Alright people who supposedly get full on 1200, how do you do it?

Low calorie, high volume food. Lots of water and liquids.

I do 1200 three times a week (non-exercise days) so I can eat more on the weekends. I basically plan every meal around a protein, then add veggies. Carbs and fats can be fit in, just in small amounts. While I do get hungry if a meal is delayed, that's true of higher calories days, too. I'm certainly not starving.

Adding some vanilla protein powder to nonfat plain yogurt with fresh berries is a filling breakfast. A lunch of 2 eggs and 3 tbsp egg whites scrambled with 50 gm mixed greens is a staple and keeps me full until dinner. Sometimes I'll add a piece of fruit.

For dinner, I usually do some variation of salad. A mixed green salad with 3 oz of protein, 2 oz of potato or 1/4-1/2 cup multigrain rice, and 2 tbsp Italian dressing makes me feel full and satisfied. A salad of this sort makes the tiny protein and carb servings seem like much more, and it takes longer to eat. Other family members just eat regular servings of protein and carb, and have a side salad. No special cooking on my part, just combining the food differently.

Sometimes I'll have a larger protein serving, skip the carb and just eat an extra veggie.

I'm eating 1200 calories today, and have managed to work in a dinner and glass of wine at Outback restaurant. It's certainly doable, it just requires planning.

purplishblue wrote: »

This isn't a thread bashing you, it's me asking how do you manage it?? I get super hungry on that little a day, however I'm wanting to try it again. What are your typical meals? Do you ever feel famished?

For me I was always a tiny kid and relatives would tease me and say I ate like a bird so I thought I was bad for not eating more so I ate until I felt sick, got use to it and ate like that even if I didn't mean to. It wasn't a problem until college and my metabolism slowed. Gained weight and now trying to get it off. Now I'm limiting calories and it's tough but easier as time goes on maybe because that was what I was originally use to doing. I think it's just something your body needs to adjust to. Take it slow because you don't want to do a drastic overnight change and leave yourself feeling dizzy. Someone once explained it to me like this that just as regular arm muscle can shrink and grow so can your stomach muscles- therefore your appetite can fluctuate as well. It just takes time.

Okay, first of all, I also find it odd (and insulting) that so many people think it's impossible to be satisfied on 1200 calories. Of course, if you're 5'10 and active, then you'll be hungry on 1200 calories! But, as a 5'2" female, close to goal weight with a desk job I can absolutely feel full on 1100-1200 calories (and yes, that's with weighing in grams!) and that does not leave me with a huge weight loss, on average .5-.8 lbs/week. The first, and most important thing is for you to identify what makes sense FOR YOU. Don't pick 1200 calories because that seems like the fastest, most extreme way to lose and don't pick a higher calorie goal because people say that 1200 is crazy low.

With that said, to answer the OP's question, I did used to be starving on 1200 calories until I found the food combination and eating style that worked for me. Like WBB55 said, experiment and find what works for you because it is different for everyone. For me, whole foods that are full fat and high protein work best to fill me up, along with high volume foods. I discovered this when I played with going "Paleoish" for a month, following some of the principles of Paleo but not all and still measuring and tracking calories. I'm not a Paleo follower and I don't have any off limits foods now, but that month really helped me understand how filling avocado, chicken thighs and steak are, rather than chicken breast (which doesn't taste as good to me) but I used to eat because I grew up in the "low fat" crazy days. I learned that fat and protein help me feel full and refined carbohydrates do not (again, contrary to what I learned 20 years ago). Previously, when I was trying to "diet" to 1200 calories, I would eat a lot of 100 calorie packs of crackers, bread thins, and other "low fat" and those things would just make me hungrier.

So, what I eat now to feel full: soups (bone broth is awesome--high protein and low calorie) and salads for volume, meats, vegetables, fruits, greek yogurt, oatmeal, avocados, eggs, almonds, kashi bars (be careful with bars, look for high protein and high fiber), etc.

Food timing also makes a difference for me and this is another area to experiment since different people have very different timing needs. I tend to be hungry at night so I save calories for the evening. I usually have a kashi bar and black coffee for breakfast in the mid-morning (about 140 calories), lunch for around 300-400 calories (frozen meal, salad, leftovers, etc.), and a late-afternoon snack (about 200 calories) of greek yogurt and/or almonds and/or fruit and/or low fat cheese (in this case, low fat helps by upping the protein to calorie ratio). This leaves me with about 500 calories for the evening. I usually use this for a 400 calorie dinner (meat, veggies and a starch) and then a 100 calorie treat (either ice cream or chips, since I love both!).

One quick caveat, I was very successful with this plan and even managed to fit eating out into it (by skipping snacks and having a lower calorie lunch on days when I had dinner plans). However, now that I've added in more exercise to my day by getting a standing desk, running and weight lifting, I typically eat more than 1200 calories per day, especially on workout days. Listen to your body and understand what will work for you with how you're living right now.

