What are your 1200 cals days like?

[Oksunny]

3 meals + snacks where possible but not essential.
1200cals a day.

Anyone mastered it? The calories seem to go no where! Sometimes I am having only one meal a day & nearing 1000 cals with a snack. How do you split that into 3?

I usually have an extra 100 odd calories a day from exercise. I log with My Fitness Pal and extra calories/activity/step count/exercise comes from my Garmin syncing.

Breakfast: 40g granola plus 100g skyr yogurt, half cup blueberries = 340 ish calories
Lunch: homemade soup plus couple cheese oatcakes is under 400 calories; if out and about M&S egg mayo sandwich plus small popcorn/crisps is around 400 calories
Dinner:half a packet of filled pasta (spinach and ricotta tortellini) plus a small amount of tomato based pasta sauce is around 400.

For snack I would do something like a tunnocks tea cake (M&S own brand is 72 calories)

1200 with no extras from activity is tough though - I cycle about 20-25 minutes to and from work which helps.

Meant to add : portion control is everything as it’s super easy to accidentally double your portion of chips if you don’t measure them.

As a hangover from WW days, I don’t count plain vegetables - raw, boiled or steamed. So I might have carrots or spinach with tea, or a bowl of salad (with a counted amount of dressing).

This is lunch tomorrow (and Tues and Weds):
blog.myfitnesspal.com/healthy-freeze-ahead-breakfast-burritos/

Breakfast
50g porridge with 10g golden syrup 220cal
Or Belvita breakfast biscuits 220cals
Lunch I will have carbs and meat e.g
Chilli and rice
Spag bol
Chicken and rice or on a wrap.
Usually around 4-500cals
Tea I usually have meat with greens
Chicken salad etc 350cals
If I have exercised I also add carbs as otherwise I cannot function and feel hungry usually 4-500cals in the form of pasta or rice
Snacks I usually have 2 clementines 60ish cals
That's my typical week day when working.
I have tonight prepped my lunches for the week to make it easier! If I am really hungry and struggling I might have a piece of toast extra or something else quite filling. As I am out and about all weekend my main meals are lunch and tea so sometimes I have spare calories I can use in the week for something else. Try not to kill yourself sticking to the 1200. I never track sauces and butter etc which add extra calories but I do have them in small amounts but it takes me too long to measure every little thing. You will just find that works best for you. Also you can have anything you like chocolate, crisps etc but I like saving my calories to have better meals.

Just to add it's quite easy to have a 1000 cal meal but it's also quite easy to look at that meal and break it up. So rather than having 200g of cooked pasta cut it down to 100 or 150g. If you have 6 meatballs have 4 instead? It is hard when you're used to eating really big filling meals but within a week or two you get used to it.

What are some of your favourite low calorie snacks? I feel like I'm grazing all day!

Yes I must work on my portion control (no wonder I’m 3 stone over weight! 😬) it’s mad because a month ago I would of eaten anything & everything I fancied without thinking twice & now I’m beating myself up if I have a 42cal cuppa soup that sends me over 1000!

Must chill out... very restrictive though, 1200 cals.

Have 2 children under 2 & am a SAHM so not much chance for exercise but I am trying to walk rather than use the car where possible.

I have managed to stick to 1200cals but that is having a dinner & a very light lunch only.

Thanks all!

Loads of snacks under 100 calories these days - popcorn bags from multipacks, those small packets of crisps, Soreen cake slices, and of course fruit and veg. A crumpet with some jam is not much more than 100 cal either.

To do it long term rather than for a quick diet, I actually think you have to give up on the idea that you get to have three meals a day plus the odd snack. I eat between 1000 and 1200 calories a day (I am middle aged, short and sedentary) and in real life that is 1.5 meals (a 300cal 'light' meal and a 600-700 cal meal) plus milk in hot drinks and only "snacks" like cherry tomatoes or one biscuit every other day. I spent ages getting annoyed that I 'couldn't afford' to fit in all the meals I was entitled to/expected to have without gaining weight before working this out!

drop the snacks (and sugar in drinks)
concentrate on 3 meals rich in volume, i.e. veg and fruit, salad leaves are great for giving volume without adding many calories.

