A detailed eating strategy that will help you reduce your caloric intake without compromising nutrition.
The 1,200-calorie diet is not a fad; rather, it is a healthy strategy to balance your dietary intake by consuming all the necessary macro- and micronutrients. Essentially, this diet is composed of 50% calories, 30% fat, and 20% protein.
To lose weight effectively, you cannot entirely rely on this diet. Physical activity as well as some healthy lifestyle adjustments must be added to it.
Everyone can follow this meal plan, but how much weight you lose will depend on your age, current weight, heredity, and medical history, among other things. To determine which diet is best for you, it is recommended to consult a dietician or your doctor. In this post, we go over the basics of this diet plan as well as its advantages, drawbacks, and other factors. Continue reading!
To meet nutritional needs, the 1200-calorie diet calls for careful analysis of the quantity and type of meals to be ingested. The following main factors need to be changed in the basic diet plan if you wish to adhere to the 1200-calorie plan for just a month or seven days.
The initial few months of this weight reduction are noticeable, but it will slow down as your hormones adjust. As a result, it's crucial to create individualized diet programs based on each person's preferences and weight reduction objectives because these diets must be followed for a long time to achieve the intended fat loss.
Calories: Regardless of whether you're a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian, this meal plan provides 1200–1243 calories.
What to eat to get 1,200 calories each day
Under this stringent diet, a person must limit their daily calorie consumption to 1,200. 1,200
calories may be insufficient for some persons and cause malnourishment.
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On a 2,000-calorie diet, most food labels base their recommendations on trusted sources. Hence,
depending on a person's average calorie consumption, taking 1,200 calories per day may imply a
substantial reduction in daily calories or may only represent a minor drop.
Generally speaking, those who are larger, male, active, breastfeeding, pregnant, or Who have
specific medical issues need more calories per day than other people. For people who require
fewer calories, a 1,200-calorie diet is often secure and Might be helpful.
A person's daily calorie need is influenced by some variables, including age, sex,
degree of activity and body size Trusted Source.
A typical adult requires 1,600 to 3,000 calories per day to maintain their weight. The body
starts to lose weight when a person consumes fewer calories than they require. It
accomplishes this by first burning fat, and later on, other tissues like muscle.
Most people require a lot more calories per day than 1,200. Hence, people who reduce their
daily caloric intake to 1,200 calories might anticipate some weight loss. Those who are
obese or overweight may benefit from this.
Some analysis A low-calorie diet, such as a 1,200-calorie diet, may provide extra health
advantages, according to Trusted Source. According to the National Institutes of Health
(NIH), Lower-calorie meals extended the lives of animals and decreased their likelihood of
developing diseases like cancer. Those that consume fewer calories may be healthier,
according to observational studies.
Yet, this information is lacking. Not all animal research is relevant to people. Additionally, it's
possible that other elements, such as the particular foods people consume when following a
low-calorie diet contributed to their enhanced health.
According to some studies, weight loss involves more than just how many calories a person
consumes and expends. Depending on how many calories a person consumes when eating,
the body may alter the rate at which it burns calories. Hence, someone following a 1,200
calorie diet might burn less of them. Weight reduction may be slowed by this.
Some people might not lose any weight or require a prolonged period on a calorie-
restricted diet before experiencing effects. Each person will lose weight differently. Other
strategies, including increasing exercise or cutting back on sugar, may be preferable for
certain people.
To stop feeling hungry and avoid malnutrition, people following a 1,200-calorie diet
need to eat foods that are high in nutrients. Lean proteins typically have low-calorie
counts and high nutritional densities. Contrarily, white carbs like white bread have
higher calorie counts and fewer nutrients.
When following a 1,200-calorie diet, menu planning, and other information are
available from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)Trusted Source.
Here are some additional menu and cuisine suggestions:
Breakfast
- ½ cup shredded wheat cereal with 1 cup 1% milk
- reduced-fat yogurt with blueberries
- Berry and banana smoothie
- hard-boiled egg
- 1 slice whole-grain toast with peanut butter
- 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese with pineapple or strawberries
- 1 cup of oatmeal with berries or a banana
- ½ an avocado with 1 cup fat-free cottage cheese
Lunch
- A can or pouch of tuna, flavored with lemon juice or pepper
- arugula salad with cranberries, walnuts, lemon juice, balsamic vinaigrette, and a light sprinkling of Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup of Greek yogurt with honey, berries, and almonds
- almond butter on a whole-grain English muffin
- 1 avocado with salsa
roast beef sandwich with low-calorie mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato on whole-wheat bread
Dinner
- 2 ounces (oz) salmon cooked in vegetable oil, with pepper or lemon juice
- avocado toast on whole wheat bread with a side of green beans
- sweet potato with margarine and 4 oz grilled chicken
- ½ cup brown rice with 1 cup steamed vegetables and low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 cup whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce and three turkey or soy meatballs
Snack ideas
- mixed nuts, not flavored or with added sugar
- peach or mango is ideal for coping with sugar cravings
- guacamole and raw veggies
- ½ avocado with hot sauce
- 1 serving of unsalted canned mixed veggies
- peanut butter on whole-grain toast
- 1 oz unsalted pistachios
- 1/3 cup hummus with raw vegetables
- string cheese
- ½ cup sliced peaches and 1 oz prosciutto
Treats
Following a 1,200-calorie diet does not necessarily mean that a person has to avoid any
specific foods entirely.
Allowing an occasional small treat may make it easier to stick to this restrictive diet.
However, very high calorie foods, such as large muffins or slices of cake, can make it difficult
to stay under 1,200 calories for the day while maintaining nutritional needs.
Treats that could work within a 1,200 calorie diet can include:
small servings of treat foods, such as a single cookie or five potato chips
popcorn, which is low in calories
kettle corn, which offers a sweet crunch but without all the calories of most sweet snacks
seasoned and flavored whole wheat crackers, which provide a salty crunch similar to potato
chips
Eliminating empty calories from the diet can free up more space for treats. Some sources of
empty calories include:
- sweetened beverages, including sugar in coffee, alcohol, and sweetened fruit juices
- white bread and pasta
- soda
- oils and butter that are high in saturated and trans fats
- high-calorie condiments
