Consuming 1,800 calories each day is appropriate for weight maintenance in some people and weight loss for others. Although the average intake in the United States is much higher than 1,800 calories, sticking to an 1,800-calorie diet can help improve your health if you're overweight. The number of calories you require on a daily basis depends on your weight goals, current weight, height, age, gender and activity level.
Weight Maintenance
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, some groups of people typically require about 1,800 calories per day to maintain their current body weight. These include sedentary women ages 31 to 50 and moderately active women who are older than 50.
Individual Requirements
Several methods exist to help you determine your individual daily calorie requirements for weight maintenance or weight loss. MedlinePlus provides guidelines for weight maintenance which include consuming 10 calories per pound of your ideal weight if you're obese or sedentary, 13 calories per pound if you're older than 55 years old or not very active, 15 calories per pound if you exercise regularly at a moderate level and 18 calories per pound of your ideal weight if you regularly perform strenuous exercise. LIVESTRONG.COM provides a calorie calculator that can help you determine your individual calorie requirements based on your weight goals.
Weight Loss
If your daily calorie requirements for weight maintenance are between 2,300 and 2,800 calories per day, following an 1,800-calorie diet can help you lose weight at a safe and appropriate rate. The American Dietetic Association recommends overweight individuals lose weight at a pace of about 1 to 2 Ib. per week, which is typically accomplished by reducing daily calories by 500 to 1,000 per day.
1,800-Calorie Plan
The U.S. Department of Agriculture food guide pyramid provides a meal-planning tool called MyPyramid Plan which helps create calorie recommendations and meal plans for individuals. Using this resource, an 1,800-calorie plan is appropriate for a 55-year-old woman who is 5 feet 4 inches tall, sedentary, 140 Ib., exercises less than 30 minutes per day and would like to maintain her current body weight. The 1,800-calorie plan is also appropriate for a 30-year-old, 135-Ib. woman who is 5 feet tall, exercises 30 to 60 minutes per day and would like to move toward a healthier weight.
Sample Meal Plan
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 has created meal plans for individuals based on different calorie levels. Using this resource, a healthy meal plan for an 1,800-calorie diet includes 2.5 cups of vegetables, 1.5 cups of fruits, 3 oz. of whole grains, 3 oz. of other grains, 5 oz. of lean meat or beans, 3 cups of milk, 24 g of oils and 195 extra calories each day.
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