How do you eat 1200-1300 calories?

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schwest76
schwest76 Posts: 77 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My daily calorie goal is 1280 calories and I have a really hard time sticking to this. I've been doing this for about a month and still struggle. When I do exercise (cardio+weights) I eat back my calorie allowance and usually I'm ok then. My typical meals run about 250 calories for breakfast, 400- 500 hundred for lunch ( I know this seems like alot but it's just a turkey and swiss wrap with vegetables and lite miracle whip plus a yogart) and the rest for dinner and a snack or two. I tend to eat alot of calories at night but unless I'm eating fish and vegetables I have a hard time toning down the calories. To date I've been averaging about 1500-1600 calories a day. My weight loss goal is 2 lbs a week and I have about 80 to lose. I'm getting frustrated! Any suggestions? Thanks!

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  • lenwie
    lenwie Posts: 240
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    perhaps concider changing to 1 & half a week loss, this will give you a few more cals. MFP really is just a guide to what you may loss at the calorie deficit set, try it and see, you may notice that you are losing 2lb a week as you are very good with your workouts.
  • Persipan
    Persipan Posts: 85 Member
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    I basically do it by eating mainly fruit for breakfast, and making one meal a day (usually lunch) something veg-and-protein-y, like chicken salad, and then having more orless whatever I like for dinner, plus a couple of snacks.
  • RockyPunch
    RockyPunch Posts: 2 Member
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    It will help if you change your meals to 300-350 calories. That way, you can have 4 meals or 3 plus a couple snacks (this helped me a lot!). Also, stuff like miracle whip will add a lot of calories without being filling so maybe try cutting that out?
  • marialynnporter
    marialynnporter Posts: 95 Member
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    eat something small for dinner or just eat egg whites and yogurt for breakfast. just try to cut down on your carbs and your calories. and the mayo not so good for you. and drink lots of water! you might feel like you are hungry so try drinking a huge glass or two of water. lots of people get thirsty and hungry mixed up.
  • ashesoh1234
    ashesoh1234 Posts: 132 Member
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    You'll be fine at 1500-1600 cal/day , in my opinion. I'm not an expert by any means, but I have been successfully losing weight (about 48 lbs in 17 weeks) and I eat more than 1200 cal pretty much every day. I work, have three kids, and work out 5-6 days a week. I've been averaging almost three lbs a week (loss) and if I only ate 1200 a day I'd be sooooooo hungry.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I'm set at 1300 calories a day and the ONLY way I manage it is by exercising at least 5x/week (usually burn at least 400/day).

    I agree with trying to set your weight loss goal at 1.5 pounds per week. That's what I started at when I joined (I think it's 1.3 pounds per week now) and it's worked pretty well for me. You can still try to shoot for 1200 net on your exercise days but having a couple hundred extra on the other days will give you a cushion and make it more livable.

    To me, the goal of this is not to starve yourself but to become more healthy and change habits for life while still having a fairly normal routine. If you're deprived or stressed, it's not going to last too long.

    Good luck!
  • lmarshel
    lmarshel Posts: 674 Member
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    I've never eaten that little cals per day. My calorie goal is just under 1500. With exercise, I usually eat somewhere between 1700-1900 cals per day. I would also recommend changing your goal to allow yourself more calories per day. You want to do something you can live with long-term. It's not about losing a lot of weight quickly and being miserable doing it. Make some adjustments until you're comfortable. :)
  • MoooveOverFluffy
    MoooveOverFluffy Posts: 398 Member
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    it's hard for me to hit my 1200 mark unless i work out, but i've been getting alot better at making smarter choices. Things i know will keep me fuller for longer, like protein and fiber... FRIEND ME and check out my diary!
  • MoooveOverFluffy
    MoooveOverFluffy Posts: 398 Member
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    oh, and LOTS AND LOTS OF WATER!!!!!!!!!!!!! before, during, and after meals.... and late at night when i get the urge to eat, i have a cup of hot herbal tea. It doesn't kill the craving, but it makes it easier to deal with.
  • Justkeepswimmin
    Justkeepswimmin Posts: 777 Member
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    Is your wrap a 100 calorie high protein wrap or one of those 150 calorie higher carb ratio ones? Can't you use mustard on your wrap - add veggies to help you feel full. Which light yogurt? Many have a lot of calories....check out some alternative brands. If you use a slice of cheese, use half the slice.

    What's breakfast, make sure its egg whites/sub and not eggs.

    That being said my goal is 1200 a day but I work out a minimum of 6 days a week....usually I do a rest day one day every other week...granted some days my work out is only 30 min, but most it's an hour and one day a week I go for a 2-5 hour hike.
  • tbudge
    tbudge Posts: 114
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    without seeing your diary, its hard to say...but look for alternatives. Buy the Sara Lee Light wheat bread that is only 45 calories a slice...that takes out so much. Eat oatmeal for breakfast, or egg whites and lean turkey bacon. For dinner, lots and lots of veggies! Green Veggies have super low calories. If that doesn't work, try to work out more and get more exercise calories. I find that most days now, I can't eat all of mine!
  • megmariew1
    megmariew1 Posts: 60
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    I have my calorie goal set to 1200 and I sometimes have a hard time getting all my calories in. I am usally under by about 20-30.

