Beachies, I'm hearing several people say that they aren't getting 1200 or more calories a day and I'm getting a little worried. It really is imperative, both for weight loss success, and more importantly, for your health, that you get AT LEAST 1200 a day, okay? Let's post strategies, questions, etc. here so we can help each other do this, okay?
I know firsthand how hard it can be to fit snacks into a busy and erratic schedule. What are some things you can do?
I keep food in my fridge that's easy to grab...like grape tomatoes, cheese sticks, little gladware containers of hummus and dressing (which I use as dip for veggies), 3-bean salad or broccoli salad, and fruit. It helps a lot! If I plan my snacks, that helps too. I wonder if I might be more successful if I put my snacks together the night before?
I have a plan for what snacks I'll eat. In P1, I have yogurt in the morning and some kind of veggie/protein combo in the afternoon. In P2, I have yogurt in the morning with SF jam and wheat germ, then fruit and a protein in the afternoon. Helps me know what's going on.
I eat beans almost every single day. They have lots of calories, but you get tons of nutrients, protein, fiber, and carbs for those calories, so it's totally worth it! I love homemade 3 bean salad...beans in soup, and my personal fave (feels like comfort food to me!) is refried beans...heated with some salt and garlic powder, with reduced fat cheese and sugar-free salsa mixed in. YUMMM!
What tips can you share? If you are having trouble getting in your calories, post your daily menu here so we can give you some ideas. Let's support each other through this, okay?
I was just about to post a menu to ask for feedback! Thanks for starting this thread!
Here's what I ate yesterday:
B- 1/3 cup cooked steel-cut oatmeal mixed with a packet of Splenda and a teaspoon of sugar-free maple syrup.
S- Cabot 50% Light Cheddar Snack Slice (These have 3.5 grams of fat and apparently no lactose. Lactose bothers my tummy, in a way that none of those -itols in sugar-free stuff do.)
L- Salad - 1.5 cups raw spinach, 1 cup romaine lettuce, 1/4 cup solid white tuna (packed in water), 1.5 cups cucumber. Sugar-free Jell-o cup.
S - 15 pistachios (This isn't really something I'd normally have. Nuts tend to repeat on me).
D - 6 oz. baked salmon, 2/3 cup frozen green beans, 1 cup mashed turnips. No seasoning or added fats with any of it.
S- NSA Fudgsicle (I love these!)
That's a typical menu, except for breakfast. Today's menu is more similar, but with a more usual morning meal
B- 1/2 cup egg substitute omelet, 1/3 cup mushroom. 2 slices Canadian Bacon (the Kraft/SBD kind). And, for a P2 grain, I had a slice of whole wheat toast (double fiber Freihofer's) with 1 tbsp sugar-free strawberry preserves
S- light string cheese
L - Salad w/ 2 1/2 cups spinach, romaine, radicchio. 3 oz. grilled chicken. 1/2 cup mushrooms, 1 cup cucumbers (I really love these) and 1/4 cup celery. Sugar-free Jell-o snack cup
Dinner as yet is a mystery, but it will most likely be some grilled chicken with vegetables, or whatever I can cook up quick. (I have a work thing tonight).
Doesn't it look like I eat a lot? I feel like I do. But FitDay never agrees. I eat much the same stuff every day. Always at least a string cheese. Sometime Mock French Toast for breakfast. Always a Jell-o snack. Lately, I've been adding a fruit serving per day, if I have it. Strawberries in the oatmeal or blueberries for a snack. Once I had an apple with natural PB. Tomorrow, I'm going to have cantaloupe!
today's menu -
b - egg/seafood salad, lf mayo, 1/2 can diet coke
s - skipped (I know bad, bad, bad, I'm working on this)
l - 1/2 ceasar salad, broccoli cheddar soup, iced tea
s - 1 orange, 4 pieces cheddar cheese (thin/small), 1/2c 1% milk
d - not sure yet, probably grilled chicken with veggies
s - not sure yet, probably low carb ice cream or SBD choco haystacks (2)
As you can see I am having trouble fitting in all of my snacks, well, especially the morning snack, I eat breakfast late and then before I know it's time for lunch.
okay , kinda bummed,, you know those sugar free jello's you can buy,, there are 6 pre packaged cups? ,, I bought some of those, and I use them for my sweets................well, apparantley the regular ones got mixed in with my draw in the fridge,, i just discovered this,, i am thinkin i have eat 3 of them in the past week and a half,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, do i have to stay on Phase 1 for a third week to straigten this out or what.................. man that pi** es me soooooooooo off!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Crock - I'm so sorry. That is a bummer! Are you having cravings from eating them, I wouldn't think you would have to continue on p1 an extra week. I would definitely use a different drawer though.
well , it is my drawer, someone decided to put the sugar ones in my diet drawer,, which NOT a sole if fessing up!,,,, the only thing I can think, is IF this has hurt me at all I WI on Sunday,, if there is a problem,, I May hang another week on Phase 1.....................just undecided as of now!
