1,500-Calorie Diet

Salmon is a healthy low calorie choice.

By Donna Sundblad

If your hunger is getting the best of you on a 1200 calorie diet plan, you may want to boost your intake to a 1500 calorie diet.

About Low Calorie Diets

Low calorie diets are designed to create an energy deficit. This means you're taking in less calories than your body needs, and as a result your body burns stored fat as its fuel source. The result is weight loss.

If this type of diet leaves you feeling tired and unable to exercise, raising your calorie intake to 1500 calories may be the answer. The technique is still low-calorie and fits within the high end of what weight loss experts recommend for women and the low end of calorie amounts needed for men, if you plan to lose weight.

Calories and Pounds

Now that you understand that creating an energy deficit results in the body burning stored body fat, know that one pound of body fat equals around 3,500 calories. You need to take in 3,500 less calories than your body needs for fuel to get rid of one pound of body fat.

Don't let this depress you. Instead, think how eating 1500 calories can melt away unwanted fat. If you normally eat 3000 calories in a day and cut back to 1500, that's 10,500 calories less in one week! Eating 500 less calories each day burns about one pound each week; double that and expect to lose about two pounds each week.

How Many Calories is Right For You?

While it's easy to choose a 1200 or 1500 calorie diet to lose weight, take into consideration factors for you as an individual. There's no magic diet right for everybody. Some people require more than 1500 calories per day even when losing weight. To determine the right caloric intake for yourself, factor in things like:

·         Activity level

·         Height

·         Current Weight

·         Age

This isn't as hard as it sounds. Today it's as easy as clicking an online Calories Needed Per Day Calculator.

Example for Women

If a 35-year-old woman weighs 170 pounds at 5 feet 4 inches and is moderately active, she can eat 2264 calories a day and maintain her weight. She needs to eat less to lose weight. Now if this same 35-year-old woman weighs 150 pounds, the calories needed to maintain her weight drops to 2133, and if she weighs 130 pounds, she needs to eat 2002 calories to maintain. The point is that all of these amounts are to maintain-not to lose. Eating 1500 calories creates an energy deficit significant enough to help lose weight.

Example for Men

Recommended Foods

As with any low-calorie diet plan, limiting your intake to 1500 calories stresses portion control and should be filled with: ·         Fresh fruits ·         Vegetables (boiled, steamed or raw with no butter) ·         Whole grains ·         Non-fat dairy products ·         Lean meats, poultry and fish (roasted, baked or broiled) ·         Beans

Usually, it is not recommended for men to reduce their caloric intake below 1500 calories per day. Men are typically more muscular and require additional calories to perform day-to-day activities.A 5 foot 9 inch man who is 35-years-old, moderately active and weighs 200 pounds must eat 2925 calories a day just to maintain his weight. If he weighs 180 pounds that amount drops to 2738. In the same way, if the 200 pound man is two inches taller that affects caloric needs too, and the amount goes up to 2963. With these totals, it is clear that limiting your diet to 1500 calories is a drastic step toward weight loss. In fact, a 2000 calorie diet creates an adequate calorie deficit to see substantial weight loss results for most men.

Foods to Eat on a 1500 Calorie Diet

Just as there are foods good for you, the following list of foods should be avoided:

·         Fried foods

·         Salty snacks

·         Rich sauces

·         Sweets

·         Fatty desserts

A Doctor's Opinion

While a low calorie diet assists in losing weight, it's important to talk with your doctor about your plans. Reducing your calories too much is feasible. When this happens, your body is designed to protect your energy storage (fat) and your metabolism will kick into survival mode because it thinks you're starving. The result is slower metabolism and less calories burned.Eating 1500 calories is right for many people, but if too few calories enter your body for an extended time, nutritional deficiencies may occur. If you're in doubt, talk with your doctor or dietitian for suggestions. It's great to lose weight but you want to do it in ahealthy way. . .