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  1. #1
    infomama's Avatar
    infomama is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Default 1200 calories goes fast

    I'm doing great on my diet..down 5 pounds. I'm weighing food (love my OXO scale) so I can keep myself honest but cripes it seems like 1200 calories is gone in a wink. Today I have

    Chicken breast, pasta and marinara (no bread..sad face)
    Fresh strawberries
    Fage yogurt with honey
    Sweet/Salty bar
    Peppermint patty

    I have about 200 calories to spare, I think. I guess I need to up my running/yoga/riding so I can eat more

    (Feel free to add a filling low cal snack/meal here)

  2. #2
    hillview's Avatar
    hillview is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    TOTALLY it is. I used to work out to eat! I found dividing up my "meals" into 200-300 calorie items helped me stay full. So greek yogurt + fruit; cottage cheese + pineapple etc.

    nice work doing this!
    DS #1 Summer 05
    DS #2 Summer 07

  3. #3
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    Congrats on the five pounds!
    Mommy to my wonderful, HEALTHY twin girls
    6/08 - Preemies no more!

  4. #4
    gatorsmom is offline Pink Diamond level (15,000+ posts)
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    I'm counting calories right now too. I am allowing myself 1400 and have been averaging about 1500 lately. Do you do a 7 day average of your calories? I find it so frustrating for one day to be under by 100 calories and the next day being over by that much. I tend to beat myself up when I'm over my limit. Doing an average helps you see that you can go over your calories for one day and it really isn't going to set you back much overall.

    As for filling, low cal snacks, I like warm chicken broth, big dill pickles or hot tea with a teaspoon of sugar.
    " I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent." Mahatma Gandhi

    "This is the ultimate weakness of violence: It multiplies evil and violence in the universe. It doesn't solve any problems." Martin Luther King, Jr.

  5. #5
    Fairy's Avatar
    Fairy is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Good job on the 5 lbs.

    If you're wanting to stretch your calories, get rid of that pasta and any white carbs. Whole wheat, oats, quinoa, and maybe bran ... that's it. And I'd keep the whole wheat to 1 slice a day of 80 calories, no more than 100 calories. Certainly no rice or any kind ("brown rice" is still pretty empty), potatoes in any way shape or form, or any white breads. Sad, but true, those are going to eat up those calories.

    Exception --> Vitatops. They're 100 calories, and the good stuff in them sort of cancels out the carby aspect.

    What is a sweet/salty bar?

    Kick in 3 or 4 egg whites, theyu're only 17 calories each, and so that's 51 or 68 calories, add 50 calorie lowfat swiss (or 80 cal I suppose), veggies in the skillet first, and they ahve these tiny whole wheat pitas at TJs that are 30 calories a piece, I do 2 of those. That's a very well balanced healthy, high protein meal, and you're full when you're done. Even add 2 turkey sausages and you're still way the hell under 300 calories.

    A hard boiled egg and a small v8 is 100 calroies

    A mini brie from TJs is 80 calories, ahve it with a mini pita for 110 total.

    Go to Chipotole and have chicken, veggies, tomatoes, lettuce, BLACK beans, and 1T of your own sour cream (don't let them give it to you), and it's 300 cal, give or take 30 or so calories. And very healthy.

    Hope that helps.
    * Charter member of the BBB I Love Brussels Sprouts Society
    * I do not fix my typos. I shuold, but I dodn't.
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  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fairy View Post
    Good job on the 5 lbs.

    If you're wanting to stretch your calories, get rid of that pasta and any white carbs. Whole wheat, oats, quinoa, and maybe bran ... that's it. And I'd keep the whole wheat to 1 slice a day of 80 calories, no more than 100 calories. Certainly no rice or any kind ("brown rice" is still pretty empty), potatoes in any way shape or form, or any white breads. Sad, but true, those are going to eat up those calories.

    Exception --> Vitatops. They're 100 calories, and the good stuff in them sort of cancels out the carby aspect.

    What is a sweet/salty bar?

