1200 calories diet

based on 3 reviews

Goal: Lose weight in a short period

Be aware: this is merely the goal of this diet, not necessarily its outcome. Results vary from person to person. Consult your doctor or dietician before starting this (or any other) diet.

1200 calories

The 1200 calories diet is a crash diet. The amount of calories consumed per day in this diet is much lower than the amount of calories people need on average (read more on the average amount of calories needed on this page). 

It is therefore (on most pages on this diet) usually advised to limit the number of days you follow this diet (for instance max. one week).

On the homepage you can compare this diet to other diets.

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Five or six fixed eating moments

The 1200 calories a day diet has five to six regular eating moments a day. Next to the ‘regular’ eating moments (breakfast, lunch and dinner) you are supposed to eat 2-3 ‘snacks’. 

The diet allows you to eat whatever you want, as long as you do not consume more than 1200 calories a day. The creators of the diet, however, advise you to go for healthy food instead of unhealthy food.

On several websites examples are given for the 5-6 eating moments. Below some of these examples.

Warm lunch

The creators of the diet also advise you to have a warm meal for lunch. An example of such a lunch can be broth soup with vegetables or meat with vegetables and potatoes.

Breakfast

Whole grain bread with protein rich toppings (like chicken breast or roast beef), an egg or slim cheese are examples of meals than can be used for breakfast.

Another option is whole grains with milk and banana.

For drink, coffee, thee or milk is usually advised.

The most important aspect of the diet is not to pass the 1200 calorie limit. It is therefore important to count the number of calories in any meal, including breakfast.

Snacks

Depending on the amount of calories spend on breakfast, lunch and diner, you can go for 2-3 snacks per day. Snacks can be eaten between breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner or after dinner. 

Examples of snack given are yoghurt with fruit and slim vanilla pudding.

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Drinks

During the day you can drink non-caloric drinks like coffee and tea (no sugar or milk), water of lemon juice.

Dinner

Like described earlier, lunch is typically warm when following this diet. For dinner you can go for a simpler meal, like a simple sandwich (whole grain bread with, for instance, chick breast or other protein rich toppings) with some fruits or vegetables.

Books

Several books have been published on the 1200 calorie diet. We have listed some examples with ad links from Amazon, Apple and Ebooks for you below:

Additionally, there are several cookbooks on the 1200 calorie diet. Examples of such books are:

Podcasts about the 1200 calorie diet

Besides books, several podcasts have discussed the 1200 calorie diet. One example is this episode (ad link) from Fact or Cap:

Comparable diets

Other diets that are based on counting calories that can be consumed are the Volumetrics diet, the 17-day diet and the 5:2 diet.

An example of another diet that limits the amount of calories to 1200 a day is the Dr-Nowzaradan-diet.

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Allowed

  • Wholemeal bread
  • Water
  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Soup
  • Fruit
  • Vegetables
  • Potatoes
  • Yoghurt
  • Low-fat cheese
  • Protein filling
  • Olive oil

Goals

  • Lose weight
  • Crash diet

Exercise

As you see fit

Reviews (3)
Jolien Herthogs - Multidisciplinary Centre Cura
Dietician

I am not a fan of crash diets. The result is often that you lose some weight in a short time, but then relapse. That is how you create a yo-yo effect. Besides, everyone has different energy needs, so 1200 kcal certainly cannot be taken as a standard. Besides quantity (amount), quality is also hugely important. If you want to adopt a healthy lifestyle or lose a few kilos, it is advisable to do so step by step. Work on small improvements in your diet and don't throw everything over immediately. Learn what healthy food is and also enjoy it once in a while.

Jade De Clercq
Dietician

Calories alone say nothing. It is also important to look at the nutritional values that go with these calories. Besides, everyone's energy needs are different and 1,200 kcal cannot be taken as a benchmark.

Eline
Dietician

1200 kcal says nothing about what you eat. 1200 kcal can work very well if you make healthy choices but 1200 kcal is e.g. also 1.5 bags of crisps.

1200 calories diet 1200 kcal says nothing about what you eat. 1200 kcal can work very well if you make healthy choices but 1200 kcal is e.g. also 1.5 bags of crisps. 4 out of 5
1200 calories diet Calories alone say nothing. It is also important to look at the nutritional values that go with these calories. Besides, everyone's energy needs are different and 1,200 kcal cannot be taken as a benchmark. 2 out of 5
1200 calories diet I am not a fan of crash diets. The result is often that you lose some weight in a short time, but then relapse. That is how you create a yo-yo effect. Besides, everyone has different energy needs, so 1200 kcal certainly cannot be taken as a standard. Besides quantity (amount), quality is also hugely important. If you want to adopt a healthy lifestyle or lose a few kilos, it is advisable to do so step by step. Work on small improvements in your diet and don't throw everything over immediately. Learn what healthy food is and also enjoy it once in a while. 1 out of 5
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Dietitians

With the professional help of a dietitian it should be easier to reach your goals. Please contact a dietician in your area or talk to a doctor before starting any diet.

General warnings

Please take note that most diets do not have a scientific basis.

Consult your doctor or dietician before starting a diet, especially if you have a chronic condition like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease or kidney disease.

Eating disorders

If you think you might have an eating disorder (like anorexia or bulimia), it is important to look for professional help. Contact your (house) doctor or find help elsewhere. Here you can find a list of several websites that can provide (online) help. These sites also provide information for people that know someone with an eating disorder.