Ready-made weekly menu with kbju for 1200 calories per day

• The essence of the 1200 diet
• Creating a calorie deficit
• Diet ration 1200
• How to choose a menu for yourself
• Calculation standards for BZHU
• Calorie table
• Sample menu
• Indian diet
• Diet 1200 on proteins
• Advantages and disadvantages
• Diet recommendations
• Several dish recipes
• Reviews and weight loss results

One of the simple and effective types of proper nutrition is to reduce the total daily caloric intake. To lose weight, you need to create a constant calorie deficit, encouraging the body to use stored fats. The 1200 kcal diet is always popular precisely because it is democratic: it allows you to eat whatever you want (with reasonable restrictions, of course), but at the same time, lose weight.

Losing weight will not be rapid, you should not count on it, but you will be able to achieve the following results:

• reduce overall body fat;
• dry your body;
• the kilograms that went away slowly and smoothly, if they return, will be in exactly the same mode - smoothly and gradually, which will allow you to have time to monitor the process and periodically reduce the caloric content of your diet again;
• you will be able to curb your increased appetite;
• the stomach walls will shrink, which means you will need less food to feel full;
• depending on the duration, you will lose from 3 to 15-20 kg;
• discomfort on a 1200 calorie diet is minimal.

According to nutritionists, the 1200 diet has become the optimal way to lose excess weight . There is no sharp decrease in food; almost all useful substances are present. In addition, you can choose those foods that your body requires at the moment to satisfy its needs.

The essence of the 1200 diet

To understand what we are talking about, let’s look at what you can eat and what you should still give up.

Of course, those foods that are considered harmful at all times and in any diet will be prohibited:

• fast food;
• sweet carbonated drinks that contain either a huge amount of sugar (about 10 teaspoons per half liter of water) or harmful sweeteners (read about harmful sweeteners here);
• alcoholic drinks and beer, which are high in calories in themselves, and also require snacks. In addition, alcohol dulls the ability to control the amount of food; after drinking, you can eat several times more than usual;
• deep-fried or fat-fried foods;
• flour dishes, baked goods, confectionery products - they do not provide any benefit; they contain so-called “empty calories”, which are most often processed into subcutaneous and visceral fat;
• smoked, too spicy or salty, for the reason that these products retain a lot of liquid, which contributes to the “swelling” of fat cells. For example, sauerkraut, which is healthy in itself, causes tissue swelling, and due to the increased content of lactic acid, it can cause problems with joints. It can be eaten in small quantities;

With a diet of 1200 calories, the amount of fast carbohydrates, which include all types of sweets containing sugar, is reduced. You should avoid those carbohydrates that have a high glycemic index (see table of glycemic index of foods)

It is also worth reducing foods with slow carbohydrates by 2-3 times:

• porridge,
• bakery products;
• fruits;
• bitter chocolate;
• pasta, etc.

Creating a calorie deficit

In essence, the 1200 kcal diet is nothing more than a low-carb (see more) and low-calorie diet, see more.

Recommended:

• consume no more than 200-250g of foods containing carbohydrates per day. Thanks to this diet, you will spend more calories than you get from food;
• if, according to physiological standards, women who do not work physically and whose activity does not exceed the average are recommended to consume about 2000 calories, then when using a diet of 1200 calories, the deficit will be quite noticeable;
• the same can be said for men, who are recommended to consume 2,500 calories. It is permissible for them to slightly increase the portions so that the daily calorie content is 1400-1500 kcal;
• To make the effect more noticeable, and to prevent stretch marks and sagging skin from appearing on the body, it is necessary to additionally exercise. Cardio exercise, aerobics, fitness, stretching exercises, yoga, outdoor games, walking - combine these types of training so that the body does not get used to them and is unable to adapt. In addition, calories will be consumed even faster.

But why exactly 1200 calories a day?

