Looking For A 1200 Calorie Diet

[csteht]

I am a 45 yr old female and need to lose 25- 30 lbs. I have, among other things, Celiac's and Diabetes. I need a step by step diet and exercise plan. I need to be told what to eat and how exercise. Can anyone help me? I will eat most foods, not crazy about fish, love chicken and not a great cook.

I've tried to take a 1200 calorie diet and replace with gluten free items but this gives me almost nothing to eat. Help!

[Jestgar]

meat and vegetables? No starches/grains/simple sugars. Limited oil (don't fry things).

[cassP]

agreed! whenever i drop the grains/carbs/sugars, i drop weight.

get plenty of sleep, so your body will make enough Human Growth Hormone.

and get out and do cardio 5-6 days a week- like an hour walk & jog.. an hour jog/walk may be more fat burning than a 20 min Run.

u can do it

[Skylark]

I am a 45 yr old female and need to lose 25- 30 lbs. I have, among other things, Celiac's and Diabetes. I need a step by step diet and exercise plan. I need to be told what to eat and how exercise. Can anyone help me? I will eat most foods, not crazy about fish, love chicken and not a great cook.

I've tried to take a 1200 calorie diet and replace with gluten free items but this gives me almost nothing to eat. Help!

I found the most wonderful book called "French Women Don't Get Fat" by Mireille Guiliano. I highly, highly recommend it. I have lost 5 pounds since Thanksgiving following the great advice in her book. I found it in a bookstore by sheer luck and it's also available on Amazon.

[Jestgar]

Sky, what's the gist of that book?

[Skylark]

There's so much helpful stuff. She points out that Americans don't really enjoy/savor their food, often eating on the run and out of habit. We are so overwhelmed by sweets and addictive processed foods that we have stopped tasting half the stuff we eat. She offers a fundamentally different attitude about food. She speaks of all the produce in France, vegetable soups, fresh, homemade foods, and the general French fondness of excellent quality food.

Go over your diet, by keeping a food diary and find patterns where you overeat. (I already knew damn well what I was overeating - chips and crackers). Eliminate or greatly reduce problem foods, but not to where you feel deprived. Have a small piece of high quality chocolate rather than a whole bar of Hershey's for example. She has dessert recipes like poached pears and crustless apple tarts. Eat nutritious food, chosen carefully, prepared well. Eat slowly at the table, with no distractions and savor your food, enjoy every bite. Look for variety, pick up fun and interesting things at the grocery store. She suggests two servings of plain yogurt a day for snacks and I've developed a genuine love for plain Greek yogurt now. Drink more water. Americans don't drink enough, which leads to overeating because we get too much of our water from food. Walk whenever possible, take stairs, look for small ways to add activity in your life. She speaks of compensation where you enjoy a hearty dinner out with friends, and then eat more lightly the next couple days.

She says Americans are too focused on difficult calorie counting and that you would never find a French woman in a gym unless she was an athlete by hobby. You can lose weight on a deprivation diet but it will always come back because the diet is not sustainable. Instead, you shift your entire attitude towards food. Following her advice I feel like I am actually eating more food. I'm not, but when you shop carefully and cook well, it feels like you're suddenly surrounded by all this great stuff to eat. Since I'm cooking more, it's all 100% gluten-free, which gives me more energy to keep up the cooking! Losing weight has been very natural and effortless. I'm now 5 lbs lighter than before Thanksgiving when I decided I wanted to shed the 10 lbs I gained from thyroid problems that wasn't going away.

[Skylark]

And by the way, there is no way an adult should try to stick to a 1200 calorie diet unless you're tiny, like under 5 feet tall. It's not enough calories to hold body and soul together and you'll never be able to sustain it. As soon as you go back to "normal" eating you will regain the weight because you put your body into a starvation mode and now it's convinced it needs to store up calories for the next famine. All you need to do is walk a little more and eat a little less. Only 200 calories a day either cut from your diet or burned off through exercise will add up to 20 lb in a year. My weight loss has been faster, but to be honest I realized I had gotten really lazy with my diet because of being hypothyroid and depressed for six months. That book woke me up. When you suddenly stop mindlessly stuffing your face with corn chips and rediscover your love of broccoli, acorn squash, and swiss chard, the weight comes off pretty fast.

Walk briskly for 15 minutes a day more than you normally would (100 calories burned) and get used to eating 3/4 of the portion you normally would and you should start to lose some weight.

[missy'smom]

I manage diabetes with a low-carbohydrate diet. Lots of meat, fats, non-starchy veggies, nuts in moderation. No fruits, grains or starchy vegetables. Others on the same plan also include lots of eggs and certain forms of dairy, I have allergies. Works great.

Paleo diet works well for some.

