1200 Calorie Diet- not getting enough protein. Help!

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laura97z
laura97z Posts: 18
in Health and Weight Loss
I am on a 1200 calorie diet (which, considering my activity level, is perfectly fine). But what I am noticing is that I consistently do not get enough protein in my diet. Does anyone have any ideas of high protein snacks that are not super high carb or fat?

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  • LAT1963
    LAT1963 Posts: 1,375 Member
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    eggs, fish, jerky, smoked salmon (the fats are desirable omega-3s)
  • bc2ct
    bc2ct Posts: 222 Member
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    Well are you concerned with calories of fat & carbs? If you are eating 1200 calories a day (low... are you sedentary and teeny-tiny?) then you should really be concerned that you are getting enough fat, carbs, AND protein. That said... nothing beats a good 'ol lean, dry-grilled steak to amp up the protein (also good for your iron levels which far too many women neglect). I also recommend fish (high also in good-for-you fatty acid), chicken breast, eggs (pretty much a complete food, relatively low in calories and easy to prep ahead of time) and nuts/seeds.
  • riotatme23
    riotatme23 Posts: 56 Member
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    Low fat string cheese.

    Eggs.

    Greek yogurt ((im such a huge advocate of this stuff because theres tons of brands and flavors and it usually has 1/4 of your daily protein in one serving))

    Mix protein powder into your pancakes, shakes/smoothies.

    Low sodium natural turkey lunch slices

    Chicken noodle soup awesome too!! mmm :)
  • ComingUntrue
    ComingUntrue Posts: 65 Member
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    IMO that is undereating. But you asked about protein... so... tuna fish, eggs, steak, nuts/nut butters
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Eggs.
  • TiberiusClaudis
    TiberiusClaudis Posts: 423 Member
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    ^^^ good suggestions but

    many protein foods are also high in sodium, which mean they make one retain water.

    I'm currently in a "deep cut" have to lose 1.5%BF in 2 weeks for a body building competition I'm in. So I'm sticking to extremely protein dense foods that don't have a lot of calories and not high in sodium. Mainly chicken and egg whites. I throw in some vegs and I do have white fish every other day. I love salmon but it's high in fat, which I'm cutting really low. Also you may want to look into protein shakes that include casein and whey.

    good luck!
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    Fish is your friend here. Cod, salmon, shellfish, shrimp. They're all loaded with protein. White (unsalted) anchovies are excellent, but hard to find. Eggs, light string cheese/baby bel cheese are good too, and chicken breast without skin. Beans, nuts and seeds are also good and have fiber and good fats as well, and you don't need many to add interest to a meal.

    It is possible to get a good amount of protein on 1200 calories, but it does take a lot of juggling your meals to get it.
  • larrodarro
    larrodarro Posts: 2,512 Member
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    Plain Greek yogurt, soynuts, pumpkin seeds and almonds, all mixed together and ate with a spoon. It's all good.

    Larro
  • laura97z
    laura97z Posts: 18
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    I am really short and don't have time to get a lot of exercise in during the day, so honestly I have not been hungry with a 1200 calorie diet (however, I am not extremely strict with my calorie intake so if I get hungry after 1200, I eat).
  • smarieallen85
    smarieallen85 Posts: 535 Member
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    I have the opposite problem! I find it so easy to eat protein. That's what my body craves. Don't forget cottage cheese! I eat it like 4 times a week with berries and it's so delicious I still look forward to it every time.
  • cheripugh1
    cheripugh1 Posts: 357 Member
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    well since your dairy is closed I can't say what you could change... BUT how do YOU know you are not getting enough protein? do you know for your age and body how much protein you should be getting each day?
  • laura97z
    laura97z Posts: 18
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    well since your dairy is closed I can't say what you could change... BUT how do YOU know you are not getting enough protein? do you know for your age and body how much protein you should be getting each day?

    Honestly I am just going by what MFP shows me. It says I need 60 g/day... but even if that is not accurate, still I only get about 15% of my calories from protein.
  • bobby418194
    bobby418194 Posts: 1
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    1200 too low you would have to be a female at 105 pounds. ps greek yogurt.
  • zephyre7
    zephyre7 Posts: 17 Member
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    Not sure if these are available in your area - but I love Good Green bars as a snack.

    10G of Protein per bar, vegan & raw, all natural and yummy!

    http://www.goodgreens.com/eat/nutrition/

    I usually only eat 1/2 a day - they last longer and I don't go over on sugar.

    Hope this helps and good luck! ????
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
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    Well, let's see what the experts have to say about how much protein you need.

    http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/HB_web/calorie-counting-made-easy.htm
    multiply your current weight by 15 — that’s roughly the number of calories per pound of body weight needed to maintain your current weight if you are moderately active. Moderately active means getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day
    http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/extra-protein-is-a-decent-dietary-choice-but-dont-overdo-it-201305016145
    The Institute of Medicine recommends 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For someone who weighs 150 pounds, that means 54 grams of protein per day.
    Another guideline is to make sure at least 15% of your daily calories come from protein.
    For someone who's 100 lb = 45.5 kg
    45.5 x 0.8 = 36.4 g protein.
    That's pretty low

    What does the other method give us?
    Someone who weighs 100 lb would need 1500 cal to maintain that weight.
    To get at least 15% of calories from protein would take no less than 57 grams.
    1500 x 0.15 = 225 cal
    225 cal / 4 cal/g = 56.25 g protein
    1200 too low you would have to be a female at 105 pounds
    With the info we've been given, we can't make the statement that it's too low for her.
    For losing weight, aiming to get to 120 lb, 1200 cal would be healthy for someone from 5'7" to maybe 4'8".
    (Take your healthy goal weight & multiply by 10 to get the calories you should be eating to lose weight to get there.)
    Here's a BMI chart to figure out a healthy goal weight: http://www.shapeup.org/bmi/bmi6.pdf
    For maintaining weight (see Harvard Med School info above) that amount of calories would be healthy for someone who's 80 lb.
  • tiffanybrooks530
    tiffanybrooks530 Posts: 140 Member
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    greek yogurt, milk, tuna, salmon, eggs, hemp protein powder, nuts, chicken.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
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    Here's a PDF of the recommended daily intake (RDI's) for macronutrients.

    http://www.iom.edu/Global/News Announcements/~/media/C5CD2DD7840544979A549EC47E56A02B.ashx
    SOURCE: Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate. Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (2002/2005).

    For an adult female, they say:
    protein 46 g / no less than 10% and no more than 35% of calories
    carbs 130g / 45-65%
    fat 20-35%

    So for 1200 calories:
    protein 30 - 105 g
    carbs 135 - 195 g
    fat 27 - 47 g
  • Atrocity108
    Atrocity108 Posts: 328 Member
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    take a look at my daily diary. I keep it around 1200-1300 with over 100g of Protein

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