Whether trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, a 1,600-calorie per day plan reflects an adequate calorie estimate for many. Any diet plan, whether it's for weight loss or weight maintenance, requires a balance of nutrition.
The 1600-Calorie Diet
Younger children between the ages of 4 to about 9 generally need an average around 1,600 calories per day. Men who have a smaller stature and frame and are over 30 years of age can eat a healthy average of 1,600 calories. For most women over 25 years old 1,600 calories is a good calorie goal to aim for, too. Exceptions to this include shorter women with a small frame who may need slightly fewer and people doing heavy to moderate exercise, athletes, breastfeeding women, and larger women who may all may need more calories. Experiment with what's right for you and watch how your body responds as you adjust your overall calories.
Break It Down
Look ahead at how you will break down the 1,600 calories throughout the day. Try to eat five or six times from when you get up until you go to bed. Use the following model as one way to evenly balance your calories in a day: 300 calorie breakfast, 200 calorie snack, 400 calorie lunch, 200 calorie snack, 400 calorie dinner, 100 calorie snack.
Fighting Hunger
Feel free to add "freebie foods" that are high in fiber but low in calories if you feel hungrier than what your 1,600 calories provide. Some examples include lettuce, cucumbers, celery, broccoli, bell peppers and other non-starchy vegetables. Eat them as a snack alone or add them into meals and dishes.
All Calories Count
Every calorie that goes in your mouth counts towards your daily total of 1,600 calories. Include all foods, even that piece of candy from the office candy dish or extra nibbles while preparing meals. All beverages count, too. Get familiar with measurements like ½ cup, 8 oz. and 1 tbsp. to relate serving sizes and how many calories are in your portions.
Be Armed With a Plan
Preparing for your 1,600-calorie goal will ensure your success of sticking to a specific calorie count. Look ahead at your schedule for the day to see when you will be eating and if you need to prepare snacks and meals ahead of time. Having a scheduled planning time once a week will also help you lay out meals, recipes and shopping needs ahead of time. Be prepared when you go out to eat by looking up restaurant nutrition details ahead of time through online resources like the website Dining Out Nutrition (see Resources). Many restaurants have nutrition information on menus or in brochures.
Keep Track
Keeping track of your calories consistently helps with weight loss and maintenance. The National Institutes of Health confirms that "Record keeping is one of the most successful behavioral techniques for weight loss and maintenance." Get familiar with using Nutrition Facts on packaging. Other tools can help, too, like online tracking sites, smart phone apps, and hand-held trackers to-go like CalorieSmart. A paper and pen also works so that you know when you've reached your 1,600-calorie mark each day.
References
- "Understanding Nutrition"; Whitney, Rolfes; West Publishing Company, 12th edition 2010
- NIH: Daily Food and Activity Diary
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