How to Follow a 1500 Calorie Diet

A 1,500 calorie diet is relatively straightforward, with most people who embark on one are successful at losing weight. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in 2010 estimate that a reasonably active woman aged between 19 and 30 requires 2,000 to 2,200 calories a day, going up to 2,600 to 2,800 for her male counterpart. A deficit of 500 calories or more in a day is a good initial goal for weight loss. A combination of good planning, good nutrition and good exercise can contribute toward a healthy, sustainable weight loss whilst helping you adhere to your 1,500 calorie limit.

Instructions

• 1

  Make a commitment as to how many pounds you want to lose and by when. A quick way to determine how many calories you expend a day is to multiply your weight in pounds by 13. This will give you the calories needed in a normal day with some light activity. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, your calories for the day would be 1,820. You would create then a deficit of 320 calories in one day. It takes a deficit of 3,500 calories to lose a pound, so by knowing your daily requirement and offsetting it against 1,500, you can work out how much weight you can lose weekly or monthly.

• 2

  Divide your 1,500 calories up wisely during the day. Eating the right foods with the right nutrients will stabilize your blood sugars, reducing your cravings for fat and/or sugary foods. The Mayo Clinic has a food pyramid which gives guidelines for the correct type and amount of food you should be consuming in a healthy diet. Use up to 75 calories on sweet treats to stop you feeling deprived, triggering off cravings. Divide the remaining 1,425 between the following: three to five daily servings of fat, three to seven servings of lean protein and dairy, four to eight servings of carbohydrates, unlimited portions of fruit, at least three servings, and unlimited portions of vegetables, with at least four portions daily. By dividing your food groups, you will have a nutritious and well balanced 1,500 daily calorie diet.

• 3

  Engage in daily exercise. Not only will exercise help you burn your 1,500 calories quicker, it releases mood enhancing endorphins that strengthen your willpower. To burn off one pound, you need to expend 3,500 calories in exercise -- the equivalent of walking 30 miles for an average sized adult. This may sound a lot, but it doesn't have to be in the one day -- space it over the week. Medline recommend's aerobic activity for at least two and a half hours spread over a week, but no less than 10 minutes at a time. Increase the amount of time you spend on aerobic activity every week to help your fitness and burn off those 1,500 calories. A strengthening class, such as a body pump class twice a week, will help you to become stronger, making your muscles more efficient at burning calories.