Who else is on 1200 calories per day?

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  • Mollyanna79
    Mollyanna79 Posts: 23
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    I meant to add, I've discovered Marks & Spencer's Fuller For Longer meal range. They're not cheap but I keep a few in the freezer for when I can't be arsed to cook and they're really nice!
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
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    I calorie cycle. I worked with my dietitian on it. Started at 1200 and lost a little, upped my calories to 1400-1600 and started losing serious weight.

    I finally figured out that for me 1200 calories is nothing for me to pin my hopes on and expect that to be sustainable for the rest of my life. I have 2 days a week I go up to 1900 cals and stay the rest in my target range and work out 5 days a week and I'm getting this flipping fat OUTTA HERE! :-)

    I like the zig-zagging of calories.
    Your comment "getting this flipping fat outta here" made me laugh.
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
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    You've all been very helpful, thank you!

    I do drink a lot of water, carrying around a 75cl bottle of water around helps.

    I run a fair bit. Training to do a few more half marathons in a few weeks time. Although I need to up my game here as I'm only doing 5/6k at a time at the moment...

    Regarding the comment about sticking to 1200 for the rest of my life, I think counting calories forever will drive me insane but I've learnt a lot about portion control. I hadn't realised quite how big my portion sizes were! Even though it was healthy food, I was eating far too much of it! I'm hoping after a few months of calorie counting I will learn the approx portion size I should be having.
    Its also taught me those massive bags of Maltesers I was able to get through (easily) are nearly double my daily calorie intake :-O
    Naughty naughty.

    Anyway, yesterday was a bad bad day. I was desperate for Eggs Benedict (avec hangover) so went to the lovely little deli/restaurant near me with a friend. Had my Eggs Benedict with Smoked Salmon and it came on delicious brioche bread - Nom! I totted up the calories when I got home and imagine my surprise when it clocked up a good 800 calories. One meal!
    It was delicious but not hugely filling (sad face) After that I thought sod it, and binged for the rest of the day.
    Now I've woken up feeling disgusting. Yuck...
    We all have days like this though, don't we?!

    To the poster who suggested avocado and tuna, thank you, I will try it. I hate avocado but like guacamole so I'm thinking, if it's mushed up, I should like it.

    I'm trying my best to avoid wheat if I can as it seems to bloat my belly out somewhat.
    I ADORE porridge but find it surprisingly calorific. Oatibix seems to be a good cold alternative with a very small amount of shopped apricots/dates and Alpro Almond Milk which is weirdly lower in cals than skimmed cow's milk (can't get my head around that)

    I snack on cherry tomatoes, raw mushrooms and cucumber between meals but I've not been logging them as they're so low in calories and I don't eat that many.
    Also Miso soup is very low so can tide me over whilst the children are eating their tea (when I get a rumbly tummy)

    I'll make my food diary public so you can all see what I'm having but please ignore yesterdays, and Friday evening's for that matter!

    Any new meal/snack ideas are very welcome. I've tried the recipe section here but like I've said on a previous topic, it a lot of it seems to be American ingredients we don't have over here.

    Molly re the 800 cal breakfast you shouldn't have felt bad about that and then binged. I've done this countless times.
    Instead make that a higher calorie day. For instance make that day 1600 calories, and back to 1200 the next day or something like that.
  • alishaneedstopee
    alishaneedstopee Posts: 6
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    im on 1200?? but im going to do less calories,, around 1000..not to much also am going on a one day not eat and one day eat, apple if im that hungry...
  • AshinAms
    AshinAms Posts: 283 Member
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    Me!

    Ideas:
    can of tuna, lettuce, tomato, olives, olive oil & raspberry vinegar
    yoghurt with a sprinkle of muesli, honey
    oatmeal for breakfast with soy milk, honey or sugar (half a cup of oatmeal raw is enough - don't buy the oatso easy type thingies)
    fruit salad
    scrambled eggs on toast

    Just don't try and eat anything ready-made and you will find you have enough to eat.
  • melissa10666
    melissa10666 Posts: 63
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    Same here :)
    I try eat lots of fruit and veg because it feels like you're eating alot but is low in calories, and I find that if I have a hot drink when I'm hungry, like a cup of tea, it curbs my hunger. Also, I do exercise so I can eat more haha
    Hope this helps :)
    Melissa x
  • veggievixen79
    veggievixen79 Posts: 109 Member
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    I tend to stick to 1200 during the week and go a little over on the weekend. I eat A LOT of Quorn and Total 0%--high protein and very few calories, and a lot of fruit and vegetables. I also try to eat all my carb/grains during the day and avoid them for my evening meal, and stick to wholewheat or wholegrain things.

