1200 calorie diet.. help!

So I'm on a 1200 calorie diet, but I'm constantly going over because I have no idea how to make it work. Anyone have any ideas? Maybe the kind of foods I can eat?

Original Post by tmoakley11:

So I'm on a 1200 calorie diet, but I'm constantly going over because I have no idea how to make it work. Anyone have any ideas? Maybe the kind of foods I can eat?

I chew a lot of gum and drink a lot of water and coffee.  I eat a light 200-300 cal breakfast and then ~500 calories for lunch and dinner a piece.   I also tend to spend my calories on fatty foods (like bacon, yum) rather than carbs because it's more filling and not really more unhealthy.  

1200 calories was way too low for me to maintain (even though it's what's suggested for me!) so now my daily goal is 1400 calories.  The weight loss is slower, but at least it's a diet that I can hold to for months.  After a week of 1200 calorie days, I was ready to give up.

I'm on a 1200 calorie diet, and this is what my meal plan looks like for today, for example.

B - Cheerios Oat Cluster crunch with skim milk.

L - Turkey and reduced fat pepperjack on whole wheat w/honey mustard. I eat a ton of carrot sticks, cucumber slices, olives, and cherry tomatoes with this. Or a salad with low-cal dressing.

D - Tonight I think I'll make turkey burgers (in a pita instead of bun, with veggies), sweet potato fries (baked), and steamed veggies.

S - For snacks I eat a TON of red grapes (only 2 calories a grape!), and later I'll have a SF pudding or banana.

I think I eat a lot, and I still have trouble making minimum. :) Good luck, PM me if you have any questions!

Like most people will tell you, it's probably not enough calories...

But! I find that on days that I'm craving a HUGE ( so big, I make it in a mixing bowl lol) spinach salad for lunch, it fills me right up and I end up scrambling to make up calories at the end of the day.

2.5 cups baby spinach- 18 cals

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms- 8 cals

40g tuna- 45 cals

1 tbsp fresh parmesan- 21 cals

sliced up tomato & cucumber- 20 ish cals

some low cal zesty italian dressing ( a little goes a long way) 15 cals

If I crave it for dinner- I'll throw a piece of Rye Bread with  5 spritzes ICBINB, a little garlic salt and another tbsp of parmesan in the oven and thoroughly enjoy my Cheese toast and Salad for under 230 cals...

I also like baked tilapia w/ 3/4 cup rice and a ton of veggies for like 350 cals. That's my go to meal when I've used most of my cals for the day, but I'm still pretty hungry at dinner ;o)  

I usually eat close to this..I am under most of the time, but I am working hard to get to 1200-1300.  I'll give u an idea of what I eat.

Breakfast:  High Fiber Oatmeal(160)

Lunch: La Tortilla Factory wrap(100) stuffed with 2oz turkey(60), a full cup of raw spinach(7) with pickle slices and mustard.  Popchips, today I had the black pepper kind(120) and another pickle splice on the side(5).  Then I had a HUGE piece of watermelon.

Snack: 100 cal bag of Kettle Corn

Dinner:  1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese with hot sauce(90-95), a whole tomato(25), nectarine(70) Wanted to eat peas, but spilled them on the floor. SF orange jello(10)

Dessert: Jello SF Cinnamon Roll Pudding(60)

Snack: another bag of 100 cal popcorn, plain.  Fage 0% greek yogurt with pumpkin butter mixed in(120)

Tomorrow's plan is:

Breakfast: Banana nut cheerios(100) and a grande NF SF vanilla misto(80-90)

Lunch: 4oz grilled chicken breast(110-120), with steamed veggies(40-50) and probably more fruit, like watermelon or apples.

Snack: popcorn or Fage 0% I am sure

Dinner: Maybe an Amy's frozen pasta or lasagna meal(300-350) with a spinach and balsamic salad, or a 2 bean salad I made tonight(1/2 cup is 117cals)

Dessert: usually SF jello or pudding..sometimes just Fage

I like to eat smaller meals in the am because I like to snack at night rather than eat a regular meal.  I usually have 500-600 cals before dinner and then the rest for dinner and snacks...still trying to up my protein and grain intakes too.  Just take it one day at a time, it gets easier.