It’s no secret that, having crossed the low calorie limit of a portion when eating familiar dishes and products every day, hunger intensifies even more, which is why our body experiences severe stress and, so to speak, turns on “energy saving” mode in order to prevent exhaustion. Undoubtedly, nature has given us such a protective property since ancient times. So, today it has been established that for almost any woman who usually does not engage in physical training, the calorie limit for daily food portions is approximately 1200 kcal.

Menu for 1200 kcal per day with recipes for a week from simple products

The bottom line is that if we eat food containing fewer calories, our body will not only slow down metabolic processes, but will also begin to process the muscles of the body, since it constantly needs energy, and with fewer calories it will not receive it in sufficient quantities.

In addition, it is important to maintain a special balance between fats, proteins and carbohydrates in dishes and products. Only in this case will the 1200 calorie diet work 100%. And the balance is as follows:

• Fat – approximately 30 percent
• Protein (pure) – 15 percent
• Carbohydrates (complex) – 55 percent

Regarding fats, an important point needs to be clarified: out of 30%, only 3 should be of animal origin, the rest - of vegetable origin.

It is noteworthy that this balance is good not only for healthy people, but also for those who have to limit their diet due to certain diseases.

Diet 1200 calories per day: menu for the week

Diet ration 1200

A sample 1200 calorie diet menu consists of protein dishes combined with vegetables, a small amount of fruit, low-fat dairy products, leafy salads and greens.

You can add a little to your daily menu:

• butter for porridge;
• vegetable oil (preferably unrefined olive oil) for salad dressing;
• hard cheese or feta cheese in small quantities;
• mild spices: coriander, curry, turmeric, cinnamon, flax seeds (see here about the benefits of flax seeds for weight loss), sesame, rosemary, oregano, basil, etc.

To satisfy your body's need for fat, eat fatty fish. For example, salmon, salmon, herring, which are rich in natural antioxidants - Omega-3 and Omega-6. In addition to being essential for maintaining healthy, youthful skin, saturated fat prevents the threat of cardiovascular disease. The daily diet should contain at least 9-10g of such fats or about 7% of daily calories .

To satisfy the need for carbohydrates, you can eat two or three fruits a day, 100-150g of whole grain porridge (see recipe for Dukan porridge) or 50-70g of whole grain bread.

The body's need for fiber should be satisfied through raw and stewed vegetables, and salads made from them.

How to choose a menu for yourself

To learn how to create a 1200-calorie diet menu for yourself, you need to understand the basic principles of healthy eating and the rules of a balanced diet.

The Miracle Diet team recommends the free and powerful mobile phone app Lifesum (look for it in the AppStore and Google Play)

You should immediately understand that:

• to create the right menu, you will have to count the number of calories, first weighing everything you put into your mouth on a kitchen scale;
• do not forget to pay attention to the balance of the menu, avoiding using only proteins, or mainly carbohydrates.

The optimal ratio is:

• proteins 10-35%;
• fats -20-35%;
• carbohydrates 40-65%.

To convert proteins, fats or carbohydrates into calories, remember that:

• 1g protein = 4.1kcal;
• 1g carbohydrates = 4.1kcal;
• 1g fat = 9.3kcal.

In order to lose weight or dry out the body, you need to eat in the following ratios of proteins, fats and carbohydrates:

30-20-50 or 30-30-40.

The easiest way to lose weight is by reducing the amount of carbohydrates and fats, but do not forget that:

• The percentage of reduction in carbohydrates in the diet required for weight loss is individual for everyone; some will lose weight if they remove a small portion of carbohydrates, while others need to reduce their carbohydrate intake significantly. It is recommended to consume at least 100-150 g of carbohydrates per day;
• with high physical exertion or increased activity, for example, with regular hour-long classes in the gym, with heavy physical work, you need to consume more protein;
• Fat consumption cannot be completely eliminated. When less than 20-25g of fat enters the body, the body turns on protective mechanisms, namely, it reduces energy consumption.

A principle thought out by nature itself: fat is a vital substance, so if it is not supplied enough, it must be stored.

To prevent fat storage, you should consume at least 35-60g of fat per day, paradoxically!

How long can you stick to the diet?

