The problem of weight loss today is one of the urgent. There are many diets and weight loss methods based on the use of various foods, taking into account their nutritional value. According to reviews, 1200 calories per day is enough for effective weight loss. Diet has a balanced diet. The article will discuss the features of weight loss techniques, menus, pros and cons.
What is a 1200 calorie diet
The technique is based on the most important principles of proper nutrition. Many people wonder why it is recommended to limit yourself to 1200 kcal, and not reduce it to 800 or 1000.
This is due to human physiology. Energy consumption is carried out even when people do nothing, for example, lie on the couch. It is also necessary to ensure the normal processes of life (respiration, digestion).
Using 1200 calories per day, according to reviews of losing weight, a person of average build, leading a sedentary lifestyle, will certainly begin to lose weight. This nutritional value of the diet covers only the most necessary energy costs.
If a person shows insignificant activity (goes for walks, goes up the stairs), a deficit appears, which will be replenished due to own fat reserves.
Experts do not advise to further reduce the calorie content of the diet. Their explanations are simple:
- With a low calorie diet, a person will begin to feel dizzy and weak.
- It’s impossible to last long on such a menu, which will necessarily lead to disruptions.
- The body with the existing calorie goes into a saving mode, which manifests itself in the form of a slowdown in metabolism and minimal energy consumption. It ceases to expend adipose tissue and actively consumes protein, destroying muscles.
Therefore, a diet of 1200 calories per day is most effective for losing weight.
How does the technique work
According to reviews, the menu "1200 calories per day" is made taking into account individual rules. Losing weight should adhere to the following principles:
- Refuse sweet, flour and fried. Eat cereals, vegetables, fruits, dairy products and meat.
- Exclude ketchup, mayonnaise and other sauces from the diet.
- The calorie content of the daily menu is 1200 kcal.
- It is necessary to eat food more often, but in small portions. Three main meals of 300 kcal, 2 snacks of 150.
- Be sure to observe the drinking regime, drink 2 liters of water per day.
- The menu should not contain alcoholic and carbonated drinks.
- The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the diet is as follows: 15/30/55.
To enhance the effectiveness of the “1200 calories per day” diet, according to women, it is necessary to include a set of physical exercises for all muscle groups. Loads should not be intense.
Allowed and Prohibited Products
What can be included in the "1200 calories per day" menu for a week? There is a group of products that must be present in the diet. There are those that are completely prohibited for use.
Allowed foods per day for 1200 calories:
- whole grain bread and pasta from durum wheat;
- oat, buckwheat, pearl barley and wheat porridge;
- fresh vegetables and fruits;
- dairy products with a fat content of not more than 2%;
- eggs
- lean meat, liver;
- seafood and low-fat fish.
The following foods should be missing from the diet:
- bakery products;
- products containing sugar;
- alcohol;
- shop sauces;
- smoked meats and sausages.
When preparing a diet menu, it is necessary to take into account allowed and prohibited foods.
Features of the diet
Menu "1200 calories per day" for a week losing weight will have to be independently. Finding options is not recommended, there are the following explanations:
- A huge probability of errors in the preparation. When forming the menu, sometimes they forget about the exact calculations, which should not exceed the upper bar of 1200 kcal. After all, the effectiveness of the weight loss process largely depends on this.
- Losing weight when calculating the menu for more than a week will have to look for new ready-made options.
- The inability to add your own dishes to the diet.
Therefore, the main advice of nutritionists is the opportunity to learn how to independently shape your diet. It is best not to use ready-made options if you are not sure that the daily calorie content in them is about 1200 kcal.
The main advantage of a self-created menu is the ability to create a nutrition program. In this case, you can use the recipes of your favorite dishes and reduce their calorie content, due to the replacement of products and processing methods.
How to calculate a diet
To accurately determine the calorie content of dishes, you must use the calorie table of products. They are indicated per 100 g, so this indicator is multiplied by the required number of grams and get the desired result.
Not only calorie content is important, but also its increase with various methods of heat treatment. If products are prepared with the addition of oil, then its energy value should also be taken into account in the dish.
The main thing is to limit yourself to a calorie threshold of 1200 kcal. Sometimes losing weight include some sweets on the menu. This is permitted if the specified nutritional value of the diet is not exceeded.
Initial calculations are difficult. Gradually, you can remember the calorie content of the most common products and operate on data without using a table.
In addition, losing weight will need a kitchen scale to measure the mass of products. In this diet, it is especially important.
Menu for 7 days
When calculating a simple menu for 1200 calories per day, take into account that the products should be combined with each other and not exceed the nutritional value per day.
