I try to get one or two 1200cal days each week. Otherwise, I eat 1350-1600 and maybe one 1800 day. My 1200 cal days are on days that I'm not exercising much or at all, usually on a Sunday.
I try to eat volume and highly nutritious foods (lean protein, high fiber, complex carbs, etc) to get the most bang for my buck, so to speak. But I am just always hungry on these days, no matter what I do! Snacks/mini meals do NOT work for me, no matter how many calories I'm eating for the day. I end up thinking about the next snack and I'm never satisfied, I'm just hungry and obsessive for the whole day. I drink lots of water (64-100oz), I chew gum, I keep myself busy. But I'm just hungry on these 1200 cal days.
Here's a sample 1200cal day for me. This is what I ate on Sunday. For exercise, I just went on a 45min walk and did some shopping, nothing strenuous.
Breakfast:
- 4 scrambled egg whites with 2tbsp salsa topped with 1 oz part skim grated cheese over a toasted light multigrain english muffin
- 1 cup diced watermelon
- Total: 295 cal
Lunch:
- 4 oz baked chicken breast with avocado and a ton of spinach in low carb tortilla wrap
-1 cup steamed broccoli and cauliflower
- cucumber spears
- Total: 298 cal
Dinner:
- 6 oz grilled tilapia fillet
- 4 oz mashed sweet potatos
- 1 cup green beans
- Total: 300 cal
Snack:
- whole grain Triscuit crackers and full fat cheddar cheese
- Total: 300 cal
Total for the day: 1193cal. And I snuck a pickle out of the fridge, so that probably put me right at 1200, haha.
I mean that's a pretty well-balanced nutritious day, isn't it? It's lower in carbs than I like to go, but like I said, I try to eat volume on low cal days. And I was STARVING that day, lol. And that's how it always is on 1200-cal days. As soon as I bump it up to even 1350, I feel better. Those 150 cal spread over the day make a huge difference. I feel best around 1400-1600, and I of course exercise on these days.
So what do you guys eat on a 1200 cal day? Is there anything glaringly wrong with my sample meal plan?
I've just included my meals here without snacks. I'm a big snacker so I deliberately keep my meals small. I'm more likely to have a big salad for lunch, but I'm pretty loose with calorie counting on salads as I eat mostly greens and don't measure them. If I have a bigger meal it's usually dinner.
Breakfast:
Instant oatmeal or Kashi Go Lean cereal with 1/2 cup berries
Coffee with fat free half and half
150-190 calories
Lower calorie lunch:
Sara Lee Bread with Oscar Mayer Rotisserie flavored chicken breast and lettuce/tomato
1-1/2 cups some sort of vegetables on the side
140 calories, plus vegetables
Higher calorie lunch:
Digiorno 200 calorie portion pizza
Large salad with croutons
230 calories, plus vegetables (varies)
Lower calorie dinner:
4-6 oz grilled chicken breast (I buy the Perdue frozen breasts in a bag and their size varies)
1 slice fat free Kraft cheese melted on top
1-2 cups steamed broccoli
1-2 cups raw vegetables
Around 240 calories, plus raw vegetables
Higher calorie dinner:
4-6 oz grilled chicken breast
2 low carb multigrain tortillas
1/4 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese
2+ cups miscellaneous vegetables
370-430 calories
It looks like we eat in similar manners (meat and vegetables, like most of us here, I think). I'm not sure on the calories on sweet potatoes and green beans because I don't eat them, but maybe on your 1200 calorie days you should try to stick to more low calorie, raw or steamed vegetables. I try to fill my plate with lots of cucumbers and peppers and baby carrots. Whether or not I have a hot vegetable depends on what else I'm eating - if it's 4 oz of chicken by itself, then I may add some corn or a little rice, but if my protein is higher in calories I try to keep my vegetables as low as I can.
The 1200 area is not pleasant, unfortunately! I'm not sure I'm a great example since I do snack so frequently.
Breakfast
Pepperidge Farm Very Thin Whole Wheat Bread x2
Great Value Cream Cheese
Hard-boiled Egg
Black Coffee
International Delights Fat Free French Vanilla
Breakfast Totals 205.4
Snack
Banana
Total 105
Lunch
Sara Lee Soft & Smooth 100% Whole Wheat Bread
Land O'Frost Lean Smoked Turkey Breast
NABISCO WHEAT THINS Flat Bread Crackers
Danon Light And Fit Yogurt
Lunch Totals 326.4
Snack
Raw grapes
Total 40
Dinner
Grilled Skinless Chicken Breast
Grilled Pineapple
Fresh Sugar Snap Peas
Carrots
Roma tomato and spinach
Moz. cheese
Dinner Totals 370
Today's menu - slightly above 1200 because I don't always have this much for supper, but I'm trying to make sure to eat salmon at least 2 times a week.