Weetabix with milk under 300 calories. Sandwich at lunch 300 calories. That leaves 700 calories for an evening meal and snacks like small pieces of fruit. Drink only water or plain tea or coffee.

Alternatively anything with lots of veg or salad with a small portion of anything else for breakfast and lunch. Keep both those meals under 300 calories and it is fairly easy.

Sorry I cannot add up but usually end up on 1200 by being under 300 calories for each of breakfast and lunch and over 600 for dinner.

My house is low carb under 50g a day if possible so that instantly cuts out a lot of calorie dense food, like pasta and bread and a lot of meals are purely vegetable based which also bring the calories down instantly

Breakfast :
porridge with raisins 300kcal
or
cauliflower hash browns and eggs 400 kcal

Lunch:
Roasted veg such as parsnip or carrots with a premade spice mix sprinkled over 200kcal

Dinner:
Fish with home made salsa and more veg, whatever I've got to hand such as courgette 400kcal

snacks:
petit pois with butter 150kcal
pepperami 100kcal each
cup a soup 50kcal
babybel 60kcal
walkers beetroot crisps 100kcal
peaches in syrup 60kcal
olives 100kcal

I have a home made trail mix thats roughly 100kcal per 25g

Sometimes I struggle to hit 1200 cus i've eaten so much vegetable bulk that I can't eat any more

I like low fat yogurt or porridge with berries and seeds about 250- 275 for breakfast

Tesco meal deal about 475 for lunch if you have a veggie sandwich around 400cal, fruit snack and water or vitamin drink. You could do it for less as there's an egg butty for about 250 or so but it's not the most filling.

That leaves me about 450-500 for tea which can be things like soup, bean stew, vegetable casserole, curry served on spinach, or a jacket potato (220g so not huge) with low fat cottage cheese and beans plus salad.

Or shiritaki noodles are fantastic if you're hungry and want a bigger portion as they add bulk but hardly any cals and I find them a more filling than just veg. You can use them with any pasta or noodle sauce (stir the sauce in, don't serve it on top as they have no flavour and use plenty of herbs or spices). I buy them in bulk off Amazon

I don't really snack much but apples, carrots, satsumas and baby bel lights are useful to have around. My treat tonight was a low cal hot choc (40) and a square of dark chocolate (72).

1200 isn't a great deal when you're used to eating whatever you want, as I was, but after a couple of weeks I am pretty used to it. I have knocked buying certain favourites on the head such as full fat cheese, houmous and bread (except for my sandwich). It's just easier than having tiny portions and wanting more.

You do need to portion control and check weights with this allowance but I don't bother to count the skimmed milk I have in tea and low cal ingredients like soy sauce or vinegar which make the recipes much more satisfying.

I've been on 1200 for 3 weeks now. It took me a week or so to get comfortable but I have lost 10lbs. I am also veggie.

I bulk up meals with spinach and things like bean sprouts!

Chickpeas are filling.

I usually do under 200 for brekkie inc my tea

200-300 lunch

300-400 dinner

Then a few snacks along the way but I'm quite strict and weigh everything.

I aim for approx. 1300 kcals but it would be easy to shave off 100 kcals by having less porridge and fruit (not that I would want to do it)

11 am: Porridge (overnight oats if at work) - made with 3/4 cup oats, unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup raspberries, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 banana. 465 kcals.

3-5 pm (depending on day/how hungry I am): large chopped salad (lettuce, shredded red cabbage, red onion, bell peppers, sweetcorn, cucumber, tomatoes, grated carrot, beetroot, radishes) with a low cal dressing (usually something like soy sauce mixed with dijon mustard). 1/2 pot of soup (I particularly like Yorkshire Provender Sweet potato and lentil at the moment). 360 kcals.

6.30-8.30 pm - 4+ portion of steamed veg, slim and save meal replacement (e.g. chilli con carne). 275 kcals.
Sugar free jelly, chopped fruit (mango, nectarine, pineapple etc), alpro no added sugar yogurt. 190 kcals.

It has been a game-changer for me waiting until 11 am to have a bigger breakfast (that fits in with work too).

Breakfast, although I tend to skip it.
Two boiled eggs with water cress / radish / cucumber.

Poached eggs with grilled mushrooms and tomatos.

Lunch
Homemade soup, tuna salad, wholemeal wrap with veggies and small spoon of hummous.

