1200-Calorie Diet With 7-Day Meal Plan

Straight to the point, a 1.200-calorie diet is definitely for people on a weight-loss journey. The goal of this diet is to minimize of calories consumed, so the body is in needed to breaking down fat cells stored in the body and to use them as a source of energy. But it is not for everyone and it is must be done responsibly, in this article we teach you how.

What you need to know about 1200-calorie diet

Who is this diet recommended for?

It must be warned that a 1.200-calorie diet can potentially be harmful for some people and that making the decision to follow it should be consulted with a nutritionist or a doctor first, to make sure the body is healthy when it comes to nutrition so it is ready to bare with the limit of nutrients ahead during the diet.

If someone is already running on bad eating habits like a diet based on sweets, chips and unhealthy fats, there is a high chance he or she is already in a malnourished state and must not follow such an extreme diet.

In opposite, this type of diet can work perfectly for people who are already in good control of they caloric intake, for example, women over 50 who are generally sedentary, since this amount of calories is not too far below what they would normally eat to maintain weight

It is important to highlight that people should not go below 1200 calories per day, as basic nutrients would be missing for proper functioning of the body like calcium, protein, and magnesium, among others.

The following people should avoid low-calorie diets:

• People under their minimum body weight (measurement of BMI recommended)

• Women whose menstrual cycles have stopped after being on a very low calorie diet or are already below their recommended minimum weight.

• People suffering from eating disorders

• Pregnant or breastfeeding women

• Children and teenagers

• People with nutritional deficiencies or imbalances, and people with dietary restrictions

What kind of workout is recommended next to this diet?

Whatever workout you do, the most important thing to remember is that at the end of the day your caloric deficit should not be higher than 1.000 calories.  A calorie deficit occurs when you consistently provide your body with fewer calories than it needs to support calorie expenditure, which can be cause by dieting, exercising or a mixture of both. So be careful, because adding up the calories burned during an intense workout to the caloric deficit that a diet with such low calories as 1.200 brings, could result in a deficit way above the limit.

Your current weight is the determining factor on whether or not it is safe to eat 1.200 calories per day while burning off 300 exercising, for example. You need to do the math using your own weight to determine what your calorie need is.

The basis of 1200 calorie diet

After making the decision to do this diet, it is important that you don’t start it abruptly from one day to another. A good place to start is to consume 500 calories less than you need in a day, for some this would be a 1.200-calorie diet plan already, but for some others it sets a good ground for your to slowly continue decreasing calories until you reach the 1.200 daily goal.

Starting off with 500 calories less will already help you lose around 0,5kgs per week, and then losing more weight according to a higher caloric deficit. It is important to remember that going through a massive weight-loss in a short period of time might look good in numbers and in short-term results, but could cause the body to go on “reserve” mode and start storing fat, going in the opposite direction of where we want to go. That why it is important to start slowly decreasing and making sure to keep the body well nourished with the right nutrients for it to continue functioning normally.

Additionally, when functioning on such low amount of calories, you’ll need to be extra careful because loss of muscle mass is natural as your body will try to find sources or energy. What does this tell us? That protein intake comes in extra focus!

The first effect of protein will be to help you satiated, which means you won’t have cravings or feel hungry, making you feel full and satisfied for longer time. Another effect will be to take care of your muscle mass, as protein is key for muscle maintenance. And one last important highlight is that protein is more difficult for the body to digest than carbohydrates, therefore the body has to expend more energy, further supporting you on your weight-loss journey.

Healthy snack tips

We all need, not just a snack, but a little treat or reward for doing all the hard work. Treats that could work within a 1.200-calorie diet can include:

• Small servings of every-day snacks and treats, such as a single cookie or five potato chips. The key is to have the self-control to stop when it is needed.

• Popcorn, which is low in calories

• Kettle corn, which offers a sweet crunch but without all the calories of most sweet snacks.

• Seasoned and flavored whole wheat crackers, which provide a salty crunch similar to potato chips

As for healthy snacks:

• Mixed nuts, not flavored or with added sugar

• Peach or mango, ideal for coping with sugar cravings

• Guacamole and raw veggies

• ½ avocado with hot sauce

• 1 serving unsalted canned mixed veggies

• Peanut butter on whole grain toast

• 1oz unsalted pistachios

• 1/3 cup hummus with raw vegetables

• String cheese

• ½ cup sliced peaches and 1 oz prosciutto

Here are also some low-cal snacks that are also high on protein by BioTechUSA:

• Zero Bar (177 kcal): It contains no added sugar, it’s available in special, delicious flavours, and you can enjoy it even if you are sensitive to lactose or gluten.

• Protein Wafer (166 kcal): Due to its complex formula containing milk, pea and hydrolyzed protein, it can be a great supplement to your daily protein intake. And all that concentrated into an irresistible, crunchy pleasure.

