1200 Calorie Menus

21Nov/090

Food Plan for a 1200 Calorie Diet

Dealing with obesity can be very frustrating; as it takes a lot of time to burn calories and attain the perfect figure you always wanted. Most people tend to starve their bodies but what really happens is that the body slows down its use of calories thereby showing no significant weight loss on the scale. According to fitness experts, it is healthy to consume 1200 calories on a daily basis so as to provide the necessary nutrients to the body and allow for the calorie deficit required for fast weight loss.

Are you looking for a food plan for a 1200 calorie diet? A step by step, eat this much of this food at this meal? That's how many of the diets work that sell pre-packaged foods. They've done all the weighing and measuring so all you have to do is "heat and eat."

Design a Food Plan for a 1200 Calorie Diet

If you don't want to go through the expense of a weight loss program like Nutrisystem or Jenny Craig, it will take more effort on your part to follow a 1200 Calorie Diet Plan, but if you plan ahead and equip yourself with the right tools, it is actually easier than you think.

Make a Plan

You've heard the old adage, "Those who fail to make a plan are sure to accomplish it." Heading into a 1200 calorie diet will require counting calories. Without having a plan you'll doom yourself to failure. That's probably why you're reading this article looking for a food plan for a 1200 calorie diet. The thing about following someone else's 1200 calorie diet is that they may not like what you like. For example, the written plan may include oatmeal for breakfast with no sugar, while you could eat soft or hard-boiled eggs for the same calories. It's better for you in the long run to create your own menu so you can include foods you like. This help you feel more satisfied, and you'll experience less cravings.

Crafting your own plan can also address when and how much you want to eat. If you're a morning person that eats breakfast everyday, you'll want to make that part of your plan. If you have trouble with snacking in the afternoon, then you'll want to incorporate a snack in your diet plan. Here are a couple of options:

1200 Calorie Diet Plan 1 – This plan is for the person who wants to eat a substantial dinner or maybe even include a small dessert with dinner, but notice there are no snacks included in this plan.

Breakfast 300
Lunch 300
Dinner 600

1200 Calorie Diet Plan 2 – This diet plan cuts calories at breakfast and dinner in order to have a snack.

Breakfast 200
Lunch 300
Snack 200
Dinner 500

Options are numerous depending on how you want to structure the diet for your lifestyle and eating patterns and it doesn't have to be the same everyday. The only constant is the 1200 calorie limit.

Needed Tools

Counting calories is a little challenging when you first start. Equip yourself with the right tools to make the task easier.

Calorie Counter

Calorie counters come in the form of books, charts and online calculators. When choosing an a calorie counter pick one that lets you adjust the amounts you are weighing. For example, some calorie counters offer you a static amount of calories for one set measurement like ½ cup of something, when you're looking at perhaps 2 ounces. Adjustments like this require you to do the math so the numbers work for the amount you plan to eat. After a few days, this gets old and most people tend to let it slide. However, if you choose the right calculator, it's no longer a problem.

A few tips on using an online food calculator:

When entering a fraction of an amount use a decimal not a fraction. For example:
- ¼ is equal to .25
- ½ is equal to .5
- ¾ is equal to .75
Check forms of measurement for a given item before you weigh or measure. If you measure in cups and it offers options for grams or ounces, you'll have to start over.

Food Scale

A second tool is a food scale. You can find these reasonably priced online or at your local department store. The newer digital models allow you to weigh accurately whether you're measuring in grams or ounces. When it comes to measuring foods, it is also convenient to have an assortment of measuring cups and spoons on hand. The whole key to making a calorie restricted diet work is to know how much you are really eating.

Making a Plan that Works

Making a food plan that stays within 1200 calories is not as hard as you may think. Approach it like a budget. You have 1200 calories to spend each day. When you've used them up, you're finished for the day so be sure to spend wisely.

Regular exercise is another element to help make your dieting experience successful. The key to losing weight is to burn more calories than you eat. Exercise will help you burn calories faster. If you stay within your 1200 calorie limit and burn 300 of those calories with exercise, you'll drop that unwanted weight rather quickly.

16Nov/091

Achieve a healthy weight loss by following a balanced daily meal plan based on 1200 calorie menus.

1200 Calories per Day

The way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you take in every day. Eating a balanced 1200 calorie diet each day will help you to reach your weight loss goal. You can expect to lose one to two pounds per week following this type of meal plan.

1200 Calories and the USDA Nutritional Pyramid

When creating 1200 calorie menus, the USDA recommends choosing foods based on the nutritional food pyramid that meets the requirements of most American adults. A 1200-calorie diet using the pyramid as a guide includes:

6 ounces of lean meat or other protein
5 servings of bread or other starch
4 or more servings of vegetables
3 servings of fruit
2 servings of low fat dairy
3 servings of fat

Sample 1200 Calorie Menus

A general guideline on the breakdown of calories throughout the day includes:

300 calorie breakfast
100 calorie mid morning snack
300 calorie lunch
50 calorie mid-afternoon snack
450 calorie dinner

Snacks can be eaten anytime throughout the day if you prefer a different schedule. For example, many people enjoy a light snack in the evening. Remember calorie totals per meal are a guide and can be modified as needed as long as the total calorie goal for each day remains at 1200.

