3 meals a day 1200 limit?
frostyswife
Posts: 32 Member
My limit is 1200'calories for the day need some meal ideas. I don't like fish and suffer from IBS so nothing spicy etc please. Like basic foods as feeds rest of my family n kids are fussy lol we love pasta and rice and chicken. Any ideas welcome thank you x
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Replies
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I'm 5'7 and 170 lbs mfp worked out I should be eating this x0
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Hi, Frostyswife: I'm 60 and weigh in at 198 --- hoping to lose 50 pounds over the year; taking it slowly. MFP also has me at about 1200 to 1300 calories and I'm trying to meet these numbers. It's difficult sometimes. I often have only two meals a day because I tend to sleep late --- that's when I find MFP's calorie estimation easier to meet. That's rather ironic, don't you think???0
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First, I think you can eat far more than 1200. I'm much shorter and lost weight at more calories than that. Do you have your settings at 2lb per week? Bump it to 1lb per week and you should get more calories. 1lb at your needs should be plenty.
That said. pasta and rice add up in calories quickly. Start making more veggies and salads with your meals to replace the pasta and rice. You can still make it for your family and have a little, but you'll get more food out of your day if you reduce the amount of that.
If the family likes chicken, they should accept turkey breast as well. It's very low calorie. I also make chili out of ground poultry, which reduces the calories in it vs beef. I still make it with beef once in a while, but like to switch it up. Not sure how that would sit with your IBS, but you can make it as spicy or not as you like, I suppose.
Pork tenderloin is also a surprisingly lower calorie cut of meat. I season and roast one up every so often for a meal and it makes great leftovers.0 -
Try http://www.reddit.com/r/1200isplenty/ it's a fairly active subreddit of people who share food ideas that are on all on 1200 calorie limit. I post there from time to time. It's a good group.0
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I'm 36, 5'5", 133 pounds, and I still lose at 1700 calories a day.
You don't have to starve yourself to lose weight. You do know that you're supposed to eat exercise calories back, right? If you don't want to, at least pick up a reasonable goal (http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/, pick a 15% or 20% deficit).
Anyway, lots of veggies (frozen, fresh, roasted, soups, etc), pork, chicken, chicken sausage, steak...0 -
substitute your pasta and rice with spaghetti squash, yellow squash, zuchinni. when i fix pizza for the kids, i bake a yellow squash, add pizza sauce, a couple pepperonis, onions, olives, peppers, a little mozz and i have pizza! i do the same with chicken dishes, leave out rice, add squash. my kids now love sauted squash sprinkled with a little parmesan. that's my "french fries" to go with my veggie burger.0
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mfstew2007 wrote: »substitute your pasta and rice with spaghetti squash, yellow squash, zuchinni.
Alternatively, don't do that. Vegetables are great and delicious, but so are carbs. I'll keep my daily fix of bread/rice/pasta/potato, thanks0 -
Gently spiced chicken and chickpeas?
Homemade chicken kiev with carrot chips?0 -
Why are you eating 1200 cals? If you exercise for 30 minutes, 3 days a week, someone your size should have no problem losing a pound a week eating 1600 cals a day. Everyday.0
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DvlDwnInGA wrote: »Why are you eating 1200 cals? If you exercise for 30 minutes, 3 days a week, someone your size should have no problem losing a pound a week eating 1600 cals a day. Everyday.
^^This. MFP "told" me to eat 1200 at first, too (started at 161lbs). But only because I selected "2lbs/week". Change it to 1lb/week, eat back your exercise calories earned, and you'll get a much better number to eat (i.e. something that you can stick to without energy loss, extreme hunger, "giving up", etc.).0 -
Yeah, you're not eating enough.
I'm working on my last 15 pounds and I use this calculator successfully.