Ditch the ADA, cut the carbs and don't worry about the calories. Weight gain is all about carbs and insulin, not as much about calories. The more carbs you eat, the more insulin you produce or inject, the more weight you gain. Insulin is the fat building hormone.

There are several low-carb approaches out there but I follow Dr. Bernstein's. He's a T1 doctor. Weight issues or not, I highly recommend it as a very effective way to manage blood sugar. Having both celiac disease and diabetes is quite a challenge but it is possible to manage both successfully and there is support available. All the best to you.

Here's a link to Dr. B. Open Original Shared Link

[Juliebove]

There's so much helpful stuff. She points out that Americans don't really enjoy/savor their food, often eating on the run and out of habit. We are so overwhelmed by sweets and addictive processed foods that we have stopped tasting half the stuff we eat. She offers a fundamentally different attitude about food. She speaks of all the produce in France, vegetable soups, fresh, homemade foods, and the general French fondness of excellent quality food.

Go over your diet, by keeping a food diary and find patterns where you overeat. (I already knew damn well what I was overeating - chips and crackers). Eliminate or greatly reduce problem foods, but not to where you feel deprived. Have a small piece of high quality chocolate rather than a whole bar of Hershey's for example. She has dessert recipes like poached pears and crustless apple tarts. Eat nutritious food, chosen carefully, prepared well. Eat slowly at the table, with no distractions and savor your food, enjoy every bite. Look for variety, pick up fun and interesting things at the grocery store. She suggests two servings of plain yogurt a day for snacks and I've developed a genuine love for plain Greek yogurt now. Drink more water. Americans don't drink enough, which leads to overeating because we get too much of our water from food. Walk whenever possible, take stairs, look for small ways to add activity in your life. She speaks of compensation where you enjoy a hearty dinner out with friends, and then eat more lightly the next couple days.

She says Americans are too focused on difficult calorie counting and that you would never find a French woman in a gym unless she was an athlete by hobby. You can lose weight on a deprivation diet but it will always come back because the diet is not sustainable. Instead, you shift your entire attitude towards food. Following her advice I feel like I am actually eating more food. I'm not, but when you shop carefully and cook well, it feels like you're suddenly surrounded by all this great stuff to eat. Since I'm cooking more, it's all 100% gluten-free, which gives me more energy to keep up the cooking! Losing weight has been very natural and effortless. I'm now 5 lbs lighter than before Thanksgiving when I decided I wanted to shed the 10 lbs I gained from thyroid problems that wasn't going away.

My friend went to France for vacation and he said the restaurant meals were different than they are here. You would order your meat or main dish. But then they would bring around a trolley of vegetables. They would keep serving you until you told them to stop. He said he ate tons of vegetables there!

I also had a friend in high school who was from France. She had a box of very expensive chocolates. She allowed herself to eat one per day. No more. I realize for a lot of us this is next to impossible. For me there are just some things I can not ever buy. Swedish Fish is one such. I kept some around in case I had a hypo (low blood sugar), but I discovered that once they were opened, I could not stop myself.

[i-geek]

And by the way, there is no way an adult should try to stick to a 1200 calorie diet unless you're tiny, like under 5 feet tall.

This. I totally agree. I don't know that such an extreme diet would be healthy for anyone out of childhood. I am 5 feet tall and small-framed (105-110 lbs is my natural weight set point), and I have to eat at least 1600 calories per day or else I turn into a crabby, shaky mess. I also find that my weight stabilizes if very few of those calories come from refined carbs, simple sugars, and highly processed foods. I try to get in significant exercise twice per week (one cardio session- elliptical, spin bike- and one core training session- yoga, pilates, calisthenics). I actually lost 12 lbs last year by cutting portions down a bit (I think I was averaging 1700 calories per day), paying more attention to what I ate, and adding the exercise to my routine. It took several months but it did work.

A daily menu for me might look like this:

Breakfast: two brown rice cakes with peanut butter and a banana OR two eggs with corn tortillas, black beans and salsa OR hot cereal (gluten-free oatmeal or Bob's Red Mill gluten-free hot cereal).

Lunch: Dinner leftovers OR a can of gluten-free soup (Progresso has a delicious lentil soup) and cup of yogurt OR a big salad

Afternoon snack: herbal tea, Kind bar, piece of fruit

Dinner: gluten-free pasta and sauce with ground beef or Jennie-O turkey italian sausage OR grilled chicken, homemade rice pilaf or quinoa and side veggie OR chili OR chunky homemade soup, etc.

On average I eat every 3-4 hours, which for me is key to keeping the blood sugar stable. Stable blood sugar = no frantic rummaging to eat the first food (usually junk) that I can find.

[GlutenGladi8or]

I need a step by step diet and exercise plan. I need to be told what to eat and how exercise.

