very predictable 1200 calorie daily menu

This is similar to many other posts, but I have gotten so many ideas this way.  My question is for those on a 1200-1400 calorie daily plan.  I've read over and over that a repetitive diet, having basically the same things every day with very little variation, helps to stay on track and this has been true for me, for the most part.  My daily diet consist of: (in this order)

• BREAKFAST (grits) 100 calories
• A.M. SNACK (fruit) 100 calories
• LUNCH (sandwich on 40 calorie per slice bread, lots of veggie, thin slice or two of meat, baby carrots) 200 calories
• AFTERNOON SNACKS (usually crackers b/c I am so much hungrier at this time) 300 calories
• SUPPER (whatever I cook for my family, but a smaller portion) 500 calories
• NIGHTTIME SNACK (pudding, yogurt) 60-100 calories

I find that it really helps me to not vary much from this diet.  I do get lots of variations at supper b/c I do not want my family to hate my "diet."  This makes me very excited to cook (I usually hate to cook  :) and to eat with them, b/c I allow myself a little indulgence at supper.  I know that most "diets" insist that supper be the smallest meal rather than the largest, but I have lost 60+ pounds with this diet and moderate exercise.

Again, my question is for those who have a very predictable diet of 1200 -1400 calories. 

wow thanks for posting great info and WOOOO HOOO on 60lbs lost

I do this too.  I am staying inbetween 1200-1400 calories and have always been a creature of habit so the same things work for me.

Today I had...

Breakfast: 6 oz Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla Yogurt, 3 TBS grape nuts, 6 Almonds, and 3 slices of Oscar Meyer Canadian Bacon..240 calories

Snack:  Light Cheese Stick & Special K Cereal Bar - 140 Cals

Lunch:  3oz chicken , 1 Cup cooked broccoli, 6 almonds, 1 small Banana - 270 calories

Snack: 1 cup strawberries with splenda & 8 oz milk- 130 cals

Dinner: 3 oz lean ground beef, 1 slice fat free american cheese, 1/2 tbs mayo (my weekness), Ketchup, Mustard, 2 slices of Natures own double fiber wheat bread, 1 Cup broccoli, with whipped butter -450 calories

Snack:  Sugar Free Fudge Cicle-50 calories.

I usually stay pretty much the same on the snacks and breakfast and lunch.  The dinner does change from day to day.

So far I have lost 71 lbs doing this. 

I love having a schedule...I never get sick of certain foods.  Plus, that way, I don't have to log everything everyday because I know what it adds up to.

I find that having a plan like that keeps me on track as well :) I keep at the same thing for about a week then slightly switch it up next week, etc... but I almost always make sure I can calculate the calories in each food.

I love to get other people's daily eating log.  It always gives me great ideas to incorporate into my own diet!

Breakfast- Lo Cal French Toast and Fruit (230 Cal)

Lunch- Lo Cal Hot Dog w/ Cheese and Fruit (200 Cal)

Dinner- Grilled Asparagus, Chicken Breast, Fruit (450 Cal)

Dessert- Slim A Bear (100 Cal)

Snack- 250 Cal Fruit Yogurt Smoothie

Here's my usual plan:

Breakfast: EITHER 1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, 1 sm banana, pineapple or berries OR 1 serving Kashi Go Lean, soy milk, fruit

Lunch: salad. I get prewashed baby spinach, and start with a bed of that. I layer on whatever veggies I have on hand - varies day to day. Today's was roasted corn and tomato.  I like to steam extra veggies at dinner so the next day I can use it chilled in the salad. Tomorrow's veggie will be green beans. Then I layer on 3-4 oz of protein - this can be leftover chicken, meat, hardboiled egg, or canned tuna. Or cheese - I keep an array to choose from, including feta, gorgonzola, mozzorella. Or nuts - I keep on hand pistachios, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts and just go with whatever is my whim. I mix it up for example today I had 1.5 oz leftover steak tips, and 1.5 oz mozzorella. Top with a TB of olive oil and a TB of balsalmic vinegar. This is a hefty salad but I work out in the morning so by lunchtime I need to restore my glycogen. :-)

Dinner: whatever the family eats, usually my formula is 1 cup whole grain (rice, quinoa, pasta, etc), 3 oz protein (fish, shrimp, egg, meat, chicken, etc) and 2-3 servings veggies. If it's a night when the kids aren't home and DH and I are foraging (like tonight!), I may have a lean cuisine or my old standby is one egg over easy, 1 slice whole wheat toast, and veggie.

