Question for those on 1200 calories

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newarkco05
newarkco05 Posts: 240
in Health and Weight Loss
How do you usually split up your calories? I've usually put all my foods in to the log the day before but I still end up going over or I end up hungrier than I though and have to snack more and end up going over. So I was thinking about starting a maximum calorie intake for each meal...

Here was my idea:
Breakfast- 200
Lunch- 400
Dinner- 600

Then if I want extra snacks then those are the calories I need to exercise off, or exercise to earn calories, whichever way you look at it.

I was also looking for ideas on low calorie things to snack on... I usually get hungry about an hour before lunch, when I am making dinner and towards bed time. I need a few go to things that I can munch on and not undo my day.

I also wanted to mention, It is not an option to switch the Breakfast and Dinner intake. Dinner is the only meal of the day I can sit down with my fiance and we cook together so I prefer to keep a decent amount of calories for it. It doesn't have to be 600, but I can not just have a salad for dinner. Thanks in advance!
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Replies

  • rbryntes
    rbryntes Posts: 710 Member
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    There are low calorie, filling dinners that do not have to be salad - I made split pea and sausage soup/stew for dinner last night that worked out to be 350 calories per srving and I could barely eat an entire serving.

    The more fiber and protein you have in the day, the less hungry you'll be at night. I would ensure breakfast is high protein and high fiber, and decrease the evening calories. But is there a reason you are on 1200 calories?
  • kitjos
    kitjos Posts: 158 Member
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    Youve got it in a nutshell =)

    Your welcome to have a look at my diary but i use approx 200 on breakfast, 400-500 on lunch and 500-600 on dinner. I usually burn off approx 300 cals per day through cardio so i have no problems to stick to the 1200 per day. Have you only just started on the 1200 per day or have you been doing it a while? x
  • kitjos
    kitjos Posts: 158 Member
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    Oooops double post! x
  • SLambertAlaska
    SLambertAlaska Posts: 197 Member
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    I like your idea of exercising for the "snack" calories or any calories over. Exercise is really important both for overall health and for upping your metabolism to burn more calories during the day.
    As for the hunger before meals: one thing to try is a big drink (won't necc. curb hunger but gives your mouth something to do) or mint gum. I read that the mint help with appetite and it seems to work for me. (I figure even if its in my head, if it works I don't care why.)
    Good for you for seeking out new strategies. Good luck!
  • hlouisej
    hlouisej Posts: 45
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    Hi there,
    I am on 1240 cals. I usually split 400 / 400 / 400 as I'm a breakfast kind of person and I hate feeling hungry during the morning. This means that for lunch and dinner I have cut out carbs almost completely. I usually stick to lean proteins, veggies, low fat yoghurt or fruit.
  • TeacherAnge
    TeacherAnge Posts: 20 Member
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    First of all, I HIGHLY recommend working out in order to get more calories!! This is what has worked for me:
    Breakfast - 400 calories
    Lunch #1 (around 10:30) - 300
    Lunch #2 (around 1:30) - 300
    Dinner - 400 calories

    I realize that works out to 1400, but if you can't exercise I would cut everything by 50 calories. So breakfast 350, lunch 250, lunch 250 and dinner 350. It IS possible to eat a great dinner this way. Your carb portion will just have to be really small and your veggie portion about 1/2 your plate :)

    Good luck! And, again EXERCISE!! It is so worth the extra calories!!
  • samantha_runs
    samantha_runs Posts: 38
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    I wouldn't stack all your calories at dinner because you're not going to burn them at night its better to eat bigger in the morning if you are going to do it that way, you don't need a big meal before sleep. Its like a bear at hibernation... just a thought.
    How I do it.
    Breakfast - 300
    Snack - 200
    Lunch - 300
    Snack - 200
    Dinner - 300

    Of course if I am going to go out or something then I will cut one of my snacks so one of my meals can then be around 500 (:

    ** this is 1300 so one of the snacks could be cut by 100 to drop it
  • ABetterBalance
    ABetterBalance Posts: 298
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    My preset is 1240.

