1200 calories a day is killing me!!!

I mean this in a nice way, but seriously, get over making 3 different meals today! You can still eat most of the same foods as your husband, just modify recipes and make them healthier and lower calorie. As for kids, the only time, they get something different, is an occassional thing I make they don't like. In that case, they get a sandwich and carrot sticks or something else as a healthy side. The way I see it, I do the cooking so they have to eat what I cook. now, I will do variations of things or add extra veggies to mine etc, but basically we all eat the same meal. Your changes are for a lifetime and there is no way you can always make 3 meals every day.

Just reading some of the things you guys eat makes me feel like I am overeating. Thank you I will go check out the recipe side.

The other challenge is ofcourse cooking 3 different meals at dinner time as DH is not in the mood to change his lifestyle and the kids do not eat any of the two meals I make. I want to stop making excuses and just do it.

For me, that's a lot of carbs: muffin for breakfast, bread at lunch, rice for dinner, and another muffin for snack.

If you looked for alternatives to some of these, you might be able to bring down your calories. Eggs for breakfast, or soup/ salad for lunch. Nuts or fruit instead of the snack muffin.

Also look at portion size - could you reduce the amount of rice you eat at dinner time, and have more veg instead?

I agree you need more protein and less carbs. Carbs will make your blood sugar go up and down and when it goes down you get hungry again. Protein is harder to digest and keeps you full longer. Try eating more veggies they are also filling and nutritious with few calories. I don't think 1200 calories is not enough. When I signed up they gave me 1250 to lose 2 pounds a week. I'm eating 2000 and I am losing 3 pounds a week. The first week your body is trying to get used of eating less and you get hungry. Set your calories to your BMR.

I eat 1200, and sometimes less, but I'm a short short lady and my TDEE is pretty low to start with. Even I was pretty hungry in the first couple of weeks, but it was manageable hunger.

So if it isn't working for you, find your TDEE (fitnessfrog.com, calculators) and subtract 500 to start. That's a pound a week, which is easy on your body and you won't feel as hungry. More aggressive weight loss, like 2 pounds a week, is much harder to sustain, but if you're feeling pretty good with a 500 calorie per day deficit, you can see about working up to that. If you go by TDEE, notice the calculator asks you how much you exercise. So don't eat exercise calories back if you calculate your planned workouts into your TDEE.

I personally can't lose 2 pounds a week because my TDEE is only like 1850ish. I guess I could if I ate 850 calories a day, which I have done, but it was not pleasant and I don't recommend it. The only way I could lose that much is if I stuck to 1350 but burned an extra 500 a day with cardio (extra meaning I did NOT include it in my TDEE calculation). Which, nope. Sorry.

There are many people who are going to tell you to eat more. Some will tell you they eat 1200 and are doing great. If you truly want to stay at 1200 and be full and want to stick with it I suggest having more protein rich foods and having more water. Foods high in fiber also keep you fuller longer.. However the easiest thing to do would be to not be at such a low calorie amount in the first place. I personally eat about 1400 on average and that is plenty for me as a matter of fact I'm very very full most days at 1400. You can eat 1400 calories and work off 200 at the gym that will net you 1200.

Breakfast: English Muffin with laughing cow wedge and strawberry jam

Lunch: 2 Slices Seed Bread with Pesto, Avo, Cottage Cheese and Peppers.

Supper: Chicken Breast with rice and grilled veggies

Snacks: Peach and Small Bran muffin.

That is over the calorie range.

No wonder you're always hungry. You have too many simple carbs in your diet. Like others have said, you need to up the protein to stay fuller for longer.

Replace the rice in your supper with another strip of chicken and/or more veg. Skip the bran muffin snack - cheese or greek yoghurt instead. Replace the bread in your lunch with some protein - maybe salmon, tuna or turkey? All delicious with the rest of your ingredients.

Breakfast - the most important meal of the day and THAT's what you eat when you're trying to lose weight?? It's not just about calories in/out - nutrition is just as important too Egg whites rule.

I should have noted that I'm 5'3, I've been maintaining about 120lb since my weight loss 2 years ago. Now I'm trying to lose those last 5. But my biggest problem was bread, that's why I mentioned ricecakes- bread is one of my favorite foods.