Before bed snack: I have an array of 100-calorie options including skinny cow bars, and the 100-cal cookie packs. I also have a stash of chocolate "Little Bites" from Whole Foods - 5 bites is 125 calories and hits the spot when only chocolate will do. Or, I'll have fruit topped with lite sugar-free whipped cream. Sometimes, I have a salt-tooth so I'll have carrots & pickles, or saltines.

There's room in my plan above for 4 oz of white wine, parcelled out in two spritzers, each with 2 oz of wine, one lemon, crushed ice, and selzer.

cool thread!  my cal/day are 1500, but close enough, hey?

BREAKKY
coffee/2%milk/splenda
1 cup kashi puffs or rice krispies or special k
1 cup 2% milk
banana/strawberries or grapes

LUNCH
1 can tuna + 1 tbs miracle whip light on 60% whole wh bread
carrots/celery/cucumber 
OR
mixed green salad, 1 oz cheese + 2 oz turkey or ham, no fat ranch

SNACK
1/2 cup danone no fat vanilla yogurt
banana/strawberries + 1/2 cup special k

DINNER
varies...we have a set dinner menu everyday of the week (makes my shopping easier)
SUN= roast (beef, chicken, pork), steamed veggies
MON= chicken, rice, veggies + dip
TUES= pasta nite (spag + balls, lasagne), salad, garlic bread
WED = fish nite (salmon, basa fillet, grilled prawns), rice, salad
THUR= greek meatballs, rice, greek salad OR chicken curry
FRI = homemade pizza, veggies + dip
SAT = STEAK NIGHT!!!  fries/baked spuds, salad

SNACK
mini rice cakes or kashi + milk or fruit

I work out on a stationary bike, healthrider, or elliptical for 60+mins 6 days/week, plus I've started adding some light arm weight exercises on alternating days.

I have a home daycare, so I'm rarely sitting down during the day -- even to eat!  I've lost 33lbs since Jan 2.....although for the past 5 weeks, I've been stuck!  Going to try and up my cals a bit, watch my sodium and see how that goes...

....plus I put my stupid scale away in the closet.

oops. sorry for such a long post!

*shuffles off with cyber-diarrhea*

• Breakfast - 1 piece of fruit and yogourt or Kasi cereal  200 cal
• lunch - protein shake made with soy milk, powder and fruit, and take calcium, multi and B12 supplements  350 cal
• snack - yogourt or fruit or veggie or grain 100 cal
• supper - something with either rice, potatoe or carbs and a whole lotta veggies 500-600 cal
• snack - nuts  200-400 cal, depending on exercise that day.

for a total between 1350 and 1650.

Thank you for such a great post.  I am just starting to lose weight and this is very helpful. 

Breakfast....I uusally consume around 275 calories...I have cereal with 1% milk and 1/2 glass of OJ and either a slice of toast with LIGHT butter or a small apple

snack....100 calorie pack snack or pudding.....or grapes...I also drink Wylers Lemonade singles mixed with a bottle of water....only  10 calories

Lunch....either a ham and cheese sandwich....around 15 chips....3 pickle slices and a diet coke or wylers lemonad......or.....a hormel micorwave dish thats about 250 calories.

snack....same as morning snack...only I may change the type of pack or pudding...but its still 100  calorie

dinner....alwyas a salad first...then usually greenbeans or some veggie like that...and a 3oz meat of some sort.