1,800-Calorie Diet

By Donna Sundblad

If you've tried the 1200 calorie diet and found it just wasn't enough calories for you, you may want to consider trying the 1500 or even the 1800 calorie diet.

Who Should Eat 1800 Calories?

In our weight loss driven society, some people have become hyper-aware of how many calories they are eating. The problem is that dieters often cut back too much on their calories because they want fast weight loss results. According to Cynthia Sass, R.D., coauthor of Your Diet Is Driving Me Crazy, cutting more than 500 calories a day from your diet at once can slow your metabolism. That's bad enough, but she goes on to say that such extreme reductions in caloric intake can further sabotage your weight loss efforts by triggering intense cravings. Perhaps this explains why so many diets fail.

Your Diet Is Driving Me Crazy.

Everyone wants to lose weight fast, but if eating too few calories is going to prompt intense food cravings, maybe it is time to rethink your approach. Maybe, just maybe, it is time to up your caloric intake in order to lose weight. Does that sound like a dream come true? It may very well be. Let's take a look at how to figure out how many calories you should be eating in order to meet your weight loss goals.

Setting Diet Goals

Goals set a standard to help you stay on your diet. When too rigid, dieting becomes a burden. If you've tried to follow a 1200 calorie diet but failed because you were hungry, such a low calorie diet is probably not realistic for you. However, setting a calorie goal does offer a target that works as a guideline. Keep in mind that a healthy weight loss rate is one or two pounds a week. To figure out how many calories you should eat you'll need to determine how many calories you are currently eating in a day. To do this, keep a detailed food journal to track your calories for a period of between three days to a week in order to find your average daily calorie consumption.

Once you know what you have been eating, you can plan to lose one pound in a week by shaving 500 calories off of each day. If you have been eating 2,300 calories a day, eating 1800 calories a day is a realistic weight loss plan. If you want to lose a little more than a pound a week, add exercise to your day. If you cut calories by 500 and burn 250 exercises, that's a daily deficit of 750 instead of just 500 and the difference will be reflected in the weight you lose.

Benefits of Eating 1800 Calories

We've already seen that eating more calories can actually help you stay on your diet and lose weight. Here are a few more benefits you can derive from following a healthy weight loss diet that lets you eat a little more:

·         Healthy weight loss is sustainable

·         Provides sufficient nutrients

·         Is more flexible

·         Keeps you more satisfied while still counting calories

Sample 1800 Calorie Diet Menus

For many of us, it's easier to stick to a diet if we have sample menus to follow or to use as a guideline. The following links provide a variety of 1800 calorie diet menus to inspire your meal planning and preparation. These menus provide the opportunity for variety so you don't get bored with the same foods day in and day out.

·         Cleveland Clinic 1800 Calorie Diet

·         Diet Bites Nutrition Notes to take in 1800 Calories

·         Sample Diet of 1800 Calories to Help You Lose Weight

Make Healthy Choices

No matter which diet you choose and how many calories are in it, it's important to make healthy dietary choices. Doing so can help your weight loss efforts along because a healthy body sheds those unwanted pounds more efficiently. Lastly, don't let the idea of eating more calories give you license to eat empty-calorie foods. Instead, choose whole foods that really nourish the body.