My Daily Meal Plan: Are You Getting Enough Calories?
I’ve been doing a lot of research and for someone reason, I see a lot of these 1200 calorie diets, and truthfully, I don’t think they are healthy. I strongly believe that a 1500 calorie diet is safe for both losing weight as well as keeping up your energy in a healthy manner. Here’s the calorie numbers that you should be getting:
Breakfast: 300-350 calories
Options: Greek yogurt, eggs, fruit, toast, peanut butter, etc.
Snack: 100-150 calories
Options: Almonds, cheese, fruit, ½ cup Greek yogurt, etc.
Lunch: 350 calories
Options: Wrap, fruit, pasta, meats, sandwiches, salads, etc.
Snack: 100-150 calories
Options: Cheese, fruit, hummus & crackers, ½ cup Greek yogurt, etc.
Dinner: 350 calories
Options: Meats, poultry, pasta, salad, burger, veggies, rice, etc.
Snack: 100-150 calories
Options: Nuts, fruit, veggies, hummus & crackers, ½ cup Greek yogurt, cheese, oatmeal, etc.
Daily Calorie Total: 1300 – 1500 calories
I would highly suggest trying to get 1500 calories per day and of course if you able to squeeze in 30-60 minutes of exercise that will actually come down to 1300-1400 calories consumed because you’ll have burned off 100-200 calories. So many people think if they starve themselves, they’ll drop the pounds but what not getting calories actually does is slow down your metabolism (therefore halting weightloss or even worse, causing you to gain weight), slows down your thyroid production (cause of weight gain), decreases your muscle mass, decreases your energy levels (could negatively impact your workouts), and decreases your leptin levels which actually cause think you are more hungry than you actually are.
So remember, don’t starve yourself! You need energy from healthy food choices to push through those workouts and reach your fitness goals! Don’t forget to “like” us on Facebook and “follow” us on Twitter for updates!