Dinner
Chickpea curry, lentil dhal, tuna steak and cajun veg, all with small portion of rice. Salmon and roasted veg, qourn and mushroom bolognese with half spagetti half courgettie. Prawn curry.

No snack. Or marmite drink.

One good tip is a Subway!

330 calories for a 6 inch chicken breast sub with shedloads if salad, and lite mayo.

Delish! And get it toasted without cheese.

But avoid the cookies!!

I also get a massive cherry Pepsi Max which deals with the sweet cravings.

A typical 1200 day for me would be:

Breakfast: 200-250 cals
1 sachet of golden syrup porridge made with water (150 cals)
1 babybel light (42 cals)

Lunch 300 cals
Half pack of a shop bought tub of soup (lots of options for under 150 cals)
Bread thin, toasted (100 cals)
5 slices wafer thin ham (40 cals)
6 cherry tomatoes (9 cals)

Snack 50-150 cals - I’ll have 1 or 2 of the following
Mini Apple - 50 cals
Light babybel- 42 cals
Museli bar- 80ish cals
Philadelphia snack pack- 100 cals

Dinner (500 cals)
this week is spicy harissa and aubergine pie (440)
60f broccoli (20 cals)

If I’ve had a smaller afternoon snack I might have a funsize milky way (59 cals) or a curly wurly (109 cals), rolo mousse (80 cals)

I usually stick to 300 calories for breakfast, 400 for lunch and 500 for dinner. Measuring carbs is the best way for me and cut out snacks in between meals apart from one between lunch and dinner

I usually do:

200 for breakfast (yoghurt, banana and berry smoothie or a belvita bar or small bowl of cereal or fruit salad)

350 for lunch (I more focus on small portion and sensible choice rather than having a specific item in mind)

100 for snacks:
Rich tea biscuit 40 cals
Snack a jack crisps 89 cals
Marshmallow 20 cals
Pink wafers 30 cals
Rice cakes
Small glass of wine 100 cal
Berries
Parma ham 30 cal per slice
Prawns
Scotch egg 50-60 cals
Popcorn

Coke Zero - life saver for when I get home from work and need something to pick me up

500-600 for dinner

I see it as a lifestyle and exercise quite intensely but just three times a week then add on those calories or leave them for going out/unavoidable heavier days or when I want wine!

I find when I follow it strictly I lose weight quickly. If I follow it but have a few heavy days or lose track slightly, I maintain weight. But a week or so of lots of bad days and I begin to gain again. I guess it is just science at the end of the day and I really like the sense of ownership and not feeling out of control of my weight - in a healthy way though.

I’ve had to completely change my eating its - I have switched to Bare Naked Noodles which are 15cal a portion. I also eat a lot of Quorn. I also weigh everything and bulk out with things like puréed spinach..

Today’s menu
Breakfast 166 calls
1 warburtons thin plus 6g flora light
250g baby plum tomatoes

Snack Carrot sticks 62 calls

Lunch Glorious skinnylicious soup 274 calls
Bag skinny popcorn 87 cals

Dinner 417 cals
70g pasta
70g pasta sauce
Roasted peppers, onions, courgettes
In a bed of spinach

Milk 120 cals

I’ve got 75 cals left! Will prob have a rolo mousse for 85 cals. Will also walk for 40 mins and do an hours Pilates, but I try not to eat exercise cals. 1200 is really tough but it does work, but I’ve had to make very different choices (misses ainsley Harriott cous cous!)

I agree with @bestZebbie I do 1200 calories combined with IF, so don't have breakfast, only eat between 12pm and 8pm so having 2 meals a day and fruit as snack. Easier on a work day of course. I'd struggle if I was at home every day if I'm honest.

I ha e to do 1200 as I lose so slow

Fast 8pm -1-2pm

L soup baked crisps like hula hoops fruit

D chicken salad a low cal ready meal roast dinner

S porridge with skimmed milk sultanas

Sugar free by six it’s x 4 =1150-1250 calories

I’m down 86lbs

As someone else said, it only really works if I give up on the idea of being able to have three meals a day plus snacks.

Generally here it’s:
No breakfast
Lunch: 300 cals
Snack: 100
Dinner: 700
Then milk in tea etc.