Foods to Avoid on a 1200 Calorie Diet Plan
If you want to lose weight, you probably already know that limiting yourself to 1,200 calories a day is a good start on your weight loss journey.
When you only consume limited calories with a 1200 calorie diet plan for weight loss, it is essential to ensure that foods in your diet provide the best nutritional count for the fewest amount of calories.
Therefore, weight loss will require you to eliminate certain foods from your diet. For example, to lose weight on a 1200 calorie diet plan, you need to avoid the foods below!
1. Fried and Greasy Foods
1200 Calorie diet plan – Fried and Greasy Foods
Some of the hardest foods to give up on a diet are greasy, fried foods; but eliminating them from your diet is essential! Fried foods have significantly higher levels of fat, calories, and salt when compared to non-fried versions.
For example, baking a large potato with a drizzle of olive oil and seasoning is approximately 110 calories compared to a large, salty serving of McDonald’s fries which is 510 calories.
When you want to consume fewer calories a day for a diet plan, often, greasy and fried foods will have to stay off the menu. Instead, you will need alternative cooking methods like baking and boiling.
2. Large Amounts of Starches and Carbohydrates
1200 Calorie diet plan – White rice
It’s no secret that unhealthy starches and carbohydrates are one of a dieter’s worst enemies. Carbs and starchy foods are easy ways to gain weight and therefore should be avoided, or restricted, while on a 1,200-calorie budget plan.
However, don’t forget that healthy amounts of carbs and starches are part of a balanced diet. Some starches and carbs to avoid include:
- White rice
- White potatoes
- White bread and pasta
- Refined grains
Some healthier alternatives include:
- Sweet potato
- Brown rice
- Nut butter
- Whole Grains
3. Sugary and Artificially Sweetened Drinks
1200 Calorie diet plan – Sugary and Artificially Sweetened Drinks
While on a low-calorie diet, some people become so concerned with foods, they forget about what they drink.
Even worse, they think they can continue drinking sugary or artificially sweetened drinks because the changes in solid foods “make up” for what they choose to drink.
However, sugars and artificial sweeteners are a quick and easy way to add up unhealthy calories. Your brain registers you are full by the weight of what’s in your stomach, not the number of calories you consume.
So, when you are loading up on unhealthy drinks, it’s easy to drink large amounts of liquid that quickly multiply your calorie intake.
Some drinks you should take off the menu include:
- Sodas
- Processed fruit juices
- Sweetened tea
- Beer
4. Candies and Processed Snacks
1200 Calorie diet plan – Candies and Processed Snacks
A significant diet killer for people is giving up candy and processed snacks. Unfortunately, chips, cookies, chocolates, and more are full of sugars and calories.
When you are following 1,200 calories a day, candies and processed snacks will not provide nutrition for you and eat up your available calories for the day.
However, some people may have issues going cold turkey when they give up these items and perhaps will need to wean themselves off; to prevent indulgence from deprivation.
If you decide to have candy or processed snacks, limit your portions. For example, only eat half or a quarter of the candy bar and save the rest for another day. Also, you can:
- Only eat baked chips
- Switch milk or sweetened chocolate for dark chocolate
- Get the sodium-reduced or fat-free versions of the snack
- Choose treats that are organic or semi-healthier like traditional trail mix
Keep in mind, even healthy foods like fruit can lose nutritional value when processed. Canned fruits commonly soak in a sugary syrup that is not good for sugar or calorie intake.
5. Baked Goodies
1200 Calorie diet plan – Baked Goodies
Like chocolate and processed snacks, baked goodies are off the list too. As much as we want our favorite cakes to be on the menu, sugars and bready items are not suitable for weight loss.
Home-baking is a better alternative to store-bought treats, but the fattening elements of baked goodies are not easily unavoidable.
When you are on your 1,200-calorie diet plan, you will have to cross these popular baked goodies off the menu:
- Cake or cupcakes
- Brownies
- Cookies
- Pies
- Puddings
- Bread like rolls and non-whole-grain items
If you must have a taste of these items, try to find healthier ones; like including fat-free ingredients or switching sour cream for Greek yogurt when baking.
Rid Your Kitchen of Bad Foods
Losing and maintaining a healthy weight centers on your diet. When you follow a 1,200-calorie diet plan, there are lots of food you will have to avoid.
High-calorie and sugary foods like candies, carbohydrates, processed snacks, sweetened drinks, and greasy foods must be severely limited, if not completed eliminated.
When you know which foods to avoid, weight loss and management techniques like meal planning and more are easy to accomplish. So go to your kitchen and toss out the unhealthy foods you don’t need!
