1200 Calorie Diet: Does It Lose Weight?

With the 1200 calorie diet, meals should be planned carefully. We reveal great recipe ideas and whether you can actually lose weight in the long term.

What is the 1200 calorie diet?

With the 1200 calorie diet, the daily calorie intake is limited to about 1200 calories in order to lose weight. Unlike many other diets, the concept recommends three balanced meals a day to prevent cravings. It is important that healthy food is the most important part of the diet. The diet should make it easier to make a long-term change in diet – the significantly reduced calorie intake practically forces you to eat more healthy foods, even though theoretically no food is prohibited.

Calorie reduction to lose weight

The 1200 calorie diet can be followed for a few days and is intended to help us lose a few pounds at the start of a dietary change, which will increase motivation. It is important not to eat as before after the diet – otherwise the yo-yo effect is threatening. Instead, it makes sense to gradually increase the calorie intake after the 1200-calorie diet – for example, by allowing yourself a small snack every day. In this way the body slowly gets used to it and does not immediately react with one kilo more after another. In order to find the right amount, it makes sense to check your weight regularly.

Finally slimming down: What can I eat on the 1200 calorie diet?

In general, any food is allowed in the dietary plan of this diet, but in order not to exceed the maximum amount of calories, healthy recipes are of course the better choice. The less calories a food has, the larger the portion can be. It makes sense to have a daily mix of healthy carbohydrates (e.g. through wholemeal pasta and bread or quinoa), lots of fruit and vegetables, proteins (e.g. through eggs, fish, lean meat and dairy products) and healthy fats (e.g. olive oil and nuts).

Alcohol, ready meals and sweets should be avoided completely during the diet. Afterwards, small amounts are allowed again. However, the exception should not become the rule, otherwise the new desired weight can hardly be maintained, because kilo for kilo comes back. And then the whole weight loss was in vain.

Tips: Healthy recipes for the 1200 calorie diet

You now feel like starting a healthier diet with the 1200 calorie diet and want to lose a few kilos? Then we will give you some ideas for delicious and healthy recipes! Here is an example of three meals in one day that fit the concept and together have just over 1200 calories:

In the morning

A combination of oatmeal, an almond drink, raspberries and pears provides the sweet kick in the morning. Delicious and quickly made: In ten minutes you’ll have a healthy breakfast for just under 370 calories per serving!

Lunchtime

Just like from the Asian snack bar, only better: Fried noodles with pork and spinach marinated in Teriyaki provide you with all the nutrients you need at lunchtime and simply taste great. Also wow: Only about 440 calories per serving.

Evening

Fish is full of protein and should be on the menu at least twice a week. And it simply goes every time – as our salmon medallion made of organic salmon fillet proves! Add a healthy side dish combination of brussels sprouts, leek and peas and you have a perfect dinner with only 445 calories per serving.

Do not forget to drink

For both men and women, we should drink at least two liters of water a day, or even more. But sometimes unsweetened tea is also allowed. In general, drinks are not included in our plans above. Soft drinks are best avoided completely, as they are full of sugar and can torpedo weight loss. Those who absolutely want to drink a juice should prepare a fruit spritzer with water.

Lose weight thanks to proper nutrition – and exercise!

Losing weight without sport is possible, but laborious. In order to boost the metabolism and build muscles, which we in turn need to burn more fat, exercise is actually essential. A combination of strength and endurance training on at least three days a week is best. A minimum of 30 minutes per workout should be scheduled. Endurance can be increased, for example, by running or swimming, and our muscles will be happy about circuit or classic dumbbell training. Exercises with your own body weight are also effective.

1200 calorie diet – Conclusion

As a starting point for a healthier life, you can certainly test the diet, because it automatically leads us to healthy food. Since it is only carried out for a few days and, above all, healthy meals are on the dietary plan, no nutrient deficiency is to be expected. In addition, the limited calorie intake means that one or two kilos will certainly be lost – but a little discipline is essential here too. It is also important to follow a short-term diet and then to increase the calorie intake step by step under control so that the body does not slip into a hunger metabolism – in the long run, 1200 calories per day is simply too few for most people.

You want more help losing weight? Here we reveal our best weight loss tips, how you can create a diet plan and how to lose weight without being hungry. We also explain how the buttermilk diet works.