A low-calorie diet of 1200 calories lasts no more than three weeks. When you feel great, you still need to take a break. It will take one or three months to speed up the slow metabolism and restore the balance of water and salt. Such a pause will also have a positive effect on the psychological state, because a systemic restriction can set the body to start accumulating fat, and this will affect the result: weight will simply stop losing.

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Calculation standards for BZHU

The amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates (BJU) sufficient for normal life can be calculated independently.

The calculation formulas are presented in the table:

Note

Proteins should be supplied in the following ratio:

• 1/3 vegetable proteins;
• 2/3 animal proteins.

Thus, if a person weighs 60 kg, then he should consume at least:

• Protein: 0.8x60 = 48g
• Fat 0.7x60 = 42g
• Carbohydrates 2x60 = 120g

And these are the maximum values ​​​​for the ability to lose weight:

• Protein: 2x60 = 120g
• Fat 1.3x60 = 78g
• Carbohydrates 5x60 = 300g

Here is information on how to properly distribute BJU between 5 meals:

1. Breakfast (200-250g) – complex carbohydrates (porridge, fruits)
2. Second breakfast (100-150g) – carbohydrates
3. Lunch (250-300g) protein, vegetables, complex carbohydrates (fruits)
4. Afternoon snack (100-150g) – protein or vegetables
5. Dinner (150-200g) protein, green vegetables

Here you can watch a video that explains in detail how to plan your diet. A few low-calorie recipes for the 1200 calorie diet:

A sharp reduction in calories is the path to obesity

12.06.2020

The topic of proper nutrition is very fashionable in our time, and much has not been said or written about this: about the benefits of proteins, about counting calories, about the need for separate nutrition. What if everything we knew before not only does not help us achieve a beautiful figure, but also harms us? Do you need an accurate count of calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates?

The fact is that if there is a malfunction in eating behavior, all the tricks of nutritionists are useless. Our brain is quite complex; it relies on the centuries-old experience of civilization and does not take into account the immediate desires of a person. The first thing a person who wants to get in shape does is reduce the calorie content of their food. But, at the same time, he does not think that he is causing damage to his psyche, which will not remain in debt. What happens when you cut your daily calories? At first, it is possible that a person will lose weight primarily due to the loss of water, not fat. After some time, the brain receives a signal: there is not enough food, there is a threat to life and health. And when intense physical activity is added to diets, the situation worsens even more. The primary task of man, genetically transmitted for millions of years, is survival, and not the presence of an ideal figure. You can come up with a lot of motivating goals for yourself, convince yourself that the happiness of your whole life is slender thighs, remove from your diet everything that seems too high in calories. It’s just that all these measures will be effective only for a certain time, this interval will be different for everyone, depending on the content and calorie content of the diet . If you reduce your calorie intake to 1,700 per day, the effect will be short-term and here's why. The brain will very quickly notice the loss of necessary energy and will quickly look for ways to correct the situation. Processes in the body (including metabolism) will slow down, blood pressure will drop, and weakness will set in. The body will quickly adapt so as not to spend a lot of calories. Fat will not be wasted, since it is a reserve reserve for a rainy day. Out of 1700 calories, only 1200 will be consumed, and the body will carefully hide the rest, that is, it will replenish its fat reserves. And a paradox occurs: a person eats less, but the weight continues to grow. Additional measures are beginning to be taken, as an option – calories are being cut further. The brain panics even more and everything repeats itself.

How then to lose weight? Negotiate with your brain , avoiding starvation. You need to eat at the same time, trying not to skip any meals. The meals themselves can be 4-5. You can only lose weight gradually and nothing else. That is, the theory of calorie deficit does not work; instead, it is better to pay attention to the quality of products, choosing healthier ones. Instead of a fatty cutlet, use a steam cutlet, durum pasta, and so on. The next stage after establishing a healthy, uninterrupted diet will be the gradual inclusion of physical activity, which will be useful for the formation of a beautiful figure. You shouldn’t exercise too much, as excessive overexertion is a cause for concern for our alert brain . Everything should be in moderation and pleasure.

