1200 calories - are you kidding me?

Hi all, I'm new here and am just getting used to it all.  I am so glad I have found this place.  I always knew that my weight issues really came down to basic math - calories in vs. calories out - but I never knew what to do about it.  When you play the guessing game, you are always wrong.

So - I am now keeping track of what I eat and holy crap!!  I had no idea there were so many calories in what I thought were innocent foods.  How the heck do you stay around 1200 calories a day???  My dinners alone are pretty close to that and I thought I was eating healthy.  I am looking through the recipes but it all seems like so much work.  What are some simple items / snacks / meals that are now staples in your diets that you can share with me?

Hi, what are your stats? Age, height, weight?  1200 calories seams too low because your body could go into starvation mode.  Do you work out?

I survive on boca burgers with 40 calorie per slice bread and South Beach Diet bars. But, I might not be the best example.

Boca burgers are a good alternative to regular burgers, though. Better than gardenburgers, because those are mostly carbs and boca burgers are almost pure protein. They're very low in fat and much lower in calories than regular burgers.

South Beach Diet bars are a good choice if you like protein bars, especially the meal replacement bars. They're the only bars I know besides Thinkthin bars that are low in sugar (and they taste better than Thinkthin bars). But that's only if you're into bars, this website gives them an A but it would probably be better to eat foods that aren't processed.

I'm the kind of person who likes fast, easy food that's easy to count the calories in.

simple items I snack on:

Carrots
celery
oranges
apples
sugar snap peas
tomatoes and cottage cheese
kashi golean crunchy bars
almonds

go into the "Foods" section and look at "popular foods". this will give you some ideas! good luck!

 

Broccoli, Cooked, Boiled
Mixed Greens, Specialty Salads
Chicken, Breast, Meat Only
Mushrooms, Raw
Egg, Whole
Carrots, Baby
Mixed Berries, Frozen Fruit
Peaches
Salmon, Pink, Cooked
Spaghetti, Cooked, Unenriched
Tangerines, Mandarin Oranges
Asparagus, Cooked, Boiled

First of all start drinking more water. Soda, juice etc. have tons of calories and it adds up fast. Next if you are eating more than 600 calories per meal you need to start eating better foods. Try more green veggies, and fruit. I love to marinate chicken breast or salmon and bake it with steamed corn or broccoli.

Also start looking at low cal options for your guilty pleasures, ex. 35 calorie wheat bread, or baked chips. I love ice cream so I eat Blue Bunny Fudge Lite bars- 35 calories each.

I know it's hard at first but it gets easier. And once you start putting better food in your body, you'll feel much better. Good luck!

That's a pretty serious problem if your dinners are around 1200 calories.  You may need to redefine what you consider healthy, as well as what an appropriate portion size is.

I find small, frequent meals really work for me.  Here's what a typical day looks like for me.  I'm 5'9", female, 42, 175ish, and aiming for 1500 - 1550 calories.

Breakfast: porridge / oatmeal with milk and protein powder, ~350 cal

Snack: yoghurt, 90 cal

Lunch: tomato and lettuce sandwich with milk, ~400 cal (I like whole grain bread that has more nutrients than "diet" bread)

Snack: apple, 75-100 cal

Supper: Half a chicken breast, a small serving of rice, and lots of salad / veggies, ~600 cal

I find owning a food scale that is accurate to 1g very helpful in portion control.

Thanks, I will check those out!

hi! first i would make sure you should really be on 1200 calories a day... for some people that is just too low.... i'm at about 1400 a day though, i'd say each meal is 300-500 and then snacks in between. i try to eat more protein because it fills me up longer, but i know i need to exercise more then too... anyway, i also like to cook bigger meals and then bring them in for lunch for a few days.  i might make a big pot of veggie chili and then i have a nice meal that i can take to work in a tupperware and it's jammed with protein and veggies and will fill me up and is healthy!  if your meals are bigger than about 600 calories or so i would double check your portion sizes and also things like sauces.  they add up!  also carby foods are easy to eat a lot of and not even realize how many calories are adding up.

 

http://diet.lovetoknow.com/wiki/1200_Calorie_ Diet

lists of 1200 day diet examples

How do I stay around 1200?  I don't.  That's not enough.  I'm 5'3" and I weigh 156 (down from 205).  I checked my stats for the month of March, and I average 1450 per day.  The range is about 1300-1700 depending, with the high end being on days I run and/or work out.  I'm losing pretty slowly-- it's taken me almost 21 months to lose 49 pounds.  Maybe I could speed it up if I ate fewer calaries, but this is the level that I can maintain for however long it takes.

Don't freak out - and don't start but dropping directly to 1200. Even if it technically is a deficit of only 500 or whatever, your stomach will hate you for the sudden drop, and will make up for it by making you binge. I used to think I could hardly make 1300, but now I need to literally force myself to have that much.

Take it slow - drop a 100 calories for a few days, then drop another 100. Remember the slower you lose weight the slower you will put it back on, if ever. A 100 here or there is simple to cut. What are you eating right now? If drinking full cream milk, cut to non-fat and you will easily cut 50. If already drinking non-fat, cut to soy, or drink a smaller glass. Leave a few bites left on your plate.

Make small changes to what you currently have - after awhile your body will adjust. Time is the key.

