Is a 1,200 calorie meal plan safe?
Not on your own. NICE keeps 800 to 1,200 calories a day for specialist weight services. And 1,200 isn’t the same cut for everyone. For some, it’s more than twice the NHS cut.
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Is a 1200 calorie meal plan safe?
Not as a plan you follow alone. NICE calls 800 to 1,200 calories a day a low-calorie diet. It says to consider one only with long-term support from a specialist weight service, or a service for conditions like type 2 diabetes.
Even then, it’s for adults living with obesity, or with overweight and type 2 diabetes. It should give you all the nutrients you need (NICE calls this nutritionally complete) and last no more than 12 weeks.
- Below 800 calories a dayNICE: very low calorie. Specialist service only.
- 800 up to 1200 calories a dayNICE: low calorie. Specialist support, 12 weeks at most.
- Above 1200 calories a dayNHS: cut about 600 from what you eat now.
Sources: NICE NG246; NHS
The NHS agrees. It says very low calorie diets, which it puts under 800 or 1,200 calories, are not suitable or safe for everyone. They’re usually only recommended if your weight affects other health conditions and you need to lose weight quickly.
Think of 1,200 like a strong medicine. It has a goal, a time limit and possible side effects, so someone should be checking on you.
Want to try it? Ask your GP about a specialist weight service. If not, start with the NHS cut below.
Is 1,200 calories a big cut for me?
It depends on what you eat now. The NHS says to cut around 600 calories a day from your usual amount. It calls that a safe and sustainable way to lose weight.
On average, a woman needs 2,000 and a man 2,500 a day. Yours could differ with your age, weight, height and how much exercise you do.
Source: NHS
That gap is the NHS cut: about 600 a day. For Person B, that lands nearer 1,900, not 1,200.
Person A lands on 1,200, which NICE still counts as a low-calorie diet. If cutting 600 would take you to 1,200 or less, ask a GP or dietitian first.
Add up one typical day of food and drink first. Then you can see where to cut about 600.
What are the risks of eating 1,200 calories a day?
NICE says a low-calorie diet has risks, such as weight going up and down, weight coming back, and possible side effects.
NICE also advises against restrictive diets that are nutritionally unbalanced. It says they don’t work in the long term and can be harmful.
An NHS service in London warns that cutting too hard without medical supervision can mean your body misses nutrients it needs. That can put your long-term health at risk.
You may be more likely to get gallstones if you lose weight quickly. These are small stones in the gallbladder, a small organ in the top of your tummy that helps you digest food. Most people with them get no symptoms.
And even on a supervised diet, NICE says weight regain is likely. If it happens, it isn’t because you failed.
So cut steadily, from normal meals, as below.
What should I eat to lose weight instead?
Your normal meals, a bit smaller. The NHS splits the 600 across the day: about 100 at breakfast, 200 at lunch, 200 at dinner and 100 from snacks.
| Meal | Try | NHS tip |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Porridge made with semi-skimmed milk and a handful of berries | Weigh cereal. Skip jam and chocolate spreads. |
| Lunch | Bean and vegetable soup with a slice of wholemeal bread | Check labels on shop-bought food. Drink water or sugar-free drinks. |
| Dinner | Baked fish or chicken, half a plate of veg and a few new potatoes | Cook from scratch. Limit ready meals and takeaways. |
| Snack | An apple, or a small bowl of plain popcorn | Swap crisps and chocolate for fruit or plain popcorn. |
Sources: NHS Better Health; NHS healthy eating
Don’t like a meal? Swap in one you do, and keep the same plate shape.
Six NHS habits for every meal
- Fill about half your main meal plate with veg, at least 2 portions.
- Have some protein at each meal, like beans, pulses, fish, eggs or lean meat.
- Keep starchy foods to no more than a third of what you eat each day.
- Choose wholegrain bread, rice and pasta when you can.
- Drink 6 to 8 cups of fluid a day.
- Keep fruit juice and smoothies to 150ml a day in total.
Source: NHS Better Health
Protein can help you feel full for longer. See protein for weight loss.
Want a full week? Try our 7-day meal plan for weight loss and these healthy dinners.
The free NHS Weight Loss Plan app lets you set a goal, pick portion sizes and track your calories.
What does a supervised low-calorie diet look like?
It comes with a team and an end date. NICE sets out what should happen.
A supervised low-calorie diet, step by step
- 1
Before
Risks explained, your medicines reviewed, and eating disorder checks if needed.
- 2
During
Nutritionally complete, 12 weeks at most, with a dietitian or nutritionist.
- 3
After
Help to bring back a wider range of foods.
- 4
Long term
A plan for support if the weight comes back.
Source: NICE NG246
One NHS programme is for adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity or overweight. It swaps all meals for soups and shakes of 800 to 900 calories a day for 12 weeks. Support lasts 12 months, including help to bring back food.
The DiRECT trial was in adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the last 6 years. Almost half of those on the low calorie diet put their type 2 diabetes into remission after one year. Remission meant blood sugar below the diabetes level, off all diabetes medicines for at least 2 months.
That result is for type 2 diabetes on soups and shakes, not for a 1,200 food diet.
Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber. To compare services, see weight loss programmes.
When to speak to a GP
Talk to a GP before you change how you eat if you have a medical condition or a special diet for your health. The same goes if you have an eating disorder, or have had one.
BMI (body mass index) compares your weight with your height. See what your BMI means. Also book an appointment if:
- You want to try 1,200 calories a day or less. Ask about a specialist weight service or a dietitian.
- You take medicines and plan a low-calorie diet. NICE says to review them first.
- Your BMI is in the overweight or obese range and you want help to lose weight, your waist is more than half your height, or obesity runs in your family.
- Your BMI is overweight or obese and you have pre-diabetes, diabetes, high blood pressure, joint pain, high cholesterol, sleep apnoea (breathing that stops and starts as you sleep) or heart and blood vessel disease.
- You have, or think you may have, an eating disorder, such as binge eating. The charity Beat can help too.
Watch for gallstone signs if you lose weight fast. Get an urgent GP appointment or call 111 if tummy pain lasts longer than 30 minutes.
Call 999 or go to A&E for sudden, severe tummy pain, or pain that spreads to your back while you’re being sick. The same goes for a very high temperature, feeling hot, cold or shivery, or yellow skin or whites of your eyes.