    I do find that sticking to 1200 is a full-time job though! You have to plan every mouthful, do your shopping ahead of time, pack lunches & snacks, etc etc.
  • missvixen66
    missvixen66 Posts: 1
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    I am!! The best way to do it, is not look at it as if its only 1200. When you are exercising your body needs more back, so eat low cal or low carb foods but eat after your work out too! Have a low fat/carb protein shake, or a handful of walnuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, flaw seed? That type of thing, a lot of these are high in fat (good fat!!) Fat that your body needs to have to lose weight! So fill up on things like that and of course fruit and veggies :)
  • yaddayaddayadda
    yaddayaddayadda Posts: 430 Member
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    I'm on 1200 per day. The only way I can do it is to eat veggies and fruit (this puts me over for sugar), and to EXERCISE alot. I go over on some days due to food, and if I don't exercise, I always go over. I am basically on maintenence, so I try not to worry too much. Feel free to add me as a friend if you want like minded support.
  • Mollyanna79
    Mollyanna79 Posts: 23
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    I buy jumbo porridge oats. Oatmeal is more grainy right? Does it fill you up more than porridge?
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
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    im on 1200?? but im going to do less calories,, around 1000..not to much also am going on a one day not eat and one day eat, apple if im that hungry...

    Not a good idea to also fast whilst other days very low calorie.

    Typically you could do say eat 1600 calories 5 times per week and maybe two times per week do a 16-24 hour fast.
    On the fast days you get to eat at least one meal. The previous day stop eating about 8pm as example, then if you don't eat again until 8pm following day that is a 24 hour fast. So your meal on fast day could be 400 calories.

    So 5 days of 1600 calories = 8000 calories + 2 day fasts of 400 calories = 800 + 8000 = 8800 weekly calories
    OR
    1200 calories x 7 days = 8400
  • Mollyanna79
    Mollyanna79 Posts: 23
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    That was in reply to AshinAms by the way!
  • katz41
    katz41 Posts: 22 Member
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    yes i am, its easier some days than others though! if i exercise it helps keep the weight off, just done two hours of strenuous gardening, now going for a swim, should blast a few calories off!!D:
    good luck all:)
  • carmel991
    carmel991 Posts: 9
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    Skinnytaste.com has some wonderful low cal recipes! I use it all the time.
  • KateL1969
    KateL1969 Posts: 98 Member
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    I'm on 1200 and was really struggling. However, I reduced my carbs and just dont feel that hungry any more. Anyone reading this - feel free to add me as friend. You can look at my food diary although I'm still experimenting.

    Taken to having poached egg on spinach, grated carrot, celery and 25g of feta on top for breakfast. Went to a BBQ yeserday but didnt have any rolls - just meat/fish/halloumi and salad. I felt full and have noticed my stomach has shrunk! Ate so much throughout the afternoon only had natural live yoghurt with strawberries (and a tblspn of wheat bran) for dinner - and 3 chunks of cadburys dairy milk so I got a chocolate fix.

    Also, taken to running for 1/2 hour every morning to bring my gross calorie intake up to 1400 a day which allows for treats! Life would be so dull without them and I have a really swet tooth. Any exerciseon top of that when I finish work is a bonus! All the best to everyone. Kate
  • LadyL2012
    LadyL2012 Posts: 127 Member
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    Me. I normally eat just under this though (normally around the 1000 mark), that's only because I want to get down to 140lbs before September, once i reach that i will gradually increase cals until I am losing at a slower rate so that when I reach my goal, i won't pile it all back on again.

    I actually seem to have more energy, feel healthier and I'm losing at a rate of roughly 2lbs a week. I feel satisfied with this amount of food and even on the day that has my cheat meal i don't go too much over 1200.

    I tend to follow a basic rule of no more than 250cals for breakfast, no more than 300cals for lunch and no more than 350cals for dinner, that then leaves me with excess calories for drinks and the occasional treat if I want it.

    You can get loads of super healthy low cal recipes from the BBC Good Food website where you can search for recipes by maximum calories and there's great variety.

    One of my favourite super low calorie lunches is steamed vegetables (you can do them in the microwave at work if needed), a third of a can of tuna and dressed in a balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and lemon dressing, which is surprisingly filling, tasty and no more than 100 cals. You can add some fruit to this as well if you need it and it still comes to under 200cals if you have something like a banana to go with it.
  • karexoxo22
    karexoxo22 Posts: 3
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    I am on it too but I saw results on the 2nd day! It was hard, but your body adjusts to it.
  • Douganj11
    Douganj11 Posts: 2
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    I have the same problem with 1200. I would suggest foods like pastas and wholegrain foods and I try to fill up on fruits throughout the day, this keeps calories at a minimum and you stay full most of the time. :)
  • desonice
    desonice Posts: 5
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    iam doing 1200 a day but i don't get to that number i workout 2 hrs a day at a gym 6 days a week i would think the scale would be moving faster HELP!! iam maybe getting in 800 cal. a day
  • TanzaMarie
    TanzaMarie Posts: 94 Member
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    I tend to stick to 1200 during the week and go a little over on the weekend. I eat A LOT of Quorn and Total 0%--high protein and very few calories, and a lot of fruit and vegetables. I also try to eat all my carb/grains during the day and avoid them for my evening meal, and stick to wholewheat or wholegrain things.

    I do find that sticking to 1200 is a full-time job though! You have to plan every mouthful, do your shopping ahead of time, pack lunches & snacks, etc etc.

    Me too. I love Quorn! I'm trying to cut back my processed foods, but so good. I just had Health is Wealth Chick'n Nuggets. Happy as a clam.

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