The allowed calorie intake for sedentary people is 1600 to 1800 calories per day. Nutritionists also allowed 2,200 to 2,400 calories per day for people with high mobility and physical activity.
In this way, it is clear that the 1200 Calorie Diet is designed with the aim of rapid weight loss. The question here is whether this food program is harmful to human health and whether the weight loss achieved will be long-term. Note that the standard human body needs more than twice the calories of this diet.
What is a diet of 1200 Calorie Diet, and what are its characteristics?
The 1,200-calorie-a-day diet is a low-calorie diet plan and should be followed under the supervision of a nutritionist. In this diet, a person should eat at least four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruit every day to meet his daily nutritional needs.
Also, followers of this diet recommend high water consumption to keep the body hydrated throughout the day. The restriction of calories in this diet does not mean the restriction of food, but the food items allowed in this diet are very diverse.
The only main emphasis of this diet plan is to control the amount of calories consumed, and a person must have an accurate account of the calories he consumes throughout the day to avoid the number exceeding 1200.
People who are in a hurry to lose weight can easily achieve their goal with the help of this diet, but this should be done correctly and according to the physical needs of the person.
Otherwise, it may cause problems for its fans due to not getting all the nutrients the body needs. Following this diet is not a difficult task; a person should consume healthy and useful foods rich in nutrients throughout the day, and due to calorie restriction, there is no room left for unhealthy, processed, fast food, or unhealthy fats.
Consuming a large amount of vegetables and low-calorie fruits with high fiber, along with whole grains and limited protein sources, is recommended in this diet plan.
Don’t forget that 1,200 calories is the lowest acceptable amount for an adult, and especially for women, diets that reduce the daily calorie intake to around 800 calories are not recommended at all and are dangerous for human health.
Does a 1200 Calorie Diet effectively help you lose weight?
Proper and healthy nutrition is not limited to reducing daily calorie intake; it is also very important to consume foods that nourish the human body and help maintain a good mood while meeting the individual’s needs.
Various factors such as genetics, hormones, lifestyle, and age play a role in weight loss. Metabolic studies have concluded that most adults experience weight loss by eating less than 1000 calories, and the speed of this weight loss will be very high.
Although the high speed of results in such diets seems attractive, it carries many risks, and after a while, the weight loss process will slow down.
On a 1200 Calorie Diet, even people who have a body resistant to metabolism experience good and continuous weight loss.
Diets of less than 1,200 calories do not have much effect due to the decrease in metabolism because the body interprets this situation as hunger and tries to minimize the metabolism to maintain its health.
Low calorie intake also causes hunger in a person and disrupts his hormonal balance, so it is practically impossible to follow these food plans in the long run.
Low-calorie diets are recommended in special situations where a person must lose weight very quickly, such as severe morbid obesity, surgery, and very special cases.
A balanced diet combined with 150 minutes of regular exercise per week, especially 2 days of weight training, is the best way to lose moderate weight in the long term.
Experts recommend that people reduce their calorie intake by 400 at the beginning of the diet, and instead of going on a strict diet, they should reduce their calorie intake slowly and continuously.
Eating low-calorie snacks helps reduce the feeling of hunger and simplifies the long-term follow-up of the diet.
What are the benefits of a 1200 Calorie Diet?
Following a diet of 1200 Calorie Diet may have benefits for human health, but it is important to note that these benefits are not limited to this diet plan and that any reduction in calorie intake can be beneficial to the body.
Close monitoring of the amount of calories the body receives can help to lose weight and lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Supplying the energy needed for physical activities is directly related to the amount of calories consumed daily, so following a good diet helps a lot to maintain the overall health of the body.(1)
Studies have shown that reducing calories in general can significantly reduce blood cholesterol (LDL) and blood sugar levels. There is no doubt that weight loss has many positive effects on human health, and the method chosen for this work also affects human health.(2 , 3 , 4)
People who are severely obese can reduce their weight and control their blood sugar by visiting a nutritionist and receiving low-calorie diets, but people who are not overweight are better at weight loss.
Less risky diets have a slower weight loss process. Choose to protect your health. Low-calorie diets usually have a high quit rate due to severe restrictions, and people only follow them for short periods.
If the person still insists on trying a low-calorie diet, it is best to do so under the supervision of a specialist.
What are the most important disadvantages of following a 1200 Calorie Diet?
A 1,200-calorie diet is not very helpful for most adults and may cause problems keeping up with their daily activities. An average adult needs 2000 calories per day to maintain his weight and health, despite the fact that everyone has different calorie needs and that it is impossible to accurately calculate each person’s exact needs.
This number is an average rate and may vary slightly depending on age, activity level, and height; however, it clearly shows how little 1,200 calories can be for a person.
This amount of calories is low for most people and can be associated with side effects such as dizziness, extreme hunger, nausea, a lack of micronutrients, fatigue, headaches, and gallstones.
