#1200isplenty

So, I've been on a kicker lately focusing on a diet that consists of only 1200 calories. Sounds crazy, right? May even sound like too few calories for an adult when everywhere you turn 2000 calories is spouted as the amount of calories you should consume.

Well, in fact, the amount of calories that you should consume is actually different for everyone based on your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) and your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Your TDEE is the amount of calories your body is burning in a 24 hour period. These are the calories you are burning while sleeping, eating, showering, working, exercising, watching tv, etc. Your BMR is the amount of calories you would burn in a 24 hour period, if you did absolutely nothing all day long (essentially staying in bed).

For example, a 1200 cal diet for a male over 6ft tall would not be a good fit. However, standing at 5'6" a 1200 cal diet for me is fine. I adjust accordingly on the days I workout, landing at a net of 1200 calories. So for example, if I burn 300 calories during a workout, I will consume 1500 calories that day.

Now on to the next tidbit. How do you survive on only 1200 calories? It seems like so little, especially when everything we eat has such high calorie counts for such small portions! It's called substitution. We all know that trying to change an eating habit is hard. Changing your entire diet seems almost impossible! I also know that for myself, I will not succeed if I change everything or cut out my favorites foods. So instead, I have resorted to substitution.

I'll be posting pictures and recipes of meals made for one, along with their calorie count.