Reducing your daily calorie intake should help you lose weight; however, sticking to a reduced-calorie diet is often a challenging and daunting task. Following a low-calorie meal plan can help you stay on track and avoid eating too many calories during your weight-loss program. Choosing the right meal plan can help you successfully lose weight, feel satisfied and keep lost weight off long-term.
Choosing a Plan
An effective low-calorie meal plan for weight loss depends on your gender, size and activity level. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that low-calorie plans of 1,000 to 1,200 calories per day can help most women lose weight, and meal plans containing 1,200 to 1,600 calories per day are usually effective for men, active women and women over 164 Ibs. These recommendations are estimates. If you feel hungry on a low-calorie plan, you may want to increase your calorie intake and if you're not losing weight try a lower-calorie meal plan.
1,200-Calorie Plan
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides sample healthy meal plans at different calorie levels. A USDA sample 1,200-calorie meal plan includes 2.5 cups of dairy products, 3 oz. of protein foods such as lean meats, soy products, seafood, nuts, seeds or eggs, 4 oz. of grains, 17 g or 4 tsp. of oils, 1.5 cups of vegetables, 1 cup of fruits and 121 extra calories from added fats or sugars each day.
1,600-Calorie Plan
A USDA sample 1,600-calorie meal plan includes 3 cups of dairy products, 5 oz. of protein foods such as lean meats, soy products, seafood, nuts, seeds or eggs, 5 oz. of grains, 22 g or 5 tsp. of oils, 2 cups of vegetables, 1.5 cups of fruits and 121 extra calories from added fats or sugars each day.
1,200-Calorie Exchange Plan
The exchange system is similar to the USDA food guide pyramid food groups, but portion sizes may vary slightly. The exchange system is often used to help plan meals for diabetics and control blood sugar levels, but is also effective for weight management. According to the National Lung, Heart and Blood Institute, a sample 1,200-calorie exchange meal plan includes seven bread/starch exchanges, three fruit, one milk, three vegetable, four lean protein and four fat exchanges per day.
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