Is The 1200 Calories Diet Plan Effective ?
The 1200 Calories Diet plan has been here for ages and over half of the populations many have tried out this plan before. they have the same aim, which is to reduce the unwanted pounds and inches.

However, how effective is this diet plan?
Nutritionist has highlighted that this low calorie Diet menu is not healthy as it will lower the body’s metabolism because the body goes into starvation mode. It will cause weight loss plateau and nutrients deficit, results in weaker body, limitation in resistance and loss of muscle tissues.
Many people gained back much more weight than they previous lost once this diet is discontinued. Low calorie and slim fast diet plan are effective for short term only.
These are the major food groups recommended for an effective 1200 calories diet plan;
- Non-fat Dairy Food such as skim milk, low fat cottage cheese,
- Vegetables and Fruits such as blueberries, ripe red tomatoes, carrot sticks. Vegetarian dieting may be one of the most common diet plan used today,
- Whole Grain Food such as Oatmeal oats and crackers,
- Studies have revealed that people on high protein actually ended up consuming lesser calories. Protein act like an appetite suppressant where hunger pangs are controlled. Foods with great protein are eggs, yogurt, fish and meat,
The recommended Fiber intake for adult women below 50 years of age is 25 grams per day while those above 50 need 21 grams per day,- Adequate amount of carbohydrate is needed as they are the main fuel for our muscular movements.
However, we need to target for carbohyrate dieting which are high in complex carbohydrate but low in calories. For this, the ability to read the food labels definitely help.
Following the 1200 calories diet plan while keeping the nutrition complete can be a real challenge itself! Therefore before starting any diet plan, you need to plan out your food selections wisely to ensure its effectivity;
- Limit refined carbohydrate such as white bread, white rice,
- Limit high calories foods such as nuts, seeds and dried fruits
- Avoid soft drinks and sweet fruit juices. These are liquid calories which need to be aware of.
Other relative factors which need to take into considerations are;
- Additional calories are required if you exercise regularly. Neglecting this point may actually lower your metabolism by solely controlling your diet.
- For a 2500 dieter, It is unnecessary to cut down your calories intake to 1200 calories overnight. The optimum choice would be to slash the 500 calories, and enjoy the 2000 calories daily and kick start this diet plan. This will be far more effective than to kick off with the 1200 calories straightaway.
- Counting calories is a way of losing weight. You’ll need to keep a journal closely as every bite counts. Balancing the calories throughout the day is the key to being able to stick to any diet plan for longer term.
In a nut shell, It is very subjective to conclude if this plan is effective or otherwise as it really depends on different individuals. For an avid 1200 calories diet plan’s follower, where thorough studies and analysis were performed for this diet plan before kicking it off, I can say that the effectiveness is as high as 90%. However this does not work across the board for all dieters.
Also, other factors like age, gender, job function, hobbies and one’s life-style will contribute to the success of this diet plan or otherwise.
Another popular diet plan is 3 days diet plan. There are 2 articles written about 3 days diet plan, you can find out the advantages and disadvantages this 3 day diet plan.
Picture source: weight-loss-clinical.com
