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

I’ve started having the Purition vegan protein shakes for lunch. It’s basically flavoured powders that you add to oat or almond milk. I find it keeps me full and I usually add some berries.

Then with yoghurt for breakfast I usually have 600 cals spare for a nice big dinner!

I've just started fasting 19:5, so far so good and definitely helps with calorie control! 1200 feels like a decent amount when it's only split between 2 meals.

I’m finding I’m naturally just having salad for lunch and dinner ,sometimes a small potatoe with it ,sometimes vegan cheeses ,sometimes tofu .
It leaves me calories forMy treats hoola hoop puffs ,which I’m fond of ,the occasional square of dark chocolate,or a glass of a cold soya coffee ,so not Not cutting out my treats helps
But I’m finding I’m feeling a little faint at times ,and it’s put me off driving the car ,hoping this passes as my body adapts

@Veganforlife

I’m finding I’m naturally just having salad for lunch and dinner ,sometimes a small potatoe with it ,sometimes vegan cheeses ,sometimes tofu . It leaves me calories forMy treats hoola hoop puffs ,which I’m fond of ,the occasional square of dark chocolate,or a glass of a cold soya coffee ,so not Not cutting out my treats helps But I’m finding I’m feeling a little faint at times ,and it’s put me off driving the car ,hoping this passes as my body adapts

If you're feeling faint then you are NOT eating enough. It's shocking that you are on a very low calorie allowance and you are wasting some on crisps etc instead of proper food, then becoming faint! If you insist on eating such low calories then you must plan to maximise your protein, complex carbs and fats not waste 100-200 on empty calories.

1200 is not very low calorie,that’s what normal people diet on .
I could understand your comment if I was on 800 or less a day .
But I’m being really sensible

40g porridge made with water, with a banana and a blob of very low calorie Greek style yoghurt (400)
Salad dressed wirh lemon juice and teaspoon olive oil, 4 ryvitas with shavings of cheddar (400)
Steamed fish with veg, no rice pasta or potatoes (300)
Snacks include: apple, orange, sticks of celery, carrots, courgettes

I've lost 4 stone since Christmas, lowering my calories as I go and am now on about 1300. Typical days for me from the last few days:
Sunday
B: back coffee (I fast 16 hours)
L: roast beef with Ross parsnip, Yorkshire pudding, carrots, broccoli and peas
D: chicken sausages with red onion and mixed beans in tortilla, and an apple with cheese
S: a raspberry frozen yoghurt ice lolly, and some low cal chocolate icecream with strawberries

Saturday:
B: black coffee
L: peanut chicken with coleslaw and garlic greens
D: chicken sausage with red onion and apple stew and parsnip crisps
S: low cal chocolate icecream

Friday:
B: black coffee
L: veg curry on cauliflower rice
D: peanut chicken with garlic springs greens
S: banana, satsuma and peanut and almond popcorn,

@Veganforlife

1200 is not very low calorie,that’s what normal people diet on . I could understand your comment if I was on 800 or less a day . But I’m being really sensible

Yes it is very low to fuel an active body. Just because people eat that little regularly doesn't mean it isn't a little.

@Codename

I’m going to hazard a guess that you are at least 5’6” or are big exerciser? You seem to have a blind spot to the fact that for short woman have a very different calorie requirement to taller women.

even tall women post menopause have a calorie need way below the 2000 mentioned on food packaging.
I'm 5.9 and my tdee is only about 1700.

I’ve done that whole working out the amount of food you can eat ,and I just don’t loose weight on such a huge amount
My metabolism is ruined through years of bulimia ,if I can’t get my weight under control I’m going to pay for a band .
I am very fat ,really I should do the 800 fast diet ,but I’m a wuss .
This 1200 seems to be working for me ,my clothes are looser ,I don’t weigh myself ,as it sets me of .
I’m just struggling with ideas of vegan low cal foods on my salad

I'm 40 and 5'4 so not too young or too short but I do exercise several days a week.

