1200 calories meal plans

My diary is open.

Breakfast- 1/2 cup oatmeal with a Tbsp of honey for flavor or 3 scrambled eggs with diced up red bell pepper or 1 thomas light English muffin multi grain with about 1 Tbsp of peanut butter. Lunch- Canned chicken or tuna 2 Tbsp light mayo 1 Tbsp mustard diced peppers, diced red/yellow bell pepper, diced celery. Salad with all the veggies & Italian dressing or a subway 6in flatbread sandwich. Dinner- Chicken, fish, any kind of meat really cooked in the pan with lemon pepper & I chop up whatever veggies sound good and cook it all together. Snacks- Boiled egg, low fat cottage cheese with 3 chopped up strawberries, orange, apple, or grapes. Raw almonds not seasoned. Lots of water. If you stay away from the processed foods and try your best to eat natural healthy foods it isn't too hard to stay within 1200 cal & you get plenty to eat without being hungry.

2 eggs w/ veggies and cheese for breakfast (black coffee)
Greek yogurt (100 cal) for lunch
Banana for snack
Veggies and protein combo for dinner (e.g., a really big salad w/grilled chicken and some feta or other cheese)

I don't follow a "meal plan," but I do tend to eat 1100-1400 calories most days, averaging out somewhere near 1200. You're welcome to look at my diary or add me as a friend if you want to. (I do this to save calories for the weekend, not because I'm aiming for a constant 1200 calorie diet, just so you know -- so I do have significantly higher days once or twice a week.)

Yesterday was pretty typical for me except that it was lower in protein than I usually eat. I had yogurt and fruit for breakfast, a couple of Slim Jims as a pre-workout snack, tuna salad with cracker chips and raw veggies for lunch, an ice cream cone with my son mid-afternoon, veggie-quinoa burgers with cheese and avocado on them and a side of broccoli for dinner, and right before bed I noticed I was only hovering around 1000 calories so I had a giant apple as a bedtime snack.

Basically, I eat normal food that tastes good and contains a balance of macronutrients & variety of micronutrients, occasionally swapping certain items for lower-calorie substitutes if needed (for example, my dinner burger was on a sandwich thin instead of a bun). The links @TeaBea posted will be really helpful to you in figuring out how to do the same.

Just eat the same things you ate before, in smaller portions.

Any vegetarians on this thread? I am looking to shake up my current routine - too many nuts, too many quest bars. I am always hungry. Would welcome your suggestions.

A normal day:
M1: Kind Bar
M2: Greek yogurt
M3: Orange/apple/1c berries
M4: california roll
M5: Pretzels and cheese
M6: Grilled chicken or grilled fish or turkey meatballs and a veggie
Nighttime snack: Weight watchers ice cream bar or a few hershey's minis

Jeneba wrote: »

Any vegetarians on this thread? I am looking to shake up my current routine - too many nuts, too many quest bars. I am always hungry. Would welcome your suggestions.

Tofu, tempeh, seitan, eggs, yogurt, milk, cheese, beans, all good sources of protein if that's what you're low on.

Nuts aren't actually a great source of protein. They're a great source of healthy fats, when eaten in small quantities, mind you.

Do you eat fish? If so, canned tuna is a great way to add protein and calcium to a salad or sandwich.