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/0 -
Cut out the pasta and rice, and eat more fish, skinless chicken and vegetables.0
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All
Her request was to get some ideas on meals for 1200. There is nothing wrong with starting a plan at 1200. it would be nice if recommendations for 1200 was provided to the poster rather than recommendations to increase from 1200. Daily minimum recommended for women is 1200. starting at 1200 is ok
Some recommendation from the web http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/fitness/lose-weight-meals-oct04
http://www.weightlossforall.com/1200-calorie-diet-sample.htm
http://www.livestrong.com/article/75898-calorie-meal-plans/
http://www.discovergoodnutrition.com/2013/10/1200-calorie-diet-plan/
also Edamame is a very good way to get a lot for few calories, especially if you get the Edamame in pods http://www.discovergoodnutrition.com/2013/10/1200-calorie-diet-plan/. its the first one on the page, its very good for snacking. 3 mins in microwave, sprinkle salt, sit back, watch movie, munch on edamame in pod
goodluck0 -
You can always 'buy' calories with exercise, you don't mention your exercise plan or what else you are eating, 1200 calories is a small energy intake. I suggest some foods with a little more fibre such as wholegrain foods, leafy greens, broccoli, spinach etc, if you haven't been eating greens or don't really like them, start out with really small portions gently cooked so they are still brightly coloured and just a little tender then and eat them while they are hot, or add them to your rice or pasta dishes in the last few minutes so they cook til just tender, these will help fill you up. (a good nutritionist could probably give you some good advice about IBS too, might be worth a visit).0
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Meh, I often end up eating around 1200; if you can make it work and meet your nutritional needs, I don't think it's the end of the world. Since you asked for meal ideas, here's what a pretty typical 1200 day would look like for me.
Breakfast: light English muffin (100kcal) with Laughing Cow or similar light cheese (50kcal) and a fried egg (70kcal), coffee with 1Tbsp creamer (37kcal). Total 257kcal.
Lunch: Oscar Mayer turkey or chicken slices (50kcal) with half an ounce of cheddar cheese (50kcal) on a sandwich thin (100kcal). Side salad with ~2cups dark greens (15kcal), 50g tomatoes (10kcal), some pickled beets (20kcal), and 1Tbsp Litehouse Opa dressing (30kcal). Total: 275kcal. You could bump that up a little by adding more salad veggies or some honey mustard on the sandwich, even.
Snack at work: a string cheese (70kcal) or 100-calorie pack of nuts. Maybe a serving of popcorn chips (120kcal) with some salsa (5kcal). A piece of fruit would fit nicely here, too.
Dinner: 6oz chicken breast (190kcal) stir-fried with 2cups frozen veggie blend (70kcal), a little fish sauce (5kcal), and plenty of whatever spices I like. Total here is 270kcal.
For the day, that totals out at less than 1000 calories. You could fill the rest with frozen Greek yogurt (90kcal/serving), popcorn, fresh juices if that's your thing, a nice glass of wine, or just bigger servings at meals -- a full ounce of cheese on the sandwich, half an avocado or some bacon with breakfast, more cream with your coffee, some rice or noodles with dinner, a regular soda if you like them, etc. The point is to focus on protein and vegetables first, add some healthy fats, and then see where you're at.0 -
It's possible. I am back on MFP after being off for a while. Each time I've used it, I have had a goal of about 1200 cals/day. I eat three meals plus 2-3 snacks and still stay within goal. You can follow me if you are interested in seeing my food diary. For example - today I made a breakfast sandwich with egg, cheese on a whole wheat pita. Lunch- grilled portobello mushroom cap on a salad. Dinner- turkey stuffed peppers with a side of roasted Brussel sprouts. Snacks- almonds, baked chips and fresg salsa, and cherries. I still have about 100 calories left but I'm full.
