1200 calorie sample day? i need advice

some good meals are in the hungry girl books - 200 under 200 or her new one coming out called 300 under 300. Yo can get them both from amazon.

heres' a BUMP for ya though :happy:

Feel free to look at my diary.

I'm not this huge weight loss success story... yet. I've been on MFP for about a month. I've lost before and I've learned the biggest thing is to eat quality calories. Lots of ppl have success eating processed foods and those are ok in moderation but eventually you will plateau eating that sorta stuff. Also, just trying to eat below a daily limit doesn't teach your body or yourself a healthy LIFESTYLE--- which I feel like are ppl's main objectives on MFP. 3 tips

1. Lower your sodium intake so stay away from frozen meals, fast foods, and "diet" foods. My weakness is Lean Cuisine but you really shouldn't make them a staple in your diet. Though tasted, they're very processed. The same w/ soups and those lil 100 calorie snack packs. Delicious. Good for treats. But not good to include everyday.
2. I try to eat 2-3 servings of lean protein (turkey, chicken, fish), 4-5 servings of veggies (anything green is good. stay away from starches like corn, potatoes, and certain beans), 2-3 servings of fruit (watch the sugar on these. berries are better than banans, apples/oranges better than peaches, etc.), 1-2 servings of complex carbs (whole grain cereal, whole wheat bread products, etc.)
3. Snack right! Some days it's tough to eat a healthy snack but I'm a "regular" oxidizer (according to Jillian Michael's book) so I try to eat snacks w/ some complex carbs and lean protein. Example: apple w/ unsalted almonds OR 2 ounces of lean turkey on 1 slice of whole wheat bread folded up like a sandwich.

Best of luck! Just remember if a caveman could find the food you're eating pretty easily it's probably fine for you. Cavemen didn't have factories to extract all the fat and cals out of a mini pack of oreos.

My diary is set at 1,200 but I exercise too so I eat maybe 1,400 calories a day (on an ordinary day)
you can check out my diary,i'll add you so you can see it.
(ignore yesterday I was having a bad day)

Meal one Breakfast
0.5 Serving Max Muscle Max Pro 65 cal
1.0 Serving Voskos Greek Wild Strawberry Yogurt 120 cal
1.0 Item Banana 109 cal
Total 294 cal

Meal 2 Snack Protein Carbs Fat Calories
1.0 Item Apple 81 cal
1.0 Serving Max Muscle Max Pro 130 cal
Total 211 cal

Meal 3 Lunch
4.0 Ounces Chicken Breast, Meat Only 187 cal
10.0 Ounces Asparagus 65 cal
2.0 Items Carrots 52 cal
2.0 Cups Strawberries 86 cal
Total 390 cal

Meal 4 Snack
1.0 Serving Max Muscle Max Pro 130 cal
Total 130 cal

Meal 5 Dinner
5.0 Ounces Ground Turkey, Raw 211 cal
2.0 Cups Cauliflower, Chopped 50 cal
1.0 Cup Green Bell or Sweet Peppers, Boiled, Drained 38 cal
Total 30 299 cal

Meal 6 Snack
1.0 Serving Max Muscle Max Pro 130 cal
Total 130 cal

This is just over 1400 calories with the max pro.. Very filling!.. I eat this every other week and usually skip 6th meal
Good Luck!

Okay! Start your day right. Try:
1/2 oats (measured while uncooked) -75 calories
1/2 of a medium apple - 45 calories (appx.)
1 tbsp fat free half & half in your oatmeal - 10 calories
1 tbsp brown sugar (or stevia if you want to go calorie free! I mix mine in with the heated milk. It all tastes the same.) 45 calories (appx.)
I like to throw in a couple raisins, about 1/8 cup. 52 calories.
That's a 227 calorie breakfast that'll keep you satisfied for a few hours.
For a snack, try the rest of your apple from breakfast - 45 calories.

Lunch: A round of whole wheat pita bread - 148 calories (6" diameter)
Top it with a container of Chobani non-fat Greek yogurt - 150 calories and super filling.
Throw some blueberries on top - 50 berries are 39 calories. And that's a LOT of berries.
337 for lunch, and that brings you up to 609.
Keep in mind that none of these meals are large. Small, healthy meals scattered throughout the day are great for a variety of reasons.
Have another snack. Something small. A tablespoon of peanut butter is 95 calories. It's the same for about 5 walnuts. Or if you're a little hungrier, that's about the same amount of calories as an entire grapefruit.
That brings your daily total to somewhere around 700 calories. You should reach this fourth meal by about 3 o'clock. If the meals are spaced out well you should never feel hungry.

For dinner, think small. I like a cup (or maybe two) of sauteed broccoli and carrots, tossed in sesame seeds and soy sauce.
1 tbsp sesame seeds is 15 calories.
1 tbsp soy sauce is 10 calories.
1 cup of steamed broccoli is 30 calories.
1 cup of carrots is appx. 55 calories.
Total: 110 calories, bringing your daily total to 810.

Later tonight enjoy a chef's salad: 2 cups salad greens- 20 calories
2 oz water-packed drained salmon (60)
1/4 cup cooked chickpeas (70)
2 Tbsp reduced-fat shredded cheese (50)
2 Tbsp fat-free ranch dressing (40)
Pair it with a small dinner roll (80)
Total: 320
Daily total: 1,130 calories.
With 70 calories leftover for dessert!
I really love Fiber One yogurts (especially the key lime pie) and they're only 50 calories. Bingo!

So that feeds you for 24 hours with 6 small meals. I've consumed an almost identical meal plan on many an occasion. Hope this is what you were looking for!
-Victoria

Feel free to look at my diary, it's open. I struggle a little with variety but have really focused on trying to eat as healthy as possible.

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