    Kick in 3 or 4 egg whites, theyu're only 17 calories each, and so that's 51 or 68 calories, add 50 calorie lowfat swiss (or 80 cal I suppose), veggies in the skillet first, and they ahve these tiny whole wheat pitas at TJs that are 30 calories a piece, I do 2 of those. That's a very well balanced healthy, high protein meal, and you're full when you're done. Even add 2 turkey sausages and you're still way the hell under 300 calories.

    A hard boiled egg and a small v8 is 100 calroies

    A mini brie from TJs is 80 calories, ahve it with a mini pita for 110 total.

    Go to Chipotole and have chicken, veggies, tomatoes, lettuce, BLACK beans, and 1T of your own sour cream (don't let them give it to you), and it's 300 cal, give or take 30 or so calories. And very healthy.

    Hope that helps.
    Not the OP but this is super helpful! Thanks!
    DD - 12/07
    DS - 1/11

  7. #7
    wellyes's Avatar
    wellyes is offline Blue Diamond level (20,000+ posts)
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    1200 is rough.

    Sign up for Hungry Girl's daily email, she has endless ideas on how to stretch calories creatively & yummily.
    DD - 8
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  8. #8
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    I agree, 1200 is really hard! Here are some ideas ---

    Focus on proteins. I use 2 percent fage with truvia. Half of a small container is about 75 calories. Throw in some berries and that's just a few calories more.

    Also, I get a rotisserie chix from Costco, carve up the breasts; 1/2 the breast (skinless) is about 150 calories. Add a cup of mixed greens, it's only a few calories more. I keep each 1/2 breast in a ziplock bag and throw into the freezer....it's pre portioned and ready to go. Sometimes I will mix it with a T. of fage and lots of salsa for a chix salad. Again, it doesn't up the calories too much. Still can add mixed greens (veggies are cheap in calories!)

    Egg salad - 1 egg plus 3 egg whites (hard-boiled) mixed with some fage. Yum, and it's prob about 100 calories. I chop in some valasic bread and butter pickles (sugar free, 0 calories). Yum. I make a double batch and then it's ready to go for another meal.

    1/2 cup lump jumbo crabmeat, add some lemon on top of mixed greens. It's about 100 calories.

    Can you tell I love Fage? I also recently tried a good baked balsamic tofu recipe that is low cal, lmk if you want it!

  9. #9
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    DrSally is offline Pink Diamond level (15,000+ posts)
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    Great ideas. I don't count cals, but try to focus on higher protein and lower carbs, lots of veggies and liquids.

    ITA with pp's about averaging instead of focusing on one day.
    I like Hungry Girl's ideas. I need to sign up for her emails.

    One thing I learned from her is miracle noodles, which have almost no cals (pure fiber). They're kind of rubbery, but I stirfry them with veggies and tofu, and get a lot of food for very little cals (about 1 tbs of oil and soy sauce). I allow myself as many veggies as I can eat, LOL. Great filler.

    Love Fairy's ideas. Love, love egg whites. I use egg beaters, very filling. I like to cook some up and put 2 slices of thin deli ham, a little shredded cheese, a ton of arugula, and stuff it in a small corn tortilla from TJ's. I think the ham has like 20 cals a slice, and the tortillas are only 60-80 a slice. I have 2.

    Love skinny cow ice cream sandwiches. I roll them in crushed nuts. Much better than full fat ice cream at a shop.

    I also have a can of Progesso soup (120-160) cals for the whole can, dump in some frozen veggies and some raviolo or tortellini. That's a pretty filling meal under 400 cals.
    Sally

    My Joyful DS
    My Lovely DD

    Please excuse the typos. Getting used to a virtual keyboard

  10. #10
    ellies mom is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    You know, I found life isn't worth living on 1200 calories. I'd rather lose weight more slowly and eat 1400 calories than lose it quickly at 1200. Those 200 calories make a huge difference satisfaction wise. With 1200 calories, I feel like I have nothing to look forward to. It is just deprivation all the time.
    Veronica

    Miss Ellie 11/03
    Baby Audrey 4/08

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