• Protein Chips (99 kcal): The salty, airily light and crunchy chips you’ve always loved. However, instead of empty calories, the maximum joy is combined with useful nutrients here. Instead of potato, it is based on rice flour, highly popular in healthy diets. Also, it is very rich in proteins; due to the fast-absorbing whey protein isolate it contains

• Protein Cream (72 kcal): You no longer have to fight with your conscience when all you desire is a little cocoa peanut cream. It is made with whey protein so you can also support your protein intake with it and it does not contain any added sugar.

• Peanut Butter (157 kcal): Containing only natural ingredients. A great source of protein and fiber, and you can eat it in many different ways, so it is easy to incorporate it into your diet if you want a little variety.

• Zero Drops: You don’t need to give up delicious flavors, even if you minimize your sugar intake. Choose from 10 different flavors, or even combine them! Practical and easy to integrate into any diet, so your meals won’t be dull!

• Protein Ice Cream (229 kcal): Protein Ice Cream can become your strength. The product is based on quality whey protein concentrate; thus you can enjoy this sweet and cool supplement as part of your protein intake on the hottest summer days, even after a sweaty workout.

The 7-day 1200-calorie meal plan

Once you know what kind of meals you can prepare, setting up your meal plan for the entire week is an easy task. So here are some different ideas for each meal of the day that you can mix up to your preference!

Breakfast ideas (~ 250-300 calories)

• 20g oatmeal, 1 egg, 100g light cottage cheese, 50g cucumber:

Put the oatmeal to cook and then cook with the egg. When done, stir in the cold light cottage cheese and eat with a chopped cucumber.

• Avocado cream made with half an avocado (with tomato concentrate), smeared with 1 slice of whole grain bread and tomatoes:

Cut the avocado in half, take out the seed and mush it into a soft cream. Add some lemon juice on it to keep it from browning. Add chopped shallots/chives and 1-2 tablespoons of tomato concentrate to the avocado cream, and then spread on whole grain bread.

• 30g rice flakes with 1 serving of protein shake in water:

Soak the rice flakes in water and mix with a serving of Iso Whey Zero protein powder. If you like it dense, use only a little water!

• 1 wholegrain bread with 1 boiled egg and tomato:

Slice the boiled egg thinly and add a slice of tomato on each slice, then put them evenly on the wholegrain bread.

• 50g couscous with 20g walnuts, 1 small apple, sugar-free almond milk:

Pour the couscous with boiling almond milk and wait until it is absorbed. Cut the apple and add it along with the walnuts.

• Scrambled eggs from 2 eggs with 150g of cucumber:

Make scrambled eggs from 2 eggs, which you can season as desired. You can boldly add onions, mushrooms, peppers or even tomatoes. Eat with a bowl of salad or cucumber.

• 40g quinoa flakes, 100g low-fat cottage cheese, cinnamon:

Loosen the quinoa flakes with water and mix them with the low-fat cottage cheese. Sweeten it with any sweetener that is calorie free and has a glycemic index of 0 or with Zero Drops. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon.

Middle morning snacks:

• Crush Bar (20g protein bar with crispy chocolate coating)

• Zero Bar

• 1 serving protein shake

• 1 fruit

• Protein Bar (In addition to its high protein content is also rich in dietary fiber)

• 1 yogurt

• 50g low-fat cottage cheese with apples and calorie/free sweetener

Lunch ideas (~ 400-500 calories)

• 50g brown rice, 120g grilled chicken breast with 200g boiled broccoli

• 50g bulgur, 150g grilled sea fish with mixed salad, 1 tablespoon natural yoghurt

• Green bean soup made from 200g of green beans without whisking, but thickening one third of it in a mixer. Served with 100g of grilled chicken breast or 1 fried egg

• 200g sweet potatoes, air fried without oil or baked in the oven. 150g grilled tilapia, seasoned as desired, with a little natural yoghurt

• 1 sheet of wholegrain tortilla with 150g grilled chicken breast, 100g natural yoghurt and mixed salad: Make a tortilla roll from the ingredients

• 60g wholegrain pasta, 100g grilled turkey breast, 100g light mozzarella, 50g Zero Sauce Ketchup

• Spinach soup made of 200 g spinach, concentrated with 30 g oat bran, with 1 fried egg

Dinner ideas (~ 300 calorie dishes)

• Contents of 1 can of tuna with mixed salad

• 100g low-fat cottage cheese, 50g natural yoghurt, 2 puffed rice slices

• 100g grilled chicken breast with mixed vegetables

• 100g mozzarella cheese with 1 larger tomato

• 1 piece of natural yoghurt or 100g of low-fat cottage cheese mixed with 1 serving of protein powder.

• 150g tofu with 1 larger tomato

• Carrots dipped in 1 can of natural yoghurt, seasoned as desired.