1200 cals a day ...what does it consist Of if you manage to stick to it

[Pugsrus]

I’m trying to stick to this ,and failing miserably
What does 1200 cals look like in a day ,I’m vegan ,but just want to hear how other people make this work ,so I can get ideas..
Thanks

2 meals a day (16:8)
no snacks
no sugar or milk in tea or coffee

When I can stick to it -

measured portion of porridge with fruit and 1tsp sugar (350 cals) as late in the morning as I can bear typically 10am.

Tin of soup for lunch and an apple (280cals)

Measured sensible dinner (600 cals)

If I want a treat like a cake or chocolate I have a sensible portion and ditch the dinner and just have another tin of soup.

I can’t stick to this in lockdown though!

It's too tough for me to stick to for more than 4 days: if I'm hungry I don't sleep and if I'm tired from not sleeping I crave food.

Can you do 10,000 steps (or some other exercise) and eat your BMR instead? For me (F, 53, 82.6kg) that works out to 1438 kcals, and about an hour and a half of walking. I've been doing that since 11 May and I've lost 2.95kg so far with absolutely no effort at all. I also sleep better than I have done since they closed my gym.

Here's a BMR calculator: www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

@FloraGreysteel for many women 1200 calories is their BMR.

I don't think it is, unless you're very petite already: 1200 kcals is the (minimum) number they usually suggest on diet apps that you have to eat in order to lose weight.

Your BMR should be a lot higher than that as it's the amount you eat in order to maintain your weight not lose weight.

I am clinically obese and only 5 foot 3", and my BMI is 1438 at the moment.

The weight I've lost is due to controlling my eating (eating my BMR so not starving myself) plus burning calories through 90 minutes of walking every day.

Typo: my BMR not BMI!

I'm the same height as you but a bmi of 23, the MFP calculator gave me a BMR of 1214.

The more you weigh the higher it is. As I said, I'm clinically obese (BMI of 31.5). My BMR is 1439 which is what my body needs to maintain a steady weight if I was in a coma. My weight loss comes from daily activities and the 90 minutes walking.

If the OP is not clinically obese but is instead short and petite, with little muscle, I agree that her BMR will be closer to 1200.

2 eggs on 1 slice toast (no butter) or
40g porridge made with water and berries or
Yogurt and with protein powder and banana

Tuna, ham or low fat soft cheese on wrap, Pitta or small jacket potato with salad
Or
Soup

Carefully portioned dinner-no oil, cheese or pastry

I did this for months last year and lost 10kg.

Now I can’t even stick at it for a day

My BMR is about 1200 calories unfortunately.

I think you'll need to make sure you are getting enough protein to keep you fuller for longer, which you'll have to plan for, being vegan. Can you use something like my fitness pal and plan everything in advance on there, so that you can make sure you're getting the right macros?

I'm not vegan but a couple of 1200 cal days for me have been:

B: Weetabix with oat milk, banana, skyr yoghurt, mug tea
L: Poached eggs on toast
T: Buddha bowl with roasted sweet potato, paprika chickpeas, Spinach, roasted courgette, and minty yoghurt.
Snacks: Black coffee, apple, marmite on toast

B: porridge with oat milk, tinned pear, mug tea
L: homemade Mexican Black bean soup with slice bread and butter
T: homemade risotto Primavera with broad beans, local asparagus and goats cheese
Snacks: bombay mix, cherry cake, black coffee, glass wine

I can't keep 1200 up every day mind

Doing this due to back problems and I don't weigh a lot but have put on a stone to what I am usually and my back is suffering. I don't eat much meat, so hopefully this helps you:

Breakfast:
2 Richmond vegan sausages
1 egg fried in 1 cal spray (you can use mushrooms)
Handful of cherry tomatoes fried in 1 cal spray
=283 cals

2 teas with 1 sugar =100

So far 1060 cals and I tend to have a couple of squares of dark chocolate to take me to 1200. I won't lie I'm pretty hungry, but it's the only way to lose weight I did it a few years back and lost 5lbs.

Lunch
Lentil curl crisps Aldi
Half a tub of cottage cheese with pineapple
Pink lady apple
= 258cals

Dinner
Sharwood noodles
Brocoli
Soy sauce 5 teaspoons
Red pepper
Spring onion
1 cal spray
=419

I forgot to add beans to my breakfast and the total should be at the end, not sure what happened there

I'm doing it now, and it's really blowing my mind how much my metabolism is slowing. Just a year ago I could lose 2lb a week on 1400 calories. Now I'm on 1200 (but heavier than last year) , at least 10k steps a day, long fast cycle ride twice a week and I'm losing half a lb to 1lb per week.
I've been to have my bloods checked and they're fine... So this is it, sigh......

My typical day is:
2 boiled eggs for breakfast
Soup and bread for lunch or chicken salad
Fish in sauce with veg for dinner
3 cups of tea with sugar

Typical day

Porridge with soya milk

Tuna salad with loads of salad including pickles and chillis

Chicken salad or chicken with cooked veg

Occasionally a carrot as a snack

I'm also vegan. The trick is definitely to get enough protein to feel fuller for longer. It's super easy to eat a really carb heavy diet while vegan.

The vegan version of the phd smart plant bars have 20g of protein for 259 cals and will fill you up all morning. After eating one of those, I don't think about food until lunch.