If you're 5'7" and 230lbs then you need about 2800 cals a day just to maintain your weight.  http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/bodycomp/bmiz2.html  Enter your stats into this graph and read off 'low' activity.

So to lose weight you're looking at about 2000 cals a day as your starting point.  This is going to be a lot easier to accomplish than 1200 cals a day which is the bare minimum intake for a very small, old, lightweight, sedentary woman....  No wonder you're struggling to stay with it - it's totally wrong for you.  As you lose weight you'll need to reduce your intake slightly so if you start too low, you've got nowhere to go.

To make calories go further eat more vegetables.  They are filling and bulky but low in calories.... so they pack out a meal nicely.

Remember that it's not just the calories but also what you eat that matters.  I applaud the people who have suggested increasing your veggies and fruit intake.  I'm doing 1300 cal/day and I'm averaging a very healthy 2 lb weight loss per week.  I agree, it's hard.  But I have certainly learned to spend my calories on high fiber, low cal foods.  I am a huge fan of a "Zone" based diet.  Understanding the glycemic index of foods will help you select combinations that keep you satisfied for longer.  For example, my favorite breakfast is to saute veggies in a little olive oil, add 4 egg whites and scramble, and pair that with fruit.  It turns out to be a huge breakfast, keeps me satisfied for hours, and is very "zoneful."  Adding this website to a Zone diet has really made a difference by making me write absolutely everything down and limit my portions.

Who is that fool who said she spends her calories on fatty foods? Because bacon is more filling and "not really more unhealthy" than carbs?  Diets that induce ketosis can actually be dangerous!  And as soon as you have a slice of bread you will gain it all back.  Oh, and by the way, caffeine is an appetite stimulant!  Please don't take her advice.  But I'm happy to do her angioplasty for her...

It's important to have some fat in your diet.  It keeps you satisfied longer.  But eat healthy fats...a little olive oil with balsalmic vinegar on your salad or add some almonds to your oatmeal...a great snack is a fruit with an ounce of low fat cheese and some almonds.  

Good luck!  You can do it.  Oh, and don't forget exercise.  I just took a spinning class tonight and this site lists it as burning 910 cal/hr.  Oh, and my boyfriend loves that sex every night counts...

Original Post by jdcoh:

Remember that it's not just the calories but also what you eat that matters.  I applaud the people who have suggested increasing your veggies and fruit intake.  I'm doing 1300 cal/day and I'm averaging a very healthy 2 lb weight loss per week.  I agree, it's hard.  But I have certainly learned to spend my calories on high fiber, low cal foods.  I am a huge fan of a "Zone" based diet.  Understanding the glycemic index of foods will help you select combinations that keep you satisfied for longer.  For example, my favorite breakfast is to saute veggies in a little olive oil, add 4 egg whites and scramble, and pair that with fruit.  It turns out to be a huge breakfast, keeps me satisfied for hours, and is very "zoneful."  Adding this website to a Zone diet has really made a difference by making me write absolutely everything down and limit my portions.

Who is that fool who said she spends her calories on fatty foods? Because bacon is more filling and "not really more unhealthy" than carbs?  Diets that induce ketosis can actually be dangerous!  And as soon as you have a slice of bread you will gain it all back.  Oh, and by the way, caffeine is an appetite stimulant!  Please don't take her advice.  But I'm happy to do her angioplasty for her...

It's important to have some fat in your diet.  It keeps you satisfied longer.  But eat healthy fats...a little olive oil with balsalmic vinegar on your salad or add some almonds to your oatmeal...a great snack is a fruit with an ounce of low fat cheese and some almonds.  

Good luck!  You can do it.  Oh, and don't forget exercise.  I just took a spinning class tonight and this site lists it as burning 910 cal/hr.  Oh, and my boyfriend loves that sex every night counts...

I'm sorry if I came across like an Atkins, anti-carb proponent.  What I meant was, if I have extra calories to "spend," I'd rather have something fatty (whether it's bacon or something 'healthier,' such as full fat yogurt).  

Yes, diets that cause ketosis are very bad. Yes, caffeine is an appetite stimulant.  But anything taken to an extreme will cause problems.  A diet of caffeine and bacon will undoubtedly kill you.  I fully support a diet that has a healthy balance of proteins, carbs, fruits, vegetables, fats, and exercise.  And using the glycemic index of foods is a good way to consume high fiber low calories foods that keep you satisfied. 

