Learning to eat 1,200 calories a day!
Valeska2017
Posts: 138 Member
I'm learning to eat less and with quality. This week on my grocery shopping I added some delicious organic food that I never tried before. Enjoying myself on the jorney to achieve my goal by my birthday next year is essential to keep me motivated. Also shopping for groceries online is a great way I found to quickly find healthier options as well as saving precious time that can be used to workout and burn some extra calories. I still have to work on eating slow and enjoying the food. Now that I've been eating less it's something that I really need to do. Let's do it! 
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Replies
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Good for you!! Keep it up2
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I too am eating 1200 calories however I am eating pre-packaged meals. (nutrisystem). That way I don't have to think about it so much. I am learning to substitute 1 day each week of a home cooked 1200 calorie meal. Right now I am having a bit of trouble getting 1200 calories in as my veggies are not counted in my meal, but I mainly eat broccoli. I realize though that I have to plan more so when I go off the plan I can maintain my weight loss. I still have another 50 pounds to go. Nutrisystem tells me they will help me wean off the food and to maintain a healthy eating habit. Jury is still out but I am consistently losing. My problems will arise during maintenance.4
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I find it difficult to cook things I can eat and cook things my family wants to eat. Looking for ideas and suggestions. Feel free to add me!4
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I find it difficult to cook things I can eat and cook things my family wants to eat. Looking for ideas and suggestions. Feel free to add me!
I agree to this. Since starting to be health conscious I find me and my wife eating separate things at dinner time.
I'm trying to stick to 12-1300 cals a day if ya wanna add me too
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I find it difficult to cook things I can eat and cook things my family wants to eat. Looking for ideas and suggestions. Feel free to add me!
Step 1: If your family are small children? Don't be a short-order cook. Modeling healthy eating and expecting them to participate are good things.
(Understanding that children *need* fat in their diet, please).
Step 2: What are you defining as "healthy" for yourself, and why won't your family eat it? And on the flip side: What do they want to eat and why don't you think its okay for you to eat it?
And on the flip-flip side: If its not okay for you to eat it, why is it okay for them?
Step 3: Cook meals of healthy foods for your family. Eat smaller portions of them.
Long story short:
If you think that "healthy eating" for yourself means some totally different diet than you ever ate before, and totally different than your family eats? Then how sustainable will it be, ultimately? And what message are you sending your kids (if any?) about "healthy eating?"
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I too am eating 1200 calories however I am eating pre-packaged meals. (nutrisystem). That way I don't have to think about it so much. I am learning to substitute 1 day each week of a home cooked 1200 calorie meal. Right now I am having a bit of trouble getting 1200 calories in as my veggies are not counted in my meal, but I mainly eat broccoli. I realize though that I have to plan more so when I go off the plan I can maintain my weight loss. I still have another 50 pounds to go. Nutrisystem tells me they will help me wean off the food and to maintain a healthy eating habit. Jury is still out but I am consistently losing. My problems will arise during maintenance.
I'm not even thinking about maintenance for while. But I know in a couple months it will be necessary. I think 2,000 calories is what is necessary. But maybe exercise will allow me to eat a little more.. Thank you for your comment!0 -
I find it difficult to cook things I can eat and cook things my family wants to eat. Looking for ideas and suggestions. Feel free to add me!
I understand your concern. In my situation, it's just me and my daughter. She also need to loose some weight so she's fine eating what I eat. At school she eats some things we don't eat at home. She knows at home we eat clean. We are still adapting to the new way of eating. I've been doing the best I can explaining to her why we are doing it so she enjoys the journey with mommy.3 -
It's a battle I'm fighting every day. I know it's calorie in / calorie out. I have to workout to stay close. I'm only 5'1" but man do I have an appetite!2
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drewski1511 wrote: »It's a battle I'm fighting every day. I know it's calorie in / calorie out. I have to workout to stay close. I'm only 5'1" but man do I have an appetite!
