1200 calories a day

vhardwick
vhardwick Posts: 54
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
I need help! Day after day I read comments from MFP users who have trouble reaching their 1200 calorie a day target. I would LOVE to know what you are eating and how you are doing it. I weigh 128lbs. and don't feel like I over eat at all, yet every day I struggle to keep my calorie count below the 1200 mark.
I can easily eat between 1500-2500 calories a day without any problems and would love some advice/help to keep my calorie count low. Thank you!!!!

Replies

  • tiffanygil
    tiffanygil Posts: 478 Member
    Fiber! It will keep you fuller longer. Also be-aware or so called "diet foods" they sometimes have higher calories than a regular foods, like apples, bananas and such...Good luck!
  • kelfeene
    kelfeene Posts: 78 Member
    A suggestion...

    Turkey Sandwich
    Light Bread (40 Cal/slice)
    no cheese
    Lots of Lettuce
    Nice Large Tomato Slices
    Onion
    Cucumbers
    Jalepenos

    Under 300 calories...

    Subway also offers a few sandwiches that are under 300 calories that are pretty filling....

    Good Luck
  • gc2052
    gc2052 Posts: 183
    I eat cereal for breakfast usually Special K or raisin bran and milk 1%
    Lunch is an english muffin with a slice of FF cheese and 1/4 c of SW eggbeaters or cottage cheese and yogart
    Supper is usually chicken and vegetable
    Snack is yogart with grape nuts.
    Generally I eat some kind of sweet to make up my calories which is not good.
    I have had to learn to eat my calories.
  • tammietifanie
    tammietifanie Posts: 1,496 Member
    VEGGIES!!!!! i eat between 500-1,00 caloreis a day and im not starving myself it's just i eat alot of veggies im talking about 4 cups with each meal and i do eat my protein, carbs, fiber, etc... it's just i dont' eat anything that has un natural sugar, no fruit juice, only brown rice, whole fiber breads i stick to 1 slice which i only 100 calories and i feel so full after my meals.....
  • lil_blonde123
    lil_blonde123 Posts: 2
    It can be difficult, and like you i can easily eat a bigger amount, yesterday i was hitting the 1,900cal mark but i just make up for it with doing more exercise :smile:
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    I eat a lot of veggies (steamed, mostly) throughout the day and I often struggle to make it to 1200 on days when I don't make a conscious effort.

    3 weeks ago, I had no problems packing in well over 2000 with tons of bread, cheese, and sweets but with my new "moderation" motto, it can be a challenge to get it to 1200 good *nutritious* calories some days.

    Once, I was trying to lose weight eating 1400 calories/day and I was STARVING all the time. The difference now is that I've learned how to cook well since then, so I homemake almost everything instead of mostly buying pre-packaged "diet" foods like before.
  • jazzyjules2004
    jazzyjules2004 Posts: 34 Member
    I think it's eating smaller meals more frequently throught the day. My temptation period is after lunch and before dinner (around 3 or 4 o'clock) so sometimes I eat half of my lunch for lunch and the other half for snack. I agree with fiber and whole grain stuff, it does help. And of course when you exercise, you get a few more calories, so that is an incentive as well...

    Good luck!
  • epoeraven
    epoeraven Posts: 458 Member
    Progresso light soups are my savior!!! A whole can is less than 200 calories.
  • vhardwick
    vhardwick Posts: 54
    Thank you so much to all of those who replied...I truly appreciate the support!
  • i_am_gunz
    i_am_gunz Posts: 58
    just be careful not to put your body into "starvation mode" then you'll just plateau in your weight loss. You might not feel like you are hungry of starving but you body will be. I'm just speaking from experience, but yeah to keep at 1200 cal/day, fiber, fruits & veggies, as well as fish.
    Good luck
  • michele73
    michele73 Posts: 102
    I try not to buy high calorie bread. Even wheat or healthy breads can easily be over 200 calories and that is not included what you put on the sandwich. I use pepperidge farm deli flats. They are only 100 calories and they come in a few varieties. For snacks I use a lot of the 100 calorie packages or i will use Ziploc snack bags and separate it right away not to overeat right out of the bag. I only drink water or diet tea so no calories there. Egg Beaters for breakfast doesn't have many calories. I also eat oatmeal a lot. And fruit. You need to pay attention to portion control. I eat a lot of chicken for dinner during the week. And salad mostly every night. Not too much potatoes or rice. Lo-fat dressings too. Calories add up quickly. I finally memorized what the calorie content is of most things I eat. It can be tricky when I go out to eat. You don't know the hidden calories.
    Good Luck to you. Any questions, let me know.
  • ilike2moveit
    ilike2moveit Posts: 776 Member
    I struggle with this too but found that eating more protein and fiber, drinking alot of water, and eating smaller meals more frequently has helped me. good luck
  • michele73
    michele73 Posts: 102
    I need help! Day after day I read comments from MFP users who have trouble reaching their 1200 calorie a day target. I would LOVE to know what you are eating and how you are doing it. I weigh 128lbs. and don't feel like I over eat at all, yet every day I struggle to keep my calorie count below the 1200 mark.
    I can easily eat between 1500-2500 calories a day without any problems and would love some advice/help to keep my calorie count low. Thank you!!!!


    How has it been going???
  • vhardwick
    vhardwick Posts: 54
    Great! I lost two lbs. this week. Thanks for asking....it is so nice to know that people care.
    I have increased my fruit and veggie intake and started eating yogurt for snack instead of 1-2 cookies. It has kept me feeling full longer. Also, I've been snacking on 100 cal. popcorn. I feel like I'm getting more food for less calories. Only 4 more lbs. to go and I will be happy once again. Seven more lbs. and I will be at my ultimate goal weight!!!! Thanks again for the concern.
  • BrendaLee
    BrendaLee Posts: 4,463 Member
    Exercise is my saviour. If I eat it, I try to work it off. Also, saving some calories for late night snacking helps me out a lot. I'm good with small meals and snacks throughout the day, but I need one bigger meal- usually at dinner time, or I feel ravenous. Protein & fiber is so important to keeping you feeling fuller longer.
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