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When it comes to weight loss, most of us are trapped in the vicious cycle of failed diet plans where we start dieting and exercising with great enthusiasm. Suddenly somewhere in the middle of the road we lose interest and determination and give up to the tempting call of butter paneer, biryani, daal makhani and rasmalai.
And the few of us who do succeed to lose some weight by surviving a restrictive diet, will not have any clue on how to maintain it so that they don’t return to their previous size. One such example is Indian GM Diet Meal Plan, where you to tend to lose weight in the first week and gain automatically when not followed with a strict diet plan.
The secret to maintaining healthy body weight lies in a planned calorie intake that will boost metabolism and induce fat burning. Boosting the metabolic rate is vital for weight loss and it can be done with the home remedies to boost metabolism. This can also be achieved with our new 1200 calorie diet plan.
A 1200 Cal meal plan can never go wrong, but the result will definitely depend on what you eat. You cannot take in your stipulated 1200 Cal from junk food, fries, sugary treats and chocolates and expect to see effective results. It should be a well-balanced and nutritious diet, containing all the vital vitamins, minerals, essential fats, and nutrients or else your body can get seriously messed up and the effects will be reflected in your lifeless, limp hair, dull, rough skin along with extreme tiredness and lethargy.
Well, the requirement of every individual is different, and a diet for effective weight loss should be based on several factors such as activity level, age, sex, weight, height, metabolism and medical condition. Therefore, it is best to calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic rate) that will help determine the minimum calorie requirement of your body.
The basic mechanism of weight loss is to create a calorie deficit in the body by eating fewer calories with a balanced diet chart. A minimum of 1200-1800 calorie is the basic requirement of the body and reducing calorie intake below that will signal the brain to slow down metabolism and the body will start conserving fat and extract energy from muscles instead.
Calories are the most important factor that determines both weight gain and weight loss, and a healthy weight loss plan creates a safe calorie deficit to promote weight loss. The game of weight loss is all about calorie intake and calories burnt. In case of weight balance, all calories are same, but when it comes to overall health, all calories are not the same.
The three main sources of calories are fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Sources of unhealthy saturated fats are butter, cheese and fatty cuts of meats; whereas sources of healthy unsaturated fats are nuts, vegetable oils, olives and seafood. Just like healthy and unhealthy fats, there are healthy and unhealthy carbs as well.
Simple carbs like white rice, sugar, white flour, soda, fruit juices and baked goods are the ones that make you fat. Complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, wheat flour, beans, lentils, legumes, fruits and vegetables aid in weight loss. Proteins are necessary for increasing muscle mass, and the best low saturated fat natural sources of protein are egg whites and low-fat dairy.
So, it is important to identify the good and the bad calories and include the right foods in your 1200 calorie Indian diet plan to make it healthy and balanced.
(Also read: GM Diet – The Fastest Indian Vegetarian Diet to Lose Weight In 7 Days)
Well, it must have been heard millions of times by now that the secret to a beautifully chiseled figure is 5-6 small meals per day rather than 3 heavy ones that all of us usually have. The small healthy meals at short intervals help in boosting up metabolism thereby burning more calories. The basic idea of the 1200 Calorie meal plan is the same.
We must divide the 1200 calories into 6 meals consisting of 3 meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) of 300 calories each which comes to a total of 900 calories. The remaining 300 calories should consist of healthy snacks and beverages that will be spread throughout the day.
Try to stick to unprocessed, whole foods such as fresh fruits, green leafy vegetables, whole grains, dairy and poultry for meals as well as snacks. Avoid processed foods, starchy vegetables such as potatoes, cabbage, and cauliflower. You can take calcium and multivitamin supplements along with this diet.
In many cases though, a strict diet throughout the day is often ruined due to late night food cravings.
Here, I have provided a sample 1200 calorie Indian diet plan for weight loss including both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes that will help you get an idea of what it ideally looks like and what portions you are supposed to eat. But it must be kept in mind that this is a generalized diet chart that may or may not suit the requirements of everyone in which case you should consult your dietician to know more about the 1200 calorie diet plan.
Vegetarians have a wide range of option in this diet as they can include vegetables, lentils, pulses, cottage cheese (paneer) and yogurt on their menu as a source of protein, vitamins and nutrients. The Vegetarian diet includes:
| Timing | Foods To Eat | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Early Morning | Lukewarm Water with Lemon 1 glass | 0 |
| Tea without Sugar + 2 Gluten Free Biscuits | 90 | |
| Breakfast | 2 Rotis + 1/2 cup Paneer Curry | 330 |
| OR | ||
| Brown Bread Upma 1 plate + Milk 1 cup | 300 | |
| Mid-Morning | 1 Banana/1/2 cup Melon/20 Grapes | 50 |
| Lunch | Brown Rice 1 cup (195 gm) + Mixed Vegetables 1/2 cup + Salad 1 bowl + Raita 1 small bowl | 345 |
| Evening | Butter Milk 1 cup | 35 |
| Dinner | 2 Rotis + Vegetable Soup 1 bowl + Salad 1 bowl | 370 |
| Total | 1220/1190 Cal |
The 1200 Cal non-vegetarian diet chart is almost identical to the vegetarian diet with the exception of eggs, chicken and fish that are included in breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s best to stay away from red meat because of the high level of saturated fats. It’s certainly not a good option for those trying to lose weight.
