Tips on a 1200 cal meal plan
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hayleyf6051
Posts: 52 Member
Can anyone share their diary or post how they stick to 1200?
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Replies
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I don't stick to 1200 calories. This is MFP's default minimum (before exercise) ......so if you struggle with it, it might be too low for you.
This site has good ideas. You can plug in your calorie goal. https://www.eatthismuch.com/4 -
Eat back exercise calories. That's the only way I can do 1200 without losing my mind.5
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The only way I could stick with 1200 calories was to not exercise. I had an approximate 220 calorie breakfast, 300 calorie lunch, 450 calorie dinner, and the remaining calories were snacks such as 100 calorie yogurt and fruit.1
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I choose two dishes from Pinterest, cook them on the weekend and split them into low calorie (now I IF and have a larger portion) portions for meals during the week. Breakfast is generally an egg and a meat or a protein shake.0
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I don't eat 1200, but I like to keep my meals as low as possible to add room for snacks, because I love to eat (which is why I'm here lol), and I graze through the day.
Keep your meals full of lean proteins, such as chicken, or super lean beef. A dinner example would be chicken, load the plate with non starchy veggies(less butter, more seasoning, to cut calories), and perhaps a carb such as rice or some kinda bread. Do ypu prefer to eat volume? A big *kitten* salad full of veggies, some kinda protein such as meat or beans, sprinkle some cheese, and use a low calorie dressing (I will actually pour some salsa on my salad, or vinegar and lemon juice, or the juice from a jar of diced jalepeno peppers) Make sure you're weighing your portions using a food scale to ensure your calories are accurate, then choose a verified entry in here when logging. Easy to get a healthy, satisfying dinner for 300-500 calories.
Breakfast ideas are eggs of course, 70 calories per egg, and full of protein. Whip up an omelette!
2 eggs =140 calories
1/2 Oz cheese =55 calories
20gm mushrooms=4 calories
2 slice turkey bacon=50 calories
When cooked in a quick squirter of cooking spray, you have a filling meal for about 250 calories, and it's got adequate protein!
Sandwich thins for lunch are great, as each thin only has about 80-100 calories. Smack some hummus on that sucker, stuff it with lean lunch meat, veggies, avocado, whatever you like on a sandwich. Need crunch? Change out those chips for some carrot or celery sticks, with some salsa as dip. Or take leftovers from the previous night to eat for lunch
Low calorie string cheese, 100 calories Greek yogurt packs, veggie sticks, rice cakes, air popped popcorn, a measured square of dark chocolate, clementine, kiwi, bananas, Apple slices with a PB2 spread, jerky, almonds, v8 juice, tuna packs, boiled eggs are all excellent snacks(if you wish to snack) that can be between 100-200 calories each, providing you accurately proportion them.
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What are your stats (height, weight, goal weight) and what rate of loss did you select? With MFP you are meant to be eating back exercise calories so 1200 should be the minimum if you do no exercise at all. Most people can lose weight eating more than 1200 yet many people enter stats and goals that result in that being the number they are provided.
I tried 1200 NET for about 2 weeks and was miserable and after reading the good advice on these boards that I could probably still lose eating more, I raised it to 1400 then 1500. I'm 5'2 for what it's worth, and lost my weight eating between 1500-1800 cals.
For meal suggestions I would recommend focusing on finding foods that fill you up for relatively few calories if you're going to stick to a lower goal. A mix of lean protein, vegetables, and some starchy carbs works well for me.2 -
WinoGelato wrote: »What are your stats (height, weight, goal weight) and what rate of loss did you select? With MFP you are meant to be eating back exercise calories so 1200 should be the minimum if you do no exercise at all. Most people can lose weight eating more than 1200 yet many people enter stats and goals that result in that being the number they are provided.
I tried 1200 NET for about 2 weeks and was miserable and after reading the good advice on these boards that I could probably still lose eating more, I raised it to 1400 then 1500. I'm 5'2 for what it's worth, and lost my weight eating between 1500-1800 cals.