However, to quickly explain my statement that bacon is not necessarily more unhealthy than carbs idea:

1. A calorie is not always just a calorie.  Turning protein to energy results in 20% inefficiency or energy loss.  Simply put, you have to consume more "protein-calories" to generate the same amount of energy.    

2.  Carbs and fats are different metabolically.  Carbs aren't just fuel, they help control metabolism.  Carbs cause insulin release.  First,  the insulin spike after a carb-heavy meal can increase your appetite.  And secondly, insulin predisposes your body metabolism towards storing (vs. burning) body fat.  Insulin causes the removal of glucose from the blood and stores it as future energy sources, aka fat (great for ensuring human survival, but bad for those of us trying to lose weight).  And if that's not enough, because of this, carbs will also also raise your triglycerides, increasing your risk for cardiovascular disease.

Personally, I don't believe going on a "low-fat" diet is the best way to lose weight. Obviously if you stuff yourself on saturated fats you're going to have serious atherosclerotic problems, but fat doesn't it doesn't affect your metabolism to the same degree as carbs because of the lack of hormonal signaling.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Study found that between 1971 and 2000, carbohydrate intake increased by 23% for men and 38% for women. Fat intake DECREASED 5% for men and increased (11%) in women.  This is why I think carbohydrates are what's driving the world's obesity epidemic and should be the area where we start trimming our diets.

Ok, ok.  I'm getting off my soapbox.  My apologies.  I know this is not a mainstream viewpoint so if anyone wants to know more (or if they don't believe me) I'd be happy to show you the studies evidencing this.  By the way, I'm a medical student -- whatever that's worth to you.

At the end of the day, despite all these little details, ultimately it's learning to eat better, exercising, and changing your mentality that'll really bring about long term weight loss.  So figure out what works best for you and stick with that. :P  Good luck!

Thank you all for your help. I'm going to try my best to stick to a 1200 but won't kill myself for hitting 1300 on a day here or there. I don't think it's too bad to fluctuate is it? Also, the Zone dieting sounds interesting, but some of the recommendations on foods not to eat are actually low fat high fiber foods that are recommended to make you feel fuller longer. So I'm not sure with that. Most of the low fat high fiber foods are seeds, berries, fresh fruits and vegetable and foods with bran in them. I'm thinking I can do this. So I'm guessing if I can do this and stick to some low fat proteins like chicken and turkey, and incorporate some exercise I can be right on track. Wish me luck!!! :]

I think you should go back and re-read GIJane's post.

Yeah I read it and re-read it, but I don't want to maintain my weight and 2000 calories isn't where I want to start. Maybe somewhere in the middle like 1500.

Your explanation is much appreciated.  I agree that fat is an important part of any healthy diet, but I will have to reiterate that they should be healthy fats such as olive oil and nuts, the staples of a Mediterranean diet.  By the way, I'm a cardiologist...

For tmoakley11, I think the hardest thing about the Zone diet is the combination of foods.  I wind up throwing some almonds into a bowl of berries and cottage cheese.  I know, a little weird.  Or eat a little natural peanut butter with a half of an apple and an ounce of cheese.  A Greek salad is one of my favorite zoneful meals...the olives and olive oil are a healthy fat and the feta cheese is a great source of protein.

The Southbeach Diet is actually an easier modified Zone approach.  I know a lot of people who were very successful on it and found it easier to follow.  I still use a lot of their recipes.  I like to understand my food better and I think that's what the Zone did for me.   My biggest issue has been portion control, and that's actually where this site has helped.  And logging my exercise has motivated me to not skip any days at the gym.  I'll let you know.  Give me another month or two and I'll be happily back in my bikini without a cover up.

Again, good luck!

To edit my reply after reading GIjane and your profile info.  As others have said, 1200cals is not enough for your current weight and height.  I am not quite 5" and still need to eat 1330 to lose.  I need to eat more than that when I swim too, so 1200 cals is not sufficient for you.  Take GIjane advice, it will help to promote weight loss that will be slow and steady, but you will be able to keep it off.  Do you think you can eat 1200 cals forever???  If you start there now, you will gain when you eat over since you will slow your metabolism...that will suck :(       & nbsp;      &nbs p;        Good Luck 

You say you are having trouble getting the 1200 calorie diet to work, and others have told you that you can still lose weight on 2000 calories, but you aren't willing to listen to their advice. 

