new ideas to stay at 1200-1300 cals

2

Replies

  • SC2003
    SC2003 Posts: 1
    i can't... so i work out :)

    Ditto

    Same here... I figure out what I want to eat and then how long it need to work out to "afford" it!
  • fitacct
    fitacct Posts: 242 Member
    Portion, portion and PORTION! You don't have to deprive yourself of everything, remember that. Just make sure you portion what you do eat and you'll have no trouble staying under your calorie goal. : ) (Now, that's not to say that you should toss healthy eating out the window, of course!) ; )
  • onek9lover
    onek9lover Posts: 58
    Carbs might seem like they fill you up, but in fact because they raise and drop your sugar you are hungry again about two hours later. Sometimes even starving... Switch to low carb, it helps the hunger go away so much after a couple of days of doing it.

    I also make a big jug of crysal light and carry it around with me at night so I'm not craving something sweet.
  • kcourty13
    kcourty13 Posts: 1
    I highly reccomend having an egg with an egg white and i cook it with a cup of spinach.

    As others have said popcorn. You can actually buy just the kernels and put them in a paper bad and cook them right in the microwave. i've recently found that meijer's has a 0 cal butter spray along with 0 cal flavor such as ranch, white cheddar, nacho, etc. 1 serving is 110 calories and makes 4 1/2 - 5 cups popped!

    I'd reccomend also instant oatmeal. 150 cal for 1/2 cup dry and you can add a little almond milk for flavor!

    If you need a new way to eat veggies I steam anything from carrots, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. add a little salt or even better mrs. dash and you are all set.

    I love bread but not the calories that come with it so I buy healthy life bread. It's 35 cal a slice, and low in carbs, but still high in fiber.

    I love edemane and mix 1/2 cup with 2 cups frozen spinach. When I put them together I still have the flavor of edemane that satisfies me, but it keeps it lower in calories.

    Sugar free jello is always a great snack for me also.

    Theres a few things that have been working great for me! Good Luck!
  • Aerohead21
    Aerohead21 Posts: 333 Member
    I have to say, I surprised no one mentioned SEAFOOD (besides the tuna packets). Fruits, veggies, and lots and lots of fish/crab/shrimp etc...And exercise.
  • loosingweight2feelgood
    loosingweight2feelgood Posts: 13
    thank you so much for all your help.. i try to incorporate excercise as much as i can atleast 3x a week...

    I will def lower my intake of pasta.. i wass sooo shocked at the amount of cals and carbs there was in pasta...

    Add me for support
    Toodlessss
  • HeidiRene
    HeidiRene Posts: 335 Member
    I snack on pickles and salted lemons for loads of flavor low calories.
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
    Don't deprive yourself (I have not looked at your diary). If you're hungry, eat. You don't want to end up on a binge. People have given you some great tips here. Work out to earn more calories (I eat 1600-1800 on days when I work out - or at least I try to) Eat fewer processed foods. It's OK to have some fat. That combined with protein (eggs, for example) will help keep you full. Whole grains, veggies, fruits... Try Greek yogurt w/ fresh fruit. Full of protein, and if you use berries, it's full of fiber too. Oatmeal is also great with fresh fruit.

    I believe my diary is public, but here are examples of little meals I eat (and I choose to eat smaller meals, but you can do whatever keeps you satisfied):

    2 whole eggs + 1 egg white and a whole wheat sandwich thin and 1 Laughing Cow Cheese Wedge.

    can of tuna (in water), condiment of your choice, if any (I like real mayo, so I use 1 TBSP), chopped veggies, whatever you like in a tuna salad. Layer some fresh spinach on a FlatOut wrap, put the tuna salad on top, and there you go!

    0% Greek yogurt w/ raspberries (I use 1 cup of yogurt and 3/4-1 cup raspberries)

    I hope some of these suggestions from people have helped!
  • maddie809
    maddie809 Posts: 1
    I have to work out to earn extra points. Otherwise its difficult for me to stay within my calories. Also, try a find a lower calorie substitute. I went for 1% milt to skim. Fruit & veggies are ok but they are just not filling enough for me.
  • AngelikaLumiere
    AngelikaLumiere Posts: 862 Member
    Look at your meals everyday. See what "cost" you the most and try less expensive alternatives. If you do this everyday before long you will have a lot of great meals to rotate through. I drink LOTS of water and try never to go more than 3 hours without eating because that's when get hungry. You might want to keep a diary to see what you have eaten and when that doesn't satisfy your hunger. Simple carbs are usual culprits (pasta, white rice, white bread etc) . Try foods that have higher nutritional density. (The more colorful a food, the more likely it is to be nutrition dense. like blue berries)
  • nashtyone
    nashtyone Posts: 36
    Feel free to look at my diary, I do this pretty easily and not feel hungry, and I'm a 6 ft tall 190 lb dude.
  • Pooterly
    Pooterly Posts: 61 Member
    First look at what you are eating. There could be simple things you could cut out like pop, candy, and fast food. If you've already done that, go for fruits and veggies. They are usually low calories and high fiber. Fiber and protein fill you up and burn longer. But beware of peanut butter. Popcorn might help while you're still adjusting. Or sugar free jello.


