A 1,200-calorie diet is much too low for most people and can result in negative side effects like dizziness, extreme hunger, nausea, micronutrient deficiencies, fatigue, headaches, and gallstones ( 23 ). Furthermore, a 1,200-calorie diet can set you up for failure if long-term weight loss is your goal.
As a general rule, people need a minimum of 1,200 calories daily to stay healthy. People who have a strenuous fitness routine or perform many daily activities need more calories. If you have reduced your calorie intake below 1,200 calories a day, you could be hurting your body in addition to your weight-loss plans.
You can't lose weight on 1200 calories a day because you're no longer in a calorie deficit. Your body has adapted to what it's been doing and plateaued. If you start your diet with a 500 calorie deficit per day, your body adapts to this in various way so that over time your energy requirements are reduced.
You're likely to lose muscle mass on a low-calorie diet. According to MedlinePlus, weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week can cause muscle loss. If you're losing that much weight or more while eating under 1,200 calories per day, some of it is likely muscle.
The amount of food we consume daily has a significant impact on bodily function. Most adults need a minimum of 2000 calories to sustain metabolism, muscle activity, and brain function.
Eating too few calories can be the start of a vicious cycle that causes diet distress. When you cut your calories so low that your metabolism slows and you stop losing weight, you probably will become frustrated that your efforts are not paying off. This can lead you to overeat and ultimately gain weight.
“And then, of course, everybody's metabolism is slightly different. But the average weight loss that most people see on the 1200 calorie diet is about one to two pounds per week.”
A. The time it takes to lose weight on a particular amount of calories differs from person to person. For example, it would take one 3 to 6 months on average to lose 30 pounds on a 1200 calorie diet. It is based on CDC; one can lose 1 to 2 pounds per week on average.
However, calorie intake should not fall below 1,200 a day in women or 1,500 a day in men, except under the supervision of a health professional. Eating too few calories can endanger your health by depriving you of needed nutrients.
For a person to lose 1 lb of fat in a week, they would need a deficit of 3,500 calories, or 500 calories per day, over that time. To lose 2 lb, a person would need a deficit of about 7,000 calories. However, it is not advisable for a calorie deficit to exceed 7,000 calories per week.
Restricting intake to fewer than 1,000 calories daily can slow down your metabolic rate and lead to fatigue since you're not taking in enough calories to support the basic functions that keep you alive.
Not eating enough
Once you consume fewer than 1000-1200 calories each day, as the body attempts to prevent long term starvation, intense hunger can result.
In studies humans often eat twice as many calories as they think. You will probably be hungry at 1200 calories - it is a lot lower than you need. Having said that if you have a lot of protein, some fat and little carbohydrate - it is possible to not feel so hungry - but it is not a good diet for any length of time.
A 1,500-calorie diet fits the needs of many people who want to lose fat and improve health. Like any healthy diet it should include mostly whole, unprocessed foods. Reducing excess calories and using some of the simple tips in this article can help you succeed in your weight loss journey.
Most women need 1,600–2,400 daily calories to maintain their weight. Most men need 2,000–3,000 calories. Eating fewer can lead to weight loss. Reducing the number of calories you eat per day can be an effective weight loss method ( 1 ).
Generally, the recommended daily calorie intake is 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 for men.
Most regimented diet programs, like Weight Watchers, are similarly based on a 1,200 caloric intake, just hidden behind a “point” system so it doesn't feel like calorie counting.
However, a good starting point for a 5'2" female looking to lose weight may be around 1,200 calories per day.
1. It Can Lower Your Metabolism. Regularly eating fewer calories than your body needs can cause your metabolism to slow down. Several studies show that low-calorie diets can decrease the number of calories the body burns by as much as 23% ( 8 , 9 , 10 ).
The diet doesn't have enough calories
Eating too little — say, 1,000 calories a day — can prevent you from losing weight, too. "When you don't eat enough, your body is starving and it's not going to lose any extra weight" because it needs those energy stores to keep you alive, Fakhoury said.
If you drastically slash calories and are eating a very low-calorie diet (Think: less than 1,000 calories for women and less than 1,200 calories for men), “starvation mode” can actually be starvation. Starvation from chronic undereating can be counterproductive to weight loss and dangerous to your health.
The key appears to be in the balance between hunger and satiety hormones in people who have lost quite some weight. According to the researchers, when we lose weight, the stomach releases greater amounts of a hormone called ghrelin, which makes us feel hungry.