Lunch = 600
big salad with chicken, avocado, hb egg, carrots, lettuce, cuke, onion, radish, broccoli, Bacos, dressing (the nice thing about this is that I can vary the calories of the first 4 items if I want to be higher or lower for the day)
1 Orowheat multigrain sandwich thin
Supper= 478
Salmon burger
6 oz lowfat yogurt
3 oz cucumber (makes a sauce with the yogurt)
medium whole wheat pita
1 c broccoli
I am glad that you started this thread. I found it hard to work out 1200 calorie menus that did not leave me hungry. I am always looking for ideas. There was a time that I could not imagine having a 1200 calorie day and now I normally stay between 1200 and 1300 calories. My 54 year old body that is only 5'2" tall, just doesn't lose on more.
Here is yesterday's food list. I round calorie numbers and it came out to exactly 1200. I was not hungry. I want to say up front that it includes 130 calories of junk. I allow myself this 3 or 4 times a week and think that it has helped me stick with my plan. Also, I eat the same breakfast everyday. Those 155 calories are very filling and really help me.
Breakfast - 155 calories
3 servings of eggbeater - 90 calories
1 piece of whole wheat toast with light margarine - 65 calories
Lunch - 405 calories
4 oz. frozen Grilled Chicken Breast Strips - 150 calories
Green Giant Simply Steamed Green Beans with Almonds - 125 calories
1 ou. serving Cheetos Crunchy Baked Cheetos - 130 calories
Dinner - 470 calories
6 oz. sauted chicken breast - 260 calories
Green beans - 50 calories
Med. apple - 100 calories
sugar free pudding snack - 60 calories
Snacks - 170 calories
6 oz. of carrots munched on all day - 70 calories
evening snack - 2 Babybel Mini Babybell Light cheese - 100 calories
Today I didn't have any groceries at home so I'm sort of winging it. Will go grocery shop later after the gym, probably pretty late. So here's what I've eaten so far and have planned for later....fast food is involved....
I'm glad you asked this question because it made me evaluate my eating habits.
In the past six weeks (except for yesterday) every day that I have had 1,200 calories or more has included restaurant food. I've been averaging about 1,100 calories a day over the long run. (Please keep in mind I've only just added low intensity exercise into my routine the past couple of weeks and I work a sedentary job.) Yesterday I cooked for myself and forced myself to eat more and ended up feeling pretty full/miserable by the end of the day. Generally I'm eating a moderate portion of food and I'm not hungry, I just am careful of my portions of higher calorie items.
This is yesterday's menu:
Breakfast
1 large egg 75
7 Grapes 13
Whole Wheat Bagel Thin 110
Cream Cheese mixture whipped & veggie, 2 tbsp 75 TOTAL: 273 calories
Lunch
Deli Turkey, 2 oz. 60
Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade, 1.5 tbsp 15
Sandwich Thin Arnold Bun 100
Romaine Lettuce for Sandwich 2
20 Grapes 38
Potato Chips, Classic Sea Salt & Black Pepper, 1 oz 150 TOTAL: 365 calories
Here's a pretty typical day for me. I eat 4x/day. The nonfat powered milk is an average usage I've calculated and I use it throughout the day in tea and coffee. It comes in slightly over 1200, but I don't sweat that.
100 supplements
100 NFPM
100 almonds
100 egg whites with peppers and onions
120 grapefruit
160 chicken,barley,veggie soup
210 yogurt w/raspberries
100 salmon
75 curried zucchini
75 strawberries
80 dark chocolate
I am actually doing an average of 1400 cals so I won't post a meal plan but I just wanted to offer a suggestion to mkendrick. On low days (I zig zag) when I am feeling hungry I find two things help, drinking hot tea with splenda and eating HUGE salads with light dressing. Nothing fills me up more than a large 75 calorie salad with 30 calories (2Tbsp) of balsamic vinegar dressing. Maybe try swapping the full fat cheese for a large salad and see how you feel. I don't even add very much lettuce, just a big bowl of veggies and some cherry tomatoes on top. I always include lots of raw broccoli for filling fiber. Adding 30 grams of light feta and a piece of chicken breast makes a filling 300 calorie meal. Drinking tea as an afternoon snack always helps too.
I just wanted to throw in those suggestions
Last edited by sweetnlow28; 05-24-2010 at 10:35 AM.
What do your 1200cal meal plans look like?
but I just wanted to offer a suggestion to mkendrick. On low days (I zig zag) when I am feeling hungry I find two things help, drinking hot tea with splenda and eating HUGE salads with light dressing. Nothing fills me up more than a large 75 calorie salad with 30 calories (2Tbsp) of balsamic vinegar dressing. Maybe try swapping the full fat cheese for a large salad and see how you feel. I don't even add very much lettuce, just a big bowl of veggies and some cherry tomatoes on top. I always include lots of raw broccoli for filling fiber. Adding 30 grams of light feta and a piece of chicken breast makes a filling 300 calorie meal. Drinking tea as an afternoon snack always helps too. 