sugar free ones just coz of the low calories :)
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    Options
    This thread is making me sad because I know, not think, know that quite a few of you will fail and be gone soon. Blindly following a calorie limit without knowing why. I really hope that you prove me wrong, but you won't, I have seen it too many times. Please, please, pretty please go back to my previous post and read the link I posted. 1200 " could " be right for a few of you at most, but at least you would KNOW your numbers and could then call me a Dumb *kitten* for lecturing you. I am not trying to be a smartaSs, I would make the same argument if someone was proposing a 3000 calorie limit because that isn't right either. I want you to be successful long term, and for most 1200 just isn't sustainable. Now I'm done, you folks carry on and good luck.
  • KentWhiteRabbit
    KentWhiteRabbit Posts: 92 Member
    Options
    OP - Please be aware that there are a lot of people who like to shout down the idea of anyone eating less calories than them! :tongue:

    As others have stated it's a good idea to know what your body needs as 'crash' dieting doesn't work long term. If however, like me, 1200 cals is reasonable for you in order to maintain a slow and steady weight loss, I wish you luck. Maybe if you filled out your profile a little more people would have more to go on and tailor their advice better.

    I found that hearty soups and lots of veggies help, avoid sugar whenever you can as it's high in calories and doesn't fill you up.

    I had a skiing holiday over Christmas in a catered chalet and despite loads of excercise I put weight on which I blame on the desserts (although the wine may not have helped)! Feel free to look at my diary for ideas.
    (your diary is closed right now):smile:

    Open now
  • meankeen
    meankeen Posts: 49 Member
    Options
    Why do people have to be so hard on someone they know nothing about? You don't know anything to be doing that to her.. how rude! people come here for support. My god look at my diary you all will probably go into cardiac arrest!
    I had people come at me with their daggers when I first started here too.. Don't mind them any attention. Listen to the ones that actually want to help you and ask the questions, and truly care.. The other ones that say eat more without saying anything, they are what I call TROLLS.

    Btw. I am a lap band patient and am under a dr's care, and ordered to keep it 6-800 calories...

    Because people start a thread without first reading the stickies, and reading the obvious. So we, the community end up answering the same questions every time.
  • Cirsium
    Cirsium Posts: 41 Member
    Options
    If it bothers you, I suggest you a) don't read it and b) don't feel compelled to give advice if you find the question repetitive. Who on earth wants to read years worth of forums to double check a question hasn't been asked before?

    edit: that was for meankeen

Categories