1200 Calories a Day & Running for 10 Minutes a Day for Weight Loss

1,200-Calorie Diet

Although it's often a difficult task to stick with a 1,200-calorie plan, doing so helps peel away pounds safely and effectively. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute suggests while inactive women weighing 164 pounds or less may require just 1,000 to 1,200 calories daily for weight loss, women who exercise regularly and those weighing more than 164 pounds often need 1,200 to 1,600 calories a day. So regardless of how much you run, 1,200 calories is likely appropriate for weight loss. But if you’re losing more than 2 pounds weekly, try boosting your intake to 1,400 or 1,600 calories a day.

Calories Burned

Although you’ll burn few calories, running 10 minutes daily is better than skipping workouts altogether. Harvard Health Publications reports a 125-pound person burns 100 calories running for 10 minutes at 6 mph, a 155-pound individual expends 124 calories and a 185-pound person burns about 148 calories running 6 mph for 10 minutes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests trying 10-minute bouts of aerobic exercise three times daily, five times each week to meet the 150-minutes-per-week minimum recommendation. To shed 2 pounds per week, you’d have to expend 1,000 more calories than you eat on a daily basis.

Maximizing Weight Loss

To reduce your disease risk, maximize your chance at shedding pounds and keep lost weight off for good, exercise 250 to 300 minutes each week, suggest authors of a review published in 2009 in “The Ochsner Journal.” Running 50 minutes five days or 42 minutes six days each week will help you achieve this exercise goal for long-term weight loss and maintenance.

Sample Meal Plan

If a 1,200-calorie diet is the right fit for you, use a 1,200-calorie meal plan to help you abide by these weight-loss calorie recommendations. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 sample 1,200-calorie meal plan includes small servings of dairy foods, healthy oils, vegetables, fruits, protein-rich foods -- such as lean meats, seafood, poultry, egg whites and soy products -- and grains daily. One slice of whole-grain bread or 1/2 cup of brown rice or oatmeal equals one serving from the grains group.