Have you heard of the 1200 calorie diet? It is a very popular diet, as you will find if you conduct a simple internet search. But what is this diet all about and is it hard to maintain? More importantly, is it healthy and safe, and does it work?
Firstly let me start by saying that eating 1200 calories per day is not for everyone. Some people will require more than that so it depends upon your body type. But 1200 was the number settled upon as it is deemed to be the ‘nutritionally adequate’ amount of daily calories required by most people. It is also recommended as the baseline number of calories that is acceptable for safe weight loss. But it can be exceedingly difficult to track and stick to this number of calories every single day and can leave little room for diet variations.
If you eat too few calories, you can become somewhat weak and lethargic and we know this is not a fun place to be. That is why “starvation” diets don’t work. However the 1200 calorie diet can be nutritious and also produce a calorie deficit that is critical for weight loss. Many diet programs will use the number 1200 as a basis for their daily meal plans.
What factors influence your daily required calories?
- age
- gender
- activity level
- current weight
- health status/medical conditions
- metabolic rate
Benefits of the 1200 calorie diet:
The benefits include the fact that you are more likely to consume only healthy foods to maintain the calorie requirements. This helps you avoid over eating and eating junk food.
It is very easy to consume 1200 calories per day quickly and most people find themself going over the threshold.
The Twist:
There is another easier way that may help you to stick to a 1200 calorie diet and that is by calculating your calories over a week instead of per day. Then apply the healthy technique of incorporating two short term 24 hour intermittent fasting periods in your week. By doing this you not only get the benefits of a calorie deficit at the end of your week but on the Five days of the week that you will be eating you will actually be able to eat more…
Let me explain the math. 1200 calories per day x seven days = 8400 calories a week. But with the added twist of two 24 hour short term fasts in your week it will look something like this: At 3 meals a day you are allowed 400 calories per meal, right? So if you fast one day from say, 5pm after supper and eat again at 5pm supper the next day then you fasted through two meals, ok.
That means 2 meals at 400 calries comes up to 800 calories total that you didn’t consume during your 24 hour fast. If you do this, say on Monday and Thursday the total number of calories that you would not have consumed will total out at 1600 calories.
In a week’s time at three meals a day that comes out to 21 meals a week at 400 calories a meal. If you fast twice a week you will cut out 4 meals in a weeks time which is 1600 calories. Take those 1600 calories and divide them into the 17 meals that are left and you come out around 94 calories you can add to each of the 17 meals which comes out to 494 calories a meal…not to0 bad. Or you can eat a fourth meal per day of 282 calories…that is an extra turkey sandwich a day on the days that you are eating. That could make the difference between victory or defeat if you decide to take on the 1200 calorie diet.
Short term intermittent fasting has been helping me drop pounds consistently without having to take a ride on the 1200 calorie diet. If you would like to check out something that has been a godsend to me in the area of weight loss then click here now.
All the best to ya,
David
