1200 Calorie Diet: Weekly Menu to Follow to Lose Weight
If you are trying to lose your extra kilos, perhaps you could think of submitting to a low-calorie diet, perhaps around 1200 kcal. But a 1200 calorie diet must be well organized : weekly menu , allowed foods, meals that are in any case complete to avoid deficiencies.
Relying on do-it-yourself diets, recommended by your neighbor or found in a magazine or on the web, can be detrimental and harmful to your health and I want to reiterate this right away. In fact, the risk is that of losing weight very quickly and then regaining it as soon as you start eating more substantial, albeit limiting yourself, or you can run the risk of running into major deficiencies in the body, for example by eliminating carbohydrates.
The advice is to use common sense and to rely on the dietician or nutritionist if the kilos you want to lose are many.
If, on the other hand, your goal is, yes, to lose weight, but by limiting junk foods and trying to learn how to eat healthy without upsetting your eating habits, perhaps even doing some physical activity, then this article is for you.
Read on to get a more precise idea of how to structure a balanced weekly menu to consistently achieve a healthy weight.
The Mediterranean diet is always the most recommended
Let’s start from the assumption that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest and most balanced for the human body, as it provides the right doses of vitamins, mineral salts, fatty acids, proteins and everything our body needs. For this reason, if you want to avoid exceeding 1200 calories a day , relying on this diet can be useful for eating well and healthily.
However, I stress that 1200 calories may not be enough, if we consider that the daily requirement of calories must take into account the physical activity (and its intensity) carried out during the day.
So you don’t need to prolong a restrictive caloric regimen for too long, especially if you practice a lot of sport or generally follow a very active life.
Example of a weekly diet of 1200 kcal per day
As already mentioned, 1200 calories are few compared to the real needs of the body, however, by studying the food program well, it is possible to obtain all the nutrients necessary to stay healthy and lose weight.
Fundamental to better achieve results is to avoid drinking more than three coffees a day and drink plenty of water, even in the form of strictly unsweetened herbal teas: liquids will help you not feel hungry. Finally, practice even just thirty minutes of walking a day: this simple exercise will help you achieve excellent results.
And now let’s see how to eat during the weight loss phase: here’s an example of a menu .
Monday
- Breakfast : 300 g of orange juice, 30 g of rusks accompanied by 15 g of sugar-free jam;
- snack: partially skimmed white yogurt;
- lunch : 70 grams of wholemeal bread, 150 grams of beans seasoned with 50 grams of tomato puree and 10 grams of olive oil. To finish 1 kiwi;
- snack: an apple;
- dinner: 40 grams of bread, grilled aubergines (100 grams) and an 80 gram mozzarella.
Tuesday
- Breakfast : 200 grams of partially skimmed milk, 30 grams of wholemeal rusks and 15 grams of jam;
- snack: 1 kiwi;
- lunch: 80 grams of brown rice, 100 grams of plaice, tomato salad and oil (15 grams for the whole meal);
- snack: skimmed yogurt;
- dinner: 50 grams of rye bread, 80 grams of chicken breast and 200 grams of fennel to be seasoned with 10 grams of olive.
Wednesday
- Breakfast: 300 grams of milk coffee and 30 grams of muesli;
- snack : 130 grams of yogurt and 100 grams of strawberries;
- lunch: 80 grams of grilled beef slice, 70 grams of 5-grain bread, 200 grams of spinach, 10 grams of oil;
- snack: an apple;
- dinner: 50 grams of salmon, 200 grams of boiled or baked potatoes, 10 grams of oil.
Thursday
- breakfast: 300 grams of skim milk, 30 grams of bran cereals;
- snack: 130 grams of yogurt;
- lunch: 80 grams of wholemeal pasta, 10 grams of oil, 200 grams of tomatoes, 30 grams of Parmesan;
- snack: an apple;
- dinner: 50 grams of wholemeal bread, 200 grams of green beans, 40 grams of lean raw ham.
Friday
- Breakfast: 130 grams of low-fat yogurt and 30 grams of bran flakes, 1 tablespoon of honey;
- lunch : 200 grams of vegetable ratatouille, 80 grams of wholemeal barley and vegetable soup, 15 grams of oil;
- snack: a banana;
- dinner : 100 grams of vegetable and legume purée, 200 grams of mixed salad, 10 grams of oil, 50 grams of bread.
Saturday
- Breakfast: 130 grams of caffelatte and 30 grams of wholemeal rusks;
- lunch : 80 grams of whole grain risotto with radicchio, 150 grams of ribs boiled and baked au gratin, 20 grams of Parmesan cheese and 15 grams of oil;
- snack : an apple
- dinner : 150 grams of pan-fried lentils, 150 grams of steamed broccoli and cauliflower dressed with 10 grams of olive oil.
Sunday
- breakfast: 130 grams of yogurt and 100 grams of strawberries
- lunch : 70 grams of wholemeal pasta, 100 grams of steamed cauliflower, and 100 brammi mixed salad;
- snack : a kiwi
- dinner: 80 grams of defatted raw ham, 150 grams of rocket and 30 grams of parmesan flakes.
Meal substitutes: two fantastic products!
Those who follow a low-calorie diet often find themselves having to pay attention to the calories consumed during snacks. If you are looking for an alternative to fruit that will make you lose weight at the same time then you have to try the Shape Shakes from FoodSpring .
They are perfect for replacing a snack or replacing dessert which is not always allowed during a low-calorie diet. Shape Shakes contain organic whey protein, dietary fiber and a flavoring that you can choose. 30 g of product are used per shake with a calorie intake equal to that of a fruit. Furthermore, thanks to the presence of carnitine you will be able to shape your silhouette in a short time and with few sacrifices.
Metabolism accelerators and fat burners
In nature, there are various plant active ingredients that can provide us with great help in the fight against weight loss. Many of them fall into the broader category of thermogenics or those natural substances that are able to increase the amount of fat burned at rest.
In this regard, you can read our guide on the most used thermogenic supplements .
Conclusions on the 1200 calorie diet
If you want to lose weight , certainly eating less and ingesting fewer calories is the most logical way to go, however I remind you that taking only 1200 calories may not be enough, especially if the food plan was constructed incorrectly and not elaborated by a professional.
This model reported in today’s guide could be an idea for a menu to follow but it should be taken with a grain of salt and conceived as a model and not as one’s own food style to follow.
Contacting a professional is always advice to keep in mind when deciding to act radically on your body because you risk affecting your health.
Sources:
- Food and Human Nutrition. Authors Costantini, Cinnamon, Tomassi – 3 Ed. 2016
She defines herself as curious by nature. In 2006 she graduated with honors in Biotechnology at the Sapienza University of Rome. Between 2005 and 2009, she carried out a university internship and research activity in the field of tumor immunotherapy. She is a co-author of three scientific publications. Since 2007 you have associated your passion for science with that for the web, starting the management of the FitnessEquilibrium.com project.