7 Day Diabetic Friendly 1,200 Calories Meal Plan
Parul Dube
November 18, 2022
Diabetes
Diabetes is an ever-growing disease. The number of diabetes cases is just increasing day by day. Its predominant causes are lifestyle and dietary changes. Diabetes affects around 537 million persons, according to statistics. By 2030, the prevalence could reach 643 million people. The answer, on the other hand, is straightforward. There are various causes of diabetes that vary from individual to individual. As a result, understanding the cause is critical to understanding the treatment. In addition, following a nutritious diet and remaining physically active can minimise the risk.
If you correct your lifestyle and dietary habits, you can control diabetes. Obesity is the result of diabetes, and you might want to lose some pounds as soon as possible. We have just the right solution for you. We have a 1200 calories diabetic-friendly meal plan that will help you control it and help you lose some pounds with its low calories.
What Exactly Happens in Diabetes?
Diabetes Mellitus (DM), also known as Diabetes, is a metabolic disorder that hinders glucose utilisation in the body either entirely or partially. It raises glucose concentrations in the blood, which alters carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolisms in the body. It majorly happens due to the failure or alteration in the formation of insulin in the body. The beta-cells of the Islets of Langerhans in the pancreas secrete insulin.
Many people with diabetes cannot produce insulin in the body at all, or its production is low, or there’s insulin insensitivity. Insulin sensitivity means the body is not sensing or releasing insulin, and hence glucose is not being absorbed in the body. Do you know that India is also called the ‘Diabetic Capital of the World’? By 2030, India will have 80 million people with diabetes. Hence diabetes is a leading cause of health hazards amongst all Indians.
Types of Diabetes
Type-1 DM
The onset of this type of diabetes happens at a juvenile or very young age, sometimes even before the teenage years. It is an insulin-dependent type of diabetes. In this type, the pancreas is unable to produce insulin. Hence glucose is not being absorbed into the body cells as insulin is absent. So insulin is provided from external sources to help better for glucose absorption into the body.
Type-2 DM
The onset of this type of diabetes happens after the age of 40. It is an insulin-independent type of diabetes. In this type of diabetes, either insulin produced is deficient in amount or its action is impaired. Insulin Resistance with relative insulin deficiency mainly characterises it.
Pre-Diabetes
Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs before the onset of diabetes with high sugar levels. However, being diagnosed with diabetes isn’t enough. People who recognise it at this stage should take precautions by adopting a healthy lifestyle and avoiding the onset of severe stages.
Some other types of diabetes are gestational diabetes, where the woman develops it only when she is expecting, diseases of the endocrine pancreas, and genetic disorders of insulin action or beta-cell function.
1200 Calories Meal Plan: How Does it Work?
This meal plan is deficient in calories. It is advisable for people who do not have a lot of strenuous physical activity in their lifestyle. It is also not advised for pregnant, lactating and planning to conceive women. A 1200 calorie meal plan gives you just the right amount of calories your body needs for its basic functioning. If you want to manage diabetes and lose weight efficiently, you might even do some light exercises as a home workout or at the gym under the supervision of a certified trainer.
1200 Calories Meal Plan and Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition also known as the silent epidemic. It plans to slowly and gradually affect your body and its organs. So can you step up your game to control it? How? Read on, and you will get your answer.
In this meal plan, we have written the carbohydrate consumption of each food item in each meal. It will help you track your carbohydrate intake, and if the doctor has prescribed insulin, you can take the dosage accordingly.
Calculation of 1200 Calories Meal Plan
Calculating 1200 calories can be difficult. But don’t you worry, a simple trick will help you do it quickly, and it will be at your fingertips. Before consuming any product:
- See its nutritional label. The label will have the calories written, and adjacent to it will be the number of calories per serving size.
- Be careful of the serving size, don’t overdo it and don’t cheat yourself.
- Take the recommended serving size and add your calories to a calorie tracking app.
- Check your calories.
Even before dinner and evening snacks, you can check your calorie intake so that you eat something within the range.
