The 1,000 calorie per day diet is a meal plan designed to help you gradually lose weight. It is considered a low-calorie diet, so before you begin following this type of meal plan, it is best to get medical clearance from your primary care physician. For most healthy adults, following a 1,000 calorie per day diet will promote weight loss at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week, depending on your level of physical activity.
Health Benefits of Low-Calorie Diets
Adults who are overweight or obese could reap a number of health benefits from following the 1,000 calorie per day diet. This diet will assist with slow and sustainable weight loss, and by losing weight, it will help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart attack, and liver and gallbladder disease. In addition, losing weight can also help to lower your blood pressure and your cholesterol levels.
Reading Nutrition Labels
When following a 1,000 calorie per day diet, essentially all you have to do is limit your food and beverage intake to 1,000 calories per day. The easiest way to monitor your calorie intake is to keep a log of everything you eat, and write down how many calories are each item. To find out the caloric content of foods and beverages, read the nutrition label, keeping in mind the serving size. For example, If you eat two servings of a certain item, you will need to multiply the calories by two. If the food item does not have a nutrition label, simply look the item up using an on-line calorie counter.
Balancing Your Diet
Your daily intake of 1,000 calories should come from a variety of nutrient-dense foods. In theory, you could lose weight by only eating 1,000 calories worth of chocolate, but that would not be healthy. Instead, you should follow the USDA food guide pyramid (MyPyramid) and include foods from all different food groups. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat protein and dairy are all good choices to make when following the 1,000 calorie diet. Just make sure that you portion sizes are small because even healthy foods can contain a substantial number of calories.
Calorie-Free Beverages
Because most adults consume about 21 percent of their calories from beverages, cutting back on your sugary drinks will be essential if you are going to follow a 1,000 calorie per day diet. Instead of drinking soda, juice and sports drinks, choose water, diet soda or artificially sweetened beverages. Many people will eat when, in fact, they are actually thirsty--so be sure to keep yourself well hydrated.
Sample Menu for the 1,000 Calorie Per Day Diet
The following sample menu follows the low-fat and low-cholesterol 1,000 calorie per day diet guidelines.
Breakfast: 1/2 cup scrambled egg substitute, 1 slice fat-free American cheese, 1 slice low-calorie bread, black coffee
Lunch: 1/2 whole grain pita stuffed with green peppers, mushrooms, shredded carrots, broccoli, and 3 tbsp. hummus; 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with 1 cup strawberries; 16 oz. water
Snack: 1 cup light yogurt with small apple
Dinner: 3 oz. grilled salmon, 1/3 cup brown rice, 1 cup steamed green beans, 3/4 cup blueberries, 16 oz. water
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