    Breakfast is usually 300-400
    Lunch is the same 300-400.
    Dinner is anywhere from 400-600

    Most days I exercise and have extra calories to play with for snacks if I want them. Or my breakfast and/or lunch will be lower in calories and leave room for snacks too.
  • newarkco05
    newarkco05 Posts: 240
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    First of all, I HIGHLY recommend working out in order to get more calories!! This is what has worked for me:
    Breakfast - 400 calories
    Lunch #1 (around 10:30) - 300
    Lunch #2 (around 1:30) - 300
    Dinner - 400 calories

    I realize that works out to 1400, but if you can't exercise I would cut everything by 50 calories. So breakfast 350, lunch 250, lunch 250 and dinner 350. It IS possible to eat a great dinner this way. Your carb portion will just have to be really small and your veggie portion about 1/2 your plate :)

    Good luck! And, again EXERCISE!! It is so worth the extra calories!!

    I like the idea of 2 lunches! I am a teacher and I watch the children eat their lunch at 11 and then I wait til 1 to have my lunch (my break time!) But I could split the calories.
  • newarkco05
    newarkco05 Posts: 240
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    Thank you for the replies everyone! One of the reasons I mentioned working off snack calories if because I work full time, come home, make dinner and I am going to school online part time. I'm not making excuses, I do make some time to exercise, I just don't have the time to burn hundreds of calories every night so I want to make sure I have a meal plan in place that if I don't exercise (insert calories) I am going to gain weight. I also live in an apartment so getting up super early to exercise is not an option as I live on the 2nd level so I can be kicked out for making too much noise so early! Thanks again everyone!
  • stephcarranza
    stephcarranza Posts: 1
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    Why do you log your food intake the day before? You should do it immediately after each meal, that way you can keep better track and have a daily goal to work towards. My usual break down is 300 calories for breakfast and lunch and 600 for dinner, dinner doubled for the same reason you give.

    I do a fiber rich cereal in the morning with skim milk, because fiber and protein keep you feeling fuller longer. For lunch I do the same, usually Greek yogurt and an apple. In between I try to drink at least 32 oz of water because water also fills you up and tricks you into feeling full. You may be mistaking your thirst for hunger if you don't drink enough fluids throughout the day.

    For dinner, I always have 4 oz. protein (chicken or fish), healthy carbs (brown or basmati rice, quinoa) and veggies (anything green mainly, i stay away from bright colors here, like corn or carrots because they have a lot of sugar). The veggies take up 50% of my plate. Always make sure you are measuring what you eat, because people are prone to underestimating what they are putting in their mouths.

    I go hard at the gym as well, just to be safe. I do 45 minutes of cardio, plus i walk to/from the gym and and to/from work. I also do weights 3 times weekly. I started dieting on 5/9/11 and so far I have lost 35 pounds. Keep up your hard work and you will see results!
  • newarkco05
    newarkco05 Posts: 240
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    Why do you log your food intake the day before? You should do it immediately after each meal, that way you can keep better track and have a daily goal to work towards. My usual break down is 300 calories for breakfast and lunch and 600 for dinner, dinner doubled for the same reason you give.

    I do a fiber rich cereal in the morning with skim milk, because fiber and protein keep you feeling fuller longer. For lunch I do the same, usually Greek yogurt and an apple. In between I try to drink at least 32 oz of water because water also fills you up and tricks you into feeling full. You may be mistaking your thirst for hunger if you don't drink enough fluids throughout the day.

    For dinner, I always have 4 oz. protein (chicken or fish), healthy carbs (brown or basmati rice, quinoa) and veggies (anything green mainly, i stay away from bright colors here, like corn or carrots because they have a lot of sugar). The veggies take up 50% of my plate. Always make sure you are measuring what you eat, because people are prone to underestimating what they are putting in their mouths.

    I go hard at the gym as well, just to be safe. I do 45 minutes of cardio, plus i walk to/from the gym and and to/from work. I also do weights 3 times weekly. I started dieting on 5/9/11 and so far I have lost 35 pounds. Keep up your hard work and you will see results!