For meal suggestions I would recommend focusing on finding foods that fill you up for relatively few calories if you're going to stick to a lower goal. A mix of lean protein, vegetables, and some starchy carbs works well for me.
Mfp says 1200 to lose a pound a week
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hayleyf6051 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »What are your stats (height, weight, goal weight) and what rate of loss did you select? With MFP you are meant to be eating back exercise calories so 1200 should be the minimum if you do no exercise at all. Most people can lose weight eating more than 1200 yet many people enter stats and goals that result in that being the number they are provided.
I tried 1200 NET for about 2 weeks and was miserable and after reading the good advice on these boards that I could probably still lose eating more, I raised it to 1400 then 1500. I'm 5'2 for what it's worth, and lost my weight eating between 1500-1800 cals.
For meal suggestions I would recommend focusing on finding foods that fill you up for relatively few calories if you're going to stick to a lower goal. A mix of lean protein, vegetables, and some starchy carbs works well for me.
Mfp says 1200 to lose a pound a week
I understand, based on people's stats and what rate of loss they select, most females especially petite ones end up with the 1200 cal target. What I'm saying is it may be possible for you specifically to lose while eating more, but without knowing your stats that's hard to say and to know if 1200 is an appropriate goal for you.
How much weight are you trying to lose total? Do you exercise? Do you eat back some of those calories?
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Kefir/fruit/oatmeal smoothie for breakfast, milk in coffee. Lunch is BIG salad with chicken breast and lite cheese stick sliced onto it, Dinner is a protein (turkey, chicken, pork or beef, mashed squash of the day with nutmeg, no butter, super easy and fast to cook in an electric pressure cooker and it takes the place of a higher carb side, and another big helping a veggie, usually normandy blend. If I need a snack for hunger on the go I can eat the cheese stick and omit it from the salad, or I have whey protein bars I can eat one, or half and omit the chicken from the salad. If I get a decent amount of steps or activity from my fitbit charge hr, I can have popcorn (air popped no butter) while relaxing in front of the boob tube later at night, it keeps me from going to bed hungry. Or I'll eat another cheese stick, slice of 45 cal velveeta, or whatever else fits in my calories for the day. My diary is open. Ignore last nights party, lol.
I'm 5'5" currently 166.2 lbs, age 50, activity level sedentary/not very active.2 -
WinoGelato wrote: »hayleyf6051 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »What are your stats (height, weight, goal weight) and what rate of loss did you select? With MFP you are meant to be eating back exercise calories so 1200 should be the minimum if you do no exercise at all. Most people can lose weight eating more than 1200 yet many people enter stats and goals that result in that being the number they are provided.
I tried 1200 NET for about 2 weeks and was miserable and after reading the good advice on these boards that I could probably still lose eating more, I raised it to 1400 then 1500. I'm 5'2 for what it's worth, and lost my weight eating between 1500-1800 cals.
For meal suggestions I would recommend focusing on finding foods that fill you up for relatively few calories if you're going to stick to a lower goal. A mix of lean protein, vegetables, and some starchy carbs works well for me.
Mfp says 1200 to lose a pound a week
I understand, based on people's stats and what rate of loss they select, most females especially petite ones end up with the 1200 cal target. What I'm saying is it may be possible for you specifically to lose while eating more, but without knowing your stats that's hard to say and to know if 1200 is an appropriate goal for you.
How much weight are you trying to lose total? Do you exercise? Do you eat back some of those calories?
I see. I'm 5"6 and 79.5kg. Want to lose 10kg ideally. I do exercise but tend to eat half back. In fairness lately I'm struggling to keep calories down (emotional eating).
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Super easy to feel stuffed on 1200 Kcals of unprocessed food. Volume is your friend. Complex Carbs are your besties!0
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Let's see...at the moment I'm at 1200 for the day and I'd be fine if I had to stop eating.
