How do I stay in my caloric limit of 1200?

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srgringo
srgringo Posts: 2
in Health and Weight Loss
1200 is so little! Do you eat any dairy products? I like to eat sweets!!

How do you guys stay within your limit and what kind of low calorie meals do you have to share?
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Replies

  • girard5
    girard5 Posts: 109 Member
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    Exercise! This will give you more calories to consume! I also try to keep my meals around the 300 cal mark and I eat a lot of veggies and fruits for snacks.
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
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    I don't know. That is way too low. My daily net is 1400 and if I don't exercise it is never enough.

    Unless you have had gastric surgery, have more than 100 lbs. to lose or you are already very small, 1200 cals/day is not enough.

    Unless one of the above situations describes you start with selecting 1 lb/week loss instead of 2 and you will have a more appropriate number of calories. In any event you should log your exercise and eat the extra calories you earn by doing so.

    blessings.
  • SMarie10
    SMarie10 Posts: 956 Member
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    I'd love to eat sweets, cheesburgers, fries and milkshakes all day and stay within 1200 calories, but guess what, that won't happen. So, figure out what you can eat. - salads, eggs, beans, fruit. Instead of chocolate, I eat an apple a day - it's crunchy and sweet and best when it's really cold.

    If it was easy, we wouldn't be here. Good luck.
  • srgringo
    srgringo Posts: 2
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    Thank you all for your advice, I will have to start eating more vegetables and fruits
  • kimi131
    kimi131 Posts: 1,058 Member
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    I eat a small breakfast, an am fruit snack in the 50 cal range, a moderate lunch 3-400, which leaves me 6-700 for dinner. A healthy dinner runs me 3-500 which leaves me a little room to snack or have something sweet :smile: . I try to exercise when I can for some extra cals, but the way my life is right now, that doesn't always work out.
  • lukesmama
    lukesmama Posts: 30 Member
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    I agree with PP. I get about 1500 cals. and still have difficulty staying in my goal without exercise. One thing I do is cut all my buns thinner by half, order thin crust on pizza, eat lean protein at most meals. Coffee and tea help fill me up while adding very few cals.
  • nrvo
    nrvo Posts: 473 Member
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    Fruits, veggies, fat free greek yogurt, extra lean ground turkey, boneless skinless chicken breasts, low sodium lunchmeats.


    Edit: I like to mix sugar free jello powder into my Fage 0% greek yogurt...it's super yummy and satisfies my sweet tooth!
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    I agree that 1200 is probably too low. Change your weekly goal to 0.5 or 1 lbs a week.
  • picinina
    picinina Posts: 76
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    I manage to stick to 1200 cals fairly easily, however I am short in height and don't have a massive amount of weight to loose. I have an open diary, you are more than welcome to have a browse to see how I achieve this intake. :) (I love checking out my 'friends diaries for ideas- it's a great tool!).

    I also eat back my exercise calories. It's important to refuel your body properly.

    Good luck!

    Ciao
    Picinina
  • cruiseking
    cruiseking Posts: 338 Member
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    Only two choices:
    1) Don't eat more than 1200 calories (the obvious).
    2)Exercise to add calories to your intake.
    That's it.
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
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    I eat around 1200 calories a day - I stick with lots of veggies, fish, greek yogurt, hummus... But...perhaps 1200 is too low for you. I'm a 4'11 female. Your profile says that you're male, so I'm guessing 1200 might be too low for you...
  • cowboydan43
    cowboydan43 Posts: 306 Member
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    Eat back your exercise calories. Eat LOTS of veggies. 2 cups of spinach plus other assorted veggies and some chickpeas or nuts for protein can be as little as 250 calories and extremely filling. When I eat pasta- I mix it with broccoli. So I may have a 1/2 cup of whole wheat pasta, maybe a 1/2 cup of sauce, but a cup of broccoli. It is plenty to fill me up without adding too many calories.
    I LOVE sweets too, you just have to be smart about it and find what fits into your goals. One of my favorite sweet snacks I found on here (NOT my recipe) is taking a wonton wrapper, a slice of banana, a dab (teaspoon about) of Nutella and a quick spritz of cooking spray on bottom and top then you bake it. I think it comes to about 60 calories each& it is so worth it and satisfies my sweet tooth.
  • haeden
    haeden Posts: 183 Member
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    im at a 1200 calorie limit and i exercise almost everyday so i can eat more :) but i always suggest eating a big breakfast.i have read so many articles that say its your most important. Then i drink a good amount after.i always eat a 100 calorie snack about every three hours. If i go over a little, its okay :) even if your at 1400 you will still lose weight. Also, atleast once a day i eat more than the 1200 to shock my body :) Good luck! add me if you want! IM great support
  • jlowensby
    jlowensby Posts: 142
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    Mine is 1240 and I am finding it pretty easy to keep in that range. I eat tons of raw veggies and fresh fruit about midday....lean protein.

    I have cut red meat down to a mininum and have oatmeal and egg whites in the morning.

    I am eating about every 3-4 hours and do not feel hungry.

    I do walk and strength train as well.
  • terar21
    terar21 Posts: 523 Member
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    Protein is the key. Proteins give you your calories but keep you full longer without overdoing on snacks.

    1200 isn't impossible but exercising is also important to maintaining that limit because chances are that you will go over often because it's easy. You don't have to run 3 miles each day but some kind of activity is important. So if you are truly struggling with it after inserting more protein into your diet, I would lower your weight loss goal for the week like others said.
  • CountandBaxter
    CountandBaxter Posts: 31 Member
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    I try to do -

    200 calories for breakfast / including snack before lunch
    300 calories or less at lunch
    200 calories before dinner snacks
    500 calories for dinner / dessert

    I eat pretty much all day long meaning - every two hours. and any extra calories I have from exercise gets used for dinner/dessert.

    Snacks are my life line and keep me from being hangry* (which my boyfriend knows to keep snacks with him as well just in case).

    Right now - the snacks I have in my rotation for this week are-

    Deep Chocolate Vitatops- 100 calorie per top- Vitamuffin
    Cinnamon Roast Almonds- 100 calorie pack- Emerald Brand
    Cheddar Cheese Snack Bars- 80 calories per bar- Target/Market Pantry
    Very Berry Greek Yogurt - 100 calorie per cup- Chiobani
    Real Fruit Strips Strawberry - 45 calorie per strip- Archer Farms/Target
    Honeycrisp Apples - 110 calories for large apple (awesome right now btw)
    California Black Grapes- 100 calories for 35 grapes
    Broccoli and Cheese - 40 calories for single serving tray- Green Giant

    That is how I do it when I'm not working out.

    But I rarely keep at 1200 because I try work out consistently. But you can do it- just need to plan really really well.

    *hungry + angry = hangry
  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
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    Your a dude, why so low? I ask the question seriously, how did you come to only 1200 calories?
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    What is your ht/wt that you are a male and only eating 1200 cals?
  • TooFatToFit
    TooFatToFit Posts: 285 Member
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    1200 is so little! Do you eat any dairy products? I like to eat sweets!!

    How do you guys stay within your limit and what kind of low calorie meals do you have to share?

    I don't think I could do it if I didn't add exercise in to get me a few more. It's a great motivator to get moving!
  • jamiealdridge02
    jamiealdridge02 Posts: 93 Member
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    I try to stick with an even amount of calories for all of my meals and snacks. That makes it much easier to stick to my limit.

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