Diet/Meal Plan

clareandkiel
clareandkiel Posts: 12 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all,
Any good meal plans for a 1200 calorie consumption a day? finding this a little hard as what im eating isn't filling me up in the afternoon and evenings....

Replies

  • seska422
    seska422 Posts: 3,217 Member
    Meal plan, no. I suggest that you eat the foods you like (or adaptations of them that have lower calories) and don't eat foods you don't like.

    You can go several different ways with trying to feel more full.

    1. Play around with your macros until they are more satiating for you. A bit more fat, protein, and/or fiber may be more filling.

    2. Adjust your meal timing and how much you eat for each meal. If you are more hungry later, you may want to save more of your calories for later.

    3. Bump up your total calories a bit. I'm aiming for 1350 per day and I'm much more satisfied than I was when I was trying for 1200.
  • clareandkiel
    clareandkiel Posts: 12 Member
    thank you x
  • the_fit_chef
    the_fit_chef Posts: 15 Member
    I'd also suggest bumping up your calories. I've always had an easier time loosing eating more than 1500 cals.
    If you're not feeling satisfied the simple answer is you're not getting enough.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Cut your carbs below 100 grams/day. Keep protein to about 20-25% of daily calories, and the rest should be healthy fats. :)
  • clareandkiel
    clareandkiel Posts: 12 Member
    how much exercise do you usually do a day?
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    clareandkiel wrote: »
    Hi all,
    Any good meal plans for a 1200 calorie consumption a day? finding this a little hard as what im eating isn't filling me up in the afternoon and evenings....

    What's your current height, weight, and activity level? It's entirely possible 1200 is too low of a daily goal.
  • bigianmma
    bigianmma Posts: 24 Member
    I would say 1200 is far too low. Try cutting 2-300Cals out of your allowance each day and you'll lose slowly and safely. It will also allow your stomach to shrink bit by bit so gradually you'll get fuller from the same amount of food.

    Doing too much too soon will inevitably lead to you failing, giving up and returning to old habits.
  • lindsayh87
    lindsayh87 Posts: 167 Member
    My calorie goal is 1350 but I try to stay around 1200 unless I work out. I have an open diary and you are welcome to message me for recipes and ideas. It's easy once you find some good filling recipes to work with! :)
  • clareandkiel
    clareandkiel Posts: 12 Member

    juggernaut1974 wrote: »
    clareandkiel wrote: »
    Hi all,
    Any good meal plans for a 1200 calorie consumption a day? finding this a little hard as what im eating isn't filling me up in the afternoon and evenings....

    What's your current height, weight, and activity level? It's entirely possible 1200 is too low of a daily goal.

    Thanks for reply Juggernaut1974
    my height is 5'2 and my weight is 15 stone, the biggest ive ever been. The app worked out how much calorie intake I should eat but im scared of eating more because I don't want to get any bigger.
  • clareandkiel
    clareandkiel Posts: 12 Member
    lindsayh87 wrote: »
    My calorie goal is 1350 but I try to stay around 1200 unless I work out. I have an open diary and you are welcome to message me for recipes and ideas. It's easy once you find some good filling recipes to work with! :)

    Thank you Lindsay x
  • bigianmma
    bigianmma Posts: 24 Member
    You can eat yourself thin, its more about what you eat and when, than how much.

    Bodybuilders eat 9-10K calories a day to aid building muscle mass as its needed for energy and for muscles to grow. If you ate 1800 calories a day but they were lean calories (Dukan, Keto) then it should fall off pretty quickly and you'll rarely be hungry from it as the foods are dense and rich in nutrients :)
  • clareandkiel
    clareandkiel Posts: 12 Member
    bigianmma wrote: »
    You can eat yourself thin, its more about what you eat and when, than how much.

    Bodybuilders eat 9-10K calories a day to aid building muscle mass as its needed for energy and for muscles to grow. If you ate 1800 calories a day but they were lean calories (Dukan, Keto) then it should fall off pretty quickly and you'll rarely be hungry from it as the foods are dense and rich in nutrients :)

    I don't want to be a bodybuilder lol I try not to eat after 6pm, I don't eat rubbish food really im quite good at eating, eat porridge in the morning, snacks are banana and a clementine, lunch is soup, dinner is usually fish with salad or veg and chicken, ive started doing 10 mins cardio and 10 mins doing squats etc but ive only been doing it for about a week so hopefully I should see results soon.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    You don't have to eat particular things or at particular times to lose weight. You don't even have to exercise if you don't want to, you can create a calorie deficit just from eating less. That's the beauty of counting calories. You just eat in a way that makes it easier for you to stick to your calories, and exercise mainly to improve your health and because it's fun; the calories burned will be a nice bonus.
  • GsKiki
    GsKiki Posts: 392 Member
    Hey feel free to add me or check out my recipe here at MFP http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/GsKiki. They are all around 300 kcal each. If you don't feel full enough, try eating more low calorie salads with your meals like cucumbers and tomatoes without dressing, or adding zucchini to your cooked meal.
  • PiSquared
    PiSquared Posts: 148 Member
    I'm at 1200 calories per day as a starting point. I find that number to be too low for me to realistically sustain in the long run. I get seriously grumpy and depressed when I'm constantly hungry. I do some exercise and eat a bit of the calories back. I'm aiming for 1300-1400, but sometimes go higher. That is more doable for me. I cook mainly out of Cooking Light. I can fit in 2 decent meals (lunch and dinner), plus a reasonable breakfast (usually a bowl of cereal), and a few snacks, including a popsicle or something for dessert. My diary is open if you want to take a look.
  • clareandkiel
    clareandkiel Posts: 12 Member
    GsKiki wrote: »
    Hey feel free to add me or check out my recipe here at MFP http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/GsKiki. They are all around 300 kcal each. If you don't feel full enough, try eating more low calorie salads with your meals like cucumbers and tomatoes without dressing, or adding zucchini to your cooked meal.