The psyche of eating behavior is a very delicate topic, you should not trust your nutrition to illiterate nutritionists and Internet articles, it is better to listen to your needs and not ignore them in any case.

Published in Endocrinology Premium Clinic

Calorie table

You can use a convenient calorie table for the most common and acceptable foods in this diet (see also the most effective foods for weight loss).

Diet 1200: calorie table:

For a more detailed table of caloric content of foods, see here. You can also use the online food calorie analyzer (see here).

Sample 1200 calorie menu with calories counted

Below you can see an approximate 1200 calorie diet menu for a week. Additionally, you can drink coffee or tea without sugar, herbal infusions, and rose hips.

Monday

• Breakfast: omelet from one egg and two tablespoons of milk - 184 kcal, tea with milk - 30 kcal (214 kcal)
• Second breakfast: low-fat cottage cheese 100g - 110 kcal and orange -36 kcal (146 kcal)
• Lunch: chicken soup (300 ml) – 210 kcal, baked chicken thigh 158 kcal, cucumber and tomato salad – 47 kcal, orange juice 200 ml – 35 kcal (452 ​​kcal)
• Afternoon snack: yogurt 1.5% - 79 kcal
• Dinner: grilled salmon – 283 kcal, baked vegetables – 62 kcal (345 kcal)

Total for the day: 1236 kcal

Note: If you have a little more or a little less calories, that's okay.

Tuesday

• Breakfast: Oatmeal (50g dry cereal) with low-fat milk – 198 kcal, coffee with milk – 30 kcal (228 kcal)
• Second breakfast: banana – 95 kcal
• Lunch: Borscht with meat (300g) – 147 kcal; boiled potatoes 1 pc. 82 kcal, beef cutlet – 260 kcal; cabbage salad with cucumber 100g – 49 kcal (538 kcal)
• Afternoon snack: medium apple 70 kcal
• Dinner: baked salmon – 230 kcal; leaf lettuce 100g – 47 kcal

Total for the day: 1208 kcal

Wednesday

• Breakfast: buckwheat porridge with milk – 157 kcal, tea with milk 30 (187 kcal)
• Second breakfast: grated carrots 100g – 32 kcal
• Lunch: pea soup (300ml) – 193 kcal; fish cutlet 100g – 130 kcal; tomato salad – 47 kcal; boiled rice – 116 kcal; apple juice 200 ml – 86 kcal (572 kcal);
• Afternoon snack: tomato juice 200 ml – 44 kcal
• Dinner: boiled or grilled chicken breast 150g - 169 kcal; egg salad 100g – 185 kcal (354 kcal)

Total for the day: 1189 kcal

Thursday

• Breakfast: omelet from one egg and two tablespoons of milk - 184 kcal, tea with milk - 30 kcal (214 kcal)
• Second breakfast: cottage cheese 100g – 110kcal
• Lunch: Vegetable soup – 129 kcal; 2 beef sausages – 226 kcal; Boiled potatoes 2 pcs. – 164 kcal; vinaigrette 100g – 75 kcal (465 kcal)
• Afternoon snack: cottage cheese with sour cream 10% 100g - 197 kcal
• Dinner: chicken ham 100g – 188 kcal; lettuce 200g – 24 kcal (212 kcal)

Total for the day: 1198 kcal

Friday

• Breakfast: grain cottage cheese 3% 100g – 109 kcal; fruit yogurt – 63 kcal; tea with milk 30 kcal (202 kcal)
• Second breakfast: walnuts 30 g – 163 kcal
• Lunch: mushroom soup 300ml – 163 kcal; boiled beef 100g – 264 kcal; buckwheat porridge 100g – 132 kcal; cabbage salad with cucumbers 54 kcal (613 kcal)
• Afternoon snack: baked apple – 59 kcal
• Dinner: pilaf with mushrooms and meat 100g – 156 kcal; 2 cucumbers 30 kcal

