If you stick to 1200 calories what do you eat?

[Ohdoleavemealone]

I have been trying to do 16:8 but have lost about 2lbs in 4 weeks so that isn't really working.
I have only been eating between 11-7 and sticking to 12-1300 calories.
This has been pretty easy only eating between those hours but it isn't making me lose any weight so I need to look at eating normally again but in low amounts. Can anyone give me a typical day of what they eat so they don't feel hungry all day?

@GoLightlyontheEarth that's hard when you live in the Fens 😂

I get you OP. You are clearly investing a lot in a diet which isn't paying off.

I've tried 5-2 and low carb, and not for me. I got so constipated on low carb and very light headed. I need balanced food to function (mostly because of my job). I've started this diet plan called showme.fit, it has good recipes (not all recipes are great, but I've selected the ones I like) and they are quite filling. I don't count calories, or feel like I'm starving and I've lost 4 pounds the first week. It's all very healthy food, wholegrain, lots of vegetables, some carbs, and I feel pretty good about it. Snacking is just fruit and veg. There are also exercise videos but I don't do them, I run 3 times a week. It's a paid website but quite cheap.

I've never 'paid' for a diet before (although I bought books) so it's hard for me to compare. Also I only need to go down about ten pounds, which is what I put on during lockdown so I don't know how the diet performs longer term. But it does feel quite healthy to me with healthy fibres and balanced meals.

Typically, it's plain or greek yogurt with fruit for breakfast with a bit of honey, or something egg based with brown bread, or porridge with fruit, or home-made flapjack. Lunch is salad or soup, or brown pitta wrap, with home-made humous and salad. Dinner has loads of different recipes, things like halloumi burger in brown bap, sweet potato chips, pasta dishes with loads of veg, fish etc. Also switching to low sugar oat milk instead of cow's milk.

Maybe it's because I can't quite seem to get the hang of calorie counting (it's very time consuming) but I just prefer

I have to stick to a very boring diet to lose weight.

Breakfast- 2 scrambled egg with a grilled tomato - 260 cals

Lunch - big pot of Yorkshire provender soup - 300 cals

Dinner - a gousto meal under 600 caps. This has been really helpful as I can pick from a range of meals and the exact ingredients get delivered.

If you are very short and inactive then it suggests that 1200 is almost maintenance for you.

I'm only 5'1" and I wear a fitness watch. On days when I was home schooling and not a lot else my watch said I was only burning 1300 calories. According to tdee my sedentary calorie burn is 1427. I have been steadily losing weight for two months and I do an hour of exercise a day that normally adds up to 350 calories. You need to up your activity drastically.

One way I used to increase my calorie expenditure from walking was to use ankle weights. I'm not sure where they are now, we moved house a year ago & they got lost, but I literally used to wear them all the time except for work because they made my work clothes look odd. They feel weird & heavy at first but you soon get used to them, I used to feel strangely light when I took them off. If you do it in combination with hill or speed walking they soon add up to a fair amount of calories burnt. I used to have really good leg muscles. If they don't turn up soon I will probably just buy some more when the shops reopen.

I’m on 1200 calories a day and have lost 20lbs since Feb 1st. I did have 4stone to lose though so very overweight. I don’t eat breakfast but have a coffee at 11 with milk so this may or may not be classed as IF..... depends on who you read. I have lunch as late as possible... today it was a noodle broth with veggies and chicken gyoza. An alternative might be an omlette with veggies or leftovers. I’m likely to have an apple and 2 Peters Yard sourdough crackers with a teaspoon of Sweet Freedom chocolate spread with a cup of tea at 4/5 and maybe a banana. Dinner will be chicken curry or turkey bolognaise, veggie chilli, salmon all with added veg. I might have brown basmati rice but not generally pasta so will have squash noodles instead. Afterwards I might have Greek yoghurt with a Yeo valley fruit compote and a bit of dark chocolate with coffee. On Saturdays we have a take away and I will allow for about 800 calories for that. Sunday’s is the only time I really have bread and that’s with a cooked breakfast... poached eggs, bacon, vine tomatoes and mushrooms. I started couch to 5k but injured myself last week so I’m back to walking for an hour most days. Typically with a long walk one day a week (2.5 hours) I also ride my bike occasionally and have done some weights today at home. I generally don’t “ eat” my exercise calories apart from maybe Saturdays.