| Timing | Foods To Eat | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Early Morning | Lukewarm Water with Lemon 1 glass | 0 |
| Tea without Sugar + 2 Gluten Free Biscuits | 90 | |
| Breakfast | 2 Hard boiled Eggs + 2 Slice Brown Bread | 290 |
| OR | ||
| 2 Scrambled Eggs + 1 Slice Brown Bread+ Skimmed Milk 1 cup (240 gm) | 310 | |
| Mid-Morning | 1 Banana/1/2 cup Melon/20 Grapes | 50 |
| Lunch | Brown Rice 1 cup(195 gm) + Chicken(100 gm) + Mixed Vegetables 1/2 cup + Salad 1 Bowl | 360 |
| Evening | Butter Milk 1 cup | 35 |
| Dinner | 1 Roti + Fish(50 gm) + Lentils Dal 1/2 cup+ Raita 1 small bowl (Optional) | 380 |
| Total | 1205/1225 Cal |
Although, it is evident that when following the 1200 calorie diet meal plan, a person cannot consume more than 1200 calories throughout the day, but it is important to divide these 1200 calories into 5 to 6 healthy meals and portions in order to keep it well-balanced and nutritious so that it can promote healthy weight loss without causing any side-effects like slowed down metabolism or nutritional deficiency. Nutritionists recommend that the 1200 calories meal plan should be structured as follows:
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and a healthy weight loss diet cannot be complete without the inclusion of breakfast in it. It has been seen that those who skip breakfast as a precaution to limit calorie intake actually end up consuming more calories towards the end of the day.
Having a healthy breakfast supplies energy throughout the day and keeps you going. Although, in the sample diet plan we have suggested a breakfast of 2 rotis and paneer curry or brown bread upma or scrambled or boiled eggs and brown bread, there are several other breakfast ideas for losing weight that you can try out.
We really don’t need to emphasize why is lunch important for healthy weight loss. But the Indian lunch often comprises of white rice that is a high Glycemic Index food which not only causes a sudden spike in blood glucose level, but also causes lethargy and weight gain. Therefore, a 300 Kcal lunch should always include brown rice or wheat flour rotis. Some 300 Kcal meal options are:
Most of the dieters lose their reins at the end of the day and stuff themselves at dinner. But a controlled 300 cal dinner can keep things under control. It is best to finish up dinner at 8.30 PM at night because it allows the food to be properly digested before going to sleep and the body can have a long gap of almost 11 hours before the next meal – breakfast. Some 300 Kcal dinner options for the 1200 calorie Indian diet are:
A healthy and balanced diet in combination with fast fat burning exercises at home or gym is the best way to reduce weight permanently but most of us are confused about the amount and time of exercise that should be done along with the 1200 Kcal diet in order to promote healthy weight loss. For starters, exercising is absolutely safe while following a 1200 Kcal diet plan but the maximum recommended rate of weight loss is 2 pounds per week.
In order to burn 2 pounds each week you will need to burn 300 calories a day that can be done by either an hour of moderate intensity exercises like brisk walking or swimming or 30 to 45 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercises like running, jogging, hiking or cycling.
While following a 1200 Kcal diet and exercise routine, you might notice that your body needs more calories to reach satiety in order to maintain this rigorous routine. You must respond to your body’s signs and make necessary adjustments in your diet. You can determine whether the 1200 Kcal diet and 300 calorie workout is suitable for you with the help of this formula.
Multiply your body weight by 10 (for a woman) or 11 (for man). Then add another 10% to it for calories burned through the digestion and 20% for sedentary activities.
The best thing about the 1200 Cal diet plan is that you can lose weight and stay fit while enjoying the food you love. You don’t need to starve yourself or say farewell to your favourite foods. All you need is a bit of self-control and restraint.
The 1200 Cal diet plan is a sure way of losing those extra pounds quickly on a short-term basis, but in order to make the effects permanent we need to introduce some healthy changes in the lifestyle that shall include a well-balanced, healthy diet coupled with regular exercise.
Manoja. K is a Post Graduate in Organic Chemistry and has a BSc degree in Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics (Osmania university). She has over 8 years of experience in diet planning, nutrition, and fitness. Her expertise lies in health-related issues such as weight management, PCOD, thyroid, obesity, and stress. She is the chief adviser and full-time contributor at Fit Indian and has the final say on all the segments under the Fit Indian paradigm. She firmly believes that “Good health is a choice”, she believes that a day must begin with nutritious food and fitness activity that helps you beat stress and make life easier. We are not just all about fitness plans; you can also get customized diet plans and healthy cooking tips here! Book a consultation now!
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