If you are a modestly active woman looking to lose weight, a 1,300-calorie plan may be for you. Regardless of your dietary preferences, you can put together a balanced and satisfying eating plan with this restricted amount of calories. You can put together a healthy 1,300-calorie plan in dozens of ways, but make sure your daily plan follows specific guidelines. Always consult your doctor before beginning a new diet.
Features
A 1,300-calorie plan should feature three meals and at least one snack. Try not to go longer than four hours without a meal or snack, or risk becoming overly hungry and making poor choices at your next sitting. Aim to eat at least 10 to 35 percent of your 1,300 calories from protein, 45 to 65 percent from carbohydrates and 20 to 35 percent from fats. A 1,300-calorie plan includes very little added sugar, alcohol or saturated and trans fats.
Food Choices
Skip meal replacements and "diet" versions of foods -- stick to whole, natural options that offer intrinsic nutrition and more satisfaction. Choose lean proteins, such as lean steak, beans, tofu, white fish or skinless white-meat poultry, to minimize your intake of saturated fat -- too much of which can pile on the calories and raise your risk of developing heart disease. Healthy carbohydrates found in whole grains and fresh produce provide you with energy, fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Stick to nuts, seeds, fatty fish and plant oils for your fat sources. These unsaturated fats support heart health as well as important body functions such as vitamin absorption and hormone production.
Menu Ideas
For a balanced meal plan, have 3/4 cup of bran flakes with 1 cup skim milk and a banana at breakfast; 2 oz. of deli turkey in a whole-wheat pita with lettuce, mustard and tomato along with a cup of vegetable soup for lunch; 3 oz. of grilled salmon, 1 cup of brown rice and 10 asparagus spears for dinner; and a cup of non-fat, plain yogurt mixed with 1/2 oz. of chopped almonds and 1/2 cup of blueberries for a snack. A vegetarian plan might feature a breakfast with a whole-wheat English muffin topped with 2 tbsp. of almond butter and half of a sliced pear; a lunch of 1/2 cup of black beans mixed with 1 cup of quinoa, chopped bell peppers, 1/2 tbsp. of olive oil and lime juice; a dinner of 1/2 cup cubed tofu stir fried with 1 cup snow peas served over 1 cup brown rice; and a snack smoothie made with 1 cup of calcium-fortified soy milk, half of a banana and 1 cup strawberries.
Considerations
For men and very active women, a 1,300-calorie plan may be too low in calories. Men need at least 1,500 calories per day to support their energy and nutritional needs. Very active women may feel lethargic and unable to exercise when eating too few calories. If you find you lose weight at a rate faster than 2 lbs. per week or experience weakness, irritability or extreme hunger on a 1,300-calorie plan, consider adding 200 to 500 more calories daily to create a healthier plan.
Member Comments