Good luck with finding the eating plan that works best for you!

Bonny132 wrote: »

ceoverturf wrote: »

I suspect it's a combination of a few things:

1. They've just recently started, and it's still a mental game convincing themselves they're "full" - their hunger will catch up after a week or two.
I have lost 45lbs and got another 55lbs to go, so way past the mental "convinced I am full game"

2. They're not accurately measuring calories, and they're actually eating much more than that
I weigh everything I eat

3. They're eating a crap ton of lettuce, broccoli, and other cruciferous vegetables, which while seemingly 'healthy', will eventually leave them short of necessary fats and proteins.
I eat salad with proteins for lunch and vegetable with my dinner.

4. Or, they actually are quite old, short and close to their goal weight, so that 1200 calories is actually a reasonable goal (probably ~1% of those actually eating 1200 calories)
I am not old or close to goal

Typical day:
Breakfast quark with fresh berries 200kcals (10g proteins), can be a bit less or more depends on how much and type of berries I add

Lunch chicken or tuna salad 250kcals depending on what I put in my salad, I generally use a full chicken breast
Sometimes I replace the chicken/tuna with smoked mackerel

Snack 100-150kcals my current favorite is quiche cupcakes http://www.slenderkitchen.com/quiche-cupcakes/
http://www.willcookforfriends.com/2014/04/crustless-mini-quiche-single-serving-breakfast-muffins.html

I am now left with an average of 600Kcals for dinner or dinner and a treat. My dinner varies greatly, from a home made curry to spaghetti and meatballs. Burger on a potato waffle with a fried egg or bacon, with mushrooms and salad on the side. Fish/White meat and steamed veg, stir fries w/rice noodles, steak with fried mushrooms (I love mushrooms) and steamed veg, if I have left over calories to spend, I'll add a potato waffle or have dessert. I use full fat butter (not margarine) and olive oils.

On days I work out I eat more than 1200Kcals (up to 1400) and will add avocado or cottage cheese to my lunch time salad and a sprinkling of seeds.

Today for dinner I am having spicy/ovenbaked cauliflowerhead with cod, green beans and pesto and fruitsalad for dessert, so I am hardly feeling deprived and at weekends, my Sunday breakfast is normally a bacon buttie in a gluten free roll, or a GF roll with scrambled eggs and smoked salmon.

IF I want a glass of wine with my dinner I will of course have to forgo some of my food and I might feel a bit hungry depending on my food choices, but I generally try to plan ahead and stock up on protein as I find for ME high proteins keeps my hunger at bay.

You food sounds delicious.....especially your dinners

i was starving for the 1st month on 1200, but then my body adjusted to it. I had to think about how I defined "full". before it was - the starting to feel stuffed level. now it's - the stomach has quit growling level. Before I never truly got hungry. Now I get hungry as one should before mealtime, and it's true hunger, not psychological hunger. No, I never get a large portion of anything, but I've found that savoring a small portion can be more satisfying. Pay attention to every bite and your brain will notice the food going in and filling you up instead of mindlessly shoveling it down. I eat a lot of plain/simple foods - never realized how often condiments and sauces and cheese doubled the calorie count.

I eat something throughout the day - and I don't always eat my 1200 calories - and am still satisfied. I try to avoid acidic foods or coffee that would produce stomach acid creating a false hunger sensation.
I put great emphasis on breakfast. I eat one and in an hour I eat a second breakfast. Also, I realized that when I have a small hunger attack, I don't have to satisfy it with a full meal. For example, last night I was still hungry, so I had 2 oz of cooked quinoa with a tiny amount of broccoli and 1 tbs of Parmesan cheese. It immediately satiated me and the whole thing was 106 calories. My diary is open. You are welcome to look at it.

I think a lot of it depends on your size. They bigger you are the more calories you use. My maintenance calories are 1540 so cutting to 1200 is only an 0.5lb weight lose per week. I stick to 1200 most days and sometimes eat back some exercise calories but not ways.

I scan, measure and cook everything and don't waste calories on things like drinks. I drink water or tea and only have unsweetened almond milk in my tea. Occasionally I have a full fat coke but that's it. No alcohol. Lots of protein and veg try to cook without added fats or oils. I also find I don't eat much after exercise. I do if it's morning exercises (5x days gym a week) but my evening run I don't ( 4 x evening runs a) Normally postpone dinner have an evening run and then afterwards just want tea or a high protein snack never a full meal. I log everything my diary is open.

Thank you @esausier17 and @LeslieB042812 I love my cooking and see no reason why I should eat boring food just because I am on a diet, if anything that is a recipe for a spectacular fail for me.

I'm petite and my bmr is about 1200. The only way I could stay full on 1200 was to lay in bed all day and not move. Any exercise or physical activity or normal functioning in life did not work for the 1200 diet. There is just no need to do that to myself. And it led to binging. Regularly.

