You can expect to lose weight on a 1,200-calorie, low-carb diet. Low-carb diets typically limit your intake of carbohydrates, found in large amounts in bread, cereal, pasta, fruits and sugars, to just 50 to 150 g daily. Before beginning any diet plan, check with your health-care professional to make sure it is safe for your body.
How It Works
By depriving your body of carbohydrates, which are a primary source of energy, low-carb dieting advocates claim your body will turn to fat stores for energy. A 1,200-calorie low-carb diet is also likely to create a calorie deficit, meaning you burn more calories than you consume. When you create a calorie deficit, you lose weight. A 500-calorie per day deficit can yield a 1 lb. per week weight loss. The average recommended calorie intake for women is 2,000 calories per day, so 1,200 calories is definitely enough to yield weight loss.
Food Options
A typical low-carb diet emphasizes meats, fish, poultry and eggs. Leafy vegetables, especially greens, salad vegetables and cruciferous vegetables, are also staples. Oils, nuts, cream, butter and cheese are also permitted, as they are low in carbohydrates, but you will want to limit serving sizes to keep calories in check.
Considerations
Your intake of saturated fat should total less than 7 percent of total daily calories, or 9 g, to prevent your low-carb plan from increasing your risk of heart disease. A typical low-carb plan satisfies cravings for sweets and fruit with no-sugar-added gelatin or small servings of part-skim ricotta cheese mixed with no-calorie sweetener and almond extract. The carbohydrates that do feature in a low-carb plan come from healthy options, such as 1/4-cup servings of whole grains or vegetables, so you provide your body with ample nutrients, antioxidants and fiber.
Sample Plan
A typical low-carb meal plan with 83 g of carbs and 1,200 calories might begin with a breakfast of five egg whites sautéed with 1/2 cup of mushrooms wrapped in a low-carb wheat tortilla with 2 tbsp. of salsa. At lunch, toss a large salad with 3 cups of spring greens, 1 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese, a sliced cucumber, a diced bell pepper, 1 cup of roasted chicken breast and a dressing made with 1 tbsp. of olive oil and the juice of one lemon. Have 1 oz. of toasted almonds mid-afternoon as a snack. For dinner, sauté 8 oz. of raw shrimp with 1 ½ cups of bok choy and serve it over ½ cup of brown rice.
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