Haaa
I know the feeling.. I'm 5 2" and yes I can devour food as well. But I'm so eager to achieve my goal. Self control is a big word in the process. Let's keep the good work 0 -
I've been averaging 1200 a day since about July and picked up a few tips along the way. For me it meant disregarding what I thought were hard and fast "rules" and not being too harsh on myself.
For example I personally don't need a substantial 300 calorie breakfast to sit in an office all day, a piece of fruit will do just fine. Evening cardio nixes my appetite, and I've learnt that's ok too, as long as I'm getting the food I need when it best suits me. Other tips include bulking up meals with larger size but lower calorie items like cauliflower and broccoli, finding evening activities to do that don't involve the temptation to snack (like a 90 minute yoga class) and thinking about getting 1200 calories a day as a *weekly* average so I can fit in my Friday wine.3 -
Eleanor_82 wrote: »I've been averaging 1200 a day since about July and picked up a few tips along the way. For me it meant disregarding what I thought were hard and fast "rules" and not being too harsh on myself.
For example I personally don't need a substantial 300 calorie breakfast to sit in an office all day, a piece of fruit will do just fine. Evening cardio nixes my appetite, and I've learnt that's ok too, as long as I'm getting the food I need when it best suits me. Other tips include bulking up meals with larger size but lower calorie items like cauliflower and broccoli, finding evening activities to do that don't involve the temptation to snack (like a 90 minute yoga class) and thinking about getting 1200 calories a day as a *weekly* average so I can fit in my Friday wine.
Very nice
I've been practicing Yoga twice a week and I really enjoy it. I have to work on my breakfast cause I eat 400 calories and I have to go to bed hungry sometimes. Thank you for the tips! 0 -
Valeska2017 wrote: »I too am eating 1200 calories however I am eating pre-packaged meals. (nutrisystem). That way I don't have to think about it so much. I am learning to substitute 1 day each week of a home cooked 1200 calorie meal. Right now I am having a bit of trouble getting 1200 calories in as my veggies are not counted in my meal, but I mainly eat broccoli. I realize though that I have to plan more so when I go off the plan I can maintain my weight loss. I still have another 50 pounds to go. Nutrisystem tells me they will help me wean off the food and to maintain a healthy eating habit. Jury is still out but I am consistently losing. My problems will arise during maintenance.
I'm not even thinking about maintenance for while. But I know in a couple months it will be necessary. I think 2,000 calories is what is necessary. But maybe exercise will allow me to eat a little more.. Thank you for your comment!
I think this is a common mistake people make, and it's one of the reasons there's such a high failure rate with long term, successful weight loss maintenance. If you start thinking of maintenance while you're still in the weight loss phase it really helps prepare you for what will come next. What's going to be sustainable for you, for the next 20, 30, 40+ years? What strategies and tools are you going to use? How are you going to handle all the things that you'll deal with in maintenance (life events, stress, holidays, parties, sickness, injury etc etc). It's not too early to start putting your maintenance plan together and it will make the transition from the weight loss phase to the maintenance phase much smoother, as well as maintenance adherence easier 5 -
I find it difficult to cook things I can eat and cook things my family wants to eat. Looking for ideas and suggestions. Feel free to add me!
I agree to this. Since starting to be health conscious I find me and my wife eating separate things at dinner time.
I'm trying to stick to 12-1300 cals a day if ya wanna add me too
As a man you should be eating a lot more than 1200-1300 calories a day...minimum is 1500.
As for the rest no reason to be eating 1200 either esp if that is the gross calorie intake...meaning you exercise and don't eat the calories back.
The only thing that might be helping is your lack of weighing foods.
Dieting and restricting is not the way to go folks...you need to make changes yes but not so drastic that it's a total 180. I did that for years and yo yo'd 50 lbs...not healthy.
reducing your intake to lose weight is all that is needed...you don't need to not ever eat chips and pizza again.
Just less of it...
If you see my diary I eat the food I want when I want and I still lose weight and I still get in lots of nutrition as well...
