Moderate calorie restriction is an effective way to manage your weight. A diet plan of 1,500 calories is usually enough to help a sedentary woman maintain her weight, or to help a more active woman or man lose weight. Fifteen hundred calories does not leave a lot of room for junk food and discretionary calories. With some planning and diligence, you can enjoy hearty meals and snacks while sticking to your calorie allotment.
Strategy
The way you divide up your 1,500 calories depends on your personal preferences and schedule. Eating three main meals, consisting of about 400 calories each and including two smaller snacks of 150 calories each, is one option. Another way to approach the 1,500-calorie plan is to divide the calories up over five mini-meals, each consisting of about 300 calories. Frank M. Sacks, M.D., of Harvard University, found that following a reduced-calorie diet, regardless of the specific ratio of macronutrients, is an effective way to manage your weight. The findings were published in the February 2009 issue of the "New England Journal of Medicine." For optimal health, try to heed the advice in the dietary reference guidelines put forth by the Institute of Medicine and try to distribute your calories so that you obtain 45 to 60 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, 10 to 35 percent from proteins and 20 to 35 percent from fats.
Types of Food
Focus on foods that are highly nutritious and that provide a lot of volume. Increase your intake of green leafy vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy. Enjoy nuts, plant-based oils and other calorie-dense foods in small servings---stick to a half ounce of nuts, a teaspoon of oil, or just 50 g. of avocado. Try to incorporate a lot of variety to broaden your exposure to nutrients and keep your taste buds happy. Limit your consumption of fast food and processed foods that tend to offer a lot of calories with minimal nutrients and excess sugar, saturated fat and refined flours.
Sample Meals
Regardless of the meal strategy you choose to follow, your meals may consist of similar options. Try a ½-cup serving of dry oatmeal, cooked and served with a ½ cup of low fat milk, ½ cup of blueberries and a tablespoon of toasted almonds. Add an extra ¼ cup of oatmeal and another tablespoon of almonds to make a heartier 400-calorie meal. For a 300-calorie lunch, enjoy a ½-cup serving of brown rice, a cup of vegetables (try zucchini or broccoli) and a 3-oz. grilled chicken breast. Add another ounce of chicken and a large green salad with olive oil dressing to increase calories to 400. Dinner for 300 calories might consist of a cup of whole grain pasta tossed with sauteed asparagus, red onions and a teaspoon each of olive oil and Parmesan cheese. Add two ounces of steamed salmon to increase the calories to 400.
Enjoy 150-calorie snacks (combine two to round out your other two, 300-calorie meals if you choose the mini-meal strategy) of a small apple with a two teaspoons of peanut butter, low fat string cheese and an orange, two tablespoons of hummus with five whole grain crackers, two ounces of roast beef wrapped with a ½ ounce of Swiss cheese in a romaine leaf, or a cup of Greek yogurt with fresh strawberries.
Considerations
When following a 1,500-calorie meal plan, you must pay attention to portion sizes. Too much of any food could cause you to gain weight. Invest in a kitchen scale and weigh out your protein servings. Serve grains and pasta with a measuring cup. If your goal is to lose weight, and you do not seem to be doing so on 1,500 calories a day, try adding more movement rather than trimming calories more. Take an extra walk with your dogs or add 10 minutes to your daily exercise routine.
Warning
Skipping meals to save up calories for a splurge is a strategy likely to backfire. You are better off adhering to your meal plans and allowing yourself a treat meal or item once in a while. With a 1,500-calorie meal plan, reserve 100 calories a day for discretionary calories and enjoy a small cookie, a glass of wine, a slice of bacon or a small chocolate bar---whatever your body craves---with one of your meals or snacks.
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