Day 1

Breakfast
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 banana
- 1 large shredded wheat biscuit
- 1 cup skim milk
Mid morning snack
- 3 whole-wheat crackers
- 3 ounces low-fat cottage cheese
Lunch
- 2 slices whole wheat bread (check the calorie count as some breads are sliced thicker or baked in bigger loaves)
- 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon jelly – sugar free
- 1 cup skim milk
- 1 medium size orange
- 2 cups baby carrots
Mid afternoon snack
- 3 handfuls of unbuttered popcorn, seasoned with herbs
Dinner
- 5 ounces lean broiled beef
- Small baked potato – 3 ounces
- 1 tablespoon light margarine
- 1 cup of steamed broccoli or asparagus
- 1 cup of mixed greens salad
- 1 tablespoon of light salad dressing

Day 2

Breakfast
- 2 slices whole wheat toast
- 2 teaspoons light margarine
- 1 cup sliced strawberries
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 6 ounce container yogert – fat and sugar free
Mid morning snack
- 2 large graham crackers
- 1 teaspoon peanut butter
Lunch
- 1 toasted whole wheat English muffin
- 1 ounce low fat cheese of your choice
- 1/2 cup baby carrots
- 1/2 cup light or fat free ice cream
Mid afternoon snack
- 4 mini rice cakes
- 2 tablespoons low-fat cottage cheese
Dinner
- 3 ounces lean protein
- 1 medium baked sweet potato
- 2 teaspoons light margarine
- 1 cup steamed broccoli

Online Resources for Menus of 1200 Calories

There are many resources online to help compile 1200-calorie menus. Some of these resources follow the nutritional pyramid while others may not. Here are several of the available resources.

1200 Calorie Cook Book

Specialty 1200 Calorie Daily Menus

The Campbell’s Soup for Life Plan includes soup every day as you follow their 1200-calorie weight loss plan.
The National Heart and Lung Institute offers a 1200-calorie menu with a delicious Asian American theme.
A 1200-calorie Laco-Ovo Vegetarian menu loaded with taste even if you are not a vegetarian.
Mexican- American cuisine complete with a taco and an enchilada make a satisfying 1200 calorie menu.
Tasty southern style meals make up this 1200 calorie menu.
Anyone with diabetes needs to take special care when following a diet meal plan. Gluco Menu offers 1200-calorie menus for people suffering from diabetes. Be sure to consult with your physician or nutritionist before starting any diet plan.

More Resources

Journey Woman offers an excellent list of snacks that are one hundred or less calories.
The 1200 Calorie A Day Menu Cookbook: Quick and Easy Recipes for Delicious Low Fat Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners and Desserts by Nancy S. Hughs.

A Word of Caution

Before beginning any diet plan, it is always best to check with your medical practitioner..

Resources

The web is full of free resources for calculating calorie needs, nutritional content and food logging, which is one of the most effective ways of losing weight.

The U.S. Department of Food and Agriculture has a particularly useful food logging site (see Resources) available at www.mypyramidtracker. Here, you can plug in your food choices for the day, and get a running total, not only of calories, but also other nutritional content.

Nutritional Content

The Institute of Medicine recommends getting 45 to 65 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, 20 percent to 35 percent from fat, and 10 to 35 percent from protein. While a reduced carbohydrate diet results in short-term weight loss, this is mostly as a result of reduced water retention, and is not recommended as a long-term nutritional plan.

The easiest way to assemble the building blocks of a balanced meal is to top a mixed vegetable salad with lean protein. A large salad containing half a cup of tuna, some grated cheese, cold boiled potatoes and green beans, and topped with a homemade olive oil vinaigrette--a classic Nicoise--contains about 320 calories, 31 percent from protein, 49 percent from carbohydrates, and 20 percent from fat.

Most health experts also recommend taking a daily multivitamin, and this is especially important when a reduced calorie diet is likely to result in lower nutrient intakes.

Meal Plan

The sample meal plan below contains just under 1,200 calories but is high in nutritional content and includes balanced snacks in the morning and afternoon. Overall, the plan derives 28 percent of its calories from protein, 60 percent from carbohydrates, and 12 percent from fat.

Breakfast

Oatmeal (150 calories)

Morning snack

String cheese and a pear (166 total calories)

Lunch

Nicoise salad (recipe makes two servings, each with 322 total calories)

Toss 1.5 cup potatoes, 2 cups green beans, 1 can tuna, 3 cups lettuce, 1 serving grated cheese, 1 tbsp. olive oil and vinegar to taste.

