A daily 1200 calorie diet is nutritionally adequate for most individuals. It is also the lowest amount of daily calories many health professionals recommend for safe and healthy weight loss, provided you eat a well balanced diet
Why 1200 Calories?

Calories are a thermodynamic unit measuring energy. Nutrition labeling uses the calorie to measure the potential energy food will provide when eaten. The human body is a very efficient mechanism, designed to withstand periods of famine. In theory, when you do not consume enough food energy for a sustained period of time, your body's famine efficiency system kicks in and begins to conserve energy by burning less. This happens because your body has no idea when it may receive adequate nutrition again.

Conventional wisdom suggests that a 1200 calorie diet is the safe minimum number of calories an average woman can consume without your body entering starvation mode. While no scientific data backs up the 1200 calorie hypothesis, many doctors and nutritionists agree this is a basic level of caloric intake for good health.

Basal Metabolic Rate
The 1200 calorie recommendation is due in part to basal metabolic rate (BMR) calculations. Every body requires a certain amount of energy to sustain basic functions, such as heart beat and respiration, known as a basal metabolic rate, although every body processes this energy with slightly different levels of efficiency. You can calculate your body's BMR by applying one of the following two formulas:

Women: BMR = 655 + ( 4.35 x weight in pounds ) + ( 4.7 x height in inches ) - ( 4.7 x age in years )
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in year )
Using the formula above, a 30 year old woman who is 5'4" tall and weighs 120 pounds would calculate as follows:

BMR = 655 + 522 + 300.8 - 141, or BMR = 1,336 calories

This formula allows you to gain an approximation of your basal metabolic rate based on your age, height, sex, and current weight. Next, you need to also calculate your activity level by applying the Harris Benedict Equation. To do so, multiply your BMR rate by 1.2 if you are sedentary, 1.375 if you are lightly active, 1.55 if you are moderately active, or 1.75 if you are extremely active. The resultant number is an approximation of how many calories you burn on an average day. If the woman in the above example was moderately active, she would burn around 2,072 calories per day.

Due to differences in the thermodynamic efficiency of the human body, however, these numbers are only an approximation. Other factors such as medications, hormonal imbalances and body composition all play a role in how efficiently your body burns energy.

Eating Too Few Calories
Eating food without sufficient energy to support your body's basic needs may lead to undernutrition. In cases of sustained undernutrition,the body may begin to break down lean tissue in order to obtain the energy it needs. According to the Mayo Clinic, lean tissue tends to require more energy than fat. Loss of lean tissue may lead to decreased metabolism (caloric requirements). Consuming a sufficient level of food energy, such as a 1200 calorie diet, can help prevent this.

Importance of Balance

Although eating a 1200 calorie per day diet may seem like more than enough food, it adds up quickly. For this reason, it is crucial to maintain a balance of macronutrients (proteins, calories, and fat), as well as consuming foods that contain the vitamins and minerals your body needs. To do this, the USDA recommends eating a wide variety of wholesome foods, including fruits and vegetables across the spectrum of colors. You can maintain a 1,200 calorie per day diet and meet food pyramid recommendations by selecting leaner proteins and limiting fat, as well as eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean dairy.

The USDA recommends balancing macronutrients at approximately 55 percent of calories from complex carbohydrates, 15 percent of calories from protein and 30 percent of calories from fats with no more than 10 percent of total fat coming from saturated forms. These percentages equate to 660 carbohydrate calories, 180 protein calories and 360 fat calories. As with the total daily calories, these percentages are adaptable to specific medical conditions.

Sample of 1200 Calorie Diet Menu

Combining protein, carbohydrate and fat at each meal is beneficial for optimizing the 1200 calories. A sample 1200 calorie menu follows:


Breakfast
1 whole wheat English muffin
1 tablespoon peanut butter
½ banana
Mid-morning Snack
20 almonds
1 apple
Lunch
2 slices low-calorie whole wheat bread
2 oz. low-sodium turkey breast
1 oz. cheese
1 tablespoon mustard
Lettuce
Tomato
1 orange
Mid-afternoon Snack
8 oz. low-fat yogurt
Dinner
3 oz. grilled, baked or broiled chicken breast (skinless)
1 cup cooked broccoli (or vegetable of choice)
2/3 c. brown rice
Evening Snack
1 cup 1% milk
2 low-fat fig cookies
Benefits

You can derive many benefits from eating a 1200 calorie menu. Primarily, when you choose nutritious, wholesome foods, you will satisfy your hunger and calm cravings, thereby avoiding episodes of overeating. Eating in this manner also offers variety from all the food groups while supplying energy and well-being to every cell of your body.

Drinking 48-ounces of water with your meals and snacks is also beneficial. Being well-hydrated not only provides energy, but also helps your body rid itself of the fluids from your shrinking fat cells, otherwise known as weight loss.

Health Warning

People with certain health conditions, very active people, and pregnant or breast-feeding women require more than 1200 calories. It is important to discuss particular nutritional needs with your physician or nutritionist.

Choosing healthy foods, limiting caloric intake, and moving more are all strategies for weight loss. By eating a balanced diet, you can supply your body with the nutrients it needs to be healthy.