In addition, it may be difficult for the followers of this diet to maintain the lost weight in the long term, and as soon as the diet is stopped, the lost weight will return.
Restricting calorie intake may also be associated with metabolic changes in the body. An increase in the hormones ghrelin and cortisol, which cause a feeling of hunger, will occur along with these conditions.
Also, frequently following and interrupting the diet leads to continuous weight gain and loss, which may increase the risk of developing eating disorders, type 2 diabetes, and increased mortality.
What is the best alternative to low-calorie diets?
Most people who want to achieve their ideal body and wear the clothes they like choose their diet based on the speed of its effect. They want to achieve their desired results as quickly as possible, but they do not consider the long-term consequences for their health.
Low-calorie diets may not be able to provide the body’s needs to perform daily activities, and as a result, the person’s weight will decrease very quickly, but this will mean the loss of muscle mass.
Loss of muscles may cause serious damage to people’s physical and mental health. Most studies show that slow weight loss with a balanced diet is the best way to reach an ideal weight. Observing the following tips can be a way to achieve this goal:
1: Eating whole foods
The body needs to consume all food groups. Whole foods contain fiber, protein, and healthy fats that help maintain human health and growth.
2. Preparing food at home,
Preparing food at home and staying away from restaurants and fast food helps a lot in maintaining a balanced weight and proper human nutrition. People who prepare most of their daily meals at home lose less weight and live a healthier life.
3. Eliminating sugar and excess fats
Eliminating fat and sugar consumption is a healthy way to lose weight. By not consuming common foods containing high sugar, such as soft drinks, cakes, ice cream, and unauthorized sweet additives, you can help lose weight in a balanced and natural way.
4: Increasing daily activities,
Sometimes people should increase their daily activities instead of cutting calories. In this way, more calories are burned, and walking and participating in sports classes will be the best solutions.
It is true that losing weight with healthy and sustainable food approaches may take more time, but it prevents many problems and diseases caused by unhealthy and dangerous diets.
What is the one-day menu for the 1200 Calorie Diet?
In order to get to know more about this diet, we provide you with the typical two-day menu of this diet, determined with accurate calculations.
The first day’s menu:
breakfast :
- a cup of oatmeal,
- half a cup of fat-free milk,
- a tablespoon of honey,
- half a cup of Cornelian cherry,
- a cup of coffee or plain tea.
Lunch :
- Two slices of whole grain bread,
- sliced turkey breast,
- tomatoes,
- lettuce and a tablespoon of mustard
- One and a half cups of sliced carrots
- water
Dinner :
- One piece of cooked salmon
- Green beans
- One cup of salad with one cup of raw spinach, five cherry tomatoes, and 1/2 cup of broccoli with lemon juice as dressing
Snacks :
- an apple with 12 almonds,
- a few glasses of water.
- a glass of non-fat milk,
- half a cup of plain yogurt with a tablespoon of honey,
- a cup of strawberries
Nutritional Information
- Total Calories: 1,215
- Total Protein: 72 grams (23% of calories)
- Total Carbs: 185 grams (59.3% of calories)
- Total Fat: 25 grams (17.7% of calories)
- Saturated fat: 5 grams
- Sodium: 1,402 mg
- Sugar grams: 107 grams,
- cholesterol: 94 milligrams,
- fiber: 28 grams
The menu for the second day:
breakfast :
- one cup of whole-grain corn cereal,
- several pieces of whole grain bread,
- half a cup of skim milk,
- one cup of 100% natural orange juice as a drink,
lunch :
- salad prepared with two cups of fresh vegetables, one piece of tuna, half a cup of tomatoes, two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, and a diet of carbonated water
dinner
- One piece of beef steak
- One baked sweet potato
- One cup of steamed asparagus
- One tablespoon of olive oil
- One glass of water
Snacks
- A small piece of bread with two tablespoons of bulgur,
- a pear,
- a serving of low-fat and sugar-free yogurt with fruit flavor,
- a cup of Cornelian cherry,
- two-thirds of a cup of carrots with a cup of vegetables without sauce,
- a few glasses of water with slices of lemon or lime.
Nutritional Information
- Total Calories: 1,218
- Total Protein: 70 grams (22.2 percent)
- Total Carbohydrates: 176 grams (56.8 percent) Total Fat: 20 grams (14.6 percent)
- Saturated fat: 5 grams
- Sodium: 1,615 mg
- Sugar: 86 grams
- cholesterol: 116 milligrams,
- fiber: 24 grams
The 1200 Calorie Diet diet is a low-calorie food plan that usually includes eating low-calorie foods and accurately calculating the calories you eat.
Although this diet may lead to rapid weight loss in the short term, the metabolic problems it causes make it difficult to maintain weight in the long term.
In addition, 1,200 calories are much less than the needs of a healthy and normal human being. Although the popularity of this diet is increasing every day, following it may pose risks to your health.
Following a balanced diet and exercising is the best solution for sustainable weight loss that can be maintained for the rest of your life.