How to Eat Less Than 2000 Calories a Day

For years, the caloric intake guideline has recommended a standard 2000 calories a day for the average adult female diet. But consuming 2000 calories a day helps you maintain your weight only if you have an active lifestyle and quite a bit of muscle mass. For many women, fewer than 2000 calories are needed to maintain their weight -- especially if they are attempting to lose weight. Exercise is important and will help any weight-loss plan. Choose a diet rich that provides healthy sources of nutrition.

Things You'll Need

• Calorie-equivalent guide

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Instructions

• 1

  Understand nutritional guidelines before you begin any weight-management program. Choose a healthy, balanced diet so you get the vitamins and minerals you need. Protein helps build muscle, and whole grains help maintain a healthy digestive system.

• 2

  Learn the calorie counts of foods you choose from each of the food groups. To burn fat and build muscle, increase your protein and decrease your carbohydrates and fats, but don't eliminate them entirely. Food groups vary in calories. Protein and carbohydrates have four calories per gram, and fat has eight calories per gram. Most adults should consume 50 to 70 grams of protein a day.

• 3

  Change the way you eat. Many adults have three large meals a day, plus one or two snacks. This is more likely to cause you to gain weight. Instead, eat five smaller meals throughout the day, with each meal containing some protein and some carbohydrates. Look for foods that have 20 percent or more of the daily recommended values of nutrients.

• 4

  Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Most nutritionists and doctors recommend eight 8-oz. glasses of water per day. Don't drink all your daily water in one or two sittings. The water will keep you hydrated, thinking clearly and feeling much better if you spread it out. It also helps curb your appetite, making it easier to stick with a low-calorie diet.

• 5

  Make regular exercise part of your lifestyle. Vary your routine between weight training and aerobic exercise. Lifting weights helps build muscle, which burns more calories than fat. Aerobics burn calories and exercise your heart and lungs. Alternating between the two provides the most effective results for weight loss, physical fitness and increasing your metabolism.

• 6

  Limit your intake of empty-calorie foods, such as candy, processed foods, potato chips and other high-calorie, low-benefit products.