How do you people stay at 1200 a day??

I have trouble eating UP TO 1200!!! And I eat 3 meals a day filled with proteins and carbs. Very healthy.

protien foods fill you up meats,egg,nuts and plenty veg and fruit

Well thank goodness Im not the only one I maintain 1200 cals is way too low unless you are 4 foot 2 and sit all day,I would pass out with the hunger I stick at 1500-1600 a day I do 60 minutes cardio 5 days and have just started with weights,I feel great and I have lost 22 lbs since April I am still 14 lbs above what I would hope to be but do you know what I feel great fit and healthy so I really dont mind,let it happen if it wil.

im on slim fast so find it easier to have less cals when i have a shake for breakfast and lunch!

i dont...lol


or just work out like mad! i.e burn 400 cals then you can eat 1600 which is much more manageable

I don't. I tried it and I was miserable. But I am a cyclist doing race training, I'm on my bike for 6 hours a week (which will increase again in 2 weeks time) and I do weights and resistance training. If you are very active, and you need to build muscle for your sport, 1200 cals isn't enough for the majority of people.

But, if I was injured, or couldn't train for any reason, I would drop my calorie intake and the tips on here are useful for knowing how to survive on less cals without being hungry.

I actually find it pretty easy to stay under 1200 a day as long as I avoid processed foods and grains, those are what add up fast. I eat two solid meals every day and I am not hungry or starving. Personally I prefer to skip breakfast but I could still stay under 1,200 AND eat breakfast by taking 200 cal from dinner and eating them at breakfast. If I were to eat breakfast I would make an omelet with 1 egg, 3 whites and veggies which would be under 200 calories. Here is what a typical day looks like for me:

Lunch 300-400 calories
I make a salad with three main elements: greens, lots of fresh veggies, and a protein
Salad made with huge bed of greens (4-5 cups)= 15 calories
Fresh chopped veggies (varies depending on the protein, usually add carrots, onion, avocado)= 75-150 calories
Protein= 80-150 calories (either 2 hard boiled eggs, 4 oz. tuna, 4 oz. canned salmon, 3-4 deli turkey slices, or veggie burger)

Dinner 600-900 calories
6 oz chicken breast OR 6 oz tilapia or other white fish OR 4 oz sirloin= 210 calories, or
veggie side= 50-200 calories (either I make a small salad, I steam some fresh veggies, or I sauté veggies if I have room for the extra cals in the olive oil)

Late night snack= >200 calories
1 cup fage greek yogurt= 130 calories
1/2 cup blueberries= 40 calories

You can look at my diary for more ideas, it is open. I don't log everyday for dinner but am pretty consistent with lunch to give you ideas. Most of the time I eat no bread, no pasta, etc. and that is what really helps me stay under. If I do have those items I limit myself to one serving (usually about 100-200 calories) and no more! On days when I have extra calories I enjoy fresh fruit.

This ^^^^^^^^
thanks I needed menu

I eat between 1200 and 1400, and it's not a problem at all. For breakfast either a hardboiled egg, some vegetables and a slice of ham, or oatmeal porridge made with water, which I then eat with low-fat youghurt and some fruits or berries. If I have been feelign very hungry I mix some protein powder into it. With this water and tea.

For lunch I am very lucky, where I work they have a lunch bar with a wide range of vegetables. I fill my plate with vegetables, go easy on the dressings, and try to go for lean meat, fish, or eggs for proteins. Sometimes I take a few slices of cheese, if I feel very hungry. It's a European sized lunch plate I fill up, not very large when compared to the regular size of plates in the USA, so you'll have to watch the amount depending on the size of the plate. I avoid anything fried or with a fatty crust, I also avoid potatoes, rice and spaghetti, as I prefer the minerals and vitamins of vegetables with my calories.

For dinner it's pretty much the same as for lunch. I use a wok frequently, and stir-fry vegetables and a little meat or fish, or I bake the meat in the oven. Both makes it easy to avoid using a lot of fat. I have a lot of vegetables with the meat or fish. If I still want a snack or really feel I need a reward, I use chocolate which is 70% chocolate solids or darker. It sates my cravings much more efficiently than sweeter chocolate, so I don't need to eat that much.

I drink water or tea through the day, with the occasional small latte.