    I usually have oatmeal in the morning with a tablespoon of peanut butter and a banana. Lunch is usally a salad of somekind or a turkey or tuna sandwhich, sometimes greek yogurt and fruit. Dinner is usually grilled chicken or ground turkey or fish, rice or quinoa and veggies. I usually can get a snack in there as well. I also like to drink a glass of wine or two from time to time and I am still always under.

    It can be done!! You just have to keep your portions in check and go for filling foods with lots of protien. :)
  • terar21
    terar21 Posts: 523 Member
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    More protein :)

    I find that you can waste a TON of calories on snacks that don't really fill you up and carry too many calories for what you're eating. My staple snack is raw almonds. A few almonds and I fill full, satisfied and not guilty for doing a little snacking. I carry around a plastic bag in my purse with them in it because it's great when you get stuck in a place you can't eat or you're running a little late on your next meal and start to get hungry. I find that if I eat them a couple hours before lunch, when I get to lunch I'm not starving so I don't pig out.

    When I was in college, I travel doing speech and we'd be stuck giving/watching speeches for endless hours without food. I used to share with my team and they loved me for it because just a few kills any hunger.

    The one thing I do say is that you should probably ONLY put one serving in your plastic bag. It's so easy to snack mindlessly and realize at the end of the day you've eaten far too many.

    And definitely go with raw almonds. Salted is just a waste even if it's "lightly" salted. I know you might be thinking salted is better but almonds naturally have a good flavor to them and don't need to be salted.
  • bobbiec1015
    bobbiec1015 Posts: 7
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    MFP says 1200 for me. My dr said after a while I'd figure out what calorie level made me feel full enough to avoid mindless snacking and still help me lose. After a year, I've noticed I do best at 1300-1400. That gives me 325 per meal, give or take and 325 for 2 or 3 snacks throughout the day. I try to not eat past 8:30pm also.

    Breakfast is usually some multigrain cheerios with 1% milk and some fruit juice.

    Lunch is usually half a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with either a yogurt and some fresh fruit or like a baby bel cheese instead of yogurt and maybe all natural applesauce instead of fresh fruit.

    Dinner is usually 2 cups of veg, some tomato slices (we eat a lot of those around my house lol) and a protein 4-6oz depeneding on if its pork, chicken, beef, fish etc. Tonight we are having stuffed green peppers...my fave...and the way my Dad makes them it rings it at 325 per pepper.

    For snacks I aim for 2-3 a day. Anything from 100 calories granola bars, to nutrigrain bars to fruit cups (only in 100% juice), to some multigrain tostitos and salsa depending on how many calories I have left at the end of the day!

    Oh and making sure I get my 6-8 glasses of water a day helps too!

    The only thing I can't get down is the sugars...still working on that. It was certainly an adjustment tho, getting used to eatting so little. I have the WORST time not snacking at night too lol! I've learned if I am feeling like I need to snack, keep my hands busy with my DS or a word puzzle or a game on my cell phone and after about 15 minutes my mind seems distracted enough to move on. And if its not then I know I'm probably really hungry so I get something small.

    Have faith in yourself that you can do it!
  • Pangui
    Pangui Posts: 373 Member
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    There is a myriad of ways to accomplish what you are asking. The way I do it is to limit my food choices solely to foods that have a low calorie density. I eat as much of these foods as I like and it is a struggle some days to top 1000 calories. The foods are generally vegetables, fruits, whole grains (including brown rice, quinoa, barley, oatmeal, etc), potatoes, corn, and beans. I don't add ANY fat and keep the sugar to a minimum (only 1 tsp brown sugar with my morning oatmeal). When I decide to lose at a slower pace, I will add back in some of my favorite higher fat foods like olives, avocados, dark chocolate and nuts (within reason), but for now, I am enjoying the fast pace of weight loss.
  • seasonalvoodoo
    seasonalvoodoo Posts: 380 Member
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    If you do not 'need' to lose 2 lbs a week, drop the goal down to 1.5 or 1 lb a week. I am set up to lose .5 a week and eat 1800 cals, plus exercise calories.
  • holdondreamaway
    holdondreamaway Posts: 35
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    For starters, while I love MFP, it's a mathematical guide. It uses numbers to give what should work for the greatest average of people. I started at a goal of 1lb per week and with my height and weight MFP gave me 1420. I lost a little weight and adjusted it to keep losing 1lb a ween and it had me in the 1300s, which caused me to go into starvation mode and gain back weight. I had to go back up in calories to lose weight. I'm not saying this is your case, just that MFP is not a perfect number generator. You should also take a good, hard look at what you're putting into your body. How many sugars, or fats? Are you drinking enough water? Do you really need mayo, even light? How many other choices like it are you making, thinking it's harmless? It adds up! Additionally, are you willing to make the lifestyle change required to suddenly eat better and work out enough to lose 2lbs a week?
  • Grimmerick
    Grimmerick Posts: 3,344 Member
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    I do more clean foods and low fat (NOT no fat) if you eat 1400-1500 calories a day you will still lose weight but just a little more slowly............that's ok too. As long as you are losing weight do what you will stick to. You might lose weight slower but you are still losing weight and feeling satisfied. If you shoot for 1200 and always feel deprived and go over then you will just be making yourself feel bad and that might make you eat even more. as long as you are eating less than you are burning you will be just fine.
  • littleleisha
    littleleisha Posts: 98 Member
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    I find that when I start my day off with egg whites & whole wheat toast I am much fuller all day long than when I eat cereal, oatmeal, fruit or whatever for breakfast. Plus eggs whites are super low cal & high protein! Hope this helps :)

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