Would you mind sharing a typical day of what you eat? When I see people who eat 1,200 calories and say they are fully satisfied, or even stuffed, it absolutely amazes me. I usually stay in the 1,400-1,600 range and am pretty satisfied most of the time. I am pretty busy with a full time job and a very active 19 month old boy, so I don't always have time to cook and turn to such things as Lean Cuisines for lunches and sometimes dinners.

I know you say you eat lots and lots of veggies and lean proteins, but I'd like to see exactly what it is that is so filling and satisfying for so few calories. This is curiosity, but also something I feel like I would like to try if I was sure I wouldn't be starving all the time. I really appreciate any responses in advance!

We have some stickies at the top of the page with 400 calories or less meals. Here is the lunch/dinner one:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/calo...ner-ideas.html

There is also a breakfast one.

Also if you check out the No Excuses Thread in Maintainers, I think Glory's food days end up right around 1200.

Cute kid, BTW!

Ha ha thanks! Yes I've seen the sticky for the 400 calorie meals and gotten lots of ideas from them! I'd just like to see how people who eat that amount of calories on a regular basis put their meal plans together, if they'd be willing to share.

Breakfast
2 poached eggs on steamed spinach with greek seasoning
Half & Half in coffee
(247.9)

Lunch
1 oz cheddar cheese
1 oz pepper jack cheese
1/2 sunflower seeds no salt, no oil roasting
10 strips of orange/yellow/red sweet peppers
lettuce 2 cup with lemon juice
(312)

Dinner
Grilled Chicken 4 oz
roasted broccoli with EVOO scant tsp 1 cup
roasted spaghetti squash 1 cup
tsatziki 2 tbs
(304.5)

Total 864 cal

Yes I really am content, spry, well rested and want to hit goal sooner rather than later. I could have a dessert with cottage cheese, SF choc pudding, and almond butter but I have a board meeting tomorrow night and need to be mindful of that. I am also noting how much more full I feel without eating grains. The grains I had been eating are whole, brown, intact but I am in the middle of my experiment.

I hesitate to post this because of the low calorie police who like to swoop down and make value judgements. If this doesn't work for you, fine.

this is a sample. Breakfast almost never varies and I nearly always have a salad with either roasted chicken or turkey (low cal) or a can of olive oil packed tuna (higher cal) on top every day for either lunch or dinner. If I have a salad with tuna I'll have a lower cal second meal. I actually aim for 1500 a day but find I am more often in the 1200 to 1300 range. The red wine is 90 calories and is something many people would skip but my doctor says it is good for your heart so I try to have 4 ounces most days. I never have more and it takes forever to get through a box....


Breakfast: 260 calories

• 1 cup fat free greek yogurt
• 9 raw almonds
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Lunch: 320 calories

• large salad with 4 ounces of shredded roasted chicken and 1/3 cup craisens on top

Dinner: 365 calories

• quiche
• 4 ounces red wine

post work out: 140 calories

• Dark chocolate milk (8 oz 1% milk and 85 dark chocolate powder)

snacks: varies

• broccoli with 2 tablespoons hummus (70)
• apple with a slice of cheese (140)
• clementines (80)

I do not do 1200 calories every day. I zigzag in the 1200-1600 calorie range. I'm on a low carb diet (no specific plan).

Here are two examples of 1200 calorie days:

#1
Breakfast (8:00) 2 scrambled eggs, 3 slices turkey bacon, 1/2 C. cottage cheese w/1 slice pineapple
Lunch (12:30) 4 oz. Healthy Choice Deli roast beef + 1 oz. Swiss cheese + 2 slices tomato rolled up in 3 slices leaf lettuce; cole slaw (1 cup cabbage w/1T. Marzetti dressing); 10 sweet cherries
Dinner (7:00) Roasted chicken breast; 1 C. carrots; 1 C. beets; Plum
Calories 1213; Carbs:72; Fat 42; Protein 105
Carbs 24.6%; Fat 32.3%; Protein 43.1%

#2
Pre-run (6:15) 1/2 small banana & 1/2 T. peanut butter
Post-run (7:30) 1/2 C. cottage cheese w/1 slice pineapple
Breakfast (8:45) 2 hard cooked eggs w/1 T. light Miracle Whip ("deviled eggs"); 1/2 oz. cheddar cheese
Lunch (12:30) 4 oz. Healthy Choice Deli roast beef + 1 oz. Swiss cheese + 2 slices tomato rolled up in 3 slices leaf lettuce; 10 Snapea crisps; 10 sweet cherries
Dinner (7:00) Taco salad (leaf lettuce, 1/4# seasoned ground turkey, 1/4 avocado, 5 cherry tomatoes); 9 tortilla chips w/2 T. salsa; Apricot
Calories 1227; Carbs: 76; Fat: 60; Protein 93
Carbs 25%; Fat 44.4%; Protein 30.6%

Great post, I've often wondered this myself. One of my low cal days is 1350 and I have to struggle to make it work and I'm often left pretty hungry. But I'll say what I've seen posted so far looks great and perfectly healthy and just further illustrates just how different we all are. While I would not be satisfied on these meals plans for an extended period of time, it is wonderful that others are and healthy if it works for them.

I was wondering the same thing. There are a lot of people on here who have had amazing weight losses on 1200 calorie diets. Someone on another thread said that her 1200 calories is way more nutrient rich than many others 2000 calorie diet. I always wondered what she was eating.

I have recently decided (after a 10 day - highly frustrating weight loss stall) that I am dropping my calories to 1200. (I already do low carb)

At 9 pm last night, I realized that I was only at 750 for the day and ate some tuna. I shouldn't say some, I should say huge amount of tuna. It was only 360 calories, 3 grams of fat, 6 carbs, and 78 grams of protein. After I ate that, I cannot even think about eating anything for a long time. So my total for the day was 1,116 calories and I wasn't hungry for a second.

Wow, thanks for all the responses! It's good to see I wasn't the only one wondering this. I think the common thread here is low carbs and lots of lean proteins and veggies, which is something that I am not very familiar with!

You got it right. I am still full from dinner 4 hrs ago 3.5 oz tilapia over sauteed veggies- fire roasted tomatoes, Swiss chard rainbow from garden, onions, bell peppers of 3 colors, sea salt, coarse black pepper & assorted herbs from garden. A wonderful left over.

Just got back from church meeting, canned 1/2 bushel of plums, tried yo register twins at community college, etc... Energy galore for me. Trimmed my nice strong finger nails.

Today wasn't one of my best eating days but I am under 1200 & there is no way possible I can eat anything else today. I don't eat meat, I do eat fish so I save alot on calories & fat.

B

bagel thin & 2 T cream cheese
coffee w/1 T sugar & 1 T of Belgium chocolate toffee creamer

L

easy mac
1/2 cup unsweented apple sauce
1 cup salad w/1 T light berry balsamic dressing

D

8 oz grilled talapia - no fat or seasoning added
2 T of pineapple mango coconut tequila sauce (top fish with it)
2 cups salad w/1 1/2 T light berry balsamic dressing

1 cup chocolate no sugar added pudding
2 T cool whip

My total calories for the day are 1149. I usually eat more veggies & fruits but today I wanted what I wanted & just ate what I felt like as long as I didn't go over on calories.

I eat 1200-1300 calories a day

Breakfast: jimmy dean dlight breakfast Bowl (egg whites, lf cheese, potatoes, turkey bacon) 240 Calories

No snack still full til lunch

Lunch: Healthy choice 270-310 Calories

Snack: String cheese, cottage cheese, or a fruit around 100-160 calories

Dinner: healthy choice or home made dinner around 450 or less