Send me a private email and I shoot you a detailed plan about:

- How many times you should eat per day

- How to "build" your plates in the correct ratio

- When and why to snack throughout the day

Follow the advice from our fellow boardmembers, it's less about daily calories. You need to be wise about what, why and when you eat.

GlutenGladi8or

[Looking for answers]

I found the most wonderful book called "French Women Don't Get Fat" by Mireille Guiliano. I highly, highly recommend it.

I'm reading this book for the second time, only because I want to keep its principles fresh in my mind (it's also a fun read). It helped me lose 30 pounds and I've kept it off for four years now. I went from a size 12 to a size 2, and people often wonder how I can eat what I do and keep the weight off. The secrets are in this book - it's all about your state of mind...in America, that's what really needs a good workout.

[beefree11]

I am a 45 yr old female and need to lose 25- 30 lbs. I have, among other things, Celiac's and Diabetes. I need a step by step diet and exercise plan. I need to be told what to eat and how exercise. Can anyone help me? I will eat most foods, not crazy about fish, love chicken and not a great cook.

I've tried to take a 1200 calorie diet and replace with gluten free items but this gives me almost nothing to eat. Help!

Have you tried speaking to a nutritionist? Maybe one at a local hospital? Or, perhaps a recommendation by your doctor? My 24 yo daughter is gluten intolerant, Hashimoto's, hypothyroid, PCOS and is fighting a possible parasite. I am gluten-free to support her but I like mostly organic raw foods. Together we are going to diet. Portion size is where I fail.

I have also been looking into calorie restricted diets to stave off aging issues. It is not easy to keep calories down while eating enough nutrients and proteins to sustain. It seems if I do cardio, I really want more carbs in the form of snacky type treats We are looking into some really good yoga classes to calm, center and stretch, as well.

Good luck to you in your search.

[MadCake]

Sorry about bumping old thread... I am using 1500 calorie diet and I don't see positive results... So, what would be better:

A) Switch to 1200 calorie diet, or

Use the same 1500 calorie diet, but start exercising consistently?

[cassP]

Sorry about bumping old thread... I am using 1500 calorie diet and I don't see positive results... So, what would be better:

A) Switch to 1200 calorie diet, or

Use the same 1500 calorie diet, but start exercising consistently?

what are u eating? is there a type of diet you're trying?? do u have any thyroid issues??

i have been on every diet in the world, and ive been dancing & dieting my whole life, even had a bout with anorexia.. i can say with all my experience- yes, exercise is great for your immune system, mental state, & quality of sleep- & great for your musculoskeletal system- but the foods that i eat and the amount have the BIGGEST influence on my figure- way more than exercise

i truly exercise now to stay sane, to help tone down my autoimmune diseases, and also- exercise really helps with posture & chronic pain... and studies have shown that women who exercise (regardless of their weight)- tend to feel happier with their bodies than those who don't

[DavinaRN]

I would say eat the 1500 calories with smart choices, but throw in some type of exercise. Your weight is a combination of food intake, exercise, mental state, health concerns and genetics. Everyone is different in what they need. My body is calories in vs out, doesn't matter what I eat as long as I'm moving. My husband only responds to low carb.

[Juliebove]

Sorry about bumping old thread... I am using 1500 calorie diet and I don't see positive results... So, what would be better:

A) Switch to 1200 calorie diet, or

Use the same 1500 calorie diet, but start exercising consistently?

My daughter has lost about 36 pounds on South Beach. No counting calories.

Basically the first two weeks are meat, cheese, eggs and as many non-starchy veggies that you want. You can also eat beans but no other carbs. They do give dessert suggestions such as ricotta cheese with cocoa powder, vanilla and an artificial sweetener. Daughter didn't like that at all.

Then for the next two weeks you gradually add some carbs back in. But they have to be whole grains and fruit. Eventually you will be allowed 3 servings of each daily. Brown rice is her main source of carbs now. It is easy to make a small amount of brown rice go a long way if you combine it with meat and vegetables to make things like Spanish rice or soup. Again, you can eat unlimited beans on this diet.

You are also supposed to have three meals and two snacks daily. The snacks should be protein and vegetables. You can also have some nuts on this diet.

[MadCake]

what are u eating? is there a type of diet you're trying?? do u have any thyroid issues??

i have been on every diet in the world, and ive been dancing & dieting my whole life, even had a bout with anorexia.. i can say with all my experience- yes, exercise is great for your immune system, mental state, & quality of sleep- & great for your musculoskeletal system- but the foods that i eat and the amount have the BIGGEST influence on my figure- way more than exercise

i truly exercise now to stay sane, to help tone down my autoimmune diseases, and also- exercise really helps with posture & chronic pain... and studies have shown that women who exercise (regardless of their weight)- tend to feel happier with their bodies than those who don't

Thanks for reply! I am trying this diet now:Open Original Shared Link. It is too early to tell results, but I will definitely share my success or fail...