I eat about 1800 a day and I'm losing. It just depends on how active you are, combined with your stats, etc. 1200 calories a day would kill some people.

some low cal foods i can't live without:

lean cuisine: probably not the best for you but they're delicisous and low cal.  I try to stick to the ones under 300 cal and that way i can have a little snakc.

sugar free jello: yummy dessert.  i think it's about 10 cal

carrots and hummus

popcorn: make sure it doesn't have salt or butter.  this is a great snack and realyl fills you up. 

chicken breast: quick and easy, (on my George Foreman grill), and super low cal.

salmon: a little bit of salt, pepper and lemon juice.  wrap in foil and bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes.  sooo good.

coffee and diet coke.  probably not very good for you but it's low cal, (diet coke is 0 calories), kills your appetite, helps you stay regular and feels like a treat.

hope this helps!

Most days I have trouble eating as many as 1200. I love eggs (scrambled or hard-boiled), yogurt, fruit smoothies, PB&J, canned soups, and even cereal. Best of luck.

Original Post by allachka3:

some low cal foods i can't live without:

lean cuisine: probably not the best for you but they're delicisous and low cal. I try to stick to the ones under 300 cal and that way i can have a little snakc.

sugar free jello: yummy dessert. i think it's about 10 cal

carrots and hummus

popcorn: make sure it doesn't have salt or butter. this is a great snack and realyl fills you up.

chicken breast: quick and easy, (on my George Foreman grill), and super low cal.

salmon: a little bit of salt, pepper and lemon juice. wrap in foil and bake at 400 for 35-40 minutes. sooo good.

coffee and diet coke. probably not very good for you but it's low cal, (diet coke is 0 calories), kills your appetite, helps you stay regular and feels like a treat.

hope this helps!

 

gotta warn against the diet sodas. the artificial sweeteners can make you eat more throughout the rest of the day. more detail at the link:

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthieryou/ 371/skip-the-diet-soda/

Well, I love to eat... But... That was in the past. DO Not get me wrong, it's hard trying to stay at your target cal intake mark. Right now it's hard for me to hit them.

I allowed 1400-1600 since I re started a new program that worked for me. My intake during that program at first was 1500-1600, and I was pushing myself to eat just that much. I went off that program because I only tried it as a test. I went back to my old way of doing things, and I gain the weight I had lost back. This all happen with in 3 weeks. I was at 177, and I tried this new program.. I got to 171, so I went back to my old ways. My foolish tail didn't know it was the program. Not only that.. I worked out less during that week. Gain all that I had lost back. Now, I'm back on that program. I'm doing good and I am losing again. But it's hard to get to the target cal intake. I never make it. 1200 1 day this week is all I hit, and the other to days 1083 and then 1192. I'm no where near the target goal intake, not only that... I'm always full. I have to make myself eat from time to time.

If you weigh anything between 140 and 200lbs and you do a small amount of exercise every day - a half hour walk, for example - you can lose weight on 1400-1600 cals a day.  If you're heavier than 200lbs you need more than that because a bigger person needs more energy to simply go through the day.

I suggest planning your day/week ahead so that you work out how to fit in 3 meals and a few snacks within the allowance.  Learn to love vegetables because they are your best friend!   Fill half your plate with salads or vegetables at each meal.  They provide lots of bulk and very few calories.  And try to do without prepared foods, 'diet' products, Boca Burgers and other heavily manufactured junk.   Cook & prepare most of your food yourself from basic ingredients and it's a lot cheaper, healthier and you're in much greater control of the contents. 

My last suggestion is to invest in an accurate kitchen scale and get to know the 'right' portion-sizes for foods.   In time you'll be able to judge by eye rather than weighing but, in the early days, use the scale and don't guess.

Best of luck 

After reading some of the postings, I feel like I am doing something not quite right.  According to my weight assessment on cc, my total daily intake is 1200 calories a day also.  However, I am 5'1 & 134lbs, even at that size/height I don't look overweight, but according to the bmi, I am overweight by 15lbs.  It's not hard for me to stick w/the daily calorie intake because naturally  I am not a heavy eater, but I am a heavy drinker (liquor).  So knowing this, when I go on my diets I strictly do not indulge in any type of alcohol intake, but should I be eating more calories a day, I do cardio & toning at least 5 dys a week.  In my experience w/losing lots of weight, I definitely loss alot of muscle.  This time around I hope incorporating toning exercises w/cardio that I will build muscle, will I?  anyone?

Original Post by ctara72:

After reading some of the postings, I feel like I am doing something not quite right.  According to my weight assessment on cc, my total daily intake is 1200 calories a day also.  However, I am 5'1 & 134lbs, even at that size/height I don't look overweight, but according to the bmi, I am overweight by 15lbs.  It's not hard for me to stick w/the daily calorie intake because naturally  I am not a heavy eater, but I am a heavy drinker (liquor).  So knowing this, when I go on my diets I strictly do not indulge in any type of alcohol intake, but should I be eating more calories a day, I do cardio & toning at least 5 dys a week.  In my experience w/losing lots of weight, I definitely loss alot of muscle.  This time around I hope incorporating toning exercises w/cardio that I will build muscle, will I?  anyone?

 Hi Ctara, I've been doing this new program again, because it worked during the test I did on myself. Not only that... I was always feeling hungry with my old program. What a fool I was to think I could lose still with that one after trying the more portein program and losing good.

Now with the muscle mass.. I've always pick up or add more muscle to my frame. I've always been a tough woman, and a weight trained in highschool. I cut that out when I go married, not anymore. Because my ex husband didn't care for a hard woman, he likes them soft.

So I went off all my programs, after I had the 2nd child-and I gain big numbers.

Muscle comes naturally to me. I never have a problem with that...

Do push-ups squats and lunges.

I love pilates. They make your muscle lean not so much bulk, but I can't talk. My arms are pretty tone and cut.. I love that....