How do people cope on 1200 calories p/d?!

I haven't even gone over my 1200 allowance in the 2 weeks I have been here I am eating lots of fruit and salads I have one little chocolate treat a day which is a fun size milky bar and that's my limit I also haven't had a drop of alcohol in the time I have been on the diet but that will all change at then weekend when I am at a party

The closer you get, the more you can eat, generally. You're on the right track. Don't give up now!

First off inner fat girl...I love your user name! I say all the time that I'm 500 pounds at heart. Secondly, I commend you for wanting to eat more than 1200 calories and not restricting yourself as much. However, you should really increase your protein. By doing that you may feel full longer.

This thread is making me hungry.

Yep, me too. Haha.

At first, it was hard for me to stay at 1,400. After eating pretty clean for a while (very lean meat, LOTS of fruits and veggies, low-cal whole grain tortillas and breads, etc.,), I was ending most days with calories left over. I've since bumped myself down to just above 1,200 calories - and I still end up drinking a glass or two of organic milk before bed on some nights, to make sure I hit my mark.

For me, it's not about how much I eat. I try to avoid large meals, in fact, so that I can avoid the temptation to overeat. I just eat constantly throughout the day and drink more water than should be humanly possible... Haha. You'll find that as you incorporate more fruit and vegetables into your diet, you'll be less hungry on less calories. Just my two cents.

The first day I logged my foods, I wanted to lose weight as quickly as possible so I set my goal at 1200 calories per day. Trouble was, I was halfway through the day when I decided to start and had already put away 1100 calories by 3 or 4 o'clock. (I ate TONS of bread, cereal, and fruit, which although not necessarily junk food, adds up the calories quickly).

So, I had 100 calories left for dinner. Lucky for me, my husband wasn't home that night so he couldn't make fun of my dinner. I made scrambled egg whites and had like 9 large shrimp, cold. I went 50 calories over so I hopped on the treadmill until the readout reached 50 calories (I understand that the readout is not always accurate, but hey, points for trying right?).

Anyways, the best way to stay within 1200 is to cut out most grains. I know, that's not popular around here, but most breads, cereals, and pastas pack a LOT of calories. Have eggs for breakfast with fruit or veggies. For lunch, have salads with chicken or shrimp (I think a 3 oz chicken breast is around 100 calories. It's totally bland, but it's food, right?). For snacks, have carrots and celery and if you use any kind of dip/hummus, just put a tiny speck on each vegetable. I eat asparagus, squash, and zucchini cold and plain every day. For fruits, try to stick to berries and citrus instead of apples and bananas, which are like 100 calories each. A can of tuna is only like 100 calories- I have that for lunch a lot. I also have scrambled eggs for dinner every time my husband works late or is out so he won't make fun of me. Sweet potatoes with cinnamon are also a great, filling snack.

If you stick to just lean proteins (tuna, chicken, turkey, shrimp, egg whites) and vegetables and just 1-2 servings of fruit a day, you can eat a LOT and still be under your calories. I think one egg's worth of whites are like 20 calories. A cup of broccoli is 33 calories. 9 large shrimp is around 100 calories. A cup of strawberries is around 50 calories. It's doable.

People do. Cut out all the crap food and it's easy! Some smaller girls like myself have to, or else I can't lose any fat. If you are tiny and doing it just to cut some surface fat, it is very very important that you don't do it too long, pay close attention to your nutrient levels, and keep the protein high. Oh ya, lift some weights so you aren't burning muscle.....

I eat less than 1200 per day and I'm not hungry. It's all in how you use your calories... fruits, veggies and lean meat is key.You should eat every couple of hours as well as drinking lots of water and exercising. I feel the only time I struggle is when I go out but there are some good things to pick from at most restaurants. The trouble is wanting what everyone else eats. You can still do that too if you plan for it and just eat less. Your body adjusts to eating less.

Once upon a time, I gave up on trying to lose weight and picked "sedentary maintenance" calories.
My body was like, "Oh, that's cool" and dropped a few more pounds almost immediately.

look at my diary, it's average is 1200 or less. im always full, and the things i eat are really yummy!! x

My net calories can range from 1200 - 1400 but I've eaten almost 2400 calories through out the day.. those are the days I work out hard though. Eat, be healthy, and feel good. I'm generlaly in a better mood when i eat and exercise.

I usually have to have an extra snack to get up over that 1200 calorie mark. My dinners are the heaviest meals, because the rest of my food is eaten on the go. Usually I'll try to have a decent dinner with a salad, which will be about 500 cal for dinner and another 100 cal for salad. I almost never "drink" my calories, because it isn't filling and doesn't add much to what my body needs. I take coffee black, drink coke zero sparingly, and water the rest of the time.

Now my problem is getting my calories up to maintenance levels from dieting levels. I still log something like 600 calories less than I should, but as I'm still packing around an extra 20 lbs, I think I'll be okay.

Here's a look at my typical day, on a 1300 calorie diet, plus I burn 500 calories in exercise per day.

Breakfast: Half cup of oatmeal, milk and half cup strawberries
Morning Snack: Banana and two Clementines
Lunch: Spinach, deli chicken, 2 tbsp's walnuts, 1 tbsp cranberries, 1/4 feta
Afternoon Snack: 1 apple, half cup greek yoghurt, 1 tbsp organic honey
Dinner: 1 fresh salmon filet, 1 sweet potato (baked) or 1 cup broccoli.

Perfect combination of protein, fiber, good fats etc.

If I get hungry due to the fact that I work out a lot, then I would choose veggies or fruits to snack on. Or I would have a 2 egg, 1 egg white plus veggies omelette for breakfast. I NEVER drink soda or high calorie coffee drinks. I drink black coffee which is virtually calorie free and high in anti-oxidents. Drink lots and lots of water! And I ALWAYS prepare all my food for the day in the mornings and take it to work so I don't go to the mall at lunch and be tempted by the chinese food ;-)