This normally comes out between 1200 and 1400. If I still feel hungry I grab the protein powder again, and make a smoothie with berries, low-fat youghurt and protein powder. If I am very active, I will eat a little more or make a cup of cocoa with cocoa powder and sweetener and milk, and have whipped cream (no sugar) on top, and feel like I have been really wild!

I have cut out alcohol and am very careful with fruits, choosing berries instead, for vitamins and minerals. It isn't difficult, but I need to make it easy for me to eat right, or I'll slip and not notice I have gained bad habits until I am gaining kilos.

I don't get hungry with 1200 kcal net, but I get urges, and the only thing that helps is pulling myself together. Those cherries and melons in the kitchen? The yoghurt and chocolate I hid from my ever-omnomnom-ing family? I've been eyeing them for some time now, but I have my carbs down at 35%, so it's not always an option. Discipline is the key, keep in mind what you're doing this for and who (namely, yourself, or so I hope).

Staying with protein in general is one way of keeping your calories low. Turkey hen, fish, chicken - all have very little calories so you can eat a bunch without any problem. Salad is also a wonderful choice, as is drinking lots of water before and during eating.

Also, working out really helps. I love food and sweets and fruits and all that good stuff. If I really want a portion of Ben & Jerry's, that's completely alright - but I'll have to earn it. And 100 ml of that stuff can easily be worth 20+ minutes on the elliptical....

^^^ This

I've only joined here yesterday but am definitely not new at counting calories (or "points" - same thing, new name).
I can definitely stay full and meet my nutritional needs at 1200 calories (or even a bit less some days), but it's the cravings or mindless eating that makes me think that I sometimes need more.

Learning to evaluate whether or not I am actually hungry helps - if I am truly hungry, a low cal protein snack or vegetables with hummus will satisfy for low calories. But avoiding the hunger in the first place does take planning and my daily calories have to be used fairly wisely to do so. I always allow room for "treats" and won't give up my favorite foods, it's just that I may not be able to eat some of them at every meal or day, depending upon how quickly I want to reach my goals.

I ate at 1200 calories for the first couple of weeks I was on MFP. Then I set custom goals and went to 1500 calories - no eating back exercise calories. Now I eat between 1400 and 1700 depending on my activity level.

I don't stay at 1200/day; for me at least, I couldn't keep that up sustainably. I hit the gym a lot, and I use a walkstation at work. So I tend to have about 2000-2500 activity calories burned per day (tracked via FitBit). That plus a basal metabolism rate of just under 2000 calories/day means that I can eat 2500 calories a day, still have a 1500+ calories/deficit, which is enough to lose 3 pounds a week.

The exercise for me a key part of my program. It means, too, that I can tell myself --- sure, I could have that 200 calorie cookie. But it would mean an extra 15 minutes on the elliptical trainer, or an extra 45 minutes or so on the Walkstation. Sometimes I might decide that's a worthwhile tradeoff, often it's enough for me to say, "not this time". But since it's a tradeoff I made, it's incredibly empowering.

Hey - I'm at 1250. I have 3 regular, balanced meals a day - check out my diary for ideas! I'm a veggie which helps in some ways and not in others.

I do find it hard some days - but I just take one day at a time and most days I don't feel hungry at all (until someone waves a chocolate bar in my face!)

Haven't lost as much as I would have liked But will keep at it - could do with some motivation to be honest!

I stay around 1200 a day and rarely go over except on days when I exercise really hard and even on those days it is hard for me to go over. The Keys are eating low calorie foods. Think fruits and vegetables and lean protein. I also cook every meal I eat. I hardly ever eat out at a resturant. Not only does it save me money it also allows me to control my diet and what goes into my food. I also exercise everyday. If I can't make it to the gym I run at least 3 miles.

Well i must say that most of us who eat a maximum of 1200cals a day are basically eating a majority of protein. It's very filling and takes a lot of energy to digest therefore you feel full longer. You’ll notice that for those who do eat all day at 1200cals, we are almost all on the Dukan diet (high natural protein, no shakes). The Diary is full of food but the total is super low ( I get an average of 950cals a day sometimes ). If you eat 1200cals of meat I can guarantee that you won’t be able to get close to that amount let alone go over.