Don't Drink Your Calories

Coconut water is hydrating, and very low on calories. I drink a lemon flavoured one which is 70 cal per 330ml. I second what everyone else is saying however, 1200 calories does seem a little low, but good luck with your weight loss! :-)

Eat like a grown man instead of a small child and you will probably have room for whatever drinks you like.

You're a dude. Dudes don't eat 1200 cals a day.

you can drink crystal lite its all synthetic chemicals but low calories like 10 per packet which is a pitcher of liquid.
you can drink coffee its about 5 calories a cup
you can make herbal ice teas. there are dozens of flavors.
you can drink icecoffee
you can drink low call fruit juice like watermellon juice
you can drink Rejuvelac http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rejuvelac
you can drink club soda
you can drink vodka and soda (64 calories)


im a 6 foot tall man on 1200 calories a day too
i eat about 1900 and exercise off 700 every day
people think when you say 1200 it means only 1200 and not net 1200 without eating exercise calories back
its silly.

Drink what you want, just make sure you work it off or save enough calories for it. I drink mostly unsweetened ice tea and seltzer - it's just as refreshing as soda without being too sweet. We also make a pitcher of ice coffee at home to have every morning.

As a side note, I notice I feel my alcohol a LOT easier and sooner since I've started dieting because I've cut it so heavily from my diet. One beer gets me buzzed now, it's great!

Haha - Do not worry, I've checked it with my physician and it wasn't determined by ME, it was part of a formula by MFP for 1.7 lb. loss per week. I'm only 5'8, so I'm not a hulk. But thanks for the concern. :-)

So you're over 170lbs?

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Conventional wisdom says very low calorie is dangerous, but 1200 is not that crazily low, and newer research has shown that it isn't necessarily dangerous or worse in the long run.

That said, I assume the 1200 is NET calories, not gross. Personally, the only way I ever make my calorie goals is by exercising more. You're using MFP, so you know that exactly how much extra you gained from that 3 mile run, or 20 minute walk to the store.

As for drink tips. Why not black coffee? Also, consider just using half and half in your coffee. Fat calories should keep you feeling more full than the equivalent in sugar or other carbs. There is also fake sugar and low calorie creamer out there.

I also love me some seltzer! Get that feeling of something special with no added calories. A liter of Vintage should cost less than a $1. I like to add a little lime juice to give it an extra kick.

Emergen-C could replace your multivitamin. It still has some calories, but much less than juice, and with more nutrients. If you mix it with the seltzer you can dilute it further without losing the fizz.

Consider fruit smoothies. I know many people who insist on adding tons of extra stuff to their smoothies. But I go the opposite way. I like my juice watered down, and I do the same with my smoothies. If you use a blender instead of a juicer, you get WAY MORE nutrients and FIBER because you are still eating the fruit skin and everything. They say you can put a whole apple in a vitamix. I haven't tried the seeds, but the skin disappears like nothing. So just put your favorite fruits in the blender, add ice and water, and you could have a <100 calorie drink that satisfies a serving or two or your daily fruits.

Haha - Do not worry, I've checked it with my physician and it wasn't determined by ME, it was part of a formula by MFP for 1.7 lb. loss per week. I'm only 5'8, so I'm not a hulk. But thanks for the concern. :-)

That's quite an aggressive deficit if all you have to lose is 18 lbs.

Hey guys - The only way I can seem to keep to my LOW goal of 1,200 calories a day is to completely eliminate any calories from beverages. I can only drink so much water and iced tea, and I'm not a fan of diet cola. Am I missing any great solutions out there that I should know about?

Thanks
Doug

A 1,200 calorie per day diet is too low for males. I think the lowest caloric value for males is 1,800 calories per day but I could be wrong. A protein shake is higher in calories at about 140 calories (25 g protein) plus depending on what it is made from BUT you will feel full longer so even though you are drinking a higher calorie drink you will still be eating less. The lowest calorie protein powder I found is Designer Whey 50 calorie (10 g protein) packets. Herbal teas are great with no calories. You can flavour you water with lemon, cucumber, berries or mint which will be very close to 0 calories and give a few nutrients. You can also flavour your water with Mio and those types for no calories. I use a SodaStream to make carbonated water which has 0 calories and unlike club soda, it has no sodium. Black coffee will have 2 to 4 calories per cup. You can sweeten it with stevia for 0 calories.

Agreeing with the "doctors are not nutrritionists" line of this thread. When I told a doctor (not my regular doc, a substitute I had to see when my regular guy was on vacation) that I was on 1500 calories a day, he told me to take that down to 1000 (even though I have consistent and steady weight loss at 1500). I tried it for a month, was completely miserable and ended up going completely off my food plan for a few months because it was actually affecting my mood and health negatively.

I'm 5'6", 43 years old and a female and 1500 calories works for me. Try bumping yours up a little. You still don't have to drink your calories, but you can get a little more food in!

No matter how low or high the kcals... Learning not to drink calories was the best thing I could do. It's so much better to actually feel I'm consuming something when my body gets the energy. To each their own though

Agree with 1200 is too low (especially for a guy)
Monster zero tastes bloody amazing.

Don't listen to people telling you it's too low, if you can cope on 1200 calories per day, do it! The weight will fly off. I shifted 24lbs in 2 months goign as low as 3x1300 days, 3x500 days & 1 re'feed day up to maintenance levels of approx 2200 cals.

I'd say stick to what you're doing, you don't want any liquid calories on such low cals as they're just not as filling as good old whole food.

That sounds miserable. Id rather cut on 3,000 cals.

Was a challenge but it did the trick and it happened in 2 months. That wouldn't happen in two months on 3000 calories. And the 1300 x 33, 500 x 3 & 2100 was towards the end of the 8 weeks. The beginning I was on 2000 per day for 2 weeks. Followed by a couple of weeks on 1500 with a couple of 700/800 mini fasts. Eased myself in, worked a treat. No more efficient way!

That's a rather blanket statement since everyone has different body fat percentages and caloric needs etc.

Thaaaanks! I usually go over and have 1400 so here's hoping for some success! Slow and steady wins the race

I've started drinking soda water on occasion because bottled water does get a little old, even with the Crystal Light and other flavorings. I will buy a bottle of Schweeps or even the Clear American brand sold at Walmart.. My favorite flavors are pineapple coconut, peach, key lime, and white grape. They have 0 calories, sugar, sodium, ect. I've also added fruits (oranges, limes, peaches, frozen pineapple or raspberries) to plain soda water and it is pretty good. At first I was concerned about drinking too much because it is carbonated, but my physician told me there is nothing to worry about. It's the same carbonation as a soft drink. All it will really do is make you burp. Hope this helps!