Diabetic-Friendly Meal Plan: Foods to Eat
- You can have whole grains and millets like wheat, Jowar, Bajra, and ragi. You can also eat high biological value proteins like egg, chicken, and fish.
- In addition, good fats from plant sources like canola oil and olive oil help.
- It will help if you have seeds and nuts like flaxseeds, almonds, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds.
- Fibre-rich foods like fruits and vegetables with edible peels have soluble fibre. According to a study, a high-fibre diet lowers the risk of diabetes. It is because diets high in soluble fibre help keep blood glucose levels stable. As a result, they aid in the control of blood sugar levels.
- Probiotics are healthy gut bacteria present in fermented products. Studies display that probiotics might also lessen blood glucose levels and enhance insulin resistance. In addition, they support healthy intestine microbiota and decrease inflammation. Therefore, they save you from infections. Some probiotic meals are yoghurt, kefir, and fermented vegetables.
- Chromium and magnesium are essential in carbohydrate metabolism. Thus, the deficiency of those minerals might also cause diabetes. Hence, you must eat sufficient chromium and magnesium-enriched meals for your diet. Meals with chromium include meat, complete grains, and nuts. Some magnesium-rich items are green leafy vegetables, tuna, dark chocolates, and avocados.
7- Day Diabetic-Friendly 1200 Calories Meal Plan
Day 1
| Breakfast | 2 scrambled eggs1 small apple Two-slice whole-wheat bread 1 Jennie-O Lean Turkey Sausage |
| Mid-morning | ½ cup raw carrots |
| Lunch | 1 slice whole-wheat bread.Almond butter 1 tbsp.4oz low-fat yoghurt |
| Snacks | 3 cups popped popcorn 1 tsp canola oil |
| Dinner | 1 cup turkey chilli 1 Tbsp. low-fat sour cream1 corn tortilla wrap ½ cup fresh pear slices |
Day 2
| Breakfast | 2 egg omelette with tomato, onion and 1 tsp grated cheese2 roughly chopped figs2 walnuts |
| Mid-morning | ½ medium banana |
| Lunch | ½ cup tuna salad 2 slices whole wheat bread½ cup berries½ cup celery1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar |
| Snacks | ½ cup strawberries 2 pieces dark chocolate |
| Dinner | 3oz roasted chicken without skin1 cup baked squash 1 tsp. Olive oil½ cup cauliflower½ cup canned corn |
Day 3
| Breakfast | ½ cup Quaker Instant Oatmeal (low sugar) 1 cup fat-free milk ¼ cup almonds |
| Mid-morning | 1 cup fresh cherries |
| Lunch | 2 slices of whole wheat bread 3oz honey-roasted deli turkey1 slice of reduced-fat provolone cheese1 tbsp. mustard1 medium sized seasonal fruit |
| Snacks | 6oz light yoghurt ½ cup blueberries |
| Dinner | 3oz salmon½ large baked potato ½ cup carrots, broccoli, peas |
Day 4
| Breakfast | 1 whole-wheat English muffin 1 poached egg1 cup nonfat milk |
| Mid-morning | 1 medium sized seasonal fruit3-4 almonds |
| Lunch | 3oz chicken breast½ cup watermelon 1-2 dates |
| Snacks | 2 celery sticks with hummus dip 3 whole wheat crackers |
| Dinner | 1 cup spaghetti with meat sauce 1 thick slice of garlic bread1 cup Romaine lettuce¼ cup carrots10 sliced yellow bell peppers1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar |
Day 5
| Breakfast | 2 scrambled eggs on toast1 small bowl of Greek Yoghurt with berries |
| Mid-morning | ½ small banana |
| Lunch | 1 small bowl of lemon-herb rice1 slice of whole wheat bread1 medium orange |
| Snacks | ½ banana 1 oz string cheese |
| Dinner | 3 oz. grilled chicken breast1 cup mixed vegetables 1 tsp canola oil½ cup brown long-grain rice |
Day 6
| Breakfast | 2 whole wheat waffles¼ cup walnuts |
| Mid-morning | ¾ cup blueberries |
| Lunch | 2 whole-wheat pitas (4” diameter) 2 oz. lean ground turkey 1 tbsp. Of greek yoghurt10 strips red bell pepper1 tbsp. taco sauce1 glass of buttermilk with 1 tbsp of flaxseed powder |
| Snacks | 1 cup apple slices 1 tbsp. peanut butter |