Total for the day: 1223 kcal

Saturday

• Breakfast: Oatmeal (50g dry cereal) with low-fat milk – 198 kcal, coffee with milk – 30 kcal (228 kcal)
• Second breakfast: pear baked with cottage cheese 150g – 80 kcal
• Lunch: bean soup 300ml – 186 kcal; veal cutlets 100g – 375 kcal; 2 tomatoes 40 kcal (601 kcal)
• Afternoon snack: Activia drinking 1.5% 200ml – 88 kcal
• Dinner: fish baked with mushrooms and cheese 200g – 184 kcal; 1 cucumber and 1 tomato – 35 kcal

Total for the day: 1216 kcal

Sunday

• Breakfast: low-fat cottage cheese 100g – 110 kcal and orange – 36 kcal (146 kcal)
• Second breakfast: baked apples stuffed with low-fat cottage cheese 200g – 208 kcal
• Lunch: fresh cabbage borscht with meat 300ml – 209 kcal; boiled chicken without skin 150g – 275 kcal; vinaigrette with beans 150g – 123 kcal (607 kcal)
• Afternoon snack: pineapple juice 200ml – 96 kcal
• Dinner: hake baked in the oven 150g - 132 kcal; 2 tomatoes 40 kcal (172 kcal)

Total for the day: 1229kcal

The 1200 calorie diet menu for a week may change, you must choose those foods that you like and suit you personally, and include them in your diet. But do not forget that many types of food are completely prohibited; if you continue to eat baked goods, cakes, treat yourself to high-calorie desserts in the evenings in a cafe or at home in front of the TV, you will still not be able to lose weight.

The video clip shows another version of the 1200 diet menu for one day:

Indian version of the diet 1200 calories

India has its own system of using a 1200 kcal diet menu. It is not like our usual menu, with lunch, dinner and breakfast.

For the diet, certain foods are taken and distributed throughout the day in equal parts.

Here's what the food pyramid looks like for the whole day:

• 6-11 servings of whole grain foods (brown rice, grain bread, Indian rotis);
• 3-5 servings of vegetables (cabbage, onions, eggplant);
• 2-4 servings of fruit (bananas, melon, grapes);
• 2-3 servings of protein dishes (chicken, lamb, lentils)

Additionally, the 1200-calorie diet includes Indian lassi - in our opinion, low-fat fruit kefir, the recipe for which will be given below. It is permissible to replace kefir with milk.

All portions are quite small. The basis is a slice of Roti bread, which contains approximately 135 kcal.

Diet menu 1200 per day (Indian version)

How many servings should you eat? It all depends on your initial weight and eating habits. If you are used to eating a lot, your weight exceeds 100 kg, of course, you should not sharply reduce your daily diet to a minimum. In this case, you can eat the maximum number of servings per day, making them tiny.

But this does not mean that you should eat continuously. Here's how the Indian diet is used:

• Early breakfast: piece of flatbread, fruit (approx. 100g)
• Breakfast: a piece of flatbread, a portion of vegetables (100g), a protein dish (100-120g chicken or boiled beans, lentils, lamb), fruit
• Second breakfast: a piece of flatbread, a portion of vegetables, a portion of fruit
• Lunch: piece of flatbread, vegetables, protein dish, fruit
• Afternoon snack: a piece of flatbread, a portion of vegetables
• Dinner: a piece of flatbread, a protein dish, a serving of vegetables

Total for the day:

• 6 pieces of flatbread or grain bread;
• 5 servings of vegetables;
• 4 servings of fruit;
• 3 servings of protein meal.

This pyramid is also suitable for you if you want to try the Indian version of the 1200 calorie diet.

If you are not full, then in between meals, use another piece of flatbread.

Lassi drink recipe

This cool drink not only keeps you cool but is also good for weight loss.

