To lose weight, it is important to follow one rule: spend more calories than you consume. To determine the daily calorie intake, you need to calculate your norm and subtract 300-500 kcal. It is this deficiency that leads to weight loss without stress to the body. Also, a barrier to starting proper nutrition is not knowing what to cook, so we have made a menu for the week with simple recipes that will help you start eating right. Also, this menu is not intended for those who engage in intense training.
Also worth reading:
PP breakfast
How to make homemade granola
What are superfoods
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.
Diet rules
Some practitioners do not use the rules for maintaining the course, preferring only to change the caloric content of the diet. However, the greatest effectiveness and safety of the “calorie calculation” diet can only be achieved by using the following recommendations:
- The maximum permissible reduction in calories for weight loss should be 20% of the energy value for weight maintenance. Otherwise, unpleasant side effects and appearance defects may occur.
- Food should be balanced and complete. The menu should contain the optimal amount of carbohydrates, proteins and fats for the normal functioning of the body. You should also not forget about the vitamin and mineral components of food.
- Meals should be fractional. It is recommended to eat three meals a day and allow two small snacks. The maximum energy value should occur at lunchtime.
- The last meal should be taken no later than three to four hours before going to bed. At night, the digestive system should not take on excessive load.
- It is necessary to consume only those foods and dishes whose calorie content is reliably known. It is recommended to use special calculators and tables for calculations.
- It is recommended to keep a food diary and write down every meal you eat. This will help control your diet and prevent breakdowns and overeating.
- It is important to maintain a drinking regime. Water is a solvent that helps in the fight against excess weight. The minimum daily dosage of clean water is one and a half liters, when playing sports - two to three liters.
- It is recommended to completely avoid sweets and other simple carbohydrates (flour). Products retain water, maintain constant hunger and deprive you of energy for daily activities.
- You need to choose only feasible physical activity. Excessive zeal can nullify all achieved results.
- The diet should be entered by gradually reducing the energy value of the daily diet. A sharp transition can cause discomfort, lethargy, and headaches.
- It is recommended to cook only with water or steam. Baking with a small amount of vegetable oil or without fat is allowed. Salt is also best limited.
- The minimum time for daily sleep is 7 hours. Poor sleep or lack of rest can cause severe hunger and, as a result, breakdowns and overeating.
During the diet, it is recommended to walk more. Eating according to calories should be as comfortable as possible to prevent breakdowns. For example, you should choose low-calorie sweets and pastries, analogues of desserts and other dishes.
For example, instead of pilaf, consume boiled breast meat with rice, and instead of pies and cakes, consume cottage cheese casserole with honey. In addition, healthy alternatives can help improve digestion and appearance, improve health and develop healthy eating habits.
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.
How should you adjust your caloric intake?
It’s not for nothing that we called the calculated caloric value of weight loss approximate - too many reasons influence the body’s energy expenditure, and it is not possible to accurately take everything into account. Moreover, when losing weight over months and even years (with obesity), energy expenditure changes for the following reasons:
- weight loss leads to reduced energy expenditure;
- changes in psychological state, stress;
- seasonal climate changes;
- change of place of work and/or activity;
- changing the type and/or intensity of physical activity, adapting to it;
- changes in thermogenesis with changes in dietary preferences.
In addition, the assessment of the calorie content of the diet is also associated with unaccounted for errors (the exact calorie content of foods, losses during cooking, and the exact value of digestibility are unknown).
In cases of such uncertainties, a weekly correction of calorie intake based on feedback principles will help stabilize the weight loss process - in the weight loss mode of 400 g per week, if the actual weekly weight corresponds to the planned one (weight from 300 to 500 g), we leave the calorie content the same, with excess weight (600 g and above) ) increase by 100 kcal, if weight is insufficient (200 g or less) or weight gain is reduced by 100 kcal. The magnitude of the change by 100 kcal is optimal - if the change that has occurred is undercompensated, the compensation will last for another week until the change in energy expenditure is fully compensated by the energy intake.
In the weight loss mode of 200 g per week, weights of 100-300 g are considered planned, 400 g and above are considered excess, and if weight gain or weight does not change, we reduce the calorie content. This is a simple calorie diet plan.
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!