    Edit: Or like the above people said. Workout so you can eat more. I'd suggest starting with Jillian Michel's 30 day shred if you don't already have a plan.

    Why beware of peanut butter?
  • tiffloy
    tiffloy Posts: 7 Member
    I also work out to "buy" myself more calories. It's awesome when a bike ride means my steak never happened!

    Also I lovee the laughing cow cheeses (30 cals a wedge) with Special K whole grain crackers (60 cals for 12). I don't crave sweets when I diet so I look for savory snacks to satisfy me.
  • bluemixer
    bluemixer Posts: 8
    Hi, I only started this on Monday. I have to stay at 1200 calories a day. I keep going over. Its very hard to stay at that number. Thank you for the great tips on fruit and veggies. I knew this week would be me learning what I am eating thats not good. There is this exercise that I heard about I want to try. Its called punk rope. I guess its with a jump rope. Have you tried it or heard of it? I hope I can get some support on here. I don't really have any.
  • Pooterly
    Pooterly Posts: 61 Member
    Feel free to add me, I am on 1200 calories and manage to stay under it without getting hungry so you are welcome to look at my diary and see what I eat!

    It took me time to figure out what kept me full the longest that was still within my calorie range ie I was originally having cereal for breakfast but was starving by 11am, so I swapped to a Wheat Free bread and have toast and am satisfied until lunch time and both breakfasts have around the same calories :-)

    Hang in there, you will get there :-)

    Yeah, I don't eat cold cereal for breakfast anymore. It really doesn't fill me up and sometimes I can't eat lunch til later...
  • islandjumper
    islandjumper Posts: 369 Member
    I have to work to hit 1200 calories...like last night when I had 800 calories left at 7pm. Fresh fruits and veggies are great but don't forget to incorporate protein. I use tofu, beans, nuts and as of last night quinoa...i'm vegetarian so I can't tell you much about best meat choices, but I'm assuming things like skinless chicken and fish are your best options.
    I do my best to drink at least 2 cups of water before every meal, my breakfast is oatmeal (plain, not from a package) and I add what I like (berries, bananas, cinnamon, honey, the combos are endless). I don't eat pasta very often, and only when I have a lot of calories left over. I love bread...but I only eat whole meal options which keep me fuller longer, I don't say no to peanut butter and high calorie nuts, but moderation is key. Overall I'm a pretty "clean" eater....that's how I stay around 1200 cals
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
    Foods that are low in calories but high in quantity. Vegetables, fruits. I eat foods high in protein as well because it fills me up. Personally, I have a hard time getting 1300 calories, especially when I work out. It's odd but the more I work out, the less I want to eat and less time I can find to eat.
  • bikiniready201
    bikiniready201 Posts: 54
    I would suggest replacing nuts with fresh fruit and veggies, carrot sticks, cucumbers soaked in vinegar, peppers, etc.
    I switched to skim milk to save on calories as well :)
    Good luck :)
  • nashtyone
    nashtyone Posts: 36
    Hi, I only started this on Monday. I have to stay at 1200 calories a day. I keep going over. Its very hard to stay at that number. Thank you for the great tips on fruit and veggies. I knew this week would be me learning what I am eating thats not good. There is this exercise that I heard about I want to try. Its called punk rope. I guess its with a jump rope. Have you tried it or heard of it? I hope I can get some support on here. I don't really have any.

    Feel free to check out my diary as I've been eating under/around 1200 cals a day.
  • HotKanye
    HotKanye Posts: 103 Member
    Hello everyone...

    I started on MFP 4 days ago... I have been having some issues staying under the required 1300 cals per day.. what a challenge it has been...

    Any ideas? how did you guys end up doing it? Any advice would be greatly appreciated

    Please add me for some motivation!!!

    My advice is...don't.
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
    First look at what you are eating. There could be simple things you could cut out like pop, candy, and fast food. If you've already done that, go for fruits and veggies. They are usually low calories and high fiber. Fiber and protein fill you up and burn longer. But beware of peanut butter. Popcorn might help while you're still adjusting. Or sugar free jello.


