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1200 Calorie Diet
Background
A diet based on 1200 calories daily is the recommended minimum for safe and healthy weight loss. This is because 1200 calories will generally provide an adequate nutritional intake for most individuals, yet still allows the reduction of calories to the level that most dieters require in order to lose weight.
Many diet plans for weight loss that are developed by nutritionists and health professionals are based on 1200 calories daily.
Diet Basics
This diet plan is centered around the concept of calorie control. If dieters are consuming less calories than they are expending then this will result in weight loss.
Dieters are to consume 1200 calories daily. This will involve the need to consult with either books or online resources that list the calorie content of each food.
Recommended Foods
There are no specific foods recommended on this plan however dieters are likely to experience a greater degree of success when the diet is based on fresh and unprocessed foods including fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and lean proteins.
Sample Diet Plan
| Breakfast
1 cup bran cereal |
| Lunch
Tuna sandwich with whole grain bread and low fat mayo |
| Afternoon Snack
Nectarine |
| Dinner
3 oz grilled chicken breast |
| Evening Snack
1 small pear |
Look for other healthy recipes and ideas here.
Exercise Recommendations
There are no specific recommendations for this diet however dieters should be aware that daily exercise is important for maintaining weight loss and for general health.
Conversely excessive exercise may actually not be beneficial on this plan because the calories and nutritional intake is too low to sustain high levels of physical activity.
Costs and Expenses
There are no expenses for this program other than perhaps a calorie counting tool such as a book or computer program however free online services are also available such as freedieting.com.
Pros
- If wholesome foods are selected many dieters will not experience hunger on this diet.
- Low calorie diets are a proven effective method of weight loss.
- Dieters have freedom to choose whatever foods they like as long as the daily caloric intake is not exceeded.
- Can be adapted to suit special diets such as vegetarian, diabetic etc.
- Rapid initial weight loss may increase motivation to stick with a long term weight loss plan.
Cons
- Necessary to count calories and measure foods.
- Diet will need to be planned carefully so as to prevent nutritional deficiencies.
- Many dieters will experience fatigue and hunger on a low calorie diet.
- Not suitable for physically active individuals.
- High risk of rebound weight gain when calorie intake is increased.
Conclusions
A 1200 calorie diet is likely to produce results for most individuals, at least in the short term. However in order for weight loss to be sustained it will be necessary to incorporate healthy lifestyle changes.
Dieters will have an increased chance of success if they learn how to select nutritionally balanced meals, to manage psychological stress and to incorporate daily physical activity into their routines.
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I am looking forward to some weight loss.
I’ve been on this diet for roughly a month, and I’ve lost 14 pounds already.
We are a Vegetarian persons from INDIA, would like to reduce our weight in next 3 months.
1) My Height is 5Feet 6Inches waist is 39inches & Weighing about 80 KGS, targeting for 65Kgs.
2) My Wife is 4Feet 8Inches Abdomen is 38inches weighing about 72Kgs, targeting for 60Kgs.
Kindly Suggest us healthy FAT BURNING & WEIGHT LOSS DIET to achieve the target in next 3 months;
Congratulations to you all!!!!!! I had been on the 1200 calorie diet before. And I know that it works. I loss 20 pounds and 3 dress sizes. I drive a truck for a living. And I put the weight back on and then some. Im 5’6 & weight 154 pounds. I would like to loss 24.pounds. That would be 2 pounds a month. I know i can do this. It just takes time and well power. Keep up all through good work that you do. And if you get upset or mad. Take the day off. And start again, the next day. Good luck everyone. We can do it.:)
I started the 1200 calorie diet and did zumba 15/20 minutes 3 times a week,drank nothing but water and I lost 23 pounds in 2 months,I fail off in october and gained all the weight plus some back,but I am starting back tomorrow I have great faith in this diet only because it worked ,I tried all the fab diets,the shakes,the pills NOTHING worked for me but this.Good luck everyone,I hope we all lose weight & feel better.
I will try this diet, and most likely it will work. By reading a sample of this diet, I am sure that my intake is too much… I will start by taking out white rice, soda, sweets, and fried foods. A little at a time and eating more fresh fruits and veggies, which actually, I really do like. I am going to do this. I have to lose 100 pounds. But, my first goal is to lose 5 pounds this week at least. Good luck to everybody, Happy New Year! !
So for the past month i have going off of a 1200 calorie diet pretty much staying under the calorie intake. I also do Zumba 2xs a week and the other 5 days doing 30 mins on elitical. I burning with excercise with Zumba on average 688 cals. and on average 300 cals on elitical. I have only lost 5 pounds and have not lost anymore. It is starting to get frustrating, on the upside I feel great with all the excercise and I am losing inches but would really like to see that scale move. Does anyone have any advice to get that scale to move.
