If you want to lose weight, then you should take in fewer calories than you burn or you should burn more calories than you consume (by exercising more). If you want to take fewer calories than you burn route, a 1500 calorie diet might just be the key to your weight loss success.
But you can’t just go on such a limited calorie diet without taking the necessary precautions and this would include also being aware of the risks of these kinds of diets. Let’s look at the risks, the precautions and everything else you would probably want to know about a 1500 calorie diet – including a sample 1500 calorie diet and a look at the best 1500 calorie diets.
Table of Contents
What you should know about a 1500 calorie diet
Not all 1500 calorie diets are healthy or balanced. To make sure that you don’t slow down your metabolism or that you experience adverse side effects, I would advise you to make sure that the 1500 calorie diet that you choose is healthy and balanced. It is also very important to see a doctor before going on any type of diet!
What would make a 1500 calorie diet healthy and balanced then?
A diet would be considered healthy and balanced if it contains all the different nutrients and vitamins your body needs to function. This would include foods from a variety of food groups and not just one food group.
Good healthy choices to include in your 1500 calorie diet would be:
- Lean meat like chicken, fish and lean red meat
- Wholegrain, healthy carbs like durum wheat pasta, brown rice, and health bread
- Fat free dairy products, including eggs
- Lots of fruits and veggies
What are the risks of going on an unbalanced/unhealthy 1500 calorie diet?
If you choose a diet that is unhealthy and unbalanced (like fad diets), there are some risks involved. Make sure you are aware of all the different risks before going on such a diet (I would actually advise you to stay far away from fad diets).
Let’s look at what risks such diets may hold:
- Dehydration – It is very easy to become dehydrated while dieting because most of the weight loss stems from water loss.
- Fatigue and malnutrition – If the diet you go on is unbalanced, you may risk the chance of becoming malnutrition and if you are not used to eating so little calories, you may also become tired.
- Learning of unhealthy eating patterns – If you go on a fad 1500 calorie diet, it may teach you bad eating habits and it also may be difficult to stop dieting and to eat healthily again.
What precautions do you need to take before going on a 1500 calorie diet?
You should always take the necessary precautions before going on any new diet or exercise regime. This will help avoid you from hurting yourself.
Here is a list of the precautions you need to take before going on a 1500 calorie diet plan:
- Go see your GP – It is very important to consult with your doctor before going on any new exercise or diet regime. She will help you identify if the chosen diet is well suited for you as an individual.
- Drink enough fluids – To avoid becoming dehydrated, you should make sure that you get enough fluid in – make it healthy like water and herbal teas.
- Don’t do to much strenuous exercise – To avoid becoming tired, you shouldn’t exercise too hard while dieting
- Stop if you have bad side effects – You should take a break from your diet if you have adverse side effects. If the symptoms persist, you should consider stopping with your diet altogether
Now that we have all the formalities out of the way and you understand how a 1500 calorie healthy diet should look like and you understand the risks and the precautions you need to take, let’s look at the most popular and best 1500 calorie diets.
A sample 1500 calorie diet menu:
To help you understand what a 1500 calorie diet would look like, have a look at the following diet, and decide if you could eat that little:
- Breakfast – 2 Slices of whole-wheat toast, 1 egg and 2 slices of tomatoes
- Snack – a small tub of fat free yogurt
- Lunch – Chicken salad with beans and low fat dressing
- Snack – 3 Whole-wheat crackers with 3 thin slices of low fat cheese
- Dinner – 2 Fillets of fish (like hake, tuna steak or salmon), mixed salad and 3 baby potatoes
- Snack – Fresh fruit salad
Conclusion
If you choose a 1500 calorie healthy diet and you also include regular light exercises like walking and weight training, you will lose that unwanted pounds. Just remember to consult with your doctor before going on a new diet or exercise program or follow fitness trainers like Natasha Aughey diet and workout plan and to make sure that your 1500 calorie diet is healthy and balanced.
The sample 1500 calorie diet and the free 1500 calorie diet from Fitness Magazine are both good examples of such diets. To make sure that you stick to your diet, keep a reminder (maybe a picture of a little swimsuit) of why you want to lose that pounds close buy and you will surely succeed!
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