    Edit: Or like the above people said. Workout so you can eat more. I'd suggest starting with Jillian Michel's 30 day shred if you don't already have a plan.

    Why beware of peanut butter?

    Agreed, peanut butter is awesome. High in calories but if you watch your serving it is a good source of protein and necessary fats.
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
    I had a really hard time staying at 1200-1300 when I first started. I was always hungry. Eventually you get used to that amount of food and you learn to budget the calories. I started eating tons for fruit and veggies which helped a bit. If I had carbs I used them for one meal, usually dinner. But if you're hungry, eat.

    Or I just work out a lot...
  • bluemixer
    bluemixer Posts: 8
    I am not sure how to add Friends. lol Could you add me? Thanks
    Feel free to add me, I am on 1200 calories and manage to stay under it without getting hungry so you are welcome to look at my diary and see what I eat!

    It took me time to figure out what kept me full the longest that was still within my calorie range ie I was originally having cereal for breakfast but was starving by 11am, so I swapped to a Wheat Free bread and have toast and am satisfied until lunch time and both breakfasts have around the same calories :-)

    Hang in there, you will get there :-)

    Yeah, I don't eat cold cereal for breakfast anymore. It really doesn't fill me up and sometimes I can't eat lunch til later...
  • KLEALEE71
    KLEALEE71 Posts: 33 Member
    At lunch I have been making delicious sandwiches, using Josephs flat brad (only 50 calories a serving), load it with veggies (baby spinach instead of lettuce, onions, red/green peppers) ham or turkey. Along with sugar snap peas on the side instead of chips. It gives you a good "crunch" satisfaction that you would get if you were eating chips.
  • FromMama2MILF
    FromMama2MILF Posts: 8 Member
    Ditto to the ditto!:drinker:
  • mysticwonder
    mysticwonder Posts: 39
    Portion, portion and PORTION! You don't have to deprive yourself of everything, remember that. Just make sure you portion what you do eat and you'll have no trouble staying under your calorie goal. : ) (Now, that's not to say that you should toss healthy eating out the window, of course!) ; )

    Definitely this! Get yourself a good food scale. I have a digital one and measure your portions! When we eat pasta, we only do 1 serving and it's a small SIDE, not the star of our meal.

    Try to eat as clean as you can. When I first started it was so difficult, but I agree with the posters who said that 100 cal snacks are ok. I also realized that those aren't all that wonderful, so I slowly replaced them with fruits and veggies. This process took about a month to get used to. So that's 2 servings of fruits and veggies a day.

    Hang in there. Everyone is different. Good luck!
  • FireTigerSoul
    FireTigerSoul Posts: 268 Member
    I eat lots of veggies, and because I'm a vegetarian, I eat a lot of veggie 'meats'. They're really low-calorie, so they help a lot. If you're okay with the taste, they can definitely help you stay in the 1200-1300 range! :)
  • Allegra289
    Allegra289 Posts: 48
    I like to drink skim milk with whatever I eat...it helps you stay a little more full, and more satisfying than water. Which really is the key to staying low calorie - find foods that are satisfying and energy dense, because if you snack on carrot sticks all day you'll always be hungry and never stick to a plan!
  • tarajeand
    tarajeand Posts: 10 Member
    My favorite thing (found on pinterest) is a buffalo chicken egg roll. On an egg roll wrapper, put some broccoli slaw, chopped chicken (seasoned with red hot), and a little bit of blue cheese. Wrap it up, spray with Pam, and put on a rack in the oven. They are only 100 calories each and are amazing! You can have 2-3 and feel really full for not too many calories. LOVE them!
  • slimbetsy
    slimbetsy Posts: 2
    This is a really dumb thing, but it has been working for me. I make my own parfait things. I put the kashi original granola stuff, chobani greek yogurt (plain, nonfat), lite cool whip, a tiny amount of mini chocolate chips, and a whole lot of frozen fruit (unsweetened).
    What really works about this for me is that I hate eating cold fruit. So it takes me a long time to eat it because I am waiting for the fruit to thaw while i snack on the other stuff in it. I also hate the greek yogurt, but it is so high in protein that i figured I should probably adjust to liking it. I put the cool whip in so that I can't taste the yucky yogurt:) I add the chocolate chips because I do not allow myself any other junk food so this is a little indulgence for me.
    I do this as a meal and it is pretty filling.
    Also, do you have your weight loss set to -2 lbs a week? If so, try changing it to -1 a week. You will get more calories that way. At first I really struggled with finding creative ways to stay under my calorie goal of 1650, but now I never even reach it. Like someone else said, cut out the junk and soda. That was so hard for me to do, but it was soooo helpful.
    I hope any of this helped:)
    Betsy
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