One's daily caloric needs are going to depend to a great extent on one's height, activity level, etc. According to the USDA, an adult woman of 65 inches height and 111 lbs weight and with a sedentary lifestyle only needs about 1800 calories per day. The same guidelines also say that in order to lose weight, one will need to reduce caloric intake by about 500 calories per day. This would put such a person at about 1300 calories per day. If one is more active or much taller than 5'5", then that will affect the recommended caloric intake. The best thing you could do would be to work with your doctor or nutritionist to come up with a plan which will help you lose the weight healthfully. Your doctor will know your own particular needs--taking into consideration any other factors that affect your dietary needs--and will be able to guide you as to your caloric and nutritional needs.
Remember chickies: Haste makes waste, but slow and steady won the race!
Chickies, I promise to take a closer look at menus tomorrow...but some other Beachies may get to it before me! I know Barb has an eagle eye!
One thing that is striking me is a major lack of fat. Remember, we aren't trying to do a no-fat diet here, chickies! Check out this great article from Dr. A on fats (this is in response to the latest study on low fat diets): http://www.southbeachdiet.com/public...d_20060215.asp
Ms.Crockett, try making that tuna with 1-2 TBSP. of Mayo, okay? It's good fats, and it will help boost your calories and make you more full, longer. Dip those veggies in a cottage cheese dip or hummus...or dip in SBD safe dressing and add some protein, like cheese.
Regarding the jellos, how frustrating, Ms.C! I'm sorry about that! Check with your body and see how you're feeling. If you are having any cravings, I'd do another week. You might want to do that anyway, just in case. But if you are craving free, technically you're okay. My personal theory is that if you mess up, you should start over...but it does depend on how far you are into P1 before the mess up and how much you messed up...since you don't really know how many of the jellos you ate...watch your body's reactions and react accordingly.
I have to really plan to be around 1200 calories. Esp if you eat the recommened tablespoon of healthy fat with lunch and dinner. I don't understand how you gals eating so little aren't hungry all the time. I would definitely, like beachgal said, up the good fat. You'll absorb more vitamins fromyour food and be at a decent calorie level. Plus it's not like your really eating more, just adding some good heart healthy calories
well i really want to get in on this, I usually avg right around 900-1000 cals. I've been sick though so I'm sure my 1/2 grapefruit and whole wheat toast haven't added up to even that but here's a menu i pulled from last week...
egg + egg white
v8 juice
tuna w/olives, artichoke hearts, peppers over american cheese and one slice of whole wheat bread
glass of milk
handful of peanuts
sliced lean beef with tons of peppers and onions and tomato slices
********this day came to 857!!!
2 eggs
v8 juice
cheese stick
cottage cheese melted over refried beans with peppers, tomatoes and lettuce
chicken with melted cheese on wheat bread
double serve garlic brocolii
I think it's too low. All of us should check out out maintenance levels for our current weights and then work from there. Here's the link to the 3FC daily needs calculator.
I used it last week and found out that my odd glass of wine here and there was putting me in maintenance and stalling weightloss. If you cut 500 calories daily, you should lose a pound a week.
I checked the calorie counter and my "maintenance" calories would be 2655. Now, say I did actually get 1200 calories a day or more -- would even that amount be sending me into starvation mode? Since it's still so far below dropping just 500 calories a day? Or can you drop much more, but be okay as long as it's above 1500.
My two menus (including what I ended up eating for dinner yesterday) add up to less than 700 calories, according to Fitday.
As for being hungry, I'm really not. I get hungry for snacks and meals and I drink lots of water in the interim.
I wouldn't mind adding good fat by having a salad dressing, but my particular salad dressing (when I use it) doesn't have any calories, sugar or fat. Just sodium -- it's balsamic viniagrette.
Not getting enough (more than 1200/day) calories?
It really is imperative, both for weight loss success, and more importantly, for your health, that you get AT LEAST 1200 a day, okay? 
Let's post strategies, questions, etc. here so we can help each other do this, okay?
Check out this great article from Dr. A on fats (this is in response to the latest study on low fat diets): 
