The 1200 calorie diet Is a low calorie diet based on low calorie consumption to achieve weight loss.
The opinion of those who have tried it is far from one person to another, assuring some who are hungry, not thin or very effective. We tell you its characteristics, controversy and we also propose a menu.
A diet based on the consumption of 1200 calories a day we can classify it in the so-called hypocaloric diets. These are based on the restriction of a number of calories a day being the intake less than those that are burned.
Depending on the basal metabolism of a person and their physical activity can vary the number of calories in the diet.
When you take in a number of calories below the right amount, the body consumes calories from adipose tissue, losing weight and lowering body volume.
They are the most common type of diet and are used mainly in overweight and obese people.
Weekly 1200 calorie diet menu
We have taken as a reference a weekly menu published in 'Good House Keeping', a well-known American women's magazine dealing with issues such as beauty, health and nutrition.
In their publication, say that carrying out this diet for 90 days can lose about 9 kilos.
Day 1
Breakfast
- ¾ of a cup of cereals with fiber with skim milk and a banana
lunch
- Bread sandwich with turkey breast, half roasted pepper topped with low-fat mayonnaise, mustard and lettuce.
- Bar of skim mozzarella cheese.
- 2 kiwis.
Dinner
- 120 grams of grilled sole.
- 2 sliced tomatoes with grated Parmesan cheese.
- 1 cup of Couscous .
- 1 cup steamed broccoli
- 1 cup fat free pudding
Day 2
Breakfast
- Smoothie (or fruit smoothie) made with a cup of frozen berries, half a banana and 200 ml of milk without fat.
- Half a bagel smeared with light margarine
lunch
- A bowl of soup with vegetables
- 1 vegetable hamburger with lettuce and sauce inside an integral loaf
- 1 natural yogurt
- Between 75 and 100 grams of grapes (approximately 15 grams)
Dinner
- 200 grams of chicken breast with grilled barbecue sauce
- Half bowl of baked beans
- 3 boiled red potatoes topped with light margarine and a little dill
Day 3
Breakfast
- Half a cup of quick cooking oats and skim milk, half apple, a teaspoon of honey and a pinch of cinnamon
lunch
- Salad consisting of 120 grams of grilled chicken breast, red grapes, a tablespoon of almonds, low fat mayonnaise and lettuce.
1 banana
Dinner
- 120 grams of steamed shrimp
- 1 baked potato covered with three tablespoons of some sauce and a spoonful sour cream
- 500 grams of steamed spinach
- 1 low-fat ice cream
Day 4
Breakfast
- Half a toast of margarine combined with an apple and low-fat grated cheese.
- 1 light yogurt with 80 grams of almonds
lunch
- Soup with tomato
- Sandwich on whole wheat bread with thin slices of roast beef, radish Picante, mustard, lettuce and a couple of tomato slices
- 200 grams of raw vegetables
- 1 pear
Dinner
- 100 grams of poached salmon
- Salad with 50 grams of cabbage, 2 onions cut in slices and some mayonnaise free of fats
- 150 grams of cooked brown rice
- 1 can of pineapple in its juice
Day 5
Breakfast
- 200 grams of cereal with fiber and 250 ml of nonfat milk combined with 95 grams of berries, 80 grams of filleted almonds
lunch
- 1 whole wheat tortilla with 200 grams of low-fat grated cheese and 50 grams of beans
- 100 grams of cottage cheese combined with mandarin segments
- 1 cucumber
Dinner
- 100 grams of roasted pork
- 200 grams of baked gourd with mashed potatoes and cinnamon
- Salad with lettuce, broccoli, pepper and onion with two tablespoons mayonnaise or other fat-free sauce
- 1 light yogurt with 200 grams of berries
Day 6
Breakfast
- A waffle or toast with butter and a banana cut into slices
- 250 ml of fat-free milk
lunch
- A tuna pita / kebab with light mayonnaise, mustard, cucumber and sliced onion
- 10 small carrots
- 1 light yogurt combined with half banana
Dinner
- 150 grams of rice combined with chicken, raw ham or king prawns.
- 300 grams of steamed spinach
- 1 apple
Day 7
Breakfast
- Half bagel accompanied by low fat cheese, spinach a slice of tomato and poached egg
- 1 grapefruit
lunch
- Bean salad (100 grams) combined with tangerine wedges, red pepper, onion and a teaspoon of fat free mayonnaise
- 1 mini pita / whole-wheat kebab of tuna or chicken
- 1 pear
Dinner
- 100 grams of beef veal on the grill
- 1 baked sweet potato greased with light margarine
- 200 grams of steamed zucchini
- 1 can of pineapple in its juice.
In order for the diet to take effect, you should avoid drinking alcoholic beverages or rich in sugar, as well as taking a multivitamin and a calcium supplement (400 milligrams a day).
Controversy
Starting a diet is always a danger if it is not properly controlled. Weight loss sometimes carries dangers to the body such as malnutrition. Some nutritionists say that following a diet that forces you to consume less than 1,200 calories poses a health hazard.
Intake of fewer calories than necessary will involve a decrease in the individual's metabolism, retaining fat from taking protein and muscle tissue in order to gain energy.
A low-calorie diet results in an increase in metabolism, which in turn involves encouraging the consumption of synthetic supplements that are not always effective. This lack of control would lead to problems in heart rate and blood pressure.
On the other hand, diets that ensure weekly weight loss of 0.5 to 1 kilo, usually have a rebound effect that causes that once it is stopped following, causes a very rapid increase in weight in the individual.
Finally, diets less than 1200 calories try to suppress as much as possible fats, proteins and carbohydrates, three macronutrients that play very important roles in the body.
Specialists if they agree that these types of diets are not recommended for individuals who meet any of the requirements:
- People who have suffered heart disease (arrhythmias, heart attacks, angina...)
- People with cerebrovascular problems
- People with a history of anorexia or bulimia
- People suffering from alcohol dependence
- People with diseases that take drugs that reduce the number of proteins in the body
- Pregnant and lactating
- Certain children and adolescents
- Certain people aged 65 or over
- People with certain diseases (gout, diabetes, emotional disorders, cholelithiasis, etc.)
And to you what results has given you the 1200 calorie diet?