1. The simplest method of preparation is to use yoghurt (dahi) with clean water, salt and spices (usually cumin seeds). The drink is low-calorie and pleasant in taste, somewhat reminiscent of liquid kefir with salt.
2. Another preparation option is to mix yogurt with fruits, for example, strawberries, bananas, mangoes, lemon, etc. First, the fruits or berries are crushed in a blender, sometimes adding honey or sugar. But for the diet it is better to limit yourself to the sweetness of the fruits themselves. Then pour in the dahi and add ice. Very similar to our fruit cocktail or smoothie.

Energy table

The 1200 calorie per day diet is fraught with a difficult point - it is regularly counting the calories of each dish eaten, because exceeding the daily norm is unacceptable. The number of calories consumed depends not only on how many were originally in the product, but also on the method of preparing this product. For example, baked potatoes are healthier than boiled ones, and tea will have 40 more calories if you add a spoonful of sugar to it. Steamed buckwheat will add 3 times less calories to the amount of calories consumed than boiled buckwheat.

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Diet 1200 on proteins

Another variation of this diet is the 1200 calorie protein diet. Its essence is that it is necessary to remove carbohydrates from the diet as much as possible.

Avoid cereals, fruits, sweets, bread, sugar, flour and sugar-containing products. It is permissible to eat only protein dishes:

• chicken, turkey, rabbit;
• meat, fish, eggs;
• cottage cheese and dairy products;
• seafood, mushrooms, legumes.

The diet is expanded with vegetables and vegetable dishes in different proportions. For example:

• vegetable stew;
• grilled vegetables;
• raw and steamed vegetables;
• cold and hot salads.

You can lose weight even faster than on a regular 1200 calorie diet, the only difference is that:

• the protein version is much more complex;
• constipation may occur;
• due to a lack of carbohydrates, the body slows down metabolism;
• Lost kilograms will come back faster.

This diet option can be used in extreme cases, when you need to quickly lose weight before some event.

“To lose weight, you can’t eat more than 1200 kcal” and 4 more myths about nutrition

Nutritionist Marina Bessonova explains why one oatmeal for breakfast is wrong and why there is no single calorie intake for everyone

Myth 1: You can’t drink after a meal
Proponents of this theory argue that drinking after a meal dilutes gastric juice and interferes with the digestion process. However, no serious studies have been conducted to confirm this theory. To change the acidity of gastric juice, a very large volume of liquid is required, which you may not even be able to drink.

It should be noted that after eating, it is still better to give preference to clean water, since strong tea or coffee can interfere with the absorption of important macro- and microelements from food.

Myth 2: You can't eat eggs every day

The idea behind this myth is that “excessive” consumption of eggs significantly increases cholesterol. Let's get to the facts: one yolk contains only 62% of the daily value of cholesterol, and this is not 220%. and not even 100%. For example, a 2021 meta-analysis confirms that daily egg consumption is not associated with increased cholesterol or the risk of coronary heart disease.

And a 2021 cohort study found that people who eat one egg a day have a significantly lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those who eat no eggs at all or only rarely.

Myth 3: Oatmeal is the perfect breakfast

Oatmeal itself is really healthy, but it is pure carbohydrates. Each meal should be complex and contain proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Therefore, add nuts, seeds (pumpkin, chia or sunflower) to your traditional morning dish, and season with melted butter to make your breakfast truly complete and balanced.

Myth 4: fitness bars are PP

Not every bar, even on the packaging of which there is the phrase “proper nutrition”, is healthy. Have you ever read its composition? If the composition contains milk powder, sugar, even in a veiled form (glucose syrup, glucose, fructose, sucrose, invert syrup, molasses, sorbitol, malt extract), refined, hydrogenated oils (palm, rapeseed or sunflower), then such a bar is not will bring the cherished benefits that the manufacturers so confidently promise.

Myth 5: To lose weight you need a diet of 1200 kcal or less

There is no universal daily calorie intake that you should stick to. Everything is very individual, if only because the norm of 1200 kcal may be too low even for a calorie deficit. After all, the daily calorie intake is calculated individually depending on age, gender, and physical activity. And for safe weight loss, it is enough to reduce this figure by only 20%.

Too sharp a restriction of the diet can have the opposite effect, and is subsequently fraught with health problems, for example, in women, reproductive function is at risk.