Afternoon snack

Nonfat Greek-style yogurt with fruit (140 total calories)

Dinner

Shrimp fra diavlo (recipe makes one serving containing 390 total calories)

Saute nine large shrimp in half a tablespoon of olive oil in a nonstick pan until pink; add 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes and red pepper flakes to taste, serve over 2 oz. of cooked whole-wheat spaghetti.

Build Your Own Meal Plan

Using food labels and the USDA Nutrient Database, found at http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/, you can build your own 1,200-calorie meal plan. The database, or any other nutrient content source, helps you identify foods you like that are low in calories and high in nutritional content.

Food logging will help you learn, for example, that while your fish chowder may be tasty with salmon, it's just as good with cod, which contains half the calories. Similarly, you'll find that cereal choices vary widely in the amount of calories they contain.

Armed with a little knowledge, it's easy to build a plan that fits your needs.

Expert Insight

Many popular books and websites recommend against reducing calories to a level that results in weight loss exceeding a pound or two a week, and most also recommend that diet be combined with regular physical activity, so that you burn more calories than you take in on an average day.

In "You on a Diet," authors Michael F. Roizen, MD, and Mehmet C. Oz, MD, write, "Eating isn't all about calories, it's about staying satisfied."

Tagged as: 1200 Calorie Menus, Basics of the Diabetic Diet, Calories Needed to Lose Weight, Low Calorie Vegetarian Recipes 1 Comment

16Nov/091

1200 Calorie Diet

A diet based on 1200 calories daily is the recommended minimum for safe and healthy weight loss. This is because 1200 calories will generally provide an adequate nutritional intake for most individuals, yet still allows the reduction of calories to the level that most dieters require in order to lose weight.

Many diet plans for weight loss that are developed by nutritionists and health professionals are based on 1200 calories daily.

Diet Basics

This diet plan is centered around the concept of calorie control. If dieters are consuming less calories than they are expending then this will result in weight loss.

Dieters are to consume 1200 calories daily. This will involve the need to consult with either books or online resources that list the calorie content of each food.

A daily 1200 calorie diet is nutritionally adequate for most individuals. It is also the recommended amount of calories for safe and healthy weight loss. The important element is striking the correct balance of macronutrients.

Why 1200 Calories?

Starving your body with too few calories causes your body to slow in its use of calories; hence no weight loss shows up on the scale. Consuming 1200 calories each day has been shown to be nutritious, yet allows for the calorie deficit most people require for losing weight. Standard diet programs recommended by medical professionals and nutritionists use 1200 calories as a foundation for developing meal plans.

There are criteria that alter the number of calories a person needs to consume each day for weight loss. Examples include age, gender, basal metabolic rate, body size, exercise regime and certain medical conditions. A mathematical formula is often used when calculating a person’s individual calorie requirement.

Importance of Balance

Although 1200 calories may seem like more than enough food, calories add up quickly. For this reason, a balance of macronutrients is crucial to sustain fullness without consuming more calories.

The macronutrients consist of protein, carbohydrates and fats. The average ratio of macronutrients is 55% of calories from complex carbohydrates, 15% of calories from protein and 30% of calories from fats with no more than 10% of total fat coming from saturated forms. These percentages equate to 660 carbohydrate calories, 180 protein calories and 360 fat calories. As with the total daily calories, these percentages are adaptable to specific medical conditions.

Sample of 1200 Calorie Diet Menu

Combining protein, carbohydrate and fat at each meal is beneficial for optimizing the 1200 calories. A |sample 1200 calorie menu follows:

Breakfast

1 whole wheat English muffin

1 tablespoon peanut butter

½ banana

Mid-morning Snack

20 almonds

1 apple

Lunch

2 slices low-calorie whole wheat bread

2 oz. low-sodium turkey breast

1 oz. cheese

1 tablespoon mustard

Lettuce

Tomato

1 orange

Mid-afternoon Snack

8 oz. low-fat yogurt

Dinner

3 oz. grilled, baked or broiled chicken breast (skinless)

1 cup cooked broccoli (or vegetable of choice)

2/3 c. brown rice

Evening Snack

1 cup 1% milk

2 low-fat fig cookies

Benefits

Several advantages are derived from following a 1200 calorie menu. Primarily, when nutritious, wholesome foods are chosen, hunger and cravings will be satisfied thereby avoiding episodes of overeating. Also, this amount of food can offer variety from all the food groups while supplying energy and well-being to every cell of your body.

Drinking 48-ounces of water with your meals and snacks is also beneficial. Being well-hydrated not only provides energy, but also helps your body rid itself of the fluids from your shrinking fat cells, otherwise known as weight loss.

Health Warning

Pregnant or breast-feeding women require more than 1200 calories. It is important to discuss particular nutritional needs with your physician or nutritionist.

Tagged as: 1200 Calorie Diet, 1200 Calorie Menus, Lose Weight on 1200 Calories 1 Comment