Of course, if you add in exercise you get more calories to eat.0 -
ttcbelieve wrote: »All
Her request was to get some ideas on meals for 1200. There is nothing wrong with starting a plan at 1200. it would be nice if recommendations for 1200 was provided to the poster rather than recommendations to increase from 1200. Daily minimum recommended for women is 1200. starting at 1200 is ok
Some recommendation from the web http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/fitness/lose-weight-meals-oct04
http://www.weightlossforall.com/1200-calorie-diet-sample.htm
http://www.livestrong.com/article/75898-calorie-meal-plans/
http://www.discovergoodnutrition.com/2013/10/1200-calorie-diet-plan/
also Edamame is a very good way to get a lot for few calories, especially if you get the Edamame in pods http://www.discovergoodnutrition.com/2013/10/1200-calorie-diet-plan/. its the first one on the page, its very good for snacking. 3 mins in microwave, sprinkle salt, sit back, watch movie, munch on edamame in pod
goodluck
If people would stop maxing out the weight per week goal and go for something reasonable, the recommendations to eat more would reduce in kind. Based on her height and current weight, 2 lbs per week is too aggressive.
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A hard boiled egg is 70 kcal. I think a fried egg is more because you have to use fat.0
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Meh, I often end up eating around 1200; if you can make it work and meet your nutritional needs, I don't think it's the end of the world. Since you asked for meal ideas, here's what a pretty typical 1200 day would look like for me.
Breakfast: light English muffin (100kcal) with Laughing Cow or similar light cheese (50kcal) and a fried egg (70kcal), coffee with 1Tbsp creamer (37kcal). Total 257kcal.
Lunch: Oscar Mayer turkey or chicken slices (50kcal) with half an ounce of cheddar cheese (50kcal) on a sandwich thin (100kcal). Side salad with ~2cups dark greens (15kcal), 50g tomatoes (10kcal), some pickled beets (20kcal), and 1Tbsp Litehouse Opa dressing (30kcal). Total: 275kcal. You could bump that up a little by adding more salad veggies or some honey mustard on the sandwich, even.
Snack at work: a string cheese (70kcal) or 100-calorie pack of nuts. Maybe a serving of popcorn chips (120kcal) with some salsa (5kcal). A piece of fruit would fit nicely here, too.
Dinner: 6oz chicken breast (190kcal) stir-fried with 2cups frozen veggie blend (70kcal), a little fish sauce (5kcal), and plenty of whatever spices I like. Total here is 270kcal.
For the day, that totals out at less than 1000 calories. You could fill the rest with frozen Greek yogurt (90kcal/serving), popcorn, fresh juices if that's your thing, a nice glass of wine, or just bigger servings at meals -- a full ounce of cheese on the sandwich, half an avocado or some bacon with breakfast, more cream with your coffee, some rice or noodles with dinner, a regular soda if you like them, etc. The point is to focus on protein and vegetables first, add some healthy fats, and then see where you're at.
Hey Thanks-- this is helpful to me too!0 -
@2snakeswoman -- I don't use fat for my fried eggs. Sometimes I use a half-second spritz of cooking oil, but more often than not I just use a good pan and slightly lower heat. As long as you're careful and patient, they come out just fine without frying fat.0
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Meh, I often end up eating around 1200; if you can make it work and meet your nutritional needs, I don't think it's the end of the world. Since you asked for meal ideas, here's what a pretty typical 1200 day would look like for me.
Breakfast: light English muffin (100kcal) with Laughing Cow or similar light cheese (50kcal) and a fried egg (70kcal), coffee with 1Tbsp creamer (37kcal). Total 257kcal.
Lunch: Oscar Mayer turkey or chicken slices (50kcal) with half an ounce of cheddar cheese (50kcal) on a sandwich thin (100kcal). Side salad with ~2cups dark greens (15kcal), 50g tomatoes (10kcal), some pickled beets (20kcal), and 1Tbsp Litehouse Opa dressing (30kcal). Total: 275kcal. You could bump that up a little by adding more salad veggies or some honey mustard on the sandwich, even.
Snack at work: a string cheese (70kcal) or 100-calorie pack of nuts. Maybe a serving of popcorn chips (120kcal) with some salsa (5kcal). A piece of fruit would fit nicely here, too.
Dinner: 6oz chicken breast (190kcal) stir-fried with 2cups frozen veggie blend (70kcal), a little fish sauce (5kcal), and plenty of whatever spices I like. Total here is 270kcal.
