3 meals a day 1200 limit?
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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 -
I'm pretty much on the same path. But someone had suggested hungry-girl.com to me. I made her chicken marsala last night for dinner and it was awesome and around 240 calories per serving.0
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http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1318741/in-5-weeks-youll-lose-10lbs-why-is-it-not-working/p1
The info in this thread may help. 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!
I would be eating my arm after this menu....0 -
I typically net around 1200 and can even eat sustainably around 1100 if I'm not active. I'm actually trying to net closer to 1100 to compensate for holiday eating (I have a very low BMR because I'm petite and over 50). I usually eat 3 meals a day plus one, or if I exercise, even two snacks. I often eat a carb at night -- rice or pasta, but limit portions -- no more than 1/2 cup rice, and no more than 1 cup pasta (if the pasta is a main dish rather than a side dish). I also eat sandwiches on a 1/2 pita or a Flatout flatbread to reduce the calories I'm getting from bread. If I eat a heartier bread like Arnold's, I just eat a 1/2 sandwich, but put extra lean meat on it, such as an extra slice of deli chicken or turkey. I ended up eating a small sub yesterday because of catered orientation, but still stayed around 1100 (I was basically sitting at meetings andpresentations all day )with a light dinner.0
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Hi all ty so much for your replies after inspection I discovered my goals were set to 2lb a week so changed it to 1 this gave me a few more.. After reading what you have said and searching online I realise 1200 was a bit to low for me so I have also upped my limit myself I'm now on 1600 a day still not loads but also not to less either. Some of your rprecipes have given me inspiration and I've wrote my fav down for ideas made me feel a bit more realistic that I dont have to eat same thing or starve lol! X0
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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!
I would be eating my arm after this menu....
Yeah, that's the thing -- this isn't going to work for everyone! I'm giving suggestions for a 1200-calorie diet because that's what was asked, but many people are going to find that no matter how smart they are about it, it's just not enough food. For me, it's often more than enough, particularly as long as I focus on lots of protein and veggies, but even I don't eat this way every day. I have a slow metabolism and I'm pretty sedentary, too. Even given these factors, my actual goal is 1600 a day; the reason I end up with 1200 sometimes is that I work hard at paying attention to my hunger cues... so on less hungry days I eat like this, but on large appetite days I eat the full 1600 or even more, and it all balances out when I evaluate by week.
I don't want to give anyone the impression that because I'm offering 1200-calorie meal plans that means I endorse a strict daily 1200 diet for everyone, or even most people. I'm just answering this specific question based on my own experience. OP, I'm glad you took a second look at your needs and adjusted your goals to be more suitable for you.0 -
Frostyswife I'm glad you have set a different goal for yourself that you feel is more manageable for you . I don't know if going for a walk outside ,not on a thread mill , everyday that it works for is your thing but I find it helps in 2 ways . First it gets me out of the house and I stop thinking about stressful things so much . Enjoy the scenery get some fresh air . Second is now if I wanted to add a little something to my supper I can . Maybe a glass of wine , add cheese , bit more pasta or have a small treat later .I can and not go over my calories for the day . But I never eat all my exercise calories . A third bonus some days is if Hubby can go with me it gives us time together away from electronics , only my iPod or phone to run my step count through . Just a safety note - it's good to have your phone with you in case you should fall or need help but not stay on it while your walking . Good luck & hope you figure out what works for you to meet your goal .0
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The 1200 does not take into consideration any exercise. I struggled with this until I linked my pedometer (FitBit) to MyFitnessPal, the more activities you do the more calories you will be allotted.0
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Check out BBC Good Food low calorie dinner list: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/low-calorie-dinner0
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[quote="frostyswife;10042544"]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[/quote]
Hi
Can you increase your exercise routine? If so that will afford you more calories. Good luck
Jan0
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