Weigh ourselves correctly
A calorie diet requires compliance with weighing rules. It is enough to weigh yourself 3 times a week - in the morning after waking up and visiting the toilet on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the days of the most stable weight. From the three measured values, select the average (excluding the maximum and minimum), without paying attention to the order of the weight values. This method will eliminate accidental weight gain, which is possible with certain deviations in diet and daily routine.
Actually, start calorie regulation using the method described above from the third week of losing weight, for the first 2 weeks you simply maintain the calculated caloric intake of weight loss, in the third week and subsequent weeks make a correction, and so on until you finally lose weight to your target weight. Of course, you can stop losing weight even before reaching the calculated normal weight if you consider yourself to be at a comfortable weight. The final point on the issue can be put by a medical examination with measurement of body composition (bioimpedancemetry).
Example of calorie correction: at the end of the first week of weight loss, the weight value was 80.6; 81.0; 79.9; at the end of the second 79.3; 80.0; 80.0. Typical weight at the end of the first week is 80.6 kg, at the end of the second 80.0 kg. Weekly weight change 80.0 – 80.6 = -0.6 (kg). The plumb line is 600 g, in comparison with the planned 400 g, it is above standard. If the calorie content of the last week was 1800 kcal, you should switch to a calorie content of 1900 kcal.
Do not forget that for you a new week begins on Friday - on this day, after the third weigh-in of the week, you determine the caloric intake for the new week.
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:
| BJU | Minimum intake on diet | Maximum consumption during physical activity during a diet |
| squirrels | 0.8g per 1kg of weight | 1.5-2g per 1kg |
| fats | 0.7g per 1kg of weight | 1.3g per 1kg of weight |
| carbohydrates | 2g per 1kg weight | 4-5g per 1kg of weight |
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:
- Breakfast (200-250g) – complex carbohydrates (porridge, fruits)
- Second breakfast (100-150g) – carbohydrates
- Lunch (250-300g) protein, vegetables, complex carbohydrates (fruits)
- Afternoon snack (100-150g) – protein or vegetables
- 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:
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:
| Product name | Qty | Energy value in kcal |
| Boiled egg | 1 PC. | 75 |
| Cereals | 50g | 182 |
| Cottage cheese 0% fat | 100g | 110 |
| Yogurt 1.5% | 125ml | 79 |
| Buckwheat | 100g | 132 |
| Pasta | 100g | 337 |
| Rice | 100g | 334 |
| Banana | 100g | 95 |
| Orange | 100g | 36 |
| Apple | 100g | 47 |
| A sausage sandwich | 100g | 168 |
| Meat borscht | 300ml | 147 |
| Vegetable soup | 300ml | 129 |
| Pea soup | 300ml | 193 |
| Chicken soup | 300ml | 210 |
| Boiled chicken breast | 100g | 113 |
| Chicken thigh | 100g | 158 |
| Chicken ham | 100g | 188 |
| Baked salmon | 100g | 230 |
| Salmon | 100g | 283 |
| Beef cutlet | 100g | 260 |
| Fish cutlets | 100g | 130 |
| Sausages | 2 pcs. | 226 |
| Tea sausage | 100g | 216 |
| baked potato | 1 PC. | 87 |
| Boiled potatoes | 1 PC. | 82 |
| Mashed potatoes | 100g | 106 |
| Baked vegetables | 100g | 62 |
| The vinaigrette | 100g | 75 |
| Cucumber and tomato salad | 100g | 47 |
| bitter chocolate | 20g | 107 |
| Orange juice | cup | 35 |
| Low-fat kefir 1% | cup | 80 |
| Coffee or tea with milk | cup | 30 |
| Milk 2.5% | cup | 52 |
| Butter | tea spoon | 40 |
| Sunflower oil | tablespoon | 90 |
| Sour cream | tea spoon | 7 |
| Honey | tea spoon | 16 |
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:
What is possible and what is not
A low-calorie diet is not strict regarding the names of products. But still there are both more and less suitable foods.
Recommended Products
Ideally, the diet should include:
- Buckwheat and pearl barley porridge
- Lean meat, poultry and fish
- Cutlets, steamed meatballs
- Egg white
- Mushrooms
- Vegetable soups with light broth
- Rye bread, bran bread or wholemeal bread
- Vegetables, raw or steamed
- Low calorie fruits (apples, oranges, etc.)
