IMO, how extreme a 1200 calorie diet is depends on your sex, age, activity level and size--when I went to this website (Calorie Calculator) it showed that a 1200 calorie diet put me on the line between mild weight loss and weight loss (I would lose about .75 pounds a week), so if I needed to lose weight then 1200 calories a day with one cheat day a week (I have seen "experts" say that having "cheat" days is good for your metabolism) would be reasonable IMO. IMO, if you are over weight, then it is hard but losing weight is good for your health (can lower your blood pressure and many other good things). IMO, if you are overweight, then losing weight slowly (mild weight loss of .5 lbs a week) is the healthiest route. Perhaps use the calorie calculator above to figure out if you are getting a reasonable amount of calories.