Breakfast: Oat flat white (80 cal)
Lunch: Mediterranean salad, usually M&S + Greek yogurt (350 cal)
Snack: Dairy Milk Fruit & Nut (250 cal)
Dinner: Linda McCartney sausages or quorn steaks or soups or wholemeal pasta or anything healthy really (450-600 cal)

I should have heavier lunches and lighter dinners but I don’t feel hungry for lunch!

Vegan I would highly recommend the plant based vega range from Asda, everything so far I've tried is really nice and whilst I know convenience food is frowned upon I find have a couple meals in the fridge or freezer means I have a few days 'off' from planning my meals. The gnocchi and also the dirty fries are particularly nice.

I promise it gets easier the longer you stick to it. I really struggled initially due to my out of control appetite.

I'm 5'2. I was 64kg, managed to get down to 57 kg so far in two months. I've not been totally strict i.e had a mcdonalds, birthday afternoon tea, magnum ice creams etc.

But my main thing is that I stick to it 95% of the time despite the odd days.

Below is a rough idea, of what I usually eat.

Breakfast/Lunch (I don't eat until 12PM) - portioned granola with fat free yogurt (300 calories max)/zero calorie noodles with tuna & veg (180 calories)
Dinner - Usually fish/chicken with a hefty portion of cauliflower rice/veg/salad/sweet potato - Usually comes in around 500-600 calories depending on what it is
Evening - 1 or 2 light snacks (banana/apple/grapes/100 cal pack of crisps etc)
Throughout the day - water, sugar free juice, coffee, green/regular tea

I've also started to go on my stationary exercise bike most days and burn roughly 400 calories and I'm seeing my weight go down quickly now.

I worked out my BMI/BMR using the Harris-Benedict formula etc. Science doesn't lie so am able to now predict how much weight I'll lose in a week. I'm lightly active (10-15000 steps a day and peloton 3 times a week) and I same out at 2,047 calories to maintain my weight.

Because I'd like to lose just under 2 stone, my calories a day at 1336 and this results in a 1.5lb loss each week. I have gone lower but prefer not to as need the wriggle room for when I lose more weight.. just be careful you don't leave yourself having to exist on 800 calories a day which isn't doable long term

I'm vegetarian and I eat ...

B - all bran, cashew milk, banana, Greek yogurt, berries

L - rice cakes with Philadelphia and salad OR soup with a wrap OR home made pitta pizza

D - roasted veg with feta OR a jacket potato with quorn and salad. Something like that

Snacks are usually .. Solero ice lolly, carb killa protein bar, cherries, watermelon, slice of cheese, Graze snack packs ... that sort of thing

I come in at my calories and usually don't feel hungry. On one day of the weekend I'll eat 2000 calories

The above has worked ok for me. I've lost 36 lbs since February

Thanks everyone lots of good ideas

I have made borscht for my lunches this week - it is v low cal, delicious and filling, and can easily be made vegan. I broadly followed this recipe but with more beetroot and less potato. I made 1700g and it's worked out about 200 cals for a 400g serving which feels generous. natashaskitchen.com/classic-russian-borscht-recipe/

Wow that Borscht recipe looks amazing! I've never tried it before so will nervously give it a go!

I just made a big vat of chicken, mushroom, noodle and beansprout soup for my lunch this week. 200 cals a portion for a heaping bowl of soup. Gotta love soup for low cal filling lunches.

An average day for me. I'm not vegan, nor even fully vegetarian, but I do prefer to mostly eat vegan.

Slice of rye bread, toasted (the heavy dense stuff) with 2 poached eggs or half an avocado, & a sliced tomato. Cup of coffee or herbal tea. About 325 cal.

Quinoa, pepper & black bean salad, kale salad (both made in advance & kept in fridge) basic salad greens, sprinkle of seeds. About 250 cal.

Lentil bolognese, with rice (about 45g dry weight). About 325 cal.