For the day, that totals out at less than 1000 calories. You could fill the rest with frozen Greek yogurt (90kcal/serving), popcorn, fresh juices if that's your thing, a nice glass of wine, or just bigger servings at meals -- a full ounce of cheese on the sandwich, half an avocado or some bacon with breakfast, more cream with your coffee, some rice or noodles with dinner, a regular soda if you like them, etc. The point is to focus on protein and vegetables first, add some healthy fats, and then see where you're at.
This is helpful to me as well! It sparked some ideas as I was reading it. Thanks for this!0 -
I add chickpeas to simple salads - low calorie and really satisfying! They are quite high in fibre though so I don't know how that would affect your IBS.0
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Meh, I often end up eating around 1200; if you can make it work and meet your nutritional needs, I don't think it's the end of the world. Since you asked for meal ideas, here's what a pretty typical 1200 day would look like for me.
Breakfast: light English muffin (100kcal) with Laughing Cow or similar light cheese (50kcal) and a fried egg (70kcal), coffee with 1Tbsp creamer (37kcal). Total 257kcal.
Lunch: Oscar Mayer turkey or chicken slices (50kcal) with half an ounce of cheddar cheese (50kcal) on a sandwich thin (100kcal). Side salad with ~2cups dark greens (15kcal), 50g tomatoes (10kcal), some pickled beets (20kcal), and 1Tbsp Litehouse Opa dressing (30kcal). Total: 275kcal. You could bump that up a little by adding more salad veggies or some honey mustard on the sandwich, even.
Snack at work: a string cheese (70kcal) or 100-calorie pack of nuts. Maybe a serving of popcorn chips (120kcal) with some salsa (5kcal). A piece of fruit would fit nicely here, too.
Dinner: 6oz chicken breast (190kcal) stir-fried with 2cups frozen veggie blend (70kcal), a little fish sauce (5kcal), and plenty of whatever spices I like. Total here is 270kcal.
For the day, that totals out at less than 1000 calories. You could fill the rest with frozen Greek yogurt (90kcal/serving), popcorn, fresh juices if that's your thing, a nice glass of wine, or just bigger servings at meals -- a full ounce of cheese on the sandwich, half an avocado or some bacon with breakfast, more cream with your coffee, some rice or noodles with dinner, a regular soda if you like them, etc. The point is to focus on protein and vegetables first, add some healthy fats, and then see where you're at.
these are great suggestions - I always have a hard time meeting the calorie requirements when choosing to eat healthy and planning is the best way to meet the requirements. That includes planning exercise. If choosing the right foods, you will not be hungry and some days you may not even feel like eating everything on your list.0 -
When I started, I was allotted about 1310 a day ... it gradually dropped as I lost weight, and I've now been at the 1200 mark for quite a while.
Salads--with a low-cal dressing--are a great way to fill up with practically no caloric cost. I have a large salad with mixed greens, spinach, and even some chicken or lean ham on top, and it's under 100 calories.
I love ham, turkey, or chicken sandwiches with cheese and mustard ... so I now cut the bread out and make meat-and-cheese roll-ups. Yellow mustard has 0 calories. This meal also gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling--my grandmother used to make us ham-and-cheese roll-ups and melon balls for lunch when we were kids.
I also make and keep on-hand "egg muffins". Think omelet, but portable and made in a muffin tin. Six eggs (plus whatever ingredients you want to add) make twelve "muffins." The caloric content will of course be dictated by what you put in the mix with the egg--I usually opt for lean ham and just a pinch of salt. I keep them in a baggie in my fridge, and grab one as I'm running out the door to work. You can reheat them, or eat them cold. Bonus: it's quite a protein boost!
My best survival tactic at this 1200 calorie limit is exercise--you can eat quite a bit more each day if you burn the calories off. My advice, here, though: DON'T slip into an "I'll eat now and just burn it off later" mentality ... that can lead to "eat now, burn never." I have to be very strict with myself on this--I only go over my 1200 limit if I've already burned extra calories.0 -
I eat 1750 and i eat whatever i want just in moderation, as others have suggested you can eat more and still lose weight, i have to make sure my lifestyle change is sustainable, and i tried the 1200 cals for 2 weeks and was totally miserable, but i know others do it and are fine, but surely eating more and feeling happier and more content while still losing is better than feeling deprived and low. However i rarely eat back my workouts.
