1200 cal without exercising??
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I found it completely and utterly impossible to only eat 1200 calories. I do not find it hard to eat healthy, but if my breakfast doesn't have at least 400 calories, my stomach growls again 2 hours later. I tried it for a while, exercised excessively to have more calories to eat, and lost a few pounds excruciatingly slowly. I took that as a message from my body that it simply couldn't get by on 1200.
I finally gave it up, accepted my weight to be my ideal weight, and now eat 1800 to maintain. Now I don't think about food all the time and I feel great. I do try to tone up though, because I still feel too flabby. Maybe after a break I'll try to build in some calorie deficit again... But I'm definitely not going back to 1200.0 -
I was truly amazed today, I went over my 1200 calories by 83 calories and burned 221 by putting in an aerobics dvd and giving my all. Eating less is depriving your body of much needed energy. It is a good balance of making healthy choices of healthy carbs and lean protein. The weight watchers diet says fruits and veggies are free choices. IDK not exercising for me isn't good. Any weight loss plan recommends some exercise, and exercise can be broken down in segments. Look at the exercise options, many are easy to do without "messing the hair" on the head. I just know for myself I need to rally up!0
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Lots of fruit, veggies, soup, and fat free yogurt or cheese or milk.
It's pretty easy to have cereal, yogurt with fruit, a large salad, a can of soup, a whole wheat roll with a slice of cheese, and an apple with peanut butter for around 1200 calories. I had something similar to this a while ago, a little low on bread/starchy food but I was still full the whole day.
Salad (My personal favorite):
2 cups of green leaf lettuce
5 medium slices of tomato
1/2 cup of cucumber (with peel)
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
3 radishes, chopped.
10 sugar snap peas
1/4 fat free, sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 shredded boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tbsp of fat free ranch
18 croutons
This equals 333 calories
Chunky soup:
Chicken noodle, whole can.
Is 220 calories
A whole wheat roll, with one slice of fat free, cheddar cheese
Is 100 calories.
Gala apple with 2tbsp of light peanut butter
Is 232 calories
Cheerios, 3/4 cup with 1 cup of skim milk is:
161 calories
175 grams of Greek yogurt with 1 cup of chopped strawberries
Is 150 calories
i dislike yogurt, but this sounds like a yummy day to me and alot more food than i normally get in
I dont know about everyone else, but to me hot foods seem more filling. My english muffin with turkey seems to satisfy me much more when it comes out of the microwave than straight out of the fridge0 -
@crzyone - I hear ya. I still have trouble feeling 'full' if I don't include carbs or potatoes or something like that in my meal, but honestly, it's something you get over. The need for carbs is really a habit your body has to break. It's hard, but you can do it. For example, for dinner tonight I had salmon, brussle sprouts and a salad. My body wants carbs, but I know that it doesn't need them. The more I eat like this, the less I crave carbs. You just have to push through, you CAN do it.
Like the other posters have said, stick with veggies and lean meats, and you'll have no problem staying within your calorie limits.0 -
I rarely eat over 1200 calories, except last week...I couldn't resist the Thanksgiving treats. I have fiber one 90 calorie bar, or egg white omellette for breakfast. I by low calorie whole grain bread, and Dilusso turkey and cheese every day for lunch. Fills me up!
I eat lean meat, cottage cheese, and veggie for supper. I eat a good dessert each nite. I even have an apple and another snack during the day. You can do it! Just plan your meals ahead of time, so you don't grab a high cal snack, bc you don't know what to eat.0 -
I was truly amazed today, I went over my 1200 calories by 83 calories and burned 221 by putting in an aerobics dvd and giving my all. Eating less is depriving your body of much needed energy. It is a good balance of making healthy choices of healthy carbs and lean protein. The weight watchers diet says fruits and veggies are free choices. IDK not exercising for me isn't good. Any weight loss plan recommends some exercise, and exercise can be broken down in segments. Look at the exercise options, many are easy to do without "messing the hair" on the head. I just know for myself I need to rally up!