I had a 325 calorie breakfast. Coffee with cream, sugar, and a pint of halo top ice cream
In the afternoon I ate a whole cucumber with hot sauce and a protein bar for about 300 calories
Dinner was 428. A giant bowl of greens, tomato, fat free refried beans, lean ground turkey, laughing cow cheese and hot sauce.
That comes to 1147. I'd add my fish oil and pre-workout calories in too2 -
I feel like I already ate today yet still reached 1300. If you're willing to help, could you please PM me? thanks so much0
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hayleyf6051 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »hayleyf6051 wrote: »WinoGelato wrote: »What are your stats (height, weight, goal weight) and what rate of loss did you select? With MFP you are meant to be eating back exercise calories so 1200 should be the minimum if you do no exercise at all. Most people can lose weight eating more than 1200 yet many people enter stats and goals that result in that being the number they are provided.
I tried 1200 NET for about 2 weeks and was miserable and after reading the good advice on these boards that I could probably still lose eating more, I raised it to 1400 then 1500. I'm 5'2 for what it's worth, and lost my weight eating between 1500-1800 cals.
For meal suggestions I would recommend focusing on finding foods that fill you up for relatively few calories if you're going to stick to a lower goal. A mix of lean protein, vegetables, and some starchy carbs works well for me.
Mfp says 1200 to lose a pound a week
I understand, based on people's stats and what rate of loss they select, most females especially petite ones end up with the 1200 cal target. What I'm saying is it may be possible for you specifically to lose while eating more, but without knowing your stats that's hard to say and to know if 1200 is an appropriate goal for you.
How much weight are you trying to lose total? Do you exercise? Do you eat back some of those calories?
I see. I'm 5"6 and 79.5kg. Want to lose 10kg ideally. I do exercise but tend to eat half back. In fairness lately I'm struggling to keep calories down (emotional eating).
With less than 25 lbs to lose, 0.5 lb/week might be a better goal for you. It would likely give you a higher calorie target which may make it easier to fit in foods that fill you up and help avoid the triggers for the emotional eating (which I often think start as Hunger but then kind of turn into "oh well I already blew my goal might as well keep eating" situations).0 -
annadnaluom wrote: »I feel like I already ate today yet still reached 1300. If you're willing to help, could you please PM me? thanks so much
What specifically are you looking for help with and why are you asking for someone to PM you? Is it not something you want to discuss on this thread?0 -
You can do it. I messaged you. Probably 4 days a week I do 1,200 calories. The rest of the time I go over a little. Check your mail.0
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I follow this website www.skinnytaste.com. Gives you LOADS of ideas for tasty, easy meals I have been at 1200 cal for around 2 weeks, and this website makes it easy to stay within my cal range without getting bored of the same foods.
Give it a try! Also, 1200 cal is to lose 2lbs a week, even if you go over a bit every once in a while it won't hurt your weight loss journey!
At 1200 cal I still lose weight and enjoy the food I eat using that website 1 -
CranstonJ2016 wrote: »I follow this website www.skinnytaste.com. Gives you LOADS of ideas for tasty, easy meals I have been at 1200 cal for around 2 weeks, and this website makes it easy to stay within my cal range without getting bored of the same foods.
Give it a try! Also, 1200 cal is to lose 2lbs a week, even if you go over a bit every once in a while it won't hurt your weight loss journey!
At 1200 cal I still lose weight and enjoy the food I eat using that website
It is not 2lbs of week for everyone. It depends on your TDEE0 -
My diary is open. I track most days and have lost almost 40 pounds on 1200 cal/day. I'm 5'2" and occasionally eat back exercise calories but not often. For me, it has helped to limit processed foods and to "watch" starchy carbs, at least while I was losing (about to maintenance now).1
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It is not 2lbs of week for everyone. It depends on your TDEE[/quote]
Very true. I was stating what I know. And what I know is by lowering my cal intake to 1200 i lose 2lbs a week...
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