Losing weight is all about using more calories than you put in. Normally, a woman that is 150 pounds and of average height needs around 2,210 calories to maintain her weight. It is recommended that a woman of this size consume 1,710 calories to lose one pound a week at moderate activity. To lose more weight, the calories can be cut back even farther to 1,500 calories. Here is how this type of diet can work.
Function
Eating only 1,500 calories can help you lose weight no matter what you eat, according to a study done by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center and the Harvard School of Public Health. This worked no matter what the participants ate as long as they ate around 1,500 calories (cutting around 750 calories from their diet) and no less than 1,200 calories.
Metabolism
The body’s metabolism is a system that burns calories. To keep the system working effectively it must be fueled regularly. Small meals helps keep the body burning calories and losing weight. It can also keep you from feeling deprived because you eat every few hours.
Points
Many diets, such as Weight Watchers and The Flat Belly Diet, advocate using your allotted amount of calories as points. For example, a food that is 200 calories would be 200 points. This would be subtracted from the total 1,500 calories. Each meal should have a portion of the points allotted. For example, you could have breakfast, lunch and dinner have 500 calories allotted to it. Five small meals could be allotted 300 calories apiece.
Examples
Combining 1,500 calories, small meals and a points system is a simple process. For example, a serving of high fiber cereal and low fat milk can be your first 300 calorie meal. Your second 300 calorie meal can consist of a low-fat turkey and cheese sandwich. The third meal could consist of a salad or bowl of soup. The fourth meal could be a baked chicken breast and steamed vegetables. The fifth meal could be as simple as a breakfast shake.
Warning
It is important to consult your doctor before starting any diet, especially one that drastically cuts your calories. Make sure to include moderate exercise with this plan to lose the optimum amount of weight. Make sure to consult your doctor about exercise plans, as well.