I am on my 4th day of 1200 calorie diet. Ive gained one lb? Currently im 144lbs at 5ft2 and I am 34%fat according to my home scale,,,owch! Any advise? Im drinking only water, approx 60oz a day.
Hi everyone! I just started the 1200 calorie diet and I’ve already lost 3 lbs this week. I know that I was eating way more than 2000 calories a day (most of which was junk food and just eating cause I could). I just started a 30 minute weight lifting/ab workout last night and will do that along with one of my exercise videos tonight. My weight was 162 @ 5’2″. Now it is 159. Short term goal=145. Long Term Goal 120lbs.
Hello there, i want to share my experience. i lost 16lb in 2 months which is more than good for me. i gained in the holidays season little abit now when i increased the intake
but thie diet is simply great
my previous weight was 194lb
and now 178lb
I lost three pounds the first week on a 1200 calorie diet. The next three weeks I lost nothing. I’m SO frustrated.
hi, i lost 4 pounds in 2 weeks, just eating about 1200 calories a day, sometimes more and sometimes less but it really works for me. not doing much exercise, just the routine work…
i wont call it a diet its just eating healthy…
I love this page very good information when you are striving to lose weight by calorie counting.
I have been on a 1200 to 1500 diet since september2011 its december 2011 …the 5th and I can say I started 212 pounds and now I weigh 190…im so excited ..I do minimal exercise about 3 timea a week 30…low key walk/run around gym 4 times do light aerobics for about 15 mins and shoot a few baskets n run half court with kids for about 5 to 10 mins it varies mostly less im 31 …and 5″4 ..im a school teacher and I feel so much better no more swollen ankles or achy knees so much energy im about to step my game up and use my aerobic videos maybe 2 times a week and my eliptical machine to tone up and lose, more goal weight overall 160….short term 1/2 to 1 pound a week…and thus far im right on target…I prepare my lunch daily …I prep in advance and I look at all labels or look up calories on different sites to get right portions. Right now im keeping close to 1200 as possible….and it is working I eat stuff that filling and plenty of it…I buy yogurt and fiber one brownies …I eat fressh or frozen veggies plenty of turkey fish chicken and or very lean meat all preportion by me…so if I want pizza I eat a slice tons of fresh vegetables no sausage no pepperoni but I add alternatives that it make it all gooooood…=) I get a taste of something I want healthier then it usually is…and eat 90 percent less have a large salad or fresh or steamed vegetables….I eat 3 meals a day and try to do atleast 1 snack or 2 to get in my 1200 calories atleast …sometimes I do a protein shake and a piece of fruit but I Do not skip meals….I drink plenty of water atleast 64 plus oz and im finding more and things I can have that are so healthly and taste so good… and the great thing is my husband and my daughter have lost atleast 10 pounds plus each…because I traded fat snacks for fruit and special k & nutri grain bars =) nuts low fat snacks 100 calorie popcorn etc., best life style change ever….I hope to be 180 by febrfebruary2012 will keep working toward it until get there…I will check in and share my progress monthly it is encouraging to me to read reviews I hope this help someone else know it can be done…and we all have struggles…I want a snack person…loved brownies but hated the weight now I eat a fiber one brownie 90 calories its healthy and I feel great no regrets afterward …you need to substitute..or come up with your own healthy version…its work the effort =)
I have been doing the 1200 calorie diet for 9 months and I lost 50 lbs! I was 197 I am now 149! I am 5’8. It works and it’s free. I use the lose it application on my iPhone to log in all the food I eat. Whatever food is not in the lose it app I google and can usually find the calories there. I walk like 30 min 4 days a week but I don’t exercise much. I eat small amounts of filling low calorie foods.
Hi, I am on the 1200 calorie lifesyle change. I don’t like to call it a diet, because I intend on sticking to this hopefully for the rest of my life. I eat about 5 times a day. 3 small meals and 2 snacks in between. I have been loosing about 2 lbs. a week. My goal is 20 lbs. I am happy because I still get to eat what I want but in smaller portions. It is true what they say everything in moderation. It reall Works.
I started the 1200 calorie diet program last february and it was phenomenal. I lost 15 lbs over all through out the summer and that’s with a cheat day during the week and fairly active schedule.
I did manage to fall off the wagon about a month ago and i can tell i’ve gained it all back already. (boo)
So tomorrow i start the 1200 calorie regimen again but with lack of outdoor exercise. (boo on winter)
Hi guys.. so am doing the slim.fast 3.2.1 shakes but not the snacks.. in all my intake adds up to about 1200 .. but I find myself struggling to keep that 1200.. because I room with all girls and I have a roomate that keeps wanting me to become anorexic with her :/ so I have been fasting until about 3 pm and than I eat something small than another shake.. but I know this isnt a healthy way.. anyway.. if I follow this 1200 healthy diet how much weight can I expect to lose in a week?
Current Weight: 223
Starting weight: 250
Goal weight: 180
Thanks
Hmmmm….just went to the Home page for this site~~ and just a note of caution out there everyone~~
BEWARE and BE WARY of FAD type diets!!