She mentioned she couldn't exercise because of an injury, not because she didn't want to exercise
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On good days I can easily stay around 1200 calories and be satisfied. My secret; When I feel like I am extremely hungry I I get something hot to drink! Whether it's tea or coffee, something with little to no calories, it seems to satisfy my rumbling stomach!!0
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I like a chicken breast with honey mustard (I mix spicy southwest with honey in equal parts) and steamed broccoli
Salad with sliced chicken
Fajita (yes, made with chicken lol) meat on salad
I also like veggie soup- cabbage, onion, broccoli, celery, chicken broth, garlic. You can eat a ton of this for very few calories- like 30 cal per cup)0 -
Thanks for asking this question. It's tricky for me, too. And I'm very sick, so I haven't worked out in a week! I feel like I need to take all of these ideas and print them out and tape them to my fridge (or my forehead!).0
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I lost my first 10lbs without exercise and only ate 1200 calories a day for about a month. After the first 5 days or so your body gets used to less food, at least mine did. My tips would be to eat lots of fiber and drink tons of water. It's amazing how it fills you up. I also drink 2 cups of water before my meals. It fills you up a bit before so you aren't getting as many calories but still feeling fuller. My typical 1200 calorie day included lots of lean cuisines (processed food, bad i know, but i'm a college student...), hummus and veggies. My typical night time snack was 100 calorie bags of popcorn. It feels like your mindlessly snacking but it's so much better for you than chips!0
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I BEEN DOING 1200 CALORIES NOW FOR ABOUT 3 WEEK'S AND I BEEN DOING PRETTY GOOD ALWAYS WATCH UR CALORIES AND DONT FOR GET TO RIGHT DOWN WHAT UR EATING IN HERE !!:) TRY TO WORK OUT 30 MIN'S OR 1 HOUR A DAY AND U WILL SEE A BIG CHANGE SNACK ON FRUITS & VEGGIE'S DRINK A LOT OF WATER AND IF U WANA DRINK A COKE MAKE A BETTER CHOOSES LIKE GET A 16. OZ OF CHARRY POMEGRANATE ITS ONLY HAS 5 CALORIES
good luck and make better choices 0 -
eat higher end foods such as greek ypgurt, it has double protein and low calorie plus it fills you up!! Protein shakes, lots of veggies. Salmon, chicken, turkey. Once yuou do it for 3 weeks it will be hard to eat "bad" because your palette won't appreciate the tastes. You should be able to walk 30 minutes a day.
I can't recommend greek yogurt enough. Fage + honey is only 180 calories, and it is so filling. 1200 isn't too bad if you space things out well, too. I'm eating more than 1200 at the moment (like 1200-1500 whatever I'm feeling that day. It's all below what I need to lose anyway), but when I was at 1200, I generally had greek yogurt, a banana, or a sunny side up egg for breakfast. Salad and some random side (kettle corn, banana chips, or an apple or something) for lunch. Then I'd snack on something random (generally kettle corn, banana chips, fiber bar, or random fruit). When I get home, I microwave one of many random prepackaged things from trader joe's. That's almost always 1200. Right now, I add one more snack in for pre-dinner and generally sit myself at about 1400.0 -
I would consult a doctor about the injury. You may need a muscle relaxant to speed recovery. a muscle relaxant may effect weight loss, but you'll be back to your routine much more quickly than just only taking a break. Depending on how sever the pull/strain is, it may be weeks if you don't receive medical attention. I don't know about 1200 because I have to consume 1500 minimum. Drink water/green tea to help with the cravings. Good luck.0
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bump0
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I have no idea how people manage on 1200 cals/day, I would be SERIOUSLY grumpy.
If you are injured then you might like to change your setting to lose 1 or 1/2 pound a week which will give you more cals while you can't exercise.
