1200 to 1500 Calorie Diet

You can achieve healthy weight loss on a 1,200 to 1,500 calorie a day weight-loss plan, provided you cut unhealthy fats and add more fiber and protein to your diet. Cycle between 1,200 and 1,500 calories per day for maximum weight-loss results, and be sure to drink at least 64 oz. of water every day, which will flush fat and toxins from your body.

Cut the Fat

Lose weight by cutting fat along with calories. Limit your fat intake to 20 to 35 percent of your total daily caloric consumption. For example, if you are following a 1,500-calorie diet, your intake should be fewer than 60 grams of fat per day.

Examples of low-fat foods include most vegetables, fruits, lean protein and low-fat dairy products. For snacks, substitute foods such as low-fat pudding and low-fat fudge pops. And instead of eating prepackaged microwave popcorn, have hot air-popped popcorn for a lower fat intake.

Add Fiber, Complex Carbohydrates and Protein

Fiber, complex carbohydrates and lean protein all help you feel fuller for a longer period of time, which helps you adhere to your 1,200 to 1,500 calorie plan. Fiber and complex carbohydrates also help keep blood-glucose levels stable and can lower your blood pressure.

Eat 20 to 30 grams of fiber each day for maximum health and weight-loss benefits. Approximately 45 to 65 percent of your total calorie intake should come from complex carbohydrates. For example, someone following a 1,500 calorie plan should get 170 to 240 grams of carbohydrates each day.

Get fiber and complex carbohydrates by including beans, bran, and a wide variety of vegetables and fruit into your diet daily. Bran cereal packs the most fiber punch, followed by members of the bean and legume families, such as chickpeas, black beans and lentils.

Low-fat protein sources are another key to weight loss. Protein feeds muscle growth, which burns calories more efficiently. Your diet should consist of 15 to 25 percent lean protein such as fish, chicken and legumes. If you follow the 1,500 calorie daily plan you should eat between 55 to 95 grams of protein a day.

Cycle Calories

If you reach a weight-loss plateau, try "caloric cycling" to boost your metabolism. In caloric cycling, you eat a certain number of calories for a number of days and then shift your intake and eat a different number of calories the next week.

For example, eat 1,200 calories a day for one week, and then eat 1,500 calories a day for the next week. Shifting weekly calorie consumption creates metabolic "confusion," which revs your metabolic process and kick starts weight loss.