- Unsweetened tea, coffee, fresh
- Fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt, cheeses)
Unwanted Products
If you wish, you can create your own diet and count calories. But it is important to remember that there are prohibited foods. If there are any, then the weight loss process will be slowed down. Among these:
- Preservation and salinity
- Smoked meats
- Sausages
- Fatty meat, poultry and fish
- Potatoes in any form
- Egg yolk
- Nuts
- Pasta
- Baking
- White bread
- Margarine, butter
- Cocoa
- High-calorie fruits and dried fruits
- Sweets (except marshmallows and marmalade)
- Sauces
You can create a menu by combining products taking into account their energy value and portion size.
Calorie content of individual products
For the convenience of calculating acceptable food combinations, you can use the table of caloric content of permitted foods.
Calorie content is indicated for the product in its raw form.
Calorie content of dishes
It is impossible to create a high-quality menu for every day without knowing the calorie content of already prepared dishes.
Calorie table for ready meals:
On a note. For convenience, it is better to print the tables and keep them for quick access.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
Choose foods with a known amount of calories
To make your daily calculation easier, you can focus on the approximate calorie content of the dishes that you plan to include on the menu. By choosing suitable products from the list below, you can easily create a menu for the whole week, the main thing is not to exaggerate the permissible number of calories. With this approach, a calorie-counting diet will pleasantly surprise you with the simplicity of creating a menu. So, approximately 100 kcal contain:
- a plate of vegetable soup (borscht);
- a portion of stewed vegetables without adding fat;
- oatmeal (about 2 tbsp);
- one baked (boiled) potato + greens;
- 50 grams of boiled chicken;
- olive oil (about 1 tbsp);
- boiled egg + low-calorie mayonnaise;
- one cheesecake without sugar;
- 50 g hard cheese + apple;
- sour cream (about 4 tbsp);
- one apple + honey (teaspoon);
- one banana;
- 15 - 20 grapes;
- ice cream sundae (approximately 80 g);
- a glass of orange juice;
- almonds (about 15 g).
The calorie counting method is labor-intensive but effective.
Approximately 200 kcal contain:
- 100 g squash (eggplant) caviar;
- 90 g grain bread;
- a piece of white bread;
- 100 g boiled sausage (1 sausage);
- a portion of vinaigrette;
- scrambled eggs from two eggs;
- a portion of pasta soup (vegetable);
- 100 g cottage cheese with a fat content of 1.8% + tbsp. spoon of honey.
Approximately 300 kcal contain:
- two small cutlets;
- half a portion of pasta;
- a portion of porridge (mashed potatoes);
- two sausages + two tomatoes (cucumbers);
- two cabbage rolls;
- two cottage cheese pancakes;
- 200 g cottage cheese (low fat) + berries.
Choose foods that contain fewer calories
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.
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 to count calories, counting calories per day.
As mentioned above, calorie intake depends on many factors. First you need to determine the number of calories that you should consume during the day. Below is a table based on your gender and age. Where age intersects with the number of years, your daily calorie intake will be indicated.