And if you haven't already, then get yourself to a doctor or physiotherapist to get some advice about the injury and whether they can recommend anything to speed up the healing or anything that you can do while it heals (sometimes exercising in water is possible/recommended when you are injured, but it depends very much on the kind of injury).0 -
so how do you eat all your fruit in a day without going crazy on sugar? I find i love fruit but when i'm logging in i find my sugar is way over but my calories are ok.... especially with grapes.... or dried fruit. I find it so hard sometimes making decisions on what is actually healthy, as i think i'm eating healthy but in the end it was worse for me.0
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I eat about 1000, here's my typical meal plan:
Breakfast
Protein Shake with 1/4 cup any fruit
Snack
1 tbsp almonds
1 2% cheddar cheese pack
Lunch
1 Jennie-O turkey burger
1/2 cup brown rice with mrs. dash salt free seasoning and I can't believe it's not butter
1 cup veggie like carrots, broccoli, green beans or asparagus
Snack
Go-Gurt
Snack
3 tbsp egg whites-scrambled with I can't believe it's not butter
Dinner
1 Jennie-O turkey burger
1 cup veggie
Dessert
2 sugar free jello cups
I generally feel full all day but it's only about 1000 calories and if I want to splurge somewhere and eat a few potato chips or a 100 calorie back of cookies or something I can still afford to. The trick is eating about every 3 hours or so even if you're not hungry then, and then you don't end up feeling hungry all day or at certain parts of the day. If I ever do get a little more hungry than usual it's at night and I'll just add more veggies or splurge with a snack and that's usually enough to satisfy me.0 -
I feel you on the 1200 and although I've only been logging for a few days, I'm having the same problem. It really makes me realize how many calories I was mindlessly eating before I started counting! I'm definitely going to try some of these tips.
As for the injury, if it feels like it's getting worse, then it's getting worse - you need to stop exercising and (if you can) see a doctor. Of course you don't want to gain weight, but if you get a serious injury and get sidelined for months, it will be much worse than stopping for just a week or two, I make the mistake of exercising on injuries somewhat often, and I always regret it!0 -
I've been on MFP for about 2 weeks now and eating 1200 cals on no exercise days and around 1350 on exercise days. I have found that it doesn't matter if I eat 200 or 500 calories in one sitting, I WILL be hungry 2-3 hours later (Whether I'm really hungry or just in the habit of eating so often I don't know).
I'm now eating smaller meals of 100-200 cals throughout the day and about 400-500 for dinner with a small snack at desert time. This really helps me with the cravings because it means I have to eat every couple of hours even if it's just something small.
Up until two weeks ago I was a big eater, I didn't realise I was often eating 1000 calories in one sitting and still snacking a few hours later. The thing is I used to eat until I was completely stuffed and couldn't move, now I just eat my allowed amount and afterwards I'm just at the point where I don't feel hungry anymore but not full/stuffed. I know I will start to feel hungry again in a couple of hours but that's ok because then it will be time to eat again. I've adjusted to eating this way quite well and am really enjoying it.
Typical days food for me:
Breakfast 9am - Yoghurt 180 cals
Lunch 12:30pm - leftover stirfry/fried rice 200 cals
Snack 3pm - yoghurt and grapes 200 cals
Dinner - 7pm Chicken & veges with small serving of mashed potato 500 cals
Snack - 9pm grapes or apple 100 cals0 -
I've done it nearly everyday since February I find eating porridge for breakfast a salad or low cal sandwich for lunch and fish or chicken with veg for dinner and snacking on fruit and yoghurts inbetween works really well.0
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sure - i find it quite easy.
Eat nothing from a packet, as much fresh produce as possible - salads with lean meat, fruit and whoelgrains.... do that for a few days you will notice the difference
Yup! I used to think it was impossible to eat only 1200 calories because I have a HUGE appetite but really eating tons of veggies, lean proteins, and some fruits very minimal "carbs" and if I do, it's brown rice or quinoa.
You'd be surprised how full you can be.0 -
The other thing is that more calories burned, and less calories consumed = more calories lost. Its a pretty simple equation.... I think that somewimtes we kid ourselves here thinking we 'must' eat extra calories for excersise but the truth of it is if you want to lose the weight its not a status quo, you HAVE to go under..... nice utopia to think otherwise but... its just not the truth!0
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You can do it Megan. If I can do it, I promise you can. Go out & get some whey protein mix & mix it w/ skim milk. That's what I do every morning for breakfast & it keeps me full & energized until lunch. And it's under 200 calories. 0
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My daily goal is 1200 and honestly I don't exercise that much. I meet my goal almost every day (with time off for Thanksgiving obviously) but I've been doing it for a couple months now and it's not really a problem for me. I also eat out at restaurants and drink wine and everything. Coffee for breakfast with maybe a piece of toast. Small lunch - I make a turkey wrap on a tortilla that's like 240 calories. Throughout the day if I'm hungry I can eat fruit or veggies or even ONE serving of potato chips or something like that (tiny bites help - one chip can be 4 bites). Then a healthy dinner and a glass of wine. I don't feel hungry or anything. 0
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I did it to lose my first 10 pounds. I was surpised to find it lot easier than I had expected. I just wrote down everything I ate at the first couple of days to get an idea. From there it was lot easier, almost no brainer.
