Following an 1,800-calorie meal plan allows you enough calories to not feel deprived while assisting with your weight management. If you exercise three or four times a week for a half hour to an hour, 1,800 calories will likely create a calorie deficit and result in weight loss. By planning your meals carefully, you can meet your nutritional needs and still enjoy a treat or two while consuming 1,800 calories per day.
Function
You should first determine if 1,800 calories meets your weight management goals. Use an online calculator, like the one found at Calories-per-hour.com, to input your age, weight, height, gender and activity level to find out if you need more or less calories. Endurance athletes and active men will find an 1,800 calorie meal plan insufficient for their energy needs. A woman who participates in little exercise and spends most of her day at a desk may gain weight by consuming 1,800 calories per day.
Composition
Divide the 1,800 calories up into three main meals and two or three mini snacks to enjoy throughout the day. If you eat 500 calories each at breakfast, lunch and dinner and two 150-calorie snacks, your blood sugar levels will remain stable and the chances that you will overeat due to extreme hunger are reduced. Limit soda, alcohol and sweets as an 1,800-calorie meal plan does not leave a lot of room for these discretionary calories.
Calorie Breakdown
At breakfast, lunch and dinner try to incorporate a serving each of lean protein, whole grains and healthy fats. A person seeking general health should follow Department of Agriculture guidelines and make 50 to 60 percent of your daily calories come from carbohydrates, 10 to 25 percent from protein and 20 to 30 percent from fat. Allocate the remaining 300 calories to snacks, a glass of wine or a dessert.
Types of Food
Your meal plan should include foods that make you feel full, taste good and provide adequate nutrition. Focus on proteins that are low in saturated fat like fish, chicken and low fat dairy. Eat whole grains such as brown rice, oatmeal and barley to provide fiber, and B vitamins to satisfy your hunger. Fat facilitates vitamin absorption and hormone production, but too much of the wrong kinds can contribute to belly fat and a host of health risks. The American Heart Association recommends you consume primarily monounsaturated fats such as those found in nuts and plant oils, as these do not increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Considerations
Keep track of your hunger levels, energy and weight while following an 1,800-calorie meal plan. Unintended weight loss or gain means you should change your intake. Be forgiving of yourself if you exceed your meal plan goals once in a while. Get back on track as soon as possible to prevent weight gain.
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