For men:
| Age Height cm | 17-22 years | 22-27 years old | 27-35 years old | 35-50 years | More than 50 years |
| 160 | 1450cal | 1400 cal | 1350 cal | 1300 cal | 1250 cal |
| 161 | 1460cal | 1410 cal | 1360 cal | 1310 cal | 1260 cal |
| 162 | 1470cal | 1420 cal | 1370 cal | 1320 cal | 1270 cal |
| 163 | 1480cal | 1430 cal | 1380 cal | 1330 cal | 1280 cal |
| 164 | 1490cal | 1440 cal | 1390 cal | 1340 cal | 1290 cal |
| 165 | 1500cal | 1450 cal | 1400 cal | 1350 cal | 1300 cal |
| 166 | 1510cal | 1460 cal | 1410 cal | 1360 cal | 1310 cal |
| 167 | 1520cal | 1470 cal | 1420 cal | 1370 cal | 1320 cal |
| 168 | 1530cal | 1480 cal | 1430 cal | 1380 cal | 1330 cal |
| 169 | 1540cal | 1490 cal | 1440 cal | 1390 cal | 1340 cal |
| 170 | 1550cal | 1500 cal | 1450 cal | 1400 cal | 1350 cal |
| 171 | 1560cal | 1510 cal | 1460 cal | 1410 cal | 1360 cal |
| 172 | 1570cal | 1520 cal | 1470 cal | 1420 cal | 1370 cal |
| 173 | 1580cal | 1530 cal | 1480 cal | 1430 cal | 1380 cal |
| 174 | 1590cal | 1540 cal | 1490 cal | 1440 cal | 1390 cal |
| 175 | 1600cal | 1550 cal | 1500 cal | 1450 cal | 1400 cal |
| 176 | 1610cal | 1560 cal | 1510 cal | 1460 cal | 1410 cal |
| 177 | 1620cal | 1570 cal | 1520 cal | 1470 cal | 1420 cal |
| 178 | 1630cal | 1580 cal | 1530 cal | 1480 cal | 1430 cal |
| 179 | 1640cal | 1590 cal | 1540 cal | 1490 cal | 1440 cal |
| 180 | 1650cal | 1600 cal | 1550 cal | 1500 cal | 1450 cal |
| 181 | 1660cal | 1610 cal | 1560 cal | 1510 cal | 1460 cal |
| 182 | 1670cal | 1620 cal | 1570 cal | 1520 cal | 1470 cal |
| 183 | 1680cal | 1630 cal | 1580 cal | 1530 cal | 1480 cal |
| 184 | 1690cal | 1630 cal | 1580 cal | 1540 cal | 1490 cal |
| 185 | 1700cal | 1640 cal | 1590 cal | 1550 cal | 1500 cal |
| 186 | 1700cal | 1650 cal | 1600 cal | 1550 cal | 1500 cal |
| 187 | 1710cal | 1660 cal | 1610 cal | 1560 cal | 1510 cal |
| 188 | 1720cal | 1670 cal | 1620 cal | 1570 cal | 1520 cal |
| 189 | 1720cal | 1670 cal | 1620 cal | 1570 cal | 1520 cal |
| 190 | 1730cal | 1680 cal | 1630 cal | 1580 cal | 1530 cal |
| 191 | 1730cal | 1680 cal | 1630 cal | 1580 cal | 1530 cal |
| 192 | 1740cal | 1690 cal | 1640 cal | 1590 cal | 1540 cal |
| 193 | 1740cal | 1690 cal | 1640 cal | 1590 cal | 1540 cal |
| 194 | 1750cal | 1700 cal | 1650 cal | 1600 cal | 1550 cal |
| 195 | 1750cal | 1700 cal | 1650 cal | 1600 cal | 1550 cal |
For women:
| Age Height | 15-17 years old | 17-20 years old | 20-25 years | 25-30 years | 30-40 years | 40-55 years old | More than 55 years |
| 145 | 1150 cal | 1100 cal | 1070 cal | 1060 cal | 1130 cal | 1020 cal | 1000 cal |
| 146 | 1150 cal | 1110 cal | 1080 cal | 1060 cal | 1140 cal | 1020 cal | 1000 cal |
| 147 | 1150 cal | 1120 cal | 1090 cal | 1060 cal | 1050 cal | 1030 cal | 1010 cal |
| 148 | 1150 cal | 1130 cal | 1100 cal | 1070 cal | 1050 cal | 1030 cal | 1010 cal |
| 149 | 1160 cal | 1140 cal | 1100 cal | 1070 cal | 1050 cal | 1030 cal | 1010 cal |