Not that I never tried them~ I have~ and did so much yo-yo-ing it was unreal!
Just count and record your daily intake of calories~ and be truthful with it~ measure and weigh foods…do not do the “eye” count as you will find that your eye sees what you want and NOT what you should be using~
READ packaging labels~ and if you see that the item is going to cost you a zillion calories to eat it~~ LEAVE it on the shelf at the store DO NOT bring it home thinking you will just use a “little” YEAH RIGHT!
And although so called “experts” often say NOT to treat yourself with food for losing weight~ I did just that! BUT I set Mini-goals for each “treat”~~ once the Mini-Goal was acheived~~ I treated myself with something I loved and had been missing~~lol~ like whatever it was you put back on that shelf!! BUT ALSO~~ only got enough of whatever it was for ONE treat…no left overs in the house for the next day or garbaged any leftovers I did not eat that day! And the very next day went back to 1200 calories ANd measuring and weighing and counting and recording it all AND set myself another Mini-Goal and dreamed about my next “treat”~~LOL
OOPs that should read February 2010
HI everyone~ I started a 1200 calorie diet in Feb. 1010.
I have lost 90.6 lbs. I want to lose 100 lbs in total but I am having the dickens of a time getting that last 10 lbs off!~ggrrr~lol
I lose 5 of that 10 lbs and then put 1 or 2 back on…then only lose 1 then put back 2 and on and on~
However~ I hit the 90 lb weight loss on June 6th 2011 and here I am 4 months later and still have that 9o lbs off~~ that in itself is an accomplishment for me!
To answer a few questions~ yes you can start on a 1200 calorie diet no matter what weight you are starting with.
As for exercise~~ like this article says…you will be more successful of you do some form of exercising. No need to go crazy as long as you move that wee bum off the couch! ~lol
When I first started my 1200 calorie lifestyle…STOP calling this a diet and it works much better!!~~
I could not exercise at all! I was too heavy and got chest pains and bad aching legs just walking the stairs here in my house!
With reduced calories alone and no exerise I still lost weight~ by the time I had lost about 30 or 40 lbs~ I found that I could do things I could not do before without any leg aches or chest pains.
So from there I stated walking~~ not far at first and definately not fast but I got out and walked. But keep in mind what I said ~~ exercise is anything you do that gets you off the couch~~ so rake leaves~ get down on those knees and pull weeds from te garden~~ scrub your floors~ do some vaccuuming~and once I had lost enough weight that I felt comfy in a swimsuit~~ I started 1 hr of swimming 5 days per week….just leisure swimming…no laps for this old gal~~lol ( I am now 63 )
Come On Everybody~~ if I can do this you can too!
And do not expect weight to “FALL” off it does not! you will have your UP weigh-ins as well as you down ones~ My weigh-in today was 89 weeks since I started and so if you calculate that makes it an average of 1 lb per week which is what most Doctors say is the healthy way to lose and the more likely you will keep it off for good!
I am 5’7 and a half and weigh 11 stone. Did slimming world and lost NO weight sticking to it!! I even put on weight one week so decided to do 1200 calorie diet along with it and its working so well! Im really happy. My problem on slimming world was eating too much of the free foods so i am really happy that i am finally losing weight
Hi everyone!! Does it matter how much you weigh if you want to do the 1200 calorie diet. I mean I have plenty to lose, but I was just wondering can anybody start at that amount of calories a day. Thanks so much for any info.
I’ve lost 10 pounds in 3 weeks. I feel much better on this kind of a diet. Processed foods, greasy, high fat foods leave me tired and sluggish. I feel alive again. 1st few days is hard, because you catch yourself. Porportion is key too. Too much of any thing is not good. Happy dieting!
I have been on the 1200 diet for two weeks and have lost nine pounds with 30 min walks at least 3 times a week and my wii fit i hope it keeps coming off
hey all, i’m just starting out on my 1200 calories! downloaded an app for my blackberry to help me out! can anyone give me some tips? im feeling ok with this diet just hope it works for me since i have to do this now!!! x
Hi. I lost 10lbs in 7 days. I love the 1200 calorie intake.
Hey guys, I lost 6.6lbs in 2 months time, i have got to shed more now, keep in touch take care.
Dear Sanaa, BMI for your hieght, weight is 30.9 which is above the average wegith also. Log into http://www.sparkpeople.com and learn your daily calorie counts. The site also suggests diet food which is easy to prepare. I joined there and am on 1200 Calorie Diet Plan and lost 2 pounds in 10 days, All the best
Hi Joanna, I forgot to add a note down there, too much of drinking water is not healthy, u can deplete your electrolites, this causes numerous other problems such as related to eye vision problems. Try to get in touch with a physician before you start to drink 5 litres water a day, PL try to get the exact information on water intake at this site http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm