Question for those on 1200 calories

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?

Oooops double post! x

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

i have 1240 cals and i have an easy time keeping in that , or very close with extra workout cals

I just read this and This is me, Granted I have only been doing this for 5 or so days but Yes I find I am over many days. If I stay on track when I work out right after I have the shakes, I have to something right away. Any ideas on this one? ( Note I posted a post just last night asking for pros and cons on something and got attacked for it So I am really taking a leap of faith that I just ran into some bad apples, and not everyone is like them last night) Please if you are going to attack me please Don't. Thank you have a great day everyone.

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

My friend uses a spreadsheet too, its all singing all dancing!

Im the same with calories, i dont stick to a certain amount per breakfast, lunch and dinner!

xx

I am also on 1200 calories... It gets easier the longer you keep to your limit. Exercise helps too. For me, when I exercise, I am more aware of my caloric intake. I don't want to mess up all the work I just put in. Even if you just do some simple calisthenics on your lunch break, it will help. Something is better than nothing. You don't have to burn 300 calories every day. Sometimes I only burn 75 calories, (on days that I can't seem to fit in my regular exercise) but like I said, it's better than nothing. I've done stretching, crunches and modified push-up's in parking lots, random grass areas, my living room floor... anywhere! To keep to my calorie limit, I also plan my dinners for the month. That way after breakfast, I can input the rest of my calories for the day. Lunch is usually leftover dinner from the night before, and since I have a menu scheduled for dinner, I know what I will be eating all day. String cheese is my favorite snack! It's only 80 calories, and usually takes the edge off... especially if I'm drinking lots of water. Iv'e been on the weight loss journey for about 1 1/2 years and have lost 50 pounds. I'm 7 pounds from my goal. It can be difficult at times, but so worth it!! Good luck, and keep up the good work!!

Hey hun, I have heen on 1200 cal for awhile now your more than welcome to have a look at my diary, it seems to be working andarely work out at all. (Obviously I'm not encouraging it but I have three young kids and i am flat out)

For snacks I have

Forme no fat yoghurt in
Sticky date pudding
Classic cheesecake and
Apple pie

They are about 75cal a tub and yummy

Or for savoury I have beef jerky (biltong)
For a large stick 30g its under 100 cal and fills me up because it takes so long to chew.

I hope this helps hun and good luck

Try switching it around.
Breakfast should be AT LEAST 350. The bigger the breakfast the less hungry you are through out the day. Lunch around 400, depending how big the breakfast, dinner 400-450. This should help keep you fuller through out the day
and if you're exercising, you can eat those calories so you don't have to worry much about going over or being hungry later