For a diet to result in meaningful weight loss, you must create a calorie deficit. For most people, a 1500 calorie a day diet is low enough to yield weight loss, but still contains enough food to keep you energized and nutritionally balanced.
Function
How much weight you lose on a 1500 day diet plan depends on how many calories you presently take in to maintain your weight. Cutting 500 calories a day yields a 1 lb per week weight loss. You can reasonably expect to lose between 1 and 2 lbs. a week by eating 1500 calories per day. Add in an hour of rigorous exercise several days a week to accelerate the results of this plan.
Features
A 1500 calorie a day diet is best divided into three meals and two snacks. Each meal should contain between 350 and 450 calories and each snack between 100 and 150 calories. Eating regularly keeps your energy stores even, discourages binging at any one meal and keeps your metabolism revved. Divide each meal into a macro-nutrient ratio of approximately 60 percent carbohydrates, 20 percent protein and 20 percent fat, as recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines.
Strategy
Filling your 1500 calories up with junk food will leave you unsatisfied and nutritionally unbalanced. Focus on whole foods that give you a large portion size for less calories. Go for fresh produce such as watery green vegetables and fresh fruit. Switch to low-fat dairy to meet calcium and protein requirements. Forgo fatty and processed meats like rib-eye and hot dogs and eat lean flank steak and ground turkey instead. Limit calories devoted to soda, alcohol and simple sugars. Snack on fresh fruit, an ounce of nuts or whole grain crackers.
Considerations
You might consider starting a food diary--either in a journal or on-line--to ensure that you stick to your plan. A study in the August 2008 edition of the "American Journal of Preventive Medicine" demonstrates that keeping a food diary can double weight loss by making you aware of your intake. Educate yourself about portion sizes so you can eyeball foods when out to dinner and estimate calories. Finally, if you should exceed your goal of 1500 calories one day, simply get back on track as soon as possible to mitigate the damage and reconnect with your goal.
Warning
Do not skip meals to save up your calories. This can lead you to become overly hungry and susceptible to temptation and overindulgence. While on a 1500 calorie a day plan, allow yourself a treat every once in a while so you do not feel deprived.
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