Things with beans and lentils in are also really filling. I try to limit starchy carbs like bread and pasta to once or twice a week in controlled portions.

Fat isn't the enemy. Nuts are high in calories so be aware of how much you're eating but a smaller portion of nuts will keep you fuller for longer than a slice of bread with the same amount of calories.

Ultimately, starchy carbs and sugary things don't keep you satisfied for very long, protein, healthy fats and yummy veg will. It's just about re-training yourself to reach for different things.

Good luck!

1 crumpet with a little butter
Wholewheat noodles and mushrooms and peas 1tbsp of sweet chilli sauce
Normal family meal just measured out
Then I normally have around 100cal at the end of the day for a snack.
I have oat milk in 2 or 3 drinks a day.

I’ve been doing this since January via MFP. Sometimes I go over so I’m not completely beholden to it but a general day is roughly:
Breakfast - Fruit and low fat yoghurt - 100 cals
Lunch - salad, low fat cheese, thinly sliced bread w balsamic to dip - 300 cals
Snack - quavers / apple etc - 100 cals
Tea - chilli made up of 100g mince/tons of veg/pulses and 50g basmati with grated cauli mixed through and topped with 20g low fat cheddar - 600 cals

Evening - choc mousse or a few squares of chocolate - 100 cals

I’m surprised how filling it’s been. The key has been cutting everything down slightly. I couldn’t do no carb, so I have them but a bit less, and mixed in with eg cauliflower. Sandwiches are made with wholemeal thins rather than thick bread etc.

It creates enough of a calorie deficit that if I have a takeaway every so often I don’t have to worry too much about the impact. I know I’ll just stay the same that week rather than lose, then be back on it next week.

I usually do smaller portions, I also include all my drinks. For example yesterday

B - porridge (made with water) with strawberry jam and a fresh orange juice
227

L - tea (1 sugar and milk) apple, banana and a yoghurt
438

D - chicken piccata (Hello Fresh recipe) I had 2/3 because I give DS a 3rd of my dinner
428

A cup of tea around 8pm 21 calories

That left me with 86 calories so I had a couple of squares of fruit and nut bar as a treat with my last cup of tea, which was 50 calories.

I do have days where I fall below 1200 and days where I got over, the days I go below tend to be days where I'm out and don't stop for lunch.

I'm doing 16:8 on 1200 cals (most of the time!). Yesterday was:

Loads of water.
Lunch: Two pieces of toast (small whole meal) with tomato mozzarella on one and avocado on the other. Both with balsamic. Squash.
Snack: Vegan nuggets and bbq sauce. Diet Coke.
Dinner: Burger (no roll), salad and air fried chips. Light mayo. Glass of dry white.
Babybel and two crackers.
Cup of tea and dark chocolate.

I am doing it, weighing everything that passes my lips and logging religiously on MFP. That is my first tip - keeping a record helps to stop random snacks and to realise where the calories are actually coming from.

Breakfast everyday is the same:
Porridge made with 25g oats and 25g other grain eg quinoa, buckwheat, millet, 15g raisins, a little turmeric, cinnamon and allspice and a grate of salt, made with water. Then 62g grapes or similar amount of other fruits added after it's cooked.
Coffee with 50ml semi skim milk.
291 cals

Lunch and dinner I generally either steam or fry (measure and log the oil) loads of veg with beans and sometimes small amount of carbs like whole rice vermicelli, whole grain couscous etc. If I want an easy meal I'll have a wholemeal wrap with houmus and raw veg.

For instance yesterday lunch was:
Tomato, red onion, broccoli, garlic, chickpeas, baby spinach fried in half a tablespoon of oil - 284 cals

Dinner was: wholemeal wrap with houmus, salami, watercress, carrot and cucumber - 320 cals

Snacks tend to be a small amount of plain yoghurt with fruit, a rice cake, tomatoes with a little salt

I do a HIIT routine three times a week so I can add in some more cals, and have a bit more of a treat. Eg. Two slices of pizza with green pepper and a large salad, add in a few dark choc chips to my yoghurt and fruit snack.

I have found that eating mainly veg and lean protein means I can still have a big plate of food, so I don't feel like I'm missing out, and the protein really does make me feel full for longer.

Are you tracking you calorie intake honestly? Where are the calories mainly coming from?

I don't have breakfast just 2 filter coffees with BOB milk.
Lunch , soup or salad or a small tin of something on toast or chickpea curry.
Snack 100g fat free fage with berries
Tea anything the family are having but altered to fit in with me. So no oil etc.
Late night snacks salt and vinegar rice cakes or a mini Vienna lolly, halo top ice cream, party ring, carrot sticks and pb fit.

Vegan too.

Usually a bagel with marmite at 11am and dinner at 530.

Dinner is often

Salad (not all of it but most of the following: quinoa or cous cous, hummus, cucumber, tomato, beetroot, pickled onions, kale crisps (kale done in oven), butternut squash/aubergine, sesame seeds, peanut dressing, nuts, cheese, red onion)

Jacket potato, cheese and beans. Prefer sweet potato.

Soup

Cous cous and roasted veg.

Baked beans, mushrooms tofu scramble

Normally enough calories left to budget for a treat or a bowl of cereal. I normally have a chocolate cereal as a lower cal way of having chocolate. Or a hot chocolate.

Stir fry is also a good one.