    I pre log all my meals to have an idea of my calorie intake for the following day and see if I need to change anything before I eat it. Logging after the meals just makes it easier for me to go over my calories for the day.
  • wildestian
    wildestian Posts: 188 Member
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    Something that helps is drinking tons of water, when I get hungry between meals I make sure I drink a glass of water first, and the hunger goes away.. I don't even snack anymore, I burn around 230 cals, so I have more calories for my bigger meal (In my case it's lunch).
    A great snack are fruit, they keep me full and are so low in calories.
  • heathermckillop
    heathermckillop Posts: 51 Member
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    Hi. I'm also on 1200. My breakfast is 250 and that's by having a muffin that I make myself which has oats in it to be a slow release. For lunch I have spiced cous cous during the week and that's really low in Cals. I always have about 600 or so Cals for dinner and hardly have to snack. If I do I make sure its not over 100 Cals and I'm trying to drink 8 glasses of water a day. I try to do some form of exercise and if I can't get out then I march on the spot or climb my stairs :)
  • ice1200s
    ice1200s Posts: 237 Member
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    I'm doing 1200 calories/day as well. However, I'm doing ~500/400/300. It works for me, because I get full in the morning and maintain it with lunch, dinner and snacks. I also drink two 8oz glasses of water when I sit down to eat lunch and dinner, but before I pick up the fork. This keeps me full all day.
  • kj_4
    kj_4 Posts: 50 Member
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    I am only into this one month, so I haven't quite figured out my splits too well between meals. I try to log things when I get home from work and then see what I have left for supper. Hopefully I haven't gone too overboard.
    Just a couple of ideas for snacks that I do: cut up some cucumbers and tomatoes and just eat them - very low in calories.
    I have bought a few snacks that are prepackaged 100 calorie snacks - like almonds, microwave popcorn and then I know that is all I eat and it's only 100 calories. Another good one is some salsa and instead of tortilla chips - I use rice crackers or water crackers which are low in calories to get in a filling savory,crunchy snack. Fruit is also a good choice for a snack too.
    My other trick in the evening which is usually my weak time, when I really feel like snacking is to have a cup of tea instead. Sugarfree gum is also another trick to keep from eating and going over your calories.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    How do you usually split up your calories? I've usually put all my foods in to the log the day before but I still end up going over or I end up hungrier than I though and have to snack more and end up going over. So I was thinking about starting a maximum calorie intake for each meal...

    Here was my idea:
    Breakfast- 200
    Lunch- 400
    Dinner- 600

    Then if I want extra snacks then those are the calories I need to exercise off, or exercise to earn calories, whichever way you look at it.

    I was also looking for ideas on low calorie things to snack on... I usually get hungry about an hour before lunch, when I am making dinner and towards bed time. I need a few go to things that I can munch on and not undo my day.

    I also wanted to mention, It is not an option to switch the Breakfast and Dinner intake. Dinner is the only meal of the day I can sit down with my fiance and we cook together so I prefer to keep a decent amount of calories for it. It doesn't have to be 600, but I can not just have a salad for dinner. Thanks in advance!

    I have this down

    Breakfast - 200
    Lunch - 200/300
    Snack - 100
    Dinner - 400/500

    I keep dinner as my largest meal since I am usually up late anyway. If I get hungry after dinner I'll usually grab and apple or some other piece of fruit.
  • leomentlines
    leomentlines Posts: 440 Member
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    I've been doing 1250 a day, and what I've found that works really well for me is:

    Breakfast: 200-300 cals (heavy protein - think greek yogurt + string cheese, or low carb egg white wrap w/ cheese)
    Snack: 100-200 cals (varies, but nutritional bar or small package of almonds if I don't have time for anything else)
    Lunch:300-350 cals (veggie burger on english muffin/pasta+salad/this varies.. higher carbs but still some protein here)
    Snack: 100-200 cals (these really good cookies called almondinas really hit the spot around this time of day, either that or some oatmeal)
    Dinner: 300-400 cals (same schtick as lunch, really. Usually something quick, as this tends to be eaten around midnight)

    As you can see, this ranges from 1200-1450, but making it to the gym is a huge reason I'm able to stay under my calorie goals. I find it hard to eat only 1250 and not be hungry by the end of the day, so it ends up being extra motivation for me to hit the gym and burn some calories so I can eat a little more. Oddly enough, I sometimes kill my hunger by doing the exercise in the first place!
  • Deathwithab
    Deathwithab Posts: 462 Member
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    i have 1240 cals and i have an easy time keeping in that , or very close with extra workout cals
  • tishpickle
    tishpickle Posts: 28
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    I just split my calories how I feel each day so it changes slightly.

    I have a spreadsheet for this (OCD is fun!)

    Over 5 weeks I have had the following breakdown;

    Breakfast: 315
    Lunch:357
    Dinner: 493
    Snack: 86
    Exercise: 175

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