Confused - 1200 calories??

I'm a little bit confused.....I've been trying to eat around 1200 (or a little bit more, 1300ish) per day, only just started though, to try and lose about 3 - 3.5 kgs in just over a month. Sorry I don't know what that is in pounds...I'm a girl and I'm 17 - At the moment I weigh about 67kgs and I'm 173cm tall. That's within the healthy range for my BMI except I know I have a little bit of extra 'meat' on me. I don't think I'm fat, I just want to lose a bit of weight (I'm going on holiday soon - want to look nice overseas!!!) and I know that in the past I have been eating a bit too much junk.

So, cutting out junk etc, my diet has naturally gone down to about 1200. I've been on this diet for a short time before and seemed to lose weight healthily (though gained it back when I 'fell off the wagon' for a while.) I try to exercise (cycle, jog, walk) about 4 times a week. I feel a bit hungry during the day at times but don't think much of it? Here's an example of what I eat to get me to about 1200:

B - An orange and a bowl of muesli

Snack - 2 pancakes

Lunch - Lettuce sandwich and a banana

Snack - 1 piece of toast

Dinner - Spaghetti bolognese

Snack - A kiwifruit and 1/2 an orange

.....To me this seems like I'm eating healthily and I don't think I would be missing out on any nutrients or starving myself? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Sounds like you're eating almost no vegetables, so you're depriving yourself of that group of nutrients.  As a teen, you really need to be eating at least 1500 calories a day.  A nice veggie-full salad with dressing could add the extra 300 you need - or some roast mixed veg (made by drizzling very lightly with olive oil) - or something of that sort.

Ohh usually I do have veggies with dinner time, but I will try to add some more in. Thanks for the reply, the salad sounds good :)

More importantly what about calcium as a teenager you need at least 3 servings of milk a day-- If you deprive yourself later in life you will have alot of problems

Lettuce sandwich? ONE piece of toast?

Why don't you try this:

Breakfast: 2 pieces of 35 calorie bread toasted.. One with PB and one with jelly, a banana, and a cup of skim milk

Snack: apple or some kind of veggie with hummus

Lunch: Sandwich with lettuce and other veggies, mustard, and turkey with a pear/nectarine

Snack: Some kind of fruit

Dinner: Whole wheat spaghetti with some homemade spaghetti sauce with peppers, onion, and mushrooms mixed in... with some turkey meatballs and a salad..

You can EASILY stay with in 1200-1400 calories with this type of mean plan.. ESPECIALLY if you are exercising.. You simply are not eating enough of the right nutritional foods, dear.

Best of luck!!

Original Post by scjf:


You can EASILY stay with in 1200-1400 calories with this type of mean plan.. ESPECIALLY if you are exercising.. You simply are not eating enough of the right nutritional foods, dear.

Best of luck!!

But she SHOULDN'T be staying within 1200-1400. She's 17. She should be eating at least 1500-1800 as a growing teen girl.

However I also love lettuce sandwiches and I get strange looks! To make a 'lettuce' sandwich I use romaine lettuce, collard greens, tomato, cucumber and then I spread hummus on one side of the bread. I also eat whole grain Millet Bread because it has a yummy texture.

Yes, I know she shouldn't.. That's why I am giving her some pointers as to where she should be adding some more calories.. That looked like WAY less than 1200 she had posted. Just trying to give some input =)

Thanks guys I didn't realise I might have been undereating! Thanks for the ideas I will definitely try and incorporate more nutritious food :)

You seem to be eating way too many carbs to lose much weight.  Try cutting down on the pancakes / bread / pasta and increase your protein and vegetable intake.  That should help.  Also, if you are eating more vegetables (the green leafies are best as they are lower in carbs) you don't have to feel like you are hungry but the cals will still be low.  Make sure you are drinking lots of water too otherwise the weight you lose will probably be just water and not fat and will come straight back on when you stop dieting.  keep up the good work though.

Honestly, the BEST way to know if you are eating the right amount of food/calories is to ask your Dr. Teenagers do need certain vitamins and nutrients but trying to stay at a healthy weight is also good for your health. Your Dr can refer you to a nutritionist too. Good Luck. I'm 28 now, and it's so much harder to stay at a healthier weight when youger rather then older b/c your metabolism does slow a bit, expecially if you have an office/desk job, so I have to work out 4 - 5 times a week to make a small change on the scale. Better to start your healthy habits at a young age, b/c it's part of your lifestyle when you get older!!

My advice would be to definitely try to add more protein. See, you need to have protein to help keep from losing muscle mass. If you lose weight in muscle, that's not going to help your shape. Try adding some milk and some lean protein like chicken or tuna. :)

Besides that, your body has to work harder to break down proteins than it does to break down carbs, so you'll burn a few extra calories just digesting. (Not a lot, mind you. But it is a perk. ;P)

amacra, the daily recommended serving amount for grains for someone like the op is 6-11 ounces. her carbs are fine.