1200 Calorie Diet

 I'm not sure where this mystical diet started but there must be as many versions as there are people using them. A 1200 calorie diet would help anyone lose weight. Since most people normally consume 1800-2700 calories and don't exercise much dropping to 1200 calories will make a difference.

There are many combinations that can make up a low calorie diet, depending on what lifestyle and eating habits each person may desire. Some put around 200 calories each in breakfast and lunch. Then they go for the big meal at dinner. Although most dieticians would frown on this method since the bulk of calories come right before most people will go to bed.

Each person can have a different metabolism, so the key to any success with a diet is to try and match your eating habits with the way you burn calories and even your lifestyle. It's probably safe to say that the last meal of the day should be of lighter fair if you plan on going to bed within a couple of hours.

A common trait of many "skinny" people is they eat no more than they burn, whatever that amount might be. An athlete may consume 2500 calories per day but burns that 2500 or more in exercise. So a 1200 calorie diet would be unhealthy for athletic types.

But if you are the average person, with little exercise each day, a 1200 calorie diet can have a big impact on your weight loss. In an ideal plan you would break up the calories to 350 per meal, and save 75 each for a snack mid morning and mid afternoon.

That allows your body to always have energy to burn and may help you from feeling any hunger pangs. If you also make sure you include high fiber foods in your daily intake, you will always feel satisfied.

One of the most important aspects of any healthy diet is to include high fiber and nutritious foods. You need to meet the basic requirements of vitamins, minerals, and protein to stay healthy. There are good calories and bad calories do to the type of food.

Alcoholic beverages are a good example of calories with little or no value to your bodily requirements. Considering the fact that most glasses of wine or 12 ounces of beer have 100+ calories, drinking alcoholic beverages is a waste of your daily calorie allotment.

That's why most diets eliminate alcohol or limit it to one serving a day. Way too many calories for something that has no real food value. So the first thing that you will need to watch is your alcohol consumption on any low calorie diet.

Another troublesome issue with a 1200 calorie diet is you need to know the amount of calories in each and every item you eat. Even when you prepare your own food that can be difficult. And restaurants present an even bigger challenge. One sauce, regardless of flavor or type, can have up to 300 calories a serving.

So in order to even start a 1200 calorie diet you need to know the calories in each item you consume. A tall order for the beginner. You also need to plan each meal in order to keep track of your intake of calories every day.

So some dedicated effort is necessary for any calorie counting diet. A good short cut is to buy the pre-made meals available in your local grocery store from Lean Cuisine or other low call companies. Many have all the information on the label for you to insure you also meet your daily requirements in vitamins, minerals, and protein.

You can also find many low calorie cookbooks with tons of recipes with just about any type of food you like. And many restaurants now have low calorie meals or at least a listing of calories in any menu item.

But it still takes some serious effort to maintain the count for days at a time. I don't think you have to have an exact total, but you do need to track as best you can. It's also probably not a good thing to berate yourself if you run off the rails every once in awhile. Just get back on the train and move forward.

Limiting your calorie intake does work, regardless of what any other diet may say. And reducing your caloric intake by 30% (what a normal person may benefit from a 1200 calorie diet) is going to help you shed some pounds. It will require a little effort on your part. And if you use this time period to adjust your eating habits to a more healthy and low calorie intake, it can be a great long term solution.