Today there are many online programs that will help you calculate exactly your needs. However, it is better to entrust the calculation of your individual daily intake and the preparation of a competent diet to a specialist.

Benefits of the 1200 Calorie Diet

This diet is good because:

• you have virtually no time to feel hungry;
• as soon as you get hungry, how does the next meal come;
• the body receives all the useful and necessary substances;
• weight decreases gradually;
• you learn to control everything you eat;
• the ideal rate of weight loss is achieved - 08-1 kg per week;
• the results obtained last a long time;
• You can repeat the diet if necessary 3-4 times a year.

Disadvantages of the 1200 calorie per day diet

Of the shortcomings, the most obvious and annoying are the following:

• you need to constantly weigh everything you eat;
• you need to count calories using either tables or calculators;
• you will have to give up those foods that are too high in calories or have a high glycemic index (you can learn about the glycemic index here);
• It’s hard to resist temptations when you see others eating whatever they want.

How does it work?

Like many other diets, the twelve hundred calorie diet involves following certain rules. Violation of this regime will negatively affect the final result. The most important points of the 1200 calorie diet:

• The sum of all calories consumed per day does not exceed 1200.
• The daily menu should be based on the 15/30/55% scheme.
• You need to eat more often, but less: there are 3 main meals each up to 300 calories, you can have 2 snacks for 150 calories each.
• Unheated vegetables and fruits make up the bulk of the menu.
• The diet needs to be varied as much as possible.
• It is better to replace meat with fish - at least three times a week.

Good news for sweet tooth lovers: the daily menu for weight loss does not require a strict refusal of sweets. Of course, it would be good to cut down on the consumption of fast carbohydrates, it is better to eat less flour, and give up sugary drinks with gas. Fried foods in animal oil, various smoked and salted foods are also not allowed. Classic dietary nutrition also implies compliance with the drinking regime: you need to drink 1.5-2 liters of clean still water per day.

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Diet recommendations

Here are some more helpful tips for those who decide to try the 1200 calorie diet:

• Include porridge (buckwheat, oatmeal, millet) and other foods with carbohydrates in your breakfast, this will help provide you with energy and the body will not slow down your metabolism;
• Eat hot soups for lunch to improve digestion;
• if you want to eat, but the time has not yet come, then drink a glass of clean water in small sips, this will curb your appetite;
• for dinner, which should be no later than 6-7 pm, eat protein dishes: fish, eggs, meat, seafood, combining them with leafy salads and other green vegetables (cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, peas, broccoli, zucchini, asparagus, green beans, etc.)
• as snacks you can use kefir, bifidok, fermented baked milk, grated carrots, apples, oranges, some nuts, etc.
• drink more liquid, for example, chilled tea or herbal infusions, clean water, rosehip infusion.

If you start eating less than 1200 calories, you slow down your metabolism.

But you need to remember that a sharp reduction in calories in your diet can significantly slow down your metabolism, and it will be more difficult to lose weight. By fasting, you will send signals to your body that it is time to stock up on calories just in case. That is why there is a general recommendation for women to consume at least 1,200 calories, and for men - at least 1,800.

The reason our metabolism slows down when we eat less than 1,200 calories a day is because of a chain reaction of physiological responses to the stress associated with a restricted diet. The body begins to immediately adapt to stress. Yes, at the same time, weight can decrease, but behind the desired number on the scales lie negative consequences. With a sharp decrease in calories, the body begins to consume glycogen from the muscles in order to maintain the desired blood sugar level, so muscle mass decreases. But this process does not last long, after which the metabolism slows down, and losing weight becomes even more difficult.

To lose 1 kg of weight from fat, you need to burn 7,716 calories. If you create a daily deficit of 550 calories, you can lose 1 kg in 2 weeks. Or eat 250 fewer calories each day and add exercise.

Several recipes for the 1200 diet

A simple 1200 calorie diet menu involves eating low-calorie foods. To make the menu varied, you need to remember a few easy-to-prepare dishes.