| Dinner | 3 oz. lasagne with meat and tomato sauce ½ cup steamed asparagus 1 small dinner roll with 1 tsp. Unsalted butter1 cup nonfat milk |
Day 7
| Breakfast | ½ cup cooked oatmeal6 chopped almonds1 cup fat-free milk¾ cup blueberries |
| Mid-morning | 1 small apple |
| Lunch | 1 whole grain pita bread (6 inches)2 ounces tuna1 tablespoon of reduced-fat mayo1 cup raw baby carrots |
| Snacks | 2/3 cup low-fat yoghurt |
| Dinner | 3 ounces grilled chicken breast2/3 cup brown rice1 cup sautéed spinach1 tsp olive oilLemon juice with light seasoning of salt and pepper |
Things to Avoid
- Alcohol
- Smoking
- Lack of sleep
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Stress
- Refined carbohydrates and their food items
- Sweets treats, baked items, and confectionary
Precautions
- 1200 calorie diet is significantly fewer calories. It may even be that it is half of what you regularly consume. If you want to reduce weight, a slight and gradual decrease of calories is far better than suddenly decreasing them to 1200 in your diet.
- This diet needs constant supervision by a qualified dietitian or a nutritionist. You have to stay in touch with the designated person at all times and maintain complete transparency with them concerning your food intake and diet.
- If you have work, be it office work or household chores, this diet may not suit you as it will lower your productivity with such a low-calorie diet.
- If you love food and cannot restrict yourself so much, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. You can eat a little more than the restricted calorie and then work out. For example, if instead of a 1200 calorie diet you consume a 1500 calorie diet, do not worry. You can work out and burn 300 calories. The net result will be 1200. So you are on the safe side.
- Do consult a certified nutritionist or a dietitian before following a low-calorie diet.
Conclusion
You may follow a 1200 calorie diet if you want to lose weight. However, following such a diet should be under the strict supervision of a certified nutritionist or a dietitian. This meal plan is ideal for a diabetic person with a sedentary lifestyle. You may follow this diet but under supervision. Besides following the meal plan, optimum sleep, lowered stress, and a proper lifestyle is essential. All this together will help combat the disease and be one step ahead of it.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. How much weight will I lose if I eat 1200 calories a day?
A. If you consume a 1200 calorie diet, you may lose 4-4.5 pounds in a week. It means you may lose 0.6 pounds or 272.1 grams or 0.2 kg. Losing this much weight in a day is healthy. Slow and gradual weight loss allows your body to understand and process your needs properly and effectively.
Q. How many calories should I eat a day to lose 5 lbs a week?
A. A regular working person should not consume less than 1200 calories. You should not go for it as it can have harmful consequences. With 1200 calories, you are losing 4.5 pounds to lose some more. You might work out under someone’s supervision and fill up the deficit.
Q. Does drinking water help you lose weight?
A. Drinking 3-4 litres of water in a day is essential for the body’s functioning. Fluid plays many vital roles in your body, like maintaining the osmotic pressure and maintaining the viscosity of the blood. Therefore, drinking an ample amount of water helps regulate the body’s essential functioning, also aiding in weight loss.
Q. How can I lose my stomach fat?
A. By following a low-calorie diet rich in fibre, protein and good fat, and healthy lifestyle changes like 7-8 hours of optimal sleep, can help you lose stomach fat. You should also not take stress, drink adequate water, which is 3-4 litres in a day, and do physical activity every day. These things will help you lose weight and get rid of stomach fat.