    Fab, thank you x
  • clareandkiel
    clareandkiel Posts: 12 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    You don't have to eat particular things or at particular times to lose weight. You don't even have to exercise if you don't want to, you can create a calorie deficit just from eating less. That's the beauty of counting calories. You just eat in a way that makes it easier for you to stick to your calories, and exercise mainly to improve your health and because it's fun; the calories burned will be a nice bonus.

    Thank you :-)
  • clareandkiel
    clareandkiel Posts: 12 Member
    PiSquared wrote: »
    I'm at 1200 calories per day as a starting point. I find that number to be too low for me to realistically sustain in the long run. I get seriously grumpy and depressed when I'm constantly hungry. I do some exercise and eat a bit of the calories back. I'm aiming for 1300-1400, but sometimes go higher. That is more doable for me. I cook mainly out of Cooking Light. I can fit in 2 decent meals (lunch and dinner), plus a reasonable breakfast (usually a bowl of cereal), and a few snacks, including a popsicle or something for dessert. My diary is open if you want to take a look.

    Thanks very much, good food ideas x
  • tillerstouch
    tillerstouch Posts: 608 Member
    Try a serving of nuts that was alway a huge help to me also I'd drink tea to distract myself from a little bit of hunger.
  • BrownieKitty12345
    BrownieKitty12345 Posts: 149 Member
    Here is what I usually eat in a day:

    1 pack instant grits 100 calories 7am
    1/2 avocado 10am
    1 banana 12:00pm
    1 slimfast 1:30pm
    1 fugi apple 2:30pm
    2 cups air popped popcorn 3:30
    For dinner I use whatever calories I have left.
  • itsmemaringle
    itsmemaringle Posts: 69 Member
    clareandkiel wrote: »
    Hi all,
    Any good meal plans for a 1200 calorie consumption a day? finding this a little hard as what im eating isn't filling me up in the afternoon and evenings....

    I'm on 1260 add me if you like- I don't really follow recipes I just pop what I like together!
  • itsmemaringle
    itsmemaringle Posts: 69 Member
    I have an open diary too
  • darkchocthunda
    darkchocthunda Posts: 20 Member
    edited January 2016
    1200 is relatively low and unsustainable for someone just starting out. The best way to determine your diet is to take the weight you WANT to be and the caloric intake and use that to guide your plan. Say your final goal is 125. A person who weighs that much eats about 1650 calories daily to maintain. That's a great starting spot, and every 10-15 pounds you should lower your intake about 50-100 calories until you reach your goal. You'll need to lower it like that because as you lose weight and get smaller, your caloric needs will drop and to keep the same rate of weight loss a bigger deficit is needed. Once you've lost all the weight and weigh 125, go back to 1650 calories to maintain that weight indefinitely

    As for your actual diet, you'll need to make sure you track your macros (macronutrients): protein, fat and carbs. Use MFP to track you macros. I would recommend a breakdown of 25-30% protein, 25-30% fat, and 40-50% carbs. That's what I use. It provides enough carbs to power my workouts and enough protein for me to retain my muscles with lifting.

    To feel full throughout the day, protein and fat are your best friend, especially protein. The best protein sources are chicken and fish. For someone losing weight, protein is the most important macro as it is the most satiating.

    Plants are also a must as they are not as calorie dense as most foods. Fruit and veggies through out the day will help you keep full without racking up the calories.

    Do not develop a phobia of any of the macronutrients, they are all good for you, even fat.
  • clareandkiel
    clareandkiel Posts: 12 Member
    tillerstouch wrote: »
    Try a serving of nuts that was alway a huge help to me also I'd drink tea to distract myself from a little bit of hunger.

    Fab, thanks Tillerstouch x
  • clareandkiel
    clareandkiel Posts: 12 Member
    darkchocthunda wrote: »
    1200 is relatively low and unsustainable for someone just starting out. The best way to determine your diet is to take the weight you WANT to be and the caloric intake and use that to guide your plan. Say your final goal is 125. A person who weighs that much eats about 1650 calories daily to maintain. That's a great starting spot, and every 10-15 pounds you should lower your intake about 50-100 calories until you reach your goal. You'll need to lower it like that because as you lose weight and get smaller, your caloric needs will drop and to keep the same rate of weight loss a bigger deficit is needed. Once you've lost all the weight and weigh 125, go back to 1650 calories to maintain that weight indefinitely

    As for your actual diet, you'll need to make sure you track your macros (macronutrients): protein, fat and carbs. Use MFP to track you macros. I would recommend a breakdown of 25-30% protein, 25-30% fat, and 40-50% carbs. That's what I use. It provides enough carbs to power my workouts and enough protein for me to retain my muscles with lifting.

    To feel full throughout the day, protein and fat are your best friend, especially protein. The best protein sources are chicken and fish. For someone losing weight, protein is the most important macro as it is the most satiating.

    Plants are also a must as they are not as calorie dense as most foods. Fruit and veggies through out the day will help you keep full without racking up the calories.

    Do not develop a phobia of any of the macronutrients, they are all good for you, even fat.

    Great advice, thank you :-)

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