What I eat in a day on 1200 calories

Amanda_Brit_Expat wrote: »

bionicrooster wrote: »

I have no problem sticking to 1200 and have never had any issues. I think everyone is different. If you hair is falling out on 1200 - 1500 cals a day you may have other health issues.... Besides, she never said she was struggling, she just asked for food suggestions!

Here is some of my 'go to' low cal foods for my 1200 a day diet.

Hardboiled egg whites (17 cal per)
Grilled chicken
grille veggies
Ostrim beef/ostrich sticks (110 cal per)
pan seared brussel sprouts or broccoli
more hard boiled egg whites!
Schmidt 647 bread (40 cal per slice)

Do you mean 1200 before adding in more for the calories you burn through activities and exercise?
On a day you do nothing but lie still, maybe if you are very small, you might burn that, and it would be you BMR - Basic Metabolic Rate - what your body burns to keep functioning.
For example, I am a 5'2" female, 136Lbs and my basic metabolic rate is about 1200, that is what my body burns, roughly, in a 24 hr period without exercise or any movement - just resting.
There are lots of BMR calculators online, such as this simple one you might be surprised what comes out if you plug in your numbers:
https://www.calculator.net/bmr-calculator.html?ctype=standard&cage=55&csex=f&cheightfeet=5&cheightinch=2.5&cpound=138&cheightmeter=180&ckg=60&cmop=0&coutunit=c&cformula=m&cfatpct=20&x=42&y=19

figurethefat wrote: »

I'm short, old, but fairly active. When I want to actively lose weight I stay at or just under 1200 calories a day. That said, if I do quite a bit of walking on a certain day I do tend to go over...
Here's some breakfast ideas:
1. Canned black beans (put them in the food processor after draining off most of the juice - add a few spices like smoked paprika, cumin, garlic. They are just like refried beans). Bake two corn tortillas in the oven (that's 100 calories), spread each with some black bean mix (30 grams for each tortilla), put on some tomatoes and top with some chopped jalapenos and a light sprinkle of lower fat cheese like edam. All up probably 300 calories.
2. I often will eat two slices of thin bread toasted and two small eggs poached. Hey it's only about 300 calories and very satisfying. If you want, have just one egg and a slice of lean bacon, with 2 toasts. These things can be switched up and switched around, still only about 300 calories.
3. A small ciabatta roll toasted, spread lightly with peanut butter (about 15 grams total which is about 1 tablespoon) and 1/2 a small banana sliced on top. Less than 300 calories! Sprinkle some cinnamon on top to make it special.
4. Tofu scramble (mash up the drained firm tofu with some spices while your veggies saute) - mushrooms, capsicum, zucchini, onion (I don't like it for brekkie) all thinly sliced and cooked in a spray of olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add the mashed tofu and cook a few more minutes. You could probably still fit in a slice of toast with this and it's really filling. You could do the same with a couple of small eggs.

Lunch ideas:
1. Lettuce, lots of it with chopped capsicum, celery, cucumber, tomato, maybe a hard boiled egg if no egg for brekkie, meat or fish or your choice or what's on hand - leftover chicken breast, ham, salami, canned tuna, smoked salmon. You don't need too much just enough to give the salad some oomph. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and dress with your choice of dressing. I like to use a mayonnaise or creamy dressing. The low calorie veggies make this doable. Depending on your ingredients it should be about 250 calories. I usually have something sweet afterwards like some canned fruit (in juice) with some plain yogurt or chia pudding.
2. Dahl - this is easy to make, low in calories and filling. Use red lentils, about 1/3 cup cooked in a separate saucepan with water. The red lentils so soft very quick and will be ready when you have finished the onions, garlic and ginger. So while the lentils are simmering away, in a different saucepan heat 2 teaspoons of oil, sprinkle in some mustard seeds, cumin seeds, a few cloves, when the seeds pop add the onions and cooked slowly stirring as needed, add the minced garlic and ginger, finally add some curry powder, mix up and then add a small bit of chopped squash or yam, a small potato and lastly the lentils. They should have broken down and be a thick slurry but you may need to drain off some of the liquid. Cook for about 20 minutes, adding a small chopped tomato after 10 minutes. Eat topped with plain yogurt. This is a rough approximation of one serve, but I make more, usually for dinner and eat it for a few days.
3. Waldorf salad - chopped apple, chopped celery, chopped walnuts, some grapes or raisins if grapes not in season. Mix plain yogurt with a bit of mayo and some lemon juice, toss, chill eat along with some cold chicken breast. Coleslaw is also good! Easy to make, filling and satisfying. Slice the cabbage thinly and then again to make shreds. Grate in some carrot, add salt and pepper and some mayo. Easy on the mayo but cabbage has practically no calories.

Over the years I've come to realise that fat is my friend. I used to shun it when dieting but I think it's one of the things that keep us going when we are eating fewer calories. It keeps me from feeling "deprived." So oils, especially coconut and olive oil, avocado, peanut butter, nut butter, nuts, seeds, all these things help. Also full fat dairy like plain yogurt. Oh, and cheese! Feta, swiss, even cheddar, all wonderful in small amounts.

Happy, healthy eating!