Tips on a 1200 cal meal plan
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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My diary is open. 1200 is my target but I rarely stay within that because I eat back at least half of workouts and workout every day. Plus I'm on Whole 30 right now and you're technically not supposed to count.0
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mallygirl420 wrote: »My diary is open. 1200 is my target but I rarely stay within that because I eat back at least half of workouts and workout every day. Plus I'm on Whole 30 right now and you're technically not supposed to count.
How do you eat back half your workouts when you don't count calories?2 -
trigden1991 wrote: »mallygirl420 wrote: »My diary is open. 1200 is my target but I rarely stay within that because I eat back at least half of workouts and workout every day. Plus I'm on Whole 30 right now and you're technically not supposed to count.
How do you eat back half your workouts when you don't count calories?
She didn't say she didn't count she said that "technically" she isn't supposed to count.2 -
I did 1250 for about 90 days on course to lose 2lbs per week (I have 100+ to lose). I was consistently losing between 1.5 and 3lbs per week, so after those 90 days of vigilant compliance, a week ago I changed my goal to lose 1.5lbs per week, which gave me 1310 calories to work with.
I noticed when I was at 1250, I aimed to keep just under it, so I figured that mentality would carry over to the 1310 allowance, and I would still see the results I want. It's only 60 calories difference, but it feels like 200, and I definitely have a little more oompf to get through the day and more desire to exercise. It's only been a week, so it's too soon to see anything on the scale (plus I had an over-maintenance day this week that I planned which will keep real results from showing for a few more weeks than usual).
You can look at my diary, but typically my day was like this:
Breakfast: boiled egg, an orange, low sodium v8, a crispbread cracker or toast that was under 50 calories). all of breakfast under 300 calories
Lunch: a bowl of soup, more crispbread crackers, laughing cow cheese spread, an apple or watermelon (all of lunch between 300-400 calories)
PM Snack: a piece of fruit; usually watermelon with feta cheese (under 100 calories)
Dinner: a meat, a carb, a veggie; usually fresh or grilled between 400-500 calories.3 -
hayleyf6051 wrote: »Can anyone share their diary or post how they stick to 1200?
Pre-logging is key. Try to snack throughout the day instead of having large meals, tends to keep the stomach growls at bay (this is what worked for me, larger meals less often may work better for you)2 -
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).
It gave you 1200? I'm also 5'6", 162 lbs, and I'm at 1310 cals for me to lose 1 lb/wk, and that's with sedentary selected. Do you have your stats entered correctly?1 -
dragon_girl26 wrote: »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).
It gave you 1200? I'm also 5'6", 162 lbs, and I'm at 1310 cals for me to lose 1 lb/wk, and that's with sedentary selected. Do you have your stats entered correctly?
Sadly yes!
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Tomorrow marks one month of eating 1200 calories. I've lost 11 lbs, including a 3 week period before calorie counting where I cut out all bread/grains. I stay around 1200 other than 2-3 special occasions and the days when I eat back some of my workout calories. I'm working on lowering my cholesterol so my meal plans also revolve around that. Here are a list of my "go to" meals.
Breakfast:
Oatmeal w/ almond milk, walnuts, 1/4 gala apple, raisins, and 1 tsp chia seeds
OR
1/2 c of Fiber One, 1/4 c blueberries, 1/4 cup almond milk
OR
Baked Oatmeal cups (various recipes on Pinterest)
Lunch:
Starkist tuna pouch w/ almonds, cranberries, and brown mustard. I roll it in thinly sliced cucumber. So good!
OR
1 cup of black beans and 1/4 cup of corn
OR
Various salads with oil and vinegar...more vinegar than oil.
(I typically have a cheesestick or side of veggies with lunch if I eat Fiber One. The oatmeal is so filling that I eat a small lunch on those days)
Snacks:
50 cal serving hummus and 50 cal veggies. Typically bell peppers and carrots
OR
2 cups air popped popcorn
OR
1 apple (Smucker all natural PB if I have the calories for it)
Dinner:
5 bean soup: veggie broth, cayenne, variety of beans, can corn, spinach (I change it up and add different spices)
OR
Salmon w/ a green veggie on the side (usually broccoli or okra)
OR
Pizzas made with flatbread, turkey pepperoni, and loaded down with sauteed veggies.
OR
Oven roasted veggies with turkey sausage or chicken1 -
Note that if you are using kg you will get a 600 calorie deficit for 1/2 a kilo, not 500 like when you set your loss to 1 pound a week. To really lose 1 pound a week try to set your calories to maintenance then, then subtract 500 calories from that number and set your calories manually. If it still gives you 1200, you could manually change to something that sounds reasonable to you (like 1300 or 1400 calories) and accept a slightly slower loss.
That said, I sometimes do 1200 calories for a week or so and here is an old example of what I ate one day (exercise calories went into snacks):
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I like to "drink" my snacks to fill in hours not minutes of stress time. Sipping on a sugar free vanilla protein drink with coffee (or decaf via powder) added helps curb desire to mindless snack. Hope this makes sense.0
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