I enjoy chicken stir fries with lots of veg and a small amount of noodles etc. Chicken is a good meat to be fond of as its protein too
good luck.0 -
Vegetables and fruit!!!
you like pasta and rice? make many pasta and rice salads. make sure you boil rice and pasta so no extra fat is added into your diet. Fresh vegetables are much better than if they're cooked. so cook rice or pasta and make a fresh salad...
also eat lots of fruit. But don't eat fruit after 4pm, its included as sugar!!!
smoothies are also great breakfast ideas! use fruit and almond milk as it contains less fat than regular milk..
P.s. you may want to rethink your calorie limit.... not enough food can be very bad... i suggest you talk to a dietitian. you can lose much more weight and tone your body easier if you eat enough calories but with healthy foods.
Try not to eat anything processed and make sure to stay away from carbs like bread and potatoes...
hope this helps0 -
I'm 5ft 3 105lbs & I maintain on 1900 calories a day...I think at your height you could eat more & still lose even without exercise. If you are going to stick to 1200 I would stick to basics of lean proteins, lots of vegetables, big salads etc for most meals so that you can eat a good volume and feel full...basically avoiding calorie dense foods. If you like pasta you can make them lower cal just by using less pasta and bulk them up with more veg. I would probably be tempted to eat a bit more giving you more flexibility0
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Try http://www.reddit.com/r/1200isplenty/ it's a fairly active subreddit of people who share food ideas that are on all on 1200 calorie limit. I post there from time to time. It's a good group.
Have just looked at this website. Thanks for sharing, at 5ft2, and a 1200 allowance this is great!
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NourishtoFlourish wrote: »mfstew2007 wrote: »substitute your pasta and rice with spaghetti squash, yellow squash, zuchinni.
Alternatively, don't do that. Vegetables are great and delicious, but so are carbs. I'll keep my daily fix of bread/rice/pasta/potato, thanks
Vegetables ARE carbs. Just had to point that out.
Grains (bread/rice/pasta/potato) are pretty difficult to fit into your MACROs when you eat 1200. You can certainly still have them, but substituting more vegetables in is actually a really great idea.0 -
Another typical day, just to show some variety.
Breakfast: Half a cup of 2% cottage cheese (90kcal) with 120g banana (120kcal) and 1tsp honey (25kcal), coffee with 1Tbsp creamer (35kcal). Total 270 kcal.
Lunch: giant salad of 2cups dark greens (15kcal), 50g tomatoes (10kcal), 50g yellow pepper (30kcal), and a flavored tuna packet (80-110kcal), 50g baby carrots (18kcal) dipped in guacamole made of 50g avocado (80kcal), a tsp of hot salsa (negligible calories), a splash of lemon juice, and garlic salt. Total just at 300kcal, with the salsa/lemon calories.
Snack: serving of tomato-basil rice crackers (120kcal) with wedge of Laughing Cow or serving of similar light cheese (50kcal).
Dinner: 6oz lean pork chop (240kcal) fried dry or with a bit of cooking spray (~5kcal) and whatever seasonings you like, 150g steamed broccoli sprinkled with flavorful vinegar (55kcal), 30g uncooked/100g cooked quinoa (120kcal). Total 420kcal.
This day totals out almost perfectly at 1160 calories with the higher-calorie lunch option and optional add-ons like honey, cooking spray, and flavored vinegar. I like to leave a few extra calories to account for logging error or leave wiggle room for things like an extra cup of coffee with cream. This would be a very, very filling day. One thing I might do with a day like this is skip breakfast to save calories for a bigger dinner or post-dinner snacking. Another thing you could do is cut or reduce the midafternoon snack (I included it because that's when my hungries truly start, and I try to pay attention to those bodily signals). However, it would be perfectly feasible and pleasant to simply eat everything presented, enjoy the hell out of it, and do it again the next day!0
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