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.
If you're a moderately active woman consuming closer to 2,200 calories a day, ingesting 1,200 calories is likely to result in the loss of around 2 pounds per week, or about 8 pounds per month. Every 500 calories you reduce from your daily diet can result in the loss of a pound per week.
A prolonged 1,200 calorie-per-day diet can slow metabolism, so it is best to only do it short-term. There are risks to consuming too few calories, including: Not getting adequate nutrition. Anxiety.
It's likely that this is where the general recommendation of 1200 calories came from, based on an assumption that if the average female is consuming 1500-1600 calories each day, reducing it by 400-500 calories will support weight loss while still providing enough calories to support metabolic rate.
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.
Yes, for most of us, a 1200 calorie diet is a starvation diet.
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.
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.”
You can safely aim to lose 1 percent of your body weight in a week. So a 200-pound person who wants to lose two pounds a week will calculate that they need to cut out 1,000 calories a day. Keep this up and you could lose 50 pounds in 25 weeks! Always eat at least 1,200 calories a day.
Some research suggests that the average female can limit their daily caloric intake to 1,500 calories or less to drop 1 pound per week. The average male may consume up to 2,000 calories a day to lose the same amount of weight.
Short-term risks of eating 1,000 calories a day may include dizziness, hunger, gallstones, nausea, fatigue, headaches, and nutrient deficiencies. It can lead to nutrient deficiencies, slow metabolism, and make bones weaker if you exercise along with a low-calorie diet.
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.
Very low calorie diets should only be followed under medical supervision for a maximum of 12 weeks. Do not follow a very low calorie diet unless a GP has suggested it to you.
Mental health conditions, like anxiety, depression, and stress, can all have a negative effect on hunger levels. Other physical conditions, such as pregnancy, hypothyroidism, and more, can also cause a decrease in appetite.
Still, to ensure healthy weight loss and adequate nutrient intake, women should not consume fewer than 1,200 calories per day, and men no fewer than 1,500 calories ( 5 ).
What Should Your Calorie Deficit Be? A good rule of thumb for healthy weight loss is a deficit of about 500 calories per day. That should put you on course to lose about 1 pound per week. This is based on a starting point of at least 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day for women and 1,500 to 1,800 calories a day for men.
In other words, if you stick to the calorie intake recommended by WLR, you can be sure your body won't go into starvation mode. As a general rule though, most nutrition experts recommend never going below 1,000-1,200 calories a day if you're dieting on your own.
Binge eating is when a person eats a much larger amount of food in a shorter period of time than he or she normally would. During binge eating, the person also feels a loss of control. A binge eater often: Eats 5,000–15,000 calories in one sitting.
When you don't eat enough, your body goes into survival mode and starts breaking down muscle to release the glucose stored inside, which can be used for energy. Because you're not taking in enough calories, your body slows down your metabolism in an effort to conserve energy.
When someone is undereating, they are consuming fewer calories than their body needs to function correctly. This can have a severe impact on energy levels, causing feelings of physical tiredness and mental fatigue, which may impair a person's daily functioning.