I find planning ahead helped me a lot too. I had mapped out what I was going to eat throughout the day and simply follow the plan. I don't beat mysef up if I am 50, or 100 calories over.
Roasted chicken breast, lean turkey breast (not deli meat), egg whites, asparagus, mushrooms, cucumbers...these are all good and light in calories. I drink tons of water and green tea as well. I always save 100 calories for the nights to enjoy fresh organic strawberries. They satisfy (for the most of times) my need for sweets, and they are darn healthy.0 -
How does anyone eat only 1200 calories a day without exercising or eating back their calories burned? I'm only asking because I can't seem to do it myself, but I'm pretty sure I have a pulled muscle in my side/back that keeps getting worse each day as I work out and I really think I need to get the exercising a break for a few days or a week so that I don't injure myself worse... but only eating 1200 calories seems impossible to me. Anyone out there eating only that much a day and doing well? I need advice on foods to eat or what helps everyone else stay under their calorie goal because I usually work out every day and eat back most of those calories...
I can't. I have to eat my exercise calories back. I'd be ravenous if I didnt. Everyone is different.
Also, I eat all fresh food, lean meats, whole grains, and avoid processed crap. It doesn't make a difference. I still have to eat back exercise calories.0 -
I just had a HUGE spinach salad with mushrooms, carrots, a couple of croutons, some sliced chicken breasts, and low cal Italian dressing and I feel like I just overdosed on salad! I'm beyond stuffed! It felt like a marathon lunch! ha.
It isn't easy eating only 1200 calories without exercising......but it is possible. It just means that you won't get to eat a lot per meal. Like another poster said, eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, and it makes it easier! Also, like others have said, eat oatmeal in the mornings..........I find that is one of the few things that keeps me full (for real) until lunch!
Also, it helps to plan things out..........lunch is an easy one...and so is breakfast. I find that planning dinner takes a little more creativity.
Good luck!0 -
How does anyone eat only 1200 calories a day without exercising or eating back their calories burned? I'm only asking because I can't seem to do it myself, but I'm pretty sure I have a pulled muscle in my side/back that keeps getting worse each day as I work out and I really think I need to get the exercising a break for a few days or a week so that I don't injure myself worse... but only eating 1200 calories seems impossible to me. Anyone out there eating only that much a day and doing well? I need advice on foods to eat or what helps everyone else stay under their calorie goal because I usually work out every day and eat back most of those calories...
I can't. I have to eat my exercise calories back. I'd be ravenous if I didnt. Everyone is different.
Also, I eat all fresh food, lean meats, whole grains, and avoid processed crap. It doesn't make a difference. I still have to eat back exercise calories.
More and more studies have shown that exercise actually can trigger the hunger. Of course you need to eat after workout. That's why I try not to exercise vigorously.0 -
OP: I lost almost 30 pounds eating approximately 1200 calories a day, with no exercise other than my daily routine. My weight has been stalled for about 6 weeks, so I've upped my calorie intake to 1470, we'll see if that helps. I also bought a "fitbit" to get a rough estimate of my daily calorie burn. I found that I burn about 2000 calories a day without exercising.
My next plan of attack is to start some strength training. My food log is open...feel free to take a look. I started in June of 2011.The farther back you go, the lower my calorie intake. Hope that helps. Good luck! 0 -
More and more studies have shown that exercise actually can trigger the hunger. Of course you need to eat after workout. That's why I try not to exercise vigorously.
Well I enjoy eating, and exercising vigorously...so I'm cool with it. I don't have a problem eating back my exercise calories. I'm just saying that it's impossible, with the workouts I put in, to not eat my exercise calories.0
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