| 150 | 1180 cal | 1150 cal | 1110 cal | 1070 cal | 1050 cal | 1030 cal | 1020 cal |
| 151 | 1180 cal | 1160 cal | 1120 cal | 1080 cal | 1060 cal | 1040 cal | 1020 cal |
| 152 | 1200 cal | 1180 cal | 1130 cal | 1080 cal | 1060 cal | 1040 cal | 1020 cal |
| 153 | 1220 cal | 1200 cal | 1140 cal | 1090 cal | 1080 cal | 1050 cal | 1030 cal |
| 154 | 1240 cal | 1210 cal | 1150 cal | 1100 cal | 1080 cal | 1050 cal | 1030 cal |
| 155 | 1250 cal | 1220 cal | 1160 cal | 1110 cal | 1090 cal | 1050 cal | 1030 cal |
| 156 | 1260 cal | 1230 cal | 1170 cal | 1120 cal | 1090 cal | 1050 cal | 1030 cal |
| 157 | 1280 cal | 1240 cal | 1180 cal | 1130 cal | 1090 cal | 1050 cal | 1030 cal |
| 158 | 1290 cal | 1250 cal | 1190 cal | 1140 cal | 1110 cal | 1060 cal | 1040 cal |
| 159 | 1300 cal | 1260 cal | 1200 cal | 1150 cal | 1110 cal | 1060 cal | 1040 cal |
| 160 | 1310 cal | 1270 cal | 1210 cal | 1160 cal | 1120 cal | 1070 cal | 1040 cal |
| 161 | 1320 cal | 1270 cal | 1220 cal | 1170 cal | 1130 cal | 1070 cal | 1040 cal |
| 162 | 1330 cal | 1280 cal | 1230 cal | 1180 cal | 1140 cal | 1080 cal | 1050 cal |
| 163 | 1340 cal | 1290 cal | 240 cal | 1190 cal | 1140 cal | 1090 cal | 1050 cal |
| 164 | 1350 cal | 1300 cal | 1250 cal | 1200 cal | 1150 cal | 1100 cal | 1050 cal |
| 165 | 1360 cal | 1310 cal | 1260 cal | 1200 cal | 1150 cal | 1100 cal | 1050 cal |
| 166 | 1370 cal | 1320 cal | 1260 cal | 1200 cal | 1150 cal | 1100 cal | 1050 cal |
| 167 | 1380 cal | 1330 cal | 1270 cal | 1210 cal | 1160 cal | 1110 cal | 1060 cal |
| 168 | 1390 cal | 1340 cal | 1270 cal | 1210 cal | 1160 cal | 1110 cal | 1060 cal |
| 169 | 1400 cal | 1350 cal | 1270 cal | 1210 cal | 1160 cal | 1110 cal | 1060 cal |
| 170 | 1400 cal | 1350 cal | 1280 cal | 1220 cal | 1170 cal | 1120 cal | 1070 cal |
| 171 | 1400 cal | 1350 cal | 1290 cal | 1220 cal | 1170 cal | 1120 cal | 1070 cal |
| 172 | 1410 cal | 1360 cal | 1290 cal | 1230 cal | 1180 cal | 1120 cal | 1070 cal |
| 173 | 1410 cal | 1360 cal | 1300 cal | 1230 cal | 1180 cal | 1120 cal | 1080 cal |
| 174 | 1420 cal | 1370 cal | 1300 cal | 1230 cal | 1180 cal | 1130 cal | 1080 cal |
| 175 | 1420 cal | 1370 cal | 1300 cal | 1240 cal | 1190 cal | 1130 cal | 1090 cal |
| 176 | 1430 cal | 1380 cal | 1310 cal | 1240 cal | 1190 cal | 1130 cal | 1090 cal |
| 177 | 1440 cal | 1390 cal | 1310 cal | 1250 cal | 1200 cal | 1140 cal | 1100 cal |
| 178 | 1440 cal | 1390 cal | 1320 cal | 1250 cal | 1200 cal | 1140 cal | 1100 cal |
| 179 | 1440 cal | 1390 cal | 1320 cal | 1250 cal | 1200 cal | 1140 cal | 1100 cal |
| 180 | 1450 cal | 1400 cal | 1320 cal | 1250 cal | 1200 cal | 1140 cal | 1100 cal |
The next step will be the direct calculation of the calorie content of food. There are also many tables and calculators here. Here are the main products and the number of calories they contain.