If it were me I would cut back on the carbs. Try a protein smoothie for breakfast, or have eggs. It will make you feel full longer, I rarely eat any bread and when I do it's only 100% whole grain. Also eat more veggies, they are extremely low calorie and totally help fill you up. I agree with the poster who said to drink more water too, it's possible you're thirsty and just think you're hungry. I get 1200/day too and I usually eat just over that but I workout everyday. I would say I average about 1300/day.

This: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/512956-tdee-what-is-it-and-why-you-should-not-eat-below-your-bmr

I read you have kids so you have to cook stuff he will eat. Check out skinnytaste.com. They have great recipes. Even one for chicken nuggets that my kids love. They eat what I make from that site without any problems. Start off small by substituting small things they eat for healthier stuff before you know it they will be eating health stuff. Always serve them the veggie eventually they pick it up and eat it.

I should have noted that I'm 5'3, I've been maintaining about 120lb since my weight loss 2 years ago. Now I'm trying to lose those last 5. But my biggest problem was bread, that's why I mentioned ricecakes- bread is one of my favorite foods.

Perhaps try substituting the McDonald's junk food for a proper, nutritious meal instead?

I feel it depends on the person and if your body is telling you that you're still hungry I would up your calories a bit. A lot people say they still get great results when they up their calorie intake! And as far as the wine goes, I say go for it! One glass a day won't hurt you!

if no one has added this (haven't read everything) you might want to try some Messermacher (or however it is spelled) "Fitness Bread" and just do a half a serving at a time. This bread is very dense so it tends to be kind of filling, and it is loaded with good stuff. I too had to give up on most bread (and cheese) which has always been my weakness.

Also find drinking a lot of water helps, as do soups to stave off the hunger. But as others most likely said, if you exercise a bit you can eat back those calories so you won't feel like you are starving.

Good luck; it is not a quick journey for sure.

Don't underestimate the calorie burning power of chasing toddlers around! I have a 4 year old, a 3 year old and a 7 month old. Get them involved in your exercise routine. I do yoga with the 2 older ones and they think it's great... something special to do with mom. Also, agressive housework and other things that you wouldn't think about burn tons of calories. I would suggest investing a little in a heart rate monitor where you can plug in info specific to you (age, weight, height) so you can get a more accurate count of calories burned during an activity, rather than rely on the generic calorie values MFP gives you when you look it up. I found that when I wear my heart rate monitor when I exercise, I realize I've actually burned more calories than what MFP gives you credit for. Everyone burns calories at a different rate. Someone with a BMI of 40 will burn more calories during a 30 minute period of exercise than someone with a BMI of 20 who does the same exact exercise at the same intensity level.
Also, don't compare your food preferences and quantity to everyone else. I also read what other people have posted as an example of a day in their food diary and personally, there is NO WAY I could eat like that, and keep it sustainable. I am trying to be a good example for my children (not saying they are not) and have them also enjoy trying new healthier foods, but still not depriving any of us from the pleasure foods that keep us happy from time to time. Food is to be enjoyed, not feared! Looking up different ways to prepare the foods you enjoy is key. We love mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes, but we still have potatoes every now and then. When I make meatballs, I use ground chicken instead of beef and no one can tell the difference (i still prepare them the same exact way, just with the different meat). The more you limit your options, the less successful you'll be. I always tell people, cheesecake may not be good for your heart, but it's good for your soul and sometimes, you just gotta feed your soul! Just balance it out with more exercise.

Firstly, if you exercise, you'll get some extra calories to eat back, so you'll have more than 1200 a day.

Secondly, You're right your diet is quite quite healthy, but it is also bread heavy. You have 2 types of muffin and some bread in there. I'm not a low carb. advocate, but these foods are energy dense i.e. they're high in calories for their size. You might find you feel fuller by substituting in more low fat proteins, like the chicken breast you have or some fish, and more fresh veggies and undressed salad.

Totally agree. I feel 1200 may be do-able in satisfying way, but you don't have to eat like that to lose weight.