1200 cal followers: How many calories do you leave for dinne

Julbella78
Julbella78 Posts: 161 Member
edited October 1 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm eating 1200 calories (on the days I don't workout) and after I enter breakfast, lunch, snack, sometimes I'm left with less than 300 left (give or take). If you are on a 1200 cal diet, how much do you routinely have left for dinner? Thanks!

Replies

  • pandabear_
    pandabear_ Posts: 487 Member
    That's about the same I usually have left after breakfast and lunch, 300 calories remaining! I usually need more to have a proper dinner so have to do some exercise.
  • litljoy2001
    litljoy2001 Posts: 79
    I actually wake up in the morning and put in all the food I want for that day and if it is going to be way over then I adjust my lunch and breakfest cause usually you cant change what is for dinner because of he family... my dinner is usually between 500 and 600 calories on most days but I actually work out 6 days a week so I can alwayas have extra calories
  • Cjoslin84
    Cjoslin84 Posts: 5
    I am following 1200! I am doing the 17 day diet and that seems to help portion my meals better. I have added my breakfast and lunch already and I still have about 900 calories left. With this diet I don't feel the need to snack so mcuh.
  • lilybug13
    lilybug13 Posts: 154
    I usually have about 200 for breakfast, 300 for lunch and 150 for snacks leaving me with 550 for dinner.
  • thebunnies
    thebunnies Posts: 168
    my dinner usually depends on how much i burn at the gym before* dinner. i aim for 400-ish. (i burn about 600-800cals a day)
  • LittleFootHafner
    LittleFootHafner Posts: 302
    I try to save about 500 or so for dinner - but completely depends on what I am eating for lunch and/or dinner. I try to pair higher lunches with lower dinners, and so on...

    I also agree that I try to enter as much of my day at 1 time, so I can see how all the food works together.

    Feel free to add me and check out my diary if you wish (even though it is unbalanced at times!) haha ;)
  • jms11416
    jms11416 Posts: 25 Member
    it's def ok to only have a 200-300 light meal or snack at night & have your big meal mid day. you dont want to eat heavy before bed anyway,
  • sldavis73
    sldavis73 Posts: 37
    Today I only have like 287 calories so I will have to exercise tonight so I can eat something decent for dinner.. But for the most part I usualy have 300+ left for dinner which can be a little hard...

    :)
  • sdharrell74
    sdharrell74 Posts: 1 Member
    I usually have 300-500 left by dinner but I force myself to work out everyday and then I can have a decent meal.
  • SheilaSisco
    SheilaSisco Posts: 722 Member
    My dinners always vary... some days my dinner is 300ish and other days it's 700... depends on what i'm making. That's why I log all of my food the night before or first thing in the morning so I can figure out what's going on and where I can or need to tweak to make it all work...
  • LaSweetMini
    LaSweetMini Posts: 157 Member
    I know people say you should eat the bulk of your calories during the day and less at dinner but I eat the bulk at dinner and since I know this, I eat very very low cal breakfast and lunches. I wouldnt even call them breakfast or lunches. More like snacks. I eat string cheese (80 calories), Drink whey protein (100 calories), egg beaters (70 for 3 egg equvilants) , or greek yogurt (120 calories) and I usually have 900-1000 left for dinner. If you work out, you can eat WAY more but if you dont your choices are limited.
  • andreacord
    andreacord Posts: 928
    I usually split it up into segments of 200. I've never really been a big breakfast eater so my breakfast is at or around 300 calories, lunch is about 350, snack for 100 and the rest is for dinner since I really can't control what my mom makes for dinner since I still live at home for two weeks.
  • kellbelle07
    kellbelle07 Posts: 3
    I usually have about 200-250 cal for breakfast, 300-500 cal for lunch and with my snacks I'm usually left with 400-650 cal for dinner and desert! :)
  • kriots
    kriots Posts: 375 Member
    around 700 for dinner,
  • sittoojo5
    sittoojo5 Posts: 42 Member
    Try to keep breakfast under 350 - salads for lunch with maybe 1/2 a sandwich or soup - and watch those "snacks" it's amazing how those 100cal snacks can add up! Of course, exercise does help to get those extra cals. If you keep dinner to mostly vegetables, with some protein you should do OK and be satisfied. It isn't easy - but then again - weight loss never is!
  • mynika
    mynika Posts: 312 Member
    I usually have about 500ish left for Dinner
  • Julbella78
    Julbella78 Posts: 161 Member
    Thanks everyone!
  • MissingMyOldSelf
    MissingMyOldSelf Posts: 689 Member
    Here's my sneaky little tricks that I follow:

    I log in my foods for the day, so I plan ahead. Normally, I have anywhere from 0-300 calories left, and if I run out lean cuisine frozen meals for my dinner, I'm kind of in a bind. Plus, I work evenings and get home anywhere from 2am-4am, so it's kind of rough.

    So.... I eat my snack about 2-2 1/2 hrs into my work day, and I still take my lunch at my normal time, which is 4 hours into my work day, around 9pm. Since I'm not really hungry, but eating/munching keeps up your metabolism, I graze while distracting myself with looking at the news sites on the internet. By the time my half hour for lunch is done, I've only eaten about half of my lunch because I wasn't really that hungry to start with since I ate my snack somewhat late. About 2or 3 hours later, I finish eating my lunch at work about the same time I would have had a snack, but it's all still logged in from my lunch calories. Then, I can have anywhere from 200-600 calories saved for a healthy dinner.

    Also, for me, drinking my water (with crystal light, baby!) and even coffee with splenda and the zero-calorie syrups are an appetite suppressant for me, and I don't get hungry as easily.

    Aside from this week (since it's employee appreciation week at my job), this little cheat system works wonders with me! :)
  • DeeKay2169
    DeeKay2169 Posts: 72 Member
    I am doing the 1200. For my breakfast and lunch I eat under 300 for each but with a lot of fiber adn protein to help me feel full longer. It seems to help me.
  • waisheimli1
    waisheimli1 Posts: 23
    I am on 1200 a day breakfast is always 200-300, and I never ever usually ate breakfast before!!!
    Lunch is usually around 500
    snack are usually around 200
    And then I always take my dog for a walk for at least one and a half hours, and then alternate gym days where I do classes only that I love ie spinning, zumba etc!

    You do not lose weight healthily and keep it off by eating less than 1200
    by exercising and tracking it you can still lose when eating your exercise cals!

    Yummy!
  • squeak1989
    squeak1989 Posts: 29
    For me I leave between 400-500 cals

    But that is just because if I don't have my biggest meal during the evening I find I snack all night. Breakfast is 200, lunch is 300, and snacks 200.
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