| Product name, 100 gr. | Calorie content |
| Apricots | 45 |
| A pineapple | 60 |
| Oranges | 60 |
| Watermelon | 38 |
| Eggplant | 25 |
| Banana | 55 |
| Buryak (boiled) | 35 |
| Buryak (fresh) | 50 |
| Grape | 80 |
| Cherry | 25 |
| Beef (boiled) | 110 |
| Beef (fried) | 180 |
| Peas (fresh, green) | 75 |
| Pomegranate | 45 |
| Grapefruit | 45 |
| Buckwheat (boiled) | 150 |
| Mushrooms (fried) | 95 |
| Marinated mushrooms) | 60 |
| Mushrooms (fresh) | 35 |
| Mushrooms (drying) | 55 |
| Pear | 45 |
| Marshmallow | 400 |
| Red caviar) | 530 |
| Caviar (black) | 500 |
| Yogurt | 90-120 |
| Zucchini | 40 |
| Cabbage (sauerkraut) | 28 |
| Cabbage (sea cabbage) | 30 |
| Cauliflower) | 30 |
| White cabbage (fresh) | 20 |
| Potatoes ("in their jacket") | 95 |
| Potatoes (boiled) | 120 |
| Potatoes (fried) | 160 |
| Potatoes (baked) | 130 |
| Kefir | 65 |
| Kefir (low fat) | 45 |
| Sausage (boiled) | 270 |
| Sausage (smoked) | 360 |
| Gooseberry | 60 |
| Corn (boiled) | 180 |
| Lemon | 30 |
| Bulb onions) | 40 |
| Mayonnaise | 500 |
| Poppy | 360 |
| Pasta (dry, no oil) | 150-170 |
| Raspberries | 65 |
| Mango | 55 |
| Tangerines | 79 |
| Semolina (cooked in water) | 100 |
| Semolina (cooked in milk) | 170 |
| Margarine | 740 |
| Olives (green, canned) | 170 |
| Olives (black, canned) | 200 |
| Olive oil) | 780 |
| Sunflower oil) | 900 |
| Butter) | 760 |
| Butter (ghee) | 780 |
| Honey | 360 |
| Milk (homemade) | 70 |
| Milk (skimmed) | 35 |
| Condensed milk) | 380 |
| Milk (powdered) | 330 |
| Carrots (boiled) | 20 |
| Carrots (fresh) | 30 |
| Ice cream | 120-240 |
| Rabbit meat (boiled) | 160 |
| Rabbit meat (fried) | 200 |
| Chicken meat (boiled) | 135 |
| Chicken meat (fried) | 190 |
| Oatmeal (boiled) | 160 |
| Cucumber (fresh) | 15 |
| Cucumber (salted, canned) | 20 |
| Walnut | 660 |
| Paste | 360 |
| Pepper (bitter) | 45 |
| Pepper (ground red) | 80 |
| Sweet pepper) | 25 |
| Pepper (ground black) | 70 |
| Peach | 50 |
| Parsley | 10 |
| Cookie | 300-400 |
| Cakes | 500-700 |
| Dog-rose fruit | 30 |
| Tomatoes (fresh) | 20 |
| Tomatoes (salted, canned) | 25 |
| Wheat porridge (boiled) | 170 |
| Millet (boiled) | 130 |
| Radish | 20 |
| Radish | 40 |
| Turnip | 40 |
| Boiled rice) | 130 |
| Fish (boiled) | 90-150 |
| Fish (fried) | 135-225 |
| Fish (smoked) | 153-255 |
| Ryazhenka | 90 |
| Sugar | 400 |
| Pork (boiled) | 260 |
| Pork (fried) | 290 |
| Celery | 20 |
| Sunflower seeds (roasted) | 500 |
| Sunflower seeds (raw) | 390 |
| Pumpkin seeds (roasted) | 380 |
| Pumpkin seeds (raw) | 270 |
| Plum | 45 |
| Sour cream (fat content 10%) | 120 |
| Sour cream (fat content 20%) | 200 |
| Currant | 35 |
| Sausages | 250 |
| Soybeans | 200 |
| Dried fruits | 230-300 |
| Cheese (processed) | 340 |
| Hard cheese) | 500-540 |
| Cheeses (sweet) | 300 |
| Cottage cheese | 225 |
| Cottage cheese (low fat) | 85 |
| Pumpkin | 30 |
| Dill | 15 |
| Beans (boiled) | 290 |
| Pistachios | 450 |
| Halva | 590 |
| Bread | 180-300 |
| Persimmon | 70 |
| Cherries | 50 |
| Garlic | 20 |
| Apple | 30 |
| Egg (chicken, boiled) | 80 |
| Egg (chicken, fried) | 90 |
| Egg (chicken, raw) | 70 |
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.
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:
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.