I read an article that stated the "naturally slim" people all had one thing in common...they don't diet...they don't restrict....ever.
Think about it...6 -
OP I commend you for setting goals for yourself and wanting to be healthier for you and your daughter.... trying new foods and recipes is fun! That said, 1200 is very low, and most people can lose weight eating more than that. Are you eating back some of your exercise calories so that you're Netting at least 1200 cals?
For what it's with, I'm also 5'2 and lost most of my weight eating between 1600-1900 cals and am currently in maintenance.2 -
crzycatlady1 wrote: »Valeska2017 wrote: »I too am eating 1200 calories however I am eating pre-packaged meals. (nutrisystem). That way I don't have to think about it so much. I am learning to substitute 1 day each week of a home cooked 1200 calorie meal. Right now I am having a bit of trouble getting 1200 calories in as my veggies are not counted in my meal, but I mainly eat broccoli. I realize though that I have to plan more so when I go off the plan I can maintain my weight loss. I still have another 50 pounds to go. Nutrisystem tells me they will help me wean off the food and to maintain a healthy eating habit. Jury is still out but I am consistently losing. My problems will arise during maintenance.
I'm not even thinking about maintenance for while. But I know in a couple months it will be necessary. I think 2,000 calories is what is necessary. But maybe exercise will allow me to eat a little more.. Thank you for your comment!
I think this is a common mistake people make, and it's one of the reasons there's such a high failure rate with long term, successful weight loss maintenance. If you start thinking of maintenance while you're still in the weight loss phase it really helps prepare you for what will come next. What's going to be sustainable for you, for the next 20, 30, 40+ years? What strategies and tools are you going to use? How are you going to handle all the things that you'll deal with in maintenance (life events, stress, holidays, parties, sickness, injury etc etc). It's not too early to start putting your maintenance plan together and it will make the transition from the weight loss phase to the maintenance phase much smoother, as well as maintenance adherence easier
You've got a good point. I love this app.. I've been learning so much with comments like yours. Thanks! 1 -
WinoGelato wrote: »OP I commend you for setting goals for yourself and wanting to be healthier for you and your daughter.... trying new foods and recipes is fun! That said, 1200 is very low, and most people can lose weight eating more than that. Are you eating back some of your exercise calories so that you're Netting at least 1200 cals?
For what it's with, I'm also 5'2 and lost most of my weight eating between 1600-1900 cals and am currently in maintenance.
I workout 3-5 times a week and I've been doing my best to eat 1,200 calories per day.. Sometimes I go to bed hungry. I'm just on the beginning of my journey. If things start to get difficult to keep up with I'll definitely ad some extra calories. I know the holidays are coming and as much as I don't want to I'll end up maybe eating some extra calories. I need to keep myself in a short leash when it comes to calories.0 -
Valeska2017 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »OP I commend you for setting goals for yourself and wanting to be healthier for you and your daughter.... trying new foods and recipes is fun! That said, 1200 is very low, and most people can lose weight eating more than that. Are you eating back some of your exercise calories so that you're Netting at least 1200 cals?
For what it's with, I'm also 5'2 and lost most of my weight eating between 1600-1900 cals and am currently in maintenance.
I workout 3-5 times a week and I've been doing my best to eat 1,200 calories per day.. Sometimes I go to bed hungry. I'm just on the beginning of my journey. If things start to get difficult to keep up with I'll definitely ad some extra calories. I know the holidays are coming and as much as I don't want to I'll end up maybe eating some extra calories. I need to keep myself in a short leash when it comes to calories.
If you are eating 1200 at the most AND working out on top of that you are Netting below 1200 cals and that can have a number of adverse effects in the long run including: fatigue, loss of lean body mass, hair loss, brittle nails, sallow skin. A lot of people are motivated at first and don't find it that difficult, but ensuring that you are getting enough total calories as well as enough nutrition is important.
How much weight are you trying to lose? What is your rate of loss set at?
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