1200 calorie/day meal ideas

The best is to perform a Google search but if you could eat more and still lose weight, would you do it? If so, check out this link:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

Tacos are GREAT for low calorie meals. I get bored eating salads all the time for lunch so I switched to tacos recently. I do the small corn tortillas at 45 calories each. Fill them with seasoned chicken, grilled onions & peppers (with 0 cal veg oil spray) and a dab of sour cream. That is just one example, you can do shrimp tacos too, those are always good.

Here are some more ideas: http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/200-calorie-tacos

I also have a wonderful cookbook full of 300 calorie meals. Just google searching for low calorie meals will give you all sorts of options!

I eat 1000-1200 calories a day and pretty much eat whatever anyone else is having... in moderation. I plan my dinner so that I am able to eat whatever my family is having and then back track to plan my lunch and breakfast. My diary is open, so feel free to look through and friend me if you have any questions.

And regarding the "eat more calories" group and the "you'll go into starvation mode" group, I've yet to see a single poster on these forums with a medical degree and both my nutritionist and medical doctor agree it's perfectly fine. So, if you have questions about whether it's nutritionally sustainable for you, I'd suggest you speak with your doctor and not listen to the MFP do-goobers. If you eat a good variety of foods and take a good multi-vitamin, you'll be perfectly fine nutritionally speaking.

I'm in the same boat so to speak. I look forward to reading everyone's posts and experiences!!

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This.... and 1200 calories is just not enough... toooooooooooo hungry lol
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I've never had even the slightest pang of hunger eating even 1000 calories a day. With exercise, I will sometimes net below 500 calories. If you're hungry, then I would suggest eating different foods. For some reason, a lot of people chose to fill their calories with shakes and things that don't fill them up, rather than choosing actual food that does. My typical day is a bowl of granola in the morning with my coffee (250 calories), a HUGE salad for lunch (200-250 calories or less depending on the dressing), and the same dinner that my family has (500-700 calories). I RARELY have any desire to snack and when you're eating well and getting a variety of good healthy food, you really lose the craving for sweets, though I do have the occasional Skinny Cow dessert. I've even gone camping and had a S'More and still kept under 1300 calories. It's all in how you do it really and there is no magic shake potion that is going to fill you up as much as just eating the right food.

I do a lot of chicken and veggies, finding new ways/sauces to change how they taste. The meals aren't usually my problem, it's usually snacks that bring my close/over my cal limit.

Check out my diary, I try to stay at 1200.

I eat 1000-1200 calories a day and pretty much eat whatever anyone else is having... in moderation. I plan my dinner so that I am able to eat whatever my family is having and then back track to plan my lunch and breakfast. My diary is open, so feel free to look through and friend me if you have any questions.

And regarding the "eat more calories" group and the "you'll go into starvation mode" group, I've yet to see a single poster on these forums with a medical degree and both my nutritionist and medical doctor agree it's perfectly fine. So, if you have questions about whether it's nutritionally sustainable for you, I'd suggest you speak with your doctor and not listen to the MFP do-goobers. If you eat a good variety of foods and take a good multi-vitamin, you'll be perfectly fine nutritionally speaking.

Yeah, I don't buy in to the "eat more" thought group. Otherwise, people who get gastric bypass would never lose any weight, and they're lucky to get 900 cals in those first few weeks.

I agree turkey is awesome, also smoothies. I do meal replacements with smoothies lots of kale, spinach and fruit. I try to save bulk of my calorie intake for dinner. The way my job is I cant work if I am stuffed

I try to stick to 1200 per day also. I do eat breakfast but try not to blow alot of calories on it. For lunch, I generally do a Healthy Choice meal since I work and kind of on the go. For dinner, we grill quite a bit and try to downplay the carbs as much as possible. For me, giving up pasta has been the hardest because I LOVE it. I could have it in moderation but since I can't control it very well, I just don't make it.

This.... and 1200 calories is just not enough... toooooooooooo hungry lol


I've never had even the slightest pang of hunger eating even 1000 calories a day. With exercise, I will sometimes net below 500 calories. If you're hungry, then I would suggest eating different foods. For some reason, a lot of people chose to fill their calories with shakes and things that don't fill them up, rather than choosing actual food that does. My typical day is a bowl of granola in the morning with my coffee (250 calories), a HUGE salad for lunch (200-250 calories or less depending on the dressing), and the same dinner that my family has (500-700 calories). I RARELY have any desire to snack and when you're eating well and getting a variety of good healthy food, you really lose the craving for sweets, though I do have the occasional Skinny Cow dessert. I've even gone camping and had a S'More and still kept under 1300 calories. It's all in how you do it really and there is no magic shake potion that is going to fill you up as much as just eating the right food.

lol 1200 WILL make me hungry because I work out hard (not long) using weights... I don't do cardio or dance around... I also only have around 40lbs to lose (my choice) and chances are with weight lifting I may never get below 160 and that is OK .. I go for how I look.. not a number...

And the "eat more" mantra isn't what you are assuming... it refers to fuel. If you are hardcore into strength training/resistence or trying to do cardio 3 hours a day then your body needs fuel .. moreso as you continue to lose. I prefer to eat 1700 cals to 1200 .. just that simple..

Yes.