Are you thinking of giving the 1200 calorie diet a whirl? It is a very prevalent diet, as you will find if you do a simple internet search. But what is this diet all about, what are the benefits and is it hard to maintain? More to the point, is it healthy and safe, and does it work?

For starters let me inerject that eating 1200 calories a day is not for every one. Some persons will require more than that so it depends upon your body type. But 1200 was the number settled upon by the powers that be as it is deemed to be the 'nutritionally adequate' amount of daily calories required by most people. It is also recommended as the baseline number of calories that is acceptable for safe weight loss. But it can be exceedingly difficult to track and stick to this number of calories every single day and can leave little room for diet variations.

If you eat too few calories, you can become somewhat weak and lethargic and we know this is not a fun place to be. That is why "starvation diets" don't work. However the 1200 calorie diet can be nutritious and also produce a calorie deficit that is essential for weight loss. Many diet programs will use the number 1200 as a basis for their daily meal plans.

What factors influence your daily required calories?

• age

• gender

• activity level

• current weight

• medical conditions

• metabolic rate

Benefits of the 1200 calorie diet:

The main point is that you are more likely to partake of only healthy foods to maintain the calorie requirements. This helps you avoid over eating and eating junk food.

It is very easy to consume 1200 calories per day quickly and most people find themselves going over the threshold.

The Twist:

There is another easier method that may help you to stick to a 1200 calorie diet and that is by watching your calories over a week instead of per day. Then apply the healthy technique of using two short term 24 hour intermittent fasting periods in your week. By doing this you not only get the benefits of the same calorie deficit at the end of your week but on the five days of the week that you will be eating you will actually be able to eat more...

Let me explain the math. 1200 calories per day multiplied by seven days = 8400 calories a week. But with the added twist of two 24 hour short term fasts in your week it will look something like this: At 3 meals a day you are allowed 400 calories per meal, right? So if you fast one day from say, 5pm after supper and eat again at 5pm supper the next day then you fasted through 2 meals, right?

That means 2 meals at 400 calries comes up to 800 calories total that you didn't take in during your 24 hour fast. If you do this, say on Monday and Thursday the total number of calories that you would not have consumed will total out at 1600 calories.

In a seven day period at three meals a day that comes out to 21 meals a week at 400 calories a meal. If you fast two times a week you will cut out 4 meals in a week's time which is 1600 calories. Take those 1600 calories and divide them into the 17 meals that are left and you come out around 94 calories you can add to each of the 17 meals which comes out to 494 calories a meal instead of just 400 calories a meal...not too bad, huh? Or you can eat a fourth meal per day of 282 calories...that is an extra turkey sandwich a day on the days that you are eating. That could make the difference between victory or defeat if you decide to take on the 1200 calorie diet.

Short term intermittent fasting has enabled many individuals to cut calories in the long term which results in weekly weight loss. The best part of losing weight by this means is that it is more likely to be PERMANENT weight loss. Personally, this method has worked wonders for me and I have yet to take the first ride on the 1200 calorie diet...this stuff rocks!