Kefir cocktails with fruits or vegetables

Any snack can be tasty and healthy if you blend low-fat kefir with any fresh or frozen berries and fruits in a blender. Alternatively, you can beat kefir with fresh cucumber or mint, adding dill, fennel, and lemon balm inside. You will get a low-calorie diet unsweetened drink.

Baked apples with cottage cheese

• Core the apples without cutting them.
• Place low-fat cottage cheese mixed with raw egg and washed raisins into the hole.
• Bake in the oven until soft.

Vegetable vinaigrette with white beans

• Boil carrots, beets, white beans (or take canned ones), chop the vegetables, add chopped pickles and onions.
• Season with olive oil, herbs, and salt.
• Do not add potatoes.

(see here for more diet recipes)

Braised cabbage

Watch the video recipe on how to cook stewed cabbage. The dish contains only 52 kcal per 150g:

Product Set

How to properly create a diet for 1200 calories a day so that you like every product and every dish? A table of caloric content of various foods will help with this. Knowing how many calories are in a particular prepared dish will also make it much easier to think about your daily diet.

Below are approximate grams of dishes, organized by calorie count. But it is necessary to take into account that this indicator can fluctuate up and down. It depends on how exactly the dish is prepared and what it is seasoned with.

three hundred calories:

• 180 grams of mashed potatoes prepared using milk;
• 180 grams of pasta with 30 grams of grated hard cheese;
• 150 grams of light beef cutlets;
• 180 grams of cabbage rolls.

two hundred calories:

• 150 grams of vinaigrette, seasoned with unrefined oil;
• 90 grams of curd mass, seasoned with a spoon of sour cream;
• Scrambled eggs from 2 eggs.

hundred calories:

• 1 potato, baked in the oven;
• 160 grams of chicken broth;
• 120 grams of borscht without meat;
• 80 grams of cottage cheese with a spoon of sour cream;
• Apple.

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Reviews and weight loss results

The editors of our portal constantly receive feedback on almost every diet published here (see more weight loss diets). Here's some feedback we've received from our followers about the 1200 calorie diet.

Antonina, 41 years old, tourism manager My work involves business trips abroad; we often go to look at hotels and then recommend them to our clients. Therefore, I try to maintain a normal figure. I use the 1200 diet several times a year, and this is what I noticed: as soon as I start it, literally in the first week I lose about 3-3.5 kg. Then, however, weight loss slows down, the body adapts to eating less. That's why I don't use it for more than two weeks. I switch to a normal diet, the weight starts to increase after about a month or two, depending on the diet. Therefore, after a while you need to go on a diet again.

Milena, 22 years old, student I love this diet for its effectiveness. In my opinion, every modern person should be able to count calories, because it’s simple, there are a lot of sites with online calculators. In addition, you remember the calorie content of the most frequently consumed foods, which makes it easier to navigate later. For example, this is the only way I can lose weight. I write down everything I eat during the day, if I see that too many calories have come out, the next day I do a fasting of exactly the same amount of calories as I overate. I go on this diet all the time to control my weight. Only on holidays do I allow myself to relax, but the next day I turn on the meter.

Snezhana, 32 years old, mother of two children, 2.5 years and 8 months. After giving birth, I gained a lot, could not lose weight, as soon as I started a diet, my milk decreased, the baby screamed, that’s why I ate more than necessary. Now I continue to breastfeed, but I decided not to overeat anymore, but to count calories. I eat all the foods I need, but little by little. This became a salvation, because I killed two birds with one stone - the baby is full and the weight comes off. I lost 3.7kg in a month. Maybe a little, but it’s stable, I don’t feel weak, and I need strength now more than ever.

Vasily Ivanov, 35 years old, programmer I like the diet because it’s easy to lose weight, the only thing I don’t like is counting calories. I asked my girlfriend to do this, she also cooks for us, since we eat with her. It’s true, at work I can grab an extra loaf of bread, for which she scolds me. But in general, I stick to the rules. The last time I lost about 4 kg in two weeks.