When you want to quickly lose a few pounds, a low calorie diet of 1200 calories per day can be a good solution. At least when we scrupulously respect the number of calories allowed until the last phase of the diet …

The main principles of the 1200 calorie per day diet
On average, an active woman needs 2,000 calories per day. By consuming only 1,200 calories, the body is forced to draw heavily on its reserves to compensate, resulting in weight loss. Generally, this low-calorie diet allows you to lose between 1.5 and 2 kilos per week when it is well respected. It usually lasts 3 weeks: it is not recommended to continue it any longer (unless medical advice to the contrary) so as not to tire the body too much. A “classic” 3 week 1200 calorie diet can be divided into 3 phases, one phase per week. Each of them requires consuming 1,200 calories per day. The first phase is the strictest in terms of “prohibited foods”, but new foods are reintroduced during the other two phases.

The 1st phase
During the first phase, it is necessary to limit as much as possible carbohydrates (sugars) and lipids (fats) in order to encourage the body to draw on its fat reserves. Example of menus for a day:

• Breakfast: a hot drink (tea or coffee without milk or sugar), accompanied by whole rusks.
• Lunch: white meat (or fish) accompanied by boiled potatoes. A low-fat yogurt is allowed for dessert.
• Dinner: a hard-boiled egg accompanied by unlimited green vegetables (steam cooking). You can eat a seasonal fruit for dessert.
• The 2nd phase
  During this phase, lipids and sugar are a little more present, but always in small quantities. Concrete example

• Breakfast: a hot drink (tea or coffee possibly “sweet” with a sweetener) accompanied by slices of wholemeal bread lightly spread with light butter.
• Lunch: white meat or fish with steamed vegetables at will. For dessert, we allow ourselves a low-fat yogurt and seasonal fruit.
• Dinner: ham with raw vegetables, followed by 0% cottage cheese. and a seasonal fruit. The 3rd phase
  During this phase, new foods must be reintroduced, especially red meat (but as lean as possible to begin with). Example:

• Breakfast: a bowl of cereal and a seasonal fruit.
• Lunch: raw vegetables and low-fat minced steak, followed by light yogurt.
• Dinner: two eggs accompanied by steamed vegetables at will. A fresh seasonal fruit will serve as a dessert.
  The gradual resumption of “normal” food
  Do not resume eating “normally” at the end of the 1200 calorie diet: gradually find a more caloric diet over several days, keeping the good habits acquired during the diet (example: cooking without added fat, sugar replacement by sweeteners).

Pros and cons of the 1200 calorie per day diet
First advantage: this diet allows you to lose several pounds quickly. In addition, as long as you take care to diversify your menus, it does not present a great risk of nutritional deficiencies, because it does not exclude any family of foods. This diet also teaches you to eat healthier: it gives you good eating habits that limit the risk of gaining weight when you stop the diet. At least, if you do not completely “crack” along the way, because there is one of the big drawbacks of the 1200 calorie diet: it is not easy to follow …

The low calorie intake can indeed lead to fatigue, lower morale and demotivation. However, who says “cracking” also often says “yo-yo effect” on the scale… Another drawback: this regime must really be followed scrupulously to function correctly. But it is not always easy to know the number of calories of each dish … One solution is to follow menus pre-established by a nutritionist, but there are also applications that calculate the number of calories in your meals … Last point to note: this diet is contraindicated during pregnancy.