I'm not sure how we can help you.  You are eating far too little, and it will lead to overeating when you lose self control.  Also, if you do lose weight too fast it will be more muscle loss than fat loss.  Then when you stop the crazy crash diet you will likely put it all back on quickly because you haven't learned how to eat properly.

I'm not trying to be negative, I'm just trying to tell you that if you go about this in a slow and sane fashion by making healthy lifestyle choices, you will see much bigger benefits in the long run. 

tmoakley11 - Did you put your numbers into CC and see what it said?  I think with the changes they recently made they are way off base -- I went from a recommended 1500 calories a day down to 1200 when it changed (I was 215 lbs or so when it changed) - yet I was rapidly losing weight eating 1500 calories (more than the recommended 2lbs a week) - I agree with everybody, despite what any program recommends, 1200 is way too few calories - especially when you are just beginning.  Sure way to crash and burn before you even get anywhere - and who wants to be STARVING all day long??? 

I too am on a 1200 calorie diet & you really can make it work. My advice to you is eat a BIG breakfast. For example I have 2 eggs, 2 boca sausage links & a 100 calorie english muffin. I start work every day at 8am & this keeps me full up until I go to lunch at 12-12:30pm (not the week I'm on my period though).

For lunch I have a medium sized lunch & it always contains a fruit & a yogurt along with a large salad and/or lean pocket or Boca Chili bowls. The chili bowls are REALLY good because they have I think 12 grams of protein in them & are high in fiber which keeps me full longer.

If I'm hungry between lunch & dinner I normally have a bag of 100 calorie popcorn, or some type of fruit.

I try not to eat a large dinner because I tend to not exercise in the evenings. But whatever I eat for dinner I ALWAYS have a salad and some type of meat and veggies.

And I always have some type of snack before bed. Normally something sugar free so that the sugar doesn't turn into pounds over night while I sleep. A good snack before bed around 9pm is a rice cake and a sugar free pudding cup.

Good luck you can do it! I started out at 270 pounds and am now down to 219, so believe me you can do it!

Can I just ask why there seems to be multiple people who should be eating closer to 2000 cals all on "a 1200 calorie diet"??

I just don't get why if you can eat MORE and lose weight, why would you want to eat LESS???

I don't have a choice to eat much more than I am since I am short and have already lost 40lbs.....if I could get the same results eating more, I would...can you or anyone explain this to me??

Original Post by tmoakley11:

Yeah I read it and re-read it, but I don't want to maintain my weight and 2000 calories isn't where I want to start. Maybe somewhere in the middle like 1500.

 Someone aged 25 - 40 who weighs 120 - 170lbs and who is just lightly active could maintain their weight on 2000.  Not you.... You're a good 50lbs heavier, a few years younger and your body is using more energy as a result.  So your weight-loss intake can afford to be higher.

I know how it looks.... a lot of girls think '2000 calories' is a huge amount of food and you're seriously doubting that you'd lose weight at that level.  However, once you get below 1700 cals intake you're potentially in 'crash-diet' territory and that isn't a good place to be.  You risk not getting adequate nutrition (so you could feel pretty lousy) and the lack of energy will gradually accumulate.  You might stick it out a week or even a month.... but there will come a point where your body shouts 'enough!' and sends you hunting for quick-fix energy.  And that's when bingeing happens.... which is incredibly demoralising.

Also... if the difference between what you eat and what you need is too great you can set up a problem where the body starts to conserve rather than burn up energy.  So you lose loads of weight Week 1, 2 or even 3... and then it comes to a crashing halt.

You're in this for the long-haul to get to a healthy weight.... The 80lbs you probably need to lose is going to take you at least a year to see the back of.  So if you go with 1500 cals just be aware of the pitfalls and be alive to any changes in the way you're feeling.  Treat your body with respect, make intelligent choices about food and calories and you stand a better chance of going the distance.... rather than crashing and burning two or three weeks down the track.

Good luck  

Wow! I know this is OT but I never cease to be amazed at how patient and generous you are, Gi-Jane.

I must back nat up on this one. I have been a reader of GI Jane's sage advice for some months now and she never ceases to impress me with her sound and sensible advice. You rock GI JANE!!!