LeslieB042812 wrote: »

Okay, first of all, I also find it odd (and insulting) that so many people think it's impossible to be satisfied on 1200 calories. Of course, if you're 5'10 and active, then you'll be hungry on 1200 calories! But, as a 5'2" female, close to goal weight with a desk job I can absolutely feel full on 1100-1200 calories (and yes, that's with weighing in grams!) and that does not leave me with a huge weight loss, on average .5-.8 lbs/week. The first, and most important thing is for you to identify what makes sense FOR YOU. Don't pick 1200 calories because that seems like the fastest, most extreme way to lose and don't pick a higher calorie goal because people say that 1200 is crazy low.

With that said, to answer the OP's question, I did used to be starving on 1200 calories until I found the food combination and eating style that worked for me. Like WBB55 said, experiment and find what works for you because it is different for everyone. For me, whole foods that are full fat and high protein work best to fill me up, along with high volume foods. I discovered this when I played with going "Paleoish" for a month, following some of the principles of Paleo but not all and still measuring and tracking calories. I'm not a Paleo follower and I don't have any off limits foods now, but that month really helped me understand how filling avocado, chicken thighs and steak are, rather than chicken breast (which doesn't taste as good to me) but I used to eat because I grew up in the "low fat" crazy days. I learned that fat and protein help me feel full and refined carbohydrates do not (again, contrary to what I learned 20 years ago). Previously, when I was trying to "diet" to 1200 calories, I would eat a lot of 100 calorie packs of crackers, bread thins, and other "low fat" and those things would just make me hungrier.

So, what I eat now to feel full: soups (bone broth is awesome--high protein and low calorie) and salads for volume, meats, vegetables, fruits, greek yogurt, oatmeal, avocados, eggs, almonds, kashi bars (be careful with bars, look for high protein and high fiber), etc.

Food timing also makes a difference for me and this is another area to experiment since different people have very different timing needs. I tend to be hungry at night so I save calories for the evening. I usually have a kashi bar and black coffee for breakfast in the mid-morning (about 140 calories), lunch for around 300-400 calories (frozen meal, salad, leftovers, etc.), and a late-afternoon snack (about 200 calories) of greek yogurt and/or almonds and/or fruit and/or low fat cheese (in this case, low fat helps by upping the protein to calorie ratio). This leaves me with about 500 calories for the evening. I usually use this for a 400 calorie dinner (meat, veggies and a starch) and then a 100 calorie treat (either ice cream or chips, since I love both!).

One quick caveat, I was very successful with this plan and even managed to fit eating out into it (by skipping snacks and having a lower calorie lunch on days when I had dinner plans). However, now that I've added in more exercise to my day by getting a standing desk, running and weight lifting, I typically eat more than 1200 calories per day, especially on workout days. Listen to your body and understand what will work for you with how you're living right now.

Good luck with finding the eating plan that works best for you!

PREACH. Thank you for saying what I was feeling. Also I feel like your my food twin...

I wonder this too. I sometimes have a hard time feeling full on 1800 calories

First I am small (5'2" and 107 lbs.), older (39), and fairly sedentary. Even when I gained weight, I wasn't eating a large volume of food, just really high calorie foods. Generally I eat 2 meals a day, a late breakfast (almost always 1 egg) and an early dinner. I have at least 2 types of veggies, 2 types of fruit, and nuts to snack on throughout the day. I only drink water, green tea, or coffee.

Honestly, if I'm eating 1200 calories, I'm eating beans. The protein and fiber keep me satisfied. If I replace beans with lean meat (like chicken breast), totaling the same calories, I'll be hungry.

Add fruits and veggies, and I can do it without eating my arm.

actually I am on a 1200 cal a day and I don't even meet that most of the time because I am not hungry. Logging everything I eat and eating something every couple of hours. Every day I have a hard boiled egg with 2 slices of bacon with some type of fruit, 2 hrs later I have a small snack, such as yogurt, lunch is usually a turkey or chicken burger with 1 1/2 to 2 servings of veggies and again, some type of fruit....2 hrs later another small snack. sometimes cottage cheese with fruit or lowfat cheese stick. then dinner I have chicken, or turkey, more veggies and maybe baked sweet potatoe...every night to crave my sweet tooth, I have 2 no sugar, fudge bars. I just started walking a mile a day on my treadmill, which adds another 145 calories to my day, but without them, I still am most days under 1000 calories. I am never hungry and I've been doing this since 7/5/15. I have not had any fast foods or junk food since then. So I know it can be done. I have lost an average 2-3 lbs a week and to date, lost 21 lbs. I gave myself a goal and when I hit a 25 lb loss, I will treat myself to something, not sure what yet, but that is what keeps me going. Plus I live alone and only cook for me, so that is a huge help too. Good luck to all. Its a work in process, but we can all do it!