The 7-day menu includes:
| Breakfast | 2nd breakfast | Dinner | High tea | Dinner |
| 1st day | Portion of porridge, slice of whole grain bread with cheese, tea | An Apple | Vegetable soup, baked chicken fillet | A glass of skim yogurt | Stewed cabbage, carrot juice |
| 2nd day | Omelet, cheese sandwich | A few spoons of oatmeal | Buckwheat with mushrooms, salad with fresh vegetables | Banana, 20 g prunes | Baked salmon fillet, vegetables, a glass of kefir |
| 3rd day | Rice porridge, cheesecake, cheese slice, coffee | 100 g berries | Stuffed Peppers, Beetroot Salad with Prunes | Orange | Baked chicken fillet, cauliflower, a glass of fermented baked milk |
| 4th day | Cottage cheese casserole, tea with honey | Boiled egg | Sauerkraut cabbage soup, baked vegetables | 1/2 grapefruit | Steam beef cutlet, carrot salad, a glass of kefir |
| 5th day | Millet porridge with dried apricots | Slice of bread with cheese, coffee | Ear, vegetable salad | 100 g buckwheat with kefir | Baked sea bass, radish and cucumber salad |
| 6th day | Oatmeal, green tea | 100 g of grapes | Chicken broth, seaweed salad, slice of bread | Orange | Chicken fillet with vegetables, a glass of low-fat yogurt |
| 7th day | Cottage cheese with sour cream, coffee | Banana | Spinach puree soup, vegetable salad | 150 g buckwheat | Baked beef with mushrooms, fresh vegetables, a glass of kefir |
The menu can be changed independently. The main condition is that the calorie content of the diet does not exceed 1200 kcal.
Diet benefits
According to reviews, food at 1200 kcal per day is considered one of the most effective methods for losing weight. She has the following advantages:
- The diet does not have a clear time frame. You can adhere to such a diet for a week or a month. Sometimes this technique is taken as the basis for proper nutrition and is used constantly. In many respects, it depends on how many kilograms a person losing weight wants to lose.
- A diet of 1200 calories per day, according to weight loss reviews, is considered safe for the body.
- The diet can be developed independently, taking into account your own preferences. You need to be guided by a list of allowed and prohibited products.
- A positive result can be achieved only with the exact observance of the weight loss technique.
- A diet has a minimum of contraindications.
The main thing is to follow the recommendations of nutritionists and not reduce the calorie intake below 1200 kcal. Otherwise, health problems may occur.
The disadvantages of the method of losing weight
Even the most effective weight loss system does not do without cons. The diet "1,200 calories per day" according to slimming reviews has the following disadvantages:
- You have to constantly take portions in grams, and take into account the calorie content of the products. In fact, it is not so difficult, over time you can learn how to do it quickly. You can’t eat prohibited foods, because you won’t be able to get a positive effect. After some time, calories will be calculated mechanically.
- If the main taste preferences of losing weight were sweet, fried, flour dishes, then such habits should be reviewed. You can get used to the baked and boiled food quickly if you wish.
- It is not recommended to follow a diet for people who have problems with the digestive tract.
- It is forbidden to follow the method of losing weight to pregnant and lactating women, adolescents and the elderly.
Despite the possibility of including a large number of various products in the diet and a quite acceptable calorie intake, losing weight for some time has been plagued by hunger. Indeed, in the early days they will be negatively affected by the limited menu.
How to get out of a diet
To preserve the results of the "1200 calories per day" diet, it is recommended to leave it gradually. This is to increase the nutritional value of the diet. Initially, the menu includes dishes containing protein. Then add vegetable and animal fats. In the end, carbohydrates are included in the diet.
During the week, you should not eat fried, smoked and sweet foods. The correct way out of the diet will save the result and not gain weight for a long time.
How much can you follow a diet
A low-calorie diet of “1200 calories per day” can be continued without damage to health for 3 weeks. During this period, you can get rid of 5 - 10 kg of weight. Even with excellent health, it is important to take a break.
One or two months will be required in order to establish a slow metabolism and restore the necessary balance of water and salt. Such a time will effectively affect the psychological state of losing weight. Otherwise, the weight will simply stop dropping.
Expert opinion
Judging by the reviews, “1200 calories per day” and the results are stunning. Many losing weight are satisfied, but they warn that the method of losing weight allows you to achieve positive results, if you follow it for several months.
Another group of women liked the diet due to the possibility of using a variety of dishes. The list of allowed products is wide enough that allows you to change the diet daily. It is very good for your health to feast on steam patties or baked chicken fillet. Some women took the method of losing weight as the basis for creating a menu of proper nutrition in the future.
As a result of the “1200 calories per day” diet, according to reviews of those who lost weight, the weight decreased to 5 - 10 kg per month. The feeling of hunger bothered them only for the first 2-3 days.
The second group of women with a decrease in caloric intake was not able to achieve a positive effect due to a slowdown in metabolism.
The diet "1200 kcal per day" is an effective technique for losing weight, which contributes to a systematic weight loss. To get a positive result, it is important to adhere to its rules.