Evening snack - usually an apple & a hot chocolate, or a bowl of fruit with some yoghurt & homemade granola. Sometimes a gin & orange & a packet of crisps. Calories obviously vary.

For my salad I make my own salad sprinkle mix. Toast mixed seeds in a dry frying pan with some salt & pepper until they are fragrant & just starting to get golden brown. Cool & store in a tub. Much healthier than crisps at lunchtime, & good for the salty crunchy cravings.

In terms of what my 1100 calories look like, I skip breakfast unless I’m particularly hungry, in which case I’d have one boiled egg chopped with tiny bit of mayonnaise (100 cal)

Lunch chicken salad with egg, nuts, cheese and leaves or asparagus with boiled eggs and Parma ham. (300 cal)

Snack - berries (80 cals)

Dinner steak/roast chicken with garlic roasted broccoli (400 cal)

That takes me to just under 1000 and is fine, I then have a couple of days a week where I go slightly over because of a weekend brunch (avocado toast) or a restaurant takeaway or a couple of glasses of wine.

I never eat more than 1500 on those days so I am aiming for max 8000 cals per week.

A different day for me.

Yoghurt, one or two chopped pieces of fruit, couple of spoonfuls of homemade crunchy granola. Tsp of cacao nibs (just because I like them) about 250 calories.

Ryvitas (I'm wheat intolerant), hummus, olive tapenade, tomato & cucumber. About 350 calories.

Quinoa & mixed vegetable bake. I typically use about a 1/8 cupful of quinoa, dry, per portion, & a load of mixed vegetables. E.g. mushroom, tomato, peppers, aubergine, courgette, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, etc. Vegetables that give a lot of moisture are good. I add herbs & spices or a spice paste such a curry paste, pesto or harissa. Some pine nuts, olives or something else for some healthy fats etc. I add a few tbsp water or stock in. Needs a lid or it dries out too much. It usually comes out around 300 calories ish, depending what I put in. Bear in mind, I can't eat large portions so 1/8 cup quinoa is fairly small. I do add a lot of vegetables though.

Again, I'd then have yoghurt & fruit in the evening, or a hot chocolate & a piece or fruit, or a gin & fruit juice & packet of crisps.

I try to stay around 1200-1400 calories a day or I gain. I'm small & not very active. (Sometimes I eat more - especially chocolate , sometimes I really eat a lot less.)

Also, I make soup. A lot. Minestrone, mostly. Filling, cheap, healthy. I make a batch, set the pot in a sink full of cold water to cool it quickly, & it lasts several days in the fridge. Even with beans or lentils, minestrone soup is about 120-150 calories for a big bowl. I like adding a half tsp of pesto to the bowl. My favourite is Zest vegan pesto. It's DH's favourite too, & he's very much a carnivore.

I like the granola recipe in Youtube vlog. To make it fully vegan, you could switch the ghee for coconut oil & use a different liquid sweetener instead of honey - maple syrup, agave or something. I've made it a few times & it's pretty easy & lasts ages in a plastic tub in a cupboard. I get puffed rice & puffed buckwheat (for variety) from Holland & Barrett.

I’m averaging about 1000 a day:

10am Breakfast - Greek yogurt with berries & sprinkling of granola

Lunch - 2 x ryvita with either Philadelphia light & chilli jam/ avocado & chilli flakes/ tuna low fat mayo (Chilli boosts metabolism)

Dinner - chicken/fish or quorn with loads of different veggies. No carbs.

Snacks - snack a jack rice cakes/ pink lady apples / Greek yogurt

Drink 2 coffees a day - again to boost metabolism

I feel full and fine all day - Exercising about 500 calories off with a HIIT session followed by a run.

I’ve lost over 2stone in lockdown :) (I needed to)

OP, you tend to find if you really eat your 5 a day (more veg than fruit and proper big portions) or even aim for 7 a day, then